BACK ON TRACK
Last night completed a sixth week in succession down at the Witton Park track and I felt strong. 12 x 600m runs with a 90 second recovery was on this week's menu and another tough session was bashed out with consistency and more signs of improvement. Regular speed sessions of some description have always been an important factor in raising my racing game to somewhere that I feel is decent. The legs and the lungs seem to work better as a team and with the legacy of that Achilles trouble now seemingly under control, I feel as if I am the ascendancy. In fact training has gone brilliantly well lately, a tough fell run on Pendle thrown in with some decent tempo work of various distances on the road. The positive effects of these Tuesday night track sessions are starting to kick in and it's been two and a half years since I felt anything like this. Almost confident to race, enjoying training, a spring in my stride... where the hell is a Podium 5K on the calendar when you really need one?!
Wondering where I might be with another six weeks like this under my belt, there's even thoughts of a shot at a road race and the Ribble Valley 10K in December. First things first though and the small matter of the Tour of Pendle next month. Certainly being down at the club again each week has further inspired me to believe I can get some decent results again. The Blackburn Harriers lads are enjoying a successful time of it just now and I would quite like to muscle in on the party if I can.
Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Wednesday, 12 October 2016
FORM IS BACK WITHIN REACH
WITHINS SKYLINE
It was great to be back at a Woodentops race last Sunday. Organisers Dave and Eileen Woodhead are living legends to the sport of fell running. I've rambled on enough about my endearment for this couple in previous scriptures, but it's always a pleasure to take part in their races. There is something unique, a special feeling from lining up with a few hundred Tykes and the odd fellow Lancastrian in the quarry at Penistone Hill. This was my sixth appearance at the Withins Skyline, but I really cannot believe that it has been six long years since my last showing back in 2010. A five race absence followed five years of solid Withins loyalty. Hopefully this can be the first of another five or more in succession.
The weather conditions were excellent and whilst obviously heavy going as always on the open moor, the rarely forgiving microclimate upon Penistone Hill and the surrounding Bronte country was exceedingly generous for the time of year. Thanks to yet more improvement in the achilles department, I felt I could go fairly minimal again with my footwear. This in itself is a massive breakthrough and testimony to finally doing some effective exercises. Wearing in some new inov8 x-talons to race in for the first time in probably five years would be deemed a dubious source of great excitement to the many, but not for me. I was looking forward to giving them a run out.
Quite relaxed before the start, I'd come here to enjoy the race and I was confident that whilst I won't be raising eyebrows - not even my own - I wasn't going to have a complete howler. I felt pretty sharp for the first mile or so and seemed to be well up in the pecking order, but the messy climb up to the Stoop trig point took the wind from my sails. I was disappointed to lose ground on the pack ahead and more so to lose up to a dozen or so more places. It didn't get better over the rugged moorland skyline as the rarity of a stitch set in. There could be a case here for a lack of proper hard hill work on the fells recently, but in fairness I did also go a little overboard with the porridge at breakfast and perhaps that toasted bagel took me over the edge! Anyway, abdomen pain didn't so much stop me in my tracks but it wasn't comfortable, disrupted my breathing and certainly felt it cost me an opportunity to gain back ground on some of those ahead before it got too late. As the gradual descent begins from Withins Ruins, the stitch was subsiding and I was able to start building up a bit more speed. A couple of Calder Valley lads came surging past intent on showing their downhill skills and an Ilkley runner whom I recognise from these races of yesteryear had also nipped ahead. The tenacity of the Calder lads in descent wasn't matched when things began to plateau and undulate again and it was like I had yanked them straight back to me on a rope. With those two picked off, I set my sights on that Ilkley man Steve Turley and was pleased to reel him in back on Penistone Hill near the finish to take 24th place. I'd had that one man band of a Ribble Valley Harrier that is Chris Barnes in my sights after he started to drop back through the pack from his insanely fast start, but he seemed to equal if not better my efforts in the last couple of miles and maintain the distance. I finished strong though which is always a good sign and I feel some decent form is now back within reach. Comparative times are difficult to call in fell races, but at least this one was not my slowest. For the record, back in 2010 I was just over two minutes quicker which took 14th place and would have got me 12th today. Up at the front, Tom Adams was in a complete class of his own. His own course record eclipsed, four minutes clear of second place and over ten minutes ahead of myself. Some going.
WITHINS SKYLINE 7m/1000ft Penistone Hill, Haworth. West Yorks.
Sun. 9th October 2016
1st Man: Tom Adams 38:32 (Ikley)
1st Lady: Nichola Jackson 47:52 (Preston)
My Stats - 48:45 24/290
WITHINS SKYLINE
It was great to be back at a Woodentops race last Sunday. Organisers Dave and Eileen Woodhead are living legends to the sport of fell running. I've rambled on enough about my endearment for this couple in previous scriptures, but it's always a pleasure to take part in their races. There is something unique, a special feeling from lining up with a few hundred Tykes and the odd fellow Lancastrian in the quarry at Penistone Hill. This was my sixth appearance at the Withins Skyline, but I really cannot believe that it has been six long years since my last showing back in 2010. A five race absence followed five years of solid Withins loyalty. Hopefully this can be the first of another five or more in succession.
