Love a good stat or two

As the Great North Run edges ever closer, I’ve been thinking about my previous half marathons and times, which then lead me to review  my power of 10 page. If you are registered with a club it means you have an UK athletics number and the majority of your races times are logged on to run Britain and also the power of 10 which is a great resource. Check out the links to see your own results.https://www.thepowerof10.info/ sometimes they do struggle to find international races times but some of mine have made it on there.

This got me thinking I’ve run GNR 4 times what was my fastest, my slowest and the average??? The scores on the doors are: fastest  1:44 (2013 #purplepatch), slowest 2:09 (running with a friend and having a blast) with an average of 1:55:13, not too shabby. The average finish time for the famous race in 2015 was 2:12:19.

I’m not one to leave it there, so I delved deeper in to my half marathon stats:

Total half marathons: 40 

Same race multiple times: 8

• GNR, Potters arf, Robin Hood and Stafford *4
• Birmingham *3 
• Brighton, Cardiff, Liverpool *2

Counties covered 7: England, Scotland, Wales, America, Spain, Portugal, Ireland

City run in: 11: Birmingham, Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh, Las Vegas, Lisbon, Madrid, Manchester, Nottingham, San Francisco, Santa Monica

Fastest  1:42 (Nottingham 2013) 

Slowest 2:25 (Stafford 2016) 

Average 1:55:31

Total official distance covered 524 miles 

Total time run 77:12:05

Now I’m running unattached, meaning I’m longer attached to a running club, it’s a shame to think my times will no longer be recorded under my name and being able to access this type data will disappear. Perhaps it is time to join a virtual running club, but which one to choose…. 

Use it or lose it!

More recently I have been questioning if I have the ability to be as quick as I once was. 

Looking at my power of 10 results for the last 9 years of running, there is a clear purple patch for my running between 2013 and 2014; the majority of my PBs were achieved; it was at this time I started to introduce interval sessions and the long tempo runs and the results can clearly be seen.

Although I have continued to keep up with the interval sessions and the occasional long tempo run, you can clearly see the decline in my results for the last 5 years… my heart wasn’t really in it.  I often refer to this period as straining my CBA muscle which, I have to say, is worse than any bone or ligament issue.  You know you should do it, but the burning lungs sensation and aching legs all feels little too uncomfortable so you back off or decide on another easy shorter run.

I have been quite honest about the lack of running mojo for the last couple of years and this year we turned a bit of a corner when it comes to running mojo, it’s definitely back…although I’m still not wanting to push myself into the uncomfortable place of training; the burning lungs and aching legs.

To be honest I’m often torn between wanting to be quicker(getting back to my PB ways) and worrying that this is where it all went wrong last time and why I felt out of love with running.  Perhaps I just need to go with the flow, continue to enjoy the running and trust the process. And to be fair my average pace per mile is coming down, slowly,  and in the last couple of months my parkrun times are coming down to the 25-26 minute range and I even ran my fastest parkrun in 3 years in June.

Over the next few months, I’ve a couple of half marathons (GNR, Bilbao) and sprint triathlon (North West) coming up and the aim for the half marathons is a sub 2:00 for the GNR, possibly a seasons best for the Bilbao and for the triathlon it would be nice to get an overarching PB for this and possibly try for a quick 5k at the end. 

So perhaps the question is not do I have the ability to get quicker,  as we know there are many veteran lady runners who are much quicker than me, but is more about do I have the desire to get quicker and what is the cost I’m willing to pay.

this is not a dress rehearsal folks

You only have one life so live it!! There is no point waiting for something to happen, waiting until....you retire, have enough money, until the right time comes along because you never know what is around the corner. 

Over the last few years people I have known  have been taken too soon; some through ill health, sudden catastrophe events or via tragedy. Equally I have close family and friends who have been given life limiting diagnosis's and are having to carry on living their lives.

After each tragic announcement I take stock, reflect on my life what do I enjoying, what is bringing me joy and what is brining me down. Because the saying is true life is too short and you never know when your time is going to be up or when you can no longer do what you once did.

You don’t want to reflect on your life and wish you had: laughed more, loved more, spent more time with loved ones, danced in the rain, sung your favourite song at karaoke, hung out and chilled with those you love. 

I encourage everyone to take stock; do more of what you love, reduce the time you spend on the things that don’t bring you joy. Try and find the balance between being healthy vs indulgent and if you struggle with being too indulgent then be active.

Learn to love yourself what ever shape you are in, your body is a wonderful powerful machine and there are many who are currently going through treatment who would wish to have the body you have.

When your time is up, no one is going to care that you worked those extra hours, or you had an empty washing/   ironing basket, a spotless house or not a wrinkle insight  what they are going to miss is you. Make them smile at the memories made together and they’ll take comfort in the fact you lived your life to the fullest!

Now go out let go of the anger, negativity as they only person they hurt is you.  Go and be around people you love,  make awesome memories and hold on to those things.