Riverside Parkrun 30 Jan 2016 Race No. 45

After a month off with injury I bit the bullet today and thought, why not? And so I travelled to Chester le Street for the Riverside Parkun.

Ten months into my 65 race challenge this is not what I had hoped for when I started . By this time I should have had at least fifty five, maybe even 60 races under my belt. Instead, after over two months out with an achilles injury, a niggling calf problem has cost me most of December 2015 and all of January 2016. So the score is a disappointing 45 races achieved.

On the bright side I had the calf problem identified as of neurogenic origin. This sounds serious, but simply means that it was not a soft tissue calf injury. Instead it is/was the nervous system reacting to the strain I was putting on the calf and simply shutting it down.

Now I must desensitise the calf area through exercises and stretches, lots and lots of them, endlessly repeated. I am only part of the way through this regime and today was the first test. Did I pass? Yes and no. Yes, I got around, albeit slowly. No, for there was discomfort and always the threat of pain if I was to increase my pace.

Anyway, on a very cold and windy day I did get around in what felt ( my Garmin Forerunner packed up at the start) like a very slow time. Looking at the results later, I found that the time was actually 24.54 which is reasonable for a jog. Now can I get back into running regularly? I hope so.

Statistics

Finished in 104th place
Time 24.54
2nd V65
229 ran.

Photobombed after the first race in my challenge - The Harlepool Marina 5 mile

Race No. 44 - A Wet Monthly Mile South Shields

South Shields on a better night

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Oh, what a night' sang the Four Seasons, but it was not 'a very special time for me'  last night in South Shields, for having rained constantly for days on end I found the road out of Wylam to be flooded as I tried to head for the coast and the Monthly Mile.

Having seen on the TV news recently, lots of cars fail to get through a flooded road, I pulled over and waited for another car to gauge the depth of the water. Yes, the very next car hardly paused before heading into the flood water. About a foot deep, I decided before following.

Safely through, I tried my brakes and after a couple of hiccups from the engine resumed my journey to the race.

Oh, it was awful on the coast, heavy rain and a strong wind, right in your face. Forty six other people were as keen, or as silly, as me when we set off straight into a head wind. Having decided I would take it easy and not stress my dodgy calf I started at an easy pace. Of course, as soon as I realised that the couple of runners immediately infront were not getting away from me, I instinctively increased my pace and passed them. Not a good move, as with a couple of hundred metres to go I felt something give in the calf. Now I slowed and back came those runners.

Through the line in 7.19 in 14th position out of 47. Only a little discomfort from the calf. Now, can I recover in time for the Harrier League Cross Country on Sunday?

2015 Highlights and a 2016 Low

My first (and last) Triathlon

Way outside my comfort zone - Ashington Pool

That's more like it at Blaydon

A fast winning run at Grasmere

A 21 minute Park Run on the Town Moor

 

 

 

I should have been running today. I should also, have been able to get in another race, at the Chester le Street Park Run,  yesterday New Years Day 2016, instead I am sitting infront of the computer, massaging my calf injury, as I review nine months of highs and lows in my challenge to run 65 races by 29 March 2016.

It started all so well on my 65th birthday when I travelled to Hartlepool to take part in the Hartlepool Marina 5 Mile. A third place V60 finish in 36.27 was an encouraging start to the schedule, followed by a fast Park Run of 21.44 (Race no. 4) on 18th April.

Into May and I was averaging two races a week as I took part in my first Triathlon at Ashington (Race no. 8). Oh dear, my swimming really let me down and I had to pull out all the stops on the cycle ride and 5 K run to have a reasonable finish - having left the pool fifteen places behind the field, I caught six on the ride and another seven on the run.

The very next day, 5 May, I thought that I would jog round the Les Alcorn 10K (Race no. 9) at Alnwick. Instead, I saw the chance to win the thing (category wise) and went for it, only to find that there was no 65 category and I was a close second in the V60 class to Richard Sill (sorry Richard, but I had to pass you just before the line on 1 July in my own race, Tynedale 10K).

Into June and off to the Lakes for a trail race The Grasmere Gallop (Race no.14). Now I was really on form and into my off road comfort zone. Going through the finish line in 50.12, the timekeeper shouted , " First V60, Peter". Oh, did I enjoy that moment, even better to find that I was five minutes ahead of the next V60 runner.

No resting on my laurels, for only three days later it was time for another of my favourite races, The Blaydon Race (Race no. 15). On a very warm summer's evening I really went for it, finishing in 40.33 and third placed V65 in a field of 4,000 runners.

Now I was ticking off the races and well ahead of schedule going into July. Still looking good, when on 29 July I felt a little discomfort in my left achilles. That night it felt ok for the Wallington 10K (Race no. 23), but a fast, very fast, downhill start obviously was not a good idea and by the end of the race I was out of action with a tear to the  achilles tendon.

August was lost altogether and after a couple of false starts in September I was able to get round the Prudhoe Miners' Race on 27 September (Race no. 26).

