As I mentioned before, I decided not to run the Snowdonia Marathon, which, incidentally, is taking place in 2 days time, and now the date is drawing near, I of course wish that I was running it! I know I will be glued to the TV screens on Sunday night, watching the S4C highlights programme of the race on Sky. I also know that if the winning female time is no faster than my 3h13 from last year, I will be kicking myself and wishing I'd run! But I am learning that you cannot do it all and that a bit of moderation has to come into play if I want to have a long, healthy and injury free running career.
Kicking back a bit and cutting back the mileage has also shown to me that less really is more and that it is indeed quality and not quantity that counts. For the past 5 - 6 weeks I've only been running 20-30 miles a week, whereas previously 30 miles has always been a "bad" week and the absolute minimum mileage I would do. I have tried to make those 20-30 miles count though, by doing one track session a week, one long run a week - which, at no more than 10 miles is in fact just a medium run by my usual standards! - and either a tempo run around Killerton at the Saturday Parkrun or a race to round off with. In between running days I have been swimming, cross-training in the gym, cycling into Exeter and back on a regular basis, and doing yoga once a week. I remain unconvinced by this latter's benefits - 7 weeks in and as yet I have not seen any noticeable improvements in my balance and/or core strength. I still wobble and topple over into an embarrassing heap, rather like Bambi trying to stand for the first time, when we do the balance work; meanwhile, all the middle-aged rather less athletic-looking women in the class are nailing these poses with a level of style and finesse that I could only aspire to... It's bloody embarrassing. As a child, my mother sent me - against my will, it must be said - to ballet, and I don't recall having any difficulties with posture and poise then. In fact, I think I whizzed through the grades with 'highly commended's; so why aren't I as flexible, balanced, poised and elegant as my 4 year old self? Humph. And as for the "relaxation" part: I find that bit hilarious! How can you relax under strobe lighting in a sports hall when the serenely melodic music is punctuated by the not-so-melodic grunting of old men playing tennis right behind the flimsy piece of curtain that is all that separates us?! I remain sceptical as to the merits of yoga as a lifestyle choice and, with the best will in the world, I will never be "Zen".
Although, jokes aside, I have been having a successful autumn season as far as racing is concerned, so maybe the yoga is doing something. Since the Guernsey Marathon wrapped at the end of August, I have competed in five races; four 10ks and one 10.25 mile. Of those five, I have won four and come second at one. Not a bad tally I guess. I was just as pleased, if not more pleased, with my 2nd place, which was an all ladies event in Newton Abbot. I was up against some stuff competition at this race, which included Heather Fell, the silver medallist in the Olympic Modern Pentathlon from Beijing, 2008. It also featured the number 1 ranked vet 55 athlete in the UK over the 10k and half-marathon distance, Anne Luke. Age is clearly no barrier to this talented lady and I used her as my bench mark in the race, trying to hang onto her and sit on her shoulder for as long as I could. That turned out to be until 6k when she started to open up a slight gap that I could not close again. However, I finished just 13 seconds behind her, which is the closest I have ever got to her in race, which is progress! And yes, she may be 26 years my senior, but she is so phenomenal I just see her as tough competition and someone to aspire to. It also gives me hope that if I look after myself, I may still be running and competing in 26 years time, and, like Anne, I may then be giving the 29 year olds something to worry about!
I have also managed to set 2 new female course records in 2 of the 5 races. I have held course records before but only by default, in that I have won an inaugural race and so naturally, with no previous time on the course, my winning time has become the record. However, I have never before broken a pre-existing course record and, in the past few weeks, I've broken two! The first of these was at the Jurassic Coast 10k, where I took 10 seconds off the previous record that had stood since 2008. Then just this last Sunday I took 1 minute 27 seconds off the previous female course record at the Dartmoor Vale 10k. Both were nice surprises as I had no idea what the records were and attempting to break them was not on my agenda, so I only found out after the race. It really is a boost and a sign that things are going well and that I am moving forward with my running. So the past couple of months have told me that the theory that upping the miles does not equate to upping the speed and that superfluous junk mileage can in fact be detrimental to performance has some, er, mileage in it!
