NHRR Awards Dinner

Something very nice for dessert...NHRR - Best Male Runner 2013

In NHRR history, only 3 people have won this award 3 times or more - Paul Pearce, Gary Halsey and now myself.  I am thrilled, delighted and very honoured to be in such company.  It just goes to show, even with relatively modest talent, what is possible when one tackles something with whole-hearted determination, focus and application - oh and yes - bloody-minded obsessiveness and attention to detail!

In the last few years I've had some pretty dark days, but not least with help and support from some special people at NHRR (you know who you are), I am emerging from the dark clouds into a brighter, sunnier glad-to-be-fifty world... THANK-YOU

Peterborough Great Eastern Run 13/10/13

50 - and loving it!

This will have to go down as one of my best ever races.  Despite very windy conditions, I paced myself very well.  In fact, I posted only my second ever negative split - 6:15 mile-pace for the the first half and 6:00 mile pace for the second - with the help of the wind.

• My second best ever half-marathon time - 01:20:14
• A massive age% PB for distance at 83.45%
• I was 2^nd MV50 out of 315 finishers in that age-category

 

Left - at the finish line
Above 1. Nice trophy
Above 2. post-race with the Annetts twins

Time to ease off a bit

Less is sometimes more....

I have put in 5 hard months of training and (latterly) also racing.  I've achieved my main goals which were to win the MWL Div 1 MV50 prize, start making in-roads to the NHRR MV50 Club Records and to enjoy training and racing again.

As in previous years, I felt very tired going into the final MWL race and also the FVS 3k relays last week. I've also been feeling really tired in easy/recovery runs.  I also perform well below par when when the temperature gets above 20 deg!  I scaled down mileage last week and also skipped the Sunday long-run and am already feeling better. 

The medal haul!

Here I am at the FVS 3k Relays. Disappointed with my time, but I was tired, it was hot and I took a wrong turn at one point!  On a positive note, NHRR were 1st Vet Team in both the Open and Herts County categories.

In the news again!

In the Comet 2 weeks in a row - fame at last...





Tonight it's the 3k Relays in Fairlands Valley.  I've not had a decent performance in this event since 2009 - perhaps tonight I might deliver a par-performance?

Midweek League 2013 - the post-mortem

I just love being 50!


* 4x races
* 4x MV50 1st places and MV50 series-winner
* 3x 10k times under previous Club Record
* 4/5 of my best ever age% scores
* Would have been 3rd in MV40 category!
* 9th ranked in Open category (out of 360)
* Part of winning Male Vet team!









Sadly, our collective target of staying in Div 1 was missed by the narrowest of margins.  We were not far off 2nd place, but ended up 5th and relegated.  Tough, tough, tough.  Still, watch out Div 2 next year!

Luton AC John O'Callghan 5-mile - 28th June 2013

A good night's mission in Luton!

• 7th out of 114 in race
• 1st MV50 prize 
• New NHRR V50 Club Record (29:26)
• 2nd best EVER age% score (82.86%)

So, since I turned 50 I have...

• Posted 3 of my 4 all-time best age % scores
• Finished 1st MV50 in 4 races out of 4

50 and loving it!!!