Through October and November I was ticking off the races and starting to think that I should be able to finish my 65 race challenge, when I proved, yet again, that I really should remember my age (and past injuries). Instead, I got it into my head that I could win, overall, not just by age, the Monthly Mile at South Shields (Race no.40). I would mention that there are two races, the first, for proper runners, the second for fun runners. It was the second race that I entered, blasting away from the gun.

"Oh, this is like old times", I thought as heard the footsteps starting to get fainter behind me, as I led the field into the first half mile, when my b....y calf gave out. Dropping the pace I let two youngsters go by before the finish and a painful limp back to the car.

A couple of weeks went by before I was able to run at a reasonable pace for the Saltwell 10K (Race no. 42), when I thought I could double up for the weekend of 19/20th Dec. Another bad decision, for, in running the Santa Dash at Gibside Chaple my calf went again and I am out of action.

So, here I am on 2nd January 2016, down in the dumps and not very hopeful for my challenge. But, I am usually a positive character and I am hoping that next week's Harrier League Cross Country will be Race no. 44 and who knows what 2016 will bring?

 

65FORIZZI
March 29th 2015- March 2016
Date	Number	Event	Time	Overall Finishing Position	Category Position	Comments
29-Mar	1	Hartlepool Marina 5 mile	36.27	173	3	516 ran
7-Apr	2	Monthly Mile S Shields	6.27	20	na	20th out of 79
12-Apr	3	Blyth Valley 10k	45.34	296	3	563 ran
18-Apr	4	Park Run Ncle 5K	21.44	147	3	646 ran
19-Apr	5	Gibside Great Run Local 5K	24.28	8	n/a	51 ran.
22-Apr	6	Keswick Round the Houses	46.11	88	3rd V60	186 runners
25-Apr	7	Park Run Ncle 5K	22.44	149	2nd	601 runners
4-May	8	Ashington Triathlon	1.28.48	190	4th	1st V60 in 5k run
5-May	9	Les Allcorn 10K, Alnwick	45.53	57	2nd V60	125 runners
10-May	10	Great Run Local 5K	25.05	6	n/a	45 runners
13-May	11	Latrigg Short Fell Race	28.5	67	3rd V60	87 ran
24-May	12	Gibside Great Run Local	24.3	10	n/a	50 runners
27-May	13	George Ogle Mem. 6m	43.13	66	1st V60	195 runners
6-Jun	14	Grasmere gallop Trail Race	50.12	25	1st V60	305 runners
9-Jun	15	Blaydon Race	40.13	621	3rd V65	3825 ran
13-Jun	16	Park Run , Ncle	22.2	100	1st V65	511 ran
17-Jun	17	Humbleton Hill Fell Race	47.18	31	2nd V60	59 ran
21-Jun	18	Lambton 10K	47.36	117	2nd V60	715 ran
1-Jul	19	Tynedale 10K	45.1	182	n/a	546 ran
5-Jul	20	Red Kite Trail Race	1.13.57	18	n/a	86 ran
15-Jul	21	Kirkley 10K	45.59	58	1st V65	165 ran
25-Jul	22	Park Run Ncle 5K	22.42	101	1st V65	439 ran
29-Jul	23	Wallington 10K	45.59	52	1st V65	158 ran
5-Sep	24	Gloucester Park Run	23.5	28	1st V65	180 ran
19-Sep	25	Ncle Park Run	25.07	218	1st 65	540 ran
27-Sep	26	Prudhoe Miners 10K	49.06	66	1st 65	140 ran
3-Oct	27	Park Run Gibside	24.36	14	1st 65	60 ran
4-Oct	28	Gt Run Local Gibside	25.54	7	1st 65	54 ran
6-Oct	29	Monthly Mile South Shields	6.44	18	na	18/22
10-Oct	30	Sherman Cup	45.31	391	1st V65	464 ran
17-Oct	31	Gibside Trail Race	59.38	212	8th V60	442 ran
24-Oct	32	Park Run Newcastle	22.57	164	1st v60	562 ran
25-Oct	33	Great Run Local 5K	25.56	8	1st V55/65	57 ran
1-Nov	34	Derwentwater 10 mile	1.19.29	211	5th V65	436 ran
3-Nov	35	Monthly Mile	6.43	18	na	69 ran
3-Nov	36	Park Run Newcastle	24.16	118	1st v65	369 ran
8-Nov	37	Town Moor 10K	46.54	302	3rd V65	549 ran
15-Nov	38	Park Run Newcastle	23.38	123	1st V65	470 ran
21-Nov	39	Aykley HeadsCross country	54.52	459	2nd V65	592 ran
1-Dec	40	Monthly Mile	6.44	12	na	90 ran
6-Dec	41	Park Run Ncle 5K	25.32	192	4th V65	363 ran
19/13/2015	42	Saltwell 10K	49.36	190	5th V65
20-Dec	43	Gibside 5K	27.03	na	na	fun run