Running - Training Rankings

Been looking into stuff as have got big run next April to worry about now.   Fetcheveryone have got a ranking system for senior runners such as myself called WAVa so have been feeding my runs into them to see what they mean.

This is the WAVA score for the Great North Run half-marathon on 15th September. 

This is the WAVA score for Sunday's Great Yorkshire Run 10K

This is the WAVA score for 2010 London Marathon

There's a link for the WAVA calculator here: http://www.fetcheveryone.com/training-calculators-wava.php?d=26.2&u=miles&h=4&m=51&s=53&g=m&a=42

And some gumfph on what it means here: http://www.fetcheveryone.com/cms-44

Sunday 29th September 2013: BUPA Great Yorkshire Run to Saturday 5th October 2013

Sunday 29th September 2013: BUPA Great Yorkshire Run

Up at 6am, everything sorted out night before - number pinned on shirt, timing chip on shoes, jelly beans, drink, flapjack for after.  Took dog for a walk then set off at about 7:15.  Had done all the planning on where to park and ended up parking on Wellington Street Car Park - loads of space - could probably have left it until 8am to set off.  At 10:07 did the daft warm-up (which in fairness probably works) then got off for the run. Bloody watch lost satellite reception right at the start so missed a few hundred yards off which meant I didn't get the 10K p.b. award on Endomondo.  Anyway after manually calculating it I ran the 6.213 miles on average at 9m 5s pace throughout so am pleased with that overall.  If you're thinking about doing Sheffield be warned it's as boring a run as you can do. Set off from ArundelGate near the Town Hall - run 3 miles down a dual carriage-way to Hillsborough, turn round and come back and finishes up a bloody hill!  Anways, pleased with my time overall.

Number pinned on ready to go.

Anyway all done, probably won't do that one again!

In the top third of results so happy with that and 9m 5s miles to boot.

This was at the front of the Green Wave - you can see how downhill it's going to start and how uphill it will finish!

What could be better on a Sunday morning than running up and down a dual carriageway!!!

Pleased with how flat the pace is - good fifth and sixth miles too!

Got back home after dropping in on me mum and dad.  Down the allotment for an hour - another tub of raspberrries. Then back home, chill out, took dog a walk, had a drink or two.  Off to bed about 9:30 after waiting for Phil to get home.

Monday 30th September 2013
Last day of September and still wearing shorts when I take the dog out for a walk - bloody marvellous! Woke up at 4am but didn't really need to as Phil was on lates, so got him up at 6am.   Took dog walk up town and got papers.  Nigel Clough has been sacked by crikey.  What a daft time to do that, never mind.   In to work early doors all good. Went to Sue Rutter's Crich group for a special project in the evening then back home. Tea and dog walk bit of telly then off to bed.

Tuesday 1st October 2013
Blimey O'Reilly - we're into October already.  Up at 6am - got Phil up (I woke up at 4am as well but thought "no, stop here, Lad"). Anyway, got up.  Walked the pooch and fetched papers (still in shorts, bugger off Winter!).  Showered, shaved, a food optimising breakfast of weetabix, mullerlite and chopped up banana.  Off to Sue Rutter's Leabrooks group to help with the project!
  

Have devised a 10K Training Route - bit hilly but it's 6.21 miles and that's the bit that counts!

In the office for 10am.   Meeting at 11.30.  Everything ticking over nicely.

Stopped off at Allotment on way home to get a few more raspberries for the missus.  We're nearly at the end of them unfortunately but we've done very well with them I can't help thinking.

Took dog for a walk, watched New Tricks, got off to bed.


Wednesday 2nd October 2013
Up at 6.15 - no mad rush today Phil going to a ploughing match somewhere so didn't get him up until gone 7am.   Took Dog to fetch papers, just drizzle so could have been worse.  Took an hour and ten minutes to get to work apparently due to accidents on the M1 blocking up the A38 - marvellous.


Thursday 3rd October 2013
Up at 5:30 - got everything done a bit earlier cause was off to that London. Went to a conference saw some interesting stuff - got a load of work done on train.  All good stuff.  Back home for about 6:30 so not bad at that side either.  Took pooch a walk but did very little else - must get back to training - haven't retired yet!

Friday 4th October 2013
Up at 6am.  Dog walked and what have you.  Off to group in Belper then work.  Head down all day only drunk two coffees in the office.   Put 1.5lb on at Belper meant to mention that - that's what happens when you're not doing the training.

