Friday, 25 May 2012
Troon 10K
Sorry I have took over 2 weeks to post this, the joys of night shift.
Wednesday 9th brought the Troon Tortoise 10K, my favourite race of 2011!
I arrived at the registration area at around 6.45pm, evening runs are always interesting! I had not long finished a roast chicken dinner so running fast was not in the plan. My wife Rachael came along to give me some support, as did the rest of my family although, they travelled separate and I didn't actually get to see them as they left early at the end but I am told they were there, cheering.
I met a few fellow parkrunners Ally, Jon and Jim. We headed down to the promenade to line up for the start of the race just before 7.30pm. The organisers had zones for people to gather in in relation to their predicted time. My last 10K race was in January and I ran in around 46 - 47 mimuntes so I was aiming for around that time. This was my first race since the marathon last month so it felt good to be in an event, this 10K actually attracting 1100 runners. That's almost double the Lochaber marathon numbers! The predicted time zones appeared to be very tight, I was sandwiched between the 50 minutes and the 45 minute posts but as we were directed to walk forward I found myself in the 40 minute zone, no chance!
The horn was sounded and we were on our way, the weather was perfect again with the sun shining and a light sea breeze.
I ran the first KM in about 4 minutes 10 seconds, way faster than I had planned...but I felt good. I maintained the pace, with the idea that I could slow down as I felt tired as I wasn't too bothered about time. I made my way around the relatively flat course hovering between 4.10 and 4.30 for each KM. I had reached the half way point in exactly 22 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised with this, my 5KM PB is 21.31 so I was running quick. I kept going, I knew that if I could maintain this then I was on target for a big PB.
At around the 6KM point I found myself running behind a female Bellahouston Harrier, I noticed that she was keeping a good pace for the first half of the race so I thought that if I tagged along I would overcome any mental fatigue. It wasn't until about the 8KM mark that she noticed although by this time I think it had turned to me pacing for her. She told me that I was 'pulling her through', I laughed and told her that I wasn't pulling anyone and she was pushing me. The friendly banter was enough to get me through the next couple of KM maintaining my pace. I asked her if she had a target time and she told me she was aiming for anything under 44 minutes. This was a good sign that I was in line for a massive PB!
I had got to the final KM and I told myself not to look at my garmin and just go for it. The last 800m felt so long, it was a long stretch along the promenade with runners darting passed me. I could see the finish line and just gave it everything and went for it. I heard Rachael shouting and looked over to see her on the side lines. I felt as though I was running as fast as I could, my legs felt heavy and my breathing just as heavy.
I pushed to the line and crossed in a new PB of 44.01. I couldn't believe it, I hadn't ran in 2 weeks and this was my longest run since the marathon over a month ago! I smashed my last PB by well over 2 minutes.
I have learned a lot from this race, it has gave me the determination to really stick in at my training as who knows what results I could be getting with the right effort!
I have the Loch Ness Marathon in September, I am going to be running mainly middle miles through the summer (between 12 - 16 miles) with lots of 5K recovery runs. I expect my 10K time to come down even further through the summer, so watch this space!
Monday, 16 April 2012
Lochaber marathon
After the success and surprise of the Inverness half marathon last month, running a comfortable 1hr 46min I told myself that I was just going to head up to Lochaber the following month and see what happens....
So, I have had little to no training at all for the last 10 weeks after a diagnosis of 'runners knee'. A common injury which was caused by the ITB muscle becoming very tight and pulling my knee cap out of position. This caused severe pain when running and forced me to slow down and eventually stop running for many weeks. I did keep up my weekly jog leader duties with my jogscotland group, consisting of around 2 hours of running every Tuesday night, but no real hard or long running.
We headed up to Fort William on Saturday morning to meet my parents who had arrived the day before. The weather was very changeable on the road up; hot, cold, sunny and it was even snowing on the drive through Glencoe.
Once we checked in at the Ben Nevis Hotel I was surprised when my 2 year old niece knocked on the hotel room door, more family making a surprise trip up to support me on this, my first marathon!
I was feeling confident the night before, I knew in myself that I would finish and I had come to terms with myself that time was not going to be a factor in this race. The aim was to finish and enjoy the experience. We had a lovely dinner the night before in the hotel followed by an early night!
Race day! I managed to get a great night sleep and felt ready for the race. We had our breakfast at the hotel. My dad force fed me rolls and toast until I was about ready to pop. I don't think I actually ate that much but for me, its hard to eat before a race and at this point I began to feel a little nervous about the event.
After heading back up to the hotel room there wasn't much time for lazing about, time had crept up on me and it was a bit of a rush to get my running gear on before the 11am start. I checked and double checked that I had everything before leaving for the start line.
We had a pre-race briefing in the Nevis Centre, being pleasantly informed that 'there will be first aiders and ambulance services out on the course....they just haven't arrived yet'. Not that I was expecting to be using the services, I just would have felt a little reassured to know they were going to be there...eventually.
We were piped out to the start line and after a few quick waves to all my family who came to support I was on my way.
My mother-in-law gave me a good tip to try and talk to a few runners around you near the start as when you start to struggle in the big miles they will be there to give you support. I started talking to a lady I was running next to. She told me that this was her first marathon in over 10 years and, with very little training was just hoping to finish. I mentioned to her that this was my first marathon and had also managed to avoid training due to injury. I could swear that was all we said to each other and before I knew it I ran passed the first mile marker. I remembered saying into myself 'slow down!' but I looked at my garmin and we ran it in just under 10 minutes...slow enough.
After a few quick turns left and right we were onto the main road and my only target in mind now was the half way point. The route is a straight 13.1 miles out along the main road, turn, and head 13.1 back. The weather was ideal for running. Clear blue skies, nice cool temperature with only a slight head wind on the way out. My dad told me from his marathon experience that the first 16 miles will fly by. I found myself running alone for most of the route and I think this made the miles last a little longer. I drew strength from the stunning surroundings, looking out along the waters and the towering hills around us. The sun was bright enough to make it feel like a perfect summers day but we had the shade of the trees to protect us. If this wasn't such a scenic marathon I don't think I would have kept the mental strength to run all that distance alone.
