"Wythenshawe Park"

As the saying goes "what a difference a day makes". This time yesterday I was racing in glorious sunshine in the final round of the Manchester Cross Country League on the fastest and flattest course around, whilst today it was a seven mile recovery run around Macclesfield with four inches of snow on the ground!

Yes winter has returned but it won't dampen my satisfaction of running my best xc race of the season and taking 1m 44 seconds out of my friend and big rival Jack to see my finish three places above him in the individual standings. After a steady start over a very different course to the week before in Blackburn I really pushed it and increased my pace on each lap of the race. At times the pain in my legs and lungs was intense but the thoughts of winning my personal race (with glimpses of my increasing lead at the end of each lap) kept me going to complete the 6.5 mile race in 43.42. The photo shows how relaxed I was! Probably not one to put into the coaching manual when looking for a good running style.

All in all a good week including both a positive track session and a great race that together will really set me up for the spring and its first road race, the Alsager 5 next weekend.

Weekly mileage 31. Annual mileage 115 (week 4)

"10 in 2010"

With the end of January fast approaching I thought it about time to put into words my running commitments and targets for the year ahead. So hear goes!

1. A strong finish to the 09/10 cross country season, that is, to be one place ahead of my running rival Jack!

2. For the first time in many years to compete in enough races to qualify as a counter in the club's annual road race championships.

3. To run a sub 2.30 800m (with a pacemaker if necessary!)

4. Run a V50 half marathon best of below 1.35. Target sub 1.33

5. Build in some cross training with at least one session a week (bike/swim/gym)

6. Race as often as possible including some of the Staffordshire moorlands series and the local mid week fell races

7. Run and race with members of the "run net" community as often as possible throughout the year.

8. Return to the Dovedale dash and get a decent time

9.Run more miles than 2009 (1252) and average more than 25 miles a week

10. Enjoy my running whatever the weather!

"The Saucer and the Teaspoon"

"Hi Callum, how was your race? It was horrible, tough and you're going to die out there!" These were the encouraging words from one of the clubs talented under 17's to me last weekend just an hour before the start of the senior men's race at the 2010 Northern XC Championship's at Blackburn's Witton Park.

Undaunted I set off for a jog around the course (4 laps totalling 12k). Championship courses wherever they be; Roundhay Park Leeds (Hill 60) or London's Parliament Hill Fields are all famous for one thing, a big hill that really sorts out the large mens field. At Witton Park its the horrendous long climb of "The Saucer" that I was expecting to find on my reccy lap, only then to discover immediately before it another even steeper climb now called "The Teaspoon". Needless to say this was quite a shock for all our team and the thoughts of four times up both hills certainly made for quiet athletes.

With the mist descending and a really cold wind getting up I rethought my strategy of a fast start and instead went off steady and was pleasaed to be able to cover every climb throughout the race without resorting to the "hands on knees" style adopted by many right through the field. it was still blurry vision going up each climb though as the descent between each hill gave no chance of recovery. I was really glad to finish in one peice and in a position two thirds down the field. I was looking for my rival Jack whose name was in the start programme but he doesn't appear to have competed. He's obviously resting up for our showdown in the last Manchester League XC tomorrow!

The rest of the week was a couple of easy runs hung around the Tuesday track session which was really encouraging for my speed as I managed to consistently knock five seconds off the previous week's 800m rep times whilst also moving some intervals up to 1K. All in all eight miles of enjoyable pain!

Weekly mileage 30. Annual mileage 84 (week 3)

"Iceworld"

It's now been two weeks since my fall at Woodbank Park and although I have returned to running this week my ribs are still extremely sore. I took it easier through the week as the snow and ice still lay on the roads and pavements but by yesterday the rain has come and most of the snow diasappeared. Time I thought for a long run in the hills. Big Mistake!

After thirty years of running the trails around and above Macclesfield Forest you would think I would have known that up there during winter it is a very different world. Parking up in Langley (I couldn't get to Teggs Nose the usual start of the run as the road was still closed by snow. Clue there somewhere! ) within five minutes I realised that it wasn't going to be my usual run. The paths were a mixture of slush, ice and snow with no continuity at all in underfoot conditions. Still I ploughed on (!) up towards Shutlingsloe but the drifts started to reach five feet up the walls (see photo) and only half way round I decided to bail out and return back to lower ground. This wasn't as easy as I thought as a few times I ended up losing the trail and on one occasion looked back to see I had unwittingly run straight over a patch of ice and snow that usually has the words "Danger Deep water" on a stake next to a water pool!

All in all an hour's run that reminded me of the need to think ahead about where you are running however well you think you know an area. In an hour I saw no other person, walker or runner, and at one stage couldn't actually find the gate from the forest back onto the road because it was covered totally in snow. Remember, safety first!

The next week will be a mixture of steady runs and hopefully a return to the track which has been out of action for a couple of weeks, finally culminating next Saturday in the Northern XC Championships in Blackburn over a really tough course at Witton Park but hopefully without the white stuff!

