2015: A year in pictures

They say a picture paints a thousand words...so here is a few thousand words worth!

At each and every race that we take part in up and down the country, you can almost always guarantee that there will be somebody out there that will have a camera. Be it an amateur, or a professional, these people are important and provide something special, as they capture a moment and can help to ensure memories are both made and remembered.

I am particularly grateful to the likes of David Wood, who covers a massive amount of races locally and always provides brilliant images, that he then shares through Facebook. At Wesham, the likes of Mick Edge, Nigel Shepherd and Steven Gore are all likely to have their camera out too if they aren't running themselves.

It's great, because it means that if you aren't able to make an event, you are still able to get some sort of an idea as to what you have missed. Pictures can tell the story of the muddy crosscountry courses, the brilliant fancy dress costumes, the fight at the front end of races, the pain, the weather, the smiling faces, the crowds of runners and the incredible atmosphere that you can find on a race day.

I have been particularly lucky to have some fantastic pictures to help remember a truly special year on a personal level, so here are a few that help me sum up my 2015:

January

January saw me start the year with a new half marathon pb at Inskip, as coach Rob Affleck paced me around the first 11 miles on my way to a time of 72:36. It was a promising sign for my marathon training as it was almost 2 minutes quicker than my previous best.

February 

Having finished 7th place in the Lancashire Championships crosscountry, I had narrowly missed out on an automatic selection for the Lancashire team for the Intercounties Championship. A solid performance in the northern crosscountry championships, held at Pontefract, helped me towards my goal of making the team.

March

Being selected for the Lancashire team was a special moment. I had made it one of my ambitions to run for my County and get that vest, so to be able to do so was fantastic. Unfortunately for me, I had a slightly disappointing run on the day. But it was a great experience, and hopefully I will be able to give it another crack again.

April

I think it is fair to say that everyone has heard and read enough about my Marathon experience this year...but if not you can always get a copy of the Guardian's Weekend magazine on Boxing Day, rumour has it there will be a bit more about it in there!

But seriously, it was an unbelievable experience, and a plot that even I couldn't have written. What made it even more special was that I was able to share the day with my friends and family. To be able to see Molly after the race was a particular highlight. She is so, so supportive of my running and my attempts to push myself to improve. To have her by my side, travelling here, there and everywhere as my lucky mascot and number one supporter is so important to me. Likewise with my mum and dad, who have always been brilliant and supportive in all my big ideas, plans and efforts. Thanks guys x

May

I made a quick return to racing after the marathon by doing Worden Park 10k and Lytham 5 mile interclub race. I was pleased with my performances as I won both, feeling good in spite of the toll the marathon had taken.

June

I took another step towards the Interclub title with a win at Preston's race, before my best finish yet at Freckleton Half Marathon - with a 4th place finish in 72:02.

July

I clinched the Interclub championship by winning Thornton Cleveley's home race, one ran in ridiculous heat of mid 30's degrees. Many suffered in the heat on one of the hottest days of the year on the prom.

August

God I miss running in the sun! Summer saw me of using on the shorter distances, I had some real close battles against Ray Edgar in the Catforth 5k series, and look forward to more of the same next year!

September

September was dominated by relays, with the North West and Northern Championships following on from one another in successive weeks. I was happy with both my runs on leg one in each. The standard in the Northern's at Stanley Park was particularly good, so to get a top 10 placing was very pleasing. I also set my current 5 k pb this month, and finished 2nd behind Dave Rigby at Run Preston 10k.

October 

The whole Palma experience was incredible, and I would strongly recommend anybody to give it a go. To win the race and get to fly the British flag on the Podium just topped off an amazing weekend of fun in the sun.

November 

Winning my home race was another box ticked off from my list of things-to-do, and it went a long way towards making up for a disappointing showing at Leeds Abbey Dash two weeks previously.

December

?

No races yet for me this month, but I'm hoping to be able to have something to show from next Sunday, as I head off to Ribble Valley. Whatever happens, it's been a special year and one that I will always remember, especially with all these photos!

Training update.

Firstly, allow me to start with a couple of apologies - for missing last week's blog(!) and also another one in advance, as I will hopefully be spamming you all with a couple more blogs this week as I finish the year and spend the Christmas break reviewing the last 12 months, reporting on the final race of 2015 at Ribble Valley 10k and finally looking ahead to what's in store for 2016.

Anyway, let's start off with a catch up about the last couple of weeks. After the abandonment of Guys 10, I had toyed with the idea of doing Longridge 7 the following weekend, however after a tough week of training - and also being fed up of slogging it out in the horrible weather(!) - I decided against that particular plan, settling instead for a long run on the Saturday and an easier ten on the Sunday. 

My long runs over the last couple of weeks have been nice and consistent, with three 17 milers in the last three weeks with an average pacing of 6:35-6:40.

Similarly my overall mileage has been consistent too. The last two weeks have seen 76 miles, followed by a 77 mile week. I have managed to maintain a steady 75 mile plus average by keeping up the early morning runs before work a couple of times a week, adding miles that I would otherwise have found pretty much impossible to fit in to my week at our busiest period of the working year.

I have also managed to push on with a new phase in my progression with my speed training on the track. In the last couple of weeks I have done my first ever 400 metre session and following that with a 800 metre session the week after. 

This week will see the final race of my calendar year, with Ribble Valley 10k bringing the curtain down on 2015. It will be 4 weeks since my last race at Wesham 10k, which is my longest break between events for quite some time. I am hoping that this break, whilst maintaining a high volume and intensity of training might see me approach the start line in fresh shape and able to give everything to finish the year on a high and hopefully with a new 10k pb.

We will see...

When it rains...

When was our last fully dry day in the North West?

I ask because I honestly can't remember a day without it tipping it down at some point in what seems like forever.

On the last few week's long runs through the countryside I have had to contend with at least one flooded road, where the fields have been unable to retain any more water. Living in Kirkham, we are at one of the highest points in the fylde region, so normally are not too affected by any flooding.

Yesterday however was ridiculous. I counted 6 different roads on my route where the water was at least shin deep for stretches on end - I don't mind the odd puddle, but this was something else, and not so fun when you're on a 17 miler! And then here is the wind...

