So it papers that today has been dubbed 'National Running Day', well we are in an age where every single day must be blessed with a special title - be it 'World Hugging Day' or whatever. But who suggested to put it in the Calender on my rest day! Humph :(
Well of I'm not going to run on such a day, I may aswell write about running instead...
I decided to write a short entry about my favourite races on the running Calender - hopefully any readers can join in and tell us all your own top 3 that you look forward too and mark out at the start of every year!
I have avoided the London marathon from this particular list, seen as I don't intend on entering next time around, and have selected races which I have already participated in and have made me eager to return next time around.
I will include the dates too, for incase I tempt any of you to join me :)
1) Freckleton Half Marathon (21/06/15):
This race is an annual fixture in my race Calender, and is also the one that has the most special place in my heart. Not because it is a particularly fantastic course (although it is a good one), and certainly not because of the conditions it seems to throw up every year without fail...
No, you see I am a Freckleton lad from growing up. I attended Freckleton C of E primary school as a boy and grew up living down Green Lane - which is a stones throw away from the Bush Lane playing fields where the race starts and finishes.
I have vivid memories from a young age of sitting out and watching the runners go by, and the event seems to always bring out the village in full force - the support of the locals is brilliant at Freck.
Being from the local community, I always want to do well when I return to run here. Many of my family and friends turn up to encourage and cheer everyone on.
Not only that, but Freckleton Half was actually my first ever race that I competed in too. I was an unattached, inexperienced 20 year old when I first did this. I completed it in 1:24:28 and actually broke the Junior record by some 8 minutes!
I have never looked back since, and am determined to return one day in the future and hopefully become the first local lad to win the race in a good number of years. We will see, it's some way off yet, but it's always good to have aspirations!
Freckleton is also the oldest Half Marathon in the UK, having celebrated it's 50th year in 2014.
Negatives? The heat of the summer, the plastic cups that I never seem to be able to get any water from by the time I've scooped them up on the run(!), and the start time - a 2pm start in the middle on one of the hottest days of the year? I still can't quite get my head around that one either...
But it is a fairly flat, rural course and has PB potential too, if the weather is kind. It also gets a good standard of runner out every year.
2) Wesham 10k (28/11/15):
How could I include a list of my favourite races without my Home Club's 10k!?
This is a slightly undulating, but fast 10k course, over one lap of country roads.
Last time out I came within 10 seconds of a PB time, so it is a quick course.
The race is special because it takes place on the morning of the Wesham team's biggest day of the year - which concludes with our trophy presentation evening and dinner dance.
I haven't won this race yet either, but it is certainly another one on the list to target!
Starting downhill and finishing with a climb, make sure you leave something in the tank for that last mile.
3) Lancashire Cross-country Championships - Witton Park, Blackburn (no exact date sorry! I tried...usually first Saturday in January):
As you may already know, I am a massive cross-country fan and participant.
Now, this race is important as it is used as a qualifier to make the Lancashire Intercounties team, which I was fortunate enough to make it into this year, and would love to be part of again in 2016.
As far as tough, genuinely muddy, old fashioned XC courses go - you can't really beat this one!
It is a 3 lapper of a course (approximately 10km) and includes a massive climb at the halfway point of all three laps. On the way back down, you throw yourself through a cow field, which sees you almost knew deep in mud in places - lovely!
The fact that it is just after the seasonal festivities and in the coldest month of the year, makes this an even tougher, even better crosscountry challenge!
So there you have it, now what is your own top 3 races you look out for every year?
Hope you've all had a great National Running Day - and hope you did an extra mile for me!
Rob
Wednesday 3 June 2015
Sunday 31 May 2015
Running like an idiot
Part of the process of trying to become a better runner has been more than just getting quicker and stronger. It includes learning to run more intelligently and how to structure a race.
Last night at Catforth 5k, I had a race plan in mind, but failed to stick to it. I wanted a 5k PB last night, and although I know you can't do it in every race, last night I should have done. Catforth is one of the flattest 5k courses in the area, and the conditions were just about perfect. It was dry, not too hot, and only a gentle breeze. For my part, I am in good condition and training well. I knew it was on as long as I ran sensibly.
My PB is 15:24, which breaks down to around 4:58 per mile - so to break that would require me to run 3 miles at 4:57 pace or less. However, I also managed to let myself get roped into a bet with club mate George's Kennedy that I couldn't break 15 minutes (which I know is probably a bit beyond me right now, but I feel confident that I am capable of running a low 15 in the right conditions). Furthermore, race organiser Alan Taylor was keen on me trying to break the course record, which is held by Stuart Robinson (15:30), so there was quite a bit of pressure on me to run fast!
Turning up, I knew that there wasn't likely to be much in the means of company and competition to push me around in that sort of time, so much of the race was going to be run alone (this is becoming a bit of a theme in these race blogs at the minute isn't it...) This made it even more important that I stuck to the race plan and ran smart.
