Heraldjul13

THE HARRIERS HERALD No. 245, July 2013 Editor: Sue Francis

Contents, features, reports, results • Thursday night schedules for July and August • Correspondence received • Race reports for: Ironman Lanzarote – Fay tells of her fantastic 10-year journey from Ironman novice to reaching the podium; Motavation race series – Richard enjoys race 2 on a sunny evening; Chiltern Chase – Richard recommends an off-road 10K; Boundary Run & Walk – Well-attended and competitive, despite rain • Race results for: Otmoor Challenge Half; Yately 10K; St. Albans Half; The Hurt 24K; South Downs Way 100; Ridgeway Relay; Hungerford Harey 8; Toad Hall 5K; Inkpen Gibbet Challenge • Handicap Race: Tapani wins the trophy, and Dick extends his Championship lead • Webmaster’s article – Mo features ‘Building your perfect training programme’, ‘Running Free’ magazine, and forthcoming races of interest • Thanks to Richard, Fay, Sus and Mo for this month’s contributions • Copy date for next Harriers Herald – 2nd August

Thursday night schedule for July Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs

4th 11th 18th 25th

Tapani to lead Susanne to lead Nicola to lead Lucy to lead

Thursday night schedule for August Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs

1st 8th 15th 22nd 29th

Philomena to lead Handicap Race Run with Didcot Runners (Wittenham Clumps, followed by meal at ‘The Bear’) Tom to lead Nick Bull to lead (run with Team Kennet, Henwick Worthy, Thatcham, 5 miles, hilly & scenic)

Correspondence received Subject matter

Sender Event Organiser

Glyn Shepherd Memorial Run 2.5M (Windsor Great Park, 29-09-13)

Action Events Diary

Race Reports Ironman Lanzarote 2013 Fay Dellimore - A.W.Cycles athlete Post race reflections I set myself a massive goal for Ironman (IM) Lanzarote 2013; to win my age group 50-54 and in doing so qualify for the World Championships in Hawaii. I did not achieve my ultimate Ironman goal but I do not regret for one moment going after it with such 'dogged focus' over the past year! In fact it has made me even more determined to keep pushing forward!

In 2003 I finished my first IM Lanzarote at 2.30 in the morning, taking 19 and a half hours. All the other competitors were tucked up in their beds when I crossed the line and the only spectators were a few friends and family who made a finish tape out of a piece of string. The night clubbers beeping their horns was my finishers salute!!! I thought about that day often during the race this year. Particularly at the points in the course where I

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passed 'the back of the packers' on the opposite side of the road as they were heading out where I had already been.

That was me .. . 'How far I have come .. .'.

I learnt so much from the actual race and from the experience of being on the podium for the very first time! I know friends and family were concerned that I would find it hard to recover from the race mentally because I had put so much of myself into winning. Literally, as I am writing this, I have just spoken to one of my friends and she said she was 'dreading' speaking to me because she thought I would be inconsolable! If I am honest I had the same fears about myself before the race but after the race I could really only find reasons to be proud of myself. Of course I have little niggles about 'this and that' but I, and 1800 other athletes, know how hard it was out there on the 18th May! When you invest so much into training for an Ironman there is always an element of 'risk'. There are things that you can control like your fitness, being able to fix a puncture, practicing eating and drinking when your body is under stress. Then there are the things you can't control like the weather!

The philosophy of Ironman is centred on 'finishing' even if you have to crawl across the line. In fact the rules for the marathon stipulate that; "no form of locomotion other than running, walking or crawling is allowed". I think as long as I remain passionate about 'my sport' I will continue to accept the highs and the lows as a part of the journey.

Early morning alarms!!

I was up and awake before the 4 alarms that I had set the night before went off at intervals between 4.55 and 5am!

You never really sleep the night before an Ironman because your mind is all over the place which puts your body in a state of 'alert'. Despite that, you worry about not waking up and missing the start of the race. In fact I had lay wide awake in bed through most of the night, my body quite literally shaking with anticipation!

