Just two runs to report on for the week beginning July 14th. So with that in mind we might meander off course at some point to discuss where everyone displays their run bling.
The exploits and exertions of the Stansted 10k left me feeling rather tender as the week started, the plan being to run on Tuesday, Thursday & then Saturday. Tuesday's run didn't happen as my left achilles was still tight following the hills of Stansted. Tuesday was a revelatory day though. I had my regular physio planned, once my back was sorted I asked if I could have my IT Band checked over. Although Paula had experienced a bad ITB previously, her pain was generally in the knee itself where as mine was manifesting in the ITB itself. After some necessarily painful massage I was told that yes, I have some ITB inflammation & though I'd caught it before it had become Runner's Knee, I'd need to treat it regularly with the foam roller & tape it up to aid recovery.
It goes without saying that this is self inflicted. Tight calves have caused most of my issues since 2010 & a combination of that & some dodgy glutes will also be adding to the pain. The good news is this pain has been with me for a couple of months, so I can't land the blame at the door of the new trainers. So it is time to lean sideways on the foam roller for some excruciating strengthening, or use a handheld roller. To this point I've been more successful with the hand held massage stick, mainly due to the muscles being very tender after the massage.
When I did venture out on Thursday I felt reasonable. I had some new kit to break in, some New Balance trail shoes to accommodate the variable conditions faced at the Great Notley parkrun. With a visit due on Saturday I attempted to navigate around Stansted in search of grass to run on. Albeit this stretched as far as a lap of the recreation ground, not a huge success! I'd also see a hill segment from the train station up to Forest Hall School on Strava so gave that climb a go to see how I'd fare.
The exploits and exertions of the Stansted 10k left me feeling rather tender as the week started, the plan being to run on Tuesday, Thursday & then Saturday. Tuesday's run didn't happen as my left achilles was still tight following the hills of Stansted. Tuesday was a revelatory day though. I had my regular physio planned, once my back was sorted I asked if I could have my IT Band checked over. Although Paula had experienced a bad ITB previously, her pain was generally in the knee itself where as mine was manifesting in the ITB itself. After some necessarily painful massage I was told that yes, I have some ITB inflammation & though I'd caught it before it had become Runner's Knee, I'd need to treat it regularly with the foam roller & tape it up to aid recovery.
It goes without saying that this is self inflicted. Tight calves have caused most of my issues since 2010 & a combination of that & some dodgy glutes will also be adding to the pain. The good news is this pain has been with me for a couple of months, so I can't land the blame at the door of the new trainers. So it is time to lean sideways on the foam roller for some excruciating strengthening, or use a handheld roller. To this point I've been more successful with the hand held massage stick, mainly due to the muscles being very tender after the massage.
When I did venture out on Thursday I felt reasonable. I had some new kit to break in, some New Balance trail shoes to accommodate the variable conditions faced at the Great Notley parkrun. With a visit due on Saturday I attempted to navigate around Stansted in search of grass to run on. Albeit this stretched as far as a lap of the recreation ground, not a huge success! I'd also see a hill segment from the train station up to Forest Hall School on Strava so gave that climb a go to see how I'd fare.
Great Notley parkrun
Saturday morning saw me returning to the scene of my volunteering crime the week previously, this week to the relief of many (including Len) in running gear so that the only race I could spoil would be my own. The journey over had brought rain, so many of us were in hope that we'd at least get some to break the humidity of the morning. I was tempted to run in a vest, but the lure of the parkrun 50 shirt was too much. My knee and ITB were covered in KT Tape, one of the world's most expensive forms of sticky tape, especially in the UK. I'm still sceptical as to how much good it does, time will tell.
I lined up alongside Paul, though he was doing his own thing, no pacing duties on this occasion. We were soon on our way & finding out that the heavy rainfall had left many puddles around the course. At first I avoided them, then remembered I had the trail shoes on & could be more direct with my running. After chatting to Len who was running for the first time having been Race Director for the first three, I settled into a rhythm, hoping rather than expecting to run strong. The most solid surface was the brief sand pit section. Usually tough, the overnight rain had left it like a beach with the tide out.
With this being my second outing at Notley I was still getting to know the circuit and the various turns involved. My pace seemed reasonable though, just under 5:00 for the first kilometre. With a sub 25 being a hopeful target and a big hill to follow I knew my pace needed to maintain or preferably speed up to accommodate the climb and subsequent recovery.
I lined up alongside Paul, though he was doing his own thing, no pacing duties on this occasion. We were soon on our way & finding out that the heavy rainfall had left many puddles around the course. At first I avoided them, then remembered I had the trail shoes on & could be more direct with my running. After chatting to Len who was running for the first time having been Race Director for the first three, I settled into a rhythm, hoping rather than expecting to run strong. The most solid surface was the brief sand pit section. Usually tough, the overnight rain had left it like a beach with the tide out.
