The Middle Ground

Ha ha Hilly

Just checked out what I need to do to get an 80% WAVA, 55:55 for 10 miles! I turn 35 in September and all I get for that is another 15 seconds!

So 56:05 at Guy's next December!  I doubt it, unless I have one of those just started running improvement curves sometime next year.

Y D wrote (see)

Ha ha Hilly

Just checked out what I need to do to get an 80% WAVA, 55:55 for 10 miles! I turn 35 in September and all I get for that is another 15 seconds!

So 56:05 at Guy's next December!  I doubt it, unless I have one of those just started running improvement curves sometime next year.

Don't count it out! I'm having one this section of this year...just hope I can carry it into 2013!

YD, never look at what it'd take to go up a percent or 2, it's like looking at what pace you need for a pb pre race, scary.

...Instead just focus on gradually improving, and at some point you'll cash in

I never rule anything in or out Curly, a 16:28 5k feels more achievable (5:18/m), but is still a fair way off. As for your recent upward swing, long may it continue. I tend to find they come in surges with a levelling off then another surge and so on.
Stevie I like to take a look from time to time. Though, I know what you mean, the smarter move is to focus on the next smaller within reach target. Unlike you, I find thinking about mins per mile pace less scary though, it kind of rationalises it for me.

It's fine when you know you'll be making a good breakthrough, but not so fine when you know you'll do well to take anything off!

Curly, a win is great news. Well done. Congrats on the PB, SG and nice racing from CB too.

I don't like the WAVA table any more.

I've been thinking about next season's goals and dug this out:

The Middle Ground 2012 Target Table
YD – get under 12 stone + 80(half), 60(10m), 36(10k) by summer - stretch target 17(5k)
Duck – 54 (400), 2:05 (800)
Vello – 39.59 10k, 1.29.59 half (and beat ‘Ben’)
Chingo - 74 (half), 56.30(10m), 33.30(10km), 26.50(5m),16.15(5km)
Simon – 26 (200), 56(400), 2:06(800), 4:27(1500), 4:50(1mile)
MR V - (80) Half, 60 (10m), 36 (10K) 17.15 (5k)
Hilly - beat all my 2011 times over all distances, oh and keep injury away!
PhilPub – to get as fit as a butcher's dog.
prf – 70 races and a chance to touch some sweet spot between 5 - 10 times a year!
BR - To derive as much enjoyment from my own racing and in the performance of those around me as I have in 2011 + some coaching.
Dash – 38:30 (10k), 1:27 (HM) low 18s (5k)
CB – to smash 45min for 10k at Salford, then start on long term goals: 20 (5k) then 40 (10k) then 90 (HM) + get down to a racing weight of around 11st3lb. 
Ratzer - 72.5% WAVA results 5k - HM, plus some other gubbins.
Dr.Dan - 90 HM, 67 10M, 40 10K, 19:30 5K, sub 6 mile ... complete an olympic triathlon ... and 2012 miles in 2012.
dav3c - 90 HM, 70 10M, 41 10K, 19:45 5K
forever - My own Holy Grail of a sub 3.15 marathon.

simon, not a pb alas...

Great table of goals tho! Hope to join you lot this year in setting some for 2013.

forever did hers - who else?

BR did his.  I achieved most times quicker than 2011 if I count Hull Marathon, but then got ill and injured so didn't quite get the sub 19 5k I wanted.  Although I won't complain as I might have levelled out in my times, but I'm still running times I'm happy with! 

Simon Edward wrote (see)

The Middle Ground 2012 Target Table
Dr.Dan - sub 90 HM, sub 67 10M, sub 40 10K, sub 19:30 5K, sub 6 mile ... complete an olympic triathlon ... and 2012 miles in 2012.

Total fail here ... at least I know my targets for 2013 ... oh and I'll add an extra mile to the target mileage for good measure!

Well, I am a good chunk under 12 stone and I have been for a while. The other targets I didn’t hit by summer, but I have the 10miler under my belt and I am in shape to hit the others now, so will take that. The sub 17 5k is still achievable this year, in theory.

Next years targets, simple, run a good Marathon, run more miles and become a better runner.

