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My plans for next years Great North Run


doug
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Been thinking about the lessons I learn t from this years Run. Last year, some of you may remember I decided for this year to start further up the field and hang on to Paula Radcliffe's knickers. Well she didn't show up. Last year I started off at the 2 hour marker and spent most of the run trying to get round people. This year I remembered to take my pedometer just to see how steps I took. So this year I started off at the 1.75 hour marker. Early stages weren't too bad but then it seemed to get more and more congested. Obviously a lot of other people had had the same thought and started even further up the field. Now in the later stages of my training I'd been sprinting for the last 0.25 miles home. When I tried to build up momentum on Sunday just couldn't get through. I can't just kick into a sprint but have to progressively wind up the flywheel. Then noted that I'd taken 2 hours 17.25 mins (this compares with 2 hours 2 mins for 12.8 miles a couple of weeks before when I took a gentle pace) at the finish line and had run the equivalent of 15.5 miles.

Having now worked the numbers out my pace length had averaged only 2.7 feet per step. Given that on the flat I do 3.6 feet per step, average 3.2 feet on the runs taking into account the hills and I normally walk at 2.8 feet on a brisk walk indicates that I'd been taking a lot of very short steps trying to dance around other people. It's even worse when I think of those stretches where I could settle down to run. So next year even further up the field.

Managed to watch all the video last night and not fall asleep as on Sunday night - must have been the booze. Damned annoyed to find that the cameras were switched from the finish to the arrival of the Red Arrows just as I was approaching the finish. The finish camera was placed perfectly to catch me as I happend to finish on the right hand side of the road. Anyway. Brendon Foster was chatting to someone else and they were discussing the reasons for the right hand carriage way of the motorway emptying much faster than the left. Ah said Brendon, most people start on the left because it avoids going up the flyover section. My ears pricked up at this because I had started on the left carriage way. Now as hills don't bother me that much I'm starting on the left next year and even further up the field. Also my training will have to be modified to see if steeper hills will improve my stamina.

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