 I've been suffering with a hamstring and foot injury for the last month or so, so despite doing two half marathons and a 10k since Edinburgh, my summer training has been somewhat hampered, I suspect I overdid the hill sessions! Anyway, despite not being fully recovered from these ongoing injuries and the loss of some serious training, I still managed to complete number 423 yesterday in the 9th running of the Wolverhampton Marathon in a time of 3:16:05 and finish in 23rd place (12th vet) out of 218 finishers. This is an undulating 2 lap course starting and finishing in West Park, combined with a half marathon and relay, it is quite a popular event. I knew I was going to find this one tough going, due to the lack of miles over the last couple of months and the risk that my injuries would worsen by running the full distance. However, I was surprised to run a good first lap in 1:35, a little fast really, but at least the injuries were holding up. My second lap performance was not so great and I had to dig deep over the final few miles to get anywhere near the 3:15 barrier and just missed out in the end. If I'm honest, I didn't expect to break that one today anyway, so I should be pleased at getting somewhere near it. I'm scheduled to run a marathon every Sunday in September, so I'm pleased to get that one under my belt and touch wood, no setbacks from my injuries. Next week, the first ever Mablethorpe Marathon.
I completed marathon number 424 yesterday in the 1st ever Mablethorpe Marathon. They might have publicised this race as being flat and PB worthy, but as temperatures soured to 75 degrees by the time race started at 11am, I knew it was going to be a hard slog along those long windy unsheltered Lincolnshire lanes! This is a single lap course and from the off, I ran sensibly as I knew things would get tough towards the end, so I set off at 7:30'sh pace and almost maintained this to the finish. Going through half way in 1:38, my eventual finishing time was 3:18:44 but this still got me 12th place (8th Vet) out of 192 finishers. The winning time was only 2:44 and only 3 runners completed the course in under 3 hours which says it all really. I never perform well in these temperatures and thinking about the longer term goal, a degree of self preservation is required. Therefore, I will never push myself as hard as I would normally when conditions are perhaps more favourable for marathon running. I just hope that next Sunday will be a little cooler in the New Forest
I completed my 425th marathon in the New Forest event on Sunday and
clocked 3:22:45 as I finished in 34th place out of 367 finishers. This
was my 3rd marathon in 15 days and it felt like it! As last week, the
conditions were not really ideal for long distance running as it was
warm and humid for most of the race. The winning time was 2:49 and only
10 runners finished inside the 3 hours.
The hamstring and foot injury are still hampering my ability to run
completely pain free and I was also aware of the climbs in the second
half of the race. So I started out at around a 7:35 mile pace and
reached halfway in 1:39. However, the hamstring was really started to
pull, such that every climb was a real struggle and I knew it would be a
case of digging deep and trying to ignore the pain for the final few
miles. I was relieved to put another sub 3:30 marathon on the total
which keeps my average well under the target goal.
So, its back to the ice packs and deep massages this week as I prepare
for what is advertised as the toughest road race in Great Britain - the
Great Langdale which is next Sunday.
This event is advertised as the toughest road marathon in Britain and it certainly lived up to its name. The course is 2 laps with several steep climbs including a couple of 1in 4s on each lap! I had no idea what to expect and taking into account my injuries, I ran the first lap conservatively in 1:46, I'm glad I did. It's little wonder that some runners decide to finish after the first lap and get a half marathon time when they realise what they have to look forward to second time around!
My finishing time was 3:33:44 and I finished in 11th place (4th vet) out of about 100 starters, however only 77 actually completed the course. The winner was the one and only runner who managed to complete it in under 3 hours, but what amazed me more was that only 6 runners completed in under 3:30. Having said all that, it is probably the most scenic road marathon in Britain, the views and landscape are simply amazing and just about make it worth going through the agony of running it.
It's early days yet, but touch wood, the injuries don't appear to have worsened after running this tough marathon. I have 3 weeks now until the next one in Leicestershire. Again, more ice packs and massage, just hope I can pick up again for the remaining marathons of the year.
