Can You Feel It?

Different Coaches use different approaches to training their athletes, though each approach will, no doubt, be based upon a mix of study and experience. You can’t necessarily say that one approach is better than another, though it is sometimes easy to see that one approach might suit one individual better than another. During my time as a runner I’ve used the regular services of three coaches, all with different approaches but all who made a difference to my running. On top of that I’ve run sessions with other qualified coaches. Naturally I’ve picked up a lot of things that work for me but, as I’ve been self coached since 2000, I’ve also developed an approach of my own, that works well for me. This approach is nothing new or special but it’s just something that I use as a part of my training regime. It’s simply to run how you feel, e.g. not to a set pace or set heart rate measurement or any other measured method.

You’re probably reading this now and thinking, ‘what the heck is he talking about’ but let me explain further. I’m not suggesting there is anything wrong with running at a given pace or heart rate measurement, in fact these are handy methods of training and I fully support their use. However sometimes the body is tired and not able to keep to the prescribed pace or your body may be feeling great and is therefore capable of a faster pace. So I suggest that sometimes you should go out and do your run, whether this is a steady run or a repetition run, at the pace you feel like running. Currently my body is feeling tired so today I went out for a 9 mile run in Tatton Park, it’s my recovery run so I suggest it doesn’t matter how fast I run, so I pootled around at a comfortable pace, but it was still a challenging run, on another occasion I might well have run the same distance at a much faster pace, because I felt good. When I’m doing reps I run each one as hard as I feel I can, conditions, the state of my body, may dictate the distance I run in the time given but I’m giving the same % effort each time, and I don’t measure the distance I run each rep, therefore there is no chance of negativity creeping in. I do feel that sometimes I’m struggling in the run, but as long as I know I’ve put the same level of work in then that’s all that counts. I use this method with my clients, generally running alongside them to push them a little harder than they would have themselves. It’s so simple but often overlooked by runners who can be so time and distance obsessed. I’ve also used this in races, if I’m feeling confident I just went off with the leaders no matter what the pace, obviously it has led to a few disasters where I ran out of steam but it brought me to a number of personal bests and race victories that I wouldn’t have achieved had I run to a schedule. So simplistic as it sounds, don’t just dismiss it, it works for me and I’m not that shabby.

After last week’s cross country race I found this week’s training very hard. My legs felt like jelly all week. I still managed to do all the sessions, I had planned, but it was a grind trying to get the best out of my legs. Even on Saturday, when I turned up at Heaton Park for another 10k cross country, my legs felt a bit dull, and that’s a whole week on. That’s not an excuse for my performance in the race because once I started running the legs felt ok, but before the race they felt a little dull.

This week it was the Manchester Area Cross Country League, over roughly the same course as last week, oh boy another 3 times round that, well at least now I knew the way. I knew it would be a lot tougher than the previous week, with stronger teams available, so I was anticipating a fight to make the top 50. Being a nice day I managed to persuade Carole to come along, I thought the Bonnyrigg tones might just help get the best out of me. Last week I’d jogged around the course, before the race, with Simon Bruton, I felt afterwards that perhaps that had been a bit quick, normally I jog slowly before races, so this week I warmed up by taking a walk with Carole, down the first hill and back up again. I’d also changed my race day diet a little, as I felt last week I was lacking a little something when it mattered.   

First the Ladies were off. There were some impressive performances from the Salford Ladies, who set the standard by finishing 2^nd team and 5^th veterans team. In particular Hayley Kuter had a storming run to finish in 2^nd place, just a week before her Frankfurt marathon, good luck with that Hayley, I’m sure you’ll do well, but also Bev Jenkins showed that she’s still a force to be reckoned with, finishing 7^th and 1^st vet.

After that it was up to us guys to show we could match the girls. Getting ready for the off though, I was surprised not to see more of our top guys out, but it appears some of them were running half marathons the following day. And we were off, hurtling down the first hill, though I wasn’t hurtling quite as fast as a load of other people, at the first turn I found myself a long way back from the lead and getting squeezed off the best line. At this point I think I was outside of the top 50 and struggling round, not surprising as I had to take a route through some of the worst mud in order to pass people. It wasn’t until I finished the first lap that I settled down and started looking ahead at the procession of people to catch. Over the next two laps I seemed to find my cross country feet and progressed through the field gradually picking off a number of runners, including three Salford Harriers. It was a strong finish up the hill for me, holding off a crucial attack from a young Trafford runner. My progress had been steady, if a little unspectacular, at the end I was 39^th, some way and a considerable number of minutes behind the winner, Steve Vernon, who featured in my first blog when winning the National Cross Country title in 2010. There was solid scoring in the Salford team as we finished in 3^rd place, Paul Savage once again showing his mastery of tough conditions, must be the ironman in him, to come home as first Salford Harrier for the 2^nd week running. Somehow I’d managed to make the Salford scoring 6, but only 2^nd Salford M45, for the second week running being shown a clean pair of heels by Dave Lockett. I was actually 5^th M45 and 10^th M40, positions I’m not too familiar with as I’ve become accustomed to featuring in the top 3 of M45s in races. However I think this is more an indication of how strongly supported, by old men, this race was, rather than how poor I ran. Incidentally we were 2^nd veterans team.

