Running Under the Influence of Jack Daniels

beeduybe

I'm a regular visitor to the A/R/T forum but not a very regular poster but i've decided to change that by starting my own training log.

Have been running for the last two years starting off with short distances like BHAA and club races and gradually moved up to marathon distance last month when I completed DCM.

My racing up to this point has been more about just showing up and running as opposed to training towards specific targets.

So I have decided to start logging my training with the following goal in mind:

Run a PB for each of the below distances by the end of 2012:

1 Mile
Current PB - 6.41

3k
Current PB - 12.57

Both of these times were run in the South O'Hanlon AC track races in Navan. As they are starting up again on Wednesday for 6 weeks alternating between the two distances I hope to achieve a PB in both by the end of the year.

5k
Current PB - 22.52
Possible 2012 PB Race: Na Fianna 22nd May

4 Miles
Current PB - 28.44
Possible 2012 PB Race: Dunboyne 25th March

6k
Current PB - 28.53
Possible 2012 PB Race: Navan 16th May

5 Miles
Current PB - 37.32
Possible 2012 PB Race: Raheny 29th January

10k
Current PB - 48.31
Possible 2012 PB Race: BHAA K Club 14th April

10 Miles
Current PB - 1.21.35
Possible 2012 PB Race: Frank Duffy 18th August

Half Marathon
Current PB - 1.46.03
Possible 2012 PB Race: Bohermeen 4th March

Marathon
Current PB - 4.10.01
Possible 2012 PB Race: Dublin 29th October

Ok now that I have a log i'll need to find a training plan. Any recommendations?

beeduybe

My first proper run post DCM. Felt reasonably good and gradually upped the pace as the run progressed.

6.63 Miles in 58.16. Average pace 8:47

Bought Jack Daniels Running Formula. Looks like an interesting read and should give me a better idea of my training needs and how to get the best out of my sessions.

beeduybe

Went for a short run at lunchtime along the quays. Picked the pace up as the run progressed.

3.27 Miles in 26.27. Average Pace 8:05

Younganne

Best of luck with the log and the running...you have certainly done your homework with all the possible runs

Do you have to be a club member for all the runs in the Meath area, are you doing them through the South O Hanlon club??

beeduybe

Thanks Younganne. No you don't have to be a member of a club. Anyone can enter. A full list of races in Meath have been posted here if you're interested.

I'm not involved with the South O'Hanlon club. Just participating in their track races to keep fit over the winter.

I done my marathon training with the Meath Running Group who were based in Navan.

Younganne

Thanks for the link, that's great, I hadn't seen it. I'm living 12m outside Navan and was thinking of joining a club...would have been a child member of Navan AC in the early 80's so was thinking of going back there.....but plenty to keep e going in the meantime...

I had heard of the Meath running group and was thinking of joining but manage to do my running at lunchtime in Phoenix park so kept that up and kept the evenings free for family things.....but definitely will reconsider again...do they go all year round or just at Dublin marathon time???

beeduybe

The group training runs from March to October and then take a few months off during the winter. We done core training and track work on Wednesday nights in Claremont Stadium and met at the ramparts for long runs on Saturday mornings.

I think some members of the group were talking about meeting again on Saturday mornings during the winter so if any runs are planned I could let you know if you're interested?

Younganne

ye that would be great, not sure if i'll make them but good to know if i want company thats where to go...i always run on my own, so probably not a bad idea!!!

beeduybe

My first race of the log. The rain was bucketing down but fortunately there was little or no wind. I decided to try and follow BeepBeep and geekington’s advice and try and run at an even pace of 1.40 for each 400m split with the first lap slightly ahead of pace and then try and put in a strong finish at the end.

The whistle was blown and I started just behind the leading pack feeling good but maybe a little too good as I went through 200m in 42secs :eek: This was well ahead of my planned pace so pulled back a little and completed the first lap in 1.30 and maintained this pace to complete the next three laps in times of 1.38, 1.37 and 1.41.