Saturday 5th October 2013
Up early.  Dog walked.  Down allotment for an hour.  Another five barrows of muck moved onto plot.  Half a punnet of raspberries picked (where do they keep coming from?).  Laddo rang so fetched him breakfast and had a little one meself.   Pulled up all the sunflowers and took the canes etc down.  Golf at lunchtime - a very solid 88 just pipped John by a point at the end with a par at the last - marvellous!



16/6

Sunday 23rd September 2013 to Saturday 29th September 2013

Sunday 23rd September 2013

Up early.  Intended to get up and go running straight away but dog whining soon changed my plans.  Took dog a bit of a walk.  Janette got up so went for a run a bit later.  Did 5.81 miles very slowly but never mind it wasn't a race.  Went to Bakewell Showground car boot met up with some folks from Anglesey.  Bacon and sausage cob at the little cafe in the Agricultural centre - bit dear but never mind.   Bought a fork from the car boot for t'allotment.  When we got home I did perhaps an hour in the allotment.  Pulled up most of the brassicas that had gone to seed.   Picked more raspberries.  Took all the cak to the recycling centre and also took old bbq so we now have just the one gas-powered BBQ!  Over to mum and dad's for tea, very nice - didn't have a drink again!!  One week and counting - amazing what seeing a photo of yourself can change!

We had film night when we got back - watched The Campaign with Will Ferrell - terrible it was.  N'er mind - bed at 9:30

Monday 24th September 2013
Got up at 4am to get Phil up.  Got up proper at 6:15 - took dog up town and fetched papers.  Got back home loaded car up and off to Belper for a Cycle2Work - bloomin cold all things considered.  No other biked in the bike shelter first thing - straight into shower with no queue! Yay.  Cycled back from work - bloomin Garmin playing up - I've not downloaded the ride yet but I reckon it's not worked.   Took little dog for a walk late on.  Soon going dark now.

Tuesday 25th September 2013
Had to get to Emma Matthews' group with some kit early doors so in office before 8am.  Had taken dog for a good walk round town while picking papers up.

Opened the box to find out I'd got the wrong kit!  Such is life. Whizzed back to the office picked up the right bit of kit then back down to Emma's.   Showed social team how to use it, stopped through pay before setting off back to the office.   All good stuff.  Got home.  Did tea for Lucy and myself. Bosskat got back from covering at Clifton School went down to allotment.  Got some raspberries move the raspberry plant that was right in the middle of one of the beds.  So the bottom of the plot next to where the brassicas were is now totally clear.     The raspberry bush is now in a big tub - will go and have a look at it tomorrow perhaps see if it's alright.  Have set up a blog to keep progress on the Allotment - http://afirstallotment.blogspot.co.uk/

Took Lily a walk a mile or so.  http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/250073493/7469884
Went to bed early.  Still no alcohol!

Wednesday 26th September 2013
Up at 4am to get Phil up.  Got up proper at 6.25am - took pooch up town to get papers - http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/250205755/7469884   Had a good walk round town with her.  Back home for 7:05, brekko, shower and off to work (in that order), in the office for 8.25am.  Went to visit Tanya Tuck's lovely group at Big Barn Methodist Church.  Very good, back home for 6:45.  Took Dog a little walk and that was about it.

Thursday 27th September 2013
Up at 4am to get Phil up.  Very tired. Got up proper at 6:05 - went a walk with the hound up town and got papers.  Dropped Lucy off at school as she's going on a trip, bless her.  Got to work for 8.55 as a consequence!  Got a phone call from Janette at noon to say I'm in the London Marathon so proper training is about to begin I reckon.

Went to Janine Hulme's group in Rocester, stayed the same but never mind - not done much to deserve it except not have a drink for 10 days.  Anyway, thought I'd have a couple last night to celebrate(!) getting into London 2014.   Took little dog a walk as well when got back from Rocester.

Friday 27th September 2013
Same routine of getting up at crack of dawn to get Phil up.  Then up at 5:30 making bread for Macmillan Cancer Care Coffee Morning.  All of it sold straight away when got to work - hope it's edible.   Have booked a weekend in London for the missus' Birthday. Hope mum and dad can have Lucy will see them on Sunday morning after the BUPA Great Yorkshire Run.

Saturday 28th September 2013
Up at crack of dawn to get the boy up. Back to bed, dog whining at 6am, papers fetched by 7am. Down allotment by 8am, ten barrow loads of grade A manure shifted to plot. Tub of raspberries picked - they just keep coming.  Netting taken down, 3 courgettes picked, celery pulled up too.  Put three strawberry plants into the top bit that's sheltered a bit.

Am fit to shovel $hit manure from one place to another.

