Instinctive Pace Training Session – 22 August 2018

The goal of the session was to help develop steady pacing, essentially ‘blindly’ without the use of watches, in able to instinctively apply the correct pace to different distance events.

Runners registered their recent, comfortable but quickish 5k(parkrun) times as their baseline. The course from the telephone box, outside the Five Bells along Moor Lane to the concrete road block and back to the telephone box was measured at a convenient 1k, but the distance was not disclosed beforehand to the runners.

Random order staggered(ing?) starts were made so that each had to establish their own pace independently

•  1st loop – to be run instinctively and steadily at recent 5k best pace.
• 2nd loop – to be run instinctively and steadily at a pace equivalent to 2mins slower than recent 5k best pace
• 3rd loop – to be run instinctively and steadily at a pace equivalent to 1min faster than recent 5k best pace
• 4th loop – to be run instinctively and steadily, repeated at recent 5k best pace

Each loop will be followed by a 30-90second recovery rest as needed.

Results (target times in brackets):

runner	Registered 5k time	1st loop	2nd loop	3rd loop	4th loop	1st / 4th Diff***
Trish McCabe	27:00	6:33* / (5:24)	5:36 / (5:48)	5:17 / (5:12)	5:22 / (5:24)	n/a*
Steve Newell	36:00	6:53 / (7:12)	7:51 / (7:36)	7:14 / (7:00)	7:29 / (7:12)	0:36
Steve Hillier	31:00	6:07 / (6:12)	6:18 / (6:36)	5:36 / (6:00)	5:58 / (6:12)	0:09
Roderick Hoffman	29:00	5:25 / (5:48)	5:31 / (6:24)	5:16 / (5:36)	5:26 / (5:48)	0:01
Neil Frediani	26:00	5:10 / (5:12)	5:37 / (5:48)	4:54 / (5:00)	5:23 / (5:12)	0:13
Christine Munden	31:00	5:40 / (6:12)	6:17 / (6:36)	6:08 / (6:00)	**	n/a**

Results shown in red show that the target time was exceeded, i.e. ran too fast – a violation !

*First runner Trish, was confused about the turnaround point and ran 200m extra (my fault for not marking this, or having another runner go first !)

**Christine had arrived a little late (late bus) and did not complete the 4th loop.

***Column added by the editor in the interests of fairness to show who most accurately reproduced their 1st loop time in their 4th loop ;-).

On the whole I think everyone did a reasonable job in managing their pacing, and all reported that it had dominated their thinking throughout running ….’am I pacing right’, ‘am I going too slow’, ‘am I going too fast’, ‘do I need to catch up a bit’ etc. etc. !!! ….which I guess may be rare (except maybe when acting as pacers in events) particularly without a watch.  The lesson here was to start to get an instinctive ‘feel’ for correct pace and being able to apply it from the word go and thereafter every step of the way, and in particular not going too fast.  There is a tendency to wreck our runs by charging off too quickly at the start (with the over-excited pack around us), and paying badly for it later.  First realisation is usually when we look at our watch after a few miles when the damage would have been done.  It is not the case that the quicker start is time in the bank for later – never seems to work like that !  As we all should know, even just a few seconds per mile too fast can destroy a marathon !

As a rough guideline, the ‘2mins slower than your 5k pace’ would equate to a suitable pace for a half marathon, and the ‘1min faster to say a 1500m event. It is wise to pre-plan your appropriate pace for whatever distance event, and develop this instinctively !

To conclude on the results, Steve H and Roderick had the most violations of going too fast on every loop, Steve N was the best on just 1 violation, and Neil ran the fastest loop of the evening !

Many thanks to Harry Wild who came along to marshal and ensured runners safety at mid-point along the course.

We then all retired to the Five Bells for a medicinal drink and recovery meal, being joined by John and Benita Scaife, and reviewed the evenings exercise.

And did I mention ?? …my precision parkrun pacer squadron are out on duty at Black Park parkrun this coming first Saturday, 1st September.

Joe Nolan

# Club Points Update

I've just updated the club points table with five events undertaken over the last couple of months - the fourth Vets T&F match, two club featured parkruns, last week's Instinctive Pace session and the mile event run on the AGM evening.

