My big goal for 2020 is the 100km ultramarathon Race to the Castle in June.
My training plan is geared around building up my miles over the next five months to be able to complete distance. It's not about time, it's about getting to the finish in however long it takes.
But alongside that big, very scary goal, I've got a few more manageable bitesize challenges to help me get there. Some are about long runs or weekly mileage targets. Some relate to races or race strategy. Some relate to how I want to feel mid-run or at the end when it's only over.
Today was one of those days, the Essar Four Villages Half Marathon.
I wanted it to be more than just a training run. I wanted to test my speed, my endurance, my racing strategy and my mental strength. I've been working hard in training with interval sessions, hill reps and tempo runs.
So I set mini goals (just for me) for the time I wanted to reach the half way point, my average mile pace, the consistency of my pacing and my ability to kick on to finish the race strong. I wanted to fuel well and not run out of energy. I've been to watch the race twice before but this would be the first time I would actually run and I wanted to run well.
So when I woke up this morning, with the bottle kilns surrounded by fog, I confess to a certain amount of anxiety, the nervous feeling on race day where you've set some goals and you're not convinced you are going to achieve them.
The first challenge was getting there... would the fog impact on our day? Fortunately not, but it was creating an eerie and mysterious edge for the race.
The second challenge was staying calm before the start... I was with my running buddy Liz and she was feeling the nerves too. We both had big goals for the race.
The final challenge before the race was underway was getting to the start line safely... there were a lot of runners in a small confined space and a lot of potential pitfalls in the shape of potholes around the car park.
And then we were off...
The first three miles were a good test of my racing strategy - there was only one short climb and a lot of downhill - so it was tempting to go off a bit too quickly, especially with a bit of zigzagging required to find space on the road. I tried to keep those instincts in check and was really pleased with the consistency of those early miles. Running conditions were just about perfect too - cold, but not too windy and I'd got my layering just right.
And then I was closing in on half way... how close would I be to the target I set myself? I was aiming for somewhere around 58 minutes and I was 30 seconds ahead of that time. First goal accomplished.. but could I sustain it?
Miles 7 to 10 were certainly the most challenging on the route around those four villages (although don't ask me to name them). These miles were nearly all uphill - not big hills but a constant climb - so it would be easy to slow. So now was the time for my mental strength to show itself. A couple of times, I put in a short burst of extra effort, just to shake myself clear of any lethargy. It hurt but at the same time it helped, as did an energy gel and a couple of feel good tunes on my race playlist.
And then there was just three miles to go... it felt like we turned a corner and the only way was down. At this point, I knew my overall time goal of under two hours could be achieved.
But how much under?
The downhills were steep in parts - the type of steep where the road gradient signs are in view - and I was really pleased I'd run lots of downhill reps as well as uphills ones over recent weeks - practise everything!
I thought about my technique and felt my stride lengthening and my pace quickening.
I was enjoying myself.
And then with about a mile and a half to go, I checked my watch and couldn't help but smile; not just a little grin but a big beaming smile.
The plan had worked. Everything I had wanted to achieve today would be accomplished. I'd break my time goal by a good few minutes. I'd succeed in my aim of running strong for the whole race. I'd proved to myself that I can manage tough moments and overcome doubts.
And I smiled not just because I was pleased with my efforts. I smiled because I know how rare this is...
So I didn't ease back, I pushed on and finished the race with my fastest two miles of the day.
And then I got to cross the finish line and know this what was I had trained for (and more).
Job done. A medal to mark the occasion.
I've had lots of good races, many special moments in running.
But to have a race where everything goes to plan... that's something to cherish.
I reckon I've got just a handful of other examples where I experienced that feeling of a plan coming together in as perfect a way as is possible, that moment of reasliation before the finish when I've known my goals will be achieved, the satisfaction of feeling hard work pay off and the post-race buzz where I want to relive the key moments with anyone who will listen.
This is one of those days.
So I'm still smiling and I'm still buzzing. If you ask me about the race in the next few days, I'm sure I will still be buzzing then.
Make plans, train hard and, on race day, do everything you can to put those plans into action to achieve your goals.
It won't always go to plan but every now and then you'll have a day like today. And the best part was that Liz had a day like this too, so you can imagine just how much excited chatter there was on our journey home,
The fog clears, there's blue sky and sunshine, a long downhill ahead of you and the song that's playing sums up exactly how you feel:
My training plan is geared around building up my miles over the next five months to be able to complete distance. It's not about time, it's about getting to the finish in however long it takes.