Fatigue really started to kick in for laps 5 and 6 and this showed with my split times of 1.47 and 1.48. Doubts were starting to creep in and I wondering was I going to be made pay for my fast start. I just kept telling myself to dig in and keep going.

As my watch was covered in rain drops at this stage I couldn’t make out my time but received a huge boost with a lap to go as someone called out my time as 10.5x and I then knew I was on course for a PB so just kept going. With about 100m to go I could hear the sound of footsteps gaining on me so I put the foot down and sprinted for the line making sure I wasn’t going to be passed.

I crossed the line exhausted and at my maximum heart rate but also with a new PB of 12.33 – a 24 second improvement of my only previous attempt at the distance last year

1.87 Miles in 12.33. Average Pace 6:43

3k
Pre Log PB: 12.57
New PB: 12.33

Next race is the BHAA 6k Beach race in Dollymount on Saturday.

Timmaay

Have you got any more info on the South O'Hanlon 1mile and 3k track races? What weds are they on, what time and can anyone hop in and do them? Thanks!

beeduybe

Hi Timmaay. They run for 4 weeks (not 6 as I originally thought) each Wednesday at 8 in Claremont Stadium. Next week is 1 mile and then the last two weeks are 3k. Its €3 a night and anyone can enter.

BeepBeep67

Timmaay wrote: »

Have you got any more info on the South O'Hanlon 1mile and 3k track races? What weds are they on, what time and can anyone hop in and do them? Thanks!

You need to work on your endurance for the Winter - look away

mattym

Timmaay wrote: »

Have you got any more info on the South O'Hanlon 1mile and 3k track races? What weds are they on, what time and can anyone hop in and do them? Thanks!

I'm a member of South O'Hanlon AC and just letting you know that the track races are open to all. Its €3 each night with all money raised going to St. Vincent de Paul. As beeduybe said next week will be a mile with a 3km the following 2 weeks. All standards of runner will be there so the more the better!!!!

geekington

beeduybe wrote: »

My first race of the log. The rain was bucketing down but fortunately there was little or no wind. I decided to try and follow BeepBeep and geekington’s advice and try and run at an even pace of 1.40 for each 400m split with the first lap slightly ahead of pace and then try and put in a strong finish at the end.

The whistle was blown and I started just behind the leading pack feeling good but maybe a little too good as I went through 200m in 42secs :eek: This was well ahead of my planned pace so pulled back a little and completed the first lap in 1.30 and maintained this pace to complete the next three laps in times of 1.38, 1.37 and 1.41.

Fatigue really started to kick in for laps 5 and 6 and this showed with my split times of 1.47 and 1.48. Doubts were starting to creep in and I wondering was I going to be made pay for my fast start. I just kept telling myself to dig in and keep going.

As my watch was covered in rain drops at this stage I couldn’t make out my time but received a huge boost with a lap to go as someone called out my time as 10.5x and I then knew I was on course for a PB so just kept going. With about 100m to go I could hear the sound of footsteps gaining on me so I put the foot down and sprinted for the line making sure I wasn’t going to be passed.

I crossed the line exhausted and at my maximum heart rate but also with a new PB of 12.33 – a 24 second improvement of my only previous attempt at the distance last year

1.87 Miles in 12.33. Average Pace 6:43

3k
Pre Log PB: 12.57
New PB: 12.33

Next race is the BHAA 6k Beach race in Dollymount on Saturday.

Well done! Told you its the middle laps that catch you out, they are a nightmare and whenever your looking for a new PBs, these are the easiest place to find 30 seconds!

If you can keep doing some 10mile runs etc... and get some really good speed work in you should blitz your PBs!

Well done

Younganne

mattym wrote: »

I'm a member of South O'Hanlon AC and just letting you know that the track races are open to all. Its €3 each night with all money raised going to St. Vincent de Paul. As beeduybe said next week will be a mile with a 3km the following 2 weeks. All standards of runner will be there so the more the better!!!!

