Gutted

Not running Southbourne 10k tomorrow. The sore leg muscle has got worse and it’s hurting just standing around or walking. I could probably jog round, but I’m not making a three hour round trip for that.

It’s not the hamstring, the strain is on the inside of my leg, halfway between knee and groin. I can feel it pulling even while I sit here and type. Can’t even point to one occasion when I did it, just seems to have come on gradually over the last week. Not helped of course by spending the last few days humping boxes and furniture round the house getting ready to move next week.

I’m just gutted.  I’ve been out in the cold pushing myself all winter for a crack at my PB on this fast and flat course, but it’s just not sensible to go and I know it.

So it’s a week or so off, then back into training again to get ready for Portland 10k in May.

Cheesed off from Charmouth.

Last run before Southbourne 10k

Took it easy, did a couple of laps round Langdon Hill. Not quite as muddy as last time.

Didn’t feel great, legs felt very tight especially right hamstring. Probably to do with humping lots of boxes around the house getting ready to move next week. Seems like a good excuse to take it easy over the next couple of days and let my wife do most of the hard work!

Forecast for Southbourne 10k on Sunday is cold, but more worryingly windy. That could make it hard work setting a PB.

So, as I’ve said before: Initial target is my recent PB of 51m 29s, hard target all time PB of 51m 01s. If it was warm and calm I’d be aiming for the mythical 50m barrier. Guess I wait and see what the day brings.

Will report back Sunday night providing PC is not in a box. Otherwise no idea when as broadband takes ages to sort out.

Sunshine after the Rain

Decided to stay away from my normal routes after another 48 hours of intermittent rain, would have been a complete mudfest. So ran from home instead. Down the hill into and through Charmouth, up Stonebarrow Lane and then back along the same route. 7km with 300m of climbing in 46m 23s. Hard work, especially on the shins going down and the calves going up.

Not much else to report. Although I did see a seal off Charmouth beach yesterday.

Only one more run before Southbourne and my assault on a new PB. About 250 entrants so far with a week and a half to go. Late entries are accepted.

On the nature of mud

There’s a rumour that the eskimos have a whole collection of words to describe the different types of snow, here in West Dorset I think we should be developing an equivalent lexicon for mud.

I went out for my scheduled short run around Langdon Hill yesterday morning earlier than normal. With a weather front closing in, and light rain already starting I decided to get my gear on, drop the kids at school and head straight off. With a temperature around four degrees and rain increasing decided to wear my Brookes waterproof jacket for the first time and cap too. It was an unpleasant, but necessary run. By the end it was a mixture of rain, sleet and snow.

At the southern end of the loop there’s a wet patch, and the rain of the last few days has just made it worse. The track must have a fairly hard base somewhere, so the mud is not too deep but it holds the water and is very sloppy. It starts off brown and gritty, dark water standing in the footholes. The sort of mud that splashes half-way up your legs as you jog through it. Then it starts to get stickier, the clay base starting to turn the water yellow. The sort of mud that would be at home on The Somme. This is a bit thicker, it grabs at your trainers threatening to yank them off at any moment. The only recourse is to walk through it, step by sucking step, or try to edge along the side of the path scraping past the brambles. You have no idea how much I’m looking forward to the summer.

I’ll be out again on Friday. I’m hoping that the weather dries out a bit but not holding out much hope. The muddy chute awaits . . .

12 days to Southbourne 10

13 days until we move (consider this official notice Sis)

19 days to the first grand prix

Four and a half months to Charmouth Challenge 2010

Now that’s better . . .

First off, did do a short run on Wednesday. But it was short, hilly, muddy and boring, so couldn’t be bothered to inflict it on you.

Today however, was glorious. So consider yourselves well and truly inflicted. Did the usual winter 9km loop in a fairly average time. But the sun was out, blue skies, no wind and fantastically clear air. From the top of Golden Cap I could easily see 20 miles or more west along the coast to Portland, and the same to the east past Lyme Regis and along round the bay. After a couple of months of cold grey days it was a real revelation. I reminder of what I really enjoy about running. Running on the coast paths is just the best thing ever. Yes, it was still muddy and a bit chilly to start, but in the sheltered spots with the sun on my back it could have been summer.

Started off a bit quick, set new records for the first three kilometers, and that’s despite five hours of sleep as I was up watching Amy Williams in the skeleton bob. Only really lost time on the muddy bits. So a good run. The sort that leaves you smiling.

