"Return to the Wilmslow Half"

It's now a month since the end of the cross country and as the track season has yet to kick in I had decided after last years successful race to make a return visit yesterday to the fast and flat Wilmslow Half, which this year was the host for the England Athletics Championships. Although I had a couple of steady weeks of training behind me, my lack of quality speed work and longer runs really found me out. I was cruising (or so it felt) for the first 10 miles, covered in 71 minutes, but the last three really exposed my lack of training as I quickly dropped right off the pace and came in with very little left in the tank in 1.35.49 .

Mile splits were also all over the place, literally!
6.45/7.09/6.49/7.17/6.51/7.14/7.06/7.16/7.41/7.41/7.28/7.36/7.51!/0.58.

The real problem was I didn't know if I was running or racing so the effort was inconsistent. However it was a minute quicker last year and shows I can go sub 1.33 minutes at the Swift Half in May if I put my mind to it. The other good thing about this race is the runners bag at the end which this year contained a fantastic tech t-shirt which will be great when the weather picks up, but not today when after an hour and a half out on the bike my hands were frozen to the handlebars as the temperature drops again by 11c compared to race day. So much for Spring!

It's now just two weeks to the first track meeting where I will be most definitely having to race!

Weekly mileage 34. Annual mileage 329 (week 12)

"Welcome Back, Old Friend"

So read the headline in this week's Athletics Weekly, when for the first time in twelve years the National Cross Country Championships made its return to Roundhay Park in Leeds. This is probably one of if not my favourite race of the year where I get the chance to literally be on the start line with some of the best athletes in Europe.

This famous race (now in its 123rd running) draws everyone from road, track and fell to see who really are the best runners and it was a chance for me to try to score for my team.

Roundhay Park is famous for one thing, "Hill 60" and I think that AW really captures what this race is all about -

"The rain of recent weeks made the going heavy but the speedsters were still able to turn it on. The steep downhill descent was negotiated either bashfully or maniacally depending on who you were (I was bashful!) and then, six minutes later, the piper had to be paid in the form of Hill 60, which is what it is: 45 seconds of leg sapping lactic. It makes for a superb amphitheatre and the huge crowds scurrying across the course from the top of the descent to the top of Hill 60 reminded one of blood-thirsty onlookers from Tudor times, flocking to the gallows to see who was up for the noose"

I survived the swing of the noose on all three 3 laps as part of the 7 mile race, but only just and there were times when I wanted to die! Although the previous week had been reasonable training wise I was still suffering with the hangover from a cold so was more than happy to "get round" in a time well down on previous national efforts (62.33) but was priveledged (if that is the word) to see the front end of the race as the leaders floated past me when I still had over a lap to go. Their style and running economy has to be seen to be believed.

Another highlight for me was the chance to meet up with and chat to Tom Williams co-host of the great new(ish) podcast http://www.marathontalk.com/about/ . Tom is a great athlete himself but was there to support some of his club and students and he exemplified the attitude of "the national" by really cheering everyone on for what is always a very tough race, including the start which for me is always too quick, as 1500 runners aim for the first corner only 400 metres away! Oxygen debt guarenteed!

The last week has seen me get in five good sessions including a tough track session on Tuesday including a 12 minute timed run (2850 metres but well down on where I should be at this time of the year) and a two hour 12 miler over the hills on the "Gritstone Trail" yesterday where there is still plenty of deep lying snow.

Weekly mileage 32. Annual mileage 249 (week 9)

"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)

"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!