Grindleford Gallop and things achilles

So 5 weeks today till the marathon.
Have to say if it wasn't for my achilles I would be in quiet good nick - as it is I am a bit slower and hobble a lot!
So this week was semi easy. After Silverstone on Sunday - which I have to say felt harder than Wokingham - it was rest day Monday, swiftly followed by physio assessment on Tuesday. Diagnosis is tendonitis so now signed up for a series of treatments to hold it together. No discussion of not running - more about how to help it through. It deal feel improved after the treatment so a couple of easy 4 milers to check it out prior to the weekend.
So to Grindleford Gallop - a small village in the Derbyshire peaks, where the run is organised to support the local primary school. Introduced to it by a couple guys from work who entered it last year as well. The weather was very kind with low winds and sunshine over some great views of the countryside and Chatsworth House. I can clearly see why it is called the Peak District! Course starts in a valley then climbs up and down, and up and down and then up and down again - with the ups getting progressively longer and steeper, the last at mile 16 being the longest by some way. I always saw this as a training run so the plan was always to "fast" walk the ups and then run the flats and downs - which seemed to work. The other guys were races for a time so they took off after the first 5 and suited me fine as I occasionally stretch.
Have to say it was a really well organised event and  the people were all really friendly. Ran parts with a local and then a tri-athlete from Sheffield. A beautiful part of the country I have never seen before - so really glad I did it - and great time on my feet. There four hour + drive back wasn't so great but hey..... all good overall.
So now this week in for two physio sessions either side of a trip to Paris and then an 18 miler for Sunday. Training plan has this 18 then the following week a 21 and then two weeks of tapering into London (with 15 and a 12 respectively).

Running or flying...?

If you run long enough, you reach a certain point, a certain distance, a certain time.. when you forget about every aching joint, throbbing muscle, and chafing blister. You forget about catching your breath, or how tired you are. You then begin to move without thinking, like your legs have a mind of their own. Then you aren't running anymore, you're flying.

Silverstone Half

Bit of a gap in updates but back with race day information.

Last couple of weeks have been dogged with on going achilles issues, keep thinking it is healing and then next day limping again. Still it hurts less when I run than if I walk - looking for the positive - more incentive to keep running !

So today was the Silverstone Half, so after the successes of Wokingham a few weeks ago I turned up..... pretty battered and not in great shape. Another brutal gym session (note to self, two days after is the worse so don't make that a race day!!! Doh!) so drove up this morning and my legs were feeling sore and empty, and they were in the best shape of all of me! Oops...

So this is the second time for this race for me so a good test.... 10,000 runners. I arrived and it was cloudy, overcast and FREEEEEEZING! with a good wind to drop another couple of degrees off. The race start was delayed by 10 minutes due to traffic congestion holding people up - which meant getting even colder at the start line. BUT just as we started to bunch up to cross the start line .... the sun came out. :o)

But I have to say it was madness at the start. The number of people crossing the start shout come on let's go for it and then charging off at break neck speed. Did my best to try and stay at my steady slow speed.... didn't quiet make it so went faster than planned for first 6 miles (by about a minute a mile!). Achilles was tight and sore from the very start so mind games were order of play again.

I seem to have better concentration this year and even when I was struggling I just held it together, relaxed and took a smooth line (not the darting to get ahead of people I did last year).

So what can I say - consistent speed. Within 44 seconds of the target I set myself. 7 seconds faster than last year. Massively more consistent run. And off to book some physic tomorrow to try and fix my leg! :o)

Next week is the Grindleford Gallop - 21 miles of fells near Sheffield. The tests are coming fast now! and less than six weeks  to London...

Wokingham Half Marathon

This marked the formal start of my second year on running races (ever) so it was always going to be a challenge to see how I performed against last year. I have been struggling the past few weeks with a strained achilles tendon (gained through the only swimming session in ages!).
In fact since the race I can hardly walk due to the my ankle being swollen and sore but hey.. funny thing is I can run with it but can't walk!!! Go figure!!
So in training I have been going v slow and had to cut intervals so I wasn't sure what to expect.

But what a great day - it was wet and windy but that made no difference. I went out and didn't get carried away like last year - held a steady pace, even dropped in behind some slower runners to hold me back in the early stages. I felt strong and in control - compared to last year when I went off hard and by mile 10 I was blowing out my behind and ended in v poor shape.
Should also note a fairly brutal gym session on Saturday meant I couldn't lift my arms on Sunday so no salute at the end.... !
So I was 3 minutes faster than last time but was steady throughout - could have gone faster at the end but held back and even ran pace for a guy who was struggling a bit in the last half mile. So a few people went by me in the first mile but I moved through them over the next 12 so wasn't passed nearly as much as before.
Other indicators of improvement - could hold a telephone conversation with Selina at about mile 9 - trying to meet up - that even surprised her that I could even talk!!!
I also made changes on the technology front - so I ran with only one ear piece plugged in. This was I get music and pace checks whilst also being able to judge my effort levels compared to others (the heavy breathing test as it will now be known as! good news was that other were working harder than I was)
My last note was on the mental side of the run (yes I agree I must be mad anyway!) I had listened an interview with the World Ironman Kona champ Chris McCormack in the week before (http://www.imtalk.com/ - end of year review) and I have to say it was inspring - just the way he thinks through races, assessing how he is doing, what is going on around him and most important looking for the positives to help rather than slow him. Now clearly I am not drawing parrallels with what must be the fitness guy in the worldest hardest sport but just to take some strength from some of his techniques really worked. So I thank him for that....
So now back to training - hopefully now the swelling is down I will be back to plan, got a 20 mile LSD (long slow distance) to knock over on Sunday.
It's three weeks to Silverstone Half for the next test, with the Grindleford Gallop the week after .... 8 weeks till London. I hope I can maintain momentum. 

Weekly summary

This weeks summary:4.5, 9.3, 4.5, 3.1, 14.86 = 36 miles over 6 runs. Also included slightly less kill gym session (just because the trainer was laughing so much about how broken I was after the week before!) and an excellent run in the Wokingham Half Marathon which was way better, more consistent and more fun that I had expected (or was that the pub lunch that followed!). Next week off to run in Moscow and Valencia.

More on wokingham in the next update... :o)

Battered ....

So PT session at the gym.... OMG Really over did it! Last night could only manage 3 of 5 and today 13 of 15... very poor speed as well.

So things feeling like they are going backwards... and Wokingham coming up next weekend ...  the timing couldn't be better! NOT! :(

Good News - The achilles feels like it has reacted positively to treatment - Bad News the rest of me is in bits .... think this is going to be an interesting week.... Need to build confidence as well as speed - both sadly lacking today.

One final note Nike+ GPS hmmm - how can you bring out a later app than the one pre installed and yet it is less user friendly - makes no sense to me!  Sort it out Nike! 

balancing act.... trying to get to the start line

So achilles been a bit of a problem... although it has been said (several times) that running 18 miles probably wasn't the best therapy! oh well.

A couple of slow days and moved the schedule around so will still run 5 times :o)

Another note to self - pay attention to the dates of events! So it is just over a week till Wokingham half, then only 3 weeks to Silverstone and Grindleford the week after ! Ooo

Have made decision for the rest of the year - half m's only. So have put my name on the list for the London Royal Parks half in October to come after the Windsor in September. Maybe Nottingham half ...maybe not :o)