This isn't a 'poor me' post, more a genuine point that the weather recently has been as bad as I can remember it since I've been a runner, it has been weeks on end of shocking pouring rain and high winds. How many different storms have hit in the last month?! And there have been many, many people who have been affected way more in other areas of the local region.

It has actually got to the point where I would rather it freeze and be still, and I hate the cold!!

It is the first time that I can recall races being called off for flooding and rainfall - sure, I have heard of them being cancelled for ice, but for rain is a new one on me. It just goes to show how bad the recent conditions have been.

Looking at the TV and Internet coverage of the floods in Cumbria, Lancaster and the surrounding areas, I feel really sorry for the people who's livelihood's and homes have been affected. I just hope that the damage is not too bad and that everyone has stayed safe out there.

I also feel sorry for the race organisers at Guys 10, who have twice had to cancel their race due to icy conditions in recent years and have now been forced to abandon this year's race due to the flooding in the local area. It is difficult enough organising these events anyway, without these added problems. It is a real shame, as Guys is a very good 10 mile road race, it was the course where I made my first attempt at the distance 4 years ago and I have great memories of it. Hopefully it will be back next year, or even rearranged for later on this winter.

I would also like to pass on my condolences to the family of the runner that died in a road traffic accident in Bamber Bridge this week. Again, make sure you stay safe out there everyone, especially if you have to move into the road to avoid flooded areas, make sure you are well seen.

This week's training went ok overall, I decided against doing a track session on Tuesday, as I was still feeling the effects of the weekend's race. Thursday however I got out for a fairly quick session, doing 2x2 mile repeats. My overall mileage for the week came in at 77 miles.

Team Wesham's special day!

The final Saturday in November each year is a special day for anyone involved with Wesham Road Runners. 

This is arguably the biggest day on the club's calendar, with both the Wesham 10k - our home race - and also the Dinner Dance and presentation evening, where all the members and their partners are able to get all glammed up to celebrate individual and team successes through the course of the previous 12 months.

The previous week had seen me train as normal and increase my mileage back up to 77 for the week - including a blustery 10x800 metre speed session, a 5 mile tempo and also a 17 mile long run. I have to admit to having felt both disappointed and frustrated throughout the week in response to my own perceived poor showing at the Leeds Abbey Dash.

This week, my attention turned to trying to just go out and race at Wesham 10k, without the added pressure of aiming for a time. I just wanted to try and win the race, as it was one of the ones that I have always wanted to claim, with it being my home race.

I tailored my training this week accordingly and reduced my mileage and intensity of my effort down as the week went on. This week I have recorded 61 miles. This is a low amount for me now and almost amounts to a rest week- which in itself is crazy considering I trained off the same amount each week in the 18 weeks running up to London earlier on this year!

Tuesday saw me complete a slightly reduced track session - I cut it short due to the shocking downpour and winds during the latter stages of the session - with 3.5 miles of effort, rather than my planned 4. This consisted of 1x1 mile, 4x800m and 2x400m. 

Through the rest of the week I settled for gentle and steady 5-6 mile runs, rather than any strenuous tempo sessions or pace work.

On my long run the weekend previous, I had incorporated the Wesham 10k course into my route to do a recce of the course - and came across a massive 30 metre long puddle at approximately where the 1 mile marker would be due to be. Therefore I knew that if there was much rain put down this week, I would have to be prepared for more of the same on race day...

...and on Friday, boy did it rain!!

As I didn't want to put pressure on myself running for a time, I took the decision to ditch my watch for this race. As the 480 or so runners funnelled into the narrow start I took a decision to try and take the race by the scruff of the neck and set the pace from the start.

The first few hundred metres see you climb into the town of Salwick from the back country lanes, before taking a fairly sharp right turn past the Smiths Arms pub. Here there was the first group of marshals and spectators. From their shouts I was able to guess that Rob Affleck was, as expected, the runner that came with me and started to pull clear from the chasing pack. 

The next section saw a quarter of a mile or so of straight, flat road, before taking another corner and plummeting down a sharp downhill at Darkinson Lane. This was the point at which we hit the pool of water and the race turned into a mini-steeplechase!

As I was prepared for it, I was able to accelerate slightly into the water and kick away into an extra couple of yards advantage from Rob. I was confident that I would be strong through the water due to my crosscountry experiences.

The course didn't get much easier too soon, as the following half a mile saw two bridges to contend with, before the course then finally levelled out and became fairly flat from about 1.5 miles in.

I tried to maintain the same pace and momentum, and was aware all the time that Affleck was very much still breathing down my neck and I was unable to pull away despite my best efforts. After 5k we actually overtook the lead car, after it got blocked in down a narrow lane by a car coming the opposite way!

When Alan went back past us in the car, Rob seemed to make a move too and overtook me to take the lead for the first time in the race. Two weeks ago, when the same happened at Leeds, I was unable to find anything to stick with him and allowed him to get away. This time round, I dug in and managed to find something extra to edge back infront as we headed towards the Hand and Dagger pub and into the strong headwind in the fourth mile.

Once again, from there-on-in I was unable to pull away, but just found enough to ensure I kept infront and approached the final section in the lead, with the knowledge that so long as I could summon up a sprint finish then the race was there for the taking now.

Thankfully I did, and despite being pushed all the way and to my limit in difficult conditions by Coach, I was able to claim the victory this time around in my home race in 32:34, just two seconds short of my pb time too.

Then in the evening, it was time to get suited up, and have a ball with the rest of team Wesham at the Dinner Dance. It was held at the Clifton Arms Hotel in Lytham, which is a superb venue. A 3 course meal (well FIVE courses for me actually as I pinched Molly's starter and desert!! 😂😂😂) followed by the awards, and then dancing (and drinking...) the night away. It was fantastic to get to enjoy the company of all my friends and family in fancy suits and dresses, instead of our usual shorts and vests!

I was honoured to be awarded with the Club Person of the Year award, and it was special to be presented with a framed picture from the marathon that will take pride of place with my trophies and medals. I am fortunate to be surrounded by people that I buzz off running alongside. I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate David Taylor on winning the Runner's Runner Trophy, as he has had a phenomenal year - as too did Lee Barlow, with his own special marathon performance. Along with a rejuvenated Jason Barlow, the addition of Simon Denye and also many other solid and consistent performers, I think our men's team is well placed to have a great 2016.

