Quality

In an attempt to freshen things up and after forever I went back to the winter session on the field by the Tennis club, otherwise known as Pete's sessions, though tonight was Peteless.
It was as I remember dark, occasionally nauseating, silly and excellent all round session - thank Neil for pacing and pushing just right.
We jogged,and bounded, then hoped and skipped then did it all again, then slalomed then shuttled, then slalomed again then ran round and round 1 lap, 2 lap, then slalomed again then 1 lap then 1 lap, then a bit of running, striding and bounding again then we went home.
I was pleased to keep up my pace in fact upping it marginally with every rep. The bounding skipping nonsense I think helped me stretch and warm my cold tight bits  and during the effort part of the drills I didn't feel the hammy at all.
Fool that I am I turned up in road shoes and impaled myself on a stake (thankfully blunt at the top) and sport an impressive bruise.
I'm sure this was a quality session and pushed me much more than running alone - so I will return (with grippy shoes)
I was suprised after the below par response of my body recently to put in some good effort,sustain it and keep up with the pace of others.
Not being a technical whiz I can't upload the mapped gps - which looks like a bad spirograph drawing.


Oh and VLM commiserations today :-(

Club run

Still worrying slightly re hamstring, but still resolutely avoiding stretching I made my first visit to harriers in ages. Didn't recognise a lot of the punters, and we were (or rather they) were 80% in hi viz yellow, which made me slightly worried they might trigger a migraine. Off I went along to burley, a run as dull as ditchwater, so grateful for a bit of chat and catching up. We did an effort from the bus stop by the bridge by the esso station to the burley roundabout so a tad over 2km then a regroup, then same effort back, I did same a shade over 4min per km with a strong finish. So not a bad work out, but ran through hamstring tightness and now calf pain. Hmmm,
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Finish the week

Post GNR rehab about done. Tried the banjoed hamstrings out on the road, left side fine, right one tight but runnable - looking like I will avoid stretching excercises.
Still nice late afternoon run round the ilk-addingham circuit. I love autumn light.
So nothing too frisky in the running dept next week and I hopefully back to basics the week after.
My little sister (not little at all these days) reports that she ran half a mile today in her newly acquired running shoes, now there's something, steady away Kate.
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Starting to get chilly

Thought I'd test the hamstrings out on the moor this afternoon.
Pleasant surprised to find hamstring left no pain, and hamstring right niggling but no more. (perhaps I won't need to resort to stretching after all)
Had a nice wander up to the hut, along to 12 apostles and back to home base.
As ever just beautiful up there, and why oh why don't I run up there more often?
However it was chilly, and I wish I'd brought my hat
Feeling better and moving better

dodging the showers

Back on the road after GNR, and my hamstrings are painfully tight, so pretty slow 10km at 53mins, but good to be out.
I think I'll book in for some sports massage and look at doing some core stability and stretching stuff of the coming weeks.
Shippping eldest off to uni this weekend to Newcastle, she wants to shop today I think she senses when it comes to keeping my plastic hidden, the force isn't strong with me this weekend.

Post Mortem

Time to reflect
The run and time at GNR was not as planned. I didn't manage to run any faster than I trained on a long run so why?
1. I can only think despite feeling over my coldy fluey thing that still had me coughing muck up 2 days before I was less over it that I reckoned.
2. A poor milage for 4 weeks had an effect
3. Despite some care, and some running over last 3months my weight remains the same - 14stone which is 8-9lb more than my best weight running and a few more pounds off then would help.
4. GNR crowds slow you down - yes but maybe 90sec over the course.
5. I getting older and slower (I still refuse to believe that my PB's are not ahead of me).

Anyway I've decided not to run the Marathon next month (having only 1 weekend after that in 6 at home, (I need to pay some attention to them at home as well).

I'll wait and see what happens re London next Spring.

For now I'll get back to it
reestablish some good milage and look to do 2 effort sessions a week and some easy miles.
I'll do some park runs and focus on speed a bit over the next few weeks.
I'll book a half marathon sometime early new year and either banish the disapointment of Sunday's time or accept that I becoming an old codger.

North run

10 or 12 years ago I ran this race and said never again, not because of the pain, but some small minded notion about big races. Fool me.
Anyway I came up to the north with the redoubtable dodgers and set off in good time for what ends up being a long prerace preamble. Lots of music with predictable psych you up music, Queen, Black Eyed Peas etc, one odd moment when we had Glen Campbel's Rhinestone Cowboy. which I doubt is in anyones top 100,000 songs to run to.
Then we had warm up by a mr motivator type, Chantelle correctly pointed out that I was not joining in enthusiastically which was true, so I did a few stretches. (- reckoned I had 13 miles to warm up).
Then start time came, and with best wishes to Paul and Chantelle the gun went off, briefly I was 100m behind Haile.
Straight away my gluteal pain started and carried on all race(to be honest it didn't slow me down.)
It was busy running, so lots of weaving and winding. Typical of GNR one minute running with 2 big hairy fairies, then a donkey, then a gorilla wearing a bra and a thong, this wasn't Ilkley running scene.
Running over the tyne bridge was fun, at 2km we were over taken by the red arrows, so they must have started at the back.
At 3 miles I lost precious time for what seemed like the longest wee I've ever had (split 2min dead)
I pootled along nicely to 8 miles, great crowds, and entertainments along the way. Beyond then I struggled and slowed down a lot but resolved to press on and enjoy the show.
Great shout up from dodger wives and families at mile 12 before the dip, a view of the sea and the mile home.
I did stop at 800m from home as some poor chap collapsed, with help we supprted him toward the finish line, but with that in sight he elected to stop with St Johns (he did have his head in my armpit)
Finished in 1:48 which on recent milage was fine.
Some of the joy of today was my fellow dodgers and sue ryder runners who individually and together were a joy to share this with.
The event is really something other, the stories and journeys of these runners would fill a few librareis.
When I arrived this am at race start I was reminded that 28 years ago my dad ran this race. It's nearly 25 years sine he passed away now. Before, during and after todays run I thought about how that was for him. He still inspires me.
So finally to the dodgers who provoked me to run here again and shared the journey, esp to Chris and Tracy,also to Ian and Steve who joined us, to Peter who donated his place to me, to well wishers and sponsors, supporters and 54000 others who joined the dash to South Shields, respect. It was an honour.
Maybe next year again.
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