Between mile 10 and 11 the front runners began to pass me. I thought it would have been sooner than this and was looking forward to seeing some of the elite club runners. A lot of runners are put off with 'out and back' courses and can find it disheartening to see how far behind you are but for me, I love running. I love watching people run and you often miss watching the elite or fast club runners when you are taking part in the event. So the 'out and back' gives me an opportunity to watch others running, and running well.
I had reached the turning point, a small collection of marshals standing in the middle of the road shouting 'just run around us and head back'....easier said than done! I had ran the first half of the marathon in a comfortable 2 hours and 2 minutes. Faster than I had planned but I was happy with the thought of 'I just need to run that distance again'. I knew from that point that my knee would probably begin to play up as this was my longest run since the Inverness half marathon 4 weeks earlier. But, so far so good!
I had passed fellow parkrunner Ian Devoy in the early miles. Again, with the hope that as I began to struggle in the big miles he would scoop me up with some words of encouragement. It was around mile 15 or 16 that I began to hear Ian's voice in the distance behind me. I knew that I had been running around 9.10 per mile and had now slowed to a more comfortable 9.45. Ian was running with a fellow Strathaven Strider and knew they would have maintained a slower but steadier pace for the first half. As Ian got closer I realised he had a small crowd with him. I spoke to Ian for a while, he reported feeling good and he looked and sounded like he was coping well with the experience. I reminded him that not too long ago when I first met him at Strathclyde parkrun he told me that 'running a marathon is just stupid'. Yet here he was, running strong and keeping a good pace.
I couldn't maintain the pace with Ian and it wasn't long before a good gap had found its way between us, I did notice that some of the other folks that were running alongside Ian had also slowed down. For the next couple of miles we all passed each other back and forth as we struggled with our pace.
People often talk about hitting 'the wall'. It has been described to me in various forms. Some people have told me its like all the energy in your body just falling away from you, others talk about your legs just turning to jelly or being as heavy as lead. Well at mile 19 I was preparing myself for 'the wall'. It never came.
I told myself before the race that the aim was to finish it, the only outcome that would disappoint me was not finishing. Time was not a factor in this race. At mile 19 my legs started to cramp up. This was the first time that I began to think that I might not finish. My mind was in the right place for this run, I had a positive mental attitude and was determined to finish. But, when your legs begin to cramp up at the same time its difficult to just keep running. Two fellow runners had stopped just ahead of me, they too appeared to be trying to stretch off some bad leg cramps. I held on to a tree to try and stretch my left quad and as I did this my hamstring when straight into cramp and I felt a large knot at the back of my leg. I slowly tried to straighten my leg and as I done so my thigh went back into cramp. I began to panic as I couldn't put my foot on the ground and had to keep my leg up and slightly bend in order to stop the pain. I hobbled a little and gave a few deep breathes before walking off the pain.
From here on in I had a struggling walk jog to the finish. The next 7 miles would be the slowest miles I have ever ran, the most painful and yet I enjoyed these 7 miles the most. I had used all the water stops on the route, running passed and grabbing a bottle of water at each of them. The last few water stops were time to replace all those lost fluids and I just kept hope that these cramps would pass.
It was a slow battle with cramp coming and going yet mentally I felt strong. Mile 20 I told myself 'I've just ran 20 miles' at mile 21 I repeated the process and again at 22. I used mile 22 to send a quick text to my wife Rachael to let her know that I was safe and was going to finish. I had a long jog and a short walk between miles 19 to 22 but on mile 23, 24 and 25 I managed to jog the whole way. I knew that I was going to finish and no amount of cramping was going to cause me to stop now.
The last mile was the only point on the whole course that is even worth mentioning a hill. It was a small incline that in any other run you would probably not even remember. It was located on a footpath and at the top were the houses I remember running through at the start. The organisers saw the funny side of this and had took the time to spray paint on the path 'great place for a hill' however at the top they had painted some words of encouragement. I would love to say that I powered up that hill but I can't. My thighs were burning and my calf felt as though they were ready to rip at any moment. I struggled up the hill and made my way through the streets of houses. It was a strange feeling to have people just getting on with things, washing the car, in the garden and here was me, fighting a physical battle with myself. Maybe this is 'the wall', although I am not convinced. I think with the right training this pain would have been avoided. But strangely, it was all adding to my experience. I ran passed an elderly gentleman who was pottering about in his garden. He gave me the biggest of smiles and asked, 'was it a full marathon?' I replied with pride 'yep, a full marathon'. This gave me a little moral boost and I pushed on. In the distance I could see my sisters partner. He was waving and started to walk towards me. This was the first time in the whole race I felt physically exhausted. I think mentally I began to think I was finished. He started to run along side me pushing me on around the corner were I saw my dad. The cramps in my legs began to return and I had to stop and walk despite being a few hundred yards from the finish. I think I must have started to run too fast when I saw my dad and it caused my legs to go again. He ran up along side me and started to tell me 'you've done it, you are there'. I pushed on and picked up the pace.
The last 100m were emotional, tears came to my eyes and I felt totally exhausted. I was on the home straight and I had a large support shouting and cheering for me. All my family had come all this way and stood in the freezing cold to watch me cross the line. I gave it my all and started to run as fast as I could crossing the line in 4 hours 37 minutes.
I often hear people say 'never again' when they talk about marathons. I myself said it as soon as I crossed the line, hugging all my family. Its a strange experience. The pain and torture to run on agony and empty seems to just add to the experience of it all. Its only been 24 hours since I completed my first marathon and yet I find myself looking online at marathons in the autumn.
I learned from this that the saying is true that you can achieve anything you put your mind too. If I wasn't so confident mentally that I was going to finish this then I know I would have pulled out. I also learned that running isn't about PB's and how fast or how long you can run. Its about enjoying yourself, taking in the whole experience and everything around you. Its about listening to your body and knowing when you can push yourself just that little bit further when you think you haven't got it in you and when to hang back and take it easy. My time of 4.37 isn't any record breaker and, if I had trained properly I probably would have managed those bigger miles a little better. But I wouldn't change anything about this marathon, I loved every minute of it and its been a totally unforgettable experience.
www.justgiving.com/anthonyjpbutler
Special thanks to all the organisers of the event!
