Monday 19 March 2012

VAANEE XC Championships

I dashed back from Sedgefield to help out with the results for the Vet's Athletics North East cross country championships at Monkton, but found that I wasn't actually needed, so after a quick bimble over to the course to watch, I was asked to help out Margaret with recording numbers at the funnel.

Massive congrats to Claire Simpson who won the ladies race, after only one day of being a vet!

North East Runner has a great report on the championships here

Full results on the VAANEE website here

Well done to the three Jarrow athletes - Claire, Elaine and Mick, who all ran well in the heat :)



Hopefully I'll be able to take part in all of the 2012-13 cross country season - looking forward to getting muddy!

Sunday 18 March 2012

Track session & Sedgefield parkrun

After the success of the Tuesday night session round Wood Terrace, I was a bit more inspire with my running come the Thursday night track session, so much so that instead of pacing myself perfectly, I again took off like a whippet at the start, and then faded with two reps to go.  The session was 10 x 500m, with only 100 jog recovery between reps - quite tough really, as there was only really just enough time to get your breath back before heading on again.

Still, despite the fact I slowed down considerably, I managed to finish the session in 29:15 (6.24k)  which works out at 7:32 pace, even with the jogging bits it works out faster than my recent 5k race pace...how the hell did that happen?

I ran with the dog on Friday morning, down to Ouston woodland trust, quick bimble round there (which would make a lovely little cross country course) then back up the road to Birtley.  The dog loves running down hill or on the flat, but he's not daft, and the lazy bugger slows down to a dawdle going uphill - what kind of collie is that eh.  I reckon a working collie's day would prolly finish him off.

The plan for yesterday was to head down to Sedgefield for the latest addition to the North East parkrun community, then straight back up to Jarrow for the Vet's Athletics NE cross country championships.  I got there much quicker than I thought, straight down the A1.  It couldn't be easier to find, though the satnav postcode for Hardwick park did direct me to Sedgefield Racecourse, I spotted the sign to get to the park, and it was only on the opposite side of the roundabout.

I've gotta say I've never been there before, but what a fantastic facility - it could have been designed for a parkrun - there's free parking, a cafe, loos, and a lovely park to run around.

I'll do a full report for parkrunfan's blog during the week, but a quick summary for here: It's a lot like Watergate trail race, like cinder paths in some points, gravel in others, and paths through woods.




I had a tough time of it - mostly cause I didn't really set out to do a decent time, and I struggled after the track on Thursday and off roading with the dog on Friday, but excuses aside it was a lovely route, very scenic.  Finished in 25:03, 10th lady and 3rd over 40.


Photo's shamelessly borrowed from Alister Robson's flikr photo-stream : Sedgefield parkrun

I do look a bit knackered on the last pic, but I was just about to finish!

Blog part two inc Vet's xc champs, to follow... :D

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Gan canny

I was doing a bit of research on the word 'canny' for my hubby, a west country boy, who has just about grasped the usage of the word, but then used it in the Scottish sense of the word - as a way of saying shrewd.  I normally wouldn't think of it that way, being a Geordie, so I thought I'd try and find some of the history of it when I came across this site: Northumbriana - dedicated to all things Northumbrian (and thus of course Geordie). 

It's a fascinating look at the language of the North East, which in many ways is a separate language as it has it's own words for things, so in the spirit of keeping the language alive, I'll do today's post in my local lingo.

W'staarted March ganning up n'doon geet yarkin hills, an afta that a thort a'd have a gan at runnin the 'Heed parkrun on the weekend.  It was a canny race, agayn it was chocka wi' hills, but afta only 18 minutes a'was still forst lass.  A thort a was in with a canny chance of winnin' but as a run roond the last lap the secund and thord lasses caym past an a was so jiggered a had nowt t chayse thum up agayn.  There was hardly nowt in it, well, about 200m, hardly nowt like a sed, and a finished like a good'un in thord playce. The a had t'gan up to Alnwick t'do the results fo the harrier league.