I got dressed and put on several layers of sun cream which was going to have to protect any bare areas for most of the day. I was slightly concerned that I had only had one trip to the toilet! Anyone who has done any kind of race, or indeed competition, will be familiar with the many trips to 'the facilities' that is quite normal and expected. The mind tells the body something 'major' is about to take place and so the body empties itself in anticipation .. .'fight or flight!'. I was hoping to get this done and dusted whilst in the luxury of my hotel room rather than having to queue with the throngs of predominantly male athletes for a porta cabin facility! As it turned out the only toilet break I needed was a wee, in my wetsuit, just before the start of the race.

Swim start: 1767 athletes ... 7068 arms and legs = mucho bruises!!!

If you have never seen a mass IM swim start get on the internet and google 'IM Lanzarote 2013'. It is an absolutely amazing spectacle to watch. Being part of it is also amazing but in a completely different way. Many athletes fear this situation and for some it is too much and they end up having to be pulled out of the water. I gather that happened to one man who, about 10 minutes into the swim, quite understandably, had a panic attack. I was of course a little nervous, mostly the nerves were centered around an injury in my right arm I had picked up a few weeks previous to the race when I had fallen over quite heavily whilst on an off road run. Hence I had not been able to do very much swimming and was just hoping that it would hold out! Also I just wanted to get going and not be too held up by the sheer mass of people swimming together. I positioned myself fairly close to the front, although in retrospect I could have gone even further up to get a faster swim time.

As we lined up to await the 7am start it was actually tipping down with rain ... in Lanzarote!!! I was stood next to a friend of mine and we were talking about the fact that we could not see a thing through our steamed up goggles.

The starting gun sounded and we all pushed forward with such urgency, almost as if our lives depended on it, now the time has come ... the hard work ... the hours ... the sacrifices ... the pain ... We all just want to make it worth it...

The first few hundred metres of the swim were a cross between swimming and wrestling! It was impossible to get into a rhythm and it was more about surviving in the early stages! During the entire swim there were only a couple of patches where I felt I was able to really get into my swimming, most of the time I was surrounded pretty tightly.

My goggles got kicked off at one point and luckily I was able to grab them before they got pushed away from me.

I had to stop to put them back on much to the annoyance of the athletes who had to dodge around me! I got kicked and punched lots of times but for me the most painful moment was when my previously dislocated middle right finger got kicked which really hurt. From that moment I swam with that finger partially 'tucked in!'.

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The 2.4 mile/3.8km swim took me 1:14:02 which was slower than I had hoped for, but I was first out of the water in my age group and just over 12 minutes faster than last year so I am happy enough with that.

A wet ride ... Am I really in Lanzarote?!?!?

The swim over, I ran up the beach dodging the other athletes who were stopping to make use of the showers on the way through. I ran as fast as I could to get my bike bag and into the changing tent. There was an area provided for women but to be honest I could not have cared less who was around me, I just wanted to get out on my bike as quickly as I could! I got through 1st transition in 8:26 which was 4th fastest, I am happy with that.

When I got on my bike the rain had actually stopped but within 5 minutes or so it came back with a vengeance! It was not warm either. In fact my Garmin report says it was 53.6 degrees fahrenheit, that is just 12 degrees Celsius ... in Lanzarote!!! Everyone who knows me will testify that I am a wimp when it comes to being cold and for me the hotter the temperature the better. I avoid racing in cold conditions so this was definitely not part of the plan for my world championship bid!

I was actually cold for a lot of the cycle, my feet were numb for some of the time. I wished I had put more clothes on but it just was not what you expected to feel in a race in the Canary Islands. The bike section of the race was very much up and down for me and I am not referring to the 7,600 feet of climbing! There were times when I was flying and felt really good and then I would go through a low patch and struggle through it. I had certainly had much better training rides over the same course in the 5 weeks that I had been in Lanzarote previous to the race, most notably the 6 hour ride in around 35 degrees celsius temperatures!