The weather conditions were excellent and whilst obviously heavy going as always on the open moor, the rarely forgiving microclimate upon Penistone Hill and the surrounding Bronte country was exceedingly generous for the time of year. Thanks to yet more improvement in the achilles department, I felt I could go fairly minimal again with my footwear. This in itself is a massive breakthrough and testimony to finally doing some effective exercises. Wearing in some new inov8 x-talons to race in for the first time in probably five years would be deemed a dubious source of great excitement to the many, but not for me. I was looking forward to giving them a run out.
Quite relaxed before the start, I'd come here to enjoy the race and I was confident that whilst I won't be raising eyebrows - not even my own - I wasn't going to have a complete howler. I felt pretty sharp for the first mile or so and seemed to be well up in the pecking order, but the messy climb up to the Stoop trig point took the wind from my sails. I was disappointed to lose ground on the pack ahead and more so to lose up to a dozen or so more places. It didn't get better over the rugged moorland skyline as the rarity of a stitch set in. There could be a case here for a lack of proper hard hill work on the fells recently, but in fairness I did also go a little overboard with the porridge at breakfast and perhaps that toasted bagel took me over the edge! Anyway, abdomen pain didn't so much stop me in my tracks but it wasn't comfortable, disrupted my breathing and certainly felt it cost me an opportunity to gain back ground on some of those ahead before it got too late. As the gradual descent begins from Withins Ruins, the stitch was subsiding and I was able to start building up a bit more speed. A couple of Calder Valley lads came surging past intent on showing their downhill skills and an Ilkley runner whom I recognise from these races of yesteryear had also nipped ahead. The tenacity of the Calder lads in descent wasn't matched when things began to plateau and undulate again and it was like I had yanked them straight back to me on a rope. With those two picked off, I set my sights on that Ilkley man Steve Turley and was pleased to reel him in back on Penistone Hill near the finish to take 24th place. I'd had that one man band of a Ribble Valley Harrier that is Chris Barnes in my sights after he started to drop back through the pack from his insanely fast start, but he seemed to equal if not better my efforts in the last couple of miles and maintain the distance. I finished strong though which is always a good sign and I feel some decent form is now back within reach. Comparative times are difficult to call in fell races, but at least this one was not my slowest. For the record, back in 2010 I was just over two minutes quicker which took 14th place and would have got me 12th today. Up at the front, Tom Adams was in a complete class of his own. His own course record eclipsed, four minutes clear of second place and over ten minutes ahead of myself. Some going.
WITHINS SKYLINE 7m/1000ft Penistone Hill, Haworth. West Yorks.
Sun. 9th October 2016
1st Man: Tom Adams 38:32 (Ikley)
1st Lady: Nichola Jackson 47:52 (Preston)
My Stats - 48:45 24/290
Wednesday, 5 October 2016
REHAB, REPS AND RELAYS
It's not that running has come to a halt over the past month or so, far from it, but more a case of having very few negatives to report for a change. A reminder that these pages can actually be an outlet for positive musings as well.
So I've just been getting my head down training and the great story behind that is that I have been able to. The Achilles continues to feel stronger. The swelling is reducing and is starting to look more like it's slender counterpart on the right heel. Last night was also the fourth week in succession down at the Witton Park track for a tough speed session under John Chaplin's watch. Around those rep sessions I am mixing it up, the only thing missing is a long run every week. I think if I could chuck that in to the agenda with some regularity then things might start to come together. Anyway, a really decent month of consistency has given me the confidence to go over to Haworth this Sunday for the Withins Skyline fell race. Dave Woodhead's races are fantastic and you can't beat a bit of Woodentops to get back in the groove. This will be the second time in a few weeks of pinning on a race number again after running for Blackburn Harriers at the Northern Road Relays...
NORTHERN SIX STAGE ROAD RELAYS
It was a proud day for Blackburn Harriers both in terms of quantity and quality with five teams out in force at Manchester's Sportcity and a top ten spot for the men's 'A' team. The club's big guns all turning out on the day has been long overdue and it was good to see the talent at the club finally registered with some sort of validation at a major team event. As for myself in team 'C', with a couple of track sessions under my belt at least a bit of race pace was not going to be such a leap in to the painful unknown - as was the case in my last appearance at Podium back in July. But I don't make things easy for myself even when they should be. Due to some kind of electrical fault in the brainwave department I decided I was running after, rather than before, Sean Proctor and as such kept checking to see where he was up to. This was after Sean had been in the shop where I work the previous day and I had even uttered the words myself that I was handing over to him. Back to the relays and as I was casually chatting away at trackside, suddenly our coach George Woodburn interrupts and asked me what I was doing? "Uh? I'm after Sean aren't I?", "No, you're on now!" says George urgently. Shiiiiit!!! Ffff....The airwaves turned blue. It was my own ridiculous fault of course. I had now denied myself a chance to warm up and there wasn't even room to stretch a limb in the waiting pen, besides it wasn't long before I was off and running. If preparation wasn't ideal, the course was the most contrived I have ever run, u-turning four times alongside the Etihad Stadium and at it's most ambitious, branching out to the far reaches of an empty car park twice.
