Endings, Beginnings and Overly Simplistic Metaphors

Another month gone...

Having seen a bit of progress through September with more miles resulting in a 10k PB I was looking forward to October.

Enjoyed a fantastic week in Cornwall, I never get bored of Cornwall. When I saw young we walked the coast path...the coast is so full of celtic energy and rugged beauty - I love it. The week went by too fast and running in the hills and on the trails round St. Ives proved more challenging than I had anticipated! - Perhaps my grand plan of running the full SW Coast Path might have to wait a little while longer ;o)

Here was the sunsetting over Godrevy Lighthouse, I feel so at peace by the sea with a camera and tripod. Although I am now more stimulated by other forms of photography and art every now and again I still enjoy getting out and taking landscape photos -

After a long but painless drive to Nottingham I had a nice run out at Kimberley and District Striders Goose Fair Gallop 10k. Pretty tough point to point 10k - mostly up hill and along trails I felt pretty comfortable running a controlled race to come 6th - just behind Sutton Harrier's Claire Woolis who has a 35 minute 10k - so happy enough with that. She was so much stronger than me at the finish - fantastic form stemming from obvious core strength - something to think about through the winter. Got a nice mention in the local paper - cheers Ian! - http://www.eastwoodadvertiser.co.uk/sport/Good-turnout-for-Goose-Fair.5715230.jp

Birmingham Half (and the World HM Championships) was a week later on the 11th. Felt good and the weekend was made much less stressful by the offer of a free place to kip on the Saturday night from a club mate...Felt good and confident of sub 80. Got the start in good time, nice warm up and good place at the head of 16,000 runners. An overflow of adrenaline led to a 5.26 first mile and from that point I was hanging on. I was still course time wise at 10 miles (about 15 seconds ahead of 1.20 pace) but I knew my legs we gone. After 11 miles I resigned myself and jogged home for 1.21. Perhaps the worst feeling of my racing year...felt so deflated and confused. But as my energy returned the mile splits show my obvious mistake and the full effect of running to hard too early...

After a confidence building threshold session on Tuesday night it was onwards to Cabbage Patch 10 mile race and club championship on 18th October to end this season. This time with 60 odd other Chasers running, Ian down from Nottingham and a promise to myself to pace properly...please...just this once. The day was so perfect, cold, no wind, clear skies - I can't remember a better day for running. Having run this before I knew it was a fast course. Just before the start a guy in the street collapsed right in front of us, his family all around, it was awful - thankfully police and ambulance were close at hand. I have no idea what happened but safe to safe as the start was delay my thoughts were not really on sunning sub 60 for 10 miles - I hope he pulled through but it looked very serious.

Gun went...everybody flew off....but not John and I, for once. Keep it steady and fight that amazing 'start of the race feeling' where 3k pace feels like you are out for a Sunday jog! After a mile I checked my watch...bang on 6 minutes - perfect! Passed last years club champion Tim, just recovering from injury. the next few miles passed so easily - 5.55, 5.57, 5.55 - John was in great form and started to pull away but I knew this was my pace for that day no matter how comfortable it felt...on through 5 miles in 29.40...feeling happy and controlled. There was abig group of runners ahead - mainly the red vests of Serpentine runners, all looking strong, and Claire Elms from Dulwich AC. I passed Nick Sirs, a former sub 2.30 marathon runner and still a top runner in V50 category. Gradually I passed each one of the group ahead - I remember only feeling this a few times in my short life as a runner...the feeling of getting stronger as others are fading. I knew they were all going for sub 60. Up the hill and over the Thames at Kingston...2 miles to go, just have to hold on now and for the first time I was beginning to feel the pace a little...but still feeling in control. I managed a strong last mile cheered on the the locals to 00:59:28 and 3rd in my Club Championship. Mile splits were;

6.00 5.55 5.57 5.55 6.01 5.58 5.57 5.55 6.02 5.48

What a relief to finally pace a race properly and meet my own expectations after such a disappointing run at Birmingham - it made my year and I was smiling all the way home. The day was made even better by fantastic runs from my training partners Alex in 57.18, John in 59.04 and Mike Hurford, 3rd overall in the V50 category with a fantastic 59.50. Ian had a great run as well on his steady return from injury.

Base training starts again now, back to big mileage from November through to February with 70-100 miles a week as the aim. Lots of hills and cross country chucked in as well....and maybe one last half before the year is out...with no pressure. The point of this phase is aerobic development, so mostly steady and easy running, building to hills and anaerobic conditioning February/March and sharpening in April ready for London. Going into it with much more confidence now though.

The difference in a week could not have been more different, from feeling I had gone backwards to taking a big stride forwards. A little like life things are so often better when you allow them to develop rather than rushing in and consuming everything too fast. Talking of this developing slowly my mind is pretty much made up that I will not by making my Photography Masters application to Falmouth for at least another year or two whilst other ideas grow and develop. I feel my creativity is still developing and it's very much still my aim to do the course but for now I think I need to explore, work wise, something more fulfilling...

I am taking my athletics coaching qualifications and running leadership qualifications later in the month, and helping out getting the new established Finsbury parkrun going for it's launch on 31st October....looking forward to it.