Golf at lunchtime - played reasonably well - particularly pleased with 11th hole - stroke index 3 - hit three-wood off the tee then three-wood to the green on a hole that was originally classed as a par five.  Damn fine shots.  Also parred a number of holes going round so was pleased overall but the speed of the round was diabolical so we came off after the fourteenth hole which was a bit of a shame.  Never mind.  

16/4.5

BUPA Great North Run Sunday 15th September 2013 to Saturday 21st September 2013

Sunday 15th September 2013 : Great North Run 2013

Well the day of reckoning finally arrived and I wasn't found wanting! In fact I'd go as far as to say I surpassed any expectations I could have had for the day. We stopped at the Holiday Inn and enjoyed it in almost every way. They made breakfast available at 6:30 in the morning so we were down there pretty early (there were half a dozen tables taken already).  We were packed and ready to go as the advice is to get to the start line early.  We parked at the Stadium of Light Metro station at Sunderland and had a good sit down to Haymarket.  It wasn't long before the train was pretty busy and this was at 7:30 in the morning.  We walked from Hay Market to the start and then from the start to the Green Pen which felt like a further kilometer on.  I went into the Pen pretty early - there were maybe only 20 other runners in at that point so was fairly close to front of the Green Pen (I section). Then the long wait began and eventually the male elite athletes were off.  Janette was at the start at that point and got a picture of Mo Farrah which I'll post up in due course.

Me and my little girl at the start line

This is the back of Green Pen I - a good half a kilometre or more from the start!

This is from BBC's footage - directly to the left of GUNBY's bib, looking over the BUPA banner is lil Lucy Siddall!

The masses set off at 10:40, the Green Pen (I section) finally got over the start line at 11:11 accords to my Garmin.   I'd read an alternative strategy for the Great North Run that said to divide it into four different stages basically a five miler with a climb to start off with (5 milers are no problem you've done loads), then three miles downhill (can let rip a bit here and get some fast miles in), then three uphill (dig deep it'll soon be over), then a little two miler downhill to finish with.
The link for it in full is here: http://www.warriorwomen.co.uk/2012/09/15/alternative-wisdom-for-the-great-north-run-9-insider-tips/

Anyway, to me it felt like it was all uphill but the Garmin Gradient profile below concurs with the four stage strategy.  I set off with a fairly fast first mile and kept telling myself to slow down but my legs weren't listening properly (six of the first seven miles were under ten minutes).  That said, thinking about the strategy and waiting for the downhill bits did seem to work and in the final mile I'd still got loads in the tank and went as fast as I could - unfortunately the congestions was worse at the end than ever so a 9:20 mile was the best I could do.   Anyway 2 hours 12 minutes for first half-marathon is bloody magic!

Red Arrows flying over at the Finish

Me and Lucy at the finish

Paid Marathon Photos a small fortune (£27) for their digital pictures:

Almost there!

Smiling - it's over soon

Catching flies

I met a chap I shared a locker with at secondary school at the end.  Huw Thomas is a leading scientist at Cancer Research UK - hadn't seen him for thirty years.  He's not changed a bit (apart from his accent, like). Wish could say the same for myself.

Getting out was a swine.  The South Shields Metro is a fair way from the finishing point and when we got to it the rain was pouring and the queue was a good hour to get on.  So we persisted and eventually got on the train, back to Sunderland, on the road and home for 8pm.  A good day spoiled by a bit of weather but on the whole a good day.

Monday 16th September 2013
Woke up at 6am and got Phil up.  Took the dog up town, got the papers.  Right knee is not happy with the experience it must be said.  Off to Uttoxeter to fetch Phil's suit.  Off to Sheffield for work then back to the office. All good stuff.  Took it easy when got home - took dog a mini walk - rain!.  Took Phil down to Norbury as he was going to a do in a suit!  Watched Men in Black III on the TalkTalk NOW TV Box thang - very impressed with it.  Must do a bandwidth check when I get a minute.  Zero Alcohol


Tuesday 17th September 2013
Up at 4am to switch the alarm off on Phil's phone.  He got in a bit after midnight, bless him.   Got him up at 6.20 after slightly over-sleeping.  Took dog up town and got papers. Got off to work early as have got to get off at 4.30pm this afternoon.  Went to see Pad over at Swadlincote.  Got back - took dog a walk.  Watched a bit of footie but didn't think ManU would have any troubles so left it at that.   Bed for just gone 10.  Zero alcohol.  Downloaded Count Arthur Strong Radio Show Series 3  fro £4.74 from t'Amazon.

