Chair Update

The statistician Professor W. Edwards Deming once said “In God we trust, everyone else must bring data”.

He made this statement in relation to making decisions based on solid information and not merely on hunches or guesswork.

This is philosophy that I have relied heavily on throughout my working life and something that I have carried though to my running also.

I think it’s fair to say that if there is a way to measure it I will: Garmin? Check! Strava? Check! Stryd? Check! Ordinance Survey approved navigation Pigeon? Check!

And if I can then use said navigation pigeon to give me some stats then oh boy oh boy I’m all over it.

Over the last few months this has been all fine and dandy with my oh so clever GPS running watch telling, time and again how great I am. Great run Ross your Vo2 Max has gone up again yay you.

That last run was super productive way to go and so on. That is until I found out a coupe of weeks ago that my watch had been lying to me all this time.

You see the last six months or so y oh so clever watch has been reporting performance stats of someone with a max heart rate closer to that of an 18 year old and not that of a middle aged man.

Naturally on discovering this I promptly change the max heart rate to that of the 43 year old to which the watch is attached to and for a while the watch and me not on talking terms.

Gone are the days of productive runs and ever increasing Vo2 max, but now I get ever decreasing Vo2Max and maybe you should take a break old man.

However after a week or so of this electronic bullying I decided the best thing to do is just ignore all this data flooding in just run for the fun of it.

So for all the MRC Runners hitting the streets of London this weekend and for anybody doing any race over any distance make sure that the first thing you do is have fun doing it and if your watch starts bullying you, ley me know and I’ll give it a stern talking to.

Paris Marathon // 14th April 2019
Time: 3:17:12 PB

After completing the 6 majors I decided to tackle the largest marathon outside the 6 The Paris marathon.

Training had gone well sticking like glue to Chris McCanns plan which included my first 350km month in March (largest km in any month since Comrades training April 2016) and the hope was for a PB time.

I arrived mid day on Friday giving me plenty of time to get to the Expo, had a good walk around lots of stalls but not selling anything I fancied, probably as have most the stuff they were selling, picked up my Bib & Dean Kellys (he wasn’t landing in Paris until Saturday).

Saturday I woke up and went for a 4k jog along the river Seine to the Eifel tower, loads of marathon runners around stretching their legs, I really started to feel positive for race day.

That evening met up with Dean and family. A nice bistro a glass of Stella and in bed at 9:30pm slept right through to be awoken at 5:30 am by my alarm. We jumped on a packed metro, 3 stops and joined 50,000 others on a very chilly Champs Elysees with the Arc de Triomphe behind us for the start at 08.35am (wave 3). I felt very lucky to be here.

BANG, the elites and c800 other / corporate runners disappeared up the road from their wave start, then BANG wave 2 went off to and very soon leaving an empty Champs de Elysees. BANG, my wave went off and couldn’t resist an empty Champs Elysees so I and a small group legged it and led the wave with 1k coming up in 4.14 - opps! (sorry Chris)

I steadied into 4:40/45 minute Km and from Km 4 got into my rhythm (4:40 ish) that I carried on for the 1st 21k, spending the first half of the race running with groups of runners and mostly off the race-line as it was crowded till about 10K, but in time thankfully the crowds thinned. The tourist sites you ran around in the 1st 10K were amazing, crowd support was good (not a patch on London/New York), there was plenty of music bands on the course and conditions were good, a gentle breeze, dry and sunny but key it was cool/ cold.

As it was cold at the start I had throw away arm warmers, gloves and a throw away DCS tee shirt, the Tee shirt went by 5k, the gloves by 10k but the arm warmers stayed till about 30K. I had planned to take 5 x SIS gels (blackcurrant) taking them at 7k, 14, 21, 28 & 35K and a reserve Gu (Blackberry) just in case. They had water only, at each 5K stations, which I took a sip at each one. I found a good rhythm, just knocking off the 5 k markers - decided then that my race would be 8*5 km chunks .At 10k you leave the city and head around a large 8k park with no spectators around, the km just came up so fast with the 1st 4 x 5K– in a surprisingly consistent 23:37, 23:13, 23:27, 23:10 and half way in 1.38.26

At 21k I felt really comfortable and loved running this course and through the city. The next 21-30 k passed the Bastille along the Seine, seeing Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower on the opposite bank with there being a few underpasses – which I didn’t really notice the uphill part. You then run in a tunnel for about 1k before appearing at the 30K mark which I hit at 2hrs 20m. I had not at this point worked out in my head if the PB was on, my music pushing me along and taking up my thoughts.(along with did I blow that candle out last night in the Notre Dame)

At 30K I normally have locked-in time, as when I do hit a bad patch(which I always seem to do) or the breathing gets a bit tight, I can ease off and recover, but this time something was different, I felt great kept focused and positive so kept a decent pace and running down target runners ahead. I don’t think anyone overtook me from 30K onwards

35K came @ 2.44.06 in the Bois de Boulogne Park (35-41K is in this park) which I found to a really calming end to a marathon without thousands of over-excited screaming spectators, a slight hindrance being plenty of cobbles to run over. I felt good so sped up a touch and at 40K@3:07:07 my brain worked out I was on for a PB. The 3:15 pacer group was ahead I could see the flag on the pacer in the distance, I kept pushing. The finishing line came into view with the Arc behind it, an amazing and welcome sight, Heroes by Bowie came on my MP3, and with the biggest smile on my face I crossed the line in 3:17:12

The bag collection was so quick and superbly organised and 25 min later I met Dean out our pre-arranged point and he too had got a PB his 1st sub 3:30 (3:27)

This report sounds like my race was composed and planned, and it was to a point, but on the day and in the moment, as we all know it’s nothing like that, it was tough and you are always aware that problems or an injury could be 100 metres up the road. Really pleased to get a PB and negative splits by 16 seconds. What do I put it down to? Different training plan, more training miles including speed work/tempo runs each week and hill repeats every 2 weeks, and believing I would get a PB in this race

The whole race gets a 9/10.and I would recommend it to everyone

Race Results and Events Update

Marathon season continues and the latest resulted in Malcolm Gatenby running around Paris, where he ‘was chuffed’ as he ran 3.17.10 – a pb for him. Well done Malcolm!!

