My Running Review for 2007 January to July 2007

At the beginning of 2007 I set myself a target to run 1600 miles in the year.
This works out at around 31 miles a week for every week of the year.

As I ran 1573 miles in 2006 this target didn't seem out of reach requiring only another 27 miles in the year. At the end of July 2007 I had run 906 miles which is equivalent to 129.42 miles a month or 29.8 miles a week. So I am slightly behind at present

So far to date my running log looks like this. There are no blank weeks but a few poor ones where I managed only 11 miles. This is balanced by a few weeks where I managed 40 miles

Week	Mon		Tue		Wed		Thu		Fri		Sat		Sun		Total	Total
25-Dec		Run		Run		Run		Run		Run		Run		Run		Run
01-Jan		7.5		0.0		5.4		0.0		0.0		10.2		10.0		33.1
08-Jan		9.0		0.0		7.0		0.0		5.2		5.0		9.2		35.4
15-Jan		0.0		0.0		7.0		0.0		4.2		10.0		10.0		31.2
22-Jan		0.0		0.0		7.0		5.4		9.0		7.5		5.0		33.9
29-Jan		5.4		0.0		0.0		7.0		0.0		10.2		10.0		32.6
05-Feb		0.0		7.5		5.0		1.6		0.0		0.0		0.0		14.1
12-Feb		0.0		5.0		5.4		5.5		0.0		0.0		12.4		28.3
19-Feb		0.0		0.0		5.4		5.4		0.0		3.0		9.4		23.2
26-Feb		5.4		0.0		0.0		5.4		0.0		9.2		10.2		30.2
05-Mar		8.0		0.0		7.0		0.0		5.4		7.5		0.0		27.9
12-Mar		7.5		0.0		7.0		9.6		9.0		0.0		7.5		40.6
19-Mar		0.0		5.4		0.0		5.4		0.0		8.2		10.0		29.0
26-Mar		0.0		6.5		7.5		8.6		9.2		0.0		9.5		41.3
02-Apr		0.0		5.5		7.0		7.2		7.2		0.0		10.5		37.4
09-Apr		0.0		0.0		7.0		8.8		0.0		0.0		0.0		15.8
16-Apr		0.0		6.5		0.0		5.5		0.0		11.5		9.8		33.3
23-Apr		5.4		0.0		0.0		5.4		0.0		10.0		0.0		20.8
30-Apr		6.0		0.0		0.0		0.0		0.0		5.4		0.0		11.4
07-May		0.0		5.5		5.4		0.0		0.0		7.5		12.2		30.6
14-May		0.0		6.0		9.2		5.5		0.0		7.8		12.0		40.5
21-May		0.0		5.5		6.1		0.0		5.4		0.0		10.0		27.0
28-May		7.5		0.0		6.2		0.0		5.0		7.5		7.6		33.8
04-Jun		0.0		6.0		6.2		6.0		0.0		8.6		9.2		36.0
11-Jun		0.0		6.0		5.4		0.0		5.4		7.6		7.5		31.9
18-Jun		7.5		0.0		6.0		0.0		5.0		7.5		5.0		31.0
25-Jun		0.0		6.0		6.4		0.0		5.4		10.0		6.0		33.8
02-Jul		0.0		0.0		5.1		0.0		6.0		10.0		10.2		31.3
09-Jul		0.0		5.9		6.8		0.0		6.0		10.0		6.1		34.8
16-Jul		0.0		5.9		6.4		0.0		0.0		0.0		0.0		12.3
23-Jul		7.0		0.0		8.0		0.0		7.2		0.0		7.3		29.5
30-Jul		6.0		7.7		6.0		0.0		8.1		7.2		0.0		35.0

My statistics for the year compared to the last 2 years show :

Jan 2005 127 miles No of Runs 19. 2006 146 miles Runs 20 2007 139 miles Runs 19
Feb 2005 45 miles No of Runs 7 2006 Feb 111 miles Runs 16 2007 98 miles Runs 15
Mar 2005 94 miles No of Runs 14 2006 Mar 144 miles Runs 21 2007 154 miles Runs 20
Apr 2005 97 miles No of Runs 15 2006 Apr 139 miles Runs 19 2007 123 miles Runs 16
May 2005 84 miles No of Runs 12 2006 May 142 miles Runs 20 2007 117 miles Runs 16
Jun 2005 89 miles No of Runs 13 2006 Jun 136 miles Runs 19 2007 147 miles Runs 22
Jul 2005 145 miles No of Runs 21 2006 Jul 142 miles Runs 20 2007 128 miles Runs 18
Aug 2005 130 miles No of Runs 18 2006 Aug 106 miles Runs 15
Sep 2005 141 miles No of Runs 20 2006 Sep 121 miles Runs 17
Oct 2005 139 miles No of Runs 20 2006 Oct 129 miles Runs 17
Nov 2005 107 miles No of Runs 17 2006 Nov 113 miles Runs 16
Dec 2005 132 miles No of Runs 17 2006 Dec 146 miles Runs 18