I probably did not take on enough calories during the cycle which I put down to (1) not drinking as much as usual because I did not feel the need with the low temperatures, (2) I kept needing to wee, partly because I was cold, so I was avoiding drinking and (3) there was no coca cola supplied on the course which I normally take several gulps of at every feed station. The coke/calorie deficit issue was going to have an even greater impact as the race went on!

One of the great things about Ironman is the camaraderie amongst athletes of all levels and abilities. I don't know if there is another sport where you can actually stand right next to a champion of the sport on the start line (maybe not advisable unless you can swim 2.4 miles in 45 minutes!). But the point is we are in it together and even though it is very much a sport that you do as an individual there is definitely a 'team spirit' with your fellow athletes during the race. As you are going round the bike course there is always a lot of passing and being passed amongst a group of similar level athletes. Some are stronger on the uphills, some on the downs and others on the flatter stretches. You get to know people out on the bike course, you encourage each other and keep each others spirits up through the rough patches. Then after the race you chat together about the day and you have made several new amazing friends!

My bike time was 7:13:57 which was just over 9 minutes slower than last year which in a purely numbers perspective is disappointing. That said, everyone I know had a slower bike time this year because the conditions were so much tougher than in 2012.

171 not 170 ... CONCENTRATE!!!

I really only have one serious regret about my 2013 race and that is that '13:02' could so easily have been '12:59:59'. From a results perspective the number '12' with anything after it is quite an iconic number for Lanzarote IM. If I had just concentrated more in that second transition I believe I would have achieved that. Put aside the cold and the coke issues, this was a factor that I just 'messed up!' pure and simple.

Once in transition, I handed over my bike to one of the volunteers and ran / hobbled as best I could after 112miles/180km on a bike to get my run bag. As you can imagine with just under 1800 athletes taking part transition is a very large area, and to be competitive you need to be running at all times. You place your own bags on numbered hooks before the race and so in theory you know exactly where they are. That said in the heat of the moment it is not uncommon to look and feel a bit 'lost' after completing the epic IM Lanzarote bike course! With a bit of help from a couple of volunteers frantic pointing I got to where my bag was hanging up and grabbed it. I ran up and around the tape as directed. Going under the tape could result in a penalty which would mean sitting in a box for the allocated time.

Once in the changing tent I sat down and took my bike socks off ready to put my run socks on. I chose to change socks to decrease my chance of getting blisters from wet, dirty socks during the marathon. Yes it takes a couple of minutes but that is nothing to the time you might lose with a bad blister. Anyway, I opened 'my' bag ... "this isn't

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my stuff!!!" ... WRONG BAG!!!! Not concentrating properly I had picked up 170 instead of my number 171 !!! I swore a few times, jumped up and ran up and around the tape shouting “I took the wrong bag". I put the 'wrong' bag back paying attention to putting it in the correct place as I did not want to mess up athlete 170's race. Once I had my 171 bag I set off back to the tent. I remember asking the volunteers, who I knew, "please can I go under the tape?" but as they should, one of them shouted back "no Fay, otherwise you will get a penalty!". So I ran up and around, back into the changing tent and got myself sorted as quickly as I could. One of the volunteers quite literally slapped thick layers of sun cream on my shoulders and face and off I went to start the marathon.

That bag mishap cost me ... My T2 time was 10:22 which was 7th out of 18 women in my age group ... not happy with that!

Coming back from the brink ...

I set off on the run with a vengeance. I had no idea at this point where I was positioned in my age group. My goal was to run a 4 hour marathon and I knew I needed to focus, get into my rhythm and maintain it. I had a run belt on which held around 450ml of energy drink and I was carrying 4 gels. There are plenty of official aid stations along the marathon course, which is a 3-lap course, supplying energy drink, water, bits of fruit, ice, sponges and a caffeinated drink. The normal caffeine energy drink for Ironman is coca cola which is what I use in training and have always taken sips of at most aid stations in former races. This year 'Red Bull' was the official drink which I have drunk before but not consistently and not in a race situation. The first rule of racing is 'do not try something in a race that you have not tested out properly in training', so I did not drink the Red Bull.

