This past weekend saw the Southern XC Championships take place at Stanmer Park, Brighton. By all accounts the course was going to be firm (good) but very hilly (not so good). I was pretty unsure how I would run going into the race. My best placing is 20th way back in 1999 and 2000 (same year I won the County XC). I was 40th last year at Parliament Hill.
Over the years I've managed to keep my longer road times fairly close to what I was capable of 10 years ago, but my cross country running has declined quite a bit - and I was never brilliant at it anyway.
We got down to Brighton and immediately thought it was a brilliant venue. Bedford had managed to get a decent team together to defend the team title. I scored 6th last year for the team. I was fairly confident I could squeeze into the scoring six again but would have to run well.
Reports were coming back to us that the course featured a huge hill and a second one, just as steep but shorter. I was ready for whatever was to come. We'd be hitting each hill three times over three laps as the Southern Championships is over 15km rather than the normal 12km.
We got ourselves sorted out and the team of Neilson Hall (last year's winner), Darren Deed, Steve Naylor (new signing), Will McKay, Matt Janes (recently injured) and Huw Lobb lined up for the gun. I'd made a promise to go off conservatively and work through the field. It worked a treat last year.
We were sent on our way and the field just closed up around me as it always seems to in the Championship XC races. I don't go off too confidently in the early stages, no idea why that is.
We were getting strung out after the first small loop before heading out and starting a climb towards the woods. I was alongside my mate Richard Scott of Highgate who I ran the entire London Marathon with. Richard would be the first to admit Cross Country isn't the strongest for him either, we acknowledged each other. I was feeling ok here, running sensibly in the 50's. Up ahead I could see some familiar backs and heads as we went into the woods and the hill kicked up ahead. It was massive.
It was one of those hills where you get to the top but feel you're still climbing for 200 yards afterwards as the legs get over the ascent. I'd say the entire climb bottom to top was 800 metres. It was just a long way up.
I'd dropped a lot of places going up here as we swung round and started to head down. The surface was very firm and I maintained my position alongside Richard for a while. The course was a mixture of flat and downhill before we hit the second hill. This was equally as hard but not so long and again I fell back through the field, feeling pretty helpless on the climb and not really pulling back on the downhill and flat sections. If I lost five positions going up, I picked up three going down or on the flat.
The first lap was over but it felt like we'd been running for ages already. The second lap saw me drop back some more places, but I was late 50's here and I'd have taken that as a finishing position - I'm just not running that well right now with a lack of recent background evident.
By the end of lap two Richard was putting some daylight between us and I was trying to figure out how I was going to conquer these climbs one last time. It was brutal when going up and my quads were burning and making me feel totally unprepared and woefully short of fitness. My plan of going through the field later in the race was starting to look like a hugely optimistic one at best.
We hit the bigger hill one last time and I was starting to get passed by groups of blokes, not just one or two. Richard went from 20 yards ahead to 80 yards in very little time.
At the top of the bigger climb I literally stumbled up it and got a cramping sensation across by body at the top that would last to the end of the race. I was trying to run free on the down and flat, but was being passed fairly constantly at this point, Will Cockerell of Belgrave being among them.
I got up the final hill ok and started to rally a bit now these were out of the way, the body cramp wasn't so bad and rather than being passed I was holding my position, but there was hardly any distance left to run. The downhill into the finish was a relief and I crossed the line having dropped at least 10 positions on that last lap.
I was 72nd, which is just bloody disappointing. I'm feeling a bit fed up right now as I haven't had a remotely decent run for months and months. I've stuck a good month of training in the bank and expected better than 72nd in the Southern.
I caught up with the guys afterwards. Richard had been 56th, so on that last lap he'd picked off 16 positions. Whilst I tried to execute my plan with zero success he'd been strong through the final stages.
I did a warm down with the lads. I'd been 7th scorer and we'd ended up second team to Highgate, so I didn't get a silver medal for the effort to put with the gold and bronze team medals from previous years.
I was keen to press on and get the train home. I got back to the station through the throngs of Geordie 'toon fans in town for the FA Cup 4th round against Brighton. I picked up a four pack of lager at Brighton station and kicked back on the train listening to some Northern Soul on the headphones. The lager started to ease the legs and I tried to be positive but wasn't really feeling it. It was a good train ride home though, and the ice cold suds worked a treat.
I did 20 miles this morning to round off an 80 mile week and my quads were like bricks. At least I got out and did a run I suppose, feeling quite fed up.
Cross country running is just nothing like the road, and I am a road runner. In a rhythm on the road I can rattle off consistent miles, but the country is all about broken rhythm and varying terrain and I find it difficult to get into a groove and I just find the entire race shows no mercy or respite at any stage.
I've got three weeks until my next race and I'm going to stick some good training in and see how that goes. If I make some good progress then the Rotterdam Marathon becomes my primary goal again as I'll start to believe I'll get to the start line there in decent shape.
