Plotting a spring-time PB

I have previously discussed whether I am still capable of a PB and decided that it should still be possible for me to get PBs next year and for a couple more years to come.

I am now a member of a running club, I am enjoying my running and I want to give it a real go to see how fast I can be given a bit of dedication.

Firstly, what PBs am I after? Well the most important to me are:
- parkrun (5km) - I'd love to knock another 10 or 15 second off my 17:28 PB.
- 10km - It's just a logical step up from the 5km and with a PB of 36:47, I do still think it is possible for me to beat this.
Those are the two distances I have raced the most and therefore they are my best PBs. That also means they are going to be the hardest to beat, but probably the most rewarding.

And then to a lesser extent I'd also like to get a PB at:
- 5 miles - I have only done one of these (30:07), but as my club runs a 5 mile race each summer, I'll certainly do another next year and would like to improve to a sub 30 minute time. My 5km time suggest s this should be well within my capabilities. My 5km PB was run at 5:38 per mile, so for less than 2 extra miles, and with 22 seconds per mile to spare, it should be well within my capabilities.

And then I may even consider:
- half marathon - I believe that my PB is still well over 1 hour 30 minutes, and this really doesn't fit with my 5km and 10km PBs, so this is one I think I would like to address. If not next year, then sometime soon. But I think the time has come!

So now I just need to work out how I am going to go about getting those PBs in spring 2013 and beyond. I can't just say I'm going to do it and expect it to happen, I need a plan.

I have previously looked at the factors that can and can't be controlled when attempting a PB.  So now I need to work out how to address and control the factors that can be controlled.

My plan needs to take into account many things:
- Training: how often, what quantity, what type, level of intensity, which days, which time of day, how I'll fit this into my life - being realistic about when I can actually train and when I'll want to train and take time off.
- Targets: I'll need training targets and I'll need race targets. Targets focus the mind and will keep me on track.
- Injury prevention: I absolutely have to avoid injuries. With my injury history, I know that even a minor injury is likely to set me back many weeks.
- Prevent burn out: I have to make sure that I do it in an enjoyable way, don't peak too early and don't do so much that I don't want to do it or fall out with my training plan before my target races.
- Enjoyment, fun: It has to be fun. It therefore has to be varied. If I don't enjoy it I won't want to do it or do it properly.
- It MUST NOT become a chore!

So all that is left to do is to work out what training I am going o do and how to fit it in.

My next blog post on this subject will be about how I aim to fit this training into my life without annoying my wife, still seeing the kids and not affecting everything that we want and need to do as a family. Time is going to be a key factor here, so my plan will need to be inventive but realistic to work.

Am I still capable of a PB?

At 38 years old I am starting to wonder how much longer I can keep improving my PB each year. There can't bee too many years left, surely?

I know that running isn't just about getting PBs and for the most part I don't concentrate on trying to get PBs. In fact, this year I have only attempted 3 PBs, two at parkrun (5km) and the other at 10km and each time I achieved my goal.

I do have friends in their very early forties that have been runners for many years and yet have still managed to achieve PBs in the last year at a number of distances. So it should still be possible for me for a year or two, but probably not much longer than that.

It's not that my PBs are bad, I'd just like to improve them a bit more whilst I can. It's a challenge after all.

My parkrun PB History:
First parkrun (April 2010): 20:18
2010 PB: 18:14 (8 PBs in the year)
2011 PB: 17:49 (only 1 PB all year)
2012 PB: 17:28 (only 2 PBs all year)

So on progression alone, in 2011 I took 25 seconds off my 2010 PB and in 2012 I have taken 21 seconds off my 2011 PB. That's not much of a trend to go on, but I would say that somewhere in the region of 10 to 15 seconds improvement in my parkrun PB should be achieveable next year with the right preparation.

Then of course their are other distances. There is the 10km for sure and I really think I'm ready to step up to the a half marathon again next year. I thought I was going to be this year, but that never quite happened.

So, after telling myself a few weeks back that I wouldn't run hard for a while and I'd just give myself an easy month or two (the rest of the year really), that break has refreshed my mind and now I am looking forward to trying to improve next year.

I have booked my first 10km race for next year for 7th April at the Leamington Regency Run. The 7th April was my Mum's birthday and next year she would have been 66. This year I did a parkrun on the 7th April and beforehand agreed with my brother that we would both get PBs to mark what would have been her 65th birthday. We both smashed our PBs that day and I haven't even tried to get near mine since. It has felt out of sight for a while to be honest. On that day it was a case of just not caring how much it hurt. That day we were getting PBs come what may! I'd like to think I can do the same for a 10km PB on that date in 2013, but it's not going to be easy.

I also realise that it is not just a case of saying I am going to do it. That is just the final justification to push that little bit harder and hold on for that little bit longer. Before that I need to make sure that I have a chance. I know that a lot of preparation is required, so the next steps in this plan are to work out what needs to be done and what needs to be right on the day in order to have a chance of a PB next year.

A few follow up blog posts to come on this subject I think!