Wednesday 18th September 2013
Woke Phil up at 4am (although in fairness he was up before me).  Got up at 6am.  Let Dog out. Up town to get papers with the hound.  All good stuff.  Into office for £8.20.  Paid £27 to Marathon Photo - thieving bleeders they are.  Went to visit Janine Hulmes group to support her in a new project - all went well.

Thursday 19th September 2013
Got Phil up at 4am.  Made sure he was up at 4.25am. Went back to bed til 6.25am.  Took pooch out for a walk. Shave, shower, breakfast, work....   Like a machine.  Knee is improving am getting ready to run again at the weekend.  Went to Sarah Cann's last group in Rocester and weighed in.  Two pounds lighter which is a bit disappointing after a 13 mile run at the weekend!  The way to look at it is I'm a stone and a bit lighter than I was in October 2012 but still not very impressed with my weight at the moment.

Friday 20th September 2013
Up at 4am.  Got Phil up.  Back to bed.  Up at 6.25am - took Dog up town for a walk and to fetch papers.  Off to work nice and early.  Home about 6:30, tea, took dog out for a mile and a half.

Saturday 21st September 2013
Up at crack of dawn, well 6.45!  Took Lily for a walk up town, got papers got a mile done.   Bit of piccy B Brekko.  Down to Allotment, measured up the growing area 42' by 18' with raspberry bushed impinging a bit on the width at the top end near the shed.   Got another punnet of Raspberries while down there but drizzle and the missus needing the motor meant I spent only 45 minutes on the allotment!

Golf at 12:50, suddenly it's lovely and sunny - couldn't be more different from the morning.  Anyway played some iffy golf along the way but played back nine pretty solidly.  All good stuff. http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/248825774/7469884

Apart from Sunday night had no alcohol this week.  Pleased with myself on that score.


16/4.5

Sunday 8th September 2013 to Saturday 14th September 2013

Sunday 8th September 2013
Up at 7am!  Took dog out and what have you.  Mooched about a bit then down to allotment for the rules and regulations talk.  All good stuff have got me allotment and it's a bit of a mess but such is life. It's got some rasberrys on it which is good and I dug some spuds out of a raised bed which is also good.  Lot of work to do but it'll all be good - have a shed sorted! Wahey.

Odd raspberry on the allotment patch

Wise Owl keeping an eye on proceedings

Took the family to Stepping Stones for tea.  Went really well for a change - got Lucy's maths homework finished while we waited for courses.  All good stuff.

Monday 9th September 2013

Went to bed early last night so I could get up early and get a delayed run in.  So was up at 4am to wake Phil up and then on the road about 4:40am.  Have lost enthusiasm for training which is not a good sign. Still got 7.5 miles done this morning before getting back to take the dog out to fetch the papers. All good, really.  

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/243294860/7469884

Went to allotment and did a bit more clearing up - getting there now!

Tuesday 10th September 2013
Up early to get Phil off to work. Back to bed.  Up at 6.20, dog out fetched papers.  In to work early as need to get away early.

Got a mention on the Ashbourne News Telegraph website but they've not mentioned that sponsor sheets for Defibrillators for Ashbourne are at Shenton's and Preston's garage.

http://www.ashbournenewstelegraph.co.uk/News/Great-North-Run-charity-challenge-20130909141815.htm

After work we went to visit Janettes' brother Paddy over in Swadlincote.  Seeing the other patients in this excellent respite care place made me realise how bloody lucky I am and how sad it is that through bad luck or medical accident or whatever people come into this world mentally handicapped.  Really, really sad for them.

Got back in time for second half of England match - 45 minutes of dullness I'll never get back!


Wednesday 11th September 2013
Up early to get Phil off to work, back to bed, up again to fetch papers.  Have made it into the Ashbourne Stunner not just the website!   All good stuff.  Breakfasted and into the office for 8:30 got to go to Kingsley this afternoon to sort some paperwork out.   Got tickets for Reginald D Hunter at Buxton Opera House.  He's quite funny but it will be a bit rude I have no doubt.  Went down the allotment to put some stuff in the shed and bring some stuff back!  All good.  Got a groupon deal of six months of Sky Movies on demand for £15 on NOW TV.  Bargain! We watched the Three Stooges film that me and Lucy went to see at the cinema (exclusively ours as there was literally no-one else in the theatre). The NOW TV thing works through our TalkTalk YouView box so we don't even need the PC to watch stuff and it streams almost instantly - very impressed with it so far.