So long run today, short one probably Tuesday, medium run next Friday, then a short run midweek before the Southbourne 10k the following Sunday. Really looking forward to that as I’ve said before, and really hope to run as close to 50 mins as possible.

Mid-week short run

As promised did a shorter but quicker run this morning. Pretty cold as usual, mainly due to the brisk northerly(?) breeze. Just did a couple of laps round the Langdon Hill loop which has some up and down, but not too much. Enough flat stuff to maintain a quicker pace at times which is what I was after.

Only did 4.5km, but at an average of 5m 22 per km pace, with a quick last km of 4m 53s. I’m really hoping that when I do the Southbourne 10k race in three and a half weeks, I’ll be able to maintain a pace somewhere around 5m to 5m 10s per km. First intention is to beat the 51m 29s from Boscombe 10k, but I really want to get down as close to 50m as I can. I’m hoping they don’t call it ‘flat and fast’ for nothing.

Now according to the gadget, there was actually 205m of ascent in total over the two laps this morning. I’m starting to have some doubts about how accurate this figure is. I’ve noticed that my 9km weekend run that I have done three times recently had 499m, 528m or 537m of ascent depending on which week you choose. Go figure.

Sunday Update

Short run today. Had planned just to do some speed work round Langdon Hill, but it was way too popular with walkers, etc. Had a job finding a parking space. So decided on a hilly loop up Golden Cap, down the other side and back along the road. Lane was a bit icy, but managed to stay upright. Right wrist still hurts a bit from the fall I had on the ice a month ago. No idea what I did, but it only seems to be getting better very slowly. Ligaments or something I suppose.

Found it hard work again, particularly on the calf muscles. Then again I did do 350m of climb in a 5k run.

Five weeks to Southbourne 10k. Looking forward to running on the flat!

The best laid plans of mice and men . . .

. . . oft go awry.

Or in other words things didn’t quite go to plan today. I was supposed to be repeating Monday’s run, but this time taking the Orbana energy drink before I set off to see if it improved performance.

Unfortunately, it had been raining all night and all morning. It eased off slightly around 10:30 so decided to knock back the drink and head out, suitably attired for the weather of course. By the time I got to the far end of Stonebarrow car park it was so misty that I could only see about 30 yards! What the heck. Set off anyway, but after about 10 yards of the first field I was up to my ankles in water . . . and this is at the top of the hill. So there was no way I could do any sort of normal route. The comparison run will have to wait for next week. Sorry Annabel.

Decided to just run back down the length of the car park, down Stonebarrow Lane, then turn round and come back. 5km in all, so a short run with a big hill. Total run took 32m 10s, but the important kilometer up Stonebarrow Lane took 8m 58s with 123m of climb. On the last occasion that I tried that climb it took 9m 55s. So am I getting better, or was it the Orbana. Impossible to say when I’m comparing two runs that are three months apart. And that’s why I need to do a repeat of Monday’s 9km route as soon as possible. Looks like maybe next Tuesday or Wednesday.

Just over six weeks to Southbourne 10k.

Snowy Sunday Slog

Decided that I ought to get out, snow or not. Fortunately we’ve only had half an inch of the stuff so it wasn’t that bad. Main problem is all the icy side roads and pavements. Only practical place to run today was round the woods at Langdon Hill again, although getting up the lane to it was a bit of fun in our little Yaris. One of those days where you’re really glad that there’s nothing coming the other way.

The track round the woods wasn’t too bad, mostly running on packed snow so grip was reasonable. Wore beanie hat and gloves today and was perfectly warm enough. Did three laps, 6.54km, 36m 52s, 5m 36s per k average. Can’t afford not to run as I’m still hoping to set a PB in the Southbourne 10k in less than two months time.

Not sure if I’ll get out again this week, more snow forecast for Tuesday or Wednesday.

Short Run

Decided to squeeze in a quick run this morning after seeing the dire weather forecast for tonight and tomorrow. So far we have escaped all snow down here, it’s just been icy with clear blue skies. However, if you believe the Met Office then tonight and tomorrow morning we are due for an ‘extreme weather event’. Yeah right, believe that when I see it. Chances are that being on the coast we’ll get next to nothing. We’ll just have to wait and see. As long as I can get to and from Poker tonight at The Clock in Chideock I don’t care.

Anyway, did a couple of laps around Langdon Hill. Short run, but worked hard and felt it was definitely worth doing. Still determined to keep running twice a week if possible from now on.

Sent off my entry form today for the Southbourne 10k on March 7th.