Maybe Tuesday's track session was still tightening things up or maybe the lack of immediate preparation didn't help, but I was a bit deflated not to have had an extra kick in the last half mile and instead found myself hanging on in desperation. I averaged just under six minute miling though, so as far as my own modest expectations went it was a satisfactory outing.
It was unfortunate that in some sort of mix up our 'D' team was disqualified and were one of ten teams to experience the same fate as some runners pulled back in to the athletics track a lap short. Sportcity might have offered easy and ample parking as well as a great base for teams with legs starting and finishing in the impressive former Commonwealth Games warm-up arena, but as I touched on a few sentences earlier, I thought the course was contrived, disappointing and also poorly marked in places. As a venue for the relays, some boxes remained unticked in my opinion. Sara might have joined me to watch that afternoon had there been some evidence of greenery and doggy friendliness. But this was a bloody awful concrete jungle and I'm glad she and the Connie dog didn't risk it. For me, you can't beat a good old fashioned proper city park for these type of contests.
Sunday 25thg September 2016
NORTHERN SIX STAGE ROAD RELAY CHAMPIONSHIPS Sportcity, Manchester.
My Stats - Blackburn Harriers 'C' Leg 4 (5.5K) 20:05
It's not that running has come to a halt over the past month or so, far from it, but more a case of having very few negatives to report for a change. A reminder that these pages can actually be an outlet for positive musings as well.
So I've just been getting my head down training and the great story behind that is that I have been able to. The Achilles continues to feel stronger. The swelling is reducing and is starting to look more like it's slender counterpart on the right heel. Last night was also the fourth week in succession down at the Witton Park track for a tough speed session under John Chaplin's watch. Around those rep sessions I am mixing it up, the only thing missing is a long run every week. I think if I could chuck that in to the agenda with some regularity then things might start to come together. Anyway, a really decent month of consistency has given me the confidence to go over to Haworth this Sunday for the Withins Skyline fell race. Dave Woodhead's races are fantastic and you can't beat a bit of Woodentops to get back in the groove. This will be the second time in a few weeks of pinning on a race number again after running for Blackburn Harriers at the Northern Road Relays...
NORTHERN SIX STAGE ROAD RELAYS
It was a proud day for Blackburn Harriers both in terms of quantity and quality with five teams out in force at Manchester's Sportcity and a top ten spot for the men's 'A' team. The club's big guns all turning out on the day has been long overdue and it was good to see the talent at the club finally registered with some sort of validation at a major team event. As for myself in team 'C', with a couple of track sessions under my belt at least a bit of race pace was not going to be such a leap in to the painful unknown - as was the case in my last appearance at Podium back in July. But I don't make things easy for myself even when they should be. Due to some kind of electrical fault in the brainwave department I decided I was running after, rather than before, Sean Proctor and as such kept checking to see where he was up to. This was after Sean had been in the shop where I work the previous day and I had even uttered the words myself that I was handing over to him. Back to the relays and as I was casually chatting away at trackside, suddenly our coach George Woodburn interrupts and asked me what I was doing? "Uh? I'm after Sean aren't I?", "No, you're on now!" says George urgently. Shiiiiit!!! Ffff....The airwaves turned blue. It was my own ridiculous fault of course. I had now denied myself a chance to warm up and there wasn't even room to stretch a limb in the waiting pen, besides it wasn't long before I was off and running. If preparation wasn't ideal, the course was the most contrived I have ever run, u-turning four times alongside the Etihad Stadium and at it's most ambitious, branching out to the far reaches of an empty car park twice.
Maybe Tuesday's track session was still tightening things up or maybe the lack of immediate preparation didn't help, but I was a bit deflated not to have had an extra kick in the last half mile and instead found myself hanging on in desperation. I averaged just under six minute miling though, so as far as my own modest expectations went it was a satisfactory outing.
It was unfortunate that in some sort of mix up our 'D' team was disqualified and were one of ten teams to experience the same fate as some runners pulled back in to the athletics track a lap short. Sportcity might have offered easy and ample parking as well as a great base for teams with legs starting and finishing in the impressive former Commonwealth Games warm-up arena, but as I touched on a few sentences earlier, I thought the course was contrived, disappointing and also poorly marked in places. As a venue for the relays, some boxes remained unticked in my opinion. Sara might have joined me to watch that afternoon had there been some evidence of greenery and doggy friendliness. But this was a bloody awful concrete jungle and I'm glad she and the Connie dog didn't risk it. For me, you can't beat a good old fashioned proper city park for these type of contests.
Sunday 25thg September 2016
NORTHERN SIX STAGE ROAD RELAY CHAMPIONSHIPS Sportcity, Manchester.
My Stats - Blackburn Harriers 'C' Leg 4 (5.5K) 20:05
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