Tour & Dopey Training

Being injured is no fun!!

Tour & Dopey Training

I was meant to do about 40 miles this week but I decided a 7 mile hill session wasn't a good an idea after seeing the elevation for Chester.  I decided to give parkrun a miss too because I thought it might impact of getting a sub 2 at Chester.  In the end i decided a sub 2 was too unrealistic and but the pace group I was running with decided to go for 2:02/2:03 which would give me a pb and a club standard so I thought it was best to rest on Saturday.  

It turned out to be the right move because it seriously took every thing I had (and the best pacer ever) to finish Chester in 2:02:30 but I've decided that I need to forget about getting fast times in races now and just go back to racing for training.  At the start of the year I had planned to not go for any pb's but then I kept getting them and got a little distracted.  I need to focus on getting the miles up again now though so it's back to racing to finish.  I hurt my quad so no running this week but next week it's back to the plan.

Tour & Dopey Training

Today I will mostly be sitting on the sofa doing nothing because I feel like I ran a marathon after doing three races back to back.  The funny thing is that in 9 months I'll have to do exactly the same thing again with a marathon at the end.  I'm terrified just thinking about it but hopefully the training between now and then will make it easier.  I probably ran the 5k too fast too.  Even though I ran the 10k the next day pretty easy I could still feel the 5k at the start of the half two days later I think.  I really struggled during the half (At least I can take some comfort in the fact that it was a hard and hilly course whilst Disney is flat with lots of things to look at and a castle to run through) and when I started my legs felt like they were going to fall off but I managed to run the whole thing except for one toilet break and a couple of seconds when I almost gave in.  Hopefully this means that my plan to run the whole of Dopey is not too unrealistic.  I'd like to run the whole of the tour too but I've heard that there's a really bad hill in the second race that I might have to walk.

So it took me 3 hours 26 minutes and 15 seconds to complete all three races.  Assuming I have to slow the 5k down a little and estimating 5 hours for the marathon would mean that I would complete Dopey in 8 and a half hours.  Based on last year's results this would place me around 1,300th out of 6,397 finishes which would put me in the top 20% of all finishes. 

Liverpool Spring 10k

Today I dedicate my blog to four amazing men; Stan Coultier, Derek Ralphs, Keith Peacock (the three amigos) and David Marsh. Running Liverpool Spring 10k with them today was truly amazing and it has to be one of my favourite races. 

Image owned by J Peacock

I wasn't planning on doing the 10k originally. I have Milton Keynes half tomorrow but the race looked like so much fun last year and it's getting more women than men entering which doesn't happen very often. So I decided to go and turn it into a mini dopey training by sticking a 5k on the front, which is why I ended up at Halewood 5k yesterday.   The day started with heavy rain making a racket outside my bedroom window, I almost stayed in bed, but once I was on the WRC party bus I was looking forward to it. Then I realised I'd forgot my watch. I checked if my old one was in my bag and it was... with a blank screen and a dead battery. I felt like my arm had been chopped off. No watch, no pace, no time and no evidence on Strava. I was pretty gutted which sounds bad because it's just a watch but it is like my best friend during a race. Racing without it would be interesting. 

Race organisation was really good. Tents had been set up in the park to create a little runner's village with stands from a number of charities, a food van, bouncy castles and a lot of toilets (there was no waiting). Bag drop was really secure and effortless too. The Zumba band were playing and it had a whole party atmosphere going on. It was great to catch up with lots of people and just before the start I spotted Derek, Stan and Keith who were dressed in the funniest outfits ever which goes back to a joke from the RDB Facebook group (which is awesome). 

I have no idea what pace I was going when the race started. I think it was fastish but my legs were tired from the day before so it was hard to judge if I was going too fast without my watch pacing me. The first couple of k were hard work but I could see the Amigos in front of me gradually getting closer (stopping to hug every marshal) and so I decided to run with them, have some fun and hopefully keep up. The next however many miles were so funny (except for Keith's leg issue and Derek swallowing some of his fake moutashe. Derek struggled with his breathing for the rest of the race but Keith became like Superman when he stripped off his base layer for his wonderful wife Joyce, instead of keeping him going David had to slow him down).these men never let anything keep them down though, they chanted, clapped, high fived and bear hugged any marshal they came across and the fantastic bands, music and spectators along the course certainly added to the sense of atmosphere. It was so funny to watch and be apart of and its a great reminder that running isn't all about times and targets. If that had been my last race every I wouldn't have changed a thing.  These men just love running and runners so much that it's just a joy to be around them and it's great to be around like minded crazy people (Although David seems pretty, Keith, Stan and Derek are all slightly bonkers which is why I get on with them).