Last Sunday, I ran round the rolling hills of South Leicestershire to complete marathon number 427 and record a time of 3:17:32, 2 minutes slower than last year but then I wasn't carrying any injuries then. Both injuries appear to be on the mend now, however the hamstring problem is still hampering my ability to run at normal pace completely pain free. My finishing position was 21st out of 146 finishers, a bigger entry than last year, so with the half marathon as well, it's becoming a popular event for October. The race went just about going as planned as I passed through halfway in 1:37, but as last year, just couldn't quite maintain the pace to dip under the 3:15. It is a hilly marathon and there's not even a let up in the last few miles, in fact miles 20-24 are pretty hard going, so definitely not a PB course! Its the Abingdon marathon next week, a lot flatter course, but only a week to recover, so we'll see what happens
As last year, the entry limit of 1000 was reached well before the closing date such is the popularity of this event. Similarly, my finish time was only 4 seconds different to last year as I completed the course in 3:13:46 to finish in 120th place. Going through halfway in 1:36:30, I was pleased to pace this about right and record my first sub 3:15 since June with only slight discomfort. So it would appear that my injuries are at last on the mend, however, the real test of this will be in mid November when I run my next marathon, the tough Cornish event!
Well this marathon proved the real test for my ongoing injuries and I'm afraid to say the hills found me out. This is probably the 2nd toughest marathon in Britain with several steep climbs and I clocked 3:20:59 to finish in 25th place (8th vet) out of 184 finishers, some 2 minutes slower than last year. Passing through half way in 1:38:30, I was acutely aware of the pain in this nagging hamstring injury as the up and down hill sections started to take their toll. However, its another marathon well inside 3:30 so the average for the challenge is still looking good
I am now thinking that this injury does indeed need some serious rest, so with one marathon left to do this season at Luton, my Christmas rest can't come soon enough!
The best thing about crossing the line at the end of the Luton Marathon was knowing I could put my feet up for a few weeks and have a well deserved rest. Hopefully this will give my nagging hamstring injury a chance to recover ready for next season. Having gone through halfway in 1:37, the planned sub 3:15 to finish the year on failed to materialise as I slowed on the 3rd and final lap. My time of 3:19:17 gave me 74th place out of 455 finishers, nearly 5 minutes down on last year! The hamstring on the hillier parts was giving me some jip, but the strong headwinds we had to endure for a 2 mile section on each lap didn't help either. That said, it was another one well inside the target average and it leaves me exactly 70 marathons to complete the challenge. Here's wishing everybody a merry Xmas and a happy new year.
I ran my first marathon of the year on Sunday, clocking 3:21:58 at the Draycote Water event. This used to be just a 35 mile Ultra race, but now it includes the marathon distance as well. The good news is that I completed another marathon in well under 3:30, but the bad news is that I am still suffering with my hamstring injury. I thought the rest over Xmas and a bit of physio would do the trick, but it appears to be more serious than that. Of course, it may just be taking some time to heal, but I am starting to get worried about it now, a marathon is a long way to run when your feeling the pain of a nagging injury the whole time! Anyway, I'm going to give it one more go at the Duchy Marathon in March and then if its still the same, think seriously about where I go from there. However, I desperately want to complete this challenge, so I won't be giving up easily.
The good news is that I completed the undulating 2 lap Duchy Marathon pretty much pain free which is something I've not been able to say in quite a while. The hamstring held up pretty well and touch wood, no after affects 3 days later. The not so good news is that my time slipped further towards that 3:30 barrier which I'm trying to stay under. I clocked 3:24:38 in the end having gone through halfway in 1:40. I was aiming for 3:20, so I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on myself. Erratic winter training and the fact I didn't run any races during the winter means I'm struggling when I get to around 18 miles due to the lack of miles in my legs. Hopefully, the worst of the injury is over and I can step up the training in between marathons to improve things. Despite the slower time, I finished 25th out of nearly 200, next stop Taunton in a couple of weeks time.