Will have to see if i can get to one of these, haven't run on a track in years...would you really need spikes or would runner do???

beeduybe

Younganne wrote: »

Will have to see if i can get to one of these, haven't run on a track in years...would you really need spikes or would runner do???

I always wear runners on the track and never had any problems so spikes wouldn't be needed.

Younganne

thanks beeduybe...sorry i don't meant to be hijacking your thread

mattym

Younganne wrote: »

Will have to see if i can get to one of these, haven't run on a track in years...would you really need spikes or would runner do???

Runners would be fine, try to make it up some of the nights, the more the merrier.....

beeduybe

3 Mile recovery run on the quays at lunchtime after the track race. Forgot to change lap times on my watch back to miles.

3.15 Miles in 26.42. Average pace 8:28.

beeduybe

6k - 2 laps up and back

After a short warm up I realised the 2nd and 4th quarters of this race were going to be tough as it would involve running into a strong wind.

With this in mind I decided to try and run the first quarter slightly ahead of my planned 7.30min/mile pace and was happy enough with my first mile split of 7.13 which took me just past the turning point of the lap.

I slowed considerably in the second quarter on account of the strong breeze despite not lowering my effort so was no surprise to see my second mile time of 7.42 although I now realised the course may be a little short as I passed the halfway mark with about 1.80 miles on my Garmin.

Knowing the breeze was at my back for the third quarter allowed me to relax a little while maintaining a strong effort and ran the third mile in 7.30.

Despite facing into the breeze I tried to push a bit harder in the final quarter of the race passing out a few people who had slowed along the way. With about 250m to go I went for one last push and managed to pass a few people whose backsides I had within sight for most of the race :pac:

I crossed the finish line in 27.01 - a considerable improvement on my previous 6k PB but with the Garmin showing the course short at 3.63 miles (5.84km) i'm not going to claim it as a PB and will have another go at the distance in the future.

3.63 Miles in 27.01. Average pace 7:27.

neilc

beeduybe wrote: »

...and met at the ramparts for long runs on Saturday mornings.

Hi beeduybe, good luck with the log and all your goals for 2012.

Just a quick question, any idea how safe or not it would be to run along the ramparts in the evenings, thinking of doing hill sessions at Stackallen bridge and using the ramparts as a warmup/cooldown. I reckon it'd be a perfect route, just weary about running it alone after dark.

beeduybe

neilc wrote: »

Hi beeduybe, good luck with the log and all your goals for 2012.

Just a quick question, any idea how safe or not it would be to run along the ramparts in the evenings, thinking of doing hill sessions at Stackallen bridge and using the ramparts as a warmup/cooldown. I reckon it'd be a perfect route, just weary about running it alone after dark.

Thanks Neil. All the runs I would have done in the ramparts would have been in daylight so I don't have experience of running there at night but I probably wouldn't advise it as it's not very well lit so you would not be able to see the uneven terrain / holes etc so this could increase the chance of picking up a silly injury. Also you never know who you might come across in a dark wooded area like that so i don't think I would be able to recommend it for night time running.

beeduybe

A few days behind updating the log. Went out for a 5 mile recovery run the day after beach race.

5.01 Miles in 44.39. Average Pace 8:54.

beeduybe

A big turnout tonight so the organisers decided to run two races - the first for people who felt they could run the mile in under 6 minutes and the second for those not so fast i.e. meself

After the completion of the first race I made my way to the start line and tried to stay near the front but not too near but not too near the back either.

