On the Return!

I am so gutted at having to miss the Wilmslow Half Marathon a week and a half ago now.  It's one of my favourite races helped by the fact that I've run a pb there twice and the third time got within 3 seconds of my pb!  I haven't even been able to bring myself to look at the results yet!

I am starting to feel happier though as I started back with some slow and small amounts of running 12 days ago!  Starting out with lots of walking and 2 x 5 mins of running I've now built up to 3 x 10 mins of running with walking in between and little to no pain which is great.  I've been sensible and kept to running every 2-3 days so I always have 1-2 days in between where I'm not running to give my ankle/achilles a chance to recover.  I ran yesterday and today will be the first time of trying a run 1 day later!  

Doing extra cycling and swim training over the last 4 weeks has made me realise how I do miss triathlon training and I'm looking forward to the day I come back to the sport.  For now I still have goals I want to achieve with my running and I'm focussed on firstly getting back to running and not rushing myself and aiming for a good marathon towards the end of the year.  

Keeping Fit When Injured

For several months now I've been trying to run through a niggle but have now had to admit that its more than a niggle and I need to rest.  Its really frustrating because March held 3 races for me 2 of which were target races that I've been focusing my training around.

In a previous post I said how I'd turned my ankle a while back then I think this combined with doing cross country has gradually aggravated my achilles.  I've been having physio and combined with lots of stretching and icing I've continued to run.  In hindsight this has been the wrong thing to do and I'm kicking myself for not resting properly back in January.  At that point though I just thought it was a niggle and how many times do we get niggles that with a bit of stretching for a week or 2 we can just keep going and it eases off?  Every so often though we aren't so lucky and resting is the only option.

I have now had to miss the Bath Half Marathon last weekend, I'm missing Trafford 10k today (which I've had to turn down running for the North of England for) and its likely I will miss one of my favourite races -  Wilmslow Half Marathon in a couple of weeks.

Whilst I am sat here feeling a little bit sorry for myself as a lot of us do when things haven't gone the way we hoped, I'm going to try and find some positives!

Cycling doesn't have any impact on my ankle/achilles so I've now been out on my bike several times this week.  Luckily the weather has picked up a bit so its been a nice change to get out on the bike.  I've got back into swimming and enjoying it!  I have been swimming 1-2 times per week through the winter but just 30-40 mins and very steady and to be honest I find it boring.  Actually doing some swimming with a purpose and adding some efforts in has been good.  Next week I will start bringing in some aqua running (this means wearing a foam belt around my waist and running in deep water).  

Most of the time when we have an injury there is always some kind of cross training we can do.  Its frustrating at the time but on the return we are often stronger and have a renewed energy and passion.

Negative Splitting

Many of us watched Mo’s world 2 mile record at the weekend.  Did you notice his half way split though?  He went through 1 mile in 4.04 which had he maintained this he would have run 8.08 which would have been 4 seconds outside of the world record.  OK so Mo has a blistering last 400m when racing but had he gone through 1 mile in 4.01-4.02 would he have maintained this?  

When competing in a race where you are trying to get a fast time or personal best then aiming for a negative split is often the best way forward.  Starting out too fast and hanging on rarely works but building through really does.

It is very easy sometimes to get caught up in the moment at the beginning when you are feeling good.  All too often in a distance race though you get past half way and the wheels start to come off and you just gradually get slower and slower and that pb time just disappears.  I’ve been there myself many, many times and paid the price!

It is so important in longer races like a half or full marathon that you run within yourself to half way then build through.  It takes some belief to accept you may not be on target at half way but know that you can come through with a faster second half.  For me personally I have found my best times have always come from starting steadier then racing the second half of the race.  Running like this you will also find that you are picking off other runners (who have started off too fast) and this is a great feeling and pushes you on even quicker!

Northern Cross Country Champs

A while ago I turned my ankle whilst out doing an off road run.  Luckily it seemed ok for the rest of the run and when I got home I iced it and took some ibuprofen for a few days, carried on training as normal and all seemed ok.  

Unfortunately, with every cross country race I have done my ankle/achilles has been feeling niggly either during or after and getting worse after every race.  I've managed to keep things going in training by icing and stretching several times a day and convincing myself its just a niggle and nothing more.  

So I "attempted" the Northern Cross Country Champs in Pontefract yesterday.  I knew things weren't great on my warm up as it was worse than it has been in training all week. At this point I was still trying to convince myself all will be ok and it just needs warming up and will be fine.  I started the race and it was sore.  Things just went from bad to worse - from being sore but manageable to practically limping by 3k.  At this point I was just jogging until I saw my husband and had to pull out.  

I'm gutted.  I never expected anything amazing at the champs but just to do my best.  Doing cross country this year was to serve a purpose in doing something different (I haven't done cross country properly for over 10 years with just 2 races 8 years ago) and to gain some strength going into my road running from March onwards.  

