PB review 2017 & targets for 2018

At last, after two years in the running semi-wilderness, 2017 was a resoundingly successful year. The dip in mileage during November and December was not due to injury and the lesser dip in April was simply post marathon recovery.

2017 was a resoundingly successful year.

I participated in 20 parkrun 5k events this year, across 5 different venues, and ran most of them competitively. At Dulwich parkrun in August, I improved my longstanding 2014 5k PB of 18:53 to 18:50. In the next two months, I continued to record excellent times – 18:52, 18:54 and 18:52 – every time I ran a parkrun competitively.

Outside parkrunning, I participated in my first marathon, which was a great experience if not an impressive performance, and I improved my 10000m PB twice such that my track time is now on a par with my road PB and the targets I have set for both now seem genuinely realistic. On my 52nd birthday, 1st October, I ran the Kingston Half marathon with the aim of setting a new PB, faster than the now disqualified 86:29 I set at Brighton in 2015. Coming as it did during the best three months of my year – August to October – I was initially somewhat disappointed to run ‘only’ 86:41. But, since Brighton 2015 was officially 146 metres short, it is clear that this is a better performance by any measure. I will definitely be returning next year and hope to be ready to attempt sub 85 minutes.

So, once again my targets for 2018 are unchanged from last year. This year I really want to get on the track and improve my middle distance PBs, but having entered another marathon is not exactly conducive to that! On that note, last year’s Brighton Marathon was hard enough that, at this moment, notwithstanding that I am running strong I think it is unlikely I will commit to my sub 3:10 target time from the gun.

	2017 season				2018 season
event	opening PB	target	events	improvement	target
800m	2:25.9	2:19.9	—	—	2:19.9
1500m	5:18.2	4:49.9	—	—	4:49.9
mile	5:31.7	4:59.9	—	—	4:59.9
3000m	—	9:59.9	—	—	9:59.9
5000m	19:01.53	17:59.99	—	—	17:59.99
5k	18:53	17:59	20	August 18:50	17:59
5 mile	31:28	29:59	—	—	29:59
10000m	40:41	38:29.99	2	June 40:28.20, September 39:05.53	38:29.99
10k	39:04	38:29	1	—	38:29
10 mile	66:41	64:59	—	—	64:59
half marathon	86:29	84:59	1	October 86:41	84:59
marathon	—	3:09:59	1	April 3:47:58	3:09:59

I am still in denial about getting older and so I am holding out for absolute PBs – that is improvements in my best times. However, for the sake of completeness shall we say, I have listed my age grade (AG) bests and am particularly hopeful that 2018 will see the achievement of my longstanding goal of an 80% age grade.

event	time PB	AGe when set	AG of time PB when set	AG PB	age when AG PB set
800m	2:25.9	48	78.32%	same	—
1500m	5:18.2	48	72.77%	same	—
mile	5:31.7	48	75.50%	same	—
3000m	—	—	—	—	—
5000m	19:01.53	49	72.21%	same	—
5k	18:50	51	78.94%	79.42% (18:52)	52
5 mile	31:28	49	76.91%	same	—
10000m	39:05.53	51	77.64%	same	—
10k	39:04	49	77.94%	78.20% (39:54)	52
10 mile	66:41	48	74.33%	same	—
half marathon	86:41	52	78.58%	same	—
marathon	3:47:58	51	61.73%	same	—

 

PB review 2016 & targets for 2017

My running in 2016 ended on a relative high. This is probably better phrased as, “My perception of running in 2016 was only saved from being ‘a complete fiasco’ by returning to a decent level of activity in December.” I ran 21 parkrun 5k events this year, but most of those were simply part of the process of recovery from one injury or another. Certainly, none were PB attempts and the fastest, 19:23 at Dulwich in June, was a full 30 seconds outside my 5k PB. Outside parkrunning, I participated in only three events this year. The first two of these were also in June; a 3k team relay and a 10000m PB although the latter was more of a statistical anomaly than a notable performance. By July I was already injured when I participated in the Thunder Run 24 hour team relay which really was such a fiasco that I couldn’t bring myself to write a blog post.

Running in 2016 was only saved from being a complete fiasco by returning to a decent level of activity in December.

Consequently my targets for 2017 are unchanged from last year. In fact, I have removed the 50k target which I optimistically added last year as part of my #50at50 challenge. If I am unable to maintain marathon training this year long enough to line up at the Brighton Marathon in April I will likely acknowledge that the marathon is beyond my physiology and remove it too next year.

