Wymondham New Years Day 10k

A-ha!  Yes, you're right, I've been to the great city of 2 Cathedrals and 5 Department stores- Norwich! 

 

After a New Years eve of relative restraint, but a few beers and much cheese I lined up with around 500 others for the Wymondham New Years day 10k.  Amongst the fellow competitors was my mate Tim whom we were staying with for New Years.  Tim shares both my interest in running and ale, however chooses not to bore the world by writing about it on the Internet. 

 

The start was along a narrow country lane meaning it was quite a hectic start for the number of competitors, but the field quickly spread out so there wasn't too much jostling going on.  This said a guy over the first few miles who I was running near I'm sure was trying to run me off the road as he held his race line.  The course is, as you would expect in Norfolk, broadly flat but with more inclines than I expected which are mostly in the first and last couple of kilometres. The incline at kilometre 9 was a particularly unwelcome surprise.

 

I had vague plans to try and run a negative split.  At halfway my time was around 20:30 and I crossed the line in 40:58 (54th place), so I suppose I sort of managed this- although my attempts to speed up in the second half resulted more in not slowing down than anything else.  Tim came in a couple of places and around 17 seconds behind me narrowly missing out on a PB.

 

So all in all a nice morning out across the rural roads of Norfolk; maybe not the most exciting race of all time but certainly a good way to start the year.

 

A-ha!

2012- a year in running

Distance per week

I love a bit of excel geekery when it comes to running stats, so here are some breadsweatandbeers running facts for the year:

Total miles: 1353.68
Total number of runs: 162
Average run distance in miles: 8.36
Average weekly distance: 26
Average number of runs per week: 3.11
Longest run: 40 (Ultrarace Peaks)
Shoretest run: 2
Fastest pace during a race: 06:16 (Roundshaw Parkrun)
Slowest pace during a race:10:25 (Croydon Ultramarathon)

Highlights of the year certainly includes crossing the finishline after 40 miles of the Ultrarace Peaks.  The Greensands marathon was also a great race as were the other Trionium races I did; the Leith Hill half marathon and the Midsummer Munro.  Finishing within the top 10 at the Denbies 10 miler in May was great.

The other highlight of the year was not a race but a training run I did from Carshalton to Box hill along the North Downs way.  I definitely want to get out on some long point to point trail runs next year just for the fun of long runs of the trails and get more used to navigating whilst running.  I've got my eye on a challenge of running from my house to the coast.

The other great thing, running wise, this year was finally joining a running club (Sutton Runners).  Running with faster runners has definitely improved my pace and the social side is good too.  Its also meant I've been able to run in some xc races which I'm hoping to do more of next year.

Low point of the year could be cramping up during the threeforts marathon and going from second place at mile 6 to 22nd at the end.  This said all was forgiven on reaching the finish line and I am considering returning in 2012 to see if I can race the course at a more even pace! Getting lost round South East London during the Croydon Ultra was pretty depressing and almost put me off running long distances all together!

I haven't got too much planned as yet for next year.  Hopefully I'll be running some xc with the club in January and February.  I've signed up for the Box Hill fell race in Jan which I'm also really looking forward to.  Otherwise in terms of races the focus will definitely still be off road, I'd like to do some more trail marathons, maybe 3 forts again but I've also got my eye on the South Downs marathon and Beachy Head marathon.  I'd also like to do a proper fell race in the lake district, maybe the Fairfield horseshoe.

I am however kicking of the year with some flat road running at the Wydonham 10k, who knows how I'll cope without any mud and hills!

Angkor beer

2 weeks of no running but an absolutely amazing time in Cambodia with many an Angkor beer (good drinking and cheap larger), Anchor beer (a bit more flavourful but pretty similar to Angkor) and Klang (6% and dangerously drinkable) have left me feeling relaxed but not very fit.  The three runs this week have been hard work, but enjoyable.  I've made up a cross country route up and down little hills and across the grass in green park that's been good for a muddy lunch time blast.  Turned my ankle today running through a puddle but it doesn't seem too bad.

Race wise I've got a New Years Day 10k in Wyndham in a couple of weeks time.  I'm not too fussed about PBs or anything like; its just for fun and maybe to beat my mate Tim who we're staying with out for New Years in Norwich.

For January I've entered the Box Hill Fell race which I'm really looking forward to, so I think there's going to need to be some last minute hill training in the first few weeks of 2012.

