Category: Fitness

October 2, 2014 Fitness, Running Post a Comment

My second 10k

Well, in the last post I wrote about running, I said that I had caught the running bug, well, I didn’t realise then that it would take me so bloody long to do another one.

There are lots and lots of reasons as to why.

Last time out’s injury really put me on the back foot (the left one, it was my right knee that was injured), and I suppose I really underestimated the time it was going to take me to fight back to getting myself going, and fit again.

It’s been a long road, and no pun.

I ran in a promotional run for my TKD group, Bicester UKTKD, which wasn’t against anyone really, just myself on a very very warm Sunday in May, and managed to do 5 miles/8 kilometers in 50 minutes, which wasn’t too bad (09:45/mile).

However – this wasn’t competitive, and running with (ahead) of the 5 or 6 or so people that completed the TKD run didn’t have the same atmosphere as a race, so, when I drove into work at the end of August – I saw a promotional banner for  RARE.

This race, the first one around this route, as the promotional bumpf says, takes in sites of the Harwell Science park that people don’t normally get to see, and as I felt I needed to stretch my legs again, decided to enter.

The entry fee of only £10 for the 10k was also a bonus – and over a hot wet (coffee) – I had entered.

The three weeks to the event I did a number of runs, primarily distance rather than speed, and with 7 days to go, I ran a 10k round the Pitsford Reservoir.

The Pitsford run was hard work, at about 3 1/2 miles I was feeling a little beat, and again at 4 1/2, but the real challenge was the last mile.

It’s fair to say that I would consider that last mile as purgatory.

I think it’s to do with lack of hydration, I just couldn’t get enough water from my camel-bak. (I hate running with a bottle, and with my current tennis elbow, gripping one really sucks 🙁 )

Even though it was hard work, it was almost 6 minutes faster than the Blenheim 10k of last year – so that is definitely progress – I had made a 10k in under that magic 60 minutes – OK, 45 seconds under, but, still under, and that gave me some real buzz.

So – to the 21st September, and the RARE event.

I had spoken to a few of my colleagues, two of whom have run marathons, and one of them decided that they were game enough to enter with me, he’d not run anything in a while, and was building up to a 1/2 marathon in October, so ideal “practice”.

My wonderful Cath agreed to come and support me again, like she did last year, and take some photographs (which when I have finished sorting out my photos I will process and post).

Well, this was a very different race, a lot less people running, and when the gun went to start, I found myself running with everyone else, which for the first mile was, at least for me, and incredible pace of 07:51/mile – I wasn’t going to keep that up for another 5 miles.

My 2nd mile was therefore a relatively leisurely 09:13, but, the third was an 08:56, I thought after that I probably could have kept up a little quicker pace I guess.

Mile 4 was a few seconds slower than 2, so not much in it at this stage, and I didn’t feel too bad at this stage – but……

Bugger me – mile 5 – probably my Achilles Heel, was hell, I pretty much fell off the cliff at a 10:25 – I just felt like I had run out of steam.

I was still struggling with my camel-bak hydration, and by this time I had taken a bottle from the water stations, and had been drinking, but hadn’t been working, so a very slow 50 meters or so to throw some water down me properly, and over my head to cool me down, I set my teeth and headed out for the final mile (and a tiny bit).

At a 09:34 for the final mile, that few meters of slowness to make sure I got some more water was key.

Overall time, 56:53, some 9 minutes quicker than last year’s 10k, and even better, I wasn’t at all broken this time.

I finished feeling tired, granted, but, actually pretty bloody good. (oh and I beat my colleague, but he had been suffering from a head cold that previous week)

So, second competitive 10k completed – and faster, now I want to run a 10k in under the time it takes to listen to Iron Maiden’s album, “Somewhere in Time”  – that’s 51 minutes long for those that care 🙂

October 7, 2013 Fitness, Home, Running 2 Comments

My first 10k

Well, it’s over….

I wasn’t expecting a hugely fast time, after all, it was my first race for any reason, except cross country at school, which is an ever faster rapidly fading distant memory.

This event, was part of the Blenheim Half Marathon in aid of the British Heart Foundation, which also has a 10k event and a 2k Family fun run course.

I was “talked” into doing the 10k by my work running buddies, and the furthest I have run in recent times, (and by that, I am talking at least 10 years) is 5 miles, or 8k, so a 10k, whilst not *that* much further, when one is used to doing 5.3k, is quite a jump.

