Coming up short...

Since badly injuring my achillies in February, I have been forced to revisit all my goals for 2013. The 'biggie' that I was building up for was London Marathon in April: that was the first major event to go flying out of the window. I had also secured myself a place at the Edinburgh Marathon as a back-up to London, in case I got ill on the day, didn't quite get the time I wanted, needed a another crack at it etc. That went too. I had also secured free entries for the Guernsey Marathon (that took place last weekend, 22nd September) and the Bournemouth Marathon (6th October); inevitably, these have had to be shelved too. All the key build-up events I had scheduled in to lead up to these marathons, such as the Duchy 20, the Yeovil Half Marathon, the Torbay Half, the 20 mile RAT race, have all been knocked on the head too. I just haven't been able to do the mileage that I used to churn out in my sleep and so long distance events have simply not been achievable goals this year. It's been a frustrating year in that sense; however, I like to think of myself as a positive person and to prevent myself from going mad whilst I've been injured, I have re-evaluated all my plans for this year in order to extract some positive experiences and gains from what has otherwise been a pretty appalling year on the running performance front.

My usual ethos is: the longer, the better! I definitely feel that my strengths lie in the longer distances as I have a stubborn, bloody-minded attitude and an uncanny ability to block out pain, both of which are somewhat essential traits in order to succeed at endurance events. The title of my blog alone is a bit of a giveaway that my heart very much lies in marathon and ultra running and I like to think any chances I have of being up there with the country's top athletes will be at these races and not over more traditional track distances. That said, this year I have embraced the unexpected opportunity to really attack some shorter distances and this has generated some pleasantly surprising results. My 5k PB (18:15) in June, run on an already mashed up tendon, gives me an indication that without an injury and with a solid block of training behind me, a sub 18 minute time is very much within my grasp next season. This Sunday, instead of being where I really wanted to be - toeing the start line of the Guernsey Marathon in St. Peter Port - I was at a very different kind of race.

Honiton Running Club organise an annual event called the Cotleigh Canters, at the quaint little village of Cotleigh in East Devon. There are 10k and 5k options on offer and a 3k fun-run for the kids. Not wanting to do any more running on tarmac than I have to at the moment, I opted for the 5k: again, a sign of how things have changed this year, as before I wouldn't have even contemplated lacing up my trainers for anything shorter than 6 miles - I just didn't see the point! The 5k is advertised as a race and not a fun-run, but nevertheless, amongst the usual smattering of senior and veteran runners, there was a large proportion of teenagers on the startline... Well, I say on the "startline", but they were actually stood a good few yards in front of the line and edging further forward with each passing second until the starter finally blew the horn to get us underway. It was lovely to see so much enthusiasm for the sport from all these youngsters and it's a promising sign for the future! From my experiences at Parkrun, the teenage runners tend to go off like bats out of hell at the start as if they are running a 400m race. They have enthusiasm and confidence in abundance and seem assured that they can keep up their suicidal pace for the whole 5k! Within the space of 100m, I found myself languishing back in about 20th place and feeling as though I was crawling, yet a glance at my watch revealed that I was in fact running bang on 6m/m pace. No problem, I thought, let them go; I'll reel 'em back in on the hill! And sure enough, as we turned the first corner and started to climb the 1km long hill, I slowly worked my way up through the field. It took me until 3.5km to draw level with the leading man - in fact a 16 year old! - but once I did I surged past and thought: I could win a race outright here! I wasn't about to pass up this opportunity and so, after a conservative opening mile of 6:45 up the hill, my next miles were done in 5:55 and 5:40 and I felt stronger and stronger as I pushed on for the finish. If the shout I overheard as I rounded the corner to the finish line of, "Oh my God! It's a woman!", was anything to go by, I think people were as surprised as I was that a female had won the race outright. (Either that or I badly need to consider a course of HRT...). However, I'm not going to get too carried away, as most of my competition were teenage boys and not senior males: I'll have to try and beat them next time!! ;-)

Battling it out for 1st overall at the 4k mark.

The win was a massive confidence boost though and my time of 19:01 on a course with a 1km long hill on it wasn't too shabby. The president of the running club who awarded the prizes was lovely and offered me the celebration cake they had had made for the event as an extra prize for beating the female course record and for being the first female in the history of their club races to win a race overall. The cake is massive and, 5 days on, we're not even half way through it yet!