But alongside that big, very scary goal, I've got a few more manageable bitesize challenges to help me get there. Some are about long runs or weekly mileage targets. Some relate to races or race strategy. Some relate to how I want to feel mid-run or at the end when it's only over.
Today was one of those days, the Essar Four Villages Half Marathon.
I wanted it to be more than just a training run. I wanted to test my speed, my endurance, my racing strategy and my mental strength. I've been working hard in training with interval sessions, hill reps and tempo runs.
So I set mini goals (just for me) for the time I wanted to reach the half way point, my average mile pace, the consistency of my pacing and my ability to kick on to finish the race strong. I wanted to fuel well and not run out of energy. I've been to watch the race twice before but this would be the first time I would actually run and I wanted to run well.
So when I woke up this morning, with the bottle kilns surrounded by fog, I confess to a certain amount of anxiety, the nervous feeling on race day where you've set some goals and you're not convinced you are going to achieve them.
The first challenge was getting there... would the fog impact on our day? Fortunately not, but it was creating an eerie and mysterious edge for the race.
The second challenge was staying calm before the start... I was with my running buddy Liz and she was feeling the nerves too. We both had big goals for the race.
The final challenge before the race was underway was getting to the start line safely... there were a lot of runners in a small confined space and a lot of potential pitfalls in the shape of potholes around the car park.
And then we were off...
The first three miles were a good test of my racing strategy - there was only one short climb and a lot of downhill - so it was tempting to go off a bit too quickly, especially with a bit of zigzagging required to find space on the road. I tried to keep those instincts in check and was really pleased with the consistency of those early miles. Running conditions were just about perfect too - cold, but not too windy and I'd got my layering just right.
And then I was closing in on half way... how close would I be to the target I set myself? I was aiming for somewhere around 58 minutes and I was 30 seconds ahead of that time. First goal accomplished.. but could I sustain it?
Miles 7 to 10 were certainly the most challenging on the route around those four villages (although don't ask me to name them). These miles were nearly all uphill - not big hills but a constant climb - so it would be easy to slow. So now was the time for my mental strength to show itself. A couple of times, I put in a short burst of extra effort, just to shake myself clear of any lethargy. It hurt but at the same time it helped, as did an energy gel and a couple of feel good tunes on my race playlist.
And then there was just three miles to go... it felt like we turned a corner and the only way was down. At this point, I knew my overall time goal of under two hours could be achieved.
But how much under?
The downhills were steep in parts - the type of steep where the road gradient signs are in view - and I was really pleased I'd run lots of downhill reps as well as uphills ones over recent weeks - practise everything!
I thought about my technique and felt my stride lengthening and my pace quickening.
I was enjoying myself.
And then with about a mile and a half to go, I checked my watch and couldn't help but smile; not just a little grin but a big beaming smile.
The plan had worked. Everything I had wanted to achieve today would be accomplished. I'd break my time goal by a good few minutes. I'd succeed in my aim of running strong for the whole race. I'd proved to myself that I can manage tough moments and overcome doubts.
And I smiled not just because I was pleased with my efforts. I smiled because I know how rare this is...
So I didn't ease back, I pushed on and finished the race with my fastest two miles of the day.
And then I got to cross the finish line and know this what was I had trained for (and more).
Job done. A medal to mark the occasion.
I've had lots of good races, many special moments in running.
But to have a race where everything goes to plan... that's something to cherish.
I reckon I've got just a handful of other examples where I experienced that feeling of a plan coming together in as perfect a way as is possible, that moment of reasliation before the finish when I've known my goals will be achieved, the satisfaction of feeling hard work pay off and the post-race buzz where I want to relive the key moments with anyone who will listen.
This is one of those days.
So I'm still smiling and I'm still buzzing. If you ask me about the race in the next few days, I'm sure I will still be buzzing then.
Make plans, train hard and, on race day, do everything you can to put those plans into action to achieve your goals.
It won't always go to plan but every now and then you'll have a day like today. And the best part was that Liz had a day like this too, so you can imagine just how much excited chatter there was on our journey home,
The fog clears, there's blue sky and sunshine, a long downhill ahead of you and the song that's playing sums up exactly how you feel:
Suddenly I see (suddenly I see)
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see (suddenly I see)
Why the hell it means so much to me
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see (suddenly I see)
Why the hell it means so much to me
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