Liverpool Spring 10k Route

Since I didn't have my watch I don't have a record of the route or elevation and so I had to 'borrow' them from strava. When I did Sefton Park 5 last year it was all in the park and I really didn't enjoy that route so I was a bit worried about today but a lot of the course was actually on the roads which was much better. There were a couple of hills which might have been a challenge if I'd been trying for a time but I didn't really notice them today. I like the end of the course where you go back on where you started (passing the amazing band again) because after that last hill it's a nice long incline to the finish line. 

Liverpool Spring 10k Elevation

Image owned by J  Peacock

We crossed the finish in who knows what time. It's not important. We still together, in one piece and still laughing so we had a great race regardless of how long it took. Stan was jealous because the announcer said my name at the finish and not his which was great! Organisation at the finish was really good. There was different exits depending on tshirt size which was a genius idea really and kept everyone moving. The volunteer on the line for smalls was pretty strict with only allowing people with a small sticker through which is great to see, it's not nice if you finish to find out they've ran out of your t-shirt size. I loved the design of the finish too with the last straight stretch filled with spectators cheering. Thank you to WRC for cheering me on at the end.  We got a t-shirt, medal and a pretty nice goody bag (I gave the tin of Salmon we got to Joyce so it's not in the photo).  We sat in the cafe afterwards for a little while (Stan bought me a doughnut and a drink so I'm thinking he don't hate me as much as he pretends to).  Some of the kids were tiny but moving pretty fast, I saw one boy stropping with his father because he wasn't going fast enough.  I got to meet the lovely Sharon Bullock from Run or Cake in person too.  On the way to the pub to meet WRC we watched the last finishers of the 10k who must have took around 2ish hours.  Not only did they clear the route for them (I've finished racers where you have to dodge pushchairs and runners who have finished and are heading home, it's certainly not a pleasant experience), the Samba band ran and quickly got into position to give them an amazing finish.  It was so nice to watch the last runners being given the same experience as the first, very impressive and well done.  Oh and I also loved the race bibs too, I wish I'd entered early enough to get my name on my bib because you had no number, just your name(hopefully photos are not searchable by bib number though otherwise there might be a few issues).  I wangt to go back and do the race again next year but with my watch and without a 5k the day before and a half marathon the day after.

Halewood 5k

The plan for today was to plod a nice easy parkrun to pace out the weekend but when Claire, who I ran Hale 5 with, mentioned Halewood 5k I couldn't resist.  We're the same speed and are going for pretty much the same PB's so she's great to run with because she forces me to push myself more.  The 5k is hosted by Knowsley Harriers on the first Saturday of every month.  It's completely free, organisation is really good and there's even toilets, somewhere to put your bag and a warm place to wait for the start.  You need to register when you get there, your can't register before, but it's pretty quick and then you get given a laminated race number to use and give back at the end, they even have safety pins.  The race starts at 10 am right next to the club house in Halewood which is only a five minute walk from the train station.  The race is actually fully licensed and the results even go on Run Britain, not bad for... well... nothing.

Halewood 5k Route

The good stuff doesn't stop their either.  The course is completely flat. It's pretty much an out and back along a tarmac path.  You run out for 1.6 miles after a little detour at the beginning and then run back.  The route goes through a park and by some fields so is quite pretty and countrysidey (I made up a new word) but you never leave the tarmac so you have the benefits of a pretty trail run without having to deal with running on uneven ground.  Obviously the path is still open to the public but there was only a few walkers and one bike so it wasn't an issue at all.  With around 70 runners it doesn't matter if you're not near the start because everyone crosses the line pretty quickly and you get to see the faster runners coming back towards you and encourage each other which is nice.  I got to cheer on Martin from my club who was running really well after a massive PB at Manchester Marathon.

