The Middle Ground

Next up was the 1500, about 45 mins after the 400. I was happier just to go out and run with no real time in mind, just have a strong run and have a bit of fun. Wasn't feeling especia;ly recovered as we lined up for the start!

Not as much to say about this one. Kept quiet for the first 2.5 laps, before passing 2 runners in the next 2 laps to get to 800 in about 2'28 ish feeling good and strong. As always I struggled to keep the pace up with no-one really in front to run off, with 2 laps to go I still felt like there was plenty to give so really upped the pace, and really strode out in the final lap to finish 4th in 4'38.47, a 1.5s pb.

A good time given the effort I put in, legs weren't screaming at the end and I wasn't on the floor gasping for breath (like the 400 I felt a bit winded). With someone a bit quicker to run off I could have run quicker for sure, the race context just wasn't there for anything much quicker. I'm satisfied with what was essentially a sub-5 mile solo grind without going crazy. 

So, conclusions:

The speed is definately there.
The endurance isn't bad either.
I'm feeling much stronger in the latter half of races now.

And the best bit is it's only January!

Not much time as snowed under at work (no pun intended!)

Duck

Some great running going on

Was a bit disappointed at Helsby being cancelled but got out for a lovely 15 miler. My longest run ever (equal) and haven't gone over 12.8 since June, so really happy.

Keep having fun in the snow!

YP – just get out and run some easy miles, reassess after a week, then adjust. Maybe you should forget focussed Marathon training until you have a couple of niggle free weeks behind you. Still plenty of time for a decent Marathon campaign, P&D 12 weeks might fit assuming you are ok in two weeks.

Simon – were you cold?

Great report Duck, bodes very well for your next few races, what’s next for you?

Nice work on the longest run CB, for us newer runners I think the long runs are where the biggest gains come from.

6 miles before breakfast this morning. Conditions were ok, just a light dusting of fresh snow on the pavements, glad I got the run in though as in the time it took me to have breakfast and get ready for work quite a thick layer of snow had collected outside with snow coming down heavily. I made it into work, but I reckon I will be getting sent home by lunchtime if it carries on. Apparently we (Yorkshire and North East) are getting a some of the heavy stuff today. Rubbish, I wanted clear paths for a tempo run tomorrow!

Duck – Nice work on the PBs. What can you do when race fit???

YD – Good effort in the snow and nice work by the dog as well.

After BM was cancelled I managed to salvage the week with 32 miles done over the weekend. 5 plus 10 on Saturday and 17 on Sunday. So 62 for the week was ok in the end. I think I must be cursed as that is now 3 half marathon campaigns in a row that haven’t resulted in an opportunity to try and run a fast time!

You win Mr V!
I did 5 + another 5 once BM was cancelled on Saturday, and 20 yesterday to bring up 58.1 miles for the week. Still averaging over 60 miles per week for the year. One more week of 60 + miles then its cutback week for me. Decided to do a four weeks on, one week down pattern through to Manchester. Fits nicely so that I will be fresh for Dewsbury in two weeks.
As for being cursed over the half marathon, I used to think that, but when you nail one it makes it all the more sweet.

Well done on your longest run CB!

Nice work Duck!

Heavy snow here all through the night YD.  Went for 6 miles in ankle deep snow this morning after finding out work closed.  Although to be truthful there was no way of driving there from where I live.  Hard work running in snow over the ankles, but very pretty with thick snow hugging the overhanging branches of trees along the trail.

There's talk of another parkrun starting up in Newcastle now as the Town Moor route can't really cope with the 400 plus runners that it now seems to be getting. I wonder where it wold be held..

Mr V - I'd heard Cramlington mentioned.

Thanks Minni - I've heard Heaton or Wallsend!

I wish there was a suitable course somewhere up here to get one started up.

PhilPub wrote (see)

Dan - Snake Lane? Is that where you buy your shorts?

Josh Blatchford wrote (see)

Dr. Dan - was this an A race?  And how much did you taper?

No, I was just running this for a hard training session, so not an A race. I worked har Sun-Thurs and then took Fri and Sat off, so legs were rested to some degree.

