One down, nine to go

So the 10 x 10k challenge kicks off with the Run Eton 10k at Dorney Lake.
Dry, cold and windy. Good organisation (arrived 40 mins before and small queue at registration and
no queue at loos, later arrivals not so lucky).
This is a fast, flat course, 2 laps of 5k up between the two lakes and back down the side of the right hand one. It's all tarmac so pb very possible.  Only unpleasant bit was the turn at the top where inbound and outbound runners are sharing a coned off path.  Not the place to stop and walk in pairs, but someone always does.
So did I get a PB?
Officially, no.
Unofficially, kind of. My previous best 10k comes up as 6.16 miles on my garmin, and this one 6.22. So my time was slower (by 8 seconds) but my pace, at 10:14, was faster.

Add to that most of the footie results going the way I wanted them to, I am one happy bunny.

2014 Challenge

I have been mulling over a 2014 challenge, something to focus me, stretch me and stop me languishing into bad running habits (i.e. skipping runs).

I will get my 100th parkrun milestone (mar/apr)

I will run another half marathon

I will complete the Jantastic challenge.

I will not do 14 in '14 like some of the other FL parkrunners

I will - tada  - complete 10 x 10ks (with medals) and  (at least once) will beat my PB.

First one Saturday 1st February, wish me luck.

Learning to read?

So this morning's news brings the revelation that young children must use phonics to learnt to read.
It perplexes me that so often a useful tool morphs into a compulsory tool. Surely all children are different and an approach based on variety would be better? I remember when my son was in reception asking his teacher how she had taught him to read (he picked it up very quickly). Her reply? Using every tool that was available including phonics, word recognition, reading practice and story telling.
English is a complicated language and letters make different sounds depending on the other letters around them (rat/rate). And it absolutely must be fun so that children stay engaged which is why storysacks for example work so well.

off soapbox :)

Let's get this blog back on the road!

Yesterdays run was a mere 2.15 miles, the shortest run I have done in a very long time. In true Oscar acceptance speech style, I would like to thank:
1. Surrey County Council and their streetlighting contractor Skanska for the random location of barriers and bollards which blocked my path forcing me onto the muddy bank
2. Surrey County Council (again) for random disappearance of pavements along the busy A30 requiring me to cross said road just to stay safe
3. The idiot drivers who felt that I should not only get wet from the rain falling from above but also from the needless speeding through puddles so I got wet from below too
4. BBC weather for getting it wrong again (they said it would clear up briefly so I took my chances and it didn't happen).
5. My family who took ages to come to the door and let me into the warm.

Today's run was 10.1. So close to race pace. Onwards and upwards!

2012 might just be a great year

I no longer consider myself a novice runner.  A slow runner maybe, but not a beginner anymore. I have been very hesitant in putting myself out there but have a feeling that 2012 might be a great year. This is partly because I am so easily persuaded by others to enter races, and if I am honest, I am careful enough about my training not to bite off more than I can chew.

Training for the Bramley 10m (12/2) is going well.  I am getting out 3-4 times per week doing a single, increasingly longer run interspersed with shorter runs. The longest now stands at 8.5 miles, 2 laps of Virginia Water. My regular short runs include the 5k parkrun at Frimley Lodge (and on one occasion Basingstoke) as often as I can manage, some 20 times since my first one last June. 

I have entered the BUPA 10k in London at the end of May, and two half marathons, Bracknell at the end of April and Bacchus at the Denbies vineyard in Dorking at the beginning of September. I am also flirting with the Royal Parks half or even the Amsterdam half in October.

Am I mad? Hope not!

Maura

'Tis the season

A work free week is indeed divine. Training for the Bramley 10 continues. I am trying not to be alarmed by the thought of hills, I am not good on hills, but I get through them and pick my pace up again when they are over.

I ran 8 miles this morning but am now very tired. It took me 1:26 with just two stops, one to fiddle with ipod and one to wait for traffic. Thinking 1:45 race time is realistic. I will take the training up close to 10m in the next 3 weeks, then taper down before the big day in just over 6 weeks. Fingers crossed the weather is tolerable!

I plan to rest for the remainder of the week, am volunteering at Parkrun on NYE and will do it on New Years day.

Maura.

Random observations of a runner

So having done 10k at the end of October,  and eased back my distances a bit since then, I now have to bring them back up for the Bramley 10m in February. The training target will be 2 laps of VW lake, about 9 miles, a couple of weeks before the race then some tapering until the big day.

Today I did an hour, covering 5.5 miles which is really not a great pace, but I did have a couple of traffic light stops! This route was a short stretch of the A30, then around Virginia Water Lake with an extended bit around the Polo field/Wick Road

I had my music on, but even that can be a bit boring, so I like to people watch. On a  sunny day like today, there were plenty to watch.

Firstly - the dog walkers. These come in 3 types. The full-makeup-and-hair walking the 'fragile' coat-wearing dog on a lead.  Small dogs these, so beware the tripping danger. Usually on tight leads so not a huge issue. Then there are the stuff-and-nonsense waxed jacket types, always with large energetic dogs who are in and out of bushes, in and out of the lake and generally making the most of the terrain. Beware the post-swim shake as that water can go a long way.  And if I show any hesitation when the dog approaches, I am told in no uncertain terms that if he thinks I am afraid he will jump on me. I can never work out how that is supposed to help as it just makes me more nervous which will increase the chances of contact! Lastly, we have the family dogs being taken for a walk because otherwise they will be unbearable. They mostly ignore me :) but not each other.

Then we have the runners. Runners fall into two categories, the friendly who say hello, and the unfriendly who don't.  Many of the friendly ones I see regularly which increases the friendliness. I have yet to fathom the unfriendly ones but some are 'serious runners' (ahem) who wouldn't lower themselves to acknowledge a middle-aged plodder like me, and others look like they are in too much pain to smile.

Finally we have the walker/exercisers. These are usually groups of women post school run. Big issue with these groups is that they hog the path completely meaning anyone else overtaking or approaching from the opposite direction has to leave the path to pass them. C'mon ladies, if there are 4 of you and one of me surely it is not too much to ask you to give way a little so I don't end up in the bushes!

Right, must crack on with Christmas cards, Christmas shopping and other boring stuff.