2011 Review
Hello, and happy new year to all runnerslife readers. I hope everyone has enjoyed the festive break and are looking forward to the next 12 months.
Last year I did a 2010 review. Hopefully it was a decent read, although I can understand if it wasn't. I decided to do a review again this year as it gives me a good chance to look back over the past year and see where I can make changes to how I approach training and racing, in order to improve.
Hopefully it's not too boring a read.
January
Races: {Date, Distance, Event, Finishing Position}
3rd,10km XC, County Cross Country Championships, 1st
8th, 4km XC, BUPA Great Edinburgh International, 12th
30th, 4km XC, Scottish 4K xc Championships, 1st
High: Regaining my county xc title from my brother, and retaining the Scottish 4km xc title
Low: Aggravated my left ankle again, forcing me to miss some training
February
Races:
13th, 3000m Indoors, UK Champs Final, 4th
19th, 3000m Indoors, Irish Champs Semi Final, 1st
20th, 3000m Indoors, Irish Champs Final, 1st
26th, 3000m Indoors, Scottish Open Race, 1st
High: Winning Irish indoors and running a 3000m PB in Kelvin Hall
Low: Not being accepted into any fast indoor races all around Europe
March
Races:
4th, 3000m Indoors, European Champs Semi final, 6th
12th, 8km XC, Irish Universities xc Champs, 1st
High: Running in European Indoors Champs and winning Irish Uni xc Title
Low: Not running a PB/making the final at Euro Indoors
April
Races:
12th, 8.663km, National Road Relays Long Leg, 5th
High: Getting to Magaluf for a week with Michael and Mark Mitchell and doing some great trianing
Low: Falling and getting injured at road relays which resulted in the start of a long injury list
May
Races:
3rd, 1 mile road race, Chisholm Mile, 2nd
15th, 3000m, AAI Games, 3rd
25th, 5000m, Nijmegen Global Athletics, DNF
High: Running Sub 4 min for the road mile
Low: Getting Tripped in Nijmegen and as a result injured
June
Races:
4th, 1500m, IMC Tullamore, 1st
11th, 5000m, BMC Watford, 7th
18th, 5000m, IMC Dublin, 1st
High: Lowering my 1500m PB
Low: Tearing a tendon in my right calf, resulting in an end to my season
July
Races:
Zero
High: None
Low: Not being able to run
August
Races:
Zero
High: Seeing some progression with treatment for my injuries. Going to Kenya
Low: Not being able to train every week
September
Races:
Zero
High: Just being able to train full time and enjoy the Kenyan way of life
Low: None
October
Races:
15th, 13km xc, Ndalat open xc, 94th
High: Racing in Kenya - Unforgettable Experience
Low: None
November
Races:
5th, 5km xc, English xc relays, 5th on leg 4
27th, 10km xc, Irish Nationals and Euro Trials, 10th
High: Returning to the UK an scoring high in a Vo2 Max test
Low: Getting ill and not qualifying for the Euro xc Champs
December
Races:
Zero
High: Being in Slovenia to watch Fionnuala Britton win and some inspiring performances
Low: Being in Slovenia to Watch and not compete
I ran 19 races in total. I had some great periods of training where I was able to put back to back weeks with both high mileage and quality workouts. I got to live like a professional in Kenya for 10 weeks, and generally had some great highs.
Having said that the lows were awful. At the beginning of the year I had some very firm goals I wanted to achieve. Obviously every athlete wants to lower their respective PB's - this is something which I managed to do throughout the year.
I also targeted some championships I wanted to compete at:
European Indoors Championships - Selected and gained in-valuable experience
World University Games - I got injured in June and that ended my track season
European Cross Country Championships - Sickness on my return to the UK prevented me from running for 8 days leading up to the trial race, and so I didn't qualify.
Only achieving 1 of my intended 3 championships for the year is in my view a bad return for all the training I have done, and makes for a disappointing review.
Perhaps the worst part of the year was just suffering so many injuries and setbacks. I honestly can't even recall all the injuries I've suffered throughout the year, but there were a lot. Hopefully as we approach the new year I'm over the worst of the injuries.
2009 was a bad year for me regarding injuries, in 2010 I didn't suffer many setbacks. 2011 seen me injured for the best part of the year, so I'm hoping 2012 will be an injury free year.
