Great South Run 2013

Well, yesterday was the Great South Run.

For those of you not living in the UK we were also forecast to have one of the worst storms in this area since 1987 so I think it is fair to say that I was watching the forecast with interest !

The Great South Run is 10 miles and is meant to be the flattest 10 mile race of its kind and yes, it certainly was flat !

I have to say the organisation was brilliant from start to finish. With winds gusting up to 40mph along the seafront I knew that the last two miles would be hard work and I'm not sure if it was comforting or not to hear it announced over the tannoy system that this was a race of 3 parts.... the first part would be in to wind, the middle part would be quite sheltered but from mile 8 it would be hard work !

This only confirmed what I already knew having looked at the weather and race route before I started so rather than running a steady pace for the whole 10 miles I thought I needed to have some "spare" time that I could use if I slowed down in the last two miles..... I know from training runs that I have down that running straight in to wind like this can slow me down my up to 1 minute a mile. This may not sound like much but when I was planning on running 9 min/miles this is actually over a 10% difference.... So, somewhere along the line I needed to make up 2 minutes or about 15 seconds a mile for the first 8 miles. If you don't run this doesn't sound much.... but it can feel harder than you think !

I also met a lovely chap from Pompey Joggers at the start who was acting as the 1:30 pace maker... I didn't realise there would be pacers until this point ! I had a chat with him and his plan was to start a bit slow to let the crowd spread out, increase the pace over the middle section to allow for the wind at the end so I decided to start with that I would stick with him. I still wasn't sure that I would be able to maintain the pace though....

As we got going you have the dreaded walk to the start line... the bit when you know the race has started but the sheer volume of people means that you aren't going anywhere !

As always before the start of a race I can never decide what to wear. I always get cold at the start and I always get really hot when I'm running ! On the walk from the car park I had been wearing a t-shirt-hoodie and jacket and that felt about right but I knew running I wouldn't need this amount so I opted for my club running vest and capri bottoms.... with  a very stylish black bin liner to wear over the top to try and keep me a bit warmer before the start !

I'm glad I didn't wear any more and to be honest I was wishing I had worn shorts. Despite the wind the temperature was actually quite warm for the time of year !

About mile 3 or 4 I over took the 1:30 pacer and kept in front of him until the last mile. when he caught up with me he did chat to see how I was getting on and reassure me that I would be in my target time. It is surprising how much a few words from a stranger can spur you on in a difficult stretch of a race.

So, I crossed the line in 1:28:36 well within the 1:30 target that I had been aiming for. My garmin data is shown below. I was surprised I didn't slow down more in the last two miles in to wind and I could see where the water stops were on the way round because drinking does cost me a few more seconds.

All in all a good day :)

Last League Race.....

Well, Sunday was the last Fun Run League race of the year.... I decided to run the 5 miles over the Downs to the race, run the race.... and then run home again to make sure that I get a good long run in.

I did have the option of a lift home lined up just in case the weather turned particularly bad or I just felt too tired but I didn't race flat out and felt good for the run home. One of the other members of our Tuesday night running group also ran home with us and it is surprising how quickly the time and miles go when you chat !

I'm not sure how much running I will do this week, I have the Great South Run on Sunday so I should be taking it a bit easy...... But I also know I haven't done the training I had planned (man-flu) so I may very well not achieve my target time so I may train a bit harder this week so I am in a better place for my next half marathon.

Anyway, this is a photo of me at the finish of Sundays race, I did have enough left for a sprint finish !

 

West Sussex Fun Run League....

Last weekend saw me running around Hickstead Racecourse in the pouring rain..... This was all in aid of helping the club gain some points in the West Sussex Fun Run League.

As well as gaining points for the club Steyning AC also runs it's own handicap system for these races and in the ones I have managed to get to this year I have come first in all but one of them and in the last race I beat my predicted handicap time by four and a half minutes ! The slightly worrying thing is that to keep this going I just have to get faster and faster.....

I know every runner says this but I just haven't done as much training as I wanted to over the last few weeks. I've had a bout of "man-flu" ( or a bad cold to most women ;) ) so my mileage has slipped a bit but it does seem as though the training I have done has paid off.

At last weekends race we had some of our Tuesday night runners; at each race we are persuading 4 or 5 of the new runners to take part and the feedback so far has been great. There is something about the feeling you get when you cross a finish line that just can't be beaten !

