Patience

After a jerky January, I am attempting to jump start my new year this month and using the coming weeks to build momentum ahead of a big month of races in March.

I feel that I am beginning to come through the other side of the rough patch and on my last few runs and sessions have gradually began to feel some of the old rhythm starting to creep back in to my running at last.

After a solid showing at Preston Park Run last weekend, I attempted to follow up that performance with a turn out at the Blackpool Park Run this time out. This was because I knew there was going to be a big Wesham turnout in order to look after and help out one of our own that are going through difficult times. It also meant there would be an opportunity to see some friendly faces for the first time in a while, whilst also having a crack at a new course, as this was only the second outing of the Blackpool version of the Park Run.

Unfortunately, having a head like a sieve, I forgot to take my barcode and so my performance was null and voided. Nethertheless it was still a useful runout and provided me with some more much needed shorter distance speed work. I didn't produce a particularly fast time, but I couldn't have been much more consistent with my pacing, and as I say I am striving for that consistent rhythm more than anything right now. I paced myself around the miles in 5:18, 5:17, 5:17 for a finishing time of 16:08 on what was a comfortable solo run.

My week started with another mini wobble, as I had a recurrence of a recent niggle which I haven't mentioned on here previously, as I was aware I was beginning to sound like a stuck record and a sick note on the injury front! I have had a slight problem with my Achilles on and off for about 2-3 weeks, and it flared up again on Monday and Tuesday which affected my training plans somewhat. I still managed to get 8 miles in the bank on Monday and attempted a speed session of sorts on Tuesday - although I decided it best to keep away from the track once again. 

Tuesday's session was something of a disaster to be honest, but at least I managed to get some sort of session done. I did 4 x 1 mile, but they were all over the show pace wise, ranging from 5:24 to 5:00. 

Wednesday was a short and easy recovery run, mostly because I knew I had to be home early for Molly's birthday meal, but also so as to rest up the Achilles as much as possible ahead of Thursday's run.

On Thurday with Rob Affleck, we again did the 5 mile tempo, and having clocked 5:23 average last week, this time our target was to beat that and try to get down to 5:20s. Early on in the run we kept it fairly chilled and relaxed, with the intention to crank it up as the run progressed. We did just that, starting off with a 5:18, before a slightly slower than anticipated second mile of 5:27. Feeling strong I decided to push the pace on a little bit, whilst still striving for that consistent rhythm and action, and I was delighted with how strongly I grew into the second half of the run clocking 5:11, 5:07 and 5:07 to finish the 5 miles in 26:24.

Friday saw me do 10 miles running home from work in Penwortham at 6:26 pace in my new replacement trainers. I have attributed the recent Achilles problem to switching to a different brand of trainers at around the same time as the flare up occurred. I have had physio and kept a close eye on it and there is nothing untoward so far as we can tell, which suggests that this may be the case.

On Sunday I did my long run early morning with the company of Rob Affleck, and it was my strongest one in quite some time, as we went through 8 miles at 6:31 pace, before I got down to an average pace of 5:49 for the second half of the run to end up with 6:09 pace average for the full 16, we topped it up with a cool down jog to fetch a total return of 17.5 miles at 6:18s.

Total mileage for the week: 71

Average pace for the week (m/pm): 6:25

Total mileage so far this month (February): 127

Total mileage for 2017: 401.5

Average miles per day 2017: 9.34

Fresh start

The start of a new month, and putting a frustrating January behind me, I have begun this new one in a more positive frame of mind and hopefully I have got over the recent stop-start difficulties with my training and will be able to get back up to speed and kick start my year.

Thankfully I haven't had too much after effect from the spiking at last week's cross country and I have had my best training week in quite some time. I even topped it off nicely with a solid runout at the Preston Park run this weekend.

Having got my week underway with a fairly easy start, settling for an eight mile run, as opposed to my usual 10-12 on a Monday, as I tried to rest my foot up a little bit and allow the wound to heal as much as possible to see if I could get away with some speed work the following day.

Indeed I did manage to, and it was actually my best speed session in a while. I still didn't make it to the track, as I had to be back for a massage and was squeezing the session in a bit after work. So instead, I did a makeshift mile repeat workout around the Wesham handicap route. For those that this route is unfamiliar to, it is a two mile loop that takes in a flat section down Blackpool Road (kirkham bypass), one tight bend at the bottom of dowbridge and a few steep hill climbs and generous down hill sections on the second mile. I did a 15 minute warm up loop, followed by 5 x 1 miles off a 90 second jog recovery. Bearing in mind my lack of recent speed work, I was quite chuffed with my return of 5:14, 5:01, 5:01, 5:06 and a final mile of 5:30 as I decided to tempo my final repeat as I was happy with the amount I had got out of the first 4 repeats.

