Saturday 24 December 2016

Review of 2016

2016 has easily been my best year since returning to running in August 2014. But it didn't really go as planned and really I ended up making it up as I went along.

2016 - The plan

The plan was to go back to running a race a month with my "A" race being the Kielder marathon in October.  Things started well when I did the Buchlyvie 10k in January in 59 minutes.  But after that I didn't run another race till Killearn 10k in June.  Some of it was illness but I found mainly its because I found it really difficult to increase my long runs.  I get stuck in what I call 5k syndrome where most of the runs I have done this year are 5ks. Now there is not anything wrong with this but when you want to run longer races it does cause a problem.  I think one of the reasons for this is running parkruns full out leaving no energy for longer runs on Sundays.  I know some people successfully can do both but I am not one of them at the moment.

Killearn was a tough race on a warm day and I finished in 1.02.  Crieff 10k in July was even tougher but this time it was the course rather than the weather. But at the same time it is one of my favourite 10ks I have ever done.  I finished this one in 1.02 too.  And that was it for the year - 3 races.

Challenges

Something I didn't plan on this year was undertaking 2 challenges that took up over a third of the year.  First of all there was the steps challenge with work where I covered at least 10,000 steps every day for 100 days from the end of May through to the end of August.  I really enjoyed doing this and combined walking with running to get the steps done.  This improved my running massively which I'll go on to cover further down.

The second challenge was just this month where I did the Marcothon which is a challenge to run everyday in December 3 miles or 25 minutes which ever comes first.  After a slightly lazy November I wasn't going into this maybe as fit as I should have been.  Plus it is a big jump going from running 2-3 times a week to running 7 times a week.  This was definitely tougher than the steps challenge as when you need to have a rest day in the steps challenge you just need to walk 10,000 steps.  But in the marcothon you need to run or attempt to run which really took it out of me especially early on.  But I really am starting to feel the benefit of it and beginning to enjoy running everyday.

parkruns 

I didn't do as many parkruns as last years' 35 but I still managed 26.  However where the quantity may have been less, the quality increased dramatically.

2 runs under 26 minutes (Lowerstoft and Great run local)
8 runs between 26-27 minutes (including trips to 2 new parkruns - Livingston and Linwood)
4 runs between 27-28 minutes
3 runs between 28-29 minutes
6 runs between 29-30 minutes (including the new Drumchapel parkrun)
4 runs over 30 minutes (Just to put this into perspective I ran 21 parkruns in over 30 minutes in 2015!)

 Another thing which I got frustrated at last year was my lack of mid week runs. But due to the challenges and also running with Andy at lunchtimes this is no longer an issue.

When I realised my plans were going out the window I did set up some additional goals - to run under 27 minutes at Pollok parkrun which I managed 3 times with my best time being 26.15.  The second was to run over 500 miles.  Which in the end I just left myself too much to do even with the Marcothon but I was in the right ball park.  454 miles in the end.

So overall not the best year in terms of racing. But parkruns, completing the challenges and training runs in general has more than made up for it.

Wednesday 21 December 2016

Marcothon Week 3

Day 15:  After the high of the end of last week, it was going to end at some point. Today was a tougher run.  I did my usual 3 mile route and added a 0.7 mile loop round Newlands park.  I still managed to get quicker every mile though.

Day 16:  Completely different route today taking in some of the southsides toughest climbs. They were early on in the 3 mile route. And yes they took it out of me! But I persevered and managed to get round without walking.

Day 17: Today I headed for Pollok parkrun and it was a bit of a mess to say the least.  A restless night meant I was really tired going into this.  And when I'm tired I might as well be drunk which is exactly how I approached this run.  No real warm up. Didn't realise it at the time but started too quickly and my body just felt ill which I think was due to the lack of warm up. Over the first 2 miles I found myself getting slower and slower. Then I resigned to run/walking the rest.  I did feel better after a hot shower so will hopefully be ok for tomorrow.

Day 18:  Worked hard again today in what on paper was an easy run.  But ran all the way and got faster every mile so job done.

Day 19: Today I did my usual 3 mile route..... with a twist!  For the first time ever I did it clockwise.  It was weird as it just felt like a totally different run.  It does feel easier in this direction as there is only one long big hill.  Whereas the other direction there are more gradual uphills with running the big hill downwards.  Took a while to warm up but once I got going it felt good.

Day 20: I enjoyed yesterday's run so much I decided to do the same again. But this time I did it quicker with a couple of sub 9 minute miles. Got into my stride and felt good. Lucky I went out in the afternoon as it was frosty in the morning and downpours in the evening.

Day 21:  Tonight was one of those runs I felt like I was going like Mo Farah but I was actually running probably the slowest pace I have run since the Marcothon began.  It wasn't a bad run by any means. I did my clockwise route like the last 2 days but threw in a couple of laps round Newlands Park making it a 4.5 mile run.  It was a wild night with both wind and rain which is probably one of the reasons I was running slower.

Not the week I thought it was going to be due to having a few bad days early on but I definitely finished strongly again.  Really want to get a 10k run in before the month is over so will see how that goes.  I have a funny feeling Barbara might have something to say about that though....

