Coaching

It's hard to believe that it is two years to the day since my first training session under the guidance of Rob Affleck. 

I first sought Rob out for some coaching having started to believe that I had plateaued and was struggling to improve beyond the standard I had got to at that point.

My times at that time looked like this:

5k - 16:28

10k - 33:25

1/2 marathon - 77:21

Marathon - 2 hours 52 minutes 17 seconds

I had clear aims for what I intended to achieve through training with Rob. Firstly I knew that I needed to learn from him both how to structure a proper training plan - week to week, as well as long term - and also how to look after my body away from the roads and actual running. By this I mean how to stay injury free (I had struggled with hamstring and groin strains early on in my running) and how to eat and drink properly. As well as that, I obviously wanted to get quicker...

Initially, I hoped to progress to being a sub 33 10k runner, sub 16 for 5k, sub 75 for the half and 2:45 for the marathon.

I achieved every single one of those goals within 10 months of starting to train with Coach Affleck. But as with all runners, as soon as I had achieved one goal, the goalposts moved and my ambitions became bigger. That is still the case now. My second wave of targets saw me aim for sub 15:30 (5k), 32:00 (10k), 72:00 (half) and 2:37:00 (marathon). Again I am now in a position were (apart from the 10k time - still a sore subject!) I have fulfilled these times and am now looking to push myself even further.

The next twelve months will see me heavily target the 5k and 10k times, as well as having a few good goes at setting some quicker half marathon times.

For a while now it has become apparent to both myself and Rob hat for me to continue to progress from a speed perspective, that I need to move on from our track sessions together and link up with some faster runners. Hopefully now I am going to be able to do that by jumping on with Helen Clithroes training group who also train at UCLAN sports arena on a Tuesday night.

When I first started training with Rob, I remember getting some stick for seeking out help with my running. I was told that 'real' runners didn't need coaches, who were basically "fat men with watches telling you to run faster". I was told that if I needed coaching then I wasn't self motivated enough. 

I would argue that the complete opposite is true. If you are willing to seek advice and spend both your own time and money on improving your ability, then that shows both motivation and determination to get better, quicker and stronger.

I went from being a 35 mile a week runner, with no proper speed sessions, or long runs and structured training. Now I plan my week around a track session, tempo session and quality long run, with more relaxed recovery runs to help the legs between hard sessions. I now aim to do between 65-70 miles per week.

Two years ago, I was still light years away from being able to compete with the top local runners. Now, there is still a gap there, but it is getting smaller and I can see a definite improvement coming all the time. I hope that it now continues as I look to begin the next chapter.

I will still train with Rob and Gethin Butler, who has also been a great source of experience and advice over the last months. I have learnt masses from both and continue to every week.

I know that to continue to progress will take even more hard work than I currently put in, but I am prepared for it and willing to give it a real go. 

Finally, my advice to anyone striving to improve their running and wondering how they can do it, to seek out a proper source of professional guidance. You won't regret it!

The ThunderRun

This weekend saw the return of the Adidas ThunderRun. For those of you unfamiliar with the event, it is basically a 10k relay race, whereby teams (or some crazy ass individuals) battle it out for 24 hours to see how many laps of the course they can successfully complete.

I would like to begin by applauding and congratulating Chris Singleton, Matt Lalor, Ian Livesey, Stephen Chew and the rest of the 'Fastrax' team, who went to the competition looking to bring home the victory and did so in some style by all accounts. Great effort guys!

It is two years ago now that Team Wesham sent two sides down to take part, and I have to say that in all honesty, to this day it remains one of the best team events that I have ever had the privilege to be a part of.

Travelling down on the Friday morning, pitching our tents and heading off into the countryside to a local pub for a group meal and drinks, the first night was an excellent way of getting to know the rest of the team a little better.

The following day, the serious stuff kicked off. 

The organisers had asked teams to put their quickest runner on the opening leg, and as such the first lap turned into something of a race, even though the task is obviously one of extreme endurance. Being put on leg one, I remember trying to run sensibly, but still ran a 34 minute 10k - placing second on the leg.

Obviously the team couldn't maintain that position, but everybody ran brilliantly and it was a fantastic weekend of running.

The main memories from the weekend are:

- originally thinking that the course was set on roads, we all headed down with only our road trainers. As it turned out it was 10k set out on fields and woodland trail. With hindsight, crosscountry spikes would have been a wise option.

- on that first leg, I remember setting off in blistering sunshine and heat...it didn't last! By night time thunderstorms struck and all through the night it absolutely bombed it down.

- in total I ran either 4 or 5 legs (I'll be honest I can't remember!), the most memorable being leg 3 (or was that 4!?). On that leg, I headed off at around 3am, having had nearly no sleep for almost 48 hours already. It had been raining for a number of hours already by this point, and the thunder and lightning was still rife. The course had by now been churned up into a proper mud bath. Also, as the course had no lighting, runners had only head torches as means of making the track visible. At around half way through the lap, I tripping over a tree branch through the woods, flying headfirst into a great big oak tree and landing flat in a thick pile of mud. I remember lying there for a good while staring up at the rainy sky and thinking to myself "what the f#ck am I doing here!?". Then I scrambled around for the head torch and set off to complete the lap. It was one of the most bizarre, surreal, but definitely memorable things I have ever done.

- I also remember Sue Coulthurst and her double-leg through the worst of the weather, that was some run! It turned out to be a smart one too, as it meant longer between legs so she got a sleep in- about the only one that did!

- finally I remember Kerry and her fantastic mothering of the team, keeping us all going with plenty of food and drink. Kerry has always been an important member of team events for Wesham and we'd be lost without her.

The ThunderRun is a truly amazing competition and weekend, and hopefully I will get to take part again at some point in the future.