Saturday is the new Sunday

Only Paul made it out after the last minute switch of day due to me going to Scotland today to drop off the kiddies at Grandad's. His first comment was to slag of my choice of kit, as being too hot. Gloves, hat and rainproof with long sleeve winter top.

Great new route opening up the joys of all things in the general direction of Symondshyde Wood. Headed out towards St. Albans, took a left turn towards Heartwood and stayed pretty much on the Hertfordshire way until we hit our first road. Slight disagreement on the route resolved by some old technology that I cunningly had in my pocket - a photocopy of a bit of the OS map. Ha I was right it is right.



We then went through a new farm and Paul talked me out of going too far in the direction of Brocket Hall - that would be more like 15-16, but one for another day. The whole area is saturated with footpaths to explore and we enjoyed the high content of new ground in the run. Held chatting pace most of the way.

The pace stopping is where we had to check the map!

Popped out of the wilderness at Wheathampstead having run parallel to devils dyke, thinking we were much further over. We solved the "too close to home" problem by going right up and over the top on the way home where I have not been for so long that counts as new footpaths for me. I also have only every done that area outbound never homeward. It's changed a bit with a new barn at one of the farms. Needed gel two here and struggled with the hill. Pace slowed and I recovered, notice the heart rate drift here. I need to watch that.

Final dip down and Paul took the lead and the stunning section came down very steeply through a field then some woods then suddenly right over an open ploughed field which was impressive with the dull grey clay soil framing Paul's luminous yellow top ahead of me.

He was right about the kit, too much. I was too hot. But still only complaint from a fantastic run.

Easy four miles

Found a tri-athlete who had been out for a while due to becoming a father for the first time, buying a house and generally being too busy.

So I was surprised when Brain set what felt like a decent pace, but he soon slowed and we gassed our way around the Westminster and Blackfiars loop. It was much easier to go slowly today and having a marker beside me kept me from zooming off. Even managed not to accelerate along the last bit of the drag to millenium bridge.

Got back to see a poor guy being scooped of the road out side the office into an ambulance. He'd been knocked off his scooter by a car.

Total distance 4.2miles in a very slow 33 mins one slower than when I tried to do the same loop with Mark slowly and 5 faster than my record slowest time for that loop.

ps. on the way home from the station a cotton t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms cashed up station road, even with back pack and coat on I could not resist. Caught him by half way and he errored in attempting to cross the road and gave me the look that said it all as I silently (what you can't hear won't hurt you) eased past him. He crossed the road and I guess we were at around 7min mile pace. He tried hard not to look back but clearly know exactly where I was as each nudge in pace was matched. I was faster on the down hill and I simply extended the circle of effort for free as I watched his effort increase as his heel strike sent him backwards. Then he truned off station road and I wound down the effort and enjoyed feeling the circle get smaller and the cadence stay the same as I dropped down through the gears. Slowed right to walking by the bottom of the hill. Te he that was fun.

Good Reps

The twenty or so rockets did not hang about today and that forced Martin into a pb from the office to the canal.

Scrutton was there doing some kind of steady run through the set, noted his new red running top - never seen the guy in anything other than 100% cotton before.

My excuse today was mainly focused around the battering I took last night from "Alex" the hulk with a sadistic streak that had given me the Guantanamo Bay treatment at Breathing Space. The tranquil setting and soft furnishings and delightful staff lulled me into a false sense on glentle expectation. Alex arrived and eyed me up. He listened dutifully to my abridged list of running injuries and aches and pains. Then the violence erupted. Within seconds he'd found and smashed a knot on my back and I was right on the pain threshold. This was 30 seconds in and at that point I remembered I'd booked an hour. Alex used all his weight and considerable upper body strength to pummel me hard and deep tissue or sports massage does not do this guy justice. I screamed, but did not cry. He told me when he worked at
Guantanamo Bay they would always talk when he got to the end of the muscle. By the end I was battered and bruised, but somehow lighter, especially on my left arm and oddly in my feet that had taken a special hammering and responded. I told Alex all about ARO runners and he said he'd love to hook up with them.

The reps were 8 by 3 off 1, with 2 at the turn. Dave, call me if you need to know what that means, can't be bothered explaining it.

Paul and Martin instantly appointed me leader of the "Needs" group and we were off. I felt light, loose and comfortable. Thought about throwing an easy one at rep 4 but decided to hold the pace and felt fine.

On the way back Paul ask if I was speeding up during one of the reps. No I replied, actually I was thinking about my foot circle (half shin pace), cadence, landing with my foot moving backwards and not sitting into the run. What - all that and you can still run? If you heel strike I'll kick your foot was Paul's helpful input along with why don't you get a squeaker implanted on your heel so it squeaks if you heel strike? I wonder if Aro Sports do those?

On the 5th or 6th rep I'd just adjusted into a more upright position and was thinking about how my feet were landing nicely when Paul crys out "OH NO NIALL'S THINKING ABOUT FORM AGAIN, HERE WE GO!" Somehow we probably were going faster and my perceived effort reduced. Amazing.