Congratulations and thanks to Alan Anderson, Paul Watt and Benita Scaife for being the latest club members to smash through the 10 point barrier (remember, at club highlighted events "#" it is 4 points for the organiser of an event, 2 points for marshalling only and 1 point for participation).

It is now neck and neck between me and Steve Newell at the top of the table - we each have 32 points from 16 events!  Joe Nolan is now in third place. Graham Taylor has been quiet recently and has slipped from 3rd place to 6th where he is about to be overtaken by Harry Wild!

There are a couple of recent events that I haven't yet sourced the club participation at and there are two 5k events in the next few weeks that are points scoring.

Roderick Hoffman

Round-the-Park Tuesday 4th September Harmondsworth Moor start 12:30 #

The event starts near the wooden bridge beyond the main car park.  It is a two lap course and is approximately three miles in length, so just a bit shorter than five km. This is a fun event and ALL levels of runners/joggers are welcomed.  If you are not quite up to the full course you can do it as a one lap, two mile run.

 If you think you can make it then please let me know, although you won’t be turned away if you just turn up! Any questions, please ask. And bring a friend!  Get to the start ready for a 12:30 off.

Neil Frediani

The course shown is from last year but is likely to be the same for this.

Equinox Five K - Wednesday 12th September #

The first Equinox 5k was probably run over a differently measured course around the parameter of Stonehenge in about 3100BC.  The 5k distance only dates back about thirty years and to courses around Heston.  This will (probably) be the first year that the event has been held at Bedfont.

Runners should try to be at Bedfont Lakes by 6.10 p.m. ready for a warm-up/familiarisation jog (i.e. leave Bedfont FC at 6 p.m.).  You can jog the 2.5k to Bedfont Lakes but please allow enough time to get there for 6:10 p.m..  We should use the (larger) car park off Bedfont Road - near postcode TW14 8BF.  Also the H26 bus from Hatton Cross station stops very close (stop: "Bedfont Lakes").

The run start and finish will be by the gates to the cemetery (from the carpark, not from the road).  The course will use most (but not all) of the paths (and little hills) used for the Bedfont Lakes parkrun (short lap) but in an anticlockwise direction.  Our 5km course will start with a short meander from the cemetery gates to the Motte, two laps of the main loop and back to the cemetery gates by the same route (avoiding the narrow wooden bridge).

We are not seriously challenged by the sunset this year, nevertheless I plan to have all runners completing the 5km before 7 p.m.

Wave start times:

• 6.20 p.m. (expected 5km time 35-39 mins)
• 6.25 p.m. (30-34 mins),
• 6.30 p.m. (25-29 mins)
• 6.35 p.m.(under 25 mins).

Volunteers to help rather than run please contact Steve Newell.

After the run we'll return to the Bedfont Club for showers, to change and for drinks in the bar.

Steve Newell {steve-newell@blueyonder.co.uk}

Track & Field - it's not over till it's over!

Although BAAC’s involvement in Track & Field leagues has finished for the summer, our internal Grand Prix competitions still have a few weeks to run.  Last Monday was the date for the 200m and javelin competition.

Unfortunately, major building works close to the track meant that junior football had been moved to the grass infield.  We were persuaded not to throw our spears at the youngsters, but to retreat to the corner of the arena for a shot put competition!  We agreed to limit our shot puts to less than 23m and carried on. 

The 200m event was more straightforward, with a clear track and a cheering crowd, encouraging the race to take place unhindered. 

The coming weeks see the track squad enjoying a Bank Holiday break, then travel to British Columbia, but we will be back in late September/early October to complete the remaining Grand Prix events:  1500m, 400m, 100m, Hammer, Javelin and Long Jump.  If you fancy some autumn Track & Field competition, let me know and come and join us!

Steve Hillier

And Andy...

Dear Ed, this 'Michelin Star' man (you would know what I mean looking at the post London Cycle team photo) got round his very wet and slippery XC in 37.53 today (26th Aug).  Andy Rayner.

Pictured - The 2018 Ride London Marshalling Team.

Strong Rumours from Birmingham...

There are strong rumours and photographs from the BMAF T&F Championships over the weekend just.  No report as yet so it could just be fake news. But here are a couple of the photographs from Facebook showing Adrian Haines, Jacqueline Musselwhite and Janet Smith but I can't quite read the writing on the medals. Expect a report next week.