I clocked 3:25:20 and the hamstring injury that has plagued me for several months now is still not really 100%. Having done extra miles including hill work in training, I also wonder whether I was running tired as both hamstrings seemed pretty tight and started aching uncomfortably at about 16 miles. I went through halfway in 1:38 and thought a sub 3:20 was on the cards but I struggled to keep going once past the 18 mile point. I know that coming back after injury or towards the end of an injury can be hard but it's frustrating when you think training is going well, but you still don't seem to be able to perform on the day. I guess I'm probably being hard on myself, but that's just me. Still, its another sub 3:30 on the total and there's always London coming up in 3 weeks. Good luck to all who are running, especially if it's your first marathon.
I think that's the hottest London Marathon I've ever ran, so I was very happy with my time of 3:12:44, as it qualifies me for another automatic entry for next year. The hamstring started to tighten at about 16 miles as it has been doing of late, but I kept up the pace of around 7:20 a mile pretty much all the way until the last couple of miles when I had to really dig in to make sure I finished under 3:15. Looking at my splits online this morning, at halfway I was just under 1:36, so overall, pretty similar splits which I'm pleased about. So that's another marathon and back to under 3:15 at last, but I had to really work hard for it. The physio continues this week and I have the Shakespeare marathon on Sunday, so hopefully no after effects from the extra effort yesterday and I can start to put this long term injury behind me.
 A week after London, this was going to be a real test to see how the hamstring held out. However, I'm pleased to say that I paced a near perfect 3:23:23 clocking at Stratford having gone through halfway in 1:41:35. Its another one well under the 3:30 target, but more importantly, the hamstring, although a little tight seems to be finally well on the way to recovery. The weather conditions also helped, as it was a lot cooler than predicted and I purposely started the marathon slower than normal anticipating the weather to heat up. To my surprise, it actually stayed pretty overcast with a cool breeze, so I kept the same pace going all the way. This suited me fine and served as a good way to consolidate on last week's run. Fingers crossed, the challenge continues...
Between the 11th and 20th May, I took part in a 10 marathons in 10 days challenge organised by the Brathay Hall Trust. The marathon course, a challenging one with a few climbs was the same as that used by the actual Lake Windermere marathon which took place on 20th May. I was one of 7 runners to complete this challenge and my times ranged from 3:30 (on the last day) to 3:55, with the average being 3:46. As this was a unique event over a properly measured course, it was in fact a world record achievement.
A week later, I was lined up on the start line of Edinburgh for marathon number 436. Despite the gruelling 10 in 10 challenge, I felt in pretty good shape with my niggling hamstring injury preceding that challenge seemingly gone. I had sore Achilles tendons on both legs from the stress of running so many hills every day, however, I did set out to try and get around 3:15. After going through halfway against a headwind along the Edinburgh coastline in around 1:38, I pushed the pace a little more coming back with the wind behind me to record a negative split and a finish time of 3:12:52. I was extremely happy, not only that I had recorded another sub 3:15, but also that I felt good running again with minimum discomfort at my normal pace. The steady marathon runs over the course of the 10 in 10 challenge had obviously improved my fitness back to where I was before the injury started which was good news. Just hope that I can now keep this going and look forward to some good marathons for the rest of the year
And another week later it was onto Blackpool where in spite of the fact it was a flat course, it was set to be a very warm day. So in light of how many marathons I had run in May, I thought I would perhaps take this one a little easier. I set off at just a shade over 7:30 mile pace and felt pretty good, but I was aware that it was getting warm and that could all change as the race progressed. However, when I went through 8 miles in just under an hour and still felt surprisingly fresh and full of running, I picked up my pace a little such that I went through halfway in just under 1:35. After that, it just got better, I felt good and got stronger as the race went on, even at 20 miles I was feeling strong. It was at this point that I thought I'd got nothing to lose, so I went up a gear and thought I'd see how well I could run the last 10k. I clocked 3:07:53 at the finish line with the last 10km taking me just under 43 minutes which I was really chuffed about. They say the half way point in a marathon is 20 miles. How you run after that is a good measure of your fitness and this re-assured me that at the moment, my fitness isn't looking bad. I have a bit of a break from road marathons now as the summer holiday season kicks in. So I will look to run a couple of half's and maybe do a trail marathon to hopefully maintain fitness before the next road marathon on the Isle Of Man in August.