The first lap, which is the longest of the 3 laps and is around half marathon distance, went to plan. My Garmin report shows that I ran half marathon in just under 2 hours. I was feeling like I could keep going at that pace, I felt strong. I still did not really know where I was in my age group but I was pretty sure I thought from looking at numbers as I crossed other women along the lapped course that I was in third position. Our race numbers have our name and our age group on them so I was trying to keep an eye out if I saw any women on the course. I had set out to try and win my age group but I had said to a couple of people who I am closest to that as long as I got onto the podium I would be okay with the result.

Around about mile 15 I started to feel not so great and took 2 energy gels in close succession to try and give myself a boost but they did not work and, by mile 17, my legs were wobbling all over the place, I felt dizzy and I was reduced to walking. I am not a fan of walking during a marathon as I find it hard to get going again. Some endurance athletes swear by the 'run several miles then walk a minute or two' for the entire race philosophy and it works for them. I felt pretty terrible and did not know what to do! I thought my race might be over completely as I was struggling to even walk! The feeling was made worse by the fact that I had convinced myself that I had seen 3 women ahead of me in my age group so I had lost my podium slot as well! It flashed through my head to 'give up', not just the race but the entire sport! Others had pulled out, why don't I just stop now?!?!? I pulled myself away from that thought pretty quickly and thought 'okay just keep walking and you will be able to finish by the midnight cut off. You can't quit, Fay does not do quitting!!!'.

There is one point on the course where you are allowed outside help, anywhere else and it is instant disqualification. I knew my friends who were waiting at that special feed point had coca cola for me and a lime Calipo (I had shouted as I passed earlier to get me a Calipo). After the race my friend Laura told me about the practicalities of getting the timing right so it had not melted before she gave it to me!!! I had walked for about 15 minutes and was feeling a bit better so I pushed myself into a laboured run. As I arrived at the special feed station Laura was shouting "Calipo ... Lime Calipo" which I grabbed as I ran past. She shouted "do you need anything else?". "Coke, coke", I shouted back and she ran to give it to me. I had more coke on the way back out as I passed the station again and before I knew it I was flying again! I went from barely being able to walk to running the last 10 km in under an hour, with the last 5km in 27 minutes. I pushed myself hard and as soon as I stopped after crossing the finish line I started swaying and the lovely Spanish medical staff caught me before I had a chance to hit the floor! Marathon time 4 hours 15 minutes ...

In the medical tent I was offered a drip but I knew I did not need one. I just needed a sugary drink and I was good to go. Remember at this point I thought I was 'off the podium' so it was a euphoric moment when I was told I had got 3rd in my age group. In fact somebody sent me a Facebook message ... “Hi Fay, I saw you at Lanzarote and I referred to you as the "Pink Lady" because you rocked the pink so well the entire weekend! Congratulations on a 3rd place finish! I was in the transition area when you found out and shouted at the top of your lungs "I GOT 3rd!!" Which caused me to ring my orange cowbell to congratulate you�.

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I said many years ago that I had 2 main goals as far as IM Lanzarote was concerned; the first one was to be on the podium and the second was to qualify for the World Championships. So I can tick the first one off ...

The view from the top ...

I can say without any doubt standing on the podium and receiving my Ironman trophy for coming 3rd in my age group was one of the happiest moments of my life! If you look at any of the photos of me that evening you can see I am not just smiling with my mouth but with my eyes, with my ears, with every part of me!

Ironically at the World Championship allocation the slot for 4549 age group (bearing in mind I am still 49) rolled down to the 10th place woman who completed the race in a time of 15 hours and 24 minutes. I finished 2 hours and 22 minutes before that.

That was hard to take at first but then when I put things into perspective I knew there was no way I would swap my 13 hour 2 minutes with Ironman trophy for her 10th place with World Championship slot...

