28th January 2007

10 Mile Run + 1 Mile RR = Home – Denby – Ripley – Codnor – Heanor

Date: 28th January 2007

Conditions: Mild, Windy

Notes: The night before a long run I normally prepare with a good ‘hi carb’ meal and an early night. This week I had had two alcoholic drinks, and a Pizza. Not my best preparation to date. I woke up very late and nearly talked myself out of the run. To back track, this is the run I had to pull out of before the Worksop Half Marathon due to injury. It was gone lunch before I had my kit on and was ready to go. Mentally I was not prepared and physically I was far from even remotely prepared.
I did my usual warm up and set out with a ‘lets see’ attitude as I was still haunted by having to pull out of my first attempt at this ten mile lap. It had also been sometime since my last long run and I had only ever run ten miles ‘plus’ once before.
The first mile was steady as it always is and as I led into the second mile I started to get a rumbling in my stomach. I climbed the hill leading over and down towards Denby Pottery and as I crossed over onto Derby Road (B6179) I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and then a sudden urge to be sick came upon me. Having coughed it out, I struggled through the next mile, telling myself that it would eventually pass. It did pass and by the time I reached Ripley and the halfway point I was feeling good and running with ease.
I picked up a drink I had stashed at the half way point many months ago, and boy was I glad it was still there. I came down through Codnor and when I hit the mile six marker I felt amazing. I was so shocked that the further into this run I got, the better I felt. I knew this could all change soon as four of the six hills on this course came in the last three and a half miles.
As I came down through Codnor and towards Loscoe I knew that if I attacked these hills correctly that I would finish this run and finish it well. I had slight stitch but used something I had learnt this past week to get me through it. If your stitch is on your right hand side then as your left foot strikes the ground you exhale as hard as possible. Within three or four repeats the stitch should have gone. The beauty is, it actually works!
The final three miles were up and down hills but throughout the final few miles I just concentrated on my breathing and the ‘Stitch Technique’ (ST) that I had learnt. The final mile and last two hills were a real challenge but in all I really enjoyed this run and know that I am now well on my way to becoming a Marathon runner.

Positive: I finished the ten miles comfortably.
Negative: I nearly had to abort the run due to poor mental and physical preparation.

Days to Edinburgh Marathon: 119

Fast Mile: 7.47

Slow Mile: 8.50

Run time: 1h22m55s



“Our patience will achieve more than our force.”