Filed under: 10k, British Military Fitness, Bupa Great Capital Run, Nike Human Race, food, gym, nike+ sportband, running, running gear | Tags: 10k challenge, British Military Fitness, Bupa Great Capital Run, Nike Human, running
I pretty much run at one speed: 10k/6 miles per hour, whether I’m running 5k or a half marathon. I’m a great pacer at that speed and can slow down other people if they set off too fast, or speed them up if they’re lagging. But that’s been my speed for the eight or so years that I’ve been running reasonably regularly, and I’m not exactly progressing. It hasn’t bothered me much in the past, but seeing the likes of my little brother doing a 40-odd minute 10k with apparent ease only months after taking up running makes me think I should push myself a bit more.
Doing British Military Fitness classes is starting to take me out of my comfort zone, making me sprint and do hill reps that I wouldn’t normally bother with. I’m already noticing a bit of difference when running, and am definitely capable of tackling hills with a bit more gusto than previously.
So one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to get my 10k time down during the course of the year. I’m aiming for around the 50-minute mark, but I haven’t got a clue how feasible that is. I’m going to use the gym to gauge my progress, because I can accurately measure the distance. (The Nike+ Sportband really isn’t that accurate. Maybe I should have asked Father Christmas for a GPS thingy).
I do try to get into the habit of writing down my times, but don’t always remember. Here’s a few:
20 July – 57:35 (Bupa Great Capital Run)
31 August – 60:14 (Nike Human Race)
13 September – 60:00 (gym)
30 September – 56:02 (gym)
today – 55:24 (gym)
The times over the past couple of months do indicate I’m going in the right direction, but there is clearly some way to go. This morning’s effort was hard work, especially around the hip flexors/top of my quads – perhaps I can do some work on stretching those out more. I had a long hot shower at the gym but, by the the time I got home, I felt weak and shivery. I don’t feel unwell in any other respect, despite the germs flying around my office, so I guess I just needed some food. I walloped down a power smoothie (banana, Skippy peanut butter, yoghurt, milk) followed by scrambled eggs on toast, and am feeling much better now. 
Filed under: 10k, Bupa Great Capital Run, Nike Human Race, gym, half marathon training, running | Tags: 10k, gym, Nike Human Race, Nottingham Half Marathon, running
A belated race report, as I went on holiday about four hours after completing the race last Sunday.
The good bits:
- Well organised, well publicised event by Nike. They might not make great running shoes, but they sure as hell know how to run and market an event.
- Great start inside Wembley Stadium after set by Moby, swift baggage drop-off and pick-up and plenty of loos.
- Not one, but two, lovely freebie dri-fit tops – a short-sleeved red one that we all ran in, and a long-sleeved white one to keep warm in after the event. Well worth the £30 entry fee. And they’re actually fitted for girls – wooo-hooo. Watch and learn all you other race organisers. Us ladies do not want another massive, square-fit cotton number that would work better as a (deeply unsexy) nightshirt.
The not-so-good bits
- Running with a dodgy tummy after tapas the night before. I blame that for the lame time – 1.00.14 (according to my text from Nike just minutes after I crossed the line).
- Moby’s warm-up act, Pendulum. Atrocious.
- The late start. I’m not a fan of evening running, though that’s just my personal choice. But there was also a very long wait – in the region of two and a half hours – between arriving at the stadium and starting the race.
- The rather uninspiring route around Wembley on a slightly chilly, very wet and dark evening.
That all sounds a bit negative, but I would definitely do the race again. I’d hope for less waiting around next time, nicer weather and – erm – a rather more solid feeling in my tummy.
Been on hols for a week, and put in a couple of runs – around the four and six-mile mark. It was a bit warm, and I don’t feel even vaguely ready for the Nottingham half marathon in six days’ time. That’s crept up on me, I can tell you. Despite my resolve as I travelled home earlier today to eat properly and run every day this week, I’m going to struggle with three events in London over the next three evenings. It’s going to take self-discipline that I’m not sure I have to resist the lure of naughty food and wine so I can still make my dates with the gym…
Filed under: Bupa Great Capital Run, St Albans half marathon, nike+ sportband, running, running gear | Tags: nike+ sportband, running, running gear
Judging by the number of hits I’m getting on my previous post on the subject of calibrating the Nike+ Sportband, there are a few other people out there struggling to make theirs work.
The weird thing is, after calibrating it once and being convinced it was nowhere near accurate, I’ve worn it for a couple of accurately measured races and discovered that it’s actually not far off the pace. It measured 12.56 miles for at the St Albans half marathon, and 5.86 miles for the Bupa Great Capital10k. I haven’t re-calibrated it at all.
So, my advice is, try calibrating it over a short distance – then wear it for a couple of longer runs that are accurately measured, and see what it says. Maybe I was just having an off day and thought I’d gone further than I actually had…
Filed under: Bupa Great Capital Run, running | Tags: Bupa Great Capital Run, running
The official photos are available to buy (at £17.99 – yeah right). I can’t post them on my site because of copyright restrictions, but you can see an example here.
Why do I never look as though I’m moving?
Filed under: Bupa Great Capital Run, Commando Challenge, great north run, running | Tags: 10k, Bupa Great Capital Run, Commando Challenge, great north run, running
Early start yesterday, but arrived at Hyde Park in plenty of time – unlike my old running partner, LB. He scoffed at my intention to get there at 9am for a 10.30 start, left home in Ware a good hour later than me, discovered his train was cancelled, got on a bus which got lost, got on a different train to a Victoria line tube stop, discovered the Victoria line was closed and had to get a cab to Hyde Park Corner. He was very late.
By contrast, I met RedRocket for a leisurely amble into the Park to the start line in plenty of time to find a clean portaloo with no queue in front of it, dropped the bags off then lay down in the sunshine while all the other runners bopped around us obediently as instructed by the man doing the warm-up on a big screen. It didn’t feel much like a race.
We were herded into the start area – colour coded into four waves which are then each broken down into three sections and set off virtually bang on time. The Great Run people really do know how to organise an event – they should talk to the Reading Half people who have never, to my knowledge, started a race on time.
Anyway off we went for a very pleasant, flat run around Hyde Park. There were around 12,000 people so you had to pretty much stick to the pace – which was a comfortable 6-minute kilometre. It was lovely and flat all the way, and the route looped back on itself so that we saw the front runners hooning it down the 7-8k stretch as we jogged up towards the 4k mark. Well done them – I’d struggle to do that pace for 100m.
There were a lot of people lining the route, but few people giving the runners any encouragement. At one point, a girl yelled “come on, give us a cheer” and there was a half-hearted clap from a few people before they lapsed into complete silence again. It would be nice to see Londoners with the same level of enthusiasm as the Geordies at the GNR, but they just looked bemused.
As we jogged towards the 8k mark, I spotted LB on the other side approaching the 4k post. He looked quite comfortable – despite starting late and having to run through crowds of runners and walkers at the back.
Finished in 57:35 – not bad considering my training could have been better. It would be good to beat that time at the Nike Human Race on 31 August. And I really need to get into shape for Commando Challenge in October. Obviously all of that took a back seat during yesterday’s post-run celebrations at various venues between Kensington and Notting Hill – the best pub by far being the quirky Churchill Arms near Notting Hill Gate. Worth going for the people watching and vast array of pot plants in the loos. Go easy on the chili prawns though…