A final note, that having provided me with a new light-weight sublimation Wesham vest, which is a massive improvement on the previous heavy bulky top, Terry Lonergan has offered to sponsor me and provide me with training kit as I look to push on further and kick on again next year.

It is a very generous show of belief from someone who is vastly experienced and proven in the sport. For him to pay such attention to my development and invite me to be a part of his Fastrax team, which includes some very talented and top class athletes, is a huge honour for me. It shows a great amount of trust and belief in me and I will work hard to prove it correct.

Feeling flat.

So having waited a full year for a proper go at a fast, flat 10k with highly competitive field, today I got the chance at last. However by the end of the race, the flattest thing about the morning was my mood...

It's difficult to explain exactly what happened. I suppose in short, it was just one of "those" days. I really can't complain too much - I've had far more good days than bad this year, however the feeling of disappointment is still there when you do have a poor run.

I had worried all week about the conditions, and the forecasts weren't looking good, with 45mph winds and heavy rain given for Leeds that morning. I have to be honest though and say that this absolutely was not the reason for my bad run - sure it was windy, but nothing like as bad as the forecast. 

No, today was simply a bad day at the office, and one that proved mentally quite challenging as well as the physical exertion. Once it became apparent that my legs weren't going to allow me to do what I felt capable of, it became a mental battle to keep going and to at least try and grind out some sort of time of note, rather than just giving up.

To that end, the race wasn't a complete write off, in that I did at least somehow set a new pb, albeit not the time I was looking for. I don't have the official confirmation yet, but I ran somewhere in the region of 32:26, which would be a new best by 10 seconds. So at least we have still moved in the right direction...

I had targeted closer to 31:30 if truth be told. The way I have been performing in training, and the increase in mileage over the last 12 weeks led me to believe I was capable of such a time - especially when the field was of such a vast quality as this one.

The first couple of miles did actually see me "on pace", I had aimed to run 5:05 pace throughout and so my first target had been to arrive at the 2 mile stage in and around 10:10. As it was, the first mile was a tad quick, as I had expected it would be, as I went through that in 4:58. Mile 2 was bang on target at 5:05, meaning I went through the first two miles in 10:03. 

It was at this stage that it started to become clear that I wouldn't be able to maintain this pace however, as my legs started to feel heavy and my rhythm became sluggish. Mile 3 saw the pace drop to 5:18 and I found myself starting to run in surges rather than a steady rhythm. Whether this was a mental thing because I had become aware that I was dropping off the pace I don't know, but by now I really wasn't happy with how the run was panning out.

After the turn around at halfway, I had hoped things would pick up again, as the course started to slope back downhill gradually. The pace did come back down slightly, but nowhere near as much as I needed it to. Mile 4 was clocked at 5:13 and mile 5 at 5:15. I had hoped that I would at least find something in reserve for a final push in the last mile, but unfortunately mile 6 was actually my slowest at 5:20 as I just had nothing left. 

As I say, it wasn't a complete disaster and a pb was at least recorded. I won't be beating myself up about it, or licking my wounds for too long, it will be a case of straight back on the bike as they say - with Wesham 10k in a fortnight's time. I might actually run that one without the pressure of the watch and just run on feel to try and get the rhythm back. Then I might have a full month off from the racing in which to evaluate everything and train up towards one last crack at the distance for this year at Ribble Valley post-Christmas.

On a positive note, I did at least make the most of my first visit to the city of Leeds and made a nice weekend of it away with Molly, and we spent Sunday afternoon grabbing some lunch and doing some early Christmas shopping!

Going for a swim

After racing last night, today was down as my long run day. I decided to leave it a little bit later than usual in order to allow my legs to recover that bit more, and I had hoped that the weather might have cleared up a bit. Oh how wrong I was...

I had planned on 16 miles, however due to the torrential downpour that came down whilst I was out there I decided to cut the distance down to 14 miles, which is the amount I needed to do to round myself up to 75 miles for the week.

I have honestly never seen the roads as flooded as they were this afternoon - down Blackpool Road and through Newton in particular the entire streets were flowing with minimum ankle deep water! 

The weather kind of summed up the conditions that we have had throughout the week on the fylde coast. From the mist and fog on Monday and Tuesday, to the wind and rain on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It is fair to say that the weather has started to turn and winter is coming fast. I'm already getting sick of the sight of the local bypass as possible routes become few and far between in the dark nights.

The Abbey Dash is fast approaching and this week provided the final full training week in which to build towards getting myself in the best possible shape for the start line.

From here on in it will be reduced mileage and slightly reduced intensity on the faster sessions that I am doing as I kind of taper down ahead of the race.

I was delighted with how this weeks main sessions went, with a quality track session on Tuesday, in which I pushed myself harder than I expected on a solo effort. I completed my 5 miles of work at on average 7 seconds per mile faster than the previous week. 

Despite the increased effort on the track, I maintained a pace on the Thursday tempo equal to that of the previous week, which was very pleasing too.

Saturday saw me head off to Barrowford for the latest of the Podium 5k races. This race hopefully provided me with an ideal sharpener before next weeks big race. The weather conditions were pretty poor, as a strong headwind down the final straight and rain falling made for difficult racing. 

Early on in the race, it wasn't so bad as I managed to tuck into the middle of a large front pack, which protected me from the worst of the weather. However unfortunately at didn't last for too long as the field got drawn out through the second kilometre. From there on in it became much more difficult to maintain a good pace. 

One noticeable aspect of the race was just how many of the top end runners dropped out as the race went on. At least 3 athletes in front of me ducked out early for whatever reason, whether it was through injuries, too quick a pace, or disappointment at being off the time they were looking for I don't know, but I was very surprised to see so many fail to finish.

In the end I managed to come in home in around about 15:27, which although is 13 seconds off PB pace, I was satisfied with in the conditions and gives me some confidence for next weekend. My mile splits for the race were 4:47, 5:00 and 4:55, so perhaps I set off a little fast, but I felt I needed to to try and get into a nice pack.

