Hot pants make you run faster!

There may still be over 100 days to go until the Chester Marathon, but as well as doing the training - sorting out the kit is just as important. When I started running I had my gait checked so that I could buy a suitable pair of trainers. I've stuck to the same ones (subject to model changes) since that time and just started using my lastest pair this week (I had bought 2 pairs in a New Year half price sale).

However, in that time, my running style may have changed - so I decided to get to gait checked again this week and sure enough the conclusion was that my current pair are no longer the most suitable for me (my left foot anyway). So I now have another new pair of trainers - maybe if all goes well, these will become the marathon trainers! With my existing pairs a new insole is all that's needed, so they can still be used.

Whilst I was in the shop I wanted to get some more shorts. I usually do training/Winter races in long running trousers and they fit the bill well. But in Summer, they're not the best on warmer days and so the shorts come out - but chaffing is a marathon runner's enemy. Plenty of Vaseline is the usual answer, but there are other things that can be done too. I boldly tried on a new red pair of Nicaraguan compression shorts (to wear under a regular pair of shorts) with a view of wearing them at the following day's Arden 9 race. They also apparently keep thigh muscles warm so that they reduce muscle strain and fatigue - and may even enhance performance!

Bit of a risk maybe trying something new out on a race day, but I was prepared enough to take them off if need be!

The next day came and the bright red shorts went on and I have to say they worked a treat for the entire 9 mile race. The Arden 9 is full of fast club runners and is a Warwickshire League Race too, so to the likes of me, it is very competitive. On looking around at the other runners before the run, I could not find anyone who I thought would be slower than me, so fellow Marathon first timer Larry and parkrun friends Kevin and Paul headed towards the back for the start.

Off we went and at a brisk pace too before soon settling down into something more appropriate. My target for the day was to run just under 10 mins per mile to get a sub 90 minute time overall. But I felt comfortable at around a 9:15 min pace and just kept going and going, so much so I was gradually working my way up the field. An added bonus was that I ran with a water bottle; I normally do this in longer training runs anyway and I don't get on well at water stations. I struggle to take on a cup of water without virtually stopping altogether, so my pace and rhythm is disturbed and a few times the water has gone down the wrong way with unpleasant fits of coughing etc. A water bottle means I can take on water gradually and when I want it too - so when it came to the water stations I simply carried on through, overtaking people choking on their cups of water.

At around 4 miles in I caught up with runners who usually finish ahead of me and so I started to wonder whether my pace was going to get into trouble a few miles later on. On passing one improving runner, Linda Whitehead, I said to her 'just ignore me Linda, I'm going too fast! You'll catch me later on!' But I still kept going and going. At 10km my watch read a time of 57:00 (I've never even run a 10k race in this time before, so I knew I was surely going to struggle later on) and at the one hour point I had done 6.52 miles - again I had never done this distance in an hour before. Then I realised there was less than a 5k parkrun to go and hey, we've all done plenty of them, keep going, keep going! The muddy terrain around the lake slowed me a bit and the hill at 8 miles slowed me a bit too, but once that was done, I went on down the hill for a long sprint finish to the end, still passing people on the way! Final time was 81:45 on my watch, way inside the sub 90 min target time - what a great day ;-)

Triple Success!

With 15 miles as my longest run to date completed, the next Sunday was a different affair - rather than plodding around at my marathon pace, it was time for a faster paced effort at the Great Midlands Fun Run in Sutton Park. This is an 8.5 mile route on a very undulating course - you're wither going up a hill or down a hill; very little is actually flat!

A popular run with 7000 participants had a wide mixture of people - fast runners, fun runners, walkers and so on. Once the race got underway, it was a bit chaotic as the fast runners were coming through whilst walkers at the front were holding others back, but by mile 2 it was pretty much sorted out. With an undulating course I found tracking my pace more tricky, so gave up on the Garmin after a short while. Instead I opted to run the hills conserving energy going up and pushing for pace on the down. At around 6 miles there is 'cardiac hill' - not the steepest of hills, but a fairly large hill to get up. Once at the top it was nearly 2 miles downhill to the finish, so I upped the pace a bit in my quest to chase down Ruth Paulin who had been in my sight all the way from mile 4, but I couldn't get any closer. Then came along Paul Cooper who caught up with me - running togther seemed to increase my pace further and then when Paul was asking 'When do we sprint?' with less half a mile to go resulted in the sprint coming sooner rather than later - so much so that our last half mile averaged out at 7 mins/mile pace meaning that on the line I dipped to beat Ruth Paulin, sorry Ruth!