A finished in 23:28

A did a few bimble wi'the dog arund Birtley, our the week too, an cum our the club in Jarra t'do the club session.  Evil Coach Darth Jim wasn't aboot, so w' made up a canny run aroond Wood Terrace.  W' did it the otherway roond caus it's easya.  it works out at 675m, an w'did loads (well six).

3:02, 3:13, 3:09, 3:04, 3:03, 3:04

As y'can see a took off like a scalded cat on the forst one, so a was a bit nackad on the secund, but a managed to get canny good on the last ones.

A wus supposed t'be at work on the weekend, and a was, but me man (he's a canny 'un), said he'd drop us of at the 'Heed parkrun, then pick us back up after and gan back t'work agayn.  A thort it was a canny idea (tho he'd not had much choice in it since ad gon to work with me runnin stuuf).  A got there and had a bit ov a warm up, and wayted forit t'start.  I give it a canny shot, but the hills got the betta of me and a cudn't catch the secund lass.  not a bad finish tho, thord lass agayn in 24:14.

A didn't run on Sunday, a played golf insted, so the next run a did was the club session at Jarra on Tuesday.  Evil Coach Darth Jim was in attendance an he'd decided on Wood Terrace agayn (tho a divvnt think he knew w'd gan roond it the week befour).  It's more than 1k (he thort it was 1k) it's 1070m, but it didn't matta anyways caus it's a canny test of how wa runnin.  W'did 5 x 1.07k with 90 seconds gettin ya breth back.

4:34, 4:34, 4:32, 4:34, 4:27

A was told befour gannin roond the last lap that a had to knock 5 seconds off, so it was gannin eyeballs oot.  As a was cummin roond the last bend Darth Jim was there shoutin as us. A'm really our the moon with the pace wi'these.

Gan canny marras!

Friday 2 March 2012

Hilltastic

Since the signal's relays I've only got a few of Evil Coach Darth Jim's sessions to report - I've missed a couple of sessions due to work, and I've not managed to get much else in other than the odd 5k here and there with the dog.

We were back on New road (Adair Way) for a canny interval session - really tried to push it a bit, but couldn't believe the heat for this time of the year - roasting!

New road session 2.5laps x4 (300 jog recovery)

1.56k - 6:49
1.56k - 6:55
1.61k - 7:01
1.54k - 7:04

That works out at 7:08 pace - just what's needed if I can string 'em together for a 5k

Last Tuesday saw the return of the dreaded Springfield Hill session, well... I say dreaded, but it's actually my favourite club session, and to call it Springfield is a bit off the mark too, since they've torn down the old Springfield school and replaced it with one simply called Jarrow school on the same spot.  Why they couldn't just keep the name I don't know, but hey, we're still gonna call the session Springfield, so in some small way it's being remembered.


Check out that course profile!

I think it looks more like my heart rate than what the elevation should look like.  12 times the hill, in a fairly naff time of 33:51.  I was looking back at what I've managed to do on this session before and it's a bit disappointing: 30:23 is my best time, but I was fit then, so it's something to work on.

The main thing is that I finished the session, and my foot has been absolutely fine - not a hint of the dreaded plantar facsiitis!

Thursday's has us back on the track.

Darth Jim had texted through the session, but it was changed (by general consensus since a few were racing this weekend) from 12 x 400, to 3 x 1000.  Both were to be at 5k pace, so it wasn't that much of a difference. 

3 x 1000m, 100 walk 100 jog recovery
4:33, 4:36, 4:35

It was supposed to be at 5k pace, but that works out quite a bit slower - 7:23 pace.  I mean it's not a million miles from what it should be, but it should be a bit quicker.  I'm pretty happy at the mo that I can get round at all after the shocking (lack of) training managed through the whole of last autumn and winter.  The main thing now is to just focus on the training and not sign up to any daft races.  I know I'm not going to be fit for a 10k this year, so I haven't signed up for any yet, and anything longer than that is definitely out of the question, so it's 5k all the way.

Going to see how I get on at Saltwell parkrun this morning, just a bit of a stretch of the legs before heading up to Alnwick to do the cross country results.  No xc for the rest of the season for me (because of the foot), so I should make the most of this morning's run.

Happy running folks!