Total Runs for 2005 - 193 out of 365 days. Total runs 2006 208 out of 365 days
Total Runs for 2007 Jan to July inclusive is 126 out of 212 days

My average distance that I ran in 2005 was 6.88 miles. My average distance that I ran in 2006 was 7.56 miles. My average distance in 2007 is 7.19 miles

My longest run in 2005 was 12 miles on Boxing Day 26th December. My longest run of 2006 was 13.1 miles on 11th June and 8th Oct. My longest run in 2007 is 12.2 on 13th May in Bury St Edmunds.

I ran 9 races in 2006, 3 in 2005 and this year to date I have run 4

West Suffolk Athletics Track Bury St Edmunds

6.15pm 6.2 miles in 50 mins 58 secs
Week to date mileage 12.2 miles
Month to date mileage 34
Average weekly rate 29.9 miles
Average monthly rate 130
Year to date 939
Lifetime 105232

Another visit to the track. I am doing well with my track running recently. I am giving this a go to hopefully provide myself with a second gear,chance would be a fine thing though as i tend to run at one slow pace.

Tonights session I think was something like

2 sets of 3.30 min, 400 metres, 3 mins , 400 metres 2.30 min.

I warmed up with 5 laps and finished with just a warm down of 2 and a run home.

West Suffolk Athletics Track Bury St Edmunds

6.15pm 6 miles in 48 mins 01 secs
Week to date mileage 6 miles
Month to date mileage 27
Average weekly rate 30 miles
Average monthly rate 130
Year to date 933
Lifetime 10526

Tonight was a hard session and it seems I am always saying this but this was a short intensive session. After running to the track and warming up with 5 laps we ran some short intervals.

The weather was good for track running and we did something similar to 2 sets of 4 x 1 min 15 secs , 2 x 45 secs, 4 x 30 secs and a 400 metre.

Warm down and a run home

2 sets of 4 x 1 min 15 , 2 x 45 , 4 x 30 secs and a 400 metre

2 sets of 4 x 1 min 15 , 2 x 45 , 4 x 30 secs and a 400 metre

Fornham Suffolk Circular Run

5pm 7.2 miles in 59 mins 20 secs
Week to date mileage 35 miles
Month to date mileage 21
Average weekly rate 30 miles
Average monthly rate 131
Year to date 927
Lifetime 10520

After re-measuring this course it would seem I have over estimated the distance of this course according to mapmyrun.com. Without a garmin forerunner device to track the distance I have always guessed the distance or used a car to measure some costs which follow roads.

I have always had this down as a 7.5 mile course whereas I now think it is more like 7.2. Oh well with some 50 odd runs over this distance that is about 15 miles I have over estimated. I daresay I have underestimated other courses and not always recored some runs in the past so Que sera sera.

1. 2007 17th June 57.48
   
2. 2007 2nd June 59.00
3. 2007 28th May 57.19
4. 2007 12th May 58.29
5. 2007 18th March 57.54
6. 2007 12th March 56.40
7. 2007 10th March 59.25
8. 2007 1st Jan 58.26
9. 2006 23rd Dec 57.59
10. 2006 16th Dec 58.48
11. 2006 16th Nov 59.56
12. 2006 26th Aug 58.01
13. 2006 6th Aug 57.20
    
14. 2006 26th July 57.29
15. 09.07.06 58.44
16. 24.06.06 57.24
17. 03.06.06 59.17
18. 13.05.06 58.20
19. 6.05.06 57.03
20. 25.04.06 57.02
21. 18.05.06 56.51
22. 11.02.06 59.25
23. 14.01.06 1.0.05
24. 17.12.05 59.29
25. 29.10.05 59.52
26. 03.10.05 1.0.19
27. 11.09.05 1.0.14
28. 28.08.05 57.42
29. 19.08.05 59.36
30. 22.07.05 58.24
31. 10.07.05 59.48
32. 01.07.05 59.42
33. 23.06.05 1.4.0
34. 18.06.05 1.2.18
35. 29.05.05 1.0.26
36. 23.05.05 59.38
37. 5.4.05 1.2.41
38. 1.4.05 1.0.26
39. 19.3.05 59.0
40. 12.3.05 1.0.43
41. 5.3.05 1.2.16
42. 26.2.05 1.2.16
43. 6.2.05 1.1.23
44. 28.1.05 1.1.2.
45. 16.1.05 1.1.14
46. 8.1.05 1.3.19
47. 29.12.04 1.0.11
48. 24.12.04 1.1.26
49. 20.12.04 1.1.31
50. 3.12.04 1.1.13
51. 30.11.04 1.1.18
52. 11.11.04 1.0.32
53. 2.10.04 1.0.40
54. 24.09.04 59.50