The elite streamed through on rep 7 and I was wise enough to keep at half shin pace and not respond.

The cheek from Paul escalated to sheer insolence as with forty seconds to go on rep 8 Paul challenged! I'd been wondering what knee pace would feel like and within seconds I knew two things, firstly that's very fast and to my delight it is faster than Paul. 20 seconds to go and I've overtaken him and a number of bemused elite who happened to have gone past us moments before. Paul suggested if only he'd gone later and more steady, he'd have "won". Keep the racing for races!

Massage, Alexander workshop with Malcolm or some combo of them both? Either way felt light, in control and solid as a rock. Noticed how not sitting into the reps on the acceleration really helped and focusing on increasing the foot circle as the key to speeding up and keeping the form.

As Martin pointed out, our next target to catch is Sarah's group. Whooo hooo!

Long Sunday Run

I'd met up with Simon mid week and suggested we offer the Running Fource Sunday run out the red hot Aro boys. Against all the whinging about the early start someone we did not know actually turned up, young gun John was there on the dot.

We headed off to collect Kenny in a the allotted 8 mins and made it fine. He could hear us coming from half a mile away and my stage whisper about running past or speeding up only helped us wake up Cowper Road rather than fool Ken's bionic ear.

There were two schools of thought for the day, the A team (aka Simon and Dave) were gobbing off about a fast 20 miles in Hatfield but they both turned up at mine (in Harpenden) having decided to start with us and then push off.

By the time we had got to Kenny's everyone was trying to get beside or behind me as they all wanted to offer an discerning opinion on Niall's foot fall - mid sole, hey was that a heel strike? Not even one mile in and I was wondering how wise sticking all that on yesterday's blog was.

Just after the A team made a "We're going to run at a different pace now" move at the Childwickbury gates John drops out and decides to U turn for home - poor chap was suffering with shin splints and we left him stretching off on Harpenden road.

By this time the A team's fast twenty was looking seriously in jeopardy. The B team were closing the gap fast. In spite of clear directions on the correct footpath to take the A team missed it completely so the B team got to shout at them to turn as they went past.

This then took us through the pick your own, I wanted to go straight on (because that's the foot path) but Kenny and Paul insisted we follow the A team on their perimeter sortie.

We found a gate in the school grounds and then the A team went round the outer edge of the school and round the Batchwood woods. They found a footpath and went into the woods, but the woods were clear so the B team took the racing line and went straight in to the trees and crashed through the undergrowth and got to the path seconds after the A team. Through the woods took us out behind the golf course, much better than the than planned route across the course. We were back on familiar turf, now on the Batchwood/Childwickbury path. Stunning views here firstly over to Gorhambury estate and then the brilliant red sunrise with St. Alban's skyline silhouetted and dominated by the cathedral. Worth getting up just for that.

Just before the park Kenny nearly went flying. He tripped over a kerb that was covered in leaves, he was OK and the B team continued. However, Paul and I now announced each up coming kerb with a big shout.

A team took an odd route into the park and our direct route had them again only metres in front going around Verulam lake. They went up the side past the Londinium Gate and we headed back, with Kenny re-living his glory football days at Kings.

More new territory as we went past the Roman theatre and jumped the gate with the warning to keep out between 8am and 6pm. Lovely tree lined avenue to run along with a smooth road - Kenny helped me out here by holding my head up for 30 seconds just to re-set as I felt I was stooping. Suddenly, I had a second wind as it all seemed much easier running not in a slump.

Turned right down onto Colne-Lee Valley Walk with a lovely riverside section on a grassy path and quaint buildings to admire and even quainter bridges to traverse. Crossed the road and Kenny was getting jumpy and thinking about cutting short the loop to get home to avoid marital strife.

Now running across this footpath is an access road to a sewage treatment plant. When I've been here before, coming the opposite way I noticed it was very hard to see where the footpath came out. I had in my head it was just before the footpath sign about 10 feet to the left of the sign. I confidently annouced "This way boys!" ducked down, pushed the branches of a tree out the road and ran straight into a sticky ball seed tree and went flying. By this time Kenny and Paul went into over drive and I got the slagging I richly deserved. "Use the force, Niall" was one of the better ones. Of course, I had forgotten to invert the instructions I'd mentally noted going the other way. My left leg was covered in sticky seed balls and I tried to take one off to chuck at Kenny but it just stuck to my glove.

By now the pace was picking back up as the slagging died down. Paul decided to stay with me, but Kenny needed the short option so took Beesonend hill at a pace that gives you an insight into the Wrath of Susan. If only he'd had that kind of motivation at the Herts 10km last weekend.

Then there were two.

We went round behind the fishery and shooting platforms and I was sure there was another exit to the fields further along, which a later look at the OS map confirmed is there - but you needed to go up one more field to get to it. This section was ploughed right to the edge and the footpath was barely there in parts.

Long slog home up the Nicky line, feeling the effort. Paul kept me honest and nudged the pace back up the hill to the stated goal pace and we made it home in under two hours, which is was pretty much bang on 8 min mile pace as advertised.

