Early Morning Run Around Horwich

I parked up at the train station this morning as usual but then went for a run so that I didn’t have to go tonight as I knew I’d be pushed for time.  I ran around towards the Police Station and then along to the sorting office before running up the dodgy path out towards the Texaco garage on Chorley New Road.  I then ran along to Aldi and turned right along Winter Hey Lane, turning left at the end and over to The Crown.

From there, I ran back along Chorley New Road towards St Joseph’s School.  At this point, I realised that if I went back to the train station, I wouldn’t get my intended 5.5 miles in so I double back on myself, running along the backstreets parallel with Chorley New Road.  I came back out onto the main road and then turned back down the path by Texaco and ran back to my van.  I got to the van dead on 5.5 miles. 

Nothing exciting to report.  I was supposed to do the run between an 8.01 pace and an 8.46 pace and I managed an 8.23 pace so very pleased with that. 

Total distance – 5.5 miles

Incredibly Slow Recovery Plod With a Very Hot Dog!

Just an easy recovery run today with Ruby up Two Lads.  There was lots of nattering during the run with people I met en route so it took over 52 minute to go three miles!

I had a good natter to Sean on the way up to Two Lads whilst Ruby caught up with her old buddies.

Once on top of Two Lads I had a chat with Colin Jones who arrived at the same time as me but from a different direction.

I then had a good run down off Two Lads but once I got onto George's Lane, Ruby was really flagging in the heat and we were barely managing a jog.

Ah well, my training plan says 'there's no such thing as too slow on a recovery run' so it was just nice to be out in the sunshine chatting to friends.

Total distance - 3 miles

White Bear Way

I teamed up with Maggie Slamin today to run the White Bear Way, which is a long distance walking event but quite a few people run instead of walk. There was a choice of a ten mile route or a twenty-one mile route and, of course, we chose the twenty-one miles. 

Also out today were John and Ed Swift (both running the 21 mile route), Kev Latham (running the ten mile route due to another event later in the day), Gordon Stone (who was walking the 21 mile route rather than running due to a recent injury), Ali Murray, Nick Leigh (both running 21 miles) and Derek Kay (running 10 miles). I also noticed Tammy Harrison-Round at the start but I'm unsure whether she was doing the 10 mile or the 21 mile and I didn't get a chance to say hello (sorry Tammy if you're reading this!). Michael Kay was one of the organisers of the event and I must say, it was very well organised and everyone really enjoyed themselves.

The start was at Adlington Scout Hut and after a nice sit down and a natter with John, Ed and Kev it soon got to our 9.30 start time. The walkers had already set off at 8.30 for the 21 mile route and 9.00 for the 10 mile route so the 9.30 start was for all runners on both routes. 

We headed down onto the main road and then soon were running along the canal. The weather was glorious and only a few minutes in we were already feeling the heat. Maggie and I turned off the canal, at which point John, coming up behind, called to us asking whether we were sure this was the right way as there were a couple of girls in front of him who carried on straight ahead. We said it was definitely right and John followed us. Later on, we heard from a marshal that a couple of girls had gone wrong and ended up in Standish and we can't help wondering whether it was the two girls John mentioned who went straight on along the canal. Probably! 

After leaving the canal we ran through some woodland and farm fields, eventually coming out at Suzannah's in Blackrod and then running a short way along the road and then down by the side of a farmhouse. I'm glad I wasn't on my own as I would have thought I was trespassing at this point because the route went right through the garden of the farmhouse. 

We came out on the road through Blackrod, crossed over and then ran down through some fields and a small wood before crossing the train line and the motorway, eventually coming out on the main road at Anderton. We then crossed over and ran up Dryfield Lane, turning off and making our way to the first checkpoint at the car park near Rivington and Blackrod School. We didn't have any food at this one, just a quick drink and carried on on our way. The next checkpoint was only a few hundred meters away at the Castle and this was the point where the ten mile and the twenty-one mile routes split. 