 I hadn't done the IOM marathon for a number of years but hadn't forgotten how challenging this course was in parts. Coupled with the fact that this was my first road marathon since early June, I started off fairly steady with a 7:45 first mile, gradually progressing to 7:30
miling over the first 4 miles which was in fact the hardest part of the course. After that I slowly started to increase the pace such that I passed halfway in 1:35 and in 12th place. As this is a 2 lap course, I was conscious of the fact that I would be tackling the same hills in the first 4 miles again, hence I dropped my pace thinking I could pick up again after mile 17. Well, the plan paid off and as I picked up the pace again, I started to work my way through the field, eventually passing 6 other runners before finishing in 6th place in a time of 3:09:42.
Although more importantly, I finished 1st Vet 40 and was also lead runner home for the 100 Marathon Club which won the team prize, so I came away with 2 trophies!
Coming back here after several years reminded me of what a superb event this is, with the organisers always laying on a superb buffet for the runners and supporters afterwards. I was pleased with my performance and all in all, this was a good day considering I had only got 3 hours sleep on the boat over which left Heysham at 2am on Sunday morning! Next marathon is at Wolverhampton.
I should be getting used to this course by now, as I have run it several times over the last few years but you always forget just how undulating it is between miles 7 to 11 and as it's 2 laps, the same again at 20 to 23 miles. It looked as though it was going to be quite a warm day with the sun in full shine as we lined up at the start, so I paced myself sensibly for the first lap in around 1:36. Fortunately, there was enough cloud around to make sure it didn't get too warm and I was able to run strongly in the latter miles to record a negative split and finish with a time of 3:10:15. I came 28th out of a field of 238 finishers and looking at last year's log for this race, I ran about the same pace for the first lap, but lost ground on the 2nd, so a major improvement this year, although I was suffering with a niggling hamstring last time. The next few weeks are the busiest in the year as I have another 5 marathons scheduled before the end of October, so fingers crossed I stay injury free and am able to maintain my recent form.
I thought I would go back and run the toughest road marathon in Britain again to see if I could improve on last years time. My plan was to run about a 3:25 pace and if I got under the 3 and half hours I would have been very happy. Now, this course is tough enough with several steep climbs, including a couple of 1 in 4s and it's 2 laps, so you get those climbs twice. However, the weather conditions weren't good either, with driving wind and rain, especially on top of the hills making it even more tough. Anyway, having gone through halfway in 1:41, it was all going very well, even up to mile 20, I was still feeling pretty good. Then, I missed a right turn where a sign had blown over and continued up the same road for nearly half a mile before realising and turning back. This cost me valuable minutes and places as I could see at least one runner who was now ahead of me because of this error. Despite the fact that I ended up running about 27 miles instead of 26.2, I still managed to finish in 6th place with a time of 3:32:30 which was also good enough to take the 1st Vet 40 prize. So, I suppose I shouldn't moan too much, although I'm now thinking that I'll have to go back and try again next year, 3rd time lucky!!
I last ran the Anglesey Marathon 3 years ago when it was brought back again for the first time since the 1980's, I seem to remember that it was an undulating one lap course. Since then, it has been moved further down the coast and although it's still a one lap course, its definitely a lot more undulating than before. As well as having to contend with the hillier sections, their was an annoying headwind which seemed to be against you for at least half the way round from the start and again for the last couple of miles to the finish. However, despite the undulations and the wind, I finished in 12th place with a time of 3:11:43, with near perfect splits as I went through halfway in just under 1:36. It's nice to get some hot food at the end of this event, every runner is given a hot meal and then you can relax and watch special guest star Colin Jackson help with the prize giving, good event all round, long may it continue.
This year's Leicester Marathon was brought back into the city centre for the first time since the 1980's and although it was advertised as a fairly flat course, I would have personally said it was more undulating than flat. However, the weather conditions were pretty good for running, so I set out a little faster than normal to see if I could get a bit nearer to 3 hours. Having passed through halfway in 1:33:30, everything was going really well until I got to 20 miles, then the dreaded cramp hit me in the right foot which meant I had to slow down for a mile. Luckily, the cramp subsided and I was able to pick up the pace again for the final 4 miles. This ensured I still finished with my second fastest time of the year, 3:08:34 for 57th place out of 570 finishers. Top 10% for a city marathon, have to be happy with that. On a personal level, the finish time was more significant as it was my 100th Sub 3:10 marathon in 19 years of marathon running, something I'm quite proud of. Two more marathons coming up over the next couple of weekends, both a little tougher I would say, Dartmoor Vale and Snowdon!