Breaking news is that John survived and is up for next week. Now there are six of us.

Kenny clocked up 12 and Paul and I did 14.3 miles - well it is traditional to over shoot slightly! The A team massively undershot, but still clocked an impressive 16.5 miles and while we saw them lots on the way out, they were looking good with little injections of pace to counter the B team's advantage of knowing where they were going.

Art of Running - Great Brickhill

Today I went to Malcolm Balk's Art of Running workshop in Great Brickhill with my friend Kevin and his fast son, here we are.



There was a real mix of new runners, Iron Men, improving runners and completely new runners.

In this blog I aim to capture the main points for me to work on and some of the drills we did that should help achieve the faster speed that will come from the better form.

Three key points:
1) head
2) footfall
3) don't push off

Firstly, and my wife spotted this during the 10km, I am hunched up. You can see this on my 10km photos and the ones below. There are three elements to my hunch, or what Malcolm calls running in the sitting position.
1) No neck, head is down and forwards
2) Chest, collapsed in and down
3) Bum sticks out at back




To help us not do this Malcolm recommended what he does, every time an ad comes on TV get of the sofa and onto your knees. Get into the slump, then correct it and hold the good position for the duration of one or two ads. Nice tip.

After finding where the pivot point in our heads were we worked on this in pairs by holding the partner's neck while they ran and then let go. Then we did some negative training by trying to run in the sitting position and seeing how hard it was compared to running with the head up open and free.

The footfall landing video was a shocker for me. I was sure I mid sole struck, but the left leg was a horror story. The knee locked and the heel crashed in. Interestingly the right leg was better. That explained the tibialis posterier in a second.

I was also very clearly pushing of with my toe. This sends the runner up and encourages the other foot to swing out and land infront and heel first. Opps.



Before working on the footfalls we did the following warm up which I really liked.

Light jumps with feet together and landing on the mid sole and just touching the ground with our heels. The build up to lifting the feet one after another and then finally moving forwards into a slow jog.

Then while running we worked on 180 cadence through all paces, 10min mile, 8 min mile, 7 min mile. Malcolm's metronome beeping away was awesome. I need to get one if only to annoy the heck out of my running buddies.

We worked on the pony prance to try and get the footfall landing underneath our hips and not in front. As it moves back is the ideal. At slow pace step over the ankle. At faster pace make the circle bigger and put more energy through the machine, step over the mid shin and so on until full pelt is up to the knee.

Good drill to try more often.

We did much of this bare foot around the cricket ground. Shade cold at first but I soon began to enjoy the grass and leaves underfoot and it certainly stops you heel striking with no shoes on. Once the shoes went back on it felt like I was running with a brick on each foot.

Malcolm suggested doing this once a week for five minutes or so.

At the second screening Malcolm made me do my run past twice, I was so loud on the way down. He said something that stuck. "What you can't hear won't hurt you." Light as a feather I floated back up - better. I worked out what I was doing. To try not to heel strike I was smashing my mid sole hard into the ground to make sure it hit before the heel and locking the ankle in the process. As I unravelled that I was depressed at the amount of work I still have to do on all this.

But later I realised that was the wrong way to look at it. If there had been nothing to correct I would have wasted an afternoon. I now have things to work on and I know why my left leg is in a worse state than the right. These things will by definition make me much faster and I now have a running buddy who's got the same theory around the corner. We agreed to go for an easy run together to practice. I fully intend to do that.

And finally this one is for Kenny. Malcolm took me aside and said "Hey Niall it's a shame I don't live here. I'd have you under 40mins for a 10km in no time. You know what your trouble is - you go out with those nutters from work and kill yourself every run trying to be competitive, don't you? What you need to do is go out dead slow more often and work on the technique."

Any fat slobs fancy a slow run in zone 1?

Steady Run

Went with Alan and once again employed the talk 'em slow policy that worked like a dream.

Alan was suffering from a hard early morngin session (in the gym) and I was suffering from a bad day at the office. The two combined perfectly and we did a three briges loop steady for me and easy for Alan.

Talked for 2/3 of the way and only slightly did the pace increase as we headed for home.

Pressed the wrong button to stop the watch and hit reset instead of stop, but think it was 53 mins. Wind was strong against on the way home and that slowed us down, felt faster than 8:11 min miles which is what that time implies. I know it was not 43 mins....

Easy run

Easy run with Mark Westlake is a contradiction in terms. Fresh from his Iron Man in Barcelona I talked him into a short easy run.

Alan Ginn was in the changing rooms retuning from a double loop three bridges and when Mark saw him he said 'out with Niall today, so it will be an easy one. Ha ha. '

I used the talk you into slowness technique and spun the story of Little Cumbrae becoming a yoga mecca all the way to Westminster Bridge.

On they way back we seemed to be over taking more people than I would want to on an easy run, but they were really slow.

Loop was completed in 32 mins. 8 mins faster than last weeks slow version of the route. 7:46 min miles - hmmm, not really slow enough.