Wednesday 14 December 2016

Marcothon Week 2

Day 8:  I decided today to take things a little easier.  Normally in 3 mile runs i do tend to pick up the pace as the run goes on. But today I deliberately kept it even pace in the hope that I'll be a bit fresher for parkrun on day 10.

Day 9:  In work today and yesterdays plan was already out the window.  My legs are really starting to feel tired and today was probably the toughest run yet.  Still managed to run all the way though and changed the route so only half a mile on trails and the rest on pavement.

Day 10: Decided to go to Pollok parkrun today as I haven't been in 2 months.  My legs were feeling it so this wasn't a seasons best chasing run.  After the warm up I felt loosened up a bit and when we got started a got into a pace which meant I was putting in a decent effort at least. Really the aim of the day was to keep up my streak of doing parkruns under 30 minutes(currently at 19) which I achieved by running 28 minutes bang on.

Day 11: My legs were feeling tired today so decided to try and make things as easy as possible by doing 3 mile loops which are almost flat as a pancake.  Even though this was the easiest I could make it, it still wasn't an easy run!  Afterwards my stats showed that I gradually increased the pace per rep but I found this really tough going. So much so afterwards I really did start to think whether this is the right challenge for me to be doing right now.  Am I actually getting fitter?  Am I just beating my body up for a month and not actually getting any benefit?  As usual though I'm not giving up without a fight.

Day 12: A different Monday to usual.  Now my work on client site has finished for the year I am free to run when I want. So what time did I go out for a run? The same time I would if I was working from home lol. 5pm.  So after "work" today I went out for possibly my best run yet! Not only best but it was also my longest so far this month at 4 and half miles. Everything just clicked today, it was nice and easy and just pure joy.  After Day 11 it was exactly what the doctor ordered!

Day 13:  Today was one of those days I just could not decide what to do. Even when I reached the end of my street to start the run I hadn't decided. I just started running and made it up as I went along. In the end I did my usual 3 mile route with 0.8 mile fast because it covered some Strava segments.

Day 14: Easy 3 miles today and honestly this was easy and just really enjoyable.  It was raining and everything which just added to it.

I really feel I have reached a turning point in my Marcothon experience this week and maybe even running generally.  Things are starting to click and next week hopefully this is a sign of things to come and I can push a bit more.

Wednesday 7 December 2016

Marcothon week 1

Day 1: Had my work Christmas lunch today so this was going to be the day on paper where it would be the toughest day to fit in a run.  But the venue was so close to the train station and I just boosted off after lunch while others went onto pubs. So I ended up getting back at 7.30.  So it was straight out for an easy 3 miler to kick things off.  The only challenges I now face are my fitness and the weather. I really shouldn't struggle with time for the rest of the month.

Day 2: Working from home today and I wanted to try and get as much rest as possible before parkrun tomorrow. So I did the unthinkable and ran before work.  Now I don't think I have ever done a training run so early in the morning before. But I woke up and was off out the flat just after 7am. My legs were feeling a bit stiff after the night before but that went away after a mile. Another 3 miles in the bag.

Day 3: Today I went to Strathclyde parkrun.  This was my 24th time at Strathclyde since I started going there in August 2014. But I haven't actually ran it since June. Even having run 2 days previously I was feeling pretty good going into the run.  I got into a good pace and managed to run each mile quicker than the last. I was following the 27 minute pacer for most of the run till the last km when I pulled away. I finished in 26.27 which I was pleased with considering I haven't done a parkrun in 3 weeks, meaning I wasn't as use to running at that pace.

Day 4:  Usually Sunday would be my rest day after parkrun the day before. But rules being rules the marcothon does not accept rest days!  So after a nice long lie I got out and got this done.  I decided to go for mile laps today and was 30 seconds quicker on each mile than the previous. Felt so much better after I finished.

Day 5:  Plan for today was to run a 5k at lunchtime round Gogarburn with Andy. That plan went out the window at 6.40am. Trains cancelled and further trains delayed meant I decided it wasn't worth the hassle going into work today so I just worked from home instead.  On the plus side this meant that I was logged on for 7.30am and logged off at 4pm. But during the day it wasn't quite as simple as that. I had one of those "can I really do this" days. I was sore from yesterday but in the end I forced myself out the door in full winter gear.  I decided to go for a new route today. Basically an out and back with a loop round Newlands park at the turning point.  I just took it easy but I found on the way back I was actually feeling really good and all in, managed 3.7 miles.  I'm hoping to keep edging this mileage up every now and then.

Day 6: This will probably go down as one of the most controversial marcothon runs of all time.  Today I ran round Gogarburn with Andy. I didn't take my watch as it takes too long to get a signal round there. Andy has his phone but it ran out of juice.  I found it tough underfoot going round the trails but as always good fun.  In the end I mapped out the route when I got home and we did 2.5 miles. Now how fast was it? was it below 10 minute mile pace?!  I don't know for definite but I'm saying it was above that pace meaning I ran for over 25 minutes lol.

Day 7: Working from home today so straight out for an easy 3 miles after work. I say easy but it was actually quite warm so was sweating buckets by the end of it!

So that's the end of week 1.  Overall a solid start to the marcothon and probably my longest streak of running I have done since I last did the marcothon back in 2010!