Must keep positive.
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Sunday 29 January 2012
Monday 23 January 2012
Fred Hughes 10
This past weekend I got my racers on for the Fred Hughes 10 in St Albans. It's a small, low key 10 mile road race and ideal for trying to get some fitness. I've been winning it on occassions that I've entered it ever since 1998, but I'm sure I ran it as early as 1992. I've also got the course record of 51:55 when I last ran it in 2009.
The course for 2012 was back to the original course from the 90s, and it's a right bastard, loads of hills. Coupled with the wind it was going to be a decent workout without a time to be proud of.
I'd trained ok all week and did a satisfying session with Jack Goodwin on the Tuesday night on a frozen field adjacent to Bedford Athletics Track. We did a fartlek session of eight miles and with warming up and warming down made for a decent night's volume.
I was pleased with how far I was behind Jack on the longer efforts as he's running very well and has a GB vest from his recent races over the mud. This was a decent sign as I'm getting fitter day by day whilst keeping my mileage 'safe'. On the shorter efforts Jack schooled me.
Sunday morning arrived and I took my place on the start line. A quick glance around suggested nobody was likely to push me too hard for the win.
We set off and after the first mile I was out on my own and feeling ok, but apprehensive as this was my first road race for a while. I had had a bit of company up to then in the form of a bloke who was alongside me trying to hold a conversation, but he quickly dropped off, possibly annoyed with himself for setting off a little too fast (given his eventual finishing time).
I was moving fairly well at 53 minute pace and this went on until four miles, which was basically the start of a two mile uphill section that suggested my time wasn't going to be too satisfying.
I handled the hill ok, and expected some downhill to chip off some seconds from what was going to be a modest clocking. I wanted 53 minutes at least, and this was looking a tall order now.
The race was set up around a juction at two, five and eight miles with a water station at this point. At two miles no other runners were there, at five miles likewise. At eight miles, when I was feeling very good and clipping off some quicker miles in my quest for a 53 minute clocking, I swung round a bend and was met with utter mayhem. There were dozens of runners coming my way, stationary cars, bikes, paper cups, spectators. All very narrow as well.
When full of adrenanline most runners I know just go into 'elbow' mode and force a way through small gaps at pace. I shouted ahead and managed to squeeze through without anyone getting knocked about. The marshalls were taken by suprise and were all over the place trying to get some order.
As I emerged from all this I took a wrong turn and ran maybe 100m before realising, swung back and retraced my steps before getting back on course towards the finish.
The problem was that the lead bike was being pedalled by an older guy who struggled to keep up, and I'd dropped him at this junction (not for the first time). Suffice to say I didn't break 54, in fact nowhere near.
Although my last three miles with the slight deviation was a moderately satisfying 16:17 (relative to fitness) and I was feeling pretty good with it. I reckon the cock up cost me 30-40 seconds. I managed 54:34.
Anyway, another race done and another step towards race fitness. Proper race fitness. I've got the Southern XC Championships this coming weekend in Brighton and apparently the 15km course is reported as bone dry and very hilly. I like the former description more than the latter.
M - AM 7 miles @ 6:28 pace, PM 8.3 miles @ 6:20 pace
T - 8 miles fartlek on frozen grass (2x4 mins, 3x3 mins, 4x2 mins, 5x1 mins off 1 min consistent 5:00-5:10 pace on efforts) with 4.5 miles warming up/down
W - AM 5.1 miles easy, PM 6.6 miles steady
T - 10.5 miles with last 5 miles well under 6 min pace
F - 8.3 miles steady at 6:27 pace
S - 7.4 miles easy in wind
S - FHM 10 in 54:34 and 6 miles warming up/down
82 miles
The course for 2012 was back to the original course from the 90s, and it's a right bastard, loads of hills. Coupled with the wind it was going to be a decent workout without a time to be proud of.
I'd trained ok all week and did a satisfying session with Jack Goodwin on the Tuesday night on a frozen field adjacent to Bedford Athletics Track. We did a fartlek session of eight miles and with warming up and warming down made for a decent night's volume.
I was pleased with how far I was behind Jack on the longer efforts as he's running very well and has a GB vest from his recent races over the mud. This was a decent sign as I'm getting fitter day by day whilst keeping my mileage 'safe'. On the shorter efforts Jack schooled me.
Sunday morning arrived and I took my place on the start line. A quick glance around suggested nobody was likely to push me too hard for the win.
We set off and after the first mile I was out on my own and feeling ok, but apprehensive as this was my first road race for a while. I had had a bit of company up to then in the form of a bloke who was alongside me trying to hold a conversation, but he quickly dropped off, possibly annoyed with himself for setting off a little too fast (given his eventual finishing time).
