Now the base training had been completed it was time to start testing myself and get some speed work in. First test was York parkrun 18:25 - slightly slower than the target but a good start. Keeping the bigger picture in sight, although speed work is important it is not when compared to going long as 2014 is the year of Ultras but all with the Bob Graham Round in mind for May 2015.
Back to the longer stuff
Grizedale Marathon was the first longer race of the season, the plan was to go out at about 90% race effort then push the last 5 - 6 miles. A toilet break at 6 miles probably helped me stick to the plan as John Knapp one of my recent Nemeses was racing and I found myself sticking with him early on which had not been the plan! First loop went well and in about 12th (memory fails me and no split times) by the end. Slight pace pick up, not much but enough and passed a few runners. The inevitable mental dip that happens as it does no matter the distance hit at about 18 miles, no real pace drop, it was all in the mind and still pulled back on the next target. Took on some jelly babies and a few jaffa cakes at the final checkpoint and picked it up as had been the plan and quickly caught and passed 5 or 6 more runners including Andrew Horrobin who beat me at the ultimate trail 100k Eventually finished in 5th and first V40 passing taking about 4 minutes out of Andrew over the last 3 miles. Really good confidence boost.One week later was the inaugural Borders Marathon, 23.5 laps of the race course in Kelso. The plan here was different, this time the intention was to go off at target marathon pace and see what happened. I felt confident of a podium finish looking at the pre-entry list. Two late entries put that into doubt at the start but I put that out of my head and tried to stick to my plan. Went off as planned sticking with Hugh McInnes, he kicked for a lap but I just maintained pace and was pulling him back then the old runners trots kicked in and I had to go for a toilet break at 8 miles and knew it was game over. I still tried to force the pace for a bit but it was futile the body, mind and especially the legs were saying "NO". The rest of the race was a mental battle and finished 3rd in 2:56:20. Felt confident for London with that time especially after I'd covered 200 miles in two weeks.
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| 3rd Place trophy |
Some Short Stuff
Workington to Keswick was 3 weeks after Borders Marathon so I cut down the mileage and did some tune up races. First was Jarrets Jaunt just six days later where although a minute slower than last year still a good time finishing in 5th taking a few scalps of short distance specialists. Some gentle miles during the week and a double weekend. First was Workington parkrun in a new PB of 17:13 with a new WAVA PB to boot. Buoyed by the result I then ran well at Criffel Hill Race, forth at the top after a good climb and started to play about bounding over bogs and just having fun on the way back down then was passed then two runners. Race head started to come back and passed them both with third in sight if well out of reach to finish as first V40. Feeling good feeling strong...
Mental & Physical Dip
As often happens after feeling good and strong a few races go wrong, but why? Is it over confidence? Probably partly but it also a symptom of over-training - an over performance followed by a did in form and or injury. In a sense this is also peaking too soon. The first bad run was definitely over confidence and a serious under estimation of the opposition. Running 20 miles and 5,500 feet in the preceding 36 hours (admittedly over 3 runs) was always going to affect my time on the Workington to Keswick Charity Walk (W2K) but I had expected Colin Graham to blow up at around 20 miles as the furthest he had ever run was 20 miles in a training run and the W2K was 30 miles! How wrong was I and how much did Colin prove that a standard model of training for all does not exist! He maintained pace until mile 29 which was awesome, finishing in one of the fastest times in recent history. Even if I had been on form it would have been a close one: would I have beaten him with out the silly mileage and associated lack of sleep the 36 hours before? Possibly but the is irrelevant, he beat me, humbled me, he taught me a lesson, a lesson too be learnt. I bow down to the up and coming runner but I'l be back next year with vengeance and a real race will be had!That was the first dip, I licked my wounds and after a week of little running because of or caused by a mental and mood dip started to focus back on London with confidence battered but not broken. Longtown 10 miles was to be a confidence builder. The plan was to go of steady and progressive run it. I took it easy for the first half but when I planned to pick it up my stomach said no and I had to easy back so the planned progressive run with a fast finish did not happen, the HR and pace were good for a target 2:48 at London so in that sense it was good but that was the third race where my guts had caused me problems. In hind sight I should just have attacked the race from the off and gone all out for a PB but hey ho hindsight does not change the results of past races.
London here we come! I did not feel physically or mentally ready for this, it was too hot, the air too dry and my mental state not good. I tried to use various physical and mental methods to improve my race readiness but if it worked I'll never know, why? My left hip went pop at eight miles, shortly after I passed Marc Penn...
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