Captain Sensible

I suppose if I was really sensible I’d just stop for a while, or go and see someone about the leg. However, my version of sensible was to go out for a fairly easy run yesterday morning up Stonebarrow Lane, down to the end of the car park and back again. Leg got a bit sore, but I’m getting used to that.

Despite the lack of miles recently, still managed to get up the hill without having to walk it. Now that we’re living down in the middle of Charmouth there’s not much point in driving up the lane to the car park, might as well just run from home. Might drive up there one day though so that I can do some comparison runs against the time from last year.

Yesterday was just under 6km at an average of 6m 11s per km, including 8m 46s for the km that was all up hill.

Still pleased with last weeks Portland 10k. I worked out that it was 230m short as they missed out a bit of the course near the end. No idea why, but I could see it on the map that was filed with the official course measurement website. Maybe there was a problem with the road or something. I enjoyed it, and will definitely be back next year.

I can’t count the sub 50 minute time as a PB as the course was too short, but have decided to count the time I recalculated for the full distance. So from now on I will count my official PB as 51m exactly.

As for this year, well it looks like the plan is to run as often as my leg will allow up to the Charmouth Challenge in July, then after that maybe take a month off to see if it heals. If I’m lucky and don’t push too hard it may heal before then. Definitely going to do the race, but 1h 30m target is looking doubtful.

If anyone’s interested, the Gadget data from Portland 10k is recorded here.

Portland 10k – Round the Rock 2010

I’m injured, I’m unfit, and I can still kick arse.

Decided to run, I think we all knew I’d do that didn’t we? Leg muscle was tight and uncomfortable again yesterday, but not bad enough to call it off. Forecast was dire, but I’m getting used to that too.

Got there early enough to have a drive round most of the course, fairly straightforward loop round the uphill bit of the island, with a small extra loop to make up the distance near the start.

All seemed well organised, cost me £9 including the extra for registering on the day, so that was very reasonable. Sun came out for the half hour before we started, but soon went in again. At least the forecast rain stayed away.

Made my normal back of the pack start, working my way forward to find people running at the pace I wanted. Had intended to aim for about 5m 30s kms, but as leg was not too bad started off with 5m 10s and 5m 6s. I could feel it pulling a bit, but not sore at that stage.

Didn’t take long either to be aware that the kilometer timings on the Gadget were coming up well after the kilometer markers. So either the first kilometer was short, or maybe the Gadget isn’t as accurate as I’d like to think. Will keep an eye on the Runners World race reviews to see if anyone else mentions it.

Kilometers 3 to 5 were all downhill and I was getting a good tow from someone, so did 4m 40, 4m 40, and 4m 35. After that it was four kilometers of steady uphill, 5m 20, 5m 31, 5m 43, before turning for home.

Leg started to get sore after about 7 or 8k, definitely slowing me down a bit after that, but I knew I was well ahead of schedule so kept going at the best pace I could even though people were starting to come past me for the first time.

Stopped the gadget at least 10m after the line, but still only showed 9.77km. Not sure what to make of that.

Organisers were super-efficient, results were printed off and on the wall about ten minutes after I crossed the line. My official gun time was only one second different to my recorded time.

So for the record . . .  I came 58th . . . in (officially) 49m 53s. Easily a personal best, and amazing considering my leg injury and level of fitness.

If it was short, and I’m not saying it was, but an extra 230m at my final km pace would have added another 67s giving 51m dead, 1 second inside my previous best.

So there you go, I think I’ll take their word for it. 49m 53s. Thank you very much.

Having trouble walking now. Probably be in trouble tomorrow.

Back in action?

First run for two weeks this morning. This inner thigh muscle is still not healing. It feels like someone has taken it out, shortened it by an inch, and then put it back again, it’s that tight. Had to go into Exeter on Monday, and just walking around town it got more and more sore.

So today just did a light four and a bit km at 5m 34s per km pace. I could feel it pulling but it was never bad enough to stop. Now I wait and see how it feels tomorrow and Saturday before deciding whether or not to do Portland 10k on Sunday morning. I think it’s likely I’ll do it and just jog round in an hour. I really want to do it as I used to live there as a kid and I think the route goes past our old house.

After that I have to decide what to do. Charmouth Challenge is only two months away. So do I take time off to try and get the leg to heal, but end up too unfit to make a decent run of it?  Or do I carry on running, keep the fitness up, but then the leg never heals and could get worse?  I think I’ll see how I am next week. If it’s still bad I’ll use the £40 I won at poker on Tuesday to go and see a sports physio.

Watch this space.

I’m Back

And I’m not going on holiday again, ever. What a nightmare. I guess Jersey isn’t the worst place in the world to be stranded, but boy did those credit cards take a beating.

Did fit in a couple of runs while I was there. First was a long gentle run from Les Ormes where we stayed, down to La Corbiere Lighthouse and back. Did 10.3km in 59m 10s, for a 5m 44s per km average.

Then decided I needed to see if I could still maintain a decent pace, so went for a short sharp run on the seafront between St Aubin and St Helier. Did 6km in 29m 55s, for a 4m 59s per km average. Pushed it near the end so the last km was 4m 32s. Bad news was that the thigh muscle was really sore the next day. But that will recover, so I’m pretty happy overall.

Will almost certainly do the Portland 10k, but will enter on the day.