I knew that there was a possibility of injury especially to my achilles.  I have been prone to problems from just doing steady runs on bobbly ground in the past but I had to give it a try.  

A few days rest and some physio and hopefully I can get back to training and a rethink of what I want to do.

Cheshire XC Champs

It was the Cheshire Cross Country Champs on Saturday and held at Bolesworth Estate.  A beautiful place for a race and held in a part of it that I hadn't been in before.  It was so muddy and water logged that I should have brought my wellies to walk the course!  We had 2 large laps to do and the back part of each lap had a few short sharp hills.  I did actually expect the course to be a lot hillier that it was though.

Our race went off with the Under 20 men which when I first saw this on the timetable I was a bit disappointed as I felt it might change the way the race was run (possibility of there being men in front blocking the view of any girls that may be ahead).  In the end I was completely wrong as there weren't that many men and most of them went off quite quick!  

So the race started and after 400m I was hating it!  I really wanted to stop.  I just don't run well in calf deep water logged muddy ground!  I just had to keep telling myself that it doesn't matter what happens here, just finish it as its all part of making me stronger for my road races.  After about 1km I was in 4th place but could see a girl ahead who I definitely thought had started off too quick.  I caught her up by around 2km and by now we were on some firmer ground which was more enjoyable!  

I moved into 3rd place and once into the 2nd lap and coming up to the the short hills I felt I was making up ground on 2nd place.  With about 1km to go I had got closer but then she turned a corner and must have accelerated as by the time I got to the corner suddenly the gap had grown again.  It then just wasn't enough to make up to the finish.  I was happy to finish in 3rd and so glad it was over!  

Start of Cross Country Season

I had my first proper cross country race in 8 years on Saturday (not including the xc relays in November as they were so short)!  

This came the day after a very emotional and draining day on the Friday.  I went out for an early morning run and 400m away I found my cat in the road and he'd been hit by a car and killed.  I am devastated and heartbroken but giving extra love and cuddles to my other cat.  I am now so paranoid every time he goes out though and having trouble sleeping.  

So I got up on Saturday feeling tired and drained but trying to put it out of my mind just for a couple of hours.  

I actually ran really well and was pleased with how I did.  I started off fairly steady and was in about 10th place after 1km.  I then picked off a few girls in the first lap and heading out onto the 2nd lap I was now in 3rd place.  I stayed here and ran with 2nd place.  About 1km from the end we were approaching a short sharp downhill and I felt she was stuttering so I went to go past her only I hadn't looked ahead and seen the sharp left turn at the bottom!  I overcooked it and skidded to a stop at the bottom, went wide then by the time I turned left and up a short sharp hill she had a gotten a gap on me.  I then had to recover myself from this and the gap grew a bit more.  By the time I started to close it down it was too late.  I sprinted with the last 100m but couldn't quite get to her!  Really pleased to finish 3rd and feel there is a lot more there.  With a few more races, more confidence and not making stupid mistakes I'll get better.  I really enjoyed this and looking forward to doing some more.  

Conwy Half

I raced at the Conwy Half Marathon last Sunday.  After my 10k race the week before I'm actually feeling pleased with my performance at Conwy.

I have done nothing but steady running for the last few weeks with no fast effort sessions and my longest run has probably been a little over 10 miles.  I went into this race with a much better attitude than last week.  I had decided that my lack of speed work and just steady running will suit me better for the half than the 10k and to use it as a race to see where I am now when not on form and know that by March all being well and injury free I can see a big difference.

I started off with a girl I've raced against before at half marathon but decided the first couple of kms were a bit quick so I backed off.  I was now in 5th place but feeling ok about it!  The race starts out flattish then goes around the Great Orme which is uphill all the way up for over 2 miles then of course down hill back then flattish back to the finish.  3rd and 4th place were about 150m ahead of me by the time we got to the Orme.  I took it fairly steady going up and ran within myself.  2 men caught me and were breathing hard.  Every time we hit a flat bit I would overtake them then they would come past me going up the steep bits - all the time breathing hard!  As soon as we hit the down hill I just let myself go and dropped them!  Half way down I caught 4th place and flew past her which was a really good feeling.  I didn't put the brakes on once going down and my feet were slapping the ground.  I could see I was catching 3rd place so just focused on her.  Onto the flat and at the 9 mile mark I caught her.  I ran with her for a bit as I wondered if I had just had a better down hill part and if she was still feeling good.  I listened to her breathing for a bit and decided that she was in pain and it was time to pick it up!  

I had a good last couple of miles and picked off a couple more men.  So I finshed in 3rd and was just 60s behind 2nd (who beat me by just over 60s at last weeks 10k)!  I was really pleased and feel there was more there but I ran the race right for me with a strong second half.  It made such a nice change for me to do a fairly hilly race as so often I pick races that are flat to try and get a fast time.