Finally, I would like to congratulate my mum and dad on their own pb's at Catforth 5k this morning in what I hear were tough conditions. And whilst they were there they took delivery of my new sublimation vest courtesy of Terry Lonergan and his Fastrax team. Hopefully I give it a worthy debut in Leeds in a weeks time.

Here's a sneak peek...

Bring on the mud!

Last weekend saw the return of crosscountry to my racing calendar, after I missed the first mid-lancs fixture of the season at Chorley last month.

It still seemed a little early on in the autumn for crosscountry in my opinion, and Burnley's Townley Park provided very little in the way of any traditional XC mud, but it did at least prove to be a decent enough course for easing into the winter season.

There will be far tougher courses and conditions to come of course, but it was nice to be back out there and seeing just where I am at early doors in the XC season.

Overall I was satisfied with my effort last Saturday, although I soon regretted leading out for the first mile or so of the race, as I dropped down to 7th momentarily in the second mile before recovering to finish in 4th place after a constant battle for position with Blackburn's Karl Billington throughout.

Training-wise the last two weeks have been satisfying too, as last week I managed to put in 70 miles, and after a good 17 miler today I am on track to record 75+ again this week too.

Tuesday night saw me return to track training, after 4 weeks away for one reason or another. It was hard going getting back to running sub 5 minute miles after such a long break from it, but I was really pleased with my session seen as I was running on my own.

The last two Thursday's have seen me putting in solid 5 mile tempo runs at 5:12 and 5:10 pace respectively, and I am happy with how my training is going ahead of a few big 10k's to come before the end of the year.

This week also saw the 3 year anniversary of my first ever marathon attempt. Looking back on it, it is hard to imagine that it has been that long - it seems to have gone so quickly. That said, three years on and I have now completed 5 of them, so I have been busy!

In another way, I kind of can't believe it has only been 3 years, I have come a long way since the days of training off 30 miles a week, playing football 3 days a week and only putting in one 20 mile long run as preparation!

Needless to say that on my next attempt I will be a little bit more prepared...speaking of which, I am still sticking to the plan of avoiding the marathon in 2016, despite a little wobble during the week which nearly saw me enter Berlin for next autumn! Possibly an idea to revisit for 2017 though, we'll see :)

Team Wesham on tour!

The recent weeks of higher volume and intensity of training have been geared towards this trip to Palma De Mallorca, for the Spanish island's Capital city road races.

The original plan had been to fly out with Moll and to enjoy a long weekend away together, along with the rest of the running clubs participants. Unfortunately this time my lucky mascot was unable to join me due to commitments at University.

The only positive about this fact is that it meant my mind was fully focuses on he main event and the race at hand, but needless to say I would obviously have much preferred her alongside me - a fantastic weekend would have been made absolutely perfect if Moll had been able to join in the party. There is always next year though I hope...

This was week six of my increased training mileage, however on the back of last weeks Half marathon win at the Valiants race, I decided to reduce my training down slightly before a second crack at the distance in a short 8 day spell.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday saw me complete early morning easy sessions of 4-5 miles jogging at 7:00 pace. It is something that I have tried to add to my programme as a way of topping up the mileage and also helping my body become used to running on tired legs on the back of tougher evening sessions. I have tried these type of mornin runs in the past, but have never been able to motivate myself to get up at that 5:40 am alarm regularly on previous occasions. Hopefully this time around it can become a real fixture in my training programme for the future. After 4 weeks I seem to be getting settled into the routine ok.

Monday's evening session saw my usual progression run at the club night for Wesham Road Runners. We did 9 miles, starting at 7:00 pace and working down to finish at 5:35's. I felt surprisingly fresh after the previous weekend's exploits, although I did take a spectacular tumble after 7.5 miles and despite a nasty knock on the hip I got off relatively lightly having failed to spot a divot in the pavement.

Due to work commitments and a late finish, I was unable to make my group track session on the Tuesday, so instead had to make do with a makeshift short tempo session by myself. I did this down Kirkham bypass and it consisted of a 2.5 mile warm up, 4 miles tempo at 5:20 pace, followed by a 2.5 mile cool down. It was hard work motivating myself to try and run fast on he back of a 12 hour working day and knowing it would be gone 9pm before I got home to make my tea! So I was really happy with the effort I put in to this session all things considered.

On Wednesday, another late finish at work saw me decide to give myself the evening off to rest up for the following night's group tempo run and with the following weekends race also in mind.

Thursday's session with Affleck, Buttler and Joe Monk was pleasing, as in comparison to how hard it had been to maintain 5:20 pace on my own the other night, this time around with company it seemed so much easier. We are getting a good little group together now and everyone seems to be benefitting from these sessions and enjoying them too, which is pleasing to be a part of.

Friday evening saw me packing and making final preparations for my journey - my first ever flight on my own(!) - and so I was unable to find time to squeeze in any last minute training. Saturday too was a long morning of travelling and taxi-ing around Palma in order to pick up my race number and pack from the registration and expo. I felt shattered from all the hectic travelling the day before the race and so had an early night and avoided the bar!

Sunday was race day, and despite concerns earlier in the week about the weather (though I was secretly hoping it WOULD rain as forecast!) the sun was in fact shining bright and the early morning temperatures were already hitting 20'C as I completed my warm up and stretches.

On the startline I managed to manoeuvre my way through to the front of pen A, although there were still some elite athletes in another seperate one in front of that (Pen AA!). These runners were the sub 70 minute athletes and also the elites that were competing in the full marathon, which started at the same time as the half.

I didn't really know what to expect prior to setting off, as I had never competed against any of the front runners before and so was unsure what their pace would be from the offset. But I had made my mind up that having travelled all this way I would have a real go at sticking with the pace, whatever it may be, and going all out for a place on the Podium.

As I have already stated, the way the race was organised, the Half and the Full marathon's were both started together én mass, with the 10k runners starting separately, on a second wave twenty minutes later. Finally, the walking race started 5-10 minutes after that. In total, some 9,500 athletes participated in the various events and distances in total. Some 5,000 people competed in the Half marathon.