So, I have had little to no training at all for the last 10 weeks after a diagnosis of 'runners knee'. A common injury which was caused by the ITB muscle becoming very tight and pulling my knee cap out of position. This caused severe pain when running and forced me to slow down and eventually stop running for many weeks. I did keep up my weekly jog leader duties with my jogscotland group, consisting of around 2 hours of running every Tuesday night, but no real hard or long running.
We headed up to Fort William on Saturday morning to meet my parents who had arrived the day before. The weather was very changeable on the road up; hot, cold, sunny and it was even snowing on the drive through Glencoe.
Once we checked in at the Ben Nevis Hotel I was surprised when my 2 year old niece knocked on the hotel room door, more family making a surprise trip up to support me on this, my first marathon!
I was feeling confident the night before, I knew in myself that I would finish and I had come to terms with myself that time was not going to be a factor in this race. The aim was to finish and enjoy the experience. We had a lovely dinner the night before in the hotel followed by an early night!
Race day! I managed to get a great night sleep and felt ready for the race. We had our breakfast at the hotel. My dad force fed me rolls and toast until I was about ready to pop. I don't think I actually ate that much but for me, its hard to eat before a race and at this point I began to feel a little nervous about the event.
After heading back up to the hotel room there wasn't much time for lazing about, time had crept up on me and it was a bit of a rush to get my running gear on before the 11am start. I checked and double checked that I had everything before leaving for the start line.
We had a pre-race briefing in the Nevis Centre, being pleasantly informed that 'there will be first aiders and ambulance services out on the course....they just haven't arrived yet'. Not that I was expecting to be using the services, I just would have felt a little reassured to know they were going to be there...eventually.
We were piped out to the start line and after a few quick waves to all my family who came to support I was on my way.
My mother-in-law gave me a good tip to try and talk to a few runners around you near the start as when you start to struggle in the big miles they will be there to give you support. I started talking to a lady I was running next to. She told me that this was her first marathon in over 10 years and, with very little training was just hoping to finish. I mentioned to her that this was my first marathon and had also managed to avoid training due to injury. I could swear that was all we said to each other and before I knew it I ran passed the first mile marker. I remembered saying into myself 'slow down!' but I looked at my garmin and we ran it in just under 10 minutes...slow enough.
After a few quick turns left and right we were onto the main road and my only target in mind now was the half way point. The route is a straight 13.1 miles out along the main road, turn, and head 13.1 back. The weather was ideal for running. Clear blue skies, nice cool temperature with only a slight head wind on the way out. My dad told me from his marathon experience that the first 16 miles will fly by. I found myself running alone for most of the route and I think this made the miles last a little longer. I drew strength from the stunning surroundings, looking out along the waters and the towering hills around us. The sun was bright enough to make it feel like a perfect summers day but we had the shade of the trees to protect us. If this wasn't such a scenic marathon I don't think I would have kept the mental strength to run all that distance alone.
Between mile 10 and 11 the front runners began to pass me. I thought it would have been sooner than this and was looking forward to seeing some of the elite club runners. A lot of runners are put off with 'out and back' courses and can find it disheartening to see how far behind you are but for me, I love running. I love watching people run and you often miss watching the elite or fast club runners when you are taking part in the event. So the 'out and back' gives me an opportunity to watch others running, and running well.
I had reached the turning point, a small collection of marshals standing in the middle of the road shouting 'just run around us and head back'....easier said than done! I had ran the first half of the marathon in a comfortable 2 hours and 2 minutes. Faster than I had planned but I was happy with the thought of 'I just need to run that distance again'. I knew from that point that my knee would probably begin to play up as this was my longest run since the Inverness half marathon 4 weeks earlier. But, so far so good!
I had passed fellow parkrunner Ian Devoy in the early miles. Again, with the hope that as I began to struggle in the big miles he would scoop me up with some words of encouragement. It was around mile 15 or 16 that I began to hear Ian's voice in the distance behind me. I knew that I had been running around 9.10 per mile and had now slowed to a more comfortable 9.45. Ian was running with a fellow Strathaven Strider and knew they would have maintained a slower but steadier pace for the first half. As Ian got closer I realised he had a small crowd with him. I spoke to Ian for a while, he reported feeling good and he looked and sounded like he was coping well with the experience. I reminded him that not too long ago when I first met him at Strathclyde parkrun he told me that 'running a marathon is just stupid'. Yet here he was, running strong and keeping a good pace.
I couldn't maintain the pace with Ian and it wasn't long before a good gap had found its way between us, I did notice that some of the other folks that were running alongside Ian had also slowed down. For the next couple of miles we all passed each other back and forth as we struggled with our pace.
People often talk about hitting 'the wall'. It has been described to me in various forms. Some people have told me its like all the energy in your body just falling away from you, others talk about your legs just turning to jelly or being as heavy as lead. Well at mile 19 I was preparing myself for 'the wall'. It never came.
I told myself before the race that the aim was to finish it, the only outcome that would disappoint me was not finishing. Time was not a factor in this race. At mile 19 my legs started to cramp up. This was the first time that I began to think that I might not finish. My mind was in the right place for this run, I had a positive mental attitude and was determined to finish. But, when your legs begin to cramp up at the same time its difficult to just keep running. Two fellow runners had stopped just ahead of me, they too appeared to be trying to stretch off some bad leg cramps. I held on to a tree to try and stretch my left quad and as I did this my hamstring when straight into cramp and I felt a large knot at the back of my leg. I slowly tried to straighten my leg and as I done so my thigh went back into cramp. I began to panic as I couldn't put my foot on the ground and had to keep my leg up and slightly bend in order to stop the pain. I hobbled a little and gave a few deep breathes before walking off the pain.
From here on in I had a struggling walk jog to the finish. The next 7 miles would be the slowest miles I have ever ran, the most painful and yet I enjoyed these 7 miles the most. I had used all the water stops on the route, running passed and grabbing a bottle of water at each of them. The last few water stops were time to replace all those lost fluids and I just kept hope that these cramps would pass.