With a confidence booster from that session, I took it easy with another 8 mile recovery run on Wednesday, ahead of my usual docks tempo run on Thursday. I was down to step up my tempo training from 4 to 5 miles this week, and despite missing a few of my recent times and having an up and down few weeks, we decided to stick to the plan. The run couldn't have been expected to go much better really, and I managed to clock 26:57 for an average pace of 5:23 into some stiff winds at some points.

Friday's run was a steady 10 miler at 6:30 pace, as I had it in my head that I wanted to have a go at the local park run on the Saturday in order to see what sort of shape I was in and to basically give myself a starting point to base my fitness from and to give myself something to work with in the coming weeks. I have managed to maintain a half decent mileage despite the recent problems, and I think I am more in need of doing some extra speed work, so making use of the free park runs is useful, as it enables you to get a decent early morning workout over the 5k distance. I turned up expecting to be running in the region of a low 16, which I would have taken, as my best time on the course was 16:02 and would indicate that I was still not far off from race fitness. 

The presence of Chris Durney of Preston Harriers helped me to get up to a strong start and the company at the front definitely helped us both to push a fairly quick pace throughout, and as I crossed the finish line I thought I might have actually managed to just dip below the 16 minute mark and set a new pb, when I was told that my time was actually 15:42 and not that far off the course record I was quite shocked though! Not a bad indicator of where I am at considering the start to the year I have had and the fact I haven't done any speed work on the track for around 12 weeks! I reckon that the hilly nature of the course and the volume of traffic you have to contend with as he laps tick over mean that the run would probably equate to around 15:15ish on a flatter course with more serious competition, so hopefully in the coming months I will be able to get down towards 15 minutes over the 5k distance.

On Sunday I finished off a solid week with a 17 mile long run through the lanes with Rob Affleck (and a flock of sheep) for company. It was my longest run of the year so far and I was happy with the pace as we recorded 6:13 on average and finished strongly too with the last mile down to 5:40 pace.

Looking back on my start to this year in comparison to January 2016, and I have managed to get 274.5 miles under my belt this January, whereas twelve months ago I managed to start off the first month strongly and recorded 315 miles in the first month - but seen as I was running twice a day at this time last year, I am actually not that far off with my current mileage if I manage to start doubling up again a couple of times a week in the coming few weeks.

Total mileage for the week: 74

Average pace for the week (m/pm): 6:29

Total mileage for January: 274.5

Total mileage so far this month (February): 56

Total mileage for 2017: 330.5

Average miles per day 2017: 8.84

Dry January

Sometimes you've just got to roll with the punches, and at the moment it has certainly felt as though that is what I have been having to do lately. Still, yesterday felt like a particularly low blow and took the wind out of me somewhat. 

I have had no real cross country season at all, despite it being one of my favourite (and arguably strongest) events. I had hoped to catch the back end of the season and use the Northern's as a bit of a platform to build some base fitness and run myself into a bit of form ahead of next months National Championships race and an outside shot of the Intercounties team if I could impress enough to earn a late call up.

Unfortunately, no sooner did my season belatedly get underway, than I was forced to pull out of the race and concede that it just wasn't meant to be after what has been well described by one of my Facebook friends as very much like an "incident at turn 1 in formula one". 

The Knowsley course was something of a bog and there was an unrelenting mud track - but that is just how I like my crosscountry usually, I am fairly comfortable churning it out in the thick stuff, but nevertheless if I am being honest I wasn't entirely confident of making it around the three laps with both shoes in tact, such was the cleggyness of the surface. I had tied them up as tight as possible and quadruple knotted them and basically hoped for the best that if I was careful I would get around in one piece.

I toed the line and in the early stages I did as much as I could to get settled in a decent position, and I felt that I had managed to do so, getting in and amongst the pack that I knew I wanted to be in. As we descended into the mud pit for the very first time just 0.45 miles in to the race however, disaster struck. Firstly I got spiked through the outside of my right foot by a member of the pack, these things happen and if that had been the only problem I could still undoubtably have continued. Unfortunately though, pretty much within the same stride, I felt my left heel clip and my shoe was gone. 