We then continued along some of the paths through Rivington, crossing over Rivington Road. At this point, I was already starting to flag a little. I had done a very hard speed session two days before and raced two days before that and my legs were feeling very sore from it. My quads and calves were really tight. I stopped for a moment to retrieve a gel from my bag for some much needed energy. We then ran down the track to the back of the school and from there we ran a very short way up the concrete road (Pike Race route) before turning off on the right and heading down into Tigers Clough. Down Devil's Steps and up the other side, we then ran along the back of the Ormston's Farm and towards Wilderswood before turning left and heading up to George's Lane for the third checkpoint. I put some more suncream on here and had a quick drink and then it was off to climb the Pike. Once on top there was a nice sense that the hardest part was now over with. I'm not going to lie, I was feeling incredibly sluggish today. 

We ran down the steps side of the Pike then along to the Pigeon Tower then followed the track around to the right. As we passed the bridge on our right which takes you up the diagonal to the trig point, my Garmin beeped at me telling me it had lost satellite. I'm not sure how given that I was in the wide open with no trees or anything around. It wouldn't come back on though and so when we got to the next checkpoint at Hordern Stoops (where we had some pork pies and a drink) I turned it off completely and back on again, at which point it found satellite straight away. Stupidly, I then forgot to press start again so it wasn't until we were at the top of the 'diagonal' heading towards Higher Hempshaws that I realised and started it going again so I probably missed about three quarters of a mile in total. 

We followed the path around Higher Hempshaws which eventually leads into Lead Mines Clough where we then ran up to the Bomber Memorial and then headed over to Jepson's Gate. This is where we bumped into Gordon who was walking the twenty-one mile route. There was another checkpoint at Jepson's Gate so we stopped for a quick drink (I also had a cheese roll by which I mean like a sausage roll but with cheese, as opposed to cheese on a bread roll) before descending the road and then passing through a field and dropping down towards Anglezarke. We then came out at Waterman's Cottage where we stopped so that Maggie could ring her other half to let him know an ETA for picking us up later on. Gordon again caught up with us and we stayed together up to the cairn at Healey Nab. 

At this point, I actually got my compass out of my bag and used it! The directions told us to take a path at a 330 degree bearing so I used my compass to find out which path it was as there are a few different ways you can go from the cairn. We ran down the path and then made our way through fields to the Black Horse at Limbrick for the final checkpoint where we had another drink and some jaffa cakes. 

Not far to go now! 

We turned off the road at Cockers Farm and eventually came back down onto the canal. The directions said we were to come off the canal at bridge 70 but it seemed to take forever to get there and by now I could barely manage a shuffle. My legs just didn't want to work any more. After what seemed like a lifetime, bridge 70 appeared and we came off the canal and then headed back to the Scout Hut the same way as we had left it. 

The hotpot which greeted us at the scout hut was extremely welcome and tasted so good that I had to have a second helping! 

John was already at the scout hut when we arrived and had got there about 12 minutes before us. He left us for dust at checkpoint 1 and we didn't see him again until the end. 

What an excellent day out! I really enjoyed it, despite my lack of energy and found some good new paths which I can run on that I didn't know about before. I'll definitely do it again next year! Highly recommended. 


Total distance - 21 miles recorded but probably another 3/4 of a mile on top of that due to lost satellite. 

Also on this day... Michele Sunter completed her Joss Naylor Challenge!  Well done Michele! 

1 x 1 mile at 110% + 6 x 1 minute at 110%

Today's speed session was on the recommendation of Gareth and my word was it a tough one.

I warmed up for just over a mile and then ran a mile as fast as I could.  I managed a time of 6 minutes 59 seconds (5k pace 7.45 min mile).

After that came a ten minute recovery which I spent stretching and jogging as my shins were quite sore.

The ten minutes were soon up and it was then time for 6 x 1 minute reps with 30 second recovery in between and I managed the following paces for each rep:

Rep 1 - 5.44 min/mile
Rep 2 - 6.34 min/mile
Rep 3 - 6.37 min/mile
Rep 4 - 6.41 min/mile
Rep 5 - 6.35 min/mile
Rep 6 - 6.43 min/mile

As you can see, reps 2 to 6 were pretty consistent but I was on fire on rep 1!  I must have totally burned myself out as I didn't get anywhere near it on the other reps.