It was a slow battle with cramp coming and going yet mentally I felt strong. Mile 20 I told myself 'I've just ran 20 miles' at mile 21 I repeated the process and again at 22. I used mile 22 to send a quick text to my wife Rachael to let her know that I was safe and was going to finish. I had a long jog and a short walk between miles 19 to 22 but on mile 23, 24 and 25 I managed to jog the whole way. I knew that I was going to finish and no amount of cramping was going to cause me to stop now.
The last mile was the only point on the whole course that is even worth mentioning a hill. It was a small incline that in any other run you would probably not even remember. It was located on a footpath and at the top were the houses I remember running through at the start. The organisers saw the funny side of this and had took the time to spray paint on the path 'great place for a hill' however at the top they had painted some words of encouragement. I would love to say that I powered up that hill but I can't. My thighs were burning and my calf felt as though they were ready to rip at any moment. I struggled up the hill and made my way through the streets of houses. It was a strange feeling to have people just getting on with things, washing the car, in the garden and here was me, fighting a physical battle with myself. Maybe this is 'the wall', although I am not convinced. I think with the right training this pain would have been avoided. But strangely, it was all adding to my experience. I ran passed an elderly gentleman who was pottering about in his garden. He gave me the biggest of smiles and asked, 'was it a full marathon?' I replied with pride 'yep, a full marathon'. This gave me a little moral boost and I pushed on. In the distance I could see my sisters partner. He was waving and started to walk towards me. This was the first time in the whole race I felt physically exhausted. I think mentally I began to think I was finished. He started to run along side me pushing me on around the corner were I saw my dad. The cramps in my legs began to return and I had to stop and walk despite being a few hundred yards from the finish. I think I must have started to run too fast when I saw my dad and it caused my legs to go again. He ran up along side me and started to tell me 'you've done it, you are there'. I pushed on and picked up the pace.
The last 100m were emotional, tears came to my eyes and I felt totally exhausted. I was on the home straight and I had a large support shouting and cheering for me. All my family had come all this way and stood in the freezing cold to watch me cross the line. I gave it my all and started to run as fast as I could crossing the line in 4 hours 37 minutes.
I often hear people say 'never again' when they talk about marathons. I myself said it as soon as I crossed the line, hugging all my family. Its a strange experience. The pain and torture to run on agony and empty seems to just add to the experience of it all. Its only been 24 hours since I completed my first marathon and yet I find myself looking online at marathons in the autumn.
I learned from this that the saying is true that you can achieve anything you put your mind too. If I wasn't so confident mentally that I was going to finish this then I know I would have pulled out. I also learned that running isn't about PB's and how fast or how long you can run. Its about enjoying yourself, taking in the whole experience and everything around you. Its about listening to your body and knowing when you can push yourself just that little bit further when you think you haven't got it in you and when to hang back and take it easy. My time of 4.37 isn't any record breaker and, if I had trained properly I probably would have managed those bigger miles a little better. But I wouldn't change anything about this marathon, I loved every minute of it and its been a totally unforgettable experience.
www.justgiving.com/anthonyjpbutler
Special thanks to all the organisers of the event!
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Buchlyvie 10K and beyond
Saturday found me in the small town of Buchlyvie, which is just outside Stirling, apparently. Thank goodness for satnav because my running calendar would be pretty bare otherwise.
I had been to parkrun in the morning to carry out marshalling duties so walking to one of the further away marshal points and back was my only real warm up as the weather was terrible once we reached Buchlyvie. I was accompanied by Strathclyde parkrun event director and fellow Sunday squadder Ally Robb who used the heating system in the registration hall has her warm up. This would be her first race since the New York marathon.
I asked myself a number of times on the way to Buchlyvie, 'why am I doing this' as the rain and wind hit the car on the long journey but as soon as we reached the starting line I remembered why. As the 225 runners all huddled together at the starting line and celebrity chef Nick Nairn sounded horn, I remembered why. The camaraderie of the run, exploring the back and beyond of tiny little towns that you have never heard of, recognising those runners that you often find yourself running along side in more than one race and the will and determination of moving up the field rather than slipping down it.
I was originally not going to run at race pace with this run but before I knew it I had completed the first KM in 4.34 and felt comfortable. The run started off on the faithful tarmac roads, firm underfoot and minimum risk of going over on an ankle, but that quickly changed. With a sharp turn off the main road after a slight incline the route followed a disused railway line. This had conveniently been covered in a clay substance which when wet, turned into thick, deep mud.
The weather was completely against us on the day, strong side winds which was forcing the horizontal rain right into my face and making it difficult to look ahead. This along with trying to avoid the deep mud puddles made the next 8 KM more than difficult. The trail underfoot was heavy and hard to run on. If the mud and puddles were not as bad it made it even more difficult as there seemed to be more rocks and boulders to contend with, I went over on my ankle twice as did most of the runners around me throughout the race.
I had reached the turning point which was a sharp turn around a traffic cone and the long road back along the same path, if you can call it that, that we had just run along. The wind had now turned also and it was a complete head wind for the next 4KM, thankfully the rain had calmed down. I had found myself maintaining my pace through the whole race, completing the 6 KM in 4.37 and 7KM in 4.34. This was my fist race since the Strathaven 10K which I paced pretty poorly so I felt strong and confident that I had managed to maintain a steady, consistent pace throughout the race.
Finally coming off the trail path and back onto good solid tarmac I found I was pushing myself up the field, in fact this is the first race that I never actually had anyone pass me and managed to crawl up the field quite well. There was a small incline on the way back and I took this as an opportunity to make my break from the 3 - 4 runners that I had been running along for the last few KM or so. This worked well and before I knew it I was turning passed the school and onto the home stretch. I hadn't even glanced at the official timer as I passed it and I had even forgot to stop my Garmin so was unsure of my time.
I stood at the sidelines and cheered all the runners coming in with a special well done to Ally as she crossed the line.
The official time was 46 min 27 sec and came 68th out of a field of 225 runners. That makes a new PB for the 10K distance, shaving 30 seconds off my time, not bad in the conditions.
I had been to parkrun in the morning to carry out marshalling duties so walking to one of the further away marshal points and back was my only real warm up as the weather was terrible once we reached Buchlyvie. I was accompanied by Strathclyde parkrun event director and fellow Sunday squadder Ally Robb who used the heating system in the registration hall has her warm up. This would be her first race since the New York marathon.