Newmarket Horse Racing

On Friday night we were lucky to have some free entries to the races at Newmarket in the members enclosure. A visit to the horse racing at Newmarket is something we usually do about once a year if we can. So whilst we are not big horse racing fans it is still something we enjoy.

I would have to say this is probably the only time apart from the Grand national that we have a bet on the horses and consequently when we go along we know little about the likely winners. We really go for the occasion the atmosphere and the spectacle of the event.

The journey along from Bury St Edmunds to Newmarket was fine along the A 14 until we took the first turning off signposted Newmarket and we then hit heavy traffic getting through the town. But we had left in good time and we were able to have a picnic before the 1st race at 6pm.

It was good that we made it in time for the 1st race as that proved to be our only winner and at about 13-1 fairly long odds we picked up £37 for a £2 each way bet. After this we had 3 places but no more winners but we came away even.

After this we were in a good position for the Jools Holland Band which started at 9pm. With a 20 piece band the Jools Holland is a powerful sound playing a mixture of r&b classics, ska and jool holland's own songs. For this mini tour the band were joined by special guests Ruby Turner,Louise Marshall and LuLu.

All of the special guests were good LuLu was able to work the audieb=nce and is a good entertainer. Ruby Turner has a great soul voice and Loise Marshall I can find lillte about but for me was a real talent in the making.

Rico Rodrigeuz played trombone This guy is something of a legend and is still going strong in his 70's. I remember him from the Specials when he played with the band on a Message to You Rudy. I remember seeing the Specials at Midsummer Common Cambridge under a big canvas tent in the early 1980's.

Abbey Gardens Bury St Edmunds and Moreton Hall

8am 8.1 miles in 1 hr 7 min 30 seconds

Week to date mileage 28 miles

Month to date mileage 14

Average weekly rate 29.9 miles

Average monthly rate 130

Year to date 920

Lifetime 10513

After a rest day yesterday I decided to run a little further distance today. I chose to run around the Abbey gardens and around Moreton Hall.

The Abbey gardens was fairly quiet and I ran around the park 1-2 before heading out along Eastgate Street and up around Moreton Hall.

The barley at Moreton Hall near the Sugar beet factory is looking ready for harvest any day. Where as the winter oil seed rape and many fields of wheat have already been harvested the barley remains standing for now with its long feathery appearance.

Back into the Abbey gardens via the bridge over the River Lark after doing the circular walk around No Mans meadow I was able to run around the park a bit more before running up Abbeygate Street and heading home

West Suffolk Athletics Track Bury St Edmunds

6.15pm 6 miles in 49 min

Week to date mileage 19.7 miles

Month to date mileage 6

Average weekly rate 30 miles

Average monthly rate 130

Year to date 912

Lifetime 10505

For the first time ever I attended 2 track sessions at the athletics track in one week. I am hoping this may help improve my running speed a little and give me a change from running standard pace 5-6 mile sessions on my own.

Though I notice there is a bit more of a jar on the knees from track running and I think you can overdo it so I will watch and switch to grass if required.

Tonights session was fairly short but nevertheless quite intensive combining some endurance and shorter stuff so there was no chance of settling into a comfortable routine.

Two sets of 3 x 3 minutes with a 400 metres after the 2nd and 3rd interval for each set.

Topiary Art Designs of Pakenham Suffolk

After a frustrating visit to Ickworth with the intention of visiting the House (closed on a Wednesday) we decided on a visit to Pakenham to the Water Mill. I can tell you that that also only opens on week ends and Thursday mornings. Our own fault for not looking this up before we ventured out.

However stumbled upon these elephants at Pakenham which are visually stunning and we had to stop the car to have a look. Instead of Suffolk we were suddenly with some imagination in Africa staring a herd of strolling elephants, very impressive.

There is an interesting website from the company Topiary Art Designs of Pakenham Suffolk, which has won many awards.