I'll follow up this blog with a preview of what I hope to achieve in 2012, if anyone is interested.
Thanks for reading
Comments On "2011 Review"
Preview ?
Looking forward to this.
Nick Posted on January 17th, 20122012
Hi, and thanks for all the comments, always nice to see people are reading and leaving comments.
Dan M Posted on January 10th, 2012Ben
The Euro 5km is something which I feel is achievable, and if I'm healthy a realistic target for the summer yes.
Old Scottie
As always thanks for reading and leaving such good feedback. I have a lot of Biomechinical issues, most of which stem from overtraining this time last year, I got a stress fracture and as a result changed how my right foot strikes the ground as I tried to run through it, this led to the calf problems, which in turn led to the back problem. I'm seeing a great physio at the minute and he is doing a great job at getting me back to full health.
With regards to going back to Iten. I had planned on going back on the 13th Feb after the Armagh 5km, but I don't think I'll be running the race now as I have missed too much training. The other issues I'm facing are the same as everyone else I guess, a lack of sponsorship and therefore a lack of money, so I might have to forget about Iten and find an engineering job, not that that will be easy.
I completely agree about the V02 Max test. Unfortunately I have not came from a sports science background and so I'm only a novice with the kind of tests required to get all the correct information, but I do know I have not had any such test done.
I mentioned scoring the high V02 max score as my HIGH for November, more tongue-in-cheek than anything else. I had such a miserable November with regards getting ill, then injured that I struggled to find any positive, and so although it means very little it's better than I ever scored before, so assuming my efficiency hasn't decreased it's a positive, I'm clutching at straws I know, but it's all I have for November.
Regarding the longer distances, I have been in contact with the Irish Marathon Mission team and was certainly interesting in getitng involved with them, and running some longer road races, and in the injury had not curtailed my training I would be running the 10 miler in three weeks. I'm im back training fit and healthy before either the track season or going to Iten I will most certainly run a 10M or half. The main issue with this is the calf problem as I struggle to run on hard surfaces without this flaring up so it's something I have to consider aswel.
As always thanks for your comment
Jon E
Well I would love nothing more than to return to Kenya and just come back to Europe to race, but that's a dream, it's not a reality in any way shape of form. I have achieved some good results here before so I don't think there is any reason to suggest I can't again, I think I'm just after have a string of very bad luck. having said that I would swap my life here for the one i enjoyed for 10 weeks in Kenya in a heartbeat.
Thanks again to everyone for reading and leaving comments.
Ian
I will get the blog done for next week,s hopefully it's worth a read.
Preview Please
Nice concise and to the point review. I look forward to a preview of the coming year, Laying your cards on the table early is a brave move, very easy to get shot down and critized if you don't come through.
Ian Posted on January 10th, 20122012 plans for success and no injuries
Dan
Jon E Posted on January 9th, 2012Seems that your best chance of a decent 2012 is to return to Kenya long term as your time there seemed to be the most beneficial- living an african runners life !
Perhaps living and running in the UK dont work best for you???
Africa meant no long hours at work- just training, eating healthy and resting- that seems to be what is best option for you.
Dan...you have had a number of injuries this year and as I recall a chronic recurring calf problem....what is that the result of??? Do you have some biomechanical issues? Have you had a decent overhaul by someone who knows about these things??
Old Scottie Posted on January 9th, 2012Also, you seem to have been unwell a few times...is this just bad luck? Or is there a training intensity/recovery issue that needs addressing??
I can understand you are probably still keen to be on the track and target the Euro 5K this year....But...I still think it would be a good bet to check out a 10miler/half marathon beforehand...I seriously think this is where your future lies (and beyond)...and I would say sooner rather than later...
As for a very high MVo2....well the figure in itself is not that meaningful without accompanying data on vVo2 and lactate turn points to determine your efficiency and effectiveness at sub-max speeds...You may have a high Max but be very wasteful of energy....Have you had these tests done also?
Are you planning to go back to Iten this year...and if so, what will you plan to do there this time???
All the best...
Old Scottie
Preview
A preview would be excellent. Set out your stall and see and you do with it. I imagine Euro 5k is the big target
Ben Posted on January 9th, 2012