I asked myself a number of times on the way to Buchlyvie, 'why am I doing this' as the rain and wind hit the car on the long journey but as soon as we reached the starting line I remembered why. As the 225 runners all huddled together at the starting line and celebrity chef Nick Nairn sounded horn, I remembered why. The camaraderie of the run, exploring the back and beyond of tiny little towns that you have never heard of, recognising those runners that you often find yourself running along side in more than one race and the will and determination of moving up the field rather than slipping down it.
I was originally not going to run at race pace with this run but before I knew it I had completed the first KM in 4.34 and felt comfortable. The run started off on the faithful tarmac roads, firm underfoot and minimum risk of going over on an ankle, but that quickly changed. With a sharp turn off the main road after a slight incline the route followed a disused railway line. This had conveniently been covered in a clay substance which when wet, turned into thick, deep mud.
The weather was completely against us on the day, strong side winds which was forcing the horizontal rain right into my face and making it difficult to look ahead. This along with trying to avoid the deep mud puddles made the next 8 KM more than difficult. The trail underfoot was heavy and hard to run on. If the mud and puddles were not as bad it made it even more difficult as there seemed to be more rocks and boulders to contend with, I went over on my ankle twice as did most of the runners around me throughout the race.
I had reached the turning point which was a sharp turn around a traffic cone and the long road back along the same path, if you can call it that, that we had just run along. The wind had now turned also and it was a complete head wind for the next 4KM, thankfully the rain had calmed down. I had found myself maintaining my pace through the whole race, completing the 6 KM in 4.37 and 7KM in 4.34. This was my fist race since the Strathaven 10K which I paced pretty poorly so I felt strong and confident that I had managed to maintain a steady, consistent pace throughout the race.
Finally coming off the trail path and back onto good solid tarmac I found I was pushing myself up the field, in fact this is the first race that I never actually had anyone pass me and managed to crawl up the field quite well. There was a small incline on the way back and I took this as an opportunity to make my break from the 3 - 4 runners that I had been running along for the last few KM or so. This worked well and before I knew it I was turning passed the school and onto the home stretch. I hadn't even glanced at the official timer as I passed it and I had even forgot to stop my Garmin so was unsure of my time.
I stood at the sidelines and cheered all the runners coming in with a special well done to Ally as she crossed the line.
The official time was 46 min 27 sec and came 68th out of a field of 225 runners. That makes a new PB for the 10K distance, shaving 30 seconds off my time, not bad in the conditions.
Monday, 9 January 2012
just a little update
So I haven't quite given up on running! The Marcothon challenge for me failed miserably, giving up on day 7 and pointing the finger of blame at 'hurricane bawbag'. I did however take something invaluable from the whole 7 days of experiences, learning to run while on night shift. It was also my first real experience of running in some serious snow. I will give it a go again this December, I'm also hoping to try it before then in one of the more weather welcoming summer months. December was a major set-back for my marathon training, running very little but I am determined to get back on track with things.
Cross-training has stepped up in my training plan, I've set up a small home gym with some weights, cross-trainer and kettlebells. I'm trying to cross train at least 3 times a week on top of my running, so far so good and it seems to be helping out with my regular injury prone spots. Really enjoying the kettlebells, only just started working with them but it is a great workout and you can squeeze a lot in, in just 20 minutes.
I had a enjoyable run at Strathclyde parkrun this Saturday, no pacing and no pressures of trying to set PB's. I had an easy 6KM warm-up before the event with a flat lap of the loch. The weather was wet and windy but it didn't bother me, it is good to just be back out running. The main event kicked off and I quickly got into a comfortable pace. It was strange not running in a pacer vest, I didn't have half a dozen people around me the whole way round. It did feel like a bit of a race and it wasn't until the last 2KM that I realised that I had actually been running at a reasonable pace. I recognised a few of the regulars running in front of me and could judge that I was in the 22 minute bracket. I pushed a bit on the last 1KM and fended of the 3 or 4 runners that I was conscious of coming up on me at the 400M point. I managed a top 20 finish, coming in 18th with a time of 22.08, no record breakers but it was a morale boost for me knowing that I hadn't lost all the speed in my legs.
Cross-training has stepped up in my training plan, I've set up a small home gym with some weights, cross-trainer and kettlebells. I'm trying to cross train at least 3 times a week on top of my running, so far so good and it seems to be helping out with my regular injury prone spots. Really enjoying the kettlebells, only just started working with them but it is a great workout and you can squeeze a lot in, in just 20 minutes.
I had a enjoyable run at Strathclyde parkrun this Saturday, no pacing and no pressures of trying to set PB's. I had an easy 6KM warm-up before the event with a flat lap of the loch. The weather was wet and windy but it didn't bother me, it is good to just be back out running. The main event kicked off and I quickly got into a comfortable pace. It was strange not running in a pacer vest, I didn't have half a dozen people around me the whole way round. It did feel like a bit of a race and it wasn't until the last 2KM that I realised that I had actually been running at a reasonable pace. I recognised a few of the regulars running in front of me and could judge that I was in the 22 minute bracket. I pushed a bit on the last 1KM and fended of the 3 or 4 runners that I was conscious of coming up on me at the 400M point. I managed a top 20 finish, coming in 18th with a time of 22.08, no record breakers but it was a morale boost for me knowing that I hadn't lost all the speed in my legs.
photo by Fraser Connal
Sunday was a run with Moira, Ally, Neil and Tony or the 'Sunday Squad', missing of course John, who unfortunately had to work. It was a hard intervals session with a 5KM warm-up followed by another 5KM but with 3x1KM efforts. The pain didn't stop there, we had 6x200M sprints with recovery, this included me making my usual mistake if giving too much effort in the first 200M and really struggling with the other 5! Then to finish it all off an easy lap of Strathclyde park, about 11 miles in total covered on Sunday and bringing me up to nearly 30 miles for the week.
Today I made a long overdue trip to the sports therapist for a much needed sports massage, my usual tight hamstrings and quads made the session a little 'uncomfortable'.
So things seem to be getting back on track, no more room for hiccups and 100% effort needed to see this plan of a completed marathon being achieved.....