I started off at a comfortable pace but was surprised to see I was 47 secs for 200m mark as I thought I was going a little faster. Decided to speed it up a little and moved into second place behind a woman who had already opened up a big lead. It was only when my watch beeped to signal that i had hit the 400m mark that I realised I had completely fecked up my pace for the first lap as I had forgotten that we had started the race slightly ahead of the start line so my time at the 200m line was actually my time for 200m and a bit so I wasn't going as slow as I thought :rolleyes: Having said that I was pleasantly surprised with 1.27 first lap split

My plan was to maintain my pace and keep the leader within my sights but this plan went completely out the window in the second lap when she completely blew up and suddenly and totally unexpectedly I was leading the race :eek:

I was in completely uncharted territory now and just tried to maintain my pace and completed the second lap in 1.30.

I maintained my effort for a split of 1.32 on the third lap but it was at the end of this lap where I was to be passed by one of my training partners who had considerably cranked up his pace on that lap.

As he started to pull away my chances of winning the race had disappeared but I was still determined to run a fast time and kept ploughing away. Another runner caught up with me at the final bend and we both made a kick for the line but his was slightly stronger than mine and he just edged me out so I had to be content with third place and a new PB of 6.10 - a 31 second improvement on my previous best.

1 Mile
Pre Log PB: 6.41
New PB: 6.10

1.02 Miles in 6.10. Average Pace 6:04.

Younganne

Well done thats a great improvement..
unfortunately i didn't make it...forgot the hubby is out on wednesday nights and that can't be changed!!

well done again, great experience as well as a great time!

beeduybe

Went for a 8 mile run on Friday. Started with 2 mile warm up and then 4 miles at LT pace (about 8 min miles) followed by a 1.75 mile cooldown.

7.78 Miles in 1.05.27. Average Pace 8:25.

beeduybe

Attempted my first repetition speed training session at Trinity. 12 x 200m with 200m recovery. Warm up involved running to and from Trinity. Jogged first few recoveries and walked the rest as I felt recovery period wasn't long enought to perform at the same level for all reps. I think my rep times were relatively consistent although maybe a little bit faster than Daniels book recommends as it was hard to judge how fast to run them and 200m seems so short that I could go all out for them.

May have to find a different course for this type of lunchtime session as on my ninth recovery rep a noticed a small sign by the pav suggesting that people stay off the grass during the winter months which is probably the reason there was only me and one other runner there compared to the 20+ when I went down there during the warmer months.

12 x 200m. Reps approx 45 secs with 200m recovery.

beeduybe

Wednesday 30th November

Had to pull out of the South O'Hanlon 3k after 5 and a half laps after I got sick. Was running well and was on course to record a PB but felt it was better to stop.

1.43 Miles in 9:23. Average Pace 6:34.

Friday 2nd December

Done a tempo run on the treadmill at the gym. 4 x 8 mins at 12km/hr with 1 min recovery at 8km/hr with 2% gradient.

4.23 Miles in 34:56. Average Pace 8:13.

Saturday 3rd December

Met up with a couple from the running group for a 5 mile run in Navan. Was feeling good when we got back to the ramparts so decided to go on a bit further and went back around by SuperValu and back in the Dublin Road.

9.61 Miles in 1:24:18. Average Pace 8:47.

beeduybe

Monday 5th December

Done a rep session in the gym. 8 x 400m at 16km/hr with 400m 6km/hr recovery. Had originally planned 10 reps but started to feel a twinge in my calf so decided to stop at 8.

beeduybe

Tuesday 6th December

Went to the gym at lunchtime and did a 10 minute warm up following by some flexibility training for about 25 minutes stretching calf muscles, hamstrings, quads, glutes, hip flexors as well as some work with the Swiss ball to improve flexibility of upper body as well as lower back and abdominal muscles. Hope to try and do one of these sessions at least once a week from now on.

Swimming lessons at the pool in the evening where we covered the backstroke and the breaststroke.

Wednesday 7th December

Went to the pool in the gym at lunchtime and practiced what had been learned the night before.

beeduybe

Arrived at the track only 10 mins prior to the start of the race so only had time for a relatively quick warm up.

Having felt I had gone off too quick in some of the other track races my plan was to hold back a little bit on the first few laps and aim to complete each lap in or around the 1.35 - 1.40 mark.