Thanks for the yummy cake, Honiton RC!

Talking of coming up short; on Tuesday this week, I had a go at my first ever 3000m race. In fact, it was only my second ever track race in total, after the 5000m I ran at the Devon County Championships back in May. It was the last Exeter Harriers Open Meeting of the season and so a good opportunity to try out this distance and record a time before the end of the season. I used to think of 5ks as an out and out sprint and so this would have been a distance I would never have entertained this time last year. However, I think that doing lots of shorter stuff has rejigged my brain into thinking that 5k is a half decent distance; 10k is quite long; 10 miles is an uncomfortable slog and anything over that is simply beyond contemplation at the moment! In reality, 3k is not far - just under 2 miles - but thinking of it as 7.5 laps of the track built it up to be something bigger in my head and led me to go out too cautiously. I was aiming for a time of around 10:40, which would be around 1:25 laps, but I fell quite some way short of this target. I was hitting the 'lap' button on my Garmin at the end of each 400m circuit, but, in the darkness, with the flood lights casting shadows in awkward places, I was unable to actually read what my watch said and virtually found myself running blind!

My 3000m debut was nearly brought to a dramatic and comedic end at one stage as there was this small but not insignificant incident involving a super-market trolley! What's a trolley doing on the track, you ask? You make a valid point! Basically, the starter carries his starting gun and equipment around in it and pushes it from place to place. He had evidently not seen me coming at the end of lap 3 as I was isolated between a group of fast guys way out in front and some other runners who were some way behind me. As I passed the finish line and looked up, to my shock I found him and his trolley occupying lane one: he had already started out to cross the track. An official ran in from the far side to try and push him back and so the man threw the trolley into reverse and beat a retreat off the track as I simultaneously swerved to avoid crashing into the side of it! Lap 4 was my then my slowest of all: not because of the very minor detour - that cost me nothing time-wise and I wasn't remotely bothered by it - but because the incident just tickled my sense of humour and my legs started turning to jelly as I struggled for 100m to suppress laughter. I could just picture the results: Sutcliffe, Ellie: DNF (untimely end to race due to collision with super-market trolley). I'm sure Mo Farah has never encountered this problem! It also gives a whole new meaning to the expression 'to get trolleyed'!! Jokes aside, it wasn't my best performance: 10:56 in the end, and some way short of my 10:40 target. However, my last km was easily the fastest of the 3 and so I know now I need to attack the race harder from the gun next time and visualise it as a 2 mile point-to-point race instead of 7.5 laps, which, psychologically, makes it seem much longer!

With fellow Harriers Adam, Rich and Mike, looking shiny and sweaty after our 3000m efforts!

I have no races on the horizon until the on 13th October. I was recently contacted by the organisers of the Great West Run (the South West's equivalent of the Great North) and offered a free "VIP" race entry: don't be alarmed - we're not talking VIP on the same scale as the VIP runners at the Great North here!! Much as I am flattered to have been asked and hate to turn down opportunities such as this, realistically, I am just not ready to do justice to a road half marathon yet. Yes, I could get round, probably under 1h30, but if I am being treated as an elite runner, I'd want to put in a performance that is worthy of that treatment, and I couldn't do that over this distance at the moment. So I think it will be the first round of the Westward League cross-country for me that day instead!

Between now and then it's a case of cramming in a few weeks of decent training. I have secured a place in the Grizzly ballot for March next year and that is going to be my target, so to be on that start line in competitive shape and to have a chance at placing in what is one of the toughest races in the South West, I need to be starting to build up towards it now. This means a winter full of off-road runs, hill reps, long intervals and steadily increasing the mileage: if 2013 was about coming up short, in 2014 I'll be in it for the long-haul.

Turning over a new Autumn leaf

As I write this, September is well underway and the past few mornings have had a distinctly autumnal feel to them. Upon leaving the house in the morning, the air feels crisp and cool and the first leaves are beginning to flutter down from the trees. I am using this new season to have a fresh start with my running. I have always enjoyed autumn from a running point of view; it seems to be riddled with lovely off-road trail races, made all the more pleasant by the cooler but not cold temperatures and the crunchy autumn leaves underfoot. I have also had better luck on the injury front in autumn and I am hoping that that is going to be the case this year.