Y D wrote (see)

Good work on getting the miles in Dr Dan, do you fancy a PB attempt at Snake Lane? Not sure what shape you are in at the moment.

I fancy a crack at a PB ... not in the best shape but on the right track.

Curly45 wrote (see)

Nice that 55 miles is a taper week though eh Dr. Dan!

Indeed!

YD/MrV ... nice mileage rescuing this weekend.

Duck - great report and great racing. You looked very comfortable at the end of the 400m!

Nice long'un CB!

5M into work this morning in the snow, carrying a heavier than normal rucksac with 60 exam scripts and my lunch ... legs felt good. Tricky period at work coming up (mega busy) so hoping I can hold things together on the training front.

Thanks everyone, a really strong start the year on the track - nice to have another 1 on PO10 too  

Nice job getting 15 miles in cb, especially in these conditions! 

YD/Mr V very good weekends for the both of you. YD I have Crane park parkrun on Saturday with Simon and a Fetch Mile Sunday. 

Mr V - I went from 2:18.30 at an indoor meet on February 4th last year to 2:09.65 in August, so going off that I think sub-54 for 400 is a realistic target (plus more specific 400 sessions which I didn't do enough of last year). The 1500 will do what it wants! 

The thing that I'm happiest about is that the times came about off the back of a distinct lack of lactic glycolytic sessions - I'm yet to do anything really intense yet. I'm still working on max speed for now - I haven't even touched on speed endurance yet (I've done 2 sessions @ 1500 pace that touched slightly on specific endurance but no more). 

Josh Blatchford wrote (see)

 What sort of tactics can you do if you get boxed-in?

A quick elbow to the ribs works well. 

Being boxed-in usually comes about by not reading the race well enough - in retrospect I should have seen the guy in the yellow coming past and made sure I barged into his spot instead. It's about experience at the end of the day - I spent most of my first year running indoor 400s at the back so I'm not used to it!

FWIW splits yesterday were (roughly) 26.9/28.6 - pretty much perfect. Amazingly there's one picture of me (normally everyone else around me have tons and I have none) - being that flat-footed shows how tired I was after just a few laps of the 1500! 

Great report Duck so encouraging for this time in the year as you say!

I now join the ranks of cancellations - The Southerns, not until Saturday, are CANCELLED as of today. FFS its XC  Apparently City of London dont want it going ahead (they own the Heath by some odd historical arrangement even though its not in the city of london) as the ground is too rutted. Bit annoyed especially as the parkrun has been on, which yes is on a different part of the heath but still it cannot possibly be that bad if they are running there. We've had sun all day today and a large proportion of our snow has melted so its completely stupid to have cancelled it already. They could have waited til Thurs to make a decision!

http://www.athleticsweekly.com/news/athletics-events-feel-the-freeze/

Duck - How are you in such good form at this point? Brilliant stuff and promises an eventful rest of the year....

Curly/Phil - That is just nuts. It would take something like a direct meteor hit or a tsunami to make a xc course unrunnable. Whatever are they thinking?

Our Weds eve track race is cancelled but that makes sense because it is low key and just been shifted to next week.

I see there are no plans to re-run the Brass Monkey, apparently the Racecourse building needs to be booked about a year in advance.    They could always use Bishopthorpe Crematorium down the road as the race HQ, plenty of space in the car park and somewhere for the runners to keep warm before the start!

Frozen & nasty underfoot tonight so 5m on the treadie.

Cracking stuff Duck, keep up the good work.

Good mileage banked Mr V & Y D.

Inspired idea Wardi!

It was a bit crunchier and slippery in places when running home last night, but not too bad. Couldn't run-commute today but will try to get out at lunchtime ... hope it's not too icey!

Ducky, you make my legs twitch reading about these fast paces! Top stuff!

My session today was 10k and 3k "effort". The actual paces round a snow/y/icy field were more MP and HMP! Darn conditions!

Curly, Chichester and Wokingham numbers have arrived. Were you doing both? I forget on Wokingham.

Something about race numbers showing up makes it all real doesn't it.... interesting little run in,  2 races, will it be the pbs to justify the training/bring into line with the Autumn 10miler, or will it be a dip into the excuse locker