I was moving fairly well at 53 minute pace and this went on until four miles, which was basically the start of a two mile uphill section that suggested my time wasn't going to be too satisfying.
I handled the hill ok, and expected some downhill to chip off some seconds from what was going to be a modest clocking. I wanted 53 minutes at least, and this was looking a tall order now.
The race was set up around a juction at two, five and eight miles with a water station at this point. At two miles no other runners were there, at five miles likewise. At eight miles, when I was feeling very good and clipping off some quicker miles in my quest for a 53 minute clocking, I swung round a bend and was met with utter mayhem. There were dozens of runners coming my way, stationary cars, bikes, paper cups, spectators. All very narrow as well.
When full of adrenanline most runners I know just go into 'elbow' mode and force a way through small gaps at pace. I shouted ahead and managed to squeeze through without anyone getting knocked about. The marshalls were taken by suprise and were all over the place trying to get some order.
As I emerged from all this I took a wrong turn and ran maybe 100m before realising, swung back and retraced my steps before getting back on course towards the finish.
The problem was that the lead bike was being pedalled by an older guy who struggled to keep up, and I'd dropped him at this junction (not for the first time). Suffice to say I didn't break 54, in fact nowhere near.
Although my last three miles with the slight deviation was a moderately satisfying 16:17 (relative to fitness) and I was feeling pretty good with it. I reckon the cock up cost me 30-40 seconds. I managed 54:34.
Anyway, another race done and another step towards race fitness. Proper race fitness. I've got the Southern XC Championships this coming weekend in Brighton and apparently the 15km course is reported as bone dry and very hilly. I like the former description more than the latter.
M - AM 7 miles @ 6:28 pace, PM 8.3 miles @ 6:20 pace
T - 8 miles fartlek on frozen grass (2x4 mins, 3x3 mins, 4x2 mins, 5x1 mins off 1 min consistent 5:00-5:10 pace on efforts) with 4.5 miles warming up/down
W - AM 5.1 miles easy, PM 6.6 miles steady
T - 10.5 miles with last 5 miles well under 6 min pace
F - 8.3 miles steady at 6:27 pace
S - 7.4 miles easy in wind
S - FHM 10 in 54:34 and 6 miles warming up/down
82 miles
Tuesday 17 January 2012
Rotterdam?
After a tough
few weeks following the Toronto Marathon, my last marathon and a DNF, I found
myself nursing a calf injury and then some dodgy and painful Achilles problems,
my training up to Christmas would be best described as ‘sporadic’.
Allied to this I felt demotivated and in need for some downtime. I always felt I’d bounce back and focus on a race to get fit for, but with Toronto still fresh in my mind I wanted to get a fresh perspective on my running and this was a period for that.
I hope my blogs are seen as an interesting read and no more than that. I’m aware of my limitations as a runner, but quite a few people have asked me when the blog will return, so for those that are interested, here it is.
Over Christmas I got myself out for a few runs. The pace was honest and I didn’t seem to be terribly unfit. I was running ok, but not race fit by a long stretch. My immediate goal became a race in January and a gradual increase in mileage to see how the Achilles would respond. So far, so good.
My opinion on mileage for my own training is still a bit in the balance. I trained well in excess of 100 miles weekly for most of my London Marathon build up last year; yet similar training for Toronto yielded the complete opposite result.
I’ve always felt I run better off slightly less, yet always get tempted to increase it when in the marathon training bubble. It worked for London, so I chanced some big weeks for Toronto – and it didn’t work there.
Possibly two marathons in a year is a bit much, I don’t know. I didn’t really rest up properly after London and raced all summer long. By September I was a spent force.
This past weekend I ran my first race in three months over the mud in the Chiltern League at Slough. It was all a bit Déjà Vu as I started my racing on the corresponding weekend last year in the Chiltern League after a long lay-off. That day I was 13th and got fit very quickly after that.
The course was a three lapper over a flat field, firm underfoot. I had two weeks of 55 and 82 going into the race, with just one session of 2km reps around Bedford Park, which was a bit of a shock. The race got underway and I felt ok, nothing special. Surrounded by some young lads I was unable to go with them towards the end of the first lap and became detached on the last lap and, after dropping one lad, I couldn’t make inroads on the next guy up ahead.
I wound up 9th. Afterwards I didn’t feel as if I’d been in a race but at the same time hadn’t been able to really crank it up, a lack of sharpness. Somebody mentioned I looked strong but visibly couldn’t go with the pace as it was quite flat, fast and short (5.4 miles exactly). I managed just inside 5:20 pace on the mud so that’s ok. Just pleased to get the first one done.
I ran 19 miles the next morning and during the run I decided on another crack at the Marathon on 15th April in Rotterdam. Despite a PB last year, I feel there’s some unfinished business over 26.2 after dropping out of Toronto.