Since my last post I have now had a course of three ESWT treatments at the R D & E hospital in Exeter. ESWT stands for Extra-corporeal Shock Wave Therapy and it is a non-invasive procedure that bombards the tendon with high pressure blasts of air, creating shock waves throughout the effected area, that work to break down scar tissue and boost blood flow and thus rejuvenate the damaged parts of the tendon. I was dubious that this treatment was to be the ultimate panacea of a cure that the doctor made it out to be but I can definitely notice marked improvements since the last dose, which I received 2 weeks ago. There has been no swelling in the tendon since then and very limited stiffness on waking in the morning. I have also managed a few races, including a 10k on tarmac, which was a real test, with no ill after-effects. It's hard to know whether or not this is because the injury was already healing anyway or whether the treatment has boosted and accelerated the healing process. Either way, it's feeling much better, and long may it continue!

I have had some pleasing results in the few races I have entered recently, managing to come in as first lady in each of the last 5 races I have done. After tempo-running, rather than racing, the Harrogate 10k in Yorkshire, I have had wins at the Holyhead Breakwater 5 mile race on Angelsey, North Wales; at the Totnes 10k multi-terrain race in South Devon; at the Roseland August Trail (RAT) 11 mile race in Cornwall; at the Torbay Regatta 10k road race in Torquay and, last weekend, at the Powderham Castle 10k multi-terrain race, just across the Exe estuary. The biggest surprise was that in the Totnes, RAT and Powderham races, I managed to beat my times from the same events on the same courses from last year. This was a real positive boost as it shows me that despite all of my injury problems and my lack of training miles this year, I am actually fitter than I was last year and my basic leg-turnover speed is faster. Being diligent with the cross-training whilst I've been unable to run has definitely helped to keep my fitness levels up and the break from running and pounding out the miles has clearly breathed life into my legs. The RAT was the biggest shock as, at 11 miles, it was the longest run that I had tackled since my injury in February. I was nervous as to whether I would even be able to get around without aggravating my achillies and so I have no idea how I not only managed to beat my time from last year, but beat it by 10 whole minutes! From somewhere, I found an extra minute of speed per mile, and it all felt very comfortable on the day. To be fair though, I didn't feel brilliant during the race last year and I ended up keeling over in an embarrassing heap at the end of it, which is the only time I have ever done this after a race, so that won't have helped my cause last year!

Holyhead breakwater 5 mile race: approaching the 2.5 mile turnaround point

At the finish of the Totnes 10k (actually 6.5 miles). Pleased to improve my position from 2nd last year to 1st this, and my time by 2 minutes.

Running though Portmellon on the 11 mile RAT race

Receiving my unique and RAT themed trophy from Mimi Anderson - running guru extraordinaire and former aneroxia sufferer turned runner: what an inspiration!

A place I thought I'd never stand: on top of the podium at the Torbay Regatta 10k road race

Heading out on the Powderham Castle 10k race, where I finished 4th overall and 1st female in 39:15.