I did try to get the shoe back, but by the time the herd of runners had subsided enough for me to make a grab for it, too much time had already passed for me to be able to get back into the race. It did cross my mind to just jump back in and continue to use it as a fitness exercise, but I had tied the boot that much and that tightly that I couldn't get the damn thing back on at all! Not only that, but having already felt the pain of having a spike through the foot, I wasn't about to try and run bare foot - not from that far out! 

The frustration that I have felt since has been unbelievable. The difficulties that I have encountered throughout January have really made me realise just how much I love my running and how much I miss it when it is taken away from me. Not only that, but having only raced once in the last two months now (discounting yesterday's farce!) I have definitely got my hunger for racing back again. After a busy November, I definitely needed a break from the exertions of race day, but I can't wait to get back on a race day start line on the roads again now as soon as possible.

I just hope that after my luck seems to have run dry through the month of January, that the changing of the months might bring with it an upturn in fitness and fortunes.

This month has been disastrous from a racing perspective, but if I can take anything from it, at least I have been able to keep ticking over with at least some mileage and a few sessions to maintain a certain level of fitness.

This week I managed to string together a fairly decent training week up until Saturday. I did a strong hill session on Tuesday, with 8 x 2 minute reps off a minute recovery, which was tough but enjoyable and I was pleased with my form.

On Thursday I did a 4 mile tempo at a fairly relaxed 5:27 pace into a strong headwind. In spite of the puncture wound I picked up at cross country, I did get out for a half decent run on Sunday, although a full long run proved too much for me as I had to give in to the pain in my foot after 13 miles. I was pleasantly surprised by the pace as I felt I had taken it easy and had just wanted to get some miles in the tank, and I averaged a healthy 6:15 pace throughout.

Total mileage for the week: 62

Average pace for the week (m/pm): 6:30

Total mileage so far this month (January): 256.5

Average miles per day 2017: 8.84

Learning from past mistakes

A difficult start to 2017 took another frustrating twist over the last week, as stomach and gut problems ruined my training plans and any intentions I had for racing over the weekend just gone.

It seems to have been a case of one step forward and two steps back so far, and this latest lurch back has been the toughest one to take yet. My illness was something of a mystery to me for much of the week, but by Friday it became clear that I had suffered from the Nora Virus. It is a particularly nasty virus that hits sufferers with sickness and diarrhoea and particularly bad stomach cramps in my case.

I had felt fine on Monday and enjoyed a comfortable 10.5 miles run home from work. I had already planned out my speed session for the Tuesday evening, as I wanted to do 4 x 1 mile reps off a two and a half minute recovery. I didn't feel particularly great by the time it came around, but being stubborn I still gave it a go. I felt terrible throughout, and by the end my pace was way off, as my splits of 4:58, 5:06, 5:12 and 5:33 show.

As soon as my session finished, my toilet problems started. They didn't pass until Saturday afternoon. Although I did manage to maintain some sort of running at least, it was little more than jogging pace as I couldn't muster much more than 7 minute miles, and had to dive into fields and public toilets on numerous occasions...

As the week went on I felt worse and worse, the constant stomach pains and visits to the toilet had left me with barely enough energy for work, never mind anything else. Despite this I didn't make my decision not to do Inskip Half until Friday evening. 

There simply was no point in doing the race, even as a tempo session or built in to a steady long run, even if I did recover from the illness in time. I have made the mistake of racing when I am not fit on a few previous occasions and it is never a good idea, but particularly over a distance like the half marathon where the energy exerted is so big. I made that error at Cardiff last year, racing just a week after a chest infection, it took ages for that particular scar to heal mentally and the lesson is one that has stayed with me. I am in no doubt that if I had done Inskip I would have set myself back a long way.

Looking at my training since Christmas, I am happy with 14 of my runs out of 28 days. That means that half of the past month has not been good enough. Running is all about peaks and troughs, and I have been fortunate to have hit a massive peak in October/November last year, the last few weeks have been a bit of a dip in form and fortunes, but I am hopeful that if I keep my head down I will be heading back in the right direction again soon enough. March and April are my next big target months, so I will use the time between now and hen to try and get myself back in the best shape possible.

My crosscountry season so far has been pretty much none existent, but if I manage to put a solid week in over the next few days I will hopefully manage to get my 2017 off to some sort of a start by taking part in the Northern Championships next Saturday.