I ran the first lap at a steady pace and made sure I did not pull ahead of a few people who had overtook me at the latter stages of the previous races. I completed the first lap in 1.32 and found myself behind someone who was going at a nice pace and I tucked in behind him to record splits of 1.36, 1.37 and 1.37 over the next 3 laps.

I slowed a little over the next few laps and my pacemaker started to pull away but I was still feeling good and ran splits of 1.41, 1.42 and 1.41 for laps 5, 6 and 7.

With 200m to go I had caught up with one of my marathon training partners who had got the better of me in the 1 mile race 2 weeks ago and we were neck and neck coming up to the final bend when he made a push for the line and went slightly ahead of me. I thought he would have enough to hold me off but I kept pushing hard and managed to pass him with about 5 metres to go and with a new PB of 12.16 - a 17 second improvement on 3 weeks ago

3k
Pre Log PB: 12.57
New PB: 12.16

1.88 Miles in 12:16. Average Pace 6:31.

beeduybe

Thurs 8th December

Done a 4k recovery run on the treadmill in 23 mins.

Friday 9th December

Done a tempo run in the gym. 10 minute warm up at 10km/hr followed by 20 mins at 12.5km/hr and after a short recovery period at 6km/hr completed the final 10 mins at 12km/hr.

4.66 Miles in 42:04. Average Pace 9:05.

beeduybe

Sunday 11th December

A 4.5 mile general aerobic run around the Dunderry loop.

4.45 Miles in 40:36. Average Pace 9:07.

beeduybe

Monday 12th December

A treadmill LT Interval session. 10 min warm up followed by 3 x 12 mins (12.5km/hr at 2% incline) with 2 min recovery (5km/hr at 1%).

beeduybe

Tuesday 13th December

Some core strength training in the gym at lunchtime. Done 2 circuits of Sit ups, Leg pushaways, Swiss ball lying bridge, Superman, Standing knee hold, Back Extension, Front and side planks.

Swimming lessons in the pool in the evening focused on front crawl.

Wednesday 14th December

Repetition Training on the treadmill in the gym.

9 min warm up followed by:
2 x 400m (14.7km/hr, 2%) with 400m recovery (6km/hr, 1%);
2 x 800m (14.7km/hr, 2%) with 800m recovery (6km/hr, 1%);
1 x 400m (14.7km/hr, 2%) with 400m recovery (6km/hr, 1%);
1 x 400m (16km/hr, 2%) with 400m recovery (up to 9km/hr, 1%);

Thursday 15th December

Was feeling a bit tired after Wednesday so just took it easy in the pool practising the front crawl.

Friday 16th December

Done a 10k Run on the treadmill in just under 55 mins - Starting at 10km/hr with 2% incline raising to 11km/hr.

6.21 Miles in 54:56. Average Pace 8:49.

beeduybe

My first attempt at a table

Distance | 1 Mile | 3k | 5k | 4 Miles | 6k | 5 Miles | 10k | 10 Miles | Half Marathon | Marathon |
Pre Log PB | 6.41 | 12.57 | 22.52 | 22.44 | 28.53 | 37.32 | 48.31 | 1.21.35 | 1.46.03 | 4.10.01 |
Current PB | 6.10 | 12.16 | 22.52 | 22.44 | 28.53 | 37.32 | 48.31 | 1.21.35 | 1.46.03 | 4.10.01 |

beeduybe

Been busy the past week so haven't been training as often or had a change to update the log.

Tuesday 20th December
Went to gym at lunchtime and done a short hill session. 10 minute warm up followed by 4 sets of 3 mins at high incline with 3 min slow recovery jog. (4%,6%,8%,6% or something like that from what I can remember? )

Thursday 22th December
Back to gym for an Interval Session. 10 min warm up and then 5 x 5mins at 14.4km/hr (1% incline) with 3 min recovery jog.

