Race Report: Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, 7 April 2024, Washington D.C.

by Paul Thompson (pictures by Shamala Thompson)

This was the closest I had come to quitting in 20 years of racing in the US. Aside that is from dropping out of the Brooklyn Half Marathon back in May 2018 due to a hamstring injury. What got me through it was the advice of Deena Kastor at the race Expo the day before.

I first, and last, did this race back in 2007 when I was a youthful 41. I won the masters category, placing 27th in 51:35. It was one of my all time best performances as a masters runner. Seventeen years later here I was again on the start line of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile. Seventeen years older but, as it turns out, slower and no wiser. With no hope of eclipsing (sorry I could not resist that) my previous attempt at this race.

In the lead up to the race I was injury free and running some workouts thanks to training pal Luke McCoubrey. But recent work travel and wet weather had stymied consistency. I had seesawed between 40-50 and 60-70 miles per week. I ran almost 3.3 miles in a 20 minute Mona Fartlek 10 days out that gave me some encouragement.

So as I stood in the starting corral with some 20,000 other runners – near the front thanks to a seeded entry – I had limited benchmarks. There were no familiar faces to follow. I had virtually no race experience since 2019. And I had no idea how my aging body would hold up. When I last raced on a regular basis back in 2018 my body and mind just seemed to intuitively know what to do. This time I had no idea. So I set a target finish time of 60 minutes.

The race starts right next to the Washington Monument. Bathed in the first light of the day it was quite the backdrop. The skies were clear and in the shade it was cool. We had been waiting patiently for 20 minutes in the corral, in the cool shade. So much for the three mile warm-up!

Good morning Washington Monument

The elite women set off 12 minutes ahead of us. I assume a requirement they race with some separation from the rest of the field for the purpose of record ratification and USATF Championship placings. And then 15 seconds before 7:30am the elite men were off. My final thought before the gun went was how odd the faster elite runners get a head start on the slower runners!

And then we were off. I was perhaps five rows back from the front so had some 100 runners ahead of me. After a short slight rise we then dropped gently, passed the Tidal Basin on our left, and headed towards the Arlington Memorial Bridge. I immediately felt out of my comfort zone, shell shocked. It seemed like I had set off too fast and yet a steady flow of runners was passing me (the race data shows 202 passed me while I passed 27 during the whole the race).

I missed the one mile marker so had to wait until the two mile mark on the crest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, the highest point of the course, before I could confirm I had set off too fast. It read 11:30, 5:45 minutes per mile (mpm) pace, 15 seconds a mile faster than my race plan. So there went my plan. And the damage was done. It was too late to make amends.

My next epiphany was the sudden salutary realization that I was older than everyone else! They were old enough to be my grown up sons and daughters. They looked so young. I felt so old. I had that ‘over the hill’ or ‘time to hang up the shoes’ feeling rather than some sort of accomplished feeling.

The course passes under the Kennedy Center where the race does a sudden U turn. A few hundred meters later I passed the 5K point in 18:05. Further confirmation I was ahead of schedule but would pay for it in spades later.

By the half way point, reached in around 29:15, I was wrestling with the idea of dropping out. I was clutching at reasons to keep at it. And had no real reason for dropping out. I was not injured or ill. Simply suffering from after an over exuberant start and not enjoying it! At this point I needed a sudden injury as good reason to bail out. But of course we never get injured when you most need it. My lower back was nagging me but I knew it was not enough to justify dropping out. If I could not persuade myself it was a good idea to drop out it would have been harder to persuade others.

Entering East Potomac Park, the pan flat peninsular opposite Reagan National Airport, I saw Fiona Bayly walking off the course. I yelled out and she looked back and yelled support. Fiona is one of the best US female masters distance runners having been rarely beaten since turning 40 some 15 years ago. She had started with the elite USATF Championship women and had stepped on a rock and twisted her ankle. She pulled out to avoid serious injury. Seeing her was strangely a source of motivation to keep going. She’s not the sort to bail out without a good reason. And I did not have one.

I passed the 10K in 36:51. By now I was deep into survival mode. Get it done. I had stopped competing. And started running outside 6 mpm. Runners were still passing me though the torrent was now a trickle. I knew that I could finish and maybe even close to my 60 minute target. But I was well past crunching the numbers using my watch of the mile clocks. Math is so hard to do in the final phase of a race. Even when the target is 60 minutes for 10 miles: 6 minutes per mile or 10 miles per hour, the easiest math in the sport of running.