Am I disappointed with my run? I’d be lying if I didn’t say I am a little. I’m positive I could do a lot better but I’m not despondent. I know there are a number of factors that play their part in these results and, with years of experience of how my body copes with those factors, I know I’ll come good again. As an example, in 1992 I placed 43^rd in the Surrey Cross Country Champs and six months later I ran 30 minutes for 10k, and whilst I don’t predict a 30 minute 10k next April, I’m confident I will be in good form next spring. Mind you I’m glad that’s my last cross country race for a few weeks, my body feels absolutely shattered.

There’s a club cross country championship going on throughout the season, the best 5 scores from 10 races. After two events I’m currently lying in 4^th place, but that is by virtue of having completed both races held so far. So I expect that to change as more people run more races. In the over 40’s category I’m currently lying 2^nd, after two 2^nd places, but if I’m to advance here I need to start beating Dave Lockett, no easy task.

These last couple of weeks I’ve been training with Lee Riley again, helping him in his bid to add two more world records to his growing list of achievements. We’re making good progress with consistent pacing in our training sessions, so I’m fairly confident the first will be achieved very soon.

I’ve been fascinated the series ‘Being Liverpool’ on Channel 5. I should point out that I am not a Liverpool fan, in fact I’m not even that interested in the game of football, but for a fly on the wall documentary I find it an interesting insight to how the club functions. Obviously there’s a lot more that goes on than what we’re being shown but the programme is worth a watch, particularly if you’re interested in football. There’s something about the pride of being involved with Liverpool and the passion shown by the supporters that bears a resemblance to being involved with Salford Harriers, we all want to play our part, no matter how small, in the success of this club.

On another point I was caught out this weekend by one of my Edinburgh friends. I’ve known Cath Ferry for some time and she’s a very talented runner, as well as a fine sports masseur. There was a time when I tried to persuade Cath that cross country would benefit her overall running, but Cath was having non of it. So I was rather surprised to see a facebook comment, from Cath, that she was thinking of running the East District League on Saturday. After having a chuckle at Cath’s wind up of her fellow Edinburgh AC athletes I posted my comment that the day she ran cross country would be the day I propose to Carole. The following day I heard that Cath had been Edinburgh AC’s 3^rd scorer. I suddenly felt quite ill, but not ill enough to deter me from going for a run. Luckily Carole doesn’t use facebook so I think I got away with that, she doesn’t read my blogs either. But, those of you with a romantic outlook on life, don’t despair, it will come, one day, I’m just building up to it. 

And finally I post a photo of last Saturday’s race, courtesy of Sidney Sacks, to once again prove that I only smile when I’m running, even when approaching an uphill finish.



Gotta do something about that hairstyle!



Written by Roger Alsop

www.rogeralsop.co.uk

The Whittington Legacy

If you run races, whether they are track, road, parkruns or whatever, once you’ve raced a few over the same distance you tend to get some rivals. These are people who finish around the same place as you, either in front or behind. You recognise them before, during and after the race and because they’re there, and around the same ability as you, you want to beat them. That’s what rivalry is all about, and it’s generally friendly, but more importantly it’s one of the things that helps you to improve.

Since I started running, some 23 years ago, I’ve had many of these rivalries, some of which are still going strong. The nice thing for me is that, even though I’ve been determined to beat these guys, whether I beat them or not, many of them have become great friends. To my knowledge none of them have become enemies, at least I don’t harbour any ill feelings.

The first rivalry I can remember was with one of my own Belgrave colleagues, it’s often said that your greatest rivals are your own team mates. This was Don Anderson and I wanted to beat him because he was the man who occupied 10^th place in the Belgrave scoring Surrey League team. When I did beat him it meant so much to me because it meant I’d achieve a scoring position with Belgrave and also I must’ve run well to beat someone I had great respect for.