Halewood 5k Elevation

Me and Claire started a little too fast at 7:10/mm but then we managed to slow down a bit to a nice steady pace.  We slowed down a bit in the second mile but not by much and were doing pretty well by the time we reached the turn around point.  In the last mile I started to lose Claire a little bit I couldn't slow down so I just kept trying to shout at her over my shoulder occasionally to make sure she was still there.  I felt bad for leaving her but if I'd tried to slow down I would have stopped.  This has happened a few times now where I just have to keep going.  I managed to get down to 6:23/mm in my final sprint, which I'm pretty impressed with, and my official time was 25:58.  It's four seconds slower than my PB (which is a bit annoying, being so close) but Claire did really well finishing in 26:31 and we'll both be back next month for another crack at it.

I have to say that I really love Halewood 5k.  The course is perfect for working on your pace and running style because it's so flat with  like literally three turns.  All of the volunteers involved are amazing and it's all completely free which is just incredible really.  We even got a mini flapjack at the end and results were posted within a few hours.  I would really recommend going and giving it a try.  If you want more information then please click here.

Right, after today I'm hoping I'll survive tomorrow.  One race down, two to go.

Image owned by R Meadows

Tour & Dopey Training

Tour training has taken a back seat lately to marathon training but now that Brighton is over and Dopey is now a definite it's time to get back to it.  There's only 72 days until the 52 miles in one week and 258 days until the 48.6 in four days.  Tired legs from Brighton are an opportunity rather than a hindrance and so although mileage was low this week getting to race Whitley 10k was a good insight into how it will feel to keep going back to race day after day.  I'm finding that it's getting a lot easier to push through the pain and keep going.  I checked out of quite a few races last year and started walking (I think because I put too much pressure on myself to get a fast time) but I'm starting to learn how to slow it down rather than quit all together.  It's hard during a race because you keep getting overtaken and you kind of want a sign to justify why you are going so slow but you just have to change your race priorities and run to finish rather than pb.  

Hopefully by the time the Tour of Merseyside comes around I'll be able to run all six races without walking (which is my main goal) and then maybe by January I can still run the whole of the marathon even after the three races in the three days before.  Hopefully I'll be getting my Runner's World Challenge training plan for Dopey soon so that I can start planning.  I'm doing a mock mini Dopey (parkrun, Cheshire Spring 10k and Milton Keynes half) back to back on the May bank holiday weekend and will be building back up to 50 miles a week ready for the tour.

Whitley 10k

I had to have words with myself at 4k today.  I was getting mad at myself for not being able to go fast and more and more people were running past me.  I tried to push harder but then when my legs started cramping I had to tell myself to slow down and just focus on finishing.  My legs were still really tired from Brighton but that was the whole point of running.  I need to learn how to race when my legs are really tired as training for the tour which is training for Dopey.  So, I'd already sent my friend Ali off because I could keep up with her and when Bryan caught up to me I sent him off too and just ran my own race.  I decided that as long as i didn't walk it was a win regardless of how long it took.

Whitley 10k Route

Whitley 10k is an annual event actually organised by the people of Whitley Village, which is just outside of Warrington near Antrobus. Organisation was really great.  Number and chip pickup was very quick, marshals were lovely and supportive and great water station at 6k.  Although it's a similar price to a club race, at £13 for affiliated runners and £15 for none, it attracts runners of all abilities and times ranged from 30:33 (A new course record I think from Daniel Cliffe.  I've seen him running on the track and he is crazy fast and he won our 10k last year with a really big lead) to 1:41.  Over 50 runners were over the hour so you don't need to worry about being too slow.

Whitley 10k Elevation

The race is part of the Warrington Road runner's championship so there's generally a turnout with 18 members running.  there was also a few warrington Running club too, it's not often that my first claim outnumber my second claim club but the marjoity were off running Manchester Marathon.  Whitley is ran on country lanes (that could do with a resurface if I'm honest) and is certainly not flat.  I was a bit scared after looking at the elevationj chart before the race because the hill around four and a half miles looked quite brutal.  In actuality though it wasn't that bad, every uphill has a downhill pretty much straight after and so i think knowing the course can be a good advantage.  The uphills can make you lose motivation a bit, I know I was ready to give up a few times because you can't see where the hills end.  Yet every time I'd get close to walking I'd come across a downhill that would keep me going.  I think if I knew that these were coming then I wouldn't have slowed down so much on the uphills. If I'm running it next year (I want to do London Marathon and Manchester Relay so it all depends on when those two events fall) then I think I'll go and have a practise run. 

