Well, a week ago I was scheduled to race on 21 March in my first Duathlon of the year.
Then I remembered it was Sports Relief on 19 March (tomorrow) and that last year when I watched it I vowed to myself I would do something this year.
An email came round from work saying that people were taking it in turns to cycle for 5 mins on a cycle machine, with the aim to keep it going from 9-4pm. People can guess the total distance travelled for £1, and the Company will match it.
Putting my thinking cap on, I decided that I would walk from 9-4pm, and people can now guess how far I will walk in this 7 hour period as well! I am hoping to do a marathon along the canals of Birmingham but I will need to motor I think to achieve that. The rucksack will hinder me as well, although all those flapjacks and energy drinks will be needed. Just hope the weather is fine!
It looks like we will raise around £1,000 for Sports Relief which is great and I will have put something back into this life I take so much out of, and help those less fortunate than myself.
So, the Duathlon is a non-starter on Sunday. I'm sure I'll be exhausted after 7 hours of walking and racing Sunday is a recipe for injury, no matter how much I want to race. To compensate, I have entered for a 10 mile time trial on 5 April. The last race before Fountains - and means a 3 week break from races before Fountains so should be raring to go and hit Fountains hard.
The 10 mile runs I'm doing should make the 10k races a walk in the park!
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Thursday, 11 March 2010
The First and the Last
I had a thought today as I drove to work ... and it is unusual for me to think on this journey as I am on automatic pilot ...
"Race every race as if it were your last".
If this were the case, how would I approach my "last" race? Would it be any different than normal? Would I care about tactics? Would I care about pain? Would I even feel pain?
One answer I would need to know in my "last" race was how fast I could truly go, to the extent that I had pushed myself to my physical limits. I would need to have crossed the finish line knowing there was nothing else I could have given to achieve a better time or result.
With that in mind, there will be no quarter given in races from now on.
On a more "lighter" note, I received confirmation that my latest pair of Brooks T6 racers were pinging their way to me. Not that I need another pair of running shoes, but it's better to keep a healthy stock, and in any case, I'm mainly just buying them from vouchers won, so they are free!!! I have £25 in vouchers left - so will put the difference to buying another pair of Adidas Adizero Adios shoes - beginning to rival the T6 as the Halliday shoe of choice.
As planned (for once!), I stuck to the training schedule of a 10 mile run last night. I felt really good (for once!) as I embarked on a training session, and decided to try and trim the 59m 13s current PB. Going through the halfway stage at 29m 20s I knew I was there and (with a magic sprint finish for the cameras) turned in a 57m 56s. Job done and with 2 months to the Ripon 10 miler, who knows where I'll wind up.
"Race every race as if it were your last".
If this were the case, how would I approach my "last" race? Would it be any different than normal? Would I care about tactics? Would I care about pain? Would I even feel pain?
One answer I would need to know in my "last" race was how fast I could truly go, to the extent that I had pushed myself to my physical limits. I would need to have crossed the finish line knowing there was nothing else I could have given to achieve a better time or result.
With that in mind, there will be no quarter given in races from now on.
On a more "lighter" note, I received confirmation that my latest pair of Brooks T6 racers were pinging their way to me. Not that I need another pair of running shoes, but it's better to keep a healthy stock, and in any case, I'm mainly just buying them from vouchers won, so they are free!!! I have £25 in vouchers left - so will put the difference to buying another pair of Adidas Adizero Adios shoes - beginning to rival the T6 as the Halliday shoe of choice.
As planned (for once!), I stuck to the training schedule of a 10 mile run last night. I felt really good (for once!) as I embarked on a training session, and decided to try and trim the 59m 13s current PB. Going through the halfway stage at 29m 20s I knew I was there and (with a magic sprint finish for the cameras) turned in a 57m 56s. Job done and with 2 months to the Ripon 10 miler, who knows where I'll wind up.
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
One Shot
As the great songsters JLS say "You only get one shot, so make it count".