Mota-vation Series Race 2, Bletchingdon, 4 Miles 457 yards, 6th June Richard D Kidlington Running Club has, since the late 1980s, organized this series of five road races, each of approximately four miles, held at various village venues in Oxfordshire on the first Thursday of the month from May through to September. Having missed the first race in the series, the May event at Charlton–in-Otmoor, due to traffic problems, I was especially looking forward to the second race in the series around the village of Bletchingdon, just over the A34 from Otmoor.

As usual this was very much a club race, with most of the local clubs from Abingdon up to Banbury taking part – very few fun runners were in evidence. The course is a triangular one, with the first leg mostly downhill, the middle leg undulating, and the final leg mostly uphill.

On a gloriously sunny evening a field of over 300 set off at a breakneck pace past Bletchingdon Park down to the village of Kirtlingdon. The route then heads towards the Oxford Canal at Enslow before the uphill stretch back to the finish. Lacking a lot of speed nowadays I was quickly left back in the middle of the field at the start but soon achieved a steady pace and actually started passing people again in the last mile or so. Whilst it was my slowest time on this course I enjoyed the run and the competitiveness of the event, which few road races still seem to have.

After a quick pause at the finish I headed back to Aldworth in time to meet the rest of the Harriers at the ‘Four Points for an enjoyable club dinner!

Place 121st; Time 30:03; Runners 302 Race winners: Men: David Bruce, Highgate, 21:45; Women: Jude Craft, Headington, V35, 26:21 (43rd overall) MV40: James Bolton, Woodstock, 21:54 (3rd overall); MV50: Alan Reynolds, Witney, 25:42 (35th overall)

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Chiltern Chase 10k, Ewelme, 9th June Richard D This was the 8th running of this scenic race, held mainly off-road in the Chiltern countryside north of Ewelme.

Although fairly hilly, it isn’t a particularly tough race, with the main hill being a steady uphill drag near the start of the race.

Having run the race three times previously I was a bit surprised to see that the start had been moved into the village playing field whereas it had previously started outside it, a couple of hundred metres further away. I’m not sure if the route had been made more accurate or not, but the k markers had not been moved and the first k was my slowest of the race! I tend to think the race had been made more accurate, but that no one had decided to re measure the k markers.

It was a fairly cool and overcast day, but perfect for racing. I managed to run a fairly steady race, running quite well up the pack, but losing about 4 places in the last k to some fast finishers who had obviously set off too slowly!

It’s a pleasant and enjoyable race, well organised and quite a contrast to the Wargrave 10k event which it clashes with. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a bit of off-road in his or her 10k races.

Place 48th; Time 44:57; Runners 391 Race winners: Men: Nick Jones, Newbury, 34:37; Women: Kay Walsha, UA, V35, 38:38 (7th overall).

MV40: Chris Bedford, Abingdon, 38:34 (6th overall); MV50: Ed Dodwell, Reading RR, 41:43 (18th overall)

Boundary Run & Walk, 27th June Sue There was an excellent turn-out for the Boundary Run & Walk, despite the miserable weather. While most of the runners and faster walkers seem to have appreciated the light rain, it wasn’t so much fun for those whose intention was an enjoyable walk in the Berkshire Countryside, or for the loyal band of helpers!

29 runners and 16 walkers (+ 3 dogs) set off on the 8-mile route – the number of walkers being by far the greatest we have had for several years. It was nice for Compton Harriers to be joined by participants from the two Institute sites, Merck, Didcot Runners, Team Kennet, the Downs School, and West Ilsley village.

In the Walk, Simon strode out to break his own course record by 1 second, in finishing as the first walker for the fourth successive year. Simon was followed by Paula, Lorraine and their dogs. However, since they covered the route by a mixture of jogging and walking, the first lady walker was Anne whose time was (subject to verification by our records statistician!) a ladies walk course record by 36 seconds. Close behind, and only marginally outside the former record time, was Claire.