I finished in just over 1hr 20mins, nearly 5 mins quicker than my target time - so thank you Paul for a great run in to the finish and a position within the top 1500, so for someone used to being low down in the field, it was nice to be in the top 20% for a change!

Onto the next week and back to normal with a couple of 5 mile plods at around marathon pace and a fast and furious hilly 5km. Sunday saw my second attempt at a 15 mile run. Last time I included an unknown section cross country which turned out to be not that good for running on, so this time I followed a familar route out towards Ragley Hall. Target pace again was the 11 mins/mile marathon pace and the end result was fantastic - very consistent throughout the 15 miles, up and down the hills too. I did feel a bit off between miles 9 and 12, but surprisingly did not have an adverse effect on the pacing - even though at the time doubts had crept into my mind about completing the 15 miles. But I proved the doubts wrong and continued on and by mile 13 I was actually feeling the best I had the enture run - so I upped the pace slightly to the end to finish in 2hrs 43 mins (10 mins better than last time). A really good run and a confidence booster too as well as a lesson learnt: I'm sure come Chester that there will be times when I don't feel too great during the marathon, but I just have to have faith that I will get through it and can carry on to the end.

Enough about me as there is great need to refer to my co-runners at Chester, Larry Chambers and Richard Westwood. Larry has just had an incredible week where he has set new PBs for 1km, 1mile, Cooper, 3miles, 5kms, 10kms, one hour and half marathon - so the full set of PBs on Endomondo! This has all come from the result of hard work, both when he is running and when he's not running. Richard on the other hand, continues his improvement even further - as well as running great times in training, it all came together at the Llandudno 10 mile run today where he did the 10 miles in a breathtaking consistent pace averaging arounnd 8:20 mins/mile for a 1hr 23 mins time, which is simply awesome!

100 up!

Fresh from my training half marathon covered in my last post, I appear to be getting used to running a higher mileage. Normally I only run around 15 miles at most per week, so taking it to 25 miles plus per week seemed quite a task. But gradually I have added the miles bit by bit and run distances and paces that suit me. Thankfully it has tied in well with the training plan - I do my fast hilly 5k, 2 lots of 5 miles and a long run at the weekend.

And so it has continued - I didn't get the chance to run at the parkrun pacer day, but that didn't matter as the following day, Sunday, I had my first go at running a distance longer than a half marathon - 15 miles at my target marathon pace. It had been a very hot week 25C plus most days and that day was no different. I started early at 7:30 a.m. to hopefully avoid the worst of the heat. Well my run only lasted 40 metres, because weighed down by a phone and a gel as well as the front door key, my brand new shorts were weighed down a bit too much for my comfort - so a quick return home and a change into a more sturdy pair of shorts was required.

My second attempt was more successful, a lot of the run was a completely different route too, so added to the interest. It did include an unfamiliar cross country section for about 2 miles, but it turned out to be unsuitable for running and the run became a run/walk - however it was good to go somewhere new.

The heat became very noticable after only 5 miles (thankfully I had applied some sun cream suitable for runners) and by mile 11 I had run out of water. Fortunately there was a couple working in their front garden and on the first sight of me at the top of the driveway holding an empty bottle, they did their good deed for the day and refilled it with pleasure.

I completed the 15 miles and so another landmark had been reached. I continued the rest of the week as before making the final run of May the session that took me over 100 miles for the month for the first time ever! Wow!

Into June and the running continues. But first a bit of a 'break' with another stint of volunteering at Brueton parkrun over the Jubilee weekend. A few of us embraced the theme...

To add some further variation to the week's running, I took part in a local fun run at Astwood Bank. As well as the 2.5 mile fun run itself I wanted to make it into a long run so ran to and from the fun run to make a combined total of 10 miles. The weather was very wet and the fun run was not that well attended, so I think I managed to sneak into a top 10 finish!

On the Tuesday, my usual hilly 5k was replaced with my first proper attempt at a build up run. An out and back 8 mile route, with the first half just under my marathon pace of 11 mins/mile, then turn around and do the next half at 10 mins, finishing with the last two at 9:30. I had tired legs at the beginning and was not sure I would be able to up the pace, but I did and went much better than the plan too. Happy days ;-)