With that in mind, Sunday's big news was that (unless my mathematical ability has deserted me) I have secured the Centurion 5 mile series title. This is an event which has been going for some 40 years so I'm very pleased to add my name to the list of winners.
Sunday's race went well - there were two competitors who potentially could have beaten me in the series (you need to do 4 races to qualify). I set off like the proverbial rocket with the aim of breaking them before I broke myself (I did not want to leave anything to chance by relying on the last race on 11 April to have to beat them). The plan worked and I came second, knocking 20 secs off my PB for the (off road) course - 26m 54s. I had a bit of a stomach bug and spent most of the rest of Sunday in bed, but it was job done. The winner was a new (dutch) athlete (and so can't qualify for the series), who spent the whole race running right behind me and clipped my heels 3 times. One more time I'd have swung for him - obviously no racing etiquette in Holland! I'm not sure what times I'm capable of on a 5 mile road - maybe sub 26m 30s now.
Today feeling better and had an hour session on the cross trainer which I really enjoyed. Will probably do a 10 miler on the treadmill tomorrow night. I did a good 59m 13s last week, so should shave a few secs off that. The aim is to be 10 mile race fit for Ripon on 9 May. I want to be able to attack a 10 mile course, rather than just struggling around ... we'll see!
As I have won the Centurion series, I will not be racing in their last race on 11 April. I'll see what shape I'm after a duathlon on 21 March, and triathlon on 28 March, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility that I'll solely focus on training after that and not race until Fountains (25 April). Having got my race tactics from "Master" Dunn, I want to be in peak condition for that.
Spent some of my vouchers on some new Adidas Adios trainers. They are great, although not as good as the Brooks T6 racers in my opinion (they are super great!). I'll do my 10 mile run in the Adios tomorrow night. I tried two other Adidas shoes - the Mana and the Ace - but they were nowhere near as good as the Adios. If they are good enough for Alistair Brownlee they are good enough for me!
My son Rowan's 5th birthday tomorrow. Working from home and so that means I can enjoy the all important Tea Party!
With that in mind, Sunday's big news was that (unless my mathematical ability has deserted me) I have secured the Centurion 5 mile series title. This is an event which has been going for some 40 years so I'm very pleased to add my name to the list of winners.
Sunday's race went well - there were two competitors who potentially could have beaten me in the series (you need to do 4 races to qualify). I set off like the proverbial rocket with the aim of breaking them before I broke myself (I did not want to leave anything to chance by relying on the last race on 11 April to have to beat them). The plan worked and I came second, knocking 20 secs off my PB for the (off road) course - 26m 54s. I had a bit of a stomach bug and spent most of the rest of Sunday in bed, but it was job done. The winner was a new (dutch) athlete (and so can't qualify for the series), who spent the whole race running right behind me and clipped my heels 3 times. One more time I'd have swung for him - obviously no racing etiquette in Holland! I'm not sure what times I'm capable of on a 5 mile road - maybe sub 26m 30s now.
Today feeling better and had an hour session on the cross trainer which I really enjoyed. Will probably do a 10 miler on the treadmill tomorrow night. I did a good 59m 13s last week, so should shave a few secs off that. The aim is to be 10 mile race fit for Ripon on 9 May. I want to be able to attack a 10 mile course, rather than just struggling around ... we'll see!
As I have won the Centurion series, I will not be racing in their last race on 11 April. I'll see what shape I'm after a duathlon on 21 March, and triathlon on 28 March, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility that I'll solely focus on training after that and not race until Fountains (25 April). Having got my race tactics from "Master" Dunn, I want to be in peak condition for that.
Spent some of my vouchers on some new Adidas Adios trainers. They are great, although not as good as the Brooks T6 racers in my opinion (they are super great!). I'll do my 10 mile run in the Adios tomorrow night. I tried two other Adidas shoes - the Mana and the Ace - but they were nowhere near as good as the Adios. If they are good enough for Alistair Brownlee they are good enough for me!
My son Rowan's 5th birthday tomorrow. Working from home and so that means I can enjoy the all important Tea Party!
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