Next race is the Buchlyvie 10K
Saturday, 3 December 2011
Marcothon and parkrun event 84
So the beginning of December introduced me to the 'Marcothon' challenge. This involves running every day in December. Easy you may shout, just throw the jacket and scarf on and do a quick loop of the street and back in and park myself on the couch....wrong. The only rules of the challenge are that you must run at least 3 miles or 25 minutes every day, which ever comes first. Now I could just go out an run at a slow pace until I reach my 25 minute target then and head back home but I want to try and benefit as much as I can from this challenge, hoping that some strong base miles and learning to run on tired legs will improve my chances in the Lochaber Marathon. You can also complete the miles on the treadmill but I want to try and do as much of my running outdoors as possible, weather permitting!
Day 3 of my Marcothon challenge included a familiar route wearing a familiar vest, pacing 24 minutes at Strathclyde parkrun.
This was a special week at parkrun as all the pacer vests were out on the field today, hoping that we could bring a few of our regular runners home in a PB time. I personally knew that one of my running buddies, Stewart Cutler was relying on me to come in as close to that 24 minute target as possible as he was hoping to beat that 24 minute barrier.
We had our regular warm-up led by John Allan who I pre-warned to cut out all the less dynamic stretching and get us all moving as it was FREEZING! The wind had changed direction this week which meant that we had the wind against us on the way out, this of course was a slight advantage as we would have it behind us on the home stretch! The runners made there way to the starting line through the soggy grass where race director Iain Macaulay gave us our usual safety briefing. I got a special mention this week as I was nominated as this months Sweatshop prize winner, sporting a new pair of Asics Cumulus running shoes (thanks guys!).
Jon Edge was on timer who gave the signal and we were on our way. Normally when I pace at 24 I run the first KM about 10-15 seconds slower than the rest but with the head wind and the wet conditions I knew that round at the puddles things may slow down a bit so I stuck to a strict pace. I immediately had about 4 or 5 runners around me with one runner right by my side. Conditions were not too bad despite the wind and we all soon warmed up to beat the cold. Before I knew it we were crossing the 1 KM mark, bang on target at 4.48 minutes. I wasn't sure if I had already lost Stewart by this point, the 1 parkrunner that I wanted by my side for this event. Before we reached the first marshal point I had a quick look around my shoulder and there he was, right on my tail. We made our way through the trees, crossing the 1 mile point in 7.41minutes. Here comes the fun and games! The weather had been terrible the last few days with rain fall high. It doesn't take much for the puddles to appear at Strathclyde park but with the recent bad weather I don't think the word 'puddle' really cuts it. I was half expecting a couple of life guards to come in after me as I made my way through the middle of the first 'puddle'. The runner by my side made comment on how my new trainers would no longer be so 'new'. Not something that I was too bothered about, I find something quite embarrassing about parading new white shiny shoes. Soggy feet on the other hand, not something I welcome with open arms.
We crossed the 2KM point in 9.30 minutes, just under our target pace and ideal for the course. The 'puddles' seemed to go on forever and was glad when we reached the bend as my feet were soaked and toes frozen with the cold water. I still had my group around me and we were scooping up runner as we went along who found their pace slowing down coming up to the 3 KM point. 14.20 minutes and almost perfect splits at this point in the run. I turned to make sure I still had Stewart on my tail who informed me that he was starting to struggle. I encouraged him to keep going and that the hardest part was done. I was glad to find that he upped his pace to join my side as we headed down through the trees and along to the home stretch. I knew that I was going to be pretty close to the 24 minute mark at this point and with all the pacer vests out today, I was determined to try and get as close to my target pace as possible. We reached the 4 KM mark in 19.10 minutes and assured all the runners around me that they were all going to do it. At this point Sarah Joyce came powering through and off she went leaving the rest of us behind. My concentration at this point turned to Stewart, knowing that he was going to get his PB as long as he finished! We kept a steady pace and with 200m to go I gave him the signal to go for it! Off he went along with everyone else around me, I continued to shout words of encouragement as they passed the 100m mark and was glad to see that everyone upped the pace and pushed that little bit harder.
I enjoyed this week at parkrun more than any other weeks I have ran, knowing that an army of pacer were out on the course trying to bring everyone in for a PB, before the snow arrives! My Garmin signalled that I crossed the line in 24.00.58, or in other words 24 MINUTES! I knew that the official time would be a second either way of the 24 minutes but was pleased to know that I carried out the task of pacing to almost perfection!
Day 3 of my Marcothon challenge included a familiar route wearing a familiar vest, pacing 24 minutes at Strathclyde parkrun.
This was a special week at parkrun as all the pacer vests were out on the field today, hoping that we could bring a few of our regular runners home in a PB time. I personally knew that one of my running buddies, Stewart Cutler was relying on me to come in as close to that 24 minute target as possible as he was hoping to beat that 24 minute barrier.
We had our regular warm-up led by John Allan who I pre-warned to cut out all the less dynamic stretching and get us all moving as it was FREEZING! The wind had changed direction this week which meant that we had the wind against us on the way out, this of course was a slight advantage as we would have it behind us on the home stretch! The runners made there way to the starting line through the soggy grass where race director Iain Macaulay gave us our usual safety briefing. I got a special mention this week as I was nominated as this months Sweatshop prize winner, sporting a new pair of Asics Cumulus running shoes (thanks guys!).
Jon Edge was on timer who gave the signal and we were on our way. Normally when I pace at 24 I run the first KM about 10-15 seconds slower than the rest but with the head wind and the wet conditions I knew that round at the puddles things may slow down a bit so I stuck to a strict pace. I immediately had about 4 or 5 runners around me with one runner right by my side. Conditions were not too bad despite the wind and we all soon warmed up to beat the cold. Before I knew it we were crossing the 1 KM mark, bang on target at 4.48 minutes. I wasn't sure if I had already lost Stewart by this point, the 1 parkrunner that I wanted by my side for this event. Before we reached the first marshal point I had a quick look around my shoulder and there he was, right on my tail. We made our way through the trees, crossing the 1 mile point in 7.41minutes. Here comes the fun and games! The weather had been terrible the last few days with rain fall high. It doesn't take much for the puddles to appear at Strathclyde park but with the recent bad weather I don't think the word 'puddle' really cuts it. I was half expecting a couple of life guards to come in after me as I made my way through the middle of the first 'puddle'. The runner by my side made comment on how my new trainers would no longer be so 'new'. Not something that I was too bothered about, I find something quite embarrassing about parading new white shiny shoes. Soggy feet on the other hand, not something I welcome with open arms.