Parkruns, days off and an unexpected second place

With no big races left for the year I've been taking it kinda easy on the running but still making it out 2 or 3 times a week and turning up for a few parkruns.  2 weeks ago I did Roundshaw Downs in 19:34 placing 5th and returned this morning running a few seconds slower but finishing in a surprising second.  Whilst its only a weekly race and where you place is particularly dependent who turns up that day, it was a cool experience to be second by a long margin for most of the race and even at one point entertaining the idea I might win (although I knew deep down it was unlikely!).

Rest week

This week I ran 4 miles in total, ate two differnt types of cheese cake and drank a beer almost everyday.

Might do a bit more running next week...

Greensands Marathon

I was feeling relatively relaxed ahead of this race, I knew with all the ultra training over the summer that I should have the distance in my legs and the hill training of the previous weeks felt like good preparation.  Most of all I just wanted to run it as hard as I could but enjoy the course as well.

After a brief rendition of Jerusalem we were off.  Up the first hill I ran with the leading pack, more to avoid being stuck in the bottle neck down the first hill than any pretensions that I was going to be in the top 10.  As the long slog up to the top of Leith Hill began I happily let them stride off out of view- running mainly on my own but passing and being passed by the odd runner.  Made it to the tower at Leith Hill in 53 min which was a bit quicker than planned but felt good.  The course then plunges down a long hill followed by a long incline and then a series of short and sharp ascents and descents over difficult ground to get to the turn around point.  The views from the ridge were fantastic, and there was the odd moment where you could take you eyes off the trail to enjoy them!

I hit the turn around point in about 14th place, picked up a bottle of Lucazade and set off back to the start.  As an out and back course and a friendly race it was great to cheer on and be cheered on by my fellow runners, however once they were pass I ran completely on my own back to the top of Leith Hill.  The course marking was pretty good, but it was a bit unnerving as I knew if I took a wrong turn I'd have to find my way back on my own.  I got back to the tower in at about 2:48 and whilst I felt pretty good my legs were starting to get pretty drained.  As I started the long descent back to Dorking the past 20 miles were ever present and as much I wanted to bomb down the hills my body had other ideas. This said at mile 22 I was still on my own. 

After the penultimate water station, at which I took on water and plenty of Haribo I got to a fork in the path where there were no markings; I was pretty sure it was the left  hand path but being on my own I wanted to be sure.  I wasted 30 seconds to a minute but was glad to have confirmed the course with some passing walkers.  This, however meant I was no longer alone on the course and over the next 3 miles I was passed by 4 runners who were in better shape to make the most of the downhill sections.  At mile 25 we hit the inevitable killer hill to get you over the Nower and to the finish.  Me and another guy were neck and neck as we dragged our sorry selves up the steps.  As we hit the flat section before the final descent we started to increase the pace.  I decided I wasn't going to let another person pass me and as we hit the corner for the finishing straight I just threw every remaining bit of energy into what was probably the most enjoyable sprint finish to any race I've done.  I was literally screaming at my self to run faster!  I finished 7 seconds in front which either means I got some serious pace up or the other runner couldn't be bothered to contest it!  Either way, as I collapsed on the ground and received my medal it felt great.

Final time 03:48:26 18th.

The Greensands Marathon is a great race.  True its tough but its all do-able and who wants to run a flat marathon anyway?  The views from the Greensand Ridge are immense, the conditions underfoot are certainly enough to keep you occupied (or fall over if not) and the overall atmosphere of the race is fantastic.

The finish line in sight!

Surrey Cross Country div 3- Lightwater

Ran my first cross country match since school yesterday and it was great fun.  5 miles or so around Lightwater park with some brilliant hills (both ups and downs) and some really fast runners to contend with.  The pace was fast from the gun and really bunched up across the first mile or so, the field spread after that a bit but there was still a lot of overtaking and being passed as well across the whole race.  I felt relative sluggish on the first lap but warmed up a bit on the second and manged to pass several of the folks who overtook me on lap 1.  It was good fun just to go all out, up and down the hills and not have to worry about running another 20 or so miles- although in a fortnight's time at Greensands I'll have to remember to pace myself a bit!  Results aren't up yet but my time was a respectable 33 minutes or so, although with the quality of runners there I was quite far back in the field. 

I really don't know why people bother to race on the road!