"More Bloody Snow!"

February half term and with a few days off I was hoping to get in some good solid training, but with yet another cold earlier in the week (two in two weeks!) and snow for several days running at the tail end its ended up a real old mixture.

Once again I returned to Macclesfield Forest and although the snow wasn't as deep as the other week and there was a clear blue sky it was still a real challenge.

Whilst yesterday I managed a good solid eleven miler along the canal as preparation for the upcoming half marathons, the highlights of the week were an ice skating session with the kids at Trentham Gardens (even managing to stay upright!) and an hour on the bike today, again in the snow over the local hills with the legs having to work really hard to keep the bike moving at times.

Next week sees the climax of the cross country season with the English National in Leeds. Lets hope that colds and bad weather don't get in the way!

Weekly mileage 26 (week 7). Annual mileage 202.

"Reaseheath & The County Cross Country Championships"

It's been a real mixed last seven days. After a great road race at Alsager last week I ran a couple of great speed sessions early in the week and my reward was a head cold! I don't do colds normally so I was really dischuffed. After a couple of days off, Friday was my coaching session with colleagues from work, and whilst getting them and me through it ok I knew that I wasn't fully up to racing. But this was the Cheshire County Cross Country Championships postponed from five weeks ago because of the snow and I wasn't going to miss it.

Based for the first time in many years at Reaseheath agricultural college in Nantwich, in Cheshire's deep farming south, this was going to be a seven miler of gently rolling hills and ploughed fields, and so it turned out. I set off at a good pace but the lingering cold soon found me out and over a three lapper I gradually started to drop off the pace finishing in the lower third of the field in 50.30. It's good to see the young person behind me in the picture looking as if he is trying to hang on! All in all it was as good as could be expected and a fast finishing burst over the last 200m to the finish certainly got my team mates cheering!

It's now a fortnight to my next race, the last cross country of the season and the Saucony English Cross Country Championships at Roundhey Park in Leeds where I will be running with a strong Macclesfield team, and as it's half term this week I am going to make the most of some early morning long runs to try and add some endurance to the speed that I am obviously starting to build again from the track sessions.

Weekly mileage 31 (week 6). Annual mileage 176.

"33.10 Yes!"

During yesterday's easy run through Rainow (my ancestral home & favourite Cheshire village) I realised that even after only a few recent track sessions I was ready to run well at the Alsager 5 road race today. What I didn't realise was that I would manage to take off 30 seconds from last years time and run my fastest "5" for thirteen years!

After a week that again included a mix of easy runs held together with a tough track session (4 x 1200 +400 fast in between reps) I am thrilled by this performance as I ran exactly to plan. I needed to run 6.40 miles and having missed the first mile marker went through mile 2 at 13.10. Mile three at 19.51 and 4 in 26.29. The mile splits were good at 6.35/6.35/6.41/6.38/6.41. I met an aquaintance of mine Neil from Manchester University at the start and he went out really quick but by mile 4 I had pulled him back and used him over the last mile to put in a good strong finish putting 5 places and 8 seconds between us.

Another highlight of the week was the first session I coached with several runners at my new office base at Sandbach. I have committed to working them at least once a week and look forward to the group growing in both number and confidence as they begin to enjoy what running has to offer.

Next week it's back to the cross country with the county championships, but today has really boosted my confidence for the coming spring season with races planned on road, track and fell.

Weekly mileage 30. Annual mileage 145. (Week 5)