2012-2013 TARGETS

A quick review of 2012.

I had tore my Achilles tendon in September 2011 and am about 90% recovered from it now.
Still can't/won't do any speed work yet.
My first parkrun was Christmas eve 2011 and today (NYD) have completed 30 parkruns. My parkrun PB is 24.30.( 68.44% age graded.) I have also volunteered 7 times.

In January I though tendon okay and did a 5 minute speed session...mistake! It took about 6/7 weeks for tendon to calm down.In April I joined an over 65, 5 a side football team....BIG mistake! It was the end of June before I was running again and then only parkrun every other week.
September saw me running parkrun weekly but nothing in between.
In October I started to run 3x20 minute runs, very slowly!
The beginning of November was when I increased my runs to 1x25, 1x35 and 1x40 minutes, still very slowly.
I set a target of sub 24.00 before the end of 2012 and was confident of achieving it.(pride comes before a fall-ouch!!!)
The week after my PB, 24/11/2012,I pulled a thigh muscle.Still running but it is a bit of a struggle. Probably too much, too fast, too soon.
I have been running/racing for 50 years. Still don't practice what I preach... 

And so to 2013.

All my running/training will be based around parkrun, although I hope to run a 10K in the summer.
I hope to get my 50 tee shirt about May/June and will volunteer 10 times in 2013.
My P B target...Drum roll, please.....22.59 before end of year.
I will try for 24.15 end of Feb..23.50 end of March.
I think if I can get back to running 1x25, 1x35 and 1x40 minutes plus parkrun sub 23 is possible.

We  shall see!!

I will end with this quote "Only give up on PB's when you stop breathing"  Lovin it.....

2013 PB targets

My primary running target for 2013 is to improve my PB at all 4 distances that I have existing PBs - 5k, 5 miles, 10k and half marathon - and to set a PB for 10 miles. To give some context I started running some time in 2004 and first entered an event in 2006. [Read more context in my initial parkrunfans contributor post.]

I'm based in Beckenham, Kent and my home parkrun is Dulwich. If anyone has thoughts or suggestions prompted by this post I'd love to hear from you via the comments or twitter @CiceRunner.

5k current PB 19:47 | target 19:30

I have run 13 events to date, all but one of them 2012 parkruns and parkrun will continue to be at the centre of my 5k running. I will be undertaking some, relatively local, parkrun tourism to seek out fast courses and also plan to enter 5k race events partly to vary the psychological tempo and partly again in search of fast courses.

5 miles current PB 33:11 | target 32:10
I have run only 1 event to date setting my PB this year at the beginning of December. In that race my target was 32:30, but due to a watch problem I had no pace or timing information during the race. My 2013 target is heavily influenced by my 10k target since 32:10 requires 6:26 mile pace or 4:00 km pace ...

10k current PB 40:51 | target 39:59

My longest standing running target, dating back to entering my first events in 2006, is to complete a 10k in less than 40 minutes. I have run 16 events to date including 3 in 2012. At the last of these, in November, I recorded 40:54 which thoroughly restored my confidence that I can still aspire to bettering my existing PB - set in 2008 just a few days after my forty third birthday. I plan to improve my PB to approximately 40:30 in the first half of 2013 followed by a sub 40 attempt in the Autumn.

half marathon current PB 1:38:11 | target 1:29:59

My only successful half marathon run in early 2010 resulted in my current PB. Later that year I had to walk the second half of my only other event due to knee problems. My half marathon PB is the weakest of my existing PBs and as such should be easy to improve upon though to achieve my target time will be more difficult. I have entered the Bournemouth Bay Run half marathon on 7 April 2013 - the same event at which I set my current PB.

10 miles current PB <none> | target 1:08:38

My target time is influenced by my half marathon target since both require 6:52 mile pace or 4:16 km pace. I am not yet sure when my first 10 mile race will be, but I hope to find a 10 mile race a suitable interval before the Bournemouth half marathon as part of my HM preparation and to try out the pace required.

Related Factors

weight

I am ending this year at a little over 70kg or 11 stone which is my lowest adult weight. At 5' 10" this equates to a BMI of 22.2 which is certainly healthy and has contributed to a successful running year in 2012. I have spent some time considering my racing weight in the context of the Stillman formula and currently have in mind a minimum of 66kg / 10st 5lbs / BMI 20.8. However I am not planning to primarily pursue weight loss, as I have this year, but rather monitor my weight in tandem with my running training and my diet.

diet

As a runner I've barely varied my diet from what I ate as a non-runner. So far - and this year in particular having returned to running in February at around 80kg / 12 st 8lbs / BMI 25.2 - I have simply been avoiding excess quantity. I am one of a fairly large proportion of the running population who enjoys the side effect that you can "eat what you like" relative to a non-runner. However as I approach my peak PB potential I realise that choosing the quality of my food in terms of health and runner appropriateness will become more critical. In 2013 I will be aiming to become a strong, lean runner rather than simply avoiding being a heavy runner.

sleep

Whilst not specific to running I aim to improve my sleep habits in 2013. Neither being the primary carer to my two young daughters nor achieving my running goals are benefited by constantly being in sleep deficit!

distance

I like to think of myself as a 15-20 miles per week runner, but my stats for 2012 make it clear that I've averaged only 10 miles a week for the 10 months I've been running. Even allowing for the initial tapering up on my return in February I know I need to increase my mileage. I aim to be running 25 to 30 miles per week by mid February 2013 in order to have a good base for my 10 mile and half marathon targets.

There are other factors which will affect my PB attempts, but I think these four are central and are certainly the ones that I have clearly defined targets for. Thanks to Ian for his [2013] PB targets and milestones post which prompted, and provided the template for, mine. Good luck Ian!

994.6 miles and counting

Having just seen a flurry of Facebook posts about annual mileage run in 2012 by various friends, I thought I should count up my own mileage. I was expecting it to be in the mid 900's.

I keep a spreadsheet of all my runs, times, distances, trainers used, type of run etc - just to make adding mileage up and various other calculations simple, should such a reason arise.

Looking back, my mileage over the last few years has been:
2009: 403.2
2010: 623.1
2011: 734.6

So the mileage has been building steadily year on year and this year is certainly no different.

After totalling up the miles for 2012, I have found that I am tantalisingly just 5.6 miles short of 1000 miles, having run 994.6 miles in 148 runs.

I haven't run for 10 days now, with various Christmas festivities being used as a good excuse. Plus the dodgy weather. I wasn't planning on running today, but a 5.6 miler sounds just the ticket to finish the year on 1000 miles. Now I just have to find the time to fit my run in.

Next year I will try and up the mileage again, aiming for 1200 miles and 200 runs. I am even toying with the idea of 365 exercise session in the 365 days of 2013. That will include runs and cycling sessions. That may well be my New Years' resolution. That would certainly be a challenge. I would say I have only done around 30 cycling sessions this year, for a total of around 180 training sessions. Trying to double that to 365 next year will be one hell of a tough challenge. Allowing for rest days, that means many days with multiple running and cycling sessions. Should be fun!