VIRGIN LONDON MARATHON

Of course, as this is emailed out – we have 6 or 7? brave souls who would have ventured to the Capital for the VLM – headed by ballot winner Nic, our first GFA Vicky – joined by Amy, Beckie, Callum, Clive & Shelly – and members of family to support them. More on this I am sure in the next issue 😊.

Also today Michael ran the Tissington Trail Marathon….I’m sure he’s smashed it as training has been going well.

Club Championships

The Derby 10k was our first race in the club Championships and thank you for those members who have updated me on their club status. I have now done the number crunching and can say, after the first race, the top 3 are:

Points/ Position	Men	Ladies
1	Aaron	Emma
2	Ross	Raj
3	Lee	Rowan

Aaron has taken an early lead after a fantastic run, ahead of Ross and new member Lee has taken 3rd place. With the Ladies Emma has continued where she has left off from XC and last year, Raj pipped Rowan.

As they say, it is early days with the next event the Sinfin Classic just a couple of weeks away. It is full though but being a local event, it would be great to go and cheer on those who are running.

As well as the main Championships, I am trying to add a new category: ‘Most Improved Member’.

This will be based on how members have improved from their 2018 race times – the aim is to try to compare like to like events – or where I have data for members.

It will develop (I hope) over the year), but based on 2018 times and comparing them to 2019 times for the Derby 10k, Nic Connor was the most improved, with Kellie & Katie not far behind.

However they (like all who have new improved results) now have new targets to meet in future events. It’s going to keep me busy number crunching over the year!

Full tables of these will be on the website shortly, thanks to Rob.

Derby Run Series: The Sinfin Event is the first race in the DRS, so once the results from this are available I will update you.

Future Events

5th May

Great Northern 10k & Half

12th May

Sinfin 10k – race 2 in the Club Champs and race 1 in the DRS

19th May

Carsington 7 – race 2 in the DRS.

9th June

Derby Half

14th May:

The 2nd session to be led by Chris Hollinshead, a fully Qualified EA Coach who is will lead a session and is open to all members

Reasons to Run a Marathon
... according to Runners World at least!

1) It will make you a HERO, oh yes it will, so says Chris Brasher

2) You can think yourself faster – write a race plan, don’t count down the miles, make a checklist for breathing, pace & fluids, and accept the pain – so says Desiree Linden

3) Post race Beer :D

4) For good causes – running for a charity is great, especially a small charity!

5) Gives you a good excuse to travel – our little club has seen Paris, Barcelona, Budapest, Tokyo, Chicago, as well as Manchester, London, Chester and York. My personal bucket list event is the Midnight Sun Marathon in Tromso, Norway!

6) If you wear headphones – you can listen to your music!

7) Brings out the best in people – support from club, family friends and strangers.

8) The Runners – fellow club members will be doing the same event, going through the same pain in training and during the race.

9) The Crowds – especially around Cutty Sark in London, but I remember seeing the various villagers around Chester out in force.

10) It gave us Eluid Kipchoge, Paula Ratcliffe – and a few other great marathon runners!!

11) Its an excuse to buy more kit (not that I needed that as a reason 😐)

12) You can be anxious, and have reasons for it.

13) Taper makes you hunger for the big day!

14) Carbloading – means eating loads.

15) It takes over your life.

16) Plans – can be the great and the good, or simple and minimal16) Plans – can be the great and the good, or simple and minimal

17) Postrace food/feast!

18) Pacers – they can be a help or a hinder

19) Signs – ‘Go mum/dad’, you’re near the end’, ‘You got this!’, and a load more….

20) The Bling!!!!

21) Running the same course/race is some of the worlds best!

22) The bets shower in your life – as the water hits you!

23) Humblebrag: ‘How was the it then? You are asked, answer ‘Yeah fine, took it easy over the first 5miles, then…………….. (add in your own words – does depend on it went from here :D)

24) ‘You ran that far! Yes people do say it!

25) Volunteers – who get up and man the streets for the entire race!

26) The almost crushing, transcendent high when you release that you cross that finish line!

27) Of course, its not 26miles, it does have the 385 yards extra to run – which is less than 1 lap of a track.

There you go, we have the Autumn ones all ready to go: Chester, York, Leicester, Dublin to name a few – so why not :D

Membership Renewals

Thanks to everyone who has renewed with MRC.

With the additional new members this year we are currently at 119 members.

It's great to have you all along with us for the ride...or run!!

Membership Renewals

THUNDERRUN 2019

3 months (or 12 weeks...which sounds not very long!) until the Conti-Thunder Run....anyone who didn't fancy the multi-laps there is a 10k event available on the Saturday morning which you can still enter.

Details are:

continental-tyres.co.uk

Time to Recover

With so many people running marathons, ulta's and even half marathons, it's really important to not forget to give yourself time to recover and rest.

Some good advice is available here:

runnersworld.com

clives race to 50 events in 2019

Clive is running the VLM as part of his race to 50, 50 events in 2019.

The photos are from event number 14 at xrunner!