Ups and Downs and Progress

 You can tell it's new year by the number of runners out on the streets. I think a lot of it is the new year new me so many people resolve. I certainly think I'll avoid the gyms for the first few weeks of 2023.

London 2023 is THIS YEAR!  Good luck everyone.

The Down bit

When writing my last post before Christmas I was pretty down about my condition. I had to pull out of the Wilmslow festive 10K due to a back injury that was failing to recover and my day-to-day running was virtually on hold due to a horrendous cold followed by a lingering violent cough that took me out for a couple of weeks. I had a go at getting going again with an easy gym treadmill session which seemed to go quite well but left me the following day drained with very sore calves showing that I really haven't been ready for it.

With Christmas in the middle and family coming to stay I had expected to hardly get any runs in at all but in the event there were a couple of gaps in activities that enabled me to get out on the roads. I was on easy walk/runs which went well but my chest was still horrendous and breathing very poor.

The Up bit

In the event, recovery was surprisingly fast. I managed the Christmas Eve Santa parkrun, slow for me but I did get round without a significant walk break. After Christmas, I managed a couple on longer (40-50min) run-walks moving up from 4+2 to 8+2 and by Saturday I managed my first planned continuous run of 40 minute. Back on Plan!  It is amazing how once the illness passes, body and brain remember how to do it and everything accelerates.

Milestones

So since my previous post, here's a list of things that I've achieved:

• I am into my 16 week training plan (early)
• For the first time in months I am able to do a hamstring stretch with no back pain
• I've completed a run over 10k first time since October 2022
• I've done my fastest 5k for quite a while
• I've moved on from walk/run combinations to running
• Completed my first run over 1h 20m since I did my 65th birthday half marathon five years ago
• Retuned to parkrun - my 25th
• Done my local parkrun running 2.3k each way from home to the event and back again, which I've intended doing for years
• Started to experiment with the gels as runs extend for longer time
• Managed to get my Achilles to a point where it seems to be under control - a mix of support, stretches and not pushing it too hard.

Follow me on Instagram @ged70marathon

A Quick 10Km

A little over a week before the Knutsford 10K I did my last long run at 8.3Km. Still being cautious of injury, I completed it with alternate run 8 min, walk 2 min. This was to be my last run before the race; in my early running I felt I should train right up to the day but nowadays, I know my body performs best with a rest week between my last long run and race day.

10 years ago I felt a need for massive preparation before the race. I would "carb' up" for two days, no alcohol and early to bed. I have learned that for me, this is unnecessary and I now have my traditional Saturday night Chinese takeaway, though I do avoid over indulging on the wine and don't start watching something on TV that will take me past midnight, but that's about it. 

Before bed, I pin my number to my vest, charge my watch and phone and lay everything out.

Race Day

I enjoy porridge and sultanas for breakfast on race day; I find it settles my nervous stomach nicely as well as putting fuel in the tank.

Arriving at the venue I will eat a banana - slowly!, swig some water and do my stretches. Then a gentle jog around to loosen up and shake off any nerves.

Not aiming for any particular time and expecting to inject some walks, I found the 1h 10m pacer and slotted into the crowd; However I quickly concluded that most around me hadn't run a 10K before and knowing how congested the start gets, I moved in front of the pacer to the back of the 67.5 min group.

It was a stunning sunny morning heading into the beautiful lanes of Cheshire near Jodrell Bank and I quickly found myself in a very comfortable stride and breathing really well. By the 3rd Km, I was moving through the pace group and was close to the 65 min pacer. Tempting to head on past but I decided to hold back until at least the 4Km marker. I very easily get carried away when it's going well but know I need to keep something in reserve. It is always noticeable how later in the course you find yourself passing many of the runners who disappeared in front of you at the start.

Later, I was closing on the 62.5 min pacer and was tempted but knew that I was asking for trouble if I did, after all, this is about a marathon next year, not a time today.  

Pacers and Time

Following a pacer from start to end of the race, you should be close to that time on chip timing; However something that took me a while to work out is that moving between pacers doesn't set you to that new time. I you go forward, your time will be lower than the pacer as their chip start time was earlier than yours. Similarly, if you move back, the pacer near you started later than you so your time will be longer than theirs.

I started close to 67.5 min pacer and finished behind the 62.5 pacer with a time of 1:01:40. (61.67 min) 

Absolutely delighted with my time and ran the whole race without any walk breaks - and no injuries!

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A False Start

Well, that didn't start well!

Sunday 1st May I ran the Alderley Edge Bypass 10km and it went really well.  I had intended walk/run intervals but in the event ran the whole distance and finished in a very pleasing 1:00:37.

All my training is done alone but I got talking to another runner who was on her first 10km and ended up pacing her to the finish and helping her meet her target time which she was delighted with. It was a good exercise for me as it is the first time I have tried to hold a conversation whilst running and I was very pleased with my breathing control.

I say I paced her to the end but actually I probably ran a better race for it myself because I was being very positive and steady for her and it worked for me.

The following Thursday, I did my back in; an old injury which has plagued me for many years.

So this morning was my first run for 6 weeks. 3.2km with intervals walking 2mn and running 4mn. Lungs seem to have forgotten how to process oxygen, I have some pain in my right knee and my right Achilles is complaining.  But my back seems ok.

It'll get better, onward and upward!