The Torbay Regatta race was not a scintillating performance, by any stretch of the imagination. It incorporates the Devon county championship race and has historically attracted a very high quality field. I have run it once before, in 2011, and, despite running under 40 minutes, my time was only good enough for 8th female on that occasion. This year, however, a glance around me on the start line did not reveal any major challengers or threats. Sometimes you get a visiting runner from outside the county that turns up unexpectedly and surprises you, but mostly now I know the other local ladies so well that you can usually have a good idea of your finish position before you even start running! I almost wished that I had no chance of placing as, with it being my first proper race on tarmac since the ill-fated Poole 10k, I was worried that my achillies would protest and so I would have liked an excuse to coast around and take it easy. No such luck! I found myself in the lead from the outset and from then on I felt under a certain obligation to hold onto it and not get overhauled. I did not enjoy this race in 2011. The course isn't the most inspiring and, as the other side of the road is still open to traffic and it's August bank holiday weekend, you end up running alongside coaches and touring buses the whole way and breathing in endless lungfuls of fumes. There's a large hill on it, that you tackle twice, and at the far end of the course, in Paignton, you have to run 2 laps of the Green before heading back. This year I was ticking along quite nicely on the stretch out to Paignton. I ran the first 3 miles in just over 38 minute pace and it didn't feel too uncomfortable... and then we hit the turn around point and it all went downhill. BANG! We turned into the most horrendous headwind. Why is it that when you have a tail wind, you never feel it, and yet the minute it's in your face it's like battling into a wind tunnel?! The turn point also coincided with the 5k marker and I think my body has gotten a little to used to running 5ks of late as it was clearly hankering after stopping then and there! A glance behind me revealed that I had a fairly decent gap on the next female, but I had now become isolated and was exposed into the wind. She was in a group of runners and so if she tucked it, it's feasible that she could claw her way back up to me. Despite feeling rubbish, I had to press on harder. Turning around to tackle the 2nd loop of Paignton Green was a real low point. I felt as though I had nothing left to give and should be on the last mile rather than only just after halfway, as my lungs were bursting. I did not enjoy any more of the race and it was just a case of trying to hang the hell on and get to the finish. A brief boost occurred at the end of the 2nd loop when I saw that I had extended my lead on the second lap, but my speed was dropping. In the end I crossed the line in 40:12. I came in as first lady but a glance back through the history of the race reveals that this is the slowest ever winning female time: not my proudest statistic! So although I won, I think it was a case of 'in it to win it': the faster ladies just weren't there on the day and so I struck lucky. When I placed 8th at this race 2 years ago, winning it, with it being the county championship race, would have been something beyond my wildest dreams, and so as I stood on top of the podium receiving my trophy, flowers and £60 of Argos vouchers (fab prize!), I savoured a moment that might not happen again... mainly because I bloody hate this race and don't think I can face doing it again!

Start of the Torbay Regatta 10k, in Torquay: not in my top ten favourite races!

In addition to these races, I have been enjoying putting in a weekly appearance at various parkruns. In addition to our local parkrun at Killerton, my boyfriend Matt and I have tried out a couple of others in the area. On our way to Cornwall for a holiday 2 weeks ago, we sampled the Plym Valley parkrun on route. This was a nice course which incorporates grassy meadows, canal tow paths, stoney tracks and a small section of tarmac lane. It's not the easiest of courses - I would say harder than Killerton - and so I was pleased to get under 20 minutes with 19:36. The week after, Matt, myself and Carly and Adam - our regular parkrunning buddies - trekked up to Montacute House in Yeovil for the inaugural parkrun there. This is a good old fashioned cross country style course, run entirely on grass around the pastureland of the house. It's not an easy course as the grass is long in places and the surface underneath is rutted, and so again I had to work hard to break 20 minutes but managed it with 19:37. As it was the first parkrun and I came in as first female, I have also bagged myself my first ever parkrun female course record! How long I can hold onto it for remains to be seen, but I've set a decent enough bench mark for others to now come and have a pot at!

4th overall, 1st lady and new course record at the inaugural Montacute parkrun.

Photo (c) Adrian Midgley.

Montacute parkrun: 19:37. Photo (c) Adrian Midgley.

And so, my plans for the autumn? Well, my main plan is to be sensible and try and stay injury free. With so many lovely races on at this time of the year, it would be easy to get carried away. I could easily race every weekend in the local area if I wanted but I am limiting myself to one race every fortnight and trying to stick to mainly off-road, trail races, which are the ones I really enjoy at this time of year. I would really love to do an autumn half marathon and there are so many coming up to choose from, but I think that is still a bit of an unrealistic target at the moment and one that could easily lead to re-injuring my achillies. My main aim for this season is to have a real go at the Westward League Cross-country. This requires committment as most of the races are quite far away - Redruth, Newquay and, my particular favourite, Westward Ho! - and it also requires me to be fit and sound: spikes aren't the most forgiving footwear for people with achillies and calf issues! The Westward League is very competitive and you really need to be in the peak of fitness to have any chance of doing well at it, so I will make a decision nearer the time on how my fitness and injuries are.

For the moment though, the biggest thing I am enjoying is being able to head out of the door on a decent length off-road run and not worry that I may end up having to walk back or phone to get picked up as my injuries are playing up. I have a slight niggle in my left foot at the moment that I tweeked 2 weeks ago on my first intervals session since May, on the Exmouth track, so I need to keep an eye on that and make sure it's not hanging around for too long, but other than that, I am able to run at a descent pace again, on any surface, which is something I will try not to take for granted again!!