In the pain cave at mile 9.5

As I exited East Potomac Park I had less than a mile to run albeit with a short rise in the final 400m. Over that last half mile I managed to hold my own against the runners around me. Crossing the line I once again got to enjoy my favorite part of any race. When you finally release yourself from the pain cave. And then spend time in the finishing funnel enjoying the fact that the pain is subsiding. Running is hard. Physically, mentally, emotionally. But that feeling at the finish makes it worth every minute. Who needs cannabis when you can get a runner’s fix anytime. All you have to do is pay with a little pain.

I finished with an official time of 60:04 and placed 284th male overall and 2nd M55-59. Like an old running friend said 59:64. It puts me 4th on the UK’s ten mile M55-59 (or V55-59 as they call it) ranking for 2024. My race results dataset is here and my Strava data is here. As they say there are lies, damn lies and statistics. And in these days of data analytics there are lots more statistics.

Data, damn data

While it was nice to finish 2nd in my age group it was sobering to know the 1st guy Shane Anthony was three minutes ahead of me in 57:04. The age group awards are listed here.

Even more data

The elite race proved to be historic. Hillary Bor broke his own American Mens Ten Mile record in 45:57 while Emily Durgin was three seconds outside of the American Womens Ten Mile record in 51:26. The full set of results are here.

Sham sauntered over to me as I waited in the shadow of the Washington Monument. She asked if I were happy, unsure how I would feel so far down in the field (284th male and around 50 women ahead of me). I said I was mainly relieved. It could have been much worse. And happy overall. Afterall I now have to expect increasing numbers to eclipse me (sorry again). That makes spotting me while spectating, for those all important pictures and words of encouragement, harder she said.

So what about the takeaways from this excursion to the nation’s capital. First, as we get older we get slower but not necessarily wiser. And second we make life harder for our support crew.

Outside the pain cave at mile 10.5.

Race Report: South Nyack 10 Miler, 10 September 2023, South Nyack, New York

(Pictures by Shamala Thompson)

This has been a long time coming. My first competitive road race in four years (thanks to injury, COVID, and other more lame excuses as explained here). It’s felt almost as long to get round to doing what I used to do immediately after every race – tapping the keys to write a race report while it was fresh in my mind. Even my new running buddy, fellow Cold Sping village resident Luke McCoubrey, was asking where’s the report! So to keep the tradition alive – me racing and then telling everyone about it – here goes.

Before COVID

Let me first roll back the clock to the year 1 BC (Before COVID). In 2019 I was starting to have more than my fair share of ‘issues’, the ones aging runners suffer from. Nagging injuries, likely from over use and lack of TLC, made worse by stubborness. And then broadcasting it to fellow runners. Notwithstanding these issues I was still able to maintain a near full training diet. And on 2 September 2019 I ran the New Haven Half Marathon finishing second in 1:14:35 to my much younger training pal Mo’ath Alkhawaldeh (who ran for Jordan in the marathon at the World Championships last month in Budapest).

Since that race I’d done the Bushy 5K Park Run on 28 December 2019 (my 52nd birthday!) in 16:55 and the virtual Britsh Masters Virtual 5K Road Champs in June 2020 in 16:48. So for the 10 mile race in South Nyack was more than 4 years since I last did a ‘full blown’ race. I’ve been injury free for many months and getting in 50-60 miles per week including the occasional workout. Training was not ideal in the final few weeks. On vacation in Switzerland my training routine got messed up.

To make race day as simple and stress free as possible Sham and I collected my race packet the previous day from Dick’s Sporting Goods at the Pallisades Center, a monster mall from a bygone era – big box retail with wrap around parking lot.

Race Day

Race day started as usual with an alarm call that I had already woke up for. Amazing how we set alarms but then our body decides it will wake up just before. If we did not set it we’d just sleep through. Life is strange. I quickly settled into my tried and tested routine – coffee with oatmeal, bathroom stop, shower. And then we were off. We arrived in plenty of time for the start so I got a few miles warm-up done followed by strides and stretching.

