On the flip side of the coin I am thrilled and overjoyed that I finally feel like I am getting back towards fitness. I have run every day this week, I have managed to increase the pace at which my runs were at and I have managed to run/walk a fairly tough 27km trail race. With me only being 2 weeks into a 30 week plan (culminating at the London Marathon) this sets me up for a good winter's training and gives the confidence to continue to push myself harder.
For this weeks blog I thought I would give a more detailed breakdown of my training and my report from the 9bar9 race.
Training Week 2
Monday
The scenery along the river is lovely and I really enjoy running past all of the historic buildings that Winchester has to offer. The route also offers chances to cut short if I am not feeling it, and opportunities to run longer if I need the additional miles. If I'm feeling really strong there is also the option of running up the St Catherine's hill steps at the end.
As mentioned, on Monday it was blowing a gale and lashing down with rain. The loop offers some protection but I was still soaked within a mile of starting.
I managed to keep my splits fairly consistent throughout the run and pushed the pace on the last half mile or so. Despite the rain it was a good run and a great start to the week.
Tuesday to Friday
Part of the fun of being in Westbourne RC is the names that they have for the running routes. "Meandering", "Tedious", "Outside Branksome Park", "Inside Meyrick Park", "Short Library", "Onion Bag" and who can forget the classic "Glenn's Back Passage" (don't ask). These all start and end at the LV Offices in Westbourne, and, due to the office's location, invariably involve one or more hills. The location also means that during the summer we spend a large amount of time running along the promenade in Bournemouth, one of the most beautiful places to run in the country (in my opinion). This all means that training is always varied and can be tailored to fitness level or intensity of session that you require.
Tuesday I ran the "Tedious". This is basically a route from LV straight down The Avenue to the beach front, along the front to the pier and back to the office via the gardens. It is a little over 4.5 miles and a good "go to" route. The run was helped by the lovely company of Glenn (he of aforementioned back passage fame) and Richard "Molly" Mollen. Again pacing was pretty consistent, although the last half mile up the Prince of Wales Road hill saw the pace drop off somewhat.
Wednesday there was a bigger group of us, including my nemesis and title character of the blog, Mike Pennock. A number of the group had just completed the Bournemouth Half (in superb times I might add) so we decided on the "Outside Branksome Park" route as it offered good opportunities to cut short should people wish to. This route, as the name suggests, basically runs around the outside of Branksome park down to the beach front at Branksome chine, all the way up to Penn Hill before heading back to the office. The group featured several faster runners so the pace was natural higher than previous runs. It was a good sign that I felt comfortable at the faster pace and was really pleased to be able to push harder on the final mile. It was great running with the boys and as always the banter was superb. Mike, Aaron, Simon and Marcus...Thank you!
On Thursday, due to meetings and work generally getting in the way, I ended up running on my own. I don't mind this. It gives me a chance to relax and to clear my head. I decided to do the "Flaghead Chine with cliff top loop" route. This is nearly 5 miles and has some lovely views over Poole Bay. It also has a large portion of the run along the sea front. Having run for the 5 previous days I planned to set out at an easy pace, however I felt strong and so pushed myself a little. The last stretch up the Avenue (a fairly long hill that starts sharply, but then climbs steadily for maybe a quarter of a mile) was a bit of a slog, but was pleased to see that it hadn't slowed me massively. Again I felt strong at the end and pushed the pace a bit on the last few hundred yards. 
Friday was supposed to be 5km very steady with Sharon, however she was unable to make it so I headed out with Aaron, Simon "The Chairman" Jury and Glenn to do the "Short Library" route. The Short Library route is a 5 mile loop (one of the longer lunchtime runs), which takes in 3 leg sapping hills and a nice stretch along the beach front. We again set off at a brisk pace averaging between 8:27 and 8:41 per mile for the first 4 miles. Along the way we met up with Scott Harris who joined us for the final couple of miles. He helped us push along, up the Onion Bag (so called because of the wild garlic smell in spring/summer) and back through Westbourne to the office. The last mile was our fastest at 8:11. The weather was glorious, the company excellent and it made me feel great to be alive!!
Saturday - 9bar9 27km race (see below)
Sunday - REST DAY!! Yippee!
Week 2 Training Summary
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN | TOTAL | |
| Target | 4.5 | 7 | 4.5 | 4.5 | REST | 17 | REST | 37.375 |
| Actual | 4.88 | 4.58 | 4.44 | 4.92 | 4.98 | 16.88 | REST | 40.675 |
| Time | 43:27 | 40:31 | 37:07 | 43:32 | 42:20 | 3:07:58 | N/A | 6:34:55 |
| Pace (Min/Mile) | 08:53 | 08:51 | 08:20 | 08:51 | 08:29 | 11:14 | N/A | 09:06 |
9bar9 27km Trail Race (http://www.9bar9x9.com)
The race venue was Loseley Park, near Guildford in Surrey. Loseley Park is a 16th Century stately home set in magnificent grounds. With a backdrop of the North Downs and the Hogs Back it is perfect location for a trail race. The race itself offered 4 distances; 81km Super Ultra, 54km Ultra, 45km Marathon and 27 Half Ultra. Each race was made up of a number of 9km loops.