The one thing I did not manage to achieve this year, and which I was really going for at the Dartmoor Vale race, was a new 10k PB. So far this year I have set new PBs at the 5k, 10 mile, half-marathon and marathon distances; the only one that still eluded me was the 10k. I hadn't realised when I posted my 38:04 time at the Exeter 10k in August 2011 just what a bench mark I'd set for myself. I was in great form last August and all came good on the day and I remember that run feeling quite comfortable and so I thought it would only be a matter of time before I went under 38 minutes this year. A bad start to the year and problems with my achillies after it totally stiffened up on the long-haul flight back from the Maldives in January meant that I did not perform well at the First Chance 10k race a few days later (40:10 on the same course as my Exeter 10k PB, not good. I even managed to do 39:45 on that course in January 2011 when I had only been running for half a year, so this year was a real shocker).
I then targeted the Crewkerne 10k in May, when I was on excellent form at the height of my build up to the D.D., but I hadn't bargained for such a hilly course - the event even started with a 'King / Queen of the Hill' race-within-a-race, not a good opener for a PB attempt! I ran 40:18 which would most certainly have been worth 2-3 minutes on a flat course as the whole thing was so hilly.
Next came the Exeter 10k in August but this year, unlike the last event, I was not in good shape. It was just before Guernsey and my legs were trashed. I managed 38:48 and I think that was the best I could have hoped for considering how stiff and heavy my legs felt just warming up for it.
Next shot - the Ladies 10k. Late September, in good fitness, should be doable... er, no! Queue the most horrendous weather I've competed in this side of Snowdonia and the driving rain and gale force winds, coupled with the undulating course, did not make for PB friendly conditions. So time was running out, only one last attempt at a sub-38 minute clocking in 2012 and that was to be at this weekend's Dartmoor Vale race.
I went for it. I went out hard from the gun - 5.45m/m, maybe a bit too hard! - and was totally fired up. I had good competition there pushing me around - Jaine Swift of Erme Valley, who has beaten me in the last 2 races I've competed against her in - amongst others, were on my tails and the weather conditions were ideal. The only thing that wasn't ideal were the two small hills on the course. Nothing major, wouldn't even notice them on a training run or in a marathon, but when you are at your limits they can quickly break you. It's never a good sign when a bloke overtakes you on a hill and offers you a puff of his inhaler. I did try to explain in as few words as possible, between the wheezing, that I suffer from sports asthma and always sound like a dying steam-engine that needs to be retired and sold off for scrap, but he still looked concerned... My pace dropped to 6:20m/m on the two hills and that was enough to drop the overall average pace to just bellow my target. I crossed the line in 38:10: an agonising 6 seconds shy of my PB and just 11 seconds short of a sub-38. So, not to be for 2012, but it gives me a goal for 2013 and an incentive to keep the hill, track and speed work up over winter!
So, here is a summary of my racing achievements in September and October:
9th September: The Force 10k @ Powderham Castle. 1st lady, 11th overall in 39:32.
15th September: Jurassic Coast 10k. 1st lady, 8th overall and new female course record in 40:26.
24th Septmber: Newton Abbot Ladies 10k. 2nd lady, 2nd overall in 39:22.
7th October: Teign Valley Toddle 10.25 miles. 1st lady, 6th overall in 1:08:49.
21st October: Dartmoor Vale 10k. 1st lady, 11th overall and new female course record in 38:10.
And now for some piccies!
With some fellow Harriers at the Powderham Castle 10k.
Budleigh Salterton: the stunning setting for the Jurassic Coast 10k. If you look closely you can see us runners as distant specks making our way up the cliff path!
Finishing the Jurassic Coast 10k and setting a new female course record!
Leading out the Newton Abbot Ladies 10k on a wet and blustery day!
At the half way point, crossing over the River Teign, in the Teign Valley Toddle 10.25 mile.
Ann Widdecombe gets us under way at the Dartmoor Vale 10k.
With Cathy and Berihu after the Dartmoor Vale 10k. Berihu won and set a new male course record of 33:30. I won the female race and set a new female course record of 38:10. Cathy was 1st Vet 50 and 4th female overall! A good day at the Harriers office!
Receiving my prize from Widders! She was a great sport, presented all the medals and prizes chatted to everybody!