I then cooled down for about 1.5 miles and then collapsed onto the driver's seat of my van and went home to sit with frozen peas on my shins for twenty minutes.

Despite only 1.5 miles or so of my 5.5 mile session being at speed, it was really tough.  I felt so sick and my body was crying for me to slow down but I gave it my all and kept going.

I hate being out of my comfort zone but I don't half feel good afterwards when it's all over.

The most impressive thing about today's run was that I wanted the one mile of speed to be reasonably flat so I chose my start and end point and, looking at my Strava trace, I managed to find a mile with one one foot of ascent.  Think I did pretty well there to find something with the start and end point at pretty much the same elevation.

Total distance - 5.5 miles

Vernons 5k - Race 3

The aim of entering this race series was to see whether my hard training would pay off between the first race and the last and so far it's really not going to plan.

On my first race I got a 5k PB of 23.20.

Last month, full of a cold and with a bad back, I was over a minute slower, clocking in at 24.26.

Tonight I was feeling good and had done quite a lot of decent training so was hoping for a much better time.  Unfortunately, I failed miserably, finishing in a time only 12 seconds quicker than last month - 24.14.

That's a whopping 54 seconds off the first race and I just can't understand it because that's a lot over a 5k.

I have absolutely no excuse.

I knew throughout the race that I was running too slowly but I just couldn't muster anything more.

I'm wondering if it's psychological, which won't come as any surprise to most of you who, by now know full well that I have head issues.  My aim at the start of the series was to beat my PB for a 5k.  I did that in the first race by over a minute so I'm wondering if now, subconsciously, I don't care enough anymore.  I don't feel like that's the case but who knows what goes on in the subconscious mind.

I really do want to get past that 23.20 in the final race but because my past two races have been so far off it, I'm struggling to believe I ever actually did it.

Edit: Looking at Strava it appears I did my usual trick of setting off too fast.  My first quarter of a mile was done in a 6.47-7.25 minute mile pace (my best 5k average pace has been 7.45 minute mile).

Erica joined me for tonight's race and she did a great time of 22.29 (fourth lady).  Gareth was also at the race, coming third in a time of 16.46.  Well done guys!

Total distance - 3.1 miles + warm up/cool down

Getting Faster

My training plan was showing a ‘fast’ 5.5 miles today and the pace specified was between 8:04 and 8:48 minute mile.  I managed the 5.5 miles in an 8.28 minute mile pace which I’m pretty pleased with considering the route I took had a rocky off-road uphill section (the bit up from the bowling club to Yarrow Reservoir).  Every time I looked at my watch when I was on a flat even section it was showing between a 6.54 pace and a 7.45 pace so it must have been the uphill bits which slowed the average pace down so much. 

I’m finding it quite difficult to find flat loops to train on which are reasonably traffic free.  I don’t mind running along country roads if they’re not busy or have a pavement but I don’t want to run along busy main roads so I’m a bit stuck for routes given that most of the quiet roads around where I live are very hilly.  A park would be nice with compacted trail but I don’t know of any nearby.

Total distance – 5.5miles

Misty Miles

On my training plan today was just an easy three mile run.  I went a little bit above that, clocking a 9.6 mile easy run but to be honest, I think my training plan is meant for somebody who does less mileage than me so I’m pretty sure I’m safe to go over the three miles on easy sessions, I’ll just make sure that I stick to the distances given for the speed sessions, etc.

I met Ed at the bottom barn at 8.30 and we went for a run up to the Pike, Two Lads, the trig point, then down to Hordern Stoops and along to Lead Mines Clough.  We went through the field along the top of the clough and along to the waterfall and then ran along the other side to the Bomber Memorial.  We then ran through Lead Mines Clough, up the road, through the field and back into Rivington along Dean Brook. 

It was really misty this morning and when we were on top of the Pike there were a couple of mountain bikers there sat on a bench who jokingly said they were ‘admiring the view’.  The fog was so thick that from the bench you could only just see the top of the steps.  Glad I knew where I was! 

Total distance – 9.65 miles