I had aimed to run the first two miles at approximately 4:55 pace, and try to get through the 2 mile mark in under 9:50 to leave myself in with a shout of these fast times if I could then throw down a big last mile. My quickest 'in race' mile so far recorded is 4:40, so if I could repeat that it would give us the sub 15 I aspire to achieve.
Unfortunately, the plan went completely out of the window inside the first mile. I failed to reign myself in and set off way too quickly. I didn't check my watch until it bleeped to tell me I was through the first mile mark, and a quick look told me that I had done exactly what I had intended not to - 4:46, some ten seconds too fast. It might not have been such a disaster if I had of had people around me to push me on, but as it transpired the extra energy that I put into that mile sapped out of me as the race went on...
Mile two was much steadier, but the damage was already done. If anything I became too cautious in this second mile, relaxing a tad too much. A 5:04 mile meant that I had achieved my goal of getting to two miles in 9:50, but I knew that I was already slowing and wasn't going to have that energy for the 'big last mile' I spoke about earlier in the piece.
I am surprised at just how much damage that first mile did for the rest of the race in a way - the wheels came off in the final mile a bit, 5:11 leaving me to finish in 15:34, four seconds outside of the course record. It is still a solid performance, but God I was mad at myself afterwards. All I could think about on my cool down was how I had blown an opportunity. There will be others - with the next Catforth race just a month away, and plenty more around. But last night was a genuine chance to run a really great time.
The pace seemed to have a knock on effect with everyone else too, speaking to Joe Monk (who ran a great PB of 16:15) he said his first mile was much quicker than intended, as he tried to keep me in sights, and looking through Facebook it is the same story - Helen Lawrenson and Kerry Eccles further down the field both speak of a first mile that was too fast. So sorry guys if it was because of the pace set at the front!
Finishing on a positive - that is now 5 race wins on the bounce, a new best run of form for me.
Next up? Preston leg of the interclub series in 10 days time.
Last night at Catforth 5k, I had a race plan in mind, but failed to stick to it. I wanted a 5k PB last night, and although I know you can't do it in every race, last night I should have done. Catforth is one of the flattest 5k courses in the area, and the conditions were just about perfect. It was dry, not too hot, and only a gentle breeze. For my part, I am in good condition and training well. I knew it was on as long as I ran sensibly.
My PB is 15:24, which breaks down to around 4:58 per mile - so to break that would require me to run 3 miles at 4:57 pace or less. However, I also managed to let myself get roped into a bet with club mate George's Kennedy that I couldn't break 15 minutes (which I know is probably a bit beyond me right now, but I feel confident that I am capable of running a low 15 in the right conditions). Furthermore, race organiser Alan Taylor was keen on me trying to break the course record, which is held by Stuart Robinson (15:30), so there was quite a bit of pressure on me to run fast!
Turning up, I knew that there wasn't likely to be much in the means of company and competition to push me around in that sort of time, so much of the race was going to be run alone (this is becoming a bit of a theme in these race blogs at the minute isn't it...) This made it even more important that I stuck to the race plan and ran smart.
I had aimed to run the first two miles at approximately 4:55 pace, and try to get through the 2 mile mark in under 9:50 to leave myself in with a shout of these fast times if I could then throw down a big last mile. My quickest 'in race' mile so far recorded is 4:40, so if I could repeat that it would give us the sub 15 I aspire to achieve.
Unfortunately, the plan went completely out of the window inside the first mile. I failed to reign myself in and set off way too quickly. I didn't check my watch until it bleeped to tell me I was through the first mile mark, and a quick look told me that I had done exactly what I had intended not to - 4:46, some ten seconds too fast. It might not have been such a disaster if I had of had people around me to push me on, but as it transpired the extra energy that I put into that mile sapped out of me as the race went on...
Mile two was much steadier, but the damage was already done. If anything I became too cautious in this second mile, relaxing a tad too much. A 5:04 mile meant that I had achieved my goal of getting to two miles in 9:50, but I knew that I was already slowing and wasn't going to have that energy for the 'big last mile' I spoke about earlier in the piece.
I am surprised at just how much damage that first mile did for the rest of the race in a way - the wheels came off in the final mile a bit, 5:11 leaving me to finish in 15:34, four seconds outside of the course record. It is still a solid performance, but God I was mad at myself afterwards. All I could think about on my cool down was how I had blown an opportunity. There will be others - with the next Catforth race just a month away, and plenty more around. But last night was a genuine chance to run a really great time.
The pace seemed to have a knock on effect with everyone else too, speaking to Joe Monk (who ran a great PB of 16:15) he said his first mile was much quicker than intended, as he tried to keep me in sights, and looking through Facebook it is the same story - Helen Lawrenson and Kerry Eccles further down the field both speak of a first mile that was too fast. So sorry guys if it was because of the pace set at the front!
Finishing on a positive - that is now 5 race wins on the bounce, a new best run of form for me.
Next up? Preston leg of the interclub series in 10 days time.
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