On the starting pistol, a German athlete from the sub 70 pen went flying out of the blocks and I immediately made the decision to go with his pace and to take him on from the offset. Within a few hundred yards we had already opened up quite a lead over the other competitors, and exchanging some words (thankfully he spoke English - I wouldn't stand a chance with German!) it became apparent that our target times were somewhat similar, so I hoped to give him a good battle!

The first mile was relatively fast, but not beyond my ability at 5:10 pace, so I gained some early confidence that this could be a fast race if we continued to go toe-to-toe. Passing the spectating George Kennedy at around the mile mark was good motivation as he gave me words of encouragement and advice as I went by.

After a pan flat first mile, the second one saw a very gradual incline and the pace settled down to around the 5:20 mark. Then the third mile saw a bigger climb up the race's first proper hill, as you climbed up beyond the far end of he harbour. It was at this point when I opened up a slight gap for the first time and began to run away from the German competitor. Just before the 3 mile mark, you turned around a set of cones and carried on back towards the Cathedral, which was the setting for the start and finish of each of the races. Coming back in the opposite direction I was able to steal a quick glance across to see what sort of a lead I had built up early on, and a stron hill section had opened up a 6-7 second advantage I would estimate.

I pushed on further on return back down the hill and increased that lead further through miles 3-6, as I made an early push for a big lead. Coming back down the harbour in the opposite direction to the other athletes was actually a rather moving experience. The amount of vocal encouragement and cheering and applauding that I was offered by this 9,000-plus wall of runners was unbelievable. The noise was fantastic, and the thought that it was all aimed at me was quite mind-blowing really. Between that and the crowds closer to the Cathedral, and the convoy of lead car and about 4 police motorbikes and cameramen on bikes etc, it was like running at the London marathon all over again!

It was also good to be able to spot some of our other runners, as Wesham had turned out in force, with some 31 of the clubs members in the city for the race, with many running too. Including my mum and dad, competing in the 10k race. To be able to spot them go by was brilliant encouragement too.

As we passed by the far side of the Cathedral we climbed up the second of the courses hills and into the old town section of the race. By now the temperatures had risen to definitely mid-high twenty degrees and I was beginning to sweat lots by now! So it was welcome respite whenever the course weaved into the shade of the big tall buildings. For those of you that have never been to Palma, these streets are very narrow, very twisty and bendy and many of the corners that we were navigating were quite sharp. Many of the roads and paths we were running on were also either cobbled or slicked surface flagging. It became quite impossible to build any real momentum through the second half of the race and through these sections the pace dipped to 5:40-5:45 pace. 

Fortunately, I had built up enough of a lead to stay relaxed as the pace dropped, and as my legs began to tighten I knew that this one would not be about the times, but about securing that place at the top of the Podium. I managed to do just that and was fortunate enough to be able to ease up down the final straight and soak up the atmosphere as I crossed the line victorious in 72:23, 59 seconds ahead of my nearest rival on an international Podium, with second and third place coming from Germany and Poland respectively.

The winner of the ladies half marathon race was also British, and the national flag appeared from somewhere and that made for a special photo opportunity on the podium during the prize giving ceremony later on!

It was bizarre afterwards, having microphones and tape recorders etc thrown I front of me immediately having crossed the line, it caught me on the hop and good luck to any Spanish people in trying to understand my Lancashire accent! 

Sadly for our members participating in the 10k, for the second year in succession, the course was well too long - despite being measured accurate, it came in at over 6.5 miles! Steve Waterhouse did superbly to finish first in his age category in that race though, so a big congrats to him.

Also to Jason Barlow, who stuffed his brother Lee in the sunshine over the half marathon to come home as King Barlow!

Well done too to Nigel Shepherd and Simon Eaton on completing the full marathon in heats that rose above 30C whilst they were on the course. A monumental effort by both.

All of team Wesham can be proud of our own individual achievements across the weekend, as well as having enjoyed a fantastic time away with a brilliant group of friends and family. I am flying home content in the knowledge that I am blessed to be surrounded by such a positive, friendly, amazing group of people. There truly is no other team quite like Wesham, and long may that continue.

The gamble on doing back to back Half marathons in the week paid off, with both a massive new PB and also two pleasing race wins to boot. Now my attentions can turn to finally nailing that 10k time st Leeds Abbey Dash in four weeks time...

Would I like to come back and defend the Palma title? You'll have to ask Molly!

An Ultra Boost ahead of my Valiant effort...

Those of you that are regular readers of this blog will have noticed that my weekly mileage has steadily risen this year, and that there has been a spike in my training over the last 5 weeks in particular.

This has been a conscious effort to get myself fitter and faster in general, but the main catalyst has been the targetting of a couple of big upcoming races on my calendar.

The most important goal that I am working towards is Leeds Abbey Dash in mid-November, however I am also due to participate in the Palma Half Marathon too. By upping my mileage and the intensity of my training I had hoped to be able to have a good crack at my half-marathon PB in the Spanish sun.

That race is now just eight days away, and the closer it has gotten, the stronger I have felt...which is where the doubts about my target began to creep in. Over the last couple of weeks in particular I have felt stronger and stronger, and believed that I was all set to run a fast time. I didn't want the heat to put paid to my potential new personal best. 

So during the course of this week I began to consider a change of plan. There was a relatively new half marathon race, set in rural country lanes just a twenty minute drive from my house. Last year, the race was won in a low 68, and it has quickly gained a good reputation as being a fast, flat course. The problem? It was this weekend, and just 8 days before the Palma Half I was really unsure whether of not to do it, as it seemed just too close to be able to double up and race well at both events.

Having asked Alan Taylor whether he would be open to entries on the day and being given a positive response however, I was leaning towards the idea of going for it. I still wasn't entirely sold on it though, and took advice off some trusted friends and experienced runners too. 

In the end I decided to leave the decision as late as possible, and it wasn't until I woke up this morning, opened the curtains and saw the perfect conditions that I actually made my mind up to go out and race.

I continued with my current training programme as normal throughout the week (and an easy 7 miles tomorrow evening should take me up to 77 miles for the week), although my usual track session on Tuesday had been cancelled, so I had to substitute that for the Wesham 4 mile winter handicap race on Monday night as an alternative. I ran it as a hard tempo run and was pleased to record 20:44 for quite an undulating two lap route. 