We crossed the 2KM point in 9.30 minutes, just under our target pace and ideal for the course. The 'puddles' seemed to go on forever and was glad when we reached the bend as my feet were soaked and toes frozen with the cold water. I still had my group around me and we were scooping up runner as we went along who found their pace slowing down coming up to the 3 KM point. 14.20 minutes and almost perfect splits at this point in the run. I turned to make sure I still had Stewart on my tail who informed me that he was starting to struggle. I encouraged him to keep going and that the hardest part was done. I was glad to find that he upped his pace to join my side as we headed down through the trees and along to the home stretch. I knew that I was going to be pretty close to the 24 minute mark at this point and with all the pacer vests out today, I was determined to try and get as close to my target pace as possible. We reached the 4 KM mark in 19.10 minutes and assured all the runners around me that they were all going to do it. At this point Sarah Joyce came powering through and off she went leaving the rest of us behind. My concentration at this point turned to Stewart, knowing that he was going to get his PB as long as he finished! We kept a steady pace and with 200m to go I gave him the signal to go for it! Off he went along with everyone else around me, I continued to shout words of encouragement as they passed the 100m mark and was glad to see that everyone upped the pace and pushed that little bit harder.
I enjoyed this week at parkrun more than any other weeks I have ran, knowing that an army of pacer were out on the course trying to bring everyone in for a PB, before the snow arrives! My Garmin signalled that I crossed the line in 24.00.58, or in other words 24 MINUTES! I knew that the official time would be a second either way of the 24 minutes but was pleased to know that I carried out the task of pacing to almost perfection!
The runners around me came in at:
Sarah Joyce - 23.48 minutes
Dwayne Marshall - 23.50 minutes
Stewart Cutler - 23.50 minutes (NEW PB)
Gordon Cowie - 23.51 minutes
Ronnie Brown - 23.52 minutes
Martin Kelly - 24.11 minutes (NEW PB)
Martin Stirling - 24.20 minutes (NEW PB)
My Garmin recorded the spilt's for each KM at 4.48, 4.48, 4.45, 4.48, 4.51....
Today's event welcomed a total of 88 runners, 9 first timers and 16 PB's! Also, well done to John Smith who completed his 50th parkrun to join that 'elite' (his words not mine) group of runners!
Saturday, 12 November 2011
Strathclyde parkrun Event 81, pacing!
This would be only my 10th parkrun event that I was turning up to run. So I want to just start by saying thanks to all the regular runners who have taken the step forward to give volunteering a go! I ran 4 parkrun’s before deciding to volunteer and for me, I got hooked! I have volunteered countless times now and I have made a great bunch of new friends. My running has improved with all the helpful advice and training that I have received from some of the core team and regulars at Strathclyde parkrun. It’s strange to think that coming to a parkrun event and not running has actually improved my overall running....with all the invaluable support, advice, training tips and encouragement from all the team. So if you have been thinking about volunteering then please do put your name forward. Not only are you contributing to the event and ensuring that it’s a success but you are giving someone else the opportunity to run that week. Thanks to everyone who has volunteered!
The run its self was going to be a challenge for me, not only had I just completed a hard 1 hour circuit session with John Allan (the warm-up guy) but I was to pace. My PB at parkrun is 21.31 so you may think that wearing the 24 minute pacer vest should be easy for me, it’s not. Trying to run with a consistent pace, not speeding up and slowing down is hard.
We had our usual dynamic warm-up led by John Allan before being marched up to the starting line by race director Moira Nicol. It was ideal conditions for running at Strathclyde Park, the wind from the night before had died down and the sky was clear and blue, temperatures perfect. The safety brief was given and the wheelchair event started. After a short wait, the runners were let loose. I tried to take the first 1K just that little bit slower than my others, hoping that some of the runners around me would be encouraged to stick with me knowing that the pace was somewhat comfortable. At the 1K mark I was dead on 5 minutes, I was conscious of a couple of runners at my back and was hoping to have them on my tail the whole way round. I knocked a couple of seconds off the pace and coming up to the 2K mark I was at 9 minutes 40 seconds, almost perfect for a 24 minute parkrun, still with a few runners around me. I hit the puddle after the 2K mark, running right through the middle of it, great fun! Running passed Ella Edge who was hoping to get as near to a 24 minute time as possible. Some quick words of encouragement and I continued with my run. I had made it to the turn and was back on target for the road back. By this point I only had a single runner who was right behind me the whole way on the home stretch. I manage to shout a few words of support before encouraging him to take the lead and go for it on the long stretch back. At the 4K point I was on 19 minutes 11 seconds, all I had to do was keep the pace and I would be in on time. I enjoyed the last few hundred metres as all the runners who were beginning to slow down clocked me in the pacer vest and began to push it again, 3 or 4 runners managed to keep up the pace and finish in front of me. The last 100 metres felt strange, trying to come in as close to 24 minutes as I could this eliminated my usual sprint finish. Crossing the line at 23 minutes and 59 seconds, I was delighted, an enjoyable, controlled run. It was nice to get some words of encouragement from Thomas Wilson of Strathaven Striders who noted my steady pace throughout the race. The experience of pacing made this one of my most enjoyable parkrun’s.
The race wasn’t over for everyone so I headed up to the 100m marker and gave cheering and shouting a go. It was great to see runners’ faces lighting up and giving it there all for a sprint finish. Well done everyone!
This week we had a total of 117 runners, 15 first timers and a massive 35 personal bests, a couple of which I hope I helped people achieve!
See you all next week!
Strathaven Striders Run With the Wind 10K
This would be my first 10K in over 4 months, and with a well known PB potential on this course I had high hopes!
