Start Your Engines

So much has happened in the last few weeks I’m not sure I know where to begin. It’s a strange feeling when you don’t appear to be doing anything differently, but then you realise everything has changed. Results I’ve previously dreamed about have come relatively easily and it’s all coming together nicely.

We were down at Thunder Run, a 24 hour off-road relay event in Derbyshire. I cannot begin to describe how much I loved this event. There was a moment on my fourth 10Km lap when I had a moment of sheer unbridled euphoria that this was exactly the thing I should be doing right, there right then. Maybe it was slight delirium brought about by sleep deprivation, I’d just climbed the fifth hill of the course and looked out over the countryside and my body felt like it could run forever. Of course, our good friend Mr Lactate soon tapped me on the shoulder and I was shuffling along with the best of them.

 

Team events are great, everyone gets to add their little bit to the mix. At the start of my first (double) lap, our team was a good 10 mins down on the leaders, and a I set out I made sure I kept it strong and controlled (aka Sunday Pace). I realised I was running well by the number of people I was passing, the hills were tough but manageable and the mud almost non-existent at this point. The cheering around the course was great, especially from fellow Striders – I really appreciated it guys, even though I didn’t really acknowledge it at the time – I’m trying to teach myself to keep focused whenever I’m racing. The second lap saw me catch up with the other Striders, taking us into the lead.

I loved passing the baton on, knowing that the next teammate was relying on me and I was relying on them – a big boost at 2:30am I can tell you! Because I enjoyed it so much, the course wasn’t a chore and the miles seemed to fly by.

At Thunder Run

It was during Thunder Run that I think I admitted to myself how far I’ve come in the last 18 weeks. The way I approach running – racing and training, has altered dramatically. The gains that I’ve made haven’t magically appeared as I often worried would be the case. It’s been down to consistent effort and putting the work in -You get out what you put in. I don’t mean to sound boastful on this, that’s not my intention.

I know I’ve got a reputation for being ‘slightly’ competitive. To be honest, it’s another trait that comes from my Rowing days. Whatever happens, I need to be able to hold my head up and know that I did everything in my power to help my team. I’m not going to be the one to let the side down, Ever.

How often do we say to ourselves “Oh I don’t feel like it” or “I can go out later”. If you don’t give yourself that option, make sure the day’s training is THE most important thing in your day, there’s nothing that can stop you from getting it done - and the next session, and the one after that.  At the beginning, a lot of these sessions may appear to you to be ‘slow’ or not at an intensity that will carry you forward, but they all feed off each other and build and build  to produce what the ‘magic’ really is - Training Effect.

The best way I can describe Training Effect is that it’s given me an Engine. I used to run in a style that could be described as “hard as you can before the wheels fall off”. Now, with experience of the different sorts of sessions, when I go out running (whatever the speed) I just feel so full of energy it’s unreal. It’s like there’s a Tiger or something growling away, ready to spring into action. That inner fire is a comfort, a confidence that helps in all situations- knowing that you’ve got energy to overtake that competitor in front, to nail that interval, to enjoy the bliss that is a 45 minute recovery run. With strength training/hills sessions, that fire only grows stronger and the training effect continues.

Training for the Autumn Half Marathon Season starts this week, just as I’m passing the 1000 mile mark.

Ladies & Gentlemen, Start your Engines....