Total mileage for the week: 51

Average pace for the week (m/pm): 6:36

Total mileage so far this month (January): 194.5

Average miles per day 2017: 8.84

Back on track

After a slow start to the new year, last week I managed to really kick on with my training, with no ill effects lingering from my bad back and flu. This meant that I was able to get the ball rolling with some tougher sessions and start to press on with my training plans for 2017.

This week was pleasing for a few different reasons, I managed my highest mileage week since November when I set a host of pb's. I also managed to lay down some good foundations for the weeks ahead with some decent intensity and a few different structured runs.

The bulk of my running was actually done on my way home from work each day, as I've been working on a big job with my dad I have made the most of the opportunity to be able to grab a lift there with him, and then commute the ten miles home on foot. It both saved me time, which allowed me to crack on with extra work at home, and also meant that I didn't even have to worry about setting myself routes etc once I got home!

My week consisted of 4 main quality sessions. I did a fartlek run on my way home on Tuesday, with a ten minute warm up, 10 x 2 minutes effort and 2 minutes jog recovery, and ten minutes cool down. On this session I peaked at 4:59 pace and completed the ten miles in an average of 6:02 pace (inclusive of warm up/cool down). I was pleased with this, as it was the first real pace session I had done on the back of my problems and I was a tad surprised to be able to duck below 5 minute mileing on a few of the reps once I got going.

 My second proper session of the week came, as usual, on Thursday with a 4 mile tempo around Preston Docks. After returning with 5:33 average for the loop last week, this time around I felt tons better and performed much stronger, with an average pace of 5:15 for the four miles feeling comfortable. An improvement of 18 seconds in just 7 days shows that I was right not to risk racing at the Lancs XC last weekend, as I just wasn't fit.

On Saturday, having worked in order to have a little extra spends for the house fund, I missed the mid lancs crosscountry, so instead I treated my ten mile run home as a tempo session. With an easy first and last mile, I averaged under 5:40s for the 8 miles in between (not bad straight from work I don't think!) and completed the ten miles in 58:23.

Finally, after another busy day at the house, completing another 7 day working week more or less, I motivated myself to get out for a long run in the evening on Sunday. I had planned on doing 16-17 miles, but in the end settled for 14.5 which is a bit shorter than I wanted, but not a disaster. Hopefully I have done enough to perform ok at Inskip half next week. This one I managed to hold a steady and consistent 6:35 pace throughout.

I am more than happy with the way I have managed to get myself back on track, but that is the one thing that I am conscious that I now have to get back to - the track! I am missing the top end speed work at the moment and will work hard to try and get back to that again over the coming weeks now.

Total mileage for the week: 75

Average pace for the week (m/pm): 6:24

Total mileage so far this month (January): 143.5

Average miles per day 2017: 9.53

A slow start

My first week of training in 2017 didn't exactly get off to the best of starts, but fortunately it hasn't been a complete write off and I am hoping that I am going to be able to push on after an enforced rest over the Christmas and new year period.

In the aftermath of Ribble Valley, a race I got away with in hindsight considering the problems I have had since then, I got floored by a bout of flu and was unable to run throughout the final days of 2016.

Frustrated by the inactivity and determined to try and kick on in the new year, I forced myself to go out for a run on the morning of New Year's Day. I probably wasn't quite right still, and should have taken an extra day off, but I went out anyway and coughed and spluttered my way around a 7.5 mile loop. I actually thought that by taking it easy the run would do me good, as I brought up a whole load of phlegm and nastiness! And I did feel good as the run went on, but cooling down and stretching off afterwards, I had another coughing fit and doubling over I tweaked my back.

This is the third of fourth time I have had problems with my back now in the same place, so although at first I was gutted and worried about the damage another lay off would do, I now am starting to understand how to best help facilitate the recovery. I blasted the area with heat (thanks moll for the hot water bottle!) for a number of days and arranged a massage as soon as possible (thanks Vicky for fitting me in so quickly!) and as a result I was back up and running within a couple of days, rather than a full week as was he case last time.

None the less, following on from missing the best part of a week of training due to Christmas and illness, it was another couple of days I could have done without having off.

I knew that I wouldn't be in any sort of shape to race at the Lancashire Championships crosscountry, and despite being tempted to run anyway, I listened to my body, my brain and my coach for once and took the sensible option of cracking on with a training week and ploughing some much needed miles in instead. I am hoping that this will benefit me more in the long run and see me return to form as soon as possible. Despite having missed Monday and Tuesday, I actually managed to end up with a 61 mile week, which was an achievement in itself considering being crippled at the start of it! 

