Half Year Review January to June 2006

Its about time I reviewed my running for the first half of the year compared to the objectives I set myself for the year

2006 Targets

1. To keep fit and enjoy my running.

That will always be my number one aim. People some times ask why do you run? Quite often they look upon you as weird when you mention that you run. Often they will say they have tried and found it boring. Quite simply I run because I can and I wouldn't do it if I didn't love it. I get to see the changing seasons, experience all weathers and enjoy the beautiful Suffolk countryside. I meet similar folks who enjoy running. I gave up a long time ago trying to persuade others to run you either enjoy it or you don't.

Achieved -I don't think I have ever been more enthusiastic about my running than I am now. Numbers of people running seems to be up if attendances at running clubs are any kind of measure.

2. I am a signed up member of St Edmunds Pacers and look forward to continuing doing so for next year.

Achieved - I continue to be a member and recommend anyone who rus who doesn't belong to a club to join up.

3. I am setting myself an overall target to run 1500 miles next year. That's challenging for me but hopefully a realistic target that is achievable barring injuries ! I managed 1328 this year so it is an additional 200 miles at an average of 29 miles a week.

I am on target at the end of June. I had run a total of 817 miles. Last years performance in blue

January 146 miles 20 runs 2005 127 miles 19 runs
February 111 miles 16 runs 2005 45 miles 7 runs
March 144 miles 21 runs 2005 94 miles 14 runs
April 139 miles 20 runs 2005 97 miles 15 runs
May 142 miles 19 runs 2005 84 miles 12 runs
June 136 miles 19 runs 2005 89 miles 13 runs

Total miles run 817 Total runs 115 runs. 2005 Total miles run 535 Total runs 80 runs.

4. Long Runs - I want to up my long runs so that next year I run some 2 hour or 15 mile runs .

Partially achieved - I think I needed to redefine what constitues a long run for me. Up to know when I record my times using the free Dead Runners Society Excel Spreadsheet I have labelled any run over an hour as a long run. On this basis I have run 31 long runs between january and June. Perhaps next year I will redfine a long run as being a certain mileage - perhaps over 10 miles - any views on this ? My longest run was the half marathon at Norwich on 11th of June 2006. My target was to do some 15 mile runs so really I haven't yet achieved this target.

5. Hills - these are great sessions to include in your training. I know it but I just didn't do it this year. Can I do it next year? Probably not on my own. I remember that we used to run these as a cub session when I belonged to Stopsley Striders back in 1994. I am not going to set my target for hills anything greater than to do 1 hill session a month.

Failed - I started well and I did run a specific hill session for the first 3 months of the year then I let slip and haven't done one since. I was right it is difficult to do on your own. Will set my sights on doing some more but not until the weather cools.

6. Races - for me racing isn't the be and end all of why I run but I would still like to run more races than I did this year which was only 3 . My target for 2006 is to do 6 races. At the moment I still think my limit for a race is around the half marathon distance. So I would like to include a half marathon as a race next year.

Achieved - Races to date this year

5th Feb Lakenheath 5 miles Cross Country 41.11
26th Feb Bury Nearly 10 - 9.4 miles 1hr 13 mins 27 secs
26th Mar Joe Cox 10 10 miles 1hr 17 mins 27 secs
14th Apr Sudbury Fun Run 5 miles 37 mins
2nd June Bury 5 5 miles 37 mins 23 secs
11th June Norwich Half Marathon 1 hr 49 mins 3 secs


7. Track and Interval Work - If I miss the Wednesday track session at West Suffolk Athletics Track then I want to commit to doing the Monday session. To my mind track work is so beneficial.

Failed - Out of 26 weeks I have missed a lot of Wednesday sessions and I have attended just 13 times. I just struggle to always get away from work to attend this but will see if I can improve in the 2nd half of the year.

8. To get my weight down to 12 stone - I could still do with losing a few pounds . My BMI still shows I am overweight for my height. This means losing about 4-6 pounds. This should be possible if I keep to my new mileage targets.

Failed my weight has stayed static really at about 12 stone 4lbs?!

9. To replace my watch - I don't have a very good running watch- sometime this year I would like to get one of those Garmin 201 devices

Failed still can't afford one

10. Lastly this one is a bit crazy but when the weather brightens up in the spring I am seriouslyconsidering an occasional run when I take with me a rucksack to pick up rubbish I spot in the hedgerows. I hate to see rubbish which has been dropped from car windows left on the side of roads. It can remain for years in some rural spots. Ok I could say it is not my rubbish but in a way we are all responsible for the upkeep of the countryside and I am willing to give it a go. I expect I will need to wear gloves and an old rucksack. My other though then is what to do with the rubbish as I don't particularly want to fill my own dustbin with what I collect. Maybe my run will need to by pass a recycling centre.

Not yet but still planned

Most memorable run of the year has to be the Norwich Half Marathon simply because it was my longest run for at least 2 years and on the day it was 30c with little shade. My time was slow but simply completing the course was a big achievement.