Annual mileage 54 (week 2)

"2009 - A Running Review"

As we are now well into January and there has been time to reflect on the previous years running (with bruised/cracked ribs there isn’t really anything else to do!) I’m going to take a quick look back at those targets and aims I set myself this time last year.

1.To be at least as quick as last year in every equivalent race starting with the Alsager 5 road race on 1st February.

Although I only achieved one pb (at the Langley 7 back in November which was probably my best "race" of the whole year) I did run some of the fastest times for years including at Alsager in February. I also maintained most of my track times throughout the summer which included a couple of really quick 3k’s.

2. To achieve a whole new set of age bests.

Not difficult this is I enter a new category Veteran 50 in July!

3. To run my first road half marathon for 10 years at Stafford in March with Nigel from "Running From The Reaper" and The Swift White Peak Half in May with members of Runcast TV.

I actually ran three halfs in the year including Wilmslow and reduced my time consecutively on each. The Stafford and White Peak races were fantastic social occasions as well as great runs.

4. Run the remaining XC Championships at maximum effort and holding off my nearest rival through to the end of the season!

I would like to say I achieved this but didn’t. I was pipped by my nearest rival in the league and the final race of the season in Febrary at “The Nationals” on Parliament Hill Fields was seven miles of mud and mental torture!

5. To target some summer fell races for the first time in many years, including the Staffordshire Moorlands Summer Series.

Although I actually didn’t get to run of the summer series I did make a return to several local hill races I hadn't competed in for years at Rainow and Bollington, and was reminded what fun a midweek evening race can be. I also made a first ever visit in November to the famous Dovedale Dash up in the Peak District. In torrential rain (and being towed off the carpark afterwards due to the axle deep mud) this is one I will definitely go back to have a crack at this year. I also enjoyed a couple of other races again including the Cheddleton 10k Christmas Pudding Run and rounded off the year with the club’s fantastic Boxing Day Handicap where I finished 4th on the road!

6. To support my club Macclesfield Harriers & AC at as many track & field meets as I can, both as a competitor (800/1500/3000m) and official.

I both competed and officiated throughout the summer, although the weather wasn’t particularly kind!

7. Buy a Flip video or other compact video add some content to Runcast TV and maintain this blog on a regular basis!

I achieved both of these but need to do more filming in 2010. The Blog has been really beneficial in keeping a focus on the running and why i do it.

8. Run the final big climb at the annual Shutlinsloe Fell Race (May Bank Holiday), which I have run for the last 28 years.

Yes I managed this. Watch the video on my blog!

9. Remain as injury free as possible by regular stretching!

Didn’t stretch enough but did remain pretty injury free all year .

10. Drink less caffeine!

No!

All in all 2009 was a good running year with more miles and races than the previous year. Other running highlights included –

- Running around Monte Carlo on my 50th birthday as part of a surprise trip to see the opening stages of the Tour De France.

- Meeting the “Run Net Community” at various times during the year but in particular as part of the Dream Inspires run at Oxford and the final mile I got to run on the Iffley Road track, probably the most famous one in the world.

- The last two miles of the Langley 7!

- Any one of the many solo runs in the local hills on a fine day and with no-one else about!

It’s now time to turn to 2010 to plan my races and my targets. This is still work in progress but needs commiting to paper fairly soon. Well that's what the coach keeps telling me!

"Woodbank Park Woes"

The last week has seen the UK come to a halt with snow, ice and temperatures dropping to minus 15c . It has also seen my running coming to a grinding halt as well!

With the year only three days old I ran one of my favourite Manchester XC League fixtures at Woodbank Park. With sub zero temperatures and a rock hard course everyone rece'ed the two mile lap with great caution. My first mistake was to go for studded fell shoes not spikes and ten minutes into the race on the fastest flat part of the course just before the first big hill of the day I paid for that mistake as I lost concentration, tripped, went flying over and literally bounced off the ground. A left knee minus any skin was only a minor problem compared to my ribs which seem to crush as the air was forced out of me as I hit the ground! Slightly dazed I got up and jogged for a hundred yards before working out that as I was going to have to climb the big hill just to get back to the finish I might as well carry on running!. Two and a half laps and five miles later the pain of every breath finally stopped. To make it worse my rival Jack went past me at the start of the final lap and although I managed to stay with him he opened up a ten second gap to beat me for a second race in succession. A quick check over from a team mate Dan, a doctor in A&E (who finished just behind me and had seen me go down) confirmed that I may have bruised my ribs if lucky, if not they may be cracked but "don't come to see me in A&E because we won't x-ray you or do anything apart from send you away with painkillers and instruction to take it easy!"

A week later and my ribs are still very sore. I foolishly did try a jog last Monday (the day after the race) but last just six minutes as I walked back to the office. The only positive thing is that the Cheshire County XC Championships due to be run this weekend have been cancelled due to the severe weather, to be rescheduled for the end of the month. I have never known a XC race to be postponed but apparently it was considered that the course was to dangerous. it's a pity they didn't do the same at Woodbank Park!

As ever it pays to remember what I am always telling everyone else when they are injured. Running is for life, we are all in the sport for the long haul, and there is still a whole season ahead to get back to fitness and racing. It doesn't stop my ribs hurting though!