	2016 season				2017 season
event	opening PB	target	events	improvement	target
800m	2:25.9	2:19.9	—	—	2:19.9
1500m	5:18.2	4:49.9	—	—	4:49.9
mile	5:31.7	4:59.9	—	—	4:59.9
3000m	—	9:59.9	—	—	9:59.9
5000m	19:01.53	17:59.99	—	—	17:59.99
5k	18:53	17:59	21	—	17:59
5 mile	31:28	29:59	—	—	29:59
10000m	44:04	38:29.99	1	June 40:41.00	38:29.99
10k	39:04	38:29	—	—	38:29
10 mile	66:41	64:59	—	—	64:59
half marathon	86:29	84:59	—	—	84:59
marathon	—	3:09:59	—	—	3:09:59

PB review 2015 & targets for 2016

The running year that was 2015 came to a singularly disappointing end for me and was only saved from complete statistical ignominy by February’s half marathon PB at Brighton. Achilles tendonitis, though only diagnosed as such in July, affected my season from February and morphed seamlessly into prepatellar bursitis during September which then accompanied me joylessly to the end of the year. Although I ran ten parkrun 5k events this year only three of these were inside twenty minutes and, of those, I ran only two as PB attempts. Hindsight seems to suggest even those were limited by the then undiagnosed tendonitis. Consequently my targets barely require revision for 2016.

The running year that was 2015 came to a singularly disappointing end for me.

Nonetheless the presentation of data in tabular form always engenders inordinate inner joy and so I have indulged myself to the full. Compared to last year I have set targets in three additional disciplines. The 5000m and 10000m targets are prompted by my participation in a 5000m, in April at a Highgate Harriers open meeting, and my aspiration to run at Highgate Harriers night of the 10000m PBs respectively. Although I had already run once in each discipline, both in 2006, I hadn’t previously noted these PBs separately from my 5k and 10k times; primarily because they were slower than my times in those disciplines anyway. The two track disciplines should of course be faster than their road race twins – the times for a 50 year old male recording an 80% AG performance are:

• 5000m 18:01.80 / 5k 18:26.25 [ track just over 24 seconds faster ]
• 10000m 37:37.91 / 10k 38:22.50 [ track nearly 45 seconds faster ]

With these comparisons in mind the targets below for 5000m and 10000m are clearly much kinder than the existing targets for 5k and 10k retained from last year. Personally an 80% Age Grade remains a Holy Grail – most of my PBs equate to an AG of around 75% – and since my strongest times are in shorter events it is unlikely I will ever achieve an 80% AG at 5000m or 10000m. Similarly the targets below for marathon and 50k – the third new discipline – are even kinder; the times equate to Age Grades of 73.41% and 71.90% respectively.

	2015 season				2016 season
event	opening PB	target	events	improvement	target
800m	2:25.9	2:19.9	—	—	2:19.9
1500m	5:18.2	4:49.9	—	—	4:49.9
mile	5:31.7	4:59.9	—	—	4:59.9
3000m	—	9:59.9	—	—	9:59.9
5000m	20:27	—	1	April 19:01.53	17:59.99
5k	18:53	17:59	10	—	17:59
5 mile	31:28	29:59	—	—	29:59
10000m	44:04	—	—	—	38:29.99
10k	39:04	38:29	—	—	38:29
10 mile	66:41	64:59	—	—	64:59
half marathon	89:16	87:29	2	February 86:29	84:59
marathon	—	3:09:59	—	—	3:09:59
50k	—	—	—	—	3:54:59

Well, that is as much joy as I can realise from reflection on statistics alone. Here’s to a happier New Year with some actual running!

PB review 2014 & targets for 2015

Ending 2014 on a high – running over 120 miles and recording a PB in each of the last three months of the year – the middle six months where I didn’t run a competitive event now seem a long time ago. My primary PB focus this year was intended to be on distances of 5k and shorter, but that failed to materialise due to injury*.

Ending 2014 on a high – running over 120 miles and recording a PB in each of the last three months of the year.

One positive of being sidelined was that I took time to focus on weight management and successfully reduced my weight from around 73kg and rising, at the end of March, to around 67kg and stable since June. I am certain that my reduced weight has been a significant factor in the subsequent PB improvements I have made, although I’ve yet to realise all the hypothetical potential I calculated when considering my Stillman running weight.

Around 67kg and relatively stable since June this year, I am certain that my reduced weight has been a significant factor in the subsequent PB improvements I have made.

To minimise the risk of further injury during my extended recovery period, I chose to focus on restoring strength and endurance at the expense of absolute speed and so reverted to historical type and ran exclusively longer distance events. Hence the only targets I’ve needed to revise this year are those at 10k and above. The marathon I’ve only included for fun since my first marathon isn’t due until twenty sixteen anyway.