Thursday 12th September 2013
Up early.  Took dog out.  CycletoWork day today so thought I'd better make an effort - hit EVERY red light between Belper and Alfreton - Belper, Sawmills, Excavator, Swanwick - every single one and some halfwit pipped at me for no apparent reason - tosser.   Never mind.  Took fifty minutes with all the road jip on the way.  Such is life.

Pleased to see the bottom cycle shed pretty much full up with 7 bikes in on CycleToWork day!  Result.

The ride in on mountain bike : http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/244972216/7469884 and back  http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/244972216/7469884

Have still got some back jip going on which is a bit of a worry - only a few days to go until Great North Run which apart from the back issue I'm quite looking forward to.

Friday 13th September 2013

Woke up at 4am to get Phil off, back to bed for a bit.  Up at 6am.  Took pooch out, fetched papers.  Went to group at Belper, lost half a pound not impressive but then again drank a bottle of whisky this week.  Not very clever, not sure what I'm trying to achieve half the time.  Fool.   Into office for ten o'clock, rush job first then phone calls.  All good stuff.   Back from work - bloody raining again.  Wait until 9.20 for rain to stop then went out for a couple of miles to test some new running kit out.

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/245365792/7469884

Saturday 14th September 2013
Up early to get Phil off.  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Off to Allotment - got garden rubbish to Recycling. Picked another tub of Raspberries.  The allotment that keeps on giving!

The plot from bottom up to the greyer coloured shed is mine. mwah ha ha!
  

 Took nine bags of cak to the recycling and there's still loads to do.  The raspberry bush in the foreground is going (might rehome it at Clifton) so that the front bit is all clear.  Am going to measure it all up and make four distinct patches so we can do a bit of crop rotation.  The bean rows will be coming down the front I think for next year so I can get all the damn weeds up that under them eaiser and to fit in with rotation.

Spotted a lone courgette on the plot thats hopefully okay!

After a bit of allotmenting it was time to get loaded up and off to Newcastle for the Great North Run.  We got to Washington where we were stating at about 2pm then went to Newcastle to get a GNR advance ticket for the following day.   Stopped off at the Angel of the North before driving back to the hotel for dinner and an early night.

We had a wee look at the Angel of the North

16/6.5

Sunday 1st September 2013 to Saturday 7th December 2013

Sunday 1st September 2013
Up early due to a distinct lack of sleep.  Got packed up, got paid up, got off home!  Think was back for about 1:30 .  Took pooch a walk in the evening, dug some spuds up, cleaned car out and then washed it and that was sufficient, bed early to catch up on some sleep.

Monday 2nd September 2013
Dog walking.  Damn tired today.  Got stuff ready for Cycle2Work on Tuesday.

Tuesday 3rd September 2013
Up early.   Dog walked, papers fetched etc.   Cycle2Work from Belper, average 14.5mph which will have to do. http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/237563546/7469884

Busy, interesting day in the office.  Then CycleBackHome to Belper, averaged just over 15mph (more downhill coming back - but hit all the red lights and did a small bit of exploring trying to find shortcuts - you can't cut through Warwick Court onto Sleetmoor Lane it would appear!

Wednesday 4th September 2013.
Woke Phil up at 4am, got up before him, running at 4:30am!   6.5 miles in just over 10 minute miles pace - pleased with that - no walking or messing about just steady running.
http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/240906119/7469884
Dug most of the spuds out- all good stuff - just one tub left to go.

Thursday 5th September 2013
Knee jip today, that needs to go away.  Dog walked as usual.  Chopped down a putter for Doug's ten year old grandson and regripped it.

Friday 6th September 2013
Up early as usual.  Chucking it down with rain.  No likey.  Dog walked over a short distance and much drying afterwards.  Dropped putter at Doug's on way to Belper.  Put half a rotten pound on. Such is life.  Home on time, Doug's golf got cancelled due to weather.  Dog walked but nowt else to report.

Saturday 7th September 2013
Up early, harvested last of spuds, moved tub they were in, painted fence all good. Phil finally got up - went to PiccyBs for breakfast.  Fishfinder in the afternoon in amongst many trips to Homebase / Halfords for bits.  Eventually we got it all wired up and it works.  Need to work out how to make it work with the yaks next.

Picture of fishfinder Lowrance Elite 4X Dsi (with Pooch)

The one I've gone for is called a Lowrance Elite 4x DSI the DSI bit stands for down scan imaging I think and it uses two frequencies to get a detailed image of what's below as well as the depth. This will come in handy in finding features that may hold fish.

Anunexpected benefit of it all was getting the road bike in for a service at Halfords - must remember to pick it up again on Wednesday!!!

16/7