Rivals

Just seen the performances of probably my two main rivals in Hertfordshire in my scholastic year though they were both running somewhere in the Premier League and I was in the Thames at Woodford Green. Mark Stitchbury ran 4:23.bit for the 1500m today (I ran 4:23 today) I was well ahead of him in the last XC and the last but one he pipped me on the line. James Newman who beat me sizeably on all XC this season ran 9:25.7 for the 3000m today at the Premier, I ran 9:25.2 at the Open meeting a few weeks back. Looks like we're in store for some pretty close races this season!

(Main report for today beneath the photos)

Pat Barrett- decathlete and pretty darn good ( top 10 in octathlon last year), trains with us when he's building stamina, unfairly fast for a multi-eventer over 8/15.  

Mike Tarpey- training partner and new National Junior League manager, pretty quick over 8/15 but when we finally race ( have never actually raced each other) over the country it should be pretty close 

Steve Smith- our 400/800m team-mate and training partner, far too quick in the sprints! 

National Junior League, Thames Division 1500m 24/04/05 came 7th out of 15 in a new PB of 4:23.0 (7 second improvement) , pulling away from the pack with about 3 in front of me, unfortunately some of those behind catch up eventually
 

National Junior League, Thames Division 1500m 24/04/05 came 7th out of 15 in a new PB of 4:23.0 (7 second improvement)  

In Club Vest 

In training gear 

National Junior League-Thames Division 1- 1500m-24/04/05

Got down to the Woodford Green track, it's actually perhaps a little closer to me than the track I train on as although it's further it's straight down the motorway, if you were able to get out on the hard shoulder it would be quicker!

Met up with team-mates and got a few pictures of them both messing about and in action (to be posted shortly), then went over to my race, found out 2 of the woodford green boys who'd been beating me all XC season were in my race. One of them was normally not that far ahead and the other had already raced today so I thought I'd have a good race there, then I started chatting to some of the other competitors (14-15) including Dan Watts, ESSA senior xc champion, 130 places ahead of me! Warmed up with george and got ready for the race, then lined up and it began! Deliberately tried to go slow at the start and did for the first 200m then started advancing upwards, went through the first lap in 68 in the end! The accelerated even more like an idiot moving myself into 4th place behind Dann Watts and his two team-mates all about 20m ahead, went through the second lap in 2:16 another 68 lap, was starting to hurt a little now but kept on going, went through the bell in about 3:10 so I'd slowed down to 72 seconds per lap with one having gone past me, then at the start of the last lap one pulled level, I tried to keep up but he then went ahead, followed by one more, but the two WG&EL lads were still behind. 300m to go and it was hurting, arms ached, kept on trying though, came round the bend and started pushing, almost caught the guy who went past me at the start of the lap but he just kept ahead :(. I'd beaten the two WG&EL boys though for the first time ever! Ran 4:23 which is a 7 second PB and the first time I've gone under 4:30 so moderately pleased, but I could have run smarter and I think I should be runnign a touch faster by now, still speed-work should now sort everything out!

Training too Hard? 18-04-5

Over the past three days I've run 15 miles (sat), 4 miles at 5:48 pace (sun) and today 6 x 800 roughly (90) in 144, 142, 147, 143, 140, 143 then jogged 4 miles in the evening before 4 miles at 6m/m pace, which actually felt pretty easy. Last Wed I did 13 miles (total), 2 in a track on the Thursday and 13 on the Friday, that's a half-marathon in 3 out of 4 days. Just shows how hard you have to train. Slight niggle in calf but easier few days should sort that out.

Photos

Just added a massive amount of photos to the site (well about 6...). Trainings going well, did 15 miles yesterday and 4 today in 23:12 so 5:48 pace. Need to get a good few more in tommorow.

Having crossed the finish line at the Stortford XC 04/05 winning my first ever serious cross-country race against the seniors. Having done this I promptly decided to do a monkey impression as can be seen in the picture :P 

Leading the field at the Stortford XC 04/05 eventually pulled away to win 

Just finishing the Walden XC 04/05 comfortably took 2nd with Team-Mates close behind 

Navigating the Stream 1 mile into the Walden 04/05 XC, in 15th place just before I'm about to accelerate to 2nd 

Walden XC 2003/2004  

Stortford XC 2003/2004 

Herts County Champs, Took 2nd Behind Jon Pepper 

Herts County Champs Taking Silver Individual and Gold Team 

Training With A Pedometer

Yesterday went out with a pedometer for the first time and it's a little weird how it affects me running. If you don't stick to a certain route which you know it's length then I found myself conciously thinking "If I extend my stride length then this run will actually come out on the pedometer as shorter" and therefore not doing it despite the fact I know it's good practice. Quite disturbing really. The problem lies in that my stride varies from tiny to massive all over the course of about 100m so over a whole run the variation could be immense. Just have to keep on trying till I find the right stride length I guess. 50 inches at the moment, at least if I keep running the same routes and recording my steps eventually I'll know when my stride has increased.

I bid you good night and good luck to anyone running on Sunday in the marathon

Training 07-04-05

Done 5 miles this morning sort of jog/walking the 7 miles back from my parents offices having just gone to see a peugeot 106 in a "sahara metallic" (read yellow/goldy colour) which seems pretty good. On the way back managed to stop at every single sweet shop (3) enroute and get most of my hair shorn off as well, not bad for a mornings work.

On a streak of 22 training days in a row at the moment which is a new record for me. The previous was 14 but that included cross-training in it as well. The current programme which I'm staying on remarkably well at the moment is a Lydiard one and involves a lot of long jogs (meant to be at aerobic effort but I dawdle), but they aren't on average as long as when I did this mileage before as more is done in one "long run" over the weekend. With easier shorter runs on both sides. I think I'll continue the programme till the end of next week when it's 63 miles a week and then over the next month and a half or so edge it up to what should be the next week in order to allow me to consolidate. Speed-work should be re-begun later in the summer and hopefully allow me to have a peak somewhere in June/July (hopefully just after I've passed my driving test and so can drive to races :o)).