Then on Thursday, I met up with Rob Affleck (back after Berlin), Gethin Butler (on the back of his National duathlon championships) and Joe Monk (who ran his Preston Park run PB last week). We had agreed on a pace of about 5:30s, with the other three doing 5 miles, and me adding an extra lap of Preston docks to take my distance up to 6.5 miles. I felt incredibly strong and the pace easy as I actually found myself running 5:20s throughout. It was during this session that I think I knew I really wanted to do the Valiant's Half whilst I was in such form.

Also this week, I had a shock when it suddenly crossed my mind just how many miles my trainers and racers that I was currently using had actually done. I had two pairs of racers, both of which I have been using since January. Seen as I use them for track, tempo's and even the odd long run, as well as races, it is fair to estimate that they have banged out some 800 miles each since I purchased them!! I always like to get my money's worth out of them, but upon inspection, they were both completely gone and ready for the bin. 

So I made the most of an early finish from work on Thursday and went to buy myself a new pair. I ended up getting the new Adidas Ultra Boost model. They are predominantly more of a long distance shoe, with extra cushioning and 'bounce', but I felt that they were as light as any racer, and so took the decision that these are the pair for me. I have always worn adidas for the last 3 years, and have to say that these are definitely the most comfortable and responsive that I have had yet. They get a big thumbs up from me so far, even if they are ridiculously expensive at £130 rrp! 

After breaking them in with an early morning run before work on Friday, I gave them a race debut at Valiant's, and they have started to pay for themselves already with a good race win bonus!

I had to run the race completely on my own from the start, so I knew it would be a hard task to better my PB time of 71:54 set at Wilmslow Half earlier on in the year. To do so, I would need to average better than 5:29 pace throughout on my own.

I did so though. Comfortably. The hardest part of the race was actually settling in to a rhythm at the start, as it was difficult judging the pace on my own early doors. I had set a target of getting to 10 miles at 5:25s and then assessing whether or not I was in any position to push on in the last 5k. 

As I was on my own though, it turned into more of a mile by mile race against the clock as I kept doing the maths in my head trying to figure out where I was at compared to where I needed/wanted to be. My pace was fairly consistent throughout and overall I would go so far as to say that this is by far my most pleasing, complete and controlled race I have ever put together. I smashed my PB, taking 95 seconds off the old one and finishing in 1st place in 70:29, a clear 6 and a half minutes ahead of second placed Wesham team mate James Mulvany.

The best thing is, I honestly believe that if I had company around me, I think I would have comfortably broken seventy and maybe even gone a little quicker still...but that just bodes well for the future. Now is a time for recovery, with a massage booked in for this afternoon and maybe even another one on Monday night if I can squeeze it in before Palma next week.

Today's splits were: 5:19, 5:23, 5:21, 5:24, 5:22, 5:20, 5:25, 5:19, 5:23, 5:25, 5:19, 5:22, 5:14 and a 47 second dart to the line.

Taking inspiration

If there is one thing that I have realised since I started taking my running and training seriously a couple of years ago, it is that we are never truly happy with ourselves, our achievements and our performances.

No matter how quick we go, or if we run a massive PB, or whatever else we manage to do in a race. We might be content for a week or two, but then our brains starts churning and wondering 'what if', our attention soon turns to the next target, the next race, the next challenge. We are always trying to be better than ourselves.

This was the case last week after Lancaster 5k. I took ten seconds off my previous best time, which is a big chunk in one go on what is a short distance, but almost immediately believed that I was capable of more. My target for 2016 will be to break the 15 minute barrier.

It isn't a new feeling though, as I say it happens quite often after a race. In fact after London, despite knowing I had given it everything and performed to probably the maximum of my ability, within a week I had already started to think about the next one and what could be possible. This despite my promise to myself to take a break from the long stuff for a while!

Therefore it is impossible not to take inspiration and be immensely impressed with the performances of two of our best local runners over the marathon across the continent over the past week.

Firstly, Rob Affleck finally hitting his sub 2:30 target, with a fantastic 2:27 in Berlin - going within a minute of the Preston Harriers record for the distance.

In the same race, Jason Cherriman ran an incredible new personal best of 2:21, a simply amazing feat - to think that by the time I crossed the line in April he would have already finished a good quarter of an hour before is mind blowing!

Then to top it off, David Rigby stole the show with a record breaking 2:24 to win the Chester Marathon today. The Preston Harriers record had stood for some 20 years I believe, so for him to smash it by two minutes is incredible. A massive congrats to him!

All of these performances just go to show how much I need to still do before I can start compare myself to the top road runners around here. It is inspiring and makes me determined to train harder and keep plugging away to try and close the gap from the times these guys are capable of to the ones that I am running now. I am improving, and hopefully will continue to do so, but it is a process and I know I am still some way off right now.

This week has been a solid week of training for me. After a doubleheader of races last weekend I did a slightly shorter track session on Tuesday, followed by a tough solo tempo run on Thursday with 10k in 33:30. Yesterday I did a 17 mile long run, my longest since London. I did it at 6:22 pace and felt strong throughout. Today I finished my weeks work off with a progressive 10 mile tempo at 6:05 pace. In total I ticked over with 76 miles for the week - meaning that for the last 4 weeks I have now maintained 75 miles plus for the first time ever, with my previous highest 4 week block being 68.

London buses

Believe it or not, despite coming close on a number of occasions, I hadn't actually ran a single new PB across any of the main distances since I completed the London Marathon back in April. Prior to this weekend at any rate...

I could argue as much as I like that I have come close - just two or three seconds away from a new 5k pb at both of the last two Catforth Canters and the Sale Sizzler, and of course being denied over 10k by a short course. Also a good performance over the half at Freckleton saw me come within a whisker of setting a new best time there too. But the fact is, I simply hadn't managed it. 

I have felt in good form ever since the marathon, and sure I have won plenty of races locally - both individually and as part of a competitive team - but I had been left feeling recently that I had yet to really convert that form into times that really reflect the standards that I now set myself across all distances. At the end of the day, I know that it is times that people will judge you on, not always necessarily what you win, but how fast you cross that line. The clock doesn't lie.