My previous 10K PB was set on my last 10K race at the Men's Health race at Bellahouston Park back in June, with a time of 51 minutes 23 seconds. With my 5K time now down to 21 minutes 31 seconds I knew that the PB was set to fall over the longer distance. My longer distance races have been consistent and I have even managed to run sub 50 minutes for the first 10K of my last two half-marathon's. I didn't want to get over confident as I knew the route well and Strathaven is well known for its hills and undulating roads, making it popular amongst runners and cyclists from around Scotland.
I met up with training buddies John and Moira and had a few friendly chats with some familiar faces in the running circuit. We were all bused out to the start line at Whitelee wind farm, a convoy of around 8 coaches. I felt as though I was sitting up the back of the school bus on my way to a field trip!
I had heard about the mass exit of the buses and the line of runners taking the opporunity to have one last toilet stop, but nothing prepares you for seeing hundreds of male runners all facing the trees, equal numbers of female runners heading out in front of the 'firing line' and deep into the trees for some warm up 'squating'.
I took my position at the start line and we were set on our way. It was a bit of a squeeze at the start with the narrow road trying to accommodate the 400+ runners who turned up for the event. After a few minutes of weaving and dodging both John and I managed to find a clear patch and quickly found our tempo. I ran the first kilometre in around 5 minutes 12 seconds, not a bad start considering the packed start. I shouted to John that we were on target. The plan was to run the first 5KM in 25 minutes then the next 5KM in 20 minutes, bring me in around the 45 minute mark. This would be a huge PB and a time that I never thought I would achieve thinking back to my first ever race, a 10K in October 2009 when I was happy to complete the race in 1 hour.
I think the problem for me started when I could feel myself increasing my pace, trying to claw back the 12 seconds that we had lost in the first kilometre. We sailed passed David Arthur, a regular at my jogscotland group. I felt good and was comfortable with the 4.15 per kilometre pace that I found myself running for the next 2K. It was good to see fellow parkrunner and Motherwell AC member Andrew Scott out on the route taking a few photo's of the event.
My previous 10K PB was set on my last 10K race at the Men's Health race at Bellahouston Park back in June, with a time of 51 minutes 23 seconds. With my 5K time now down to 21 minutes 31 seconds I knew that the PB was set to fall over the longer distance. My longer distance races have been consistent and I have even managed to run sub 50 minutes for the first 10K of my last two half-marathon's. I didn't want to get over confident as I knew the route well and Strathaven is well known for its hills and undulating roads, making it popular amongst runners and cyclists from around Scotland.
I met up with training buddies John and Moira and had a few friendly chats with some familiar faces in the running circuit. We were all bused out to the start line at Whitelee wind farm, a convoy of around 8 coaches. I felt as though I was sitting up the back of the school bus on my way to a field trip!
I had heard about the mass exit of the buses and the line of runners taking the opporunity to have one last toilet stop, but nothing prepares you for seeing hundreds of male runners all facing the trees, equal numbers of female runners heading out in front of the 'firing line' and deep into the trees for some warm up 'squating'.
I took my position at the start line and we were set on our way. It was a bit of a squeeze at the start with the narrow road trying to accommodate the 400+ runners who turned up for the event. After a few minutes of weaving and dodging both John and I managed to find a clear patch and quickly found our tempo. I ran the first kilometre in around 5 minutes 12 seconds, not a bad start considering the packed start. I shouted to John that we were on target. The plan was to run the first 5KM in 25 minutes then the next 5KM in 20 minutes, bring me in around the 45 minute mark. This would be a huge PB and a time that I never thought I would achieve thinking back to my first ever race, a 10K in October 2009 when I was happy to complete the race in 1 hour.
I think the problem for me started when I could feel myself increasing my pace, trying to claw back the 12 seconds that we had lost in the first kilometre. We sailed passed David Arthur, a regular at my jogscotland group. I felt good and was comfortable with the 4.15 per kilometre pace that I found myself running for the next 2K. It was good to see fellow parkrunner and Motherwell AC member Andrew Scott out on the route taking a few photo's of the event.
photo by Andrew Scott
John was running strong and had soon took a lead with a gap steadily increasing. I knew that he was no longer sticking to the plan and as we had just had a conversation about his 10K PB I guessed he must have been giving up his pacing duties for a PB attempt. I let him go on but tried to keep the pace. The route had been mainly downhill from the start but coming up to the 5KM mark that soon changed and everything was uphill from here. These were the roads I trained on when I first started running, driving out to a rural starting point, running out for a single mile then running back to the car. It was great to be back out here and running solo in the race it gave me time to reflect back on how far my running has came in the last couple of years, more so in the last 6 months.
It was a long and endless hill, seeming to go on a lot longer than I remember. Plenty of undulation within the incline my pace was beginning to fluctuate and on a couple of occasions looking at my Garmin my pace was dropping to 5.15 per kilometre. Making a hard effort to try and keep the speed up I was soon overtaken by David Arthur who gave away his secret to a successful run, less layers! I had came out on the cold November morning with my base layer on under my running T-shirt along with my running leggings, gloves and hat. This was all comfortable about 7KM ago when we were back up at the ice cold heights of the wind farm but 30 minutes into a race, I just wanted to burst out of all these layers!
I had tackled the long hill and knew there was a short incline before heading back down Lethame Road and into Kirkland Park for the finishing straight. Gillian Scott managed to capture me once again looking a little bit tired to say the least!
photo by Gillian Scott
The final kilometre was all downhill before a slippery stretch on the path leading into Kirkland Park for a cross country finish. John was already at the sidelines shouting his words of encouragement. My mother and father in law had also came out the cheer me across the line. I finished with a time of 46 minutes 57 seconds, smashing my previous PB by around 4 minutes yet still feeling disappointed.
This is the first time I have ever felt disappointed after a race. Even though I got a huge PB and really enjoyed the run, I know that if I had approached things a bit differently during the race I may have performed better. The Striders 10K has been a learning curve for me, its taught me that pace is everything in a race. It doesn't matter how many hours or miles training you put in, if you don't get your pace right on the day it can all go out the window! I have took more out of this race than any other, I am realising now just how technical running really is, it can be mentally as well as physically draining. Trying to hold your body back in those first few kilometres is very hard when you have that spring in your step.
Thanks to all the Strathaven Striders, volunteers, organisers and sponsors who made this event happen! See you all next year....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)