Saturday 24th December
Easy 6 mile run. Left quad felt tight and had to stop to stretch a couple of times but nothing major.

6.18 Miles in 54:26. Average Pace 8:48.

Running the St. Stephen's Day 5k in Cavan tomorrow so should be a good indicator of how my training is going.

Happy Christmas

beeduybe

Following my recent PB for 3k I felt I was more than capable of knocking some time off my previous 5k PB of 22:52 so decided to try and do each mile in and around 7 min pace as the McMillan calculator suggested a 5k time of 21:23 at a pace of 6:53min/miles.

Despite trying to hold back on the first mile from going out too fast I was motoring at around 6:30 pace and I was feeling too good to slow it down too much and completed the first mile in 6:34.

I slowed down a bit in the second mile as fatigue began to set in and we encountered what felt like the hardest part of the course but I was still on course for my target time with a second mile of 7:06.

The third mile started with a downhill stretch and this allowed me to build up some momentum to the finish and I increased my effort and started to pass a few people. I continued to push hard and when we returned to the main street I knew the end was near so I just put the foot down and powered towards the finish crossing the line in 21:22 (Mile 3 - 6:52, Final 0.13 Miles - 0:48) - a 90 second improvement on my previous PB

3.13 Miles in 21:22. Average Pace 6:50.

Distance | 1 Mile | 3k | 5k | 4 Miles | 6k | 5 Miles | 10k | 10 Miles | Half Marathon | Marathon |
Pre Log PB | 6.41 | 12.57 | 22.52 | 22.44 | 28.53 | 37.32 | 48.31 | 1.21.35 | 1.46.03 | 4.10.01 |
Current PB | 6.10 | 12.16 | 21.22 | 22.44 | 28.53 | 37.32 | 48.31 | 1.21.35 | 1.46.03 | 4.10.01 |

osnola ibax

2012 - A Pace Odyssey ??

Dory Dory

Excellent work on your pb! I don't know how old some of those other pbs are, but I'm betting they are all going down in 2012!

beeduybe

osnola ivax wrote: »

2012 - A Pace Odyssey ??

Hmm that does sound better but doesn't really make sense...

beeduybe

Dory Dory wrote: »

Excellent work on your pb! I don't know how old some of those other pbs are, but I'm betting they are all going down in 2012!

All are at least 6 months old but the marathon training has brought me on leaps and bounds

beeduybe

Tuesday 27th & Wednesday 28th December

Was down in Wexford for a couple of days so didn't get any training in.

Thursday 29th December

Went for a 10.5 mile run - my longest run since DCM. This run proved to be much tougher than expected on account of the strong wind which I had to run into for long stretches of the course especially miles 4-6 and 7.5 to 10.

10.46 Miles in 1:31:08. Average Pace 8:43.

neilc

beeduybe wrote: »

Thursday 29th December

Went for a 10.5 mile run - my longest run since DCM. This run proved to be much tougher than expected on account of the strong wind which I had to run into for long stretches of the course especially miles 4-6 and 7.5 to 10.

10.46 Miles in 1:31:08. Average Pace 8:43.

I've actually done that exact route on a few occasions, must keep an eye out for ya when I'm back from injury/sickness.

beeduybe

After my PB run on St. Stephens Day I made another attempt at the distance albeit after having seen in the new year with a few pints of the black stuff last night. After getting out of the car and getting hit with the cold and wind I began to wonder should I have stayed in bed but didn't notice the cold so much after the warm up

After negotiating some traffic in the early stages of the race I got into a rhythm and completed the first mile in 6.45. Like the Cavan 5k I slowed in the second mile for a time of 7.05. The third mile was just about hanging on and I was happy to stick with a couple of other who were going around the same pace as me.

The Garmin clocked the third mile at 7.00 and the beep coincided with me coming around the final bend and the finish line coming into sight and I sprinted for the line crossing the line in 21.32 - 10 secs slower than the Cavan 5k.