Relaxed start

As it had been such a long time since I last raced two things were nagging me. One how would I cope entering the pain cave again. No matter how hard we push in training, racing is a whole new level of hurt. And what pace should I start out at? As habit would have it I had three goals – if the stars aligned (58 minutes, enough to get me into top 5 in UK M55 10 mile rankings, that’ll do nicely (60 minutes, a nice round number) and that will do (61:30ish, the time for my first ever 10 miler at age 19, 38 years ago).

Problem was finding a runner or pack of runners to help me pace: I’d never raced on the West Bank (of the Hudson River) aside from Jersey City and further afield so I knew no one! But as chance would have it the first runner I spoke to – Dave DiCerbo, a 43 year old who had done 2:51 in April’s Boston Marathon – said he was aiming for 60 minutes! The course is fast, mainly flat, but the weather was brutal.

The humidity was like the tropics, comparable with my days in Singapore. By the conclusion of my warm-up, 2 miles jog then some easy strides, I was already sweating profusely. NYRR races start in seeded corrals with runners packed like sardines and many trying to eke out a few feet advantage over others. This race was very different. I simply sauntered to the front line, unimpeded. Such a polite and courteous lot.

And then we were off. The first mile dropped away from South Nyack’s town center to River Road. A group of runners, including those who would secure the top four positions, quickly opened up a gap. I scrambled to find my usual rhythm, if there is such a thing as usual when you haven’t raced for years. I passed the first mile with DiCerbo in 5:49. It felt faster.

River Road is a gently undulating, straight residential street 3 miles long that closely follows the river with comfortable residential Stepford wives properties, one deep, between the road and river. The road surface was perfect. I gradually lost ground to the leaders but was keen to keep them in sight as long as possible. I traded places with a few others but then settled into 8th. Given the humidity I decided to drink at water stations. There were a number, each with a number of volunteers. I got into the knack of grabbing a paper cup, squeezing the neck and sipping from the corner.

By mile 3 I had settled into running around 6 mpm pace, my target pace to close it in 60 minutes. The Piermont Pier, around the half way point, came into view on the left. At mile 4 the race passes through the centre of the quaint Village of Piermont before heading onto the pier – this website explains:

“Hand-built in the mid-1800s, the 4,000-foot-long pier originally served as the terminus of the Erie Railroad; passengers disembarked from trains onto boats bound for New York City. During World War II, some 500,000 GIs stepped off the pier onto troop ships headed for Europe, earning it the nickname “Last Stop U.S.A.”

At the end of the pier the race U turned and we then retraced our steps back to the finish, all bar a short out and back at mile 9. As I passed through Piermont around mile 6 it dawned on me that I would struggle to maintain my pace. Despite hydrating I was chronically dehydrated and starting to tire. I had a flashback to my last 10 mile race – the Bronx 10 in 2018 where I ran 54:29, the fastest M50 in the US and UK that year. In that race I incrementally increased my pace from mile 6. I realized then that I was not the same athlete.

And so it proved to be a long hard day at the office. From mile 6 onwards my pace drifted to around 6:15mpm. I did, however, pass a runner. The others were so far ahead I could only glimpse them on long straight aways. The ninth mile proved the low point. This mile was essentially the reverse of the first mile and as such was mainly uphill. By now I was treading as well as sweating water.

Just after mile 9 the race jumped onto the Esposito trail for a short out and back segment to make up for a route change prompted by an over-height tractor-trailer taking out the South Broadway Thruway overpass 10-days before the race. It was a trail too far for me. The closing few miles I simply hung on slowly losing a grip of things. And then it was all over.

Closing in one the finish line

Post Race Analysis

And then I remembered this is why I do it. For the release from the relentless pain, the relief of knowing it was all over. And now it was time to refuel, binge style and chill out with and soak up the camaraderie in a kind of runner’s kumbaya.

Collecting bling for first M55

I ended up 7th of some 300 runners in 61:21. I finished second M50 (first M55) to 52 year old Art Gunther. Can you believe I last raced this guy in the NYRR Scotland 10K in April 2005!? And just like then finished behind him. The overall winners were Robert Guidicipietro (55:47) and Abbey Kimbrell (67:07) for the men’s and women’s divisions respectively. My official race results are here. Race photos are online at the race website (#158) with searchable results and pictures.