In the Run, Kenneth, Tom M, Martin, Andy B and Paul set off at a good pace and opened up a gap, ahead of Andy H, Richard and Stuart. Kenneth and Tom eventually stretched away, with Kenneth securing victory by 7 seconds ahead of Tom, in the fastest winning time since 2003. Martin was 3rd man home. The ladies race was similarly close. Lucy had taken the lead just before the drinks station, but Sue managed to close the gap and pip Lucy at the post, while Fiona was 3rd lady home.

Many thanks to those Harriers and their spouses who helped to make the evening a success: Uwe for standing in the rain for an hour as the friendly face manning the drinks station; Jan for her expert time-keeping; Mo for several hours spent strimming overgrown footpaths; Sus and Dick for route-marking.

Full results can be found on our Website.

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Race Results in brief Otmoor Challenge, half marathon, 2nd June - Sus finished in 1:38:42 in 74th place overall, while Philomena was 124th in 1:46:00.

Yately 10k series - Sus finished 3rd in her category in 42:25.

St Albans half marathon, 9th June - Sus was 5th lady overall (1st FV45) in 1:32:36.

The Hurt, 24k off-road, 15th June - Sus finished in 2:38:18.

South Downs Way 100, 15th June – Nicola finished 36th from a field of 180 starters (142 finishers) and was 4th lady. Her time of 20:30:13 was a PB by 3 minutes.

Ridgeway Relay, 16th June - Richard D - Compton Harriers finished a creditable 18th out of the 43 teams that finished the 24th Ridgeway Relay on 16th June. Harriers finished the race in a time of 11:42:52 with Headington Road Runners winning the race in time of 9:36:41. I would like to offer a big thank-you to all those runners and supporters who participated on the day. A full report will appear in next month’s Herald.

Hungerford Harey 8, 23rd June - Sus finished in 56:24 as 3rd lady.

Toad Hall 5K, 23rd June – Sue was 1st lady (4th overall) in this multi-terrain 5K at Whitchurch Hill (21:30).

Coombe Gibbet Challenge 10.5k, 30th June - Sus was 2nd lady in 47:30 and she highly recommends the race (see photos below).

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Handicap Race Sue June’s Handicap Race was held around the Relay Lap. The terrain was firm underfoot and, thanks to Mo for strimming, the course was clear of overhanging vegetation. We set off into a blustery westerly wind, but at least it helped us up the hill.

Defending Champion Gillian set off first, with Mo in pursuit. Having passed Gillian at the top of Hockheim Road, and still in the lead upon hitting the High Street, Mo thought the trophy was his. But Tapani, almost back to full fitness after his winter injury, stormed past and claimed the victory, with Mo a safe second. Philomena clinched third ahead of Gillian, while Pete O and Dick (who had set off 1 second apart) had a close race all the way and finished 2 seconds apart. I surprised myself with the evening’s fastest time despite a niggling injury. Aaron was next, finishing spot on his predicted time (no prize for this I’m afraid) while Lucy showed no sign of post-GUCR tiredness as she posted a good time. Martin, saving his resources for a tough Ridgeway Relay leg, completed the field. Well done to Tapani, and thanks to Jan for timing. There will be no Handicap Race in July – the next one is scheduled for Thursday 8th August.

Finish Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Position on handicap 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Name

Start time

Tapani Mo Philomena Gillian Pete O Dick Sue Aaron Lucy Martin

3:21 1:02 5:05 0:48 6:30 6:31 7:10 6:08 6:25 7:35

Finish time

Actual time

16:03 16:22 16:35 16:42 16:43 16:45 16:48 17:00 17:08 17:20

12:42 15:20 11:30 15:54 10:13 10:14 9:38 10:52 10:43 9:45

Handicap Beaten?

-0:57 -0:38 -0:25 -0:18 -0:17 -0:15 -0:12 0:00 +0:08 +0:20

Handicap Championship: After 5 races, Dick has extended his lead, with Aaron remaining in second place and Philomena moving up to third.

Pos.

