Saturday 2 March 2013

XC Summary

Right, I haven't posted a blog in a while as I was struggling to find time to update it on a weekly basis. Also not helped by breaking my Garmin, twice! So I've now got a new Garmin and thought would what be easier is to give an update on a larger amount of time.

So, reading over my last blog it looks like I got up to the beginning of December, where I smashed my 10 mile PB in 54:28. This was followed up by a solid 70 mile week but then the next week I picked up an injury in my foot. A few days off running and some orthotics and I was good to go again. The next race I had targeted was Ribble Valley 10k, which on paper from previous years looked to be a massively stacked field. So on 31st December, fueled on Dominos, Aaron Snotti (silent I), Bowzzer and myself headed up to Blackburn. With my previous PB of 33:17, on very tired legs at Leeds I thought a PB was inevitable, but due to conditions I had to be satisfied with 33:23, when looking back on it is better than I initially thought. Matt had a great run and came 2nd as did Aaron in 9th.

The following week was the county champs where I knew compared to my dismal 30 odd last year, I stood a chance of making the county team, Looking on the start list there were a few late entries which looked to be definite qualifiers and news had arose a few people were being given byes which did make it harder, although a closely fought 6th got the job done. I was also pleased to finish near Mike Salt and Sullivan Smith.

The following week I smashed out my longest run to date, 18.01 in 2:00:00 with Aaron again, nice to pick up the last few miles as well, last 4 were all around 6:10 pace. This was then followed up by properly my best training run I've done before, a 10 mile tempo in 56:45 (time includes fall, http://connect.garmin.com/activity/262957276 - if you look closely you can see it). Although I was really pleased with this at the time, it has caused me a heap of problems. When I slipped over, on ice, I slightly tore my hip flexer. This was initially okay and I managed to get a really good session in the same week with Aaron in Stamford. However the following week it reduced my mileage slightly, and the following week it caused me to have to rest it. Unfortunately I had to make the decision not to run at Dewsbury 10k, where I was looking to break 33 minutes still.

After a bit of rest the groin started to clear up v slowly, to the point I could run through it with slight discomfort (not painfully though). This meant I could still go to Armagh and compete in basically, the best 5k field I had ever run against, in the best set up and event I'll probably compete in for a long time. The trip included what seems to be the standard LWAC problems which started with a close shave making the plane. With heavy snow on the way up to Manchester, after picking Shane up in Lincoln, there was stand still traffic on M62 all the way from Leeds. We did make it in time, just, and arrived in Armagh to get the dominos fuel in again.
When we arrived at the hotel we picked our numbers up (and expenses for flights and food, which was a nice surprise) and then headed for an early night. 2 mile shake out in the morning followed by a nap and a lot of chilled time was followed. Then an adventure around Armagh to find lunch.
For the race itself I was still slightly doubtful of my groin as there was still some discomfort but after a good warm up it was okay. I finished in 15:57, which was a PB for me and with the poor preparation I was happy with this. Hopefully the start of a lot more to come this year. The race was followed by a messy, messy night...
When coming back from Armagh, I knew I would be tired as our flight was late afternoon and I had to drive back from Manchester to then be up at 6am to go to Southerns. To my great pleasure Easyjet's plane broke down on the run way (engine leak) so our flight was delayed by 5 hours.

When arriving home at 2am I then packed my bag for the morning and tried to get some sleep. What seemed to be 10 minutes was 4 hours and I was on the coach to London. This really was the test on my groin, 15k round Parliament Hill would expose any niggle and I went into the race with a 75% expectation to pull out due to it. In the end it was fine and I think I raced quite sensibly, with a strong first half a mile I then settled in and moved back through half way through the 2nd lap. Finishing 62nd.

Another easy week followed and then I went up to Sunderland for Nationals. Straight from work on Friday evening I went up with Aaron, Matt Blunden and Sam Mitchell (it turned out that I was able to get a place in Notts hotel, as a replacement for a certain 'Katie Fox'). I thought Southerns the week before was bad, but the mud here was horrific, at least this was only 12k though. In the race I did seem to struggle more than the week before, I'm not sure if this was due to the cold conditions, or the fact I had 15k of Parliament Hill still in my legs. But whatever it was my hamstrings would not move throughout. I ended up at 161st, compared to my result last year of 134th in the U20 race I think this shows my massive improvements. Big well done to Aaron for 12th, not bad for a shuffler.
Again, a messy night followed and the run in the morning was some what eventful too. After missing the start, I spent the next 3 miles catching the rest of the group up, through what could only be described as death traps! After catching the group my groin was a bit sore and whilst in deep conversation with one of the Notts lads we looked up and seemed to be out the back door to the point we couldn't even see them! We then navigated, using roads, our way back to Durham (including the odd sick stop), even though we seemed to do 20 minutes more than the rest of the group.

That then brings us to the last week which has been my biggest mileage week so far in a long time. My groin is almost completely cleared up, and I don't think I've really lost much fitness. With inter counties on the horizon I'll be having an easy week next week, especially after smashing my first session out with the Bedford lads this morning. If anything I learnt that I can't run up hills.

This would now fit nicely into my next bit of news, which is that (with no problems in clearing) I'll be transferred to Bedford and County AC for April 1st. I think this was always going to be in the pipeline and I think now is the right time for me to move, so this means tomorrow, at the Frostbite it will be my last race in a NVH vest.

Following onto intercounties, I've also got an entry for Reading Half so will be looking to smash my PB there as well. With T&F coming up soon I'm really excited to see how my times can come down!

Thanks for reading.




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