I started ok, and for the first mile, things were a learning experience, as hadn’t run in a body of people like that before; it takes some getting used to because it’s so different than either running on you own or with a a couple of running buddies, it’s so close, and some people are obviously quicker than you and will try to go round you, and, conversely, you are quicker than a whole host of others, which you try to go round as well.

The second and third miles we’re really ok, just keeping the pace ticking over, and at a slightly reduced pace than I am used to training at, I’m normally doing around 9 minute miles training at the moment (which is a hell of a lot better than 10:30’s when I started back again seriously doing some mileage back in June) , but for this race I was doing ok at about 10:00’s, which made the magic hour for the 10k quite possible – just.

Mile 4 was hard work, and a fair bit slower, but is was mile 5 that really hurt me.
Around the 4.5 mile marker, I felt me right knee go a bit funny, and I knew then that ITBS was a potential for coming back, but there was no way I was stopping now, so I eased off a bit.

This did help until one of my running buddies caught up with me, and we kept going together for the best part of the next mile, however at about 5.6 miles my knee just stopped functioning properly, and I was forced to a walk, which was more like a limp.

I could see a corner, and knew that the end of the race was the relatively short uphill to the finish line, just round that corner, so I said bugger it, and put in a final push to home and over the line, and the very nice people lining the finish straight, including the very special Cath, were cheering us all as we ran down this last little bit, I even got a mention over the PA system to help me over those last few metres.

My official time was 1:05:38, my iPhone time was 1:05:41, so a good correlation there 🙂 and although it was outside the hour mark that I was really hoping for, even a 59:59 would have made my day, I guess a first attempt, especially in the light of an injury sustained whilst doing the race, it’s pretty darn good, so I suppose I can’t complain too loudly.

So to the injury.

Well, the 5miles/8k runs I had done were in the 3 weeks preceding the 10k race, as training runs, and had got on “ok” with them, no issues or injuries, and only the normal “I have used my muscles ache” the following morning, which is, as far as I am concerned, a good thing.

However, in the last month and a half, I had done a 4 mile course a couple of times, and on the second occasion, had run into problems with pain in the outside of my knee, with an anatomical part known as the iliotibial band, a problem known as ITBS.

It’s rather painful, and stairs make it quite a challenge, however, it is rather mild, so I won’t complain, but I will now start to look at fixing myself to make sure I don’t have issues with this piece of body next time I do a 10k.

Yup, you read it right, I am going to do another 10k, but I am going to go quicker, and I am not going to break doing it, as I will be fitter and stronger when I do it.

I’ve already done some reading about the causes, and rehabilitation, and training to Fix, and prevent ITBS, and, after a day or two of rest, I’m bloody well going to start on those training things to get me ready for the next one.

Don’t know when I will do it mind, but, definitely got the race bug now….

October 1, 2013 Fitness, Running Post a Comment

I’ve entered a 10k race……. (I must be mad)

For those of you who know me personally, I’ve been through periods in life in the not too distant past where it is fair to say I have been somewhat on the large side.

Well, stepping onto those scales sometime ago, and getting (almost) a heart attack at the size of the number peering back at me from the floor, I decided to do something about it.

First of all, lots of low impact exercise like cycling, watch the beer (I know – that is shite) watch what I eat, and gym membership and the like..

Well, good news, it’s worked.

I’m a hell of a lot lighter than I was, although I will admit I am not *there* yet, but definitely on a curve to my target.

Well, I’ve now been running on and off for a few months, although breaking my big toe in January (Taekwondo) and the ensuing uncomfortablness in running until May, kinda put paid to as much training as I would have liked.

However, Since May I have started by hauling my somewhat lighter arse round a little route at work, on and off with a couple of workmates, and pushed things from 2 miles out to a 5 miler, which I don’t think is too bad.

Well, now, these running buddies of mine have suggested I take part in a 10k race……

….. So I am..

If anyone reads this, then some sponsorship wouldn’t go amiss.

I am running for the British Heart Foundation, the BHF, they are the prime organisers (like the London Brighton Bike ride) and I guess everybody has a heart, so, with that, here is my link for sponsorship….

http://www.justgiving.com/KieranNReynolds

Or, you can donate by text, by texting PHCH70 £2 to 70070.

Cheers all !