1 2 3 4= 4= 6= 6= 6= 9 10= 10= 12 13= 13= 15= 15= 17 18= 18=

Name

Dick Aaron Philomena

Mo Terry Neil Lucy Gillian Colin Richard Sue Mags Jonathan Tapani Pete O Ricky Martin Pete H Piers

Race 1 12 4 9 6 8 10 7 3 2 1 1 5 1 1 1

Race 2 12 1 3 10 7 6 8 1 9 3 5 4 -

Race 3 10 6 8 3 9 12 5 4 2 7 -

Race 4 10 8 2 9 12 6 4 5 7 1 3 -

Race points Race Race 5 6 6 4 9 10 3 8 5 12 7 2 -

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Race 7 -

Race 8 -

Race 9 -

Total of best 5 38 34 29 25 25 20 20 20 19 16 16 15 13 13 12 12 10 1 1

Website update… http://www.comptonharriers.org.uk Mo Links of interest this month: We do have a menu button on our website that links to Running Free Magazine at http://www.runningfreemag.co.uk/. However, I thought I would remind you all that the on-line magazine provides a wealth of running information and articles, too numerous to mention. It’s always worth a read when you have a spare moment online! The Boundary Run 2013 results are now online and can be accessed from the Race Results link from the menu bar.

This month’s article: Increase your fitness by building your Perfect Training Programme: Your programme should be tailored to suit your own running goals and fitness needs. The following points will outline the general requirements for designing your own training programme.

1. Run a minimum of 3 days a week.

Consistency is essential for the success of your programme. You can gradually build on this as fitness improves.

The onus is on slowly building up from 2 or 3 days a week to 5 or more to avoid long term injuries, so unless you are very young or very fit, this should take place over several months or even a year in order for your body to adapt. Try to be patient (it really is a virtue) and don’t become obsessed with running every day!

2. Listen to your body.

Don’t ignore aches and pains … treat them. Don’t push hard when you feel tired and out of sorts … you can do that on another day when you feel up for it! By not listening to your body you risk ruining your training program.

3. Include rest breaks.

Make sure you have days when you don’t run … you can do other activities such as cycling and swimming, or just relax and do nothing. This will enable your body to recover from the essential parts of your running programme and enable the building of your muscles and hence your running strength.

4. Vary your training sessions.

When you are capable of running for about an hour or so without too much trouble, then you should then include some variations in your programme such as: Speed work: This will mean running set distances as fast as you can with a short recovery in between. This is probably best carried out on a track as it is easier to run set distances such as 200, 400, 600, 800 metres or more. A typical speed session for distance runners (5K+) is built around 400m repeats gradually building up to 8 to 10 in a session.

Speed with endurance: A typical session would be 8 x 400 with a minute recovery. To get the most out of the session, don’t go out too fast for the first 400 and leave nothing for the last - keep a record of each 400 (or 200, or 800) and try to run within 1 or 2 seconds for each 400 (or 200, or 800). Don’t forget to do a thorough warm up before attempting any speed work ... warm up for at least 20 minutes before running flat out in the first 400. A good warm up could be running 4 laps of a track, jogging around the bends and running a bit harder on the straights. If you don’t have the use of a track, you can make use of a recreation ground or even on a quiet road where you can use lamp post or telegraph poles to estimate suitable distances. By warming up your muscles before running hard, you will avoid injury. Finally, make sure you warm down for at least 10 minutes after the session, to aid recovery.

Strength work: You should include at least one hill session in your training programme. This will mean running up and down hills for up to 70% of the session. Ideally this should be up a variety of hills, from short and sharp, to long and steady. Regular hill sessions will not only improve your strength, it will also improve your overall fitness.

Long steady run: This will build endurance into your legs … you should start with a run of approximately 1 hour, then gradually increase this as you become fitter, according to your goals. If you are training for 5K to 10K distances, one hour is plenty. For half marathons your long run should be up to 2 hours and for a marathon you will need to build up to around 3½ hours, adding 10 minutes every fortnight or so. Speed is not important; the aim should be to maintain a steady, consistent pace.