With this being my second outing at Notley I was still getting to know the circuit and the various turns involved. My pace seemed reasonable though, just under 5:00 for the first kilometre. With a sub 25 being a hopeful target and a big hill to follow I knew my pace needed to maintain or preferably speed up to accommodate the climb and subsequent recovery.
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| Lap 1 - Smiles & Thumbs Up |
I was able to give a thumbs up as I passed the photographer near the lake but disappointed as my second kilometre wasn't any quicker, a negative split post hill would be required. As the hill of doom approached I seemed to adopt a rather cavalier attitude. I attacked the hill, driving myself up it, overtaking a couple of runners on my way. Perhaps it was Stockholm syndrome but I appeared to be enjoying the climb! The unrelenting Stansted 10k had given me even more confidence with my ability to ascend and a bemused Paula was able to picture me giving another thumbs up after she'd walked to the top just to take photos.
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| Finding some kind of enjoyment in conquering the hill, need my head checking! |
There was no bird touching to be done this week, a PB was in sight! Despite the peak being the highest point of the park there was still no rain to be found so I descended in the dank, humid conditions. The trail shoes certainly helped, giving a firmer base to navigate down, knowing you're unlikely to slip is an added bonus.
The descend was potentially slower than the ascend as I tried to fill my lungs once more and recover. A third km of 5:09 was both good and bad news. Bad in that I would be over a 25:00, but good that I'd lost minimal time on the climb, even if Strava is trying to tell me I was only a second faster than my first attempt!
On a normal parkrun my fourth kilometre is usually my weakest as I grow weary before a final push. I couldn't afford that to be the case on this occasion and got back down to a 5:00/km pace. In theory if I could maintain pace I'd be in touching distance of a 25. I carried the pace into the final click, finding a decent rhythm. Soon I was approaching the finish, a length of a grassy field before a ninety degree turn and last sprint to the line. As I entered the field I passed the cheerful tail runner and then gave some encouragement to core team member Dan. A glance of the watch told me I could maintain and should be absent cross at 25. Despite knowing I'd started my watch just before the official start (always a good motivating tool, rob yourself of vital seconds in a cheap psychological trick), my competitive juices kicked in, I couldn't help but put everything into the finish! A strong end to the field and I was turning for home and into another gear to the finish. The photographic evidence suggests I might have even raised my knees properly, something Sean has been trying to get me to do for years!
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| Approaching the finish line, less smiles...... |
I crossed the line and realised just how disgustingly soaked I was. The humidity was off the scale, I'd not been like this on a run since the Reggae Half in Jamaica!!! I'd clocked an unofficial 24:48 so was in a great mood after the run as I slumped on a bench!
The Eat
If you're not a fan of hills then another reason to visit Notley is to take on the post race spread of cakes. Once I'd recovered slightly I approached the table and made a predictable choice of tiffin. I'm told the other cakes are equally good, but unless a lemon drizzle is going to start being chocolate covered I'm only going to opt for the magnificent tiffin! Being on volunteering duty next week I might have to contribute to the cake table. Unfortunately my millionaires shortbread can be notorious for not setting so a savoury addition of sausage rolls might get the vote.
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| Cake table - Although I only have eyes for Tiffin... |
We definitely didn't head into Tesco's straight after to pick up some chocolate milk and a donut afterwards. That definitely did not happen!
The Conclusion
Although I've not covered any significant distances so far & we're a quarter of the way to Richmond, I feel decent at the moment. All of my injuries are in check & manageable. My pace is really good & if I can get some long runs under my belt then I'm confident I'll be able to deliver a PB in Richmond. My climbing is getting better, which is only going to pay dividends on flat or fast courses.
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| Run Britain handicap - shows my 2012 - 2013 decline quite nicely |
The recent mass updates to the Run Britain website also means that my handicap is finally up to date. The Southend parkrun time of 23:31 meant that my handicap dropped below 15, to 14.9 for the first time (think of it like a golf handicap). Surprisingly the course conditions on Saturday were deemed more favourable than the first event (though I still don't get how they work that work), yet the 24:44 is the 6th best run I've ever completed in pure handicap terms. If I can get down to a 24:30 in this current training cycle then a visit to Chelmsford to attack a 23:30 could well be on.
And Finally
Some debate in the Holt household current regarding how Run Bling should be displayed. Our house is currently being renovated and this has led to a difference of opinion. I'd like to hang our medals and some bibs in a part of our dining room that'll double up as a home office. Paula on the other hand wants the shiny to be consigned to the garage, as it is too showy & boastful. I quite like the idea of being boastful, after all we've worked hard for each of those medals!
The renovations have also provided a potential third option. Our utility room / downstairs toilet is probably going to end up painted in brilliant white or something to that effect just to maximise the light in the room. With that in mind we'll need to accessorise the room to give it a less clinical feel. Why not put the medals in there? Might as well put the medal mooses on the wall behind the toilet, it's either going to be that or some horrendous stuff we paid tourist tax for in Jamaica!!!
So where do you keep or display your Run Bling?
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