Fortunately I seem to have come through unscathed. My old injury shows no sign of coming back. The race was an altogether great experience. A well organized, competitive, local community race rather than a big NYRR cookie cutter race. This year the South Nyack 10-Miler celebrated its 35th year. And for $35 I got free beer, a bagel and a banana – and whippy ice cream. Hats off to Rockland Road Runners. I look forward to next year’s race.

Next Up

I finished writing this shortly after spectating the New Balance Bronx 10 Mile where Luke ran his best race to date – 63:59. I was more than a little envious. Of him competing, and competing well, in a race I love. Reflecting on the day I am left trying to rethink and refocus. The days of running under 55 minutes for 10 miles are long gone. What can I now hope to achieve? Maybe sub-60 ten mile at 60? Even if much less than before I still love running, runners and racing! Watch this space.

Radio Conversation with Jason Dunkerley on Running, Connecting and Aging

Listen to multiple Paralympic medalist Jason Dunkerley and I talk about our love of the sport as well as how to handle aging as an athlete here.

Guiding Jason Dunkeley in the 2018 New York City half-marathon.

I am, still, a runner. Just.

OK this blog is a bit of a sob story. About me and my estranged relationship with running. And how to avoid realizing the prediction of my mate Karl Mobbs who penned the cartoon below in my 30th birthday card (from 1995!).

When did I last race?

It’s now three years since I lined up in a ‘real’ (or what us Brits would call ‘proper’) race. By proper I mean one with a number pinned to my chest, starters gun and finish tape, and fellow competitors in the flesh rather than online.

That last ‘proper’ race was the New Haven Half Marathon. I raced it with my mate Mo’ath Alkhawaldeh. He won it comfortably in 1:10 and I was runner-up in 1:14:33.

Some of you may be wondering why I’ve not raced since. Actually I have completed two ‘events’ that many don’t consider count as proper races – the Bushy Park Run on 28 December 2019 (my 53rd birthday) in 16:55 and the British Masters Virtual 5K Relays on 20 June 2020 in 16:47 (on the North County Trailway, the only competitor logging a run outside the British Isles).

For most of the past few years I was saved from having to make excuses for my lack of racing. The pandemic truncated the race calendar for long periods. But now the pandemic is behind us, or rather we are kind of ‘living’ with it or trying to forget its there, I have some explaining to do.

Well I’ve not retired. At least not yet. But I’ve gotten close. Very close. And I keep getting closer. I have not been able to race for love nor money. At least not been able to race at a level I would have been happy with. And those that know me know that I’m hard (impossible) to please.

What’s the problem?

Since late 2019 I’ve wrestled with a nagging and debilitating injury. Essentially left leg glutes that fail to fire with all sorts of knock on effects like tight hamstrings, swollen knees, and exhausted quads. An injury that I’ve thrown every at. You name it I’ve tried it. The physical therapy, the stretching, the rolling, the resting, the strength work, the icing, the acupuncture etc. An injury that has crimped my training and crushed my spirit. But an injury that has not killed my love for running and racing.

For most the past three years I have continued, as far as possible, to train. In late 2020 I described Running Through a Pandemic. For much of 2020 and 2021 I trained with the inaugural Abbott World Masters Marathon Champs in London in mind (after three deferrals these took place in October 2021). My running log shows for much of this period I averaged 50-60 miles per week with long runs and workouts.

In late summer 2021 my resolve finally buckled. I told Coach Troopy that I’d forgotten what it was like to run pain free, that every mile of every run, no matter how ‘easy’ was not actually easy but hard and uncomfortable. Slow without the easy. I reluctantly scrapped plans to run London and dialled it back. And my log shows that in late 2021 and during 2022 the miles have slipped away and long runs and workouts are almost extinct.

I have ‘flirted’ with the dark side (aka cycling) – thinking I might make good at duathlon like my old mate Dave Smith. Right now I’m cycling more than running. But cycling, or a hybrid, is a poor substitute. It’s a great way to stay fit and ‘socialize’ with fit friends but the feeling, the buzz, just isn’t the same.

Why is this such a big deal?