Threshold running: This requires running at just above or on race pace for a period of time. If you are training for a 5K, your threshold run will need to be for 10 to 15 minutes. For a 10K, it will need to be 30 minutes; for a half marathon,

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you want need to run up to 10K at threshold and for a full marathon, about 20K. This is a hard session to maintain without stopping, so make sure you carry water and any essential refreshment with you. This type of run doesn’t need to be too often (once every week or 2 weeks), but it can be an important session in helping to overcome the pain of running in the anaerobic zone. The anaerobic zone is 80% to 90% of your maximum heart rate and it varies by age and fitness level, therefore threshold running will build your heart/lung capacity and endurance. (In the anaerobic zone, the body burns more calories but mostly from carbohydrates rather than fat. At 80-90% of your maximum heart rate, 15% of your calories burned in this zone are fats, 1% are proteins and 85% carbohydrates).

Recovery runs: These are steady runs which keep your legs moving and exert no pressure on the heart. You should be able to talk easily, feel relaxed and comfortable. In a running training program one or two recovery runs are critical, especially if you are running 5 or more days a week. At the end of each run session, be sure to have a recovery run as part of your warm down. The idea is to get your heart rate down and to get the lactic acid out of your muscles, which assists in better recovery.

5. Run with a group: The camaraderie and support from fellow runners can make a big difference to your training and give you the inspiration to improve your fitness and race performances.

6. Make your training program fun.

Why do you run? Is it to be fit; to keep a healthy body weight; to enjoy the countryside; to provide an outlet for your energy and aggression? For many, work is where the pressure is, so often running provides a release.

Whatever the reason, it is important that you don’t let your running put you under pressure. Hence if you don’t enjoy competing in short events because of the very competitive nature, then enter longer events where you can take your time and enjoy the surroundings. If you enjoy travelling to an event to explore new territories and keep fit then that’s OK too! Of course, if you enjoy running with a group and socialising afterwards with a meal and drink in the local pub, that’s OK too … as you are a Compton Harrier!

Forthcoming Events of Interest – see Website Events Calendar for full details and listing: Sun 7 Jul Sun 14 Jul Sat 20 Jul Sun 21 Jul Sun 28 Jul Sun 28 Jul

Wed 31 Jul Sun 4 Aug Sun 11 Aug

Sat 24 Aug Sun 25 Aug Sun 1 Sep Sun 8 Sep

Sun 15 Sep

Sat / Sun 5/6 Oct

Didcot Five - Willowbrook Leisure Centre, Didcot Tadley Runners Summer 10K - Hurst Community College, Tadley New Forest 10 - New Park Farm, Brockenhurst Dorney Dash 10K - Eton College Rowing Centre, Dorney Lake, Dorney Pewsey Great Bustard 5 Mile - Pewsey Vale Primary School Wycombe Half Marathon & 10k - The Rye, High Wycombe Down Tow Up Flow Half Marathon Tow Up Flow Half Marathon - SL7 1QQ Bath Half Marathon (off road) Bath 10km Bath Marathon (off road) Thames 10K - Beale Park, Pangbourne Barbury Horseless Steeple Chase 2.5 miles - Swindon Hooky 6 – Hook Norton, Oxfordshire Bearbrook 10K Road Race – Aylesbury Salisbury 5-4-3-2-1 Trail Marathon Ridgeway Challenge 85 The Vale of Pewsey Half Marathon - Pewsey Vale School Englefield Run 10K - Englefield House, Englefield, Reading Headington 5 - Oxford Pangbourne 10k The 43rd Chiltern Marathon - Lane End Village Hall ISLE OF WIGHT FELL RUNNING SERIES 2013 - Ventnor, Isle of Wight, UWC Aldbourne 10k Road Race - Farm Lane, Aldbourne, Wiltshire Chippenham Half Marathon 2013 - Chippenham Sports Club ISLE OF WIGHT FELL RUNNING SERIES 2013 - Ventnor, Isle of Wight Bournemouth Marathon Festival - Kings park drive, Bournemouth

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