Welwyn Midweek League 10k

The results are in...

* Yes, I DID enjoy it!
* I stuck to the plan – steady start, pick up effort from 6k, finish strong
* Average HR only 166 vs typical 170 for me in a 10k, which reflects the restrained start.
* Time = 40:15, 2 minutes quicker than 2 weeks ago at Bishops Stortford
* Mile-pace quicker (only just!) than in Rotterdam Marathon in April 2010!

All-in-all, a nice evening out and a pretty good time considering I’ve only been back running for just over 3 weeks. In 2007 it took me 7 months to get from 42m to 40m for 10k, so it certainly does seem true that lost fitness is easier to recover than create in the first place.

I shall adopt the same conservative race-approach for the final MWL race and it will be interesting to see what another 3-weeks of training does to my fitness.

Unfortunately, the team results leave us in danger of relegation :’-(. I don’t think we are much weaker (if at all) than last year, it’s just that FVS have improved a bit and Barnet have decided to take the MWL seriously for a change!

I urge all Squirrels to make every effort to make it to the final MWL in St Albans on 30th June, as very small changes in attandance can have dramatic effects on results!! In the men's race last night, we were only 4 race-places (spread across all 12 scorers) behind FVS! If this had been reversed, we would now have same league pts as FVS rather than 2 fewer.

How it is (what might have been in parenthesis)

1. GCR.....34
2. SAS.....31
3. BAD.....18
4. FVS.....18 (17)
__________________________ the line of relegation-doom!
5. NHRR...16 (17)
6. BS ........9

Unfortunately, we are way behind both FVS and B&D in place-points overall, so would need to make a net gain of 3 league pts over one of them them in the final race. A tall order, but not impossible if we turn out in full-force.

I am doing a 10k race tommorrow...

... and I intend to enjoy it!

Well, it would be a waste of an evening otherwise wouldn't it?

I can guarantee that I will not;

* set a new PB
* set a new Club Record
* win any awards
* finish near the front of the field

I will give a measured performance and hopefully surprise myself a little. I am getting fitter every week and this race will be an expression of how good it feels to be back running again and being with friends.

Long live Lazarus!

The slow climb from base-camp

No need for oxygen mask just yet, but already getting a bit of a view of the tent



*** updated 3rd June ***



As fitness increases, you get more speed for a given level of effort. The level of progress on this measure in just 3 weeks is very encouraging.

Two weeks back in the saddle...

... and still really enjoying it!

15 days, 56 miles (OK - maybe a few too many), 3 training sessions and 1 race.


One advantage of starting virtully from scratch is that the only way is up. My aerobic fitness has improved markedy over this period and each training session feels a bit better than the last. Over the coming weeks the lbs should start coming off, which will help things along. My peak racing weight a year ago was 11st 7lbs vs my current 12st 9lbs.

I had a good 10 min out-and-back session on the Greenway last night, albeit in rather breezy conditions. Average pace was about 6:18/mile. Thanks to Adrian S and Mike B for keeping me going, especially on the return leg.

Next race is Welwyn Midweek League. As at Bishops Stortford, I intend to run the early stages conservatively and see how I feel from about half-way. Given my long lay-off, low mileage and lack of any run over 6.5 miles for over 4 months, my endurance is questionable. In fact, at the moment, 10k almost counts as a long run, so conservatism in a 10k race is probably still wise.

My first (full) training session of the new era!

16x 300m parlauf on the grass-track

Averaged 63s per 300m, which whilst about 10s/300m slower than this time last year, was still quite pleasing and I can feel the cobwebs falling off. It felt great to complete a full session and feel part of things again.

Thanks to Richard T, Martyn A and Tash for dragging me around!

More Lazarian Wisdom

* Average weekly mileage is the largest single determinant of improved endurance running performance. Other things being equal, the more miles you do, the better race times you will post. You may find this either reassuring or depressing, depending upon both your goals and your ability to sustain mileage levels that support them.

* I've found that a 7lb change in weight represents about 60s change in my 10k time. Unfortunately, my recent running lay-off has been accompanied by a gain of around 2 mins on the scales!

* Runners will eagerly adopt any new commercially available ‘miracle’ apparel or imbibed substance that has anecdotal evidence as to its efficacy. The placebo effect can be powerful, but invariably comes with a high price-tag!

* It's difficult to see where your feet are heading whilst running in sunglasses in unlit areas at twilight.