In retrospect I probably didn't have the same determination to push myself in the final mile as I did in Cavan which probably had something to do with having achieved my target then and the fact I was able to stay in my comfort zone among the pack instead of chasing others in a smaller field.

3.11 Miles in 21:32. Average Pace 6:56.

Next race is the 4 Mile BHAA XC race next Saturday in Tymon Park.

beeduybe

Distance | 1 Mile | 3k | 5k | 4 Miles | 6k | 5 Miles | 10k | 10 Miles | Half Marathon | Marathon |
Pre Log PB | 6.41 | 12.57 | 22.52 | 22.44 | 28.53 | 37.32 | 48.31 | 1.21.35 | 1.46.03 | 4.10.01 |
Current PB | 6.10 | 12.16 | 21.22 | 22.44 | 28.53 | 37.32 | 48.31 | 1.21.35 | 1.46.03 | 4.10.01 |

Month|Miles
January|5.77
Total|5.77

beeduybe

3.5 Mile Recovery run around Hartstown Park. Route was pretty random. Just wanted to get the 3 miles in.

3.47 Miles in 31:58. Average Pace 9:13.

Month|Miles
January|9.24
Total|9.24

beeduybe

Tuesday 3rd January

Done a short interval session in the gym. 10 minute warm up followed by 2 x 5min (14.4km/hr, 1% incline) with 3 min recovery (6km/hr) and 1 x 3min (14.4km/hr, 1% incline).

beeduybe

Wednesday 4th January

Braved the wind and rain for a 3 mile run last night. Certainly wouldn't have bothered with this one if I hadn't signed up for the Boards Running Streak or 1000 mile challenge. 1st week of January enthusiasm or a marker set down for the rest of the year? Time will tell

3.01 Miles in 28:24. Average Pace 9:25.

Month|Miles
January|15.21
Total|15.21

beeduybe

Thursday 5th January
1.17 Mile warm up followed by core training in the gym.

Friday 6th January
Went for a swim at lunchtime. Had planned a short run in the evening but was feeling a bit tired and heavy legged so decided to take it easy and have an early night instead with Saturday's XC race in mind.

beeduybe

I arrived nice and early at Tymon Park and got registered with over an hour to spare so had time for a unusually lengthy warmup of 3.82 Miles - almost as long as the race :eek:

By the time the race got underway I was well warmed up and knew every inch of the course so there was no surprises. Over the first mile I was neck with a man I knew from running previous races who was around the same level as me and we proved to be good pacesetters for each other as throughout the race we were side by side and exchanging the lead pace with each other.

Conditions were very tough and I certainly wasn't going to set a PB but after my first mile split of 7.21 I aimed to try and stay around 7.30 min miles to get under the 30 min mark.

The second mile saw us cover some of the tougher parts of the course and this resulted in a slower second mile of 7.37. The third mile was a little easier and this resulted in a third mile split of 7.30.

I was still keeping up with my pacer at this stage and he was happy to offer good advice - head up, get plenty of air into the lungs etc, and this was a big help to me and provided a nice distraction from thinking about the challenging course.

Over the last mile I held back slightly knowing there was a hill coming just before turning the last bend so when I got to the bottom of the hill I upped my intensity and passed lots of runners leaving my 'coach' behind. My watch beeped to signal the 4 mile mark (7:40 split) sometime around now so I knew the course was a bit long. After turning the final bend I could see the finish line so this prompted me to move into 5th gear and sprint for the line passing a couple of others as well. My watch told me I ran the final 0.10 miles at a pace of 5:37 :eek:

My finishing time was 30.42 - longer than my anticipated sub 30 time but the course appeared to be a tad long according to my Garmin (4.10 Miles) and believe I would have been very close to 30mins flat had it been exactly 4 miles.

Happy with my first XC race of the year and looking forward to the next BHAA race in 2 weeks.

4.10 Miles in 30:42. Average Pace 7:30.