So yes, I had begun to become a little bit frustrated that my times had plateaued off a little bit, and although I was always confident that it was only  a matter of time until I next converted a good run into a fast time, I was becoming more and more agitated for it to hurry up and happen.

Running can be very much a confidence sport. Winning the races that I have has given me increased belief that I can compete with other runners that run even faster times, and running amongst a higher class should in turn help me to improve further. That is one of the things that I am finding out with my training at the moment.

After two fairly successful weekends of racing over 3-4 miles at the relays, I felt as though I was ready to have a real go at getting my 5k time down soon. So I took the decision to skip the first cross country fixture of the mid-lancs league season and instead to head off to Lancaster to run the final 5k of their summer series.

Lancaster 5k is a race that has a very good reputation for providing a fast and flat course, but for some reason it is one that I had never got around to actually doing prior to this weekend. I won't be waiting as long before I return, that is for sure. It is a race that provides everything you could ask of it. A fast start and finish on the track, with a nice smooth cycle track path for the remaining 2.5 miles, it is a course that is well designed for quick times.

The only shame is that the front end of the race was maybe not quite as stacked with sub 16 minute runners as it has been in the past, if that had been the case, i think that I could have ran even quicker than I did.

I went out hard from the off, with William Onek of Lancaster and Morecombe pushing me through the lap of the track and out across the first mile of the cycle track. I purposefully didn't look at my watch at all throughout the race, choosing instead to run purely on feel and to let my legs and body tell me how fast I could and should be going. The plan worked, as I nipped over the line in a new PB time of 15:14, taking a full ten seconds off my previous best for the distance. Looking at the splits on my watch, I probably set off a tad too quick, but as I said earlier I think if pushed harder in the second half I think I could have gone quicker if I needed to. My splits read: mile 1 - 4:45; mile 2 - 5:01; mile 3 - 5:02.

Delighted with a new PB, I doubled up the weekends racing with Preston 10k the following day, and although I never threatened to reclaim my title there from last year, as David Rigby cruised to a comfortable victory, I did manage to claim a second PB of the weekend, running home in 32:35 for second place, knocking 4 seconds off my old 10k best.

A successful weekend of racing and I got through it all in one piece, and managed to keep up my recent good mileage in training with another 75 mile week too. Possibly my most enjoyable run of the weekend came late in the day on Sunday, as I jogged a recovery run after Preston 10k with Moll, who did brilliantly to do 1.7 miles - we'll make a runner of her yet 😜 We keep pushing on!

Northern 6 Stage Relays

This weeks main event was undoubtably the Northern 6 Stage Relays (and the 4 stage for the women of course!) and it topped off another pleasing week for me on the training front too as my recent increase in mileage continued.

Following on from last weeks 77 miles, I managed a satisfactory 73 miles this week - this being despite a slow start to the week. Better still my calf is now pain free once more and I am feeling strong again.

Monday's training went to pot a bit, as a 5:45am set off for work, followed by a 12 and a half hour work day, left me shattered, but also with some remaining tightness and soreness in my calf I didn't want to overdo it anyway. So I headed out and plodded 7.5 miles on my own, rather than running with the club and feeling like I had to do more than I necessarily wanted to.

Tuesday, despite still suffering with the calf a little bit, I headed to the speed session with Helen Clithroe's group and trained well. After a 2.3 mile warm up, we did 8x1000m off 50 second recovery on the grass, followed by 8x30 second sprints to finish, off a 30 second rest. Along with the same 2.3 mile cool down, this saw me tick over 11.5 miles for the session. 

Trying to keep up with Gary Priestley for the k's and Andy Benson for the sprints left my calf in pieces, so I was so glad I had a massage booked in with Claire Wilson from Wesham RR on the Wednesday evening. I also slipped in a slow 5 mile jog between work and the massage too, so as to keep my push for a 70 mile plus week going!

The massage has worked wonders and my calf feels as good as new - well as far as runner's are concerned anyway - I've almost forgotten what it is like to be absolutely pain free!! So I have to say thanks Claire!

Thursday's tempo session with Affleck and Buttler was shorter and sharper this week, as Rob gears up for his marathon in Berlin. We did both a 2 mile warm up and cool down, with a 10k session completed in 32:52, progressing from a first mile at 5:25 pace, to a final one at 5:09. It was pleasing to run under 33 minutes on a training run, as it is something I have only done a couple of times. 

On Friday I ran home from work, taking it easy and doing ten more miles in 67 minutes, and making the most of a nice evening and a decent finish at work. That night I let my hair down with a night out with Moll, a meal in town followed by a few pints and cocktails - I think I had earned them haha. It was good to spend some real quality time with Moll before moving her into uni this weekend.

Saturday of course was the relays, but in similar fashion to last weekend, I started the day by doing the Preston park run as a bit of a tempo - I planned on running twice on Saturday anyway to top up the mileage, so doing this made sense seen as it worked so well the previous week. I did the 3 laps in 16:47, a similar time to the week before and felt confident about the afternoon's race.

The field at the Northern's is bigger and better than the North West, which I had done the week previous. On the previous two occasions when I have done this event, I have ran on the first leg both times, coming home in 35th and 23rd respectively. This time out saw a marked improvement, as I secured a top ten finish on the leg. I finished the 6.6k loop in 20:30 for 9th place - some 90 seconds quicker than I managed on the same course a couple of years ago.

I have to give a shout out to Tom Cornthwaite, of Salford Harriers, who gave me some words of encouragement as I passed him at around the 3 mile mark. You wouldn't get that in most sports, and it is something that I think sets runners apart from the rest, we all want to see each other run as well as possible, despite being competitive at the same time. This encouragement made me force a little bit extra out of myself in that last mile.

Well done too to young Paddy Dever, who ran an amazing leg to finish in 5th place for Preston Harriers.

Wesham's 'A' team consisted of myself, Steve Waterhouse, Simon Denye (both on Team Wesham relay debuts!), Steve Myerscough, Lee Barlow and David Taylor. Well done to the team on our 41st place finish - a good effort by each and every member of the side.

Today saw me round off the week with a 15.5 mile long run, setting me up nicely for another tough week ahead, with two more races planned!