This weekend is the last race of the leagues season. A very hilly 5 miles across the South Downs from Lancing. The plan at the moment is that I'm going to run there and back adding another 5 miles each way to make up the distance I need to be doing for my long run. It does depend a bit on the weather and quite how knackered I feel after the race (I can always hitch a lift home with someone) but I really want to try and improve on my 1:59 half marathon PB in November...... time will tell all I can do is my best on the day :)

Anyway, I can't add a post without a photo; this is one of the sunsets we have been having recently..... this is why I run.

All change !

Well, the nights are getting darker so I'm back road running. I have
hardly done any road running all summer and it did feel a bit
strange....

This blog is also going to be changing and moving... I want to use it
for some of my landscape photography as well as my running because the
two are quite closely linked; so watch this space ! This should also
mean a few more regular updates...

Sent from my iPhone

It's starting to feel a bit like Autumn....

I managed to get out for a lovely 11 mile run with Millie yesterday in spite of having a sore throat and streaming nose.... I took it gently, stopped to chat to dog walkers and take a few photographs.

It is definitely starting to look a bit like Autumn, the blackberries are ripening and most of the harvesting has been done around here although the fields haven't yet been ploughed. It was quite nice to find that the bull had been moved from the field he was in last week. I always feel a bit nervous running through there when I know he is about !

This is the longest run so far that Millie has done with me and judging by her behaviour for the rest of the day it didn't tire her out.... I have gradually been increasing the distance that she runs with me. She always tears on ahead and waits for me with a look on her face that seems to say "come on, what's keeping you !" Sometimes she picks up the scent of something and goes to investigate but doesn't stray far... she then races along to overtake me again.

I'm not sure how far she would run; I know the working cocker spaniels can be outside running around all day so I guess her breeding gives her quite a bit of stamina.

I never get tired of the views around here and often stop at the same spots to take photographs. Every day it looks a bit different influenced by the time of year, weather and time of day.... This is a photograph of my favourite bit of the run yesterday, it really does feel as though you are running on top of the world...

Where is the year going ?

I guess the title says it all really ! This year is flying past and finding time for everything seems a bit tricky at times :)

We now have puppy number two; another Cockapoo called Honey. It will be another couple of months before she comes out running with me :)

I have been out enjoying this beautiful weather. After training during one of the worst winters we have seen it is wonderful to be out running in shorts and vest top and planning runs for when it won't be too hot...

I have also shed a few more pounds over the summer and I'm now at a weight that I'm comfortable with. In the last three and a bit years of running I have gone from size 14 clothes being too tight to size 8 fitting very well... I have also lost about 25% of my body weight.

What is different this time compared to all the other times that I have lost weight is that it has taken me a long time to achieve this. There have been no fad diets, just a change in my eating habits and regular running. I'm drinking far less than I ever have and eating far more fruit and veg than ever. So yes, this time I am quietly confident that the weight loss will be permanent.

With the training I am doing with UK Athletics for my full coaching qualifications I am learning far more about diet, metabolism and the human body than ever and I am finding this fascinating. As part of my training I will be coaching individuals to help them achieve their goals, something that I find very rewarding :)

On a personal note I still have a few races left to run this year. I have been managing to beat my personal best course times on almost every race I have run this year; the exceptions being when I have run with someone else to support them....

I know Christmas will be here before I know it, then it will be back to marathon training for the spring.

In the meantime I'm getting out running and enjoying views like this :)

Time goes so fast....

Well, time is certainly whizzing past..... This is one of our busiest times of years work wise so other things (like this blog) start to slip a bit...

Some good news though ! I will be doing my Coach in Running Fitness course in November :) I think it is fair to say I'm looking forward to it as well as being a bit apprehensive all at the same time. I find the mechanics and science behind running fascinating and I'm looking forward to learning more about it all.

The Steyning beginners group is going from strength to strength. Considering we started in April with one person we now have over 20 ! On the 18th August some of the beginners will be taking part in their first fun run league race, I hope the weather is good but not too hot, it will be great to get them out running these races regularly :)

I've left the best to last..... On Monday I collected our new puppy, Honey. She is another Cockapoo from the same breeder as Millie. I had forgotten how tiny puppies are, and how load they can be at night for the first few nights...

It will be a few months before she comes out running with us, I'm taking Millie out running on her own at the moment (she is up to about 10 miles on a long run) and has learnt a few commands like "left" and "right" so I can tell her which way to go.... She still runs on ahead up the hills and waits for me to catch up !

Anyway, this is Honey :)