	2014 season				2015 season
event	opening PB	target	events	improvement	target
800m	2:25.9	2:19.9	—	—	2:19.9
1500m	5:18.2	4:49.9	1	—	4:49.9
mile	—	4:59.9	1	March 5:31.7	4:59.9
3000m	—	9:59.9	—	—	9:59.9
5k	18:58	17:59	13	March 18:55 October 18:53	17:59
5 mile	31:36	29:59	1	December 31:28	29:59
10k	39:33	38:59	2	November 39:04	38:29
10 mile	—	67:53	1	March 66:41	64:59
half marathon	89:53	88:59	1	March 88:16	87:29
marathon	—	—	—	—	3:09:59

Whilst the right hand column is optimistically labelled “2015 season target” I’m curious to discover if any of these ever need revising again; it may be that it could more accurately be labelled “lifetime target”. In any event, whether I can achieve these targets or not, I am hopeful that I have at least two or three more seasons where I’ll be able to improve my PBs in as broad a range of distances as I have in the last two. With an eye on 2016’s marathon I shall be doing everything I can to stay injury free next year and hope that this will enable me to run a similar number of events as I did in 2013. If this in turn results in PB achievements as extensive as either 2014 or 2013 I’ll be very satisfied indeed.

I’m hopeful that I have at least two or three more seasons where I’ll be able to record PBs across a broad range of distances as I have in the last two years.

Here’s to a Happy New Running Year. And a good one in all aspects of life for that matter! 🙂

* I have agreed with myself to stop linking back to the posts I made at the time, but am making a final exception as I say farewell to 2014 and re-spraining my right ankle back in March.

2013, running year review – event times

2013 has been a quite amazing year, an annus mirabilis if you like. I’ve entered 29 events across 6 formal event distances, recording 13 PBs along the way culminating in PBs over all 6 event distances set in the last quarter of the year. I achieved, and in many cases smashed, all my running targets for 2013.

800m opening PB none | target none | new PB 2:25.9
I have run 2 events to date, both at South London Harriers‘ Track Coulsdon Winter Series, one in November and one in December. Initially attracted simply by the opportunity to set PBs at new distances I find I’m actually relatively good at the shorter distances; 2:25.9 equates to an Age Grade better than all my longer distance PBs.

The Winter Series, a small informal meeting, continues monthly through to March 2014 and is a great opportunity for every day runners to run on an international quality track.

1500m opening PB none | target none | new PB 5:18.2
Both events to date were run at the same meetings as my 800m events and both within 15 minutes or so of the finish of the 800m. Consequently I’m confident that a significant improvement is possible.

5k opening PB 19:47 | target 19:30 | new PB 18:58
I have run 16 events this year, all but one of them parkruns. At the end of April, in only my fourth event of the year, I recorded my first PB of the season at Dulwich parkrun and immediately achieved my target improving my PB by 20 seconds to 19:27. At the beginning of June I improved my PB in consecutive weeks at Dulwich – to 19:21 – and then Poole – to 19:06 – finally achieving my current PB in November back at Dulwich.

5 miles opening PB 33:11 | target 32:10 | new PB 31:36
I ran just two events this year the first of which was the Ickenham 5 in September. The course seemed to be constantly undulating and from the outset I felt I wouldn’t achieve my target. I recorded a time of 33:00. Returning to the Perivale 5, the event at which I first raced 5 miles in 2012, I felt strong and fast and this combined with the almost perfect course – just a couple of sharp turns to spoil it – resulted in my new PB 🙂

10k opening PB 40:51 | target 39:59 | new PB 39:33
My longest standing running target, dating back to entering my first events in 2006, was to complete a 10k in less than 40 minutes. I ran 5 events in 2013 and recorded my first PB at the second of these at Battersea Park in June – I nudged my PB forward by 17 seconds to 40:34. After two more races in Battersea park in July and August at which I was disappointed to record times just over 41 minutes I finally achieved my target at the Brooks Brighton 10k in December. I felt strong and the event had been recommended to me as a fast course by several of my clubmates at Beckenham RC. They weren’t wrong and I really enjoyed sharing the moment with so many of them; both in the form of shouted encouragement en route and at the finish line.

half marathon opening PB 98:11 | target 89:59 | new PB 89:53
I ran two events this year. At the beginning of April I returned to the Bournemouth Bay Run where I ran my first half marathon in 2010 and was pleased to record a new PB of 92:29 in slightly windy conditions. In September I ran my first Ealing Half Marathon and experienced probably my most emotional race to date. I just dipped under 90 minutes to record 89:53.

running targets for 2013

[Also posted at parkrunfans blog 31 December 2012]

My primary running target for 2013 is to improve my PB at all 4 distances that I have existing PBs – 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. [For more see my running history, a 2012 perspective.]

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 mile 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 mile 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!