Tuesday 29 October 2013

Training Tuesday again!

Ah yes, training. It isn’t going quite as I’d planned but it is going, which is the main thing!
I didn’t end up running the Richmond half in September, as my knee was still giving me problems. Fortunately the osteopath seems to have sorted it out, so I’m building longer distances back up slowly. I ran the Southend 10K on Sunday 6th October, and got a personal best by 8 seconds (which may be a small achievement but still worthy of celebrating!), running it in 55.31 minutes. I had it on good authority that this race was really flat, so was fairly confident about it despite the fact that I hadn’t been able to run over 4 miles for a good few weeks.
I’m using Hal Higdon’s  training programmes for some guidance, and am on week 8 of the 12 week Spring Training Novice plan which will be followed by the Marathon Novice 2 18 week training plan at the beginning of December. The Hal Higdon programme calls for a half marathon on the weekend of 1st/2nd February, so if you know of any in the London/South East region let me know!
This week I’ve decided to go back to running with the Victoria Park Harriers, and will aim to take part either in the weekly speed session or long run. I joined over a year ago, but have only been a handful of times because I am supremely lazy and will give myself any excuse not to go running for an hour in the evening! I really enjoyed the sessions I did take part in, especially the friendly atmosphere, camaraderie and support as well as competitive edge!
Aside from group running providing great motivation, it also provides a safe way to train. I often run alone, but have been a bit wary about going as the days draw in, as a female runner was recently attacked in the park near my home on a dark early morning. This has made me consider safety when training much more seriously, prompting me to go back to the Harriers once a week, take advantage of light weekend runs, but also to remember these important tips:
·         Stay visible with high vis/reflective clothing
·         Stick to busy or street lit paths if I need to run alone after dark
·         Carry a mobile phone or a personal attack alarm
·         Vary my route and vary the times I go out
 
You can find more tips at this website http://www.running4women.com/running4women-safety-guide-2/
To finish off, here is a picture of me (in the orange t shirt) before the Southend 10K! I ran with some members of the Rayleigh Road Runners, including my dad (with the yellow t shirt on) who ran his first 10K in 1:03.51, which is brilliant!