As I progressed I remember many such rivalries with the likes of Victor Maughn, Mike Boyle, Graham Adams, Martin Lewington, Dave Robinson, Paul Simons, Gary Bishop, Andy Weir and many many more local and national athletes. In Scotland I also had some great racing rivals, the likes of Andy Little, Ian Johnston, Jeff Farquhar, Ian Stewart, Craig McBurney and many of my EAC team mates. Now back in Cheshire there are some local guys I come across regularly and I’m sure they want to beat me as much as I want to beat them.

All these rivalries have been with athletes finishing around the same time as me, but I have one other rival that gives me some purpose every time I turn up at Pennington Flash. This is a man named Jeff Whittington. Jeff is in his 60’s and has four outright wins over the course, so he’s no slouch, but we’re not that close, physically, in races. However when you take into account age grading, we are often as close as a few inches. Jeff holds the current record at 85.65%, with a time of 19:24. My own best time of 16:56 is only good enough for 84.62%. So you see I have some way to go before I can claim the scalp of Jeff Whittington. Obviously we don’t run those times every time we run so there is always a possibility that I might beat Jeff’s age grading for any particular parkrun that we are both doing, that’s what keeps me pushing hard if I’m at the front with a big lead, at that point I’m not bothered about the guy behind me, I’m more concerned about how fast Jeff is running and therefore push for every second. It’s a good motivator and helps me to keep from slipping below the 18 minute mark. Naturally this rivalry with Jeff is of the nicest possible nature and it will be even nicer when I finally get the beating of him…..

I produced my 16:56 around this time last year, the closest I’ve got to it since then has been 17:13 and with times this year of 17:48 and 17:36 I’d pretty much given up on being able to catch Jeff, at least until I turn 50 and my age grading changes, mind you by then so will his. However, consistent hard training has shown a sudden rise in form and with that rise in form it’s given me some added confidence. A win at Princes parkrun in 16:45 had me believing Jeff’s age grading could be beaten. Admittedly that time is only 11 seconds better than my Pennington Flash time, on a much easier course, but confidence is a wonderful thing. And this made me start plotting for an assault on the Jeff record.

I was training with Ray on Wednesday and told him I was planning an assault on Saturday and that I was going to aim for 16:40. Ray was due to race a triathlon in Nantwich on Sunday so he wouldn’t run but he was keen to marshal. So come Saturday morning we drove up to Pennington Flash, I even considered wearing my racing flats but decided not to bother. The forecast was hot, suits me, but windy, um not very good, oh well all you can do is try and I was in the mood whatever the weather.

Normally I treat these parkruns as an indicator of my form, I don’t deliberately ease off and I’m pretty chilled before the race. This time I was a little bit more serious, ok I didn’t ease off on my training and I was wearing training shoes but I was more focussed, I’d thought through what I was going to do and I was psyching myself up a little. We actually arrived a little early, and boy was it hot. There weren’t many people around when we got to the start, but parkruns are notorious for people turning up at the last minute. Being so sunny and hot I kept under the trees and did a bit of shade bathing, checking out people as they started to appear, wondering if there was going to be a sub 17 minute runner I could latch onto, but nobody looked like they were in that shape. Then Jeff’s son, Harvey turned up, and he had in tow his brother Russell. Russell had been once before and won, so he knew the course, he’s also a Scottish international and shares, with Jeff, a world record for running the fastest father and son marathon. So Jeff wasn’t here to give me a race but Russell was, I couldn’t remember what time he’d won it in previously but I believed it wasn’t that much slower than mine so I was expecting a stiff fight. We had a chat, more friendly rivalry about to commence and then it was time to get ready for the off. I was so focussed at the start I wasn’t even listening to what Bill was saying in his pre-event chat, but I’m sure it was interesting, as always.

Then we were off and I’d decided the best way to achieve my goal was to go hard from the start, which I did. Last time I ran at Pennington Flash I won in 17:36 but I felt like I was out of breath from the top of the first hill, not this time, I felt good and pushed on. A quick look at the top of the 2^nd hill to confirm Russell was my nearest rival. He didn’t look too far back so I was thinking that if I’d got the pacing wrong I was going to get beaten. Oh well if he’s going to beat me he’s going to have to work for it. I pushed on and at the top of the hill on the 2^nd lap Russell looked like he was the same distance back as on the previous lap. He was obviously running well so I’d better smash it some more. With one more lap to go, which would take just under 5 minutes and then the finish I was confident I could push harder, so I did, pushing all the way to the finish.