As I was now entered in the 27km Half Ultra I had the latest start time of 10:30. Registration was straightforward and before long we were called forward for our run briefing on the start line. There were a couple of people celebrating their birthdays so after a quick rendition of "Happy Birthday" we toed the line and waited for the countdown. 3, 2, 1 and we were off!!
The race started at the front of the house and the first kilometre was all downhill so controlling pace was difficult...especially as I forgot to start my watch!! The lap started by the house and went down the main drive for half a km, before turning and entering a field that looped around to the back of the house and across the grounds. The course then turned back up until we were almost back at the house.
We route then turned away and headed along a trail and towards a house called Polstead Manor. From here the hills started!! The first hill was a dirt/sand track up through the woods. I had made the decision before the race to walk the sizeable hills and to run the flatter and downhill sections. I tried to keep some pace in my walking so that I was always moving forward. Whilst I was overtaken by a number of runners on the hill I was fresh when I got to the top so was able to push on.
At the 3km marker it levelled out and we ran through some lovely woodland (called West Warren Woods), before dropping down to Conduit farm. It was here that for a short spell we were running in the opposite direction to the runners already on the course so there were plenty of Hi-Fives given and received!
This was also the point that we turned and started the long slog up to the Hog Back. Again I resorted to walking (as did most runners). The ground underfoot was slippery and chalky and was tricky to navigate, even when walking. The hill seemed to go on for a while, but once we reached the top we were rewarded with stunning views over the valley.
We ran along the spine of the hogs back for a kilometre before starting the fast descent down to Piccard's Farm. This is where we re-joined the North Downs Way (along with the elderly hikers, ramblers and dog walkers). This section was good for running, with the trail being firm and having sections of tarmac near the farm. We went past the 7km mark and got more hi-fives from the runners coming the other way.
It was here that we then hit the really steep bit up through East Warren Woods. This section was a real "hands-on-knees" job. The hill was only short but it was technical and leg sapping. Once at the top, the path wound slowly downhill through the woods until we reached the grounds of Loseley park again. We ran down the hill and past the lake and turned to run back up the the start/finish area.
Just before the finish the organisers had set-up the only water and feed station on the course. It was well stocked with 9bars (a nutty seed bar in various flavours) as well as sandwiches, sausage rolls, salami, pretzels and haribo! Water and squash was also available to quench your thirst. I stopped here for a couple of minutes to refuel and have a chat with some of the volunteers, before crossing the start line and starting lap 2!
By the start of lap 2 the field had strung out and small groups had formed and it became much more of a social run. There were lots of conversations going on and a good bit of running banter. It was all very supportive and really added to the relaxed nature of the event. I also used lap 2 to take some pictures and "selfies" on the way round.
I maintained my run/walk strategy and found that I was keeping my energy levels up and not destroying my legs. By this time the morning chill had lifted and the sun was trying valiantly to poke through. It was fantastic conditions for running and I found myself really enjoying myself! The marshals throughout were very vocal and always on hand with a hi-five and a supportive comment.
Before I knew it I was rounding the corner to complete my 2nd lap. I once again stopped to re-fuel and chat before cracking on with the third, and final, lap.
As I had taken it relatively easy and had walked all the hills I was still feeling fairly fresh. Despite starting to slow and walking the hills, I was still running (where possible) so I started to catch and overtake a number of runners who weren't fairing as well. It wasn't long before I was climbing the final hill and I was into the final couple of k's. I ran it in to the finish for a 3:07:58.
My final splits were as follows:
Lap 1 (0-9km) - 58:02
Lap 2 (10-18km) - 1:03:24
Lap 3 (19-27km) - 1:06:32
Total (27km) - 3:07:58
Summary
The race was great fun! It was a lovely setting and great course. The course was the right mix of challenging and runnable; it was also well marked and well marshalled.
The organisation was superb with good pre-race instructions, an easy registration process and a good pre-race briefing. In addition on crossing the line we were immediately given a print out with our finishing time and lap splits on. Something I think other races could benefit from doing.
The water and food station was well stocked and varied, although the race would've benefitted from second water station around halfway.
The facilities were good with nice clean toilets (always a bonus), bag drop, massages and changing areas. There was also a cafe offering hot food and drink before and after the race.
Car parking was free and plentiful for both runners and supporters.
All runners got a decent medal and a nice technical T-shirt as well as a 9bar goodie bag.
All in all, an excellent day out and a race I would love to do again. Marathon next year anyone?
Next Week
Week 3 of my training schedule sees me settling into a more normal training week. 3 lunchtime runs (Mon, Wed, Fri), a club run on Tuesday night, parkrun on Saturday and longer run on Sunday and should look something like this:
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN | |
| 12-Oct | 4.5 | 8 | 4.5 | REST | 4.5 | 3.1 | 10 |
Next week's blog will cover my training of the week and I will write a bit about my love-hate-love-love-love relationship with food.
Thanks for reading...tune in next week!
James
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