I have enjoyed years of injury free running. It’s been a huge source of pride, satisfaction, and joy (as well as pain and diappointment!). Through running I’ve experienced many amazing places and met many good people. I’ve won countless accolades. And as my mother use to say when the chips were down, “there’s always someone worse off than you.” So why is this such a big deal. Well it’s because running is what I do and a runner is what I am. And for that reason I’ll keep on wrestling with it.

I am, still, a runner. Just.

Running through a Pandemic

Antony Scott, President, Founder and Head Coach of Marin County Track Club (MCTC), asked me some questions about running through the pandemic. The picture was taken by my wife Shamala.

Describe your training through Covid-19 and the main challenges

Going into lockdown I was coming out of injury. As my physical therapist (PT) James Lynch said in February “you’ve got a whole lot of issues”. And for most of 2019 I’d gone from one ‘issue’ to another and raced just twice. As lockdown loomed I was also in the final phase of preparations for the inaugural AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championship race that was due to be held as part of the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon in late April 2020. At 54, oldest in age group (AG), and ‘not firing on all cylinders’ I was glad to see the race deferred to 2021 when I’ll be 55 and so ‘young’ for my M55-59 age group.

So these past 6 months my focus has switched from scrambling to get ready for a spring marathon to simply maintaining base fitness and using running as an anchor of normality during a crazy time, a way to get away from the madness. I enjoy running with others, especially long easy ones where we can debate war and peace, as well as competition which gives me targets to shoot at. The main challenge was adjusting to running solo for months on end with practically no competition. I’ve stuck to Coach Troopy’s weekly schedules.

With no access to my PT who I’d been seeing regularly just before lockdown I’ve resorted to DIY TLC, largely band work inspired by Stephanie Bruce on her YouTube channel.

How long were you not able to train in your usual group?

I live in Peekskill, 40 miles north of New York City, work remotely and usually travel a lot to and from and within Europe. So the pandemic did not totally upend my routine. It was just the trips to Europe for 1-3 weeks a time every other month that fell by the wayside. My last group run was in Central Park on 15 March 2020. At the end we said our goodbyes and their was an air of inevitability – that we would not be doing another group run for some months. And so it proved.

I’ve run just 3 times with one other person in 5 months. My sojourns to Europe, where I typically run alone but get to run in a variety of places, have ended – for now. I’ve maintained weekly volume in the low 60s, built around 2 workouts, a long weekend run and a mid-week semi-long (see log here). I’ve spent more time, usually recovery runs, on local trails, to avoid other people and get other to parts other runs do not reach. 

What has been your mindset amidst the global pandemic (has it affected you negatively or have you remain in positive spirit)?

I think like most runners I know it’s ebbed and flowed. One week I feel lousy and demotivated with no mojo. The next, possibly triggered by a better than expected workout, I snap back and regain the mojo. Right now I have it, after recently running a 2 mile time trial in 10:20 and a 17 mile run @ 6:25 pace, but by the time you read this I may not. Importantly no matter how demotivated I’ve felt I’ve talked myself into getting out and getting it done, no matter how mediocre the Strava data looks. 

You were scheduled to compete in some key races over the spring and summer. Could you tell us a little about that?

Well as I mentioned previously the cancellation of the 2020 London Marathon and World Masters Athletics (WMA) Champs 2020, originally planned for August in Toronto, has forced me to focus on 2021. And in 2021 I’m 55, a spring chicken for the M55-59 age group. So my sights are now firmly set on making hay at the London Marathon on October 3, 2021 and the WMA 2021 tentatively planned for next summer in Finland.

While I miss competing I quickly adjusted to train solo only mode. But then in May virtual races, essentially self-timed time trials, became flavor of the month. Initially I could not see what all the fuss and fanfare was about. However, my UK based brother Stephen peaked my interest and convinced me to run for my UK club Kettering Town Harriers in the UK National Masters Virtual 5K Relay. I scoped out a flat course and on one hot and humid morning ran 16:47, good for 8^th M50-54. Virtual races can never beat the real thing, as they are just a time trial, but it was good to compete with others in some way.  I rarely get to run ‘in the flesh’ British Championship races but being virtual meant I could do it anywhere, anytime over a 7 day period.

With no races on the calendar, how have you been able to stay focused (what targets/ goals have you set)?