It's actually a pretty nice course once you look at it objectively after and a lot of people do get pb's there so I think it's a fast course (if you haven't just ran a marathon.  Bryan even got a pb the week before his marathon, crazy man!  I actually ran a lot faster than I thought I had.  I lost it a little in mile 5 and slowed down quite a bit on the uphill but for the last half a mile i was running 8:30/mm.  Maybe if I hadn't started so fast in the fist mile it would have been easier but I didn't walk and I finished in 57:22 which isn't a bad time for me.  I've ran faster than it 3 times but they were all last year when i was training specifically for the shorter distance and wasn't distance building.  My average 10k speed over the past 12 months is 57:27 (if i exclude being the Wirral 1 hour pacer) so it's actually not that bad.  It's hard getting into that mind set that you have to be slower than you normally are and that you can't keep getting pb's when you're doing back to back races but hopefully by the time i get to the tour in July and then Dopey in January i'll be more used to it.

Whitley 10k Medal

Just a quick word about the medal.  Obviously, like parents, I have my favourites but i still like them all.  I have to say though that this is the first medal (And i've gotten 36 in the last 18 months) where the runners look like Planet of the Apes cast members running in 80's running apparel.  James even compared them to Daley Thompson.   It's certainly unique anyway so you gotta love it.

The provisional date for Whitley 10k next year is 24th April 2016  http://10k.whitleyvillage.org.uk/

Tour Training Update

Had a couple of bad days this week and couldn't run, even missed Track Thursday which is my favourite day of the week.   The result is that mileage has gone down a bit but that's probably a good idea after doing plus 50 miles in the last couple of weeks.  I'm pretty sure that Wrexham Half would had been a lot slower if I hadn't had a couple of days of rest.

My plan for the last couple of weeks in March have me doing 40ish miles each week with Timpell 20 and then Viper and Liverpool Half so it's probably not a bad idea to reduce the mileage down to 20 next week. After that then it's time to start the tapering for Brighton which is getting closer and closer.

Tour Training Update

I've had to give up on the challenge I was doing to run every day of lent. To be honest, I didn't actually know how long lent was when I signed up for it. Yes, in my head it was certainly longer than the 11 days I did but there's over a month left to go and it's just not mixing well with tour and marathon training. I'm in awe of people who can keep it going especially my little friend Kenny who has ran at least a 5k every day this year so far. 

I did 54 miles last week and slightly less the week before. After the Port Sunlight double yesterday my legs are screaming for a rest so am going to let them have one (until tomorrow). Am reducing mileage to 40 this week and no long runs other than Wrexham half this weekend. 

Lest week's mileage

Tour Training Update

I've been increasing my mileage and trying to do around 50 miles in a week every couple of weeks.  Hopefully this should get me ready for the Tour of Merseyside (Which in turn should help me complete Dopey).  I've ran 50 miles a week twice now and both weeks have ended with a race.  It's hard to get the idea out of your head that every race must be a pb and I struggled with disappointment a little bit at Mad Dog 10k, being surrounded by a mass of people who had just achieved their best time.   You have to spend the whole race telling yourself that you have to run again tomorrow and the next and the next and it certainly changes your mindset during the race.  Whilst I got a pb at Rhyl 10 yesterday and it was hard work, there's a part that you need to keep back for the next run and I'm think that's how you need to race when you have 6 races in 7 days.  When you look at it like that then it makes it easier to understand why the race times are not getting faster during training.

I think avoiding my pb races this year will make it easier.  I got my half pb at Liverpool Rock and Roll so I volunteered to be the 3 hour pacer this year so that I have no choice but to take it slow (Hopefully they won't run out of free beer :) ).

Miles will go down a bit for the next week, to around 35/40 with two back to back races at Port Sunlight and then the week after it's back to 50 again.  Need to start getting the long runs in because only six more weekends until Brighton argh!

This week's mileage