Monday 24th September 2018
On Saturday my club won the Midland 6 Stage Road Relays for the first time in a decade with a dominant victory over all our local rivals. No one got within a minute and fifty seconds of our time and our athletes occupied the top three slots in the list of fastest legs for the day. We led from the very first leg. It was a crushing win.
And I wasn’t part of it.
Despite my best efforts in training and our unoffical trial race at the parkrun the week before, I didn’t get selected for the A team. As the seventh best runner on paper there was no room for me in a team of six. It was a bittersweet victory for me; I was absolutely thrilled that my friends and training partners were rewarded for their hard work and had the chance to taste success, but at the same time I was frustrated at myself for not being among them.
I need to remember that this is the exact reason I moved club last year, though. I wanted more competition and I wanted to be surrounded by other athletes who were going to drag me along with them. Sometimes that means being picked for the B team. Now I need to use this as motivation to improve. Next time the road relays come around I want the gold medal hanging round my neck.
My Week
Monday: AM 9km easy / PM 11km easy (20)
Tuesday: AM 9km easy / PM 9km easy (18)
Wednesday: rest (0)
Thursday: 10km easy (10)
Friday: 8km easy (8)
Saturday: Midland 6 Stage, 8th on leg 1 in 18:30 (14)
Sunday: 24km moderate (24)
Sunday 8th October 2017
I was flying. After, to borrow a phrase from my old team manager Richard, ‘treating the first hill with some respect’ I was moving nicely through the field on leg one of the National 6 Stage. One by one I picked my opponents off, running alongside before lining up my next target and chasing it down. Everything was going perfectly. Until it wasn’t.
I got a small clip from behind from another athlete as we headed out on the out-and-back section of the course. As I stumbled and tried to regain my balance my right foot struck my left calf. Although the initial feeling was one of discomfort it wasn’t hurting and wasn’t stopping me move through the field. This all changed, though, when we started descending. The extra load suddenly caused a cramping in the calf which reduced my fluid stride to a hobble. Unable to stop as this was a relay, I limped the final mile, getting passed by all but four other runners. The finish line couldn’t come quickly enough and when it did I promptly collapsed over it, my left calf in agony.
Today it is sore and it remains to be seen how bad the injury is, but this was a timely reminder that it only takes one small incident to turn you from a fully fit athlete to someone struggling to walk down stairs. Injury can happen to anyone at any time. Hopefully I will be back on two feet again soon.
My week:
​Monday: 16km easy, drills and hurdles (16)
Tuesday: AM 10km easy / PM 3:00 on grass, 6*(400,300,200) on track off 60,45,30, 3:00 on grass (25)
Wednesday: 16km easy (16)
Thursday: AM 8km easy / PM 10km moderate (18)
Friday: rest (0)
Saturday: AM 8km easy / PM National 6 Stage, 80th on leg 1 in 20:18 (18)
Sunday: rest (0)
Monday 25th September 2017
I took a medal home at the weekend as a member of the Birchfield team who came 3rd at the Midland 6 Stage. Just as pleasing was the fact that I was only a few seconds outside my best time on legs that really didn’t feel great at any point. Hopefully this is a sign that there is plenty more to come. This week coming I plan to increase the mileage and get at least two good sessions in. Next week is the National and there’s a good chance I don’t even make the A team! That’s just the kind of competition I was hoping for when I moved club!
My week:
Monday: 15 km easy, drills + hurdles (15)
Tuesday: AM 10km easy / PM road session mile, 2 miles, 2 miles, mile off 2:00/3:00 (27)
Wednesday: 12km easy (12)
Thursday: 8km easy, strides (8)
Friday: rest (0)
Saturday: Midland 6 Stage, 10th on leg 1 in 18:38 (15)
Sunday: AM 16km easy / PM 10km easy (26)
Sunday 9th October 2016
I ran slightly quicker than I did a couple of weeks ago at the 6 stage. The road relays are still one of the best events on the calendar.
Monday: AM 10km easy / PM 10km easy (20)
Tuesday: AM 10km easy / PM road session – mile, 4x300m hill, mile, 4x300m hill, mile (26)
Wednesday: rest (0)
Thursday: 10km easy (10)
Friday: 8km easy (8)
Saturday: AM 8km easy / PM National 6 Stage Road Relays, leg 4 – 18:44 (22)
Sunday: 26km progression run (26)
Taken from my training log.
Sunday 25th September 2016
A better than expected return to racing. Hopefully I will run quicker at the National in a couple of weeks.
Monday: 14km easy (14)
Tuesday: AM 10km easy / PM road session 8x1km off 60s – 3:23, 19, 16, 15, 15, 15, 15, 11 (26)
Wednesday: 10km easy (10)
Thursday: 10km easy (10)
Friday: rest (0)
Saturday: AM 8km easy / PM Midland 6 Stage leg 3: 18:53, +3 places – team 8th (22)
Sunday: 23km easy (23)
Taken from my training log.