Training : Bywell

Sunny Running by the Tyne

I've said before that running on the flat is harder than uphill and way more than downhill (my favorite) but this morning's training down by the Tyne at Bywell was glorious. The sun shining, the birds singing, dogs barking... You get the picture. When the weather is like this, cold mind you, the running seems all that easier even though the effort isn't. We were trying to get the speed up and doing 2.5 mile stretches at 10k race pace inter-spersed with steady sub 9 min miles and the odd sprint. It still seems we're catching up after the extended Christmas break. Yes I know it's nearly March already but the break, the weather and just lately the job just hasn't let me find the consistency I need.

Tynedale : Jelly Tea Race

Better in the eating than in anticipation

I'd been panicking all week and more besides, the thought of 10 miles, longer than anything I've run was getting to me.

I'm up early pacing the hallway. Take the train to Hexham, leaving my car at the finish in Prudhoe / Ovingham. Early again pacing the platform. Arrival at the start over an hour to go. Meet up with a couple of the girls from Tyndale Tuesday group, now we're all panicking a bit but the mutual support is encouraging.

The amble to the start turns into a jog and one or two folk think we've already started, not yet! Then we're off!

The route is actually beautiful following the National Cycle route 72 for most of the way. Leaving Hexham on the Beaufront road to Corbridge, through the town it's self a steep section taking you up out of town to the turn down right to Bywell. The road is then goes back down the hill bypassing Bywell and follows the river towards Ovingham. A short steep section at mile 9+ proves as hard as the pre-race horror stories made it out to be.

The end is almost in sight and we realise that with a short burst of speed we could make it in under the hour and a half! In the end 1:27 more than 10 minutes in under my target time. Knackered but well happy with that.

Training : Tyneside

Upping the pace

View Ovingham-Wylam in a larger map

It's been a busy weekend. After the race yesterday I decied to take it easy today and sat in front of the TV watching the athletics, got bored, cooked a pork and bean casserole for a late lunch, more athletics, more bored. Damn, changed, and out five miles along the riverside from Ovingham to Wylam over Hagg Bank Bridge and back along the Tynedale Park Riverside route to Ovingham.

It was wet and overcast, I wasn't really on form but feel better for it. A few more of these and a bit longer over the next week or so then maybe the 10 miler may be do-able. Right now I'm still very uncertain. According to Garmin 5.1 miles 52:15 average 6mph

Training Resumed : Jelly All Round

There's Bears in them Woods

View Hexham in a larger map

There's nothing like getting a race bib number in the post and a sudden realisation that the start date is just a few weeks away to get the motivation going. For 'motivation' read PANIC.

After a few weeks of not feeling great and not enjoying the running I decided last night to get down to it and motivate myself. The receipt of the bib for the Tynedale Harrier's Jelly Road Race, start time 11:00am 6th Sept. that morning had something to do with it too. It's 10 Miles! Shit that's far longer than I've run ever at one time before and I'm starting to panic for sure. Tips on how to up the distance from where I'm reasonably comfortable, 10k, to the new goal of 10 Miles, would be helpful.

Statistics: Distance: 10.44 km Elevation gain: 217.1 m Elevation loss: -217.5 m. (As calculated by GPS Visualizer)