The last time I ran this marathon was two years ago when it was held in June, I remember it being a warm day and me losing time over the last few miles and missing out on a sub 3:15 by 3 minutes or so. Well, this time, I wanted to make amends and hopefully at a cooler time of the year, I was feeling confident. Little did I know that the course had also been changed such that where it was once just undulating, it now had two good climbs in it and as its two laps, these climbs had to be done twice. Un-phased after realising this at about the 10 mile point, I completed lap one in just over 1:36 before steadying my pace a little in readiness for the two climbs again. I thought, if I can get these out the way with a steady pace, I can make up my time over the last 10k. Well the plan paid off, as I got to the end of the second climb, 20 miles in 2:28. I then put my foot down to try and make up the time I'd lost on the climbs and eventually came in with the clock showing 3:12:30, even splits and the last 10k done in 44 minutes. I came 15th overall, then to my surprise I also realised that I'd won the 3rd vet 40 prize, so an added bonus to another sub 3:15
I last ran this marathon in 1999 and remember the hard slog up the Llanberis pass early on in the race and a huge hill at 21 miles. My plan was to get as near to 3:15 as possible, being realistic, I didn't think I'd break 3:15 today having only completed the Dartmoor Marathon just 6 days ago. However, I thought a sub 3:20 wasn't out of the question. Well, everything went according to plan, passing through halfway in about 1:38:30. I had forgotten about the 2 mile uphill drag just after halfway, but even after this, I made my time up again such that I hit 20 miles in just over 2:30. However, the hill at 21 miles just went on and on, such that I eventually ran out of steam. I didn't stop running, but I was going that slow, I think I could have walked faster! Anyway, I finally reaching the summit after what seemed like about 2 miles of steep climb and put my foot down for one last effort over the final 3 miles to try and get under the 3:20. But alas, I just missed out and recorded 3:22:27 to finish 82nd out of about 1200 starters. I guess the tiredness had finally caught up with me trying to race 3 marathons in just 14 days, 2 of which were pretty demanding courses, Snowdon especially. But what a superb event this still is, plenty of tea, coffee and biscuits at the end, a lovely atmosphere and glorious scenery, definitely one to do if you haven't already.
I can't quite work out whether this marathon is tougher than the Snowdon having now run them both so close together, but they are certainly on a par. This tough out and back course over Bodmin Moor is not for the faint hearted, especially as weather conditions nearly always prove difficult and yesterday was no exception. Freezing driving rain meant that several runners had to withdraw with hyperthermia, as for me, I was quite pleased with my run given the conditions. Despite having numb toes and fingers at the end, my time was 3:16:54 and I was 9th vet (25th overall) out of over 220 starters. It was certainly a quicker time than on the last two occasions, so I have to be pleased with that and it's another marathon well inside the target time. As always, the venue facilities are superb, nice hot showers and then complimentary hot Cornish pasty, tea and coffee. Just what you need to recover after doing this event!
I was glad to see the finish line of this, my last marathon of the year. As seems to be the norm now, this challenging 3 lap course is accompanied with strong head winds for a long sections of the course which means having to work so hard to keep up a normal pace. I was hoping to finish the year with one last sub 3:15, however, I just failed with my time of 3:16:44 which got me 53rd place out of 536 finishers. Anyway, as it was at Cornwall a couple of weeks ago, my time was slightly quicker than last year and well under my target time, so that's a big positive.
Overall, I would say this year has gone very well for me, having shaken off the nagging hamstring injury that plagued me for over 6 months, I managed to maintain my schedule and record a number of finish times well inside my target average. Having now also moved into the vet 45 category, I hope to be doing a bit of pot hunting next year as the challenge continues!. Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to all. Regards Steve
|