No I didn’t break Jeff’s age grading record, I was a bit off in my time goal, but I did win in my second fastest time around the course, 17:01. I wasn’t unhappy, I still have something to aim at. Then my customary jog back around the course, cheering on the other 99 competitors and thanking the marshals, and off to the hut for a cup of tea and a chat with fellow competitors.

Ray ran his triathlon on Sunday, with a 1:23 finish. That probably doesn’t mean much to you but he finished the final 3 mile run in sub 24 minutes, not bad considering what had gone on before and the weather.

Rich ran in Edinburgh, the marathon, along with a number of my Edinburgh Athletic Club friends. He found it hard in the heat of the day, he was aiming at sub 3 hours, I thought we were close based on his training and half marathon time, which put us between 2:58 and 3:05, on my calculations. He ended up with 3:03, we were close and still a good time.

I should also point out that two week’s ago Lee finally got his official time for 400m, carrying 40lb on his back, down to 59.44. There’s a video of it on Youtube.

Great news for the Crewe fans in my family, in Crewe and loyal supporters around the world. Crewe were playing at Wembley on Sunday, in the Division 2 play-offs, and won. They’ll start next season in Division 1. Good advert for visiting Crewe, even if you’re not a train spotter, Terry Lawton.

Unlike other members of my family, I wasn’t down at Wembley, instead I was in Delamere Forest for an off-road and endurance training day. Now you might wonder what somebody of my experience and knowledge was doing on such a course, but you never stop learning so I was prepared to see what else I could pick up, and I did pick up some good tips, but I also got some great training and met a large number of Cheshire athletes, perhaps I won’t feel so lonely at races in future. Having made my comeback from injury, last year, in the National Cross Country Championships, it was good to chat to and pick up some tips from the winner of that event, Steve Vernon. I also got to try out orienteering, which was much more fun than I’d anticipated. We finished off with a ‘7’ mile run incorporating the forest and the sandstone trail, after which I was completely toasted, it was hot and the hill session with Steve Vernon had taken a bit out of me. Then it was back home to watch the Monaco GP, which after all the excitement of the weekend was a bit of a let down.

This week the torch relay comes through Cheshire, it’s been to Chester today, on Thursday it’s visiting the places I have a number of clients, Crewe, Congleton and Knutsford, but I think I might get away without any disruption to my travel plans.

Knowing that I’m running well and having gained some confidence in my running I’ve taken the plunge and entered my next big competition. I realise that if I’m going to achieve my goal I need to get my legs turning over more quickly, which means going back to doing dreaded track work. But no, my nearest track is at Winsford and, last time I went there it was full of ruts, so I’ve devised a plan using the treadmills at Cottons. I was there this morning doing the first of these sessions. I’m not going to go into details, just yet, don’t want my rivals to get any insight into my very specific training but I was running very hard for long periods of time. I was actually quite nervous, still suffering doms from Sunday, but once I’d done the first rep I felt much better. So I’m on target with my training, just need to fit it all in around my clients and, avoid injury. I’ve a few races lined up before the ‘big’ one, hopefully they’ll bring me on just a little bit more.

Written by Roger Alsop

www.rogeralsop.co.uk  

Contrasting Weekend For Me and Mo Farah

This weekend I was chuffed to see Mo Farah broke both the British and European indoor 5000m records. I don’t know Mo personally, though I have many friends who do, but he seems to be a decent level headed guy. Plus he trains hard, which is always good in my book. I do believe I once beat Mo, but it’s probably not worth putting that on my CV as it’s the equivalent to my 24 year old cousin beating me in a 30 metre sprint when I was 9, though I think Mo was about 17 at the time. I did once pass him when we were both training in Richmond Park, but it would have been more impressive if we’d been travelling in the same direction.

My favourite memory of racing Mo was at the 2002 South of England 6 Stage Road Relay Championships at Aldershot, I was running for Belgrave Harriers and he was running for WSEH, both on the 4^th of the 6 legs. At the time there was quite a rivalry between the teams and a lot was expected of Mo as he was coming to prominence in UK athletics. I’m not sure what was expected of me, but as I took off in the lead I considered the least I could do was send our 5^th man off in the same position. Mo set off some distance back but went charging after me with some intent. Half way around the first of two tough laps the crowd were getting excitable and I could sense that I was being hunted down. I didn’t look back but gather that Mo made up all but 30 metres. At 37 years of age I was about to show I wasn’t a pushover, I quickened my pace, just enough to show it would take a further effort to bridge that gap, and spent the next lap concentrating solely on maintaining that pace. The support along the route was tremendous, both for Mo and myself as spectators could see this was shaping up to be a great race. With half a lap to go Mo was no nearer and I knew that all I had to do was get up the next hill in the lead and I had every chance of holding him off. I pushed with everything I had, turned the corner into the main arena area, used the downhill stretch to pick up more pace and finally kicked up the hill to the finish. I’d done it, handed over in the lead and Belgrave went on to win the title for the first time. Only then did I look back to watch a dejected Mo coming up the hill, I’d pulled out a little distance on him and WSEH had shot their bolt. It was a great moment for me and a great day for Belgrave, but my time has now passed and I wish Mo all the best for his bid for gold at the 2012 Olympics.      