Shocking 10 k's, fantastic holidays, and the North West Road Relays

BIRCHWOOD 10K

At the time of last writing, I was preparing for my latest outing over the 10km distance, at Birchwood. I had been warned that he course was no longer the quickest, after being changed a few years ago. However, traditionally, there had been a strong field to contend against, and so it was possible to still run decent times if you could get yourself in a race against those around you.

Sadly this year that just was not the case. I have to admit I was shocked at just how poor a quality this race provided - both in terms of the level of competition at the front end, and also the standard of the course provided.

Undulating, twisting, and just plain boring, the course failed to capture the imagination and inspire anything special. The endless roundabouts through industrial estates and motorway bridges made this a pretty dull race to be honest.

Furthermore, whereas last year the race had seen the likes of Ben Fish and David Rigby, amongst others, competing, this year the front end was sparsely contested. Perhaps word had got around of how poor a race Birchwood 10k has now become, if you are looking for fast times at least. To say that I ran some 32 seconds quicker at an undulating Worden Park 10k, when running out in front on my own, earlier this year says something about how slow this one is...

I didn't manage to put in a performance that I can say I am particularly proud of, although the 33:21 I recorded would have been a decent one on this type of course for me 12 months ago. But having set the bar higher for myself over the past year, I have to be honest and say that I fell short of my own expected standards.

That said, due to the lack of high quality at the front of the field, I found myself finishing in second place, clear of third by some 15-20 seconds, with a similar gap from myself to the winner. Furthermore, a strong turnout from the Wesham contingent saw us also bag the team prize. Accompanying me in completing our winning team was Lee Barlow, David Taylor and Steven Gore. So it wasn't all bad, as I was rewarded with £100 worth of New Balance vouchers for my second placed finish! I'm sure they will come in handy over the winter...

CORNWALL

The Friday following Birchwood 10k, saw me head off on a road trip down to Cornwall with my gorgeous girlfriend Molly. We made the most of an opportunity to spend a week away together before she heads off to university later this month.

It was great to get to relax together and spend some time chilling out and enjoying each other's company. The weeks leading up to the break had been so busy and stressful, I think we were both ready, and in need of the rest.

That said, I did make sure to pack my trainers and keep the mileage ticking over by fitting in 40 miles in the duration of the week. It might sound quite a lot to some of you - but bearing in mind I usually run 70 miles a week on top of a 50-60 hour working week, this was most definitely still a good rest! I think Moll was also more than happy to escape from me for 40 minutes or so each day too haha.

The rest of the week was spent catching up on lots of sleep (yay!), cooking together, playing lots of varieties of golf and walking/exploring all that the area had to offer. 

It was a fantastic holiday and allowed me to recharge the batteries and return fighting fit and with the bit between my teeth once again.

One final blow out on the weekend I came home saw me join some of the other local runners for a great day/night out at Simon Denye's stag do. It is fair to say I am slower on the road in a go-kart than I am on foot! 

RETURN TO TRAINING / NORTH WEST ROAD RELAYS

Keen to get straight back into my training programme, I have had a bumper week of mileage upon our return from Cornwall. Having averaged 68 miles a week for the 6 weeks leading up to the holiday, this first week back at it has seen me chuck in 77 miles of work - a new personal highest weekly mileage.

Part of the reason for this increase in miles is down to a longer speed session on the grass at Cottam Sports Arena on Tuesday, as I joined Dave Rigby for a session of 8x1000m and a 1 mile tempo to finish . Also, Thursday's tempo session with Rob Affleck was also longer than normal, as he concludes his training for Berlin. We did a 10 mile tempo, finishing up with 54:30 for the distance - exactly a minute quicker than my official PB for the distance, set at Preston 10 last winter! 

I woke up to a sore calf on Friday, and despite taking it easy and only doing 10 slow miles on it after work, I couldn't shake off the tightness and knotting inside it.

I tested it out again on Saturday morning at Preston Park Run, and got around the run ok, taking it relatively conservatively in order to sustain my energy for the afternoon's relay championships at Ormskirk. It had been important for me mentally to be confident that I was able to run on the leg before I set out to properly race later on in the day.

My calf tightened up once again between runs, but I ensured that I did a lengthy warm up and stretched as much as possible before my turn to run.

Thankfully I didn't have long to wait. I was placed on the first leg and was up against some quality opposition - Blackpool's Luke Minns, Rossendale's Rob Webb, Paddy Dever of Preston Harriers, Barlick's Chris Singleton and Ian Livesey, as well as runners from Liverpool, Salford and many other big clubs were there.

I set off pretty conservatively again, content to sit in early doors and see who made early moves and what the general pace of the race around me was going to be. One lad from Clayton-Le-Moors went absolutely flying off from the track, and as I suspected at the time soon came back to the rest of us after he obviously misjudged the pace massively! 

A Liverpool runner took the race on and proved to be too good, winning the leg by 7 seconds, but having been 4th place for most of the first out of the two laps, I managed to move through the front of the field as the race wore on.

Passing the lad from Clayton, I managed to remain within striking distance of young Paddy through the first lap, and was confident that the longer I stayed in range, the more likely it was that my endurance and strength would see me past him before the end of the leg.

I eventually moved past him at around the two mile mark and pressed on, moving clear of the pack behind me to finish in second place for the leg in a time of 15:51 for the 3.18km. It was a very satisfying performance for me, seen as I had been genuinely concerned about even making it round in one piece!

After the conclusion of the final leg, I was shocked and delighted to find out that the time I had ran was the quickest by any Lancashire runner on the day by four seconds, and the 3rd fastest recorded by any of the runners present too! So I got a nice little medal to take home as a souvenir for my efforts too.

I also have to say how good it was to be back part of a team event with the rest of Team Wesham once again - our first team finishing up in 32nd place out of the 80 teams that started the race. Lee Barlow, Steven Gore and Steve Myerscough completed our 4 man 'A' team. It was also great to see my dad compete in a relay event too, and it was brilliant to get the opportunity to cheer him on too.

I now have a week to get recovered and ready for the Northern 6 stage relays at Stanley Park, Blackpool, next Saturday!