I am hoping to push on now and get some proper sessions in again, as it is a few weeks since I did any proper speed work. I did manage 4 miles at 5:35 with Rob on Thursday, but it felt much tougher than I remember for that sort of pace!

The rest of my running has been pretty steady, but consistent with 10 miles at 6:16, 15 miles at 6:25 and 10 miles at 6:18 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Total mileage for the week: 61

Average pace for the week (m/pm): 6:29

Total mileage so far this month (January): 68.5

Average miles per day 2017: 8.6

2016: a review of my year

For my final blog post of the year, I thought it would be good to put together my own little review of my last 12 months of running. Whilst 2015 was pretty much defined by one run, this year has been more about steady and gradual plugging away and working hard to try and get my times down across all the main distances (marathon apart!)

I will take a look at some of my best and worst performances, what I have progressed with, what I need to improve, what I achieved and what I didn't manage to do over the course of 2016.

So let's get going...

January

My first race of the year, and first of the crosscountry season was the Lancashire Championships at Witton Park. Having recovered from a bad back over Christmas and new year, I was pleased to be back running, at the end of the month, I returned to the same venue for the Northern Championships and one of the toughest courses I have ever encountered!

February 

The Winter Warmer 10k at Blackburn (again!) provided me with a welcome return to the roads after a ten week absence from racing - the longest spell without a road race I'd had since taking up the sport. I was unsure what to expect and was just glad to get the race over with. I was delighted to take the win too on a very tough course.

I ended the month racing at the National crosscountry championships and had my best ever run in the mud, finishing in 80th position.

March

Wearing the Lancashire red rose vest was one of my proudest moments of 2015, but I hadn't managed to put together a good run, so to be able to get a second stab at he Intercounties this year and finishing in 36th position and second Lancs male was special for me.

April

My first run out at Cheshire 10k saw me record a pb of 32:06, just missing out on my target of sub 32, but was a big boost to my confidence after a shocker at Cardiff Half marathon. On a day when I probably shouldn't have run at all, I struggled round in just under 75 minutes, having gone into the race aiming to break the 70 minute barrier...

May

Christleton 5k was one of my favourite events of the year, and is without doubt the fastest 5k course I have raced on so far. I just missed out on my pb here in 15:08 after a slight misjudgement in the middle stages of the race.

June

It is no secret that Freckleton Half marathon is one of my main races in the calendar year, and one that I am desperate to one day win. I moved a step closer this year, finishing in second place and just missing out on my best time with 70:48.

July

Returning from a fortnight in Turkey feeling about a stone heavier than I had set off, I actually had a decent run on my return to racing just 4 days later, clocking around 15:15 at Podium 5k. It left me feeling positive and ready for an assault on my times in the second half of the year after a good break.

August

A month on from Podium and I felt in prime shape for a go at setting a new pb and hopefully breaking the 15 minute barrier at mid Cheshire 5k. The previous race there had been stacked and plenty had gone under that. This time out surprisingly nobody did, and I actually found myself leading the race throughout to take the win in 15:19.

September

The most bizarre event of the year came at Run Preston 10k, where chasing my first ever sub 32 (and well on course for it at half way), I got decked by an off lead dog. Luckily I bounced back up to win the race, but my ambition of getting the time went out of the window for another day...32:25.

October

Returning to Palma looking to defend my crown in the half marathon from 2015, I managed to do so on another fantastic trip away with team Wesham, full of great laughs and memories. Win in 70:52.

November

Being a bit more careful and selective of my races in October bore fruit in November, as I finally cracked the 10k distance with a fine run at Cheshire 10k to finish in 31:12. Without doubt my best run across any distance to date, I managed a good few scalps on a day where it all came together. A week later I won the Preston 10 mile in 52:34 (new pb), before rounding off an excellent month by winning Wesham 10k in 32:00.

December

My final run out of the year came at Ribble Valley, a slightly below par performance still goes down as my second best run to date over 10k, in 31:59 for 23rd place.

So there we go that was my year, with a total of 3,366 miles recorded, so hopefully some good groundworks and compound fitness in the bank ahead of a return to the marathon in Autumn 2017.

Thanks for reading, all the best to everyone and I hope you all have a successful, happy and prosperous 2017. Much love x