I've decided against London for 2012 as I had such a good race there last year I don’t want to get duped into trying to repeat that day. As well as this, Rotterdam is a proper ‘old school’ marathon, famous for the 1983 race between De Castella and Salazar. And with Carlos Lopes running a world record there in 1985, aged 38, there’s plenty of reason to believe I could run close to my best there at 37(!) Rotterdam is flat and fast, so it’s ideal and I’ve always fancied it.
Over the coming weeks I’m going to increase my training but am committed to training for Rotterdam off 90 miles a week. I don’t want to get injured or stale like I did for Toronto. I know 90 miles per week over the coming months will be fine for me, so that’s the plan. Better to go to the start line under-trained than over-trained.
I’ve got my race plans sorted between now and 15th April. These include a 10 mile road race in St Albans at the close of this week, the Southern XC Championships in Brighton the weekend after. On 19th February I’m running the Wokingham Half Marathon, the weekend after that the National XC Championships at the home of Cross Country (Parliament Hill). On March 11th I’ll do the Bath Half Marathon and then focus on Rotterdam five weeks later.
I love training at this time of year, you have a focus in spring to get you out of the door every day through the cold and dark weeks ahead. Training for a marathon properly whilst living an otherwise normal life makes for a busy lifestyle but marathons are worth it when you nail one.
Allied to this I felt demotivated and in need for some downtime. I always felt I’d bounce back and focus on a race to get fit for, but with Toronto still fresh in my mind I wanted to get a fresh perspective on my running and this was a period for that.
I hope my blogs are seen as an interesting read and no more than that. I’m aware of my limitations as a runner, but quite a few people have asked me when the blog will return, so for those that are interested, here it is.
Over Christmas I got myself out for a few runs. The pace was honest and I didn’t seem to be terribly unfit. I was running ok, but not race fit by a long stretch. My immediate goal became a race in January and a gradual increase in mileage to see how the Achilles would respond. So far, so good.
My opinion on mileage for my own training is still a bit in the balance. I trained well in excess of 100 miles weekly for most of my London Marathon build up last year; yet similar training for Toronto yielded the complete opposite result.
I’ve always felt I run better off slightly less, yet always get tempted to increase it when in the marathon training bubble. It worked for London, so I chanced some big weeks for Toronto – and it didn’t work there.
Possibly two marathons in a year is a bit much, I don’t know. I didn’t really rest up properly after London and raced all summer long. By September I was a spent force.
This past weekend I ran my first race in three months over the mud in the Chiltern League at Slough. It was all a bit Déjà Vu as I started my racing on the corresponding weekend last year in the Chiltern League after a long lay-off. That day I was 13th and got fit very quickly after that.
The course was a three lapper over a flat field, firm underfoot. I had two weeks of 55 and 82 going into the race, with just one session of 2km reps around Bedford Park, which was a bit of a shock. The race got underway and I felt ok, nothing special. Surrounded by some young lads I was unable to go with them towards the end of the first lap and became detached on the last lap and, after dropping one lad, I couldn’t make inroads on the next guy up ahead.
I wound up 9th. Afterwards I didn’t feel as if I’d been in a race but at the same time hadn’t been able to really crank it up, a lack of sharpness. Somebody mentioned I looked strong but visibly couldn’t go with the pace as it was quite flat, fast and short (5.4 miles exactly). I managed just inside 5:20 pace on the mud so that’s ok. Just pleased to get the first one done.
I ran 19 miles the next morning and during the run I decided on another crack at the Marathon on 15th April in Rotterdam. Despite a PB last year, I feel there’s some unfinished business over 26.2 after dropping out of Toronto.
I've decided against London for 2012 as I had such a good race there last year I don’t want to get duped into trying to repeat that day. As well as this, Rotterdam is a proper ‘old school’ marathon, famous for the 1983 race between De Castella and Salazar. And with Carlos Lopes running a world record there in 1985, aged 38, there’s plenty of reason to believe I could run close to my best there at 37(!) Rotterdam is flat and fast, so it’s ideal and I’ve always fancied it.
Over the coming weeks I’m going to increase my training but am committed to training for Rotterdam off 90 miles a week. I don’t want to get injured or stale like I did for Toronto. I know 90 miles per week over the coming months will be fine for me, so that’s the plan. Better to go to the start line under-trained than over-trained.
I’ve got my race plans sorted between now and 15th April. These include a 10 mile road race in St Albans at the close of this week, the Southern XC Championships in Brighton the weekend after. On 19th February I’m running the Wokingham Half Marathon, the weekend after that the National XC Championships at the home of Cross Country (Parliament Hill). On March 11th I’ll do the Bath Half Marathon and then focus on Rotterdam five weeks later.
I love training at this time of year, you have a focus in spring to get you out of the door every day through the cold and dark weeks ahead. Training for a marathon properly whilst living an otherwise normal life makes for a busy lifestyle but marathons are worth it when you nail one.
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