Chester Half Marathon Training groups

Today I ran a training group for the Chester. There's a link here to the training runs and a few great photos of pace groups. This morning I had the privilege of leading a small happy group of around eight to ten people running at around 10minute 41 second / mile pace. As usual an out and back course on the Chester Greenway from from Total Fitness, Liverpool Road, Chester, CH2 1AQ. The 2015 Chester Half Marathon will be held on Sunday May 17th. At the time of writing this Sunday April 5th you can still enter the race at this link. As the countdown clock on the Active Leisure website says (today) 41days to go. Training runs with friends especialy these Chester Half and Chester Full can be great fun, even forgetting the miles are passing, a great way to share running and life stories. This morning we had runners coming back after difficultes in previous races, runners with half marathon experience, runners with marathon experience, and new runners; all enjoying banter and a run. Well thats at our end of the training run pace, the next to the slowest pace. Perhaps at the 7minute miling and faster there is a little more focus and less banter, I just dont know having only briefy managed that pace, a mile at sub7minutes. If you enjoy running , or just want to try it out for fitness, try a running club there's lots around. You should find a welcome there. How about this for inspiring? Sir Ranulph Fiennes runs Marathon Des Sables.

Marathon no 32 Pacing Liverpool RocknRoll

A great day pacing, running , driving with Sue B the 5 hr fun bus. Lots of new marathoners on the bus, and a few with 2 or 3 under their belt.

Thanks for the privilege of driving the bus - Sue has the ' pleasure ' of having the helium balloon 5hr ties to her tri suit !! We just had to pull in the balloon when in the parks with overhanging low branches.

On the bus were folks from England Wales Scotland NIreland NZ California  Arizona Turkey .

Try and add more later, a little tired at moment. 

Helsby Runners 4 Villages half marathon -i'm back to 1hr 50

Really a good day. Though I wanted to achieve a sub 1hour 50minute half marathon , i missed the goal by around 47 seconds. Following 2013 of my best mileage ever, and a few weeks on good training during January 2014 i thought i would give the sub 1 hour 50 minute half marathon a good try. A cool bright dry day looked good for racing.Big crowd at the start, and good chat with running friends, Anthony, Susanne,and meeting others during and after the race, Jenny, Alex, Becca, Kev and many more. A tough race but with some good banter with fellow runners and determination i was not far off the 1hr50 and put in some effort over the last couple of miles after the cheeky hill at mile 10. but not to be sub 1:50 but sub 1:51 is satisfying. And also today RIP Running hero Sir Chris Chataway.

Snowdonia marathon Eryri day minus 2

Thursday evening and last tapering run done. My next run will be a little 26.2 me jog from Llanberis via Pen y pass Beddgelert to Waunfawr to Llanberis on Saturday . I hope the weather holds for fellow runners and spectators.

Oxford half marathon - thank you pacers. & splash splish

I'd just like to add my grateful thanks to to pacers at the Oxford 1/2, after doing pacing duties myself at Chester marathon last week- it is a responsibility.  I didn't know how much I'd have left in legs. My plan   was to hang to the 2hr pacer and see if I could go ahead at 10mile. But my enthusiastic daughter persuaded me to start near the 1:55 pace. We kept him in sight for a couple of mile, then I had to really dig in as legs felt heavy, and daughter pulled ahead 6.5miles or so. Around 8 or so I could hear the 2hr pace group closing - so tried to stay ahead- didn't work for long-so I stayed in the group for  a while, a  mile or 2, at 11.5 or so I seemed to get second wind and pushed on , or so I thought . I could hear the group not far behind. Very pleased to finish 9 seconds inside my target of 1:59:59. It's probably a lovely course in the middle along the paths & river, but I was concentrating on keeping my feet    as I sploshed through the puddles. 

Oxford half marathon eve

Pasta eaten , day before Oxford half marathon with daughter .

Chester Marathon

This marathon has been rightly voted by runners & readers of Runners World Uk as the Uk no1 marathon . 

I'm proud to have been a runner and part of it for 4 years, and especially this year as part of the pace team. 

What a wonderful experience and a privilege to help other amateur athletes achieve their goals. Note to Brendan Foster and Steve Cram - yes we may not be at your level- but we are not fun runners , we are amateur athletes.

Having attended 2 training runs with a variety of other pacers and runners - I was confident that I could help folks run the distance. This was my 27th marathon and 4th in Chester.

Arriving super early around 0730 or even earlier the racecourse car park was beginning to fill up. As pacers we were looked after well having a tent to report to ,  meet and collect our 'pace lollipop '. 

As instructed we moved to the starting area early and very soon were surrounded by a vast number of excited and a little anxious runners. 

I gave out a few pace bands I'd made for a 4hr44 finish to allow us a little time for the slight incline at Sandy Lane mile 24. 

To be continued