I wonder if prf hit his target more than 5 times?

Sub 45 10k done. Weight not achieved - a work in progress. I came close to a sub 20 5k and will carry that one over!!

7 miles with 16x200m ; 200m recovery this morning. It was cold!

The less said about that table the better for me! Think I’ll avoid setting any time goals for 2013

I'm keeping mine to myself again. They are only targets but if I say them too loudly I end up putting too much pressure on myself. Am trying to stay relaxed and enjoy myself at all costs!

Off for an interesting interview in a short while!

Nice work on the morning rep CB. I plan on doing some tonight.

Quite sensible Mr V and Curly. I have time targets but not annual ones, just short/medium term ones that I don’t mind sharing on here. Nothing against annual targets as such, I just don’t think I can predict or plan how much I will improve by over such a long period of time. There are so many variables to take into account, I just think its better to just focus on what’s up next, with a general idea of where I am going in the medium term.

I probably should have been more specific! 

I do remember quantifying some targets quite early on.  I'm pretty sure I wanted (a) a Champs qualifier time at HM, (b) sub-33 10k and (c) sub-16 5k.  Well, 2 out of 3 isn't bad.  I only ran a single 10k all year (Yateley, 34:10 on an undulating course coming back from illness) - plus a 10,000 track which I'd like to forget about (but which got me my highest age ranking all year!!) so didn't give myself much of a chance really.  Roll on Chichester.

Targets for the new year would be:
- Have a good marathon.
- Qualify for a World or Euro champs age-category place in the national champs duathlon (and then base my holiday plans around whether I actually want to race one of them!)
- PB across as many distances as possible (6 this year)

cb - Impressive work getting an interval session done already.  Brrrr!

Curly45 wrote (see)

 

Off for an interesting interview in a short while!

Ooooh!

70 Races - Yep

5-10 'Sweet spots' (whatever they may be, it wasnt my phrase) - Yep

Afternoon everyone! Too much to read back & comment on at the moment I'm afraid but some good training being posted with the breif skim I have had.

Simon Edward wrote (see) 

Duck – 54 (400), 2:05 (800)

Yeah that didn't happen. However I ran in 4 national university championships (reaching the 800 final in one), ran in the Olympic stadium, finished second a bunch of times in parkrun, improved my road times a hell of a lot, and had fun doing it. So it's been anything but an unsuccessful year! As for 2013 goals, I'll stick to something simple: get quicker.

Been a bit stale since Friday's XC tempo and the weather is still trying its best to thwart training up here. Managed to find some clear road to run 2*4*600 today (1'30 jog rec, 2 min rec between sets). The 4.8k of quality took a total of 16'08 to finish (5:23/m) and it wasn't totally flat (jog recoveries were about 8:00/m). First time I've felt good since Thursday.

I'll update the WAVA table - thankfully I have September's 1500 to fall back on. Sunday should see me right back up there though (especially if the rumoured 800 goes ahead!). 

MIDDLE GROUND WAVA LEAGUE (September-December) Calculator here:http://www.howardgrubb.co.uk/athletics/wmalookup06.html 

83.79% PhilPub (5,000m, 15:55.9, September)
82.34% Hilly (10M, 66:45, December) 
82.20% PRF (HM, 1:18:41, September)

77.71% SG, (10M, 57:09, October) 
77.41% Wardi (5K, 19:51, October) 
76.52% YD  (5M, 28.20, November) 
73.56% Duck (1500m, 4'39.9, September)
73.52% Dr.Dan (10K, 40:27, November) 
72:09% Minni (5m 35:11, November) 
71.43% MrV (5M 29.52 November) 
70.78% Curly (5M, 34:12, September)
59.56% CB (10K, 46:20, December)
35.8% BR (Dewsbury parkrun 5k, 39:30, September)

Out of date: 
Dash 
70.17% YoungPup (5k, 19:36, July) 
87.45% RobT 5K, (16:28, August) 
78.83% Simon (4'26.73, August) 
76.18% Ratzer (200m, 27.55, August)

Duck - I hope you're going to be keeping a close eye on the post count, Icant think of a more appropriate poster to bag the 22,222nd post in the next few days.