Bringing us back to the present….Whilst Mo was gearing himself up for his record attempt I was making my way to Alton Towers to make my racing comeback in the English National Cross Country Championships. When I arrived I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was like being at a pop festival, there was so much mud. I was beginning to wish I hadn’t brought my partner with me as we slithered towards the Herne Hill tent. It was definitely the muddiest I’d ever seen at a cross country and that was just the spectator area and inside the tents, not the best to encourage her to return. As I put on my number I hadn’t realised I’d dropped my chip in the mud, the last time I’d run chips were only used on road races. Thankfully I spotted the chip before a huddle of Herne Hill Harriers came in and trampled it deep into the mud bath. Actually that’s a good term for a group of runners, like a herd of cows a huddle of harriers is quite fitting.

With the start of the race approaching we were informed the distance had been reduced from 12k to 10k, due to a number of incidents in earlier races. The race was also to be delayed 15 minutes, then 5 then on time but eventually 15 minutes, communication not at it’s strongest. Thankfully it wasn’t too cold as we stood waiting for the actual start. Finally we were allowed into our starting positions and as I made my way to Herne Hill’s designated starting position I leapt up in pain as some idiot trod across my ankle, spike first. Painful but thankfully not so deep that I needed to worry about what I was about to run through. At least it gave me something to moan about while waiting for the hooter to go off.

Then the start, and a mad rush for some. The initial bit was undulating but not too muddy, but that was short lived and we were soon into the deep stuff. The course was one lap of 2k and two of 4k, and I’d say it was about 90% mud, with the majority of mud free area being on the steep hill we had to climb twice. Those who know me well would know this is not my kind of course and I fought hard just to keep going. I got a stitch at 7 minutes, my first for many years, but I kept ploughing through the mud. I was moving so slow I could even identify the people cheering me on. I’d obviously gone too fast early on as from the start of the first long lap I just seemed to be going backwards. I looked ahead and saw masses over people strung out ahead of me and thought my hopes for a top 1000 place were out of the window. Still I kept plodding forward.

At the start of the 2^nd long lap a sense of serenity came over me as I realised I wasn’t going to be lapped, every runner’s nightmare put off for another race. Then the pain, my right foot was aching, I must’ve been twisting it as I was trying to gain any purchase in the mud, both of my 4^th toes were sore too as I have a tendency to bend them over claw-like to grip in mud. By now I was absolutely exhausted, moving so slowly and getting passed by so many people that I had thoughts of Andy Lea-Gerrard passing me before the end. Up the hill for the last time and I could sense the end was nigh, for the race that is not me. I dug deep, the vision of Alex Rowe up ahead driving me on and then it was all over, just after I passed Alex I was under the finish line.

It had taken me 47 minutes and 34 seconds to run the most unpleasant 10k of my life, that’s 12 minutes and 23 seconds behind the winner, Steve Vernon of Stockport Harriers. And my finish position….well I was 500^th, a full 500 places higher than I had anticipated.

So after all that was it worth it? Well yes, I got to catch up with my club mates, it was great to be a part of such a big race again, I didn’t make Herne Hill’s scoring 6, I was 12^th man in but the 6 that scored did us proud by finishing 12^th team. Interestingly, I would have made the scoring 6 for Belgrave! Will I enter the BMAF National? I don’t know, I’m clearly a long way off achieving the 2^nd place I did last year but if other members of Herne Hill enter I could be tempted to provide the rear guard.  Will I run this race again? Unlikely, but who knows what tomorrow brings. Will I take my partner again, hmm might be better sending her to a spa hotel or shopping.

It’s now 3 days since the race and my legs still ache all over. I know some people would ask why we do it, my stock answer to that is, if we didn’t do it we might end up having to go shopping with the mrs and I’d go through any pain not to have to do that.

One final word before I go, my thoughts are with the people of Christchurch, New Zealand and in particular my good friends and famous New Zealand athletic family, the Coughlans. I hope you’re all safe and well.