My focus is now on 2021 when I will be 55. I have no plans for 2020. While the WMA in Finland in August 2021 and the London Marathon in October 2021 are way off they’re enough to ensure I don’t lose interest and come off the rails. In Finland I have in mind a medal in the half marathon to go with the silver I got in WMA 2018 – I’ll need me to run around 1:14. And in London, assuming its also the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championship I hope to be top 3 in the AG. To help stay motivated I’m keeping a close eye on my main rivals on Strava.  

Has the pandemic cloud provided any silver linings for you?

Yes, many. First, as I explained previously was not ready be competitive as a 54 year old in London and Toronto. I am now able to focus on 2021 when I’m 55, youngest in the age group. Second, lockdown has encouraged me to explore my local neighborhood, especially the trails, and I’ve discovered to great new places to run as a result. Third, my wife Sham and I did a staycation in early August in Ithaca, gateway to the Finger Lakes, where I got some great mileage in on these rail trails like this one.

Running the Black Diamond Trail in Ithaca

Fourth, thanks to Strava I have gained some new running mates – in particular, Tram Cranley (Bethesda MD), Sam Lagasse (Ithaca) and Frank Filiciotto (Peekskill) – and formed Peekskill Community Runners. Fifth, I’m not flying regularly to Europe so the old body, especially the glutes and hips, is not complaining as much. Sixth, I’ve had some extra time to invest in TLC and for the first time since late 2018 I’ve been injury free for more than 3 months. And finally, I have some time to write this article.  

Race Report: British Masters Virtual 5K Relays, 20 June 2020, New York

by Paul Thompson (and pictures by Shamala Thompson)

We run in interesting times. While much of my life has been turned upside down this past few months there has been one constant. My running, my wife’s support of my running and virtual coaching from Troopy.

My last run with other people was this long easy one on 15 March 2020 in Central Park. It was my usual gig – train from hometown of Peekskill to 125th Street Harlem, 2+ hours on Central Park’s trails, grab coffee and toasted cinnamon raisin bagel, and then board train home. That day six of us rendezvoused at Engineers’ Gate. We exchanged elbow bumps. We sensed we’d not be running together again for some time. We’ll run together again but until we do I figured I needed to race.

So here I was at 8:45am earlier today all set to race. Only a virtual race. The British Masters Athletics Federation (BMAF) Virtual 5K Relays. As a 54 year-old, turning 55 this December, I was running in the M45-54 category for Kettering Town Harriers, the UK club I joined in 1984 and remained a member of since I left the UK in 1998.

My brother had persuaded me to run. I’d have happily waited until I turn 55 (I’m entered for the postponed London Marathon on 4 October but doubt it will go head and, even if it does, I may not make the trip). Ironically I have lockdown and virtual races to thank for presenting me the opportunity to run a BMAF race – I’m rarely in the UK around the time of their ‘real’ races and BMAF are open to you running anywhere!

Virtual races add an extra dimension to ‘real’ races. You get to choose when and where to run, provided you satisfy criteria like start and end in the same place and get it done in the ‘window’ of 14-20 June (the deadline for running being 12pm midnight GMT on Saturday 20 June). I chose to run a section of the North County Trailway – out and back from the parking lot at Route 117 heading south. The trailway is paved, largely flat and straight, and much of the course in the shade of trees.

I recceed the course by running the whole course as my 5K warm-up. I sensed a gentle incline for the first 600m, as the trailway rose above the nearby Saw Mill Parkway, and then flat through halfway. At the half way point I left a water bottle as a marker. Weather conditions were far from ideal – hot and humid with the temperature around 80F / 27C. Pedestrian traffic was light, mainly cyclists of all shapes, sizes, ages and gear from Tour de France to kid basket.

And then I was off. I got stuck in from the get go, setting out at 3:10 minutes per kilometer pace (I reset my Strava to metric as I was running a 5K not 3.1 mile race) – around 5:07 minutes per mile pace per this – before easing back and passing 1K in 3:15. I have a Garmin 235 but its GPS ‘gave up the ghost’ a few months back so I was recording using the Strava app on my iPhone. My target time was 16:30-40 and 3:20s would get me home in 16:40. Hence, I was fixated on my Strava app’s showing an average pace of sub-3:20. Recent training – 60+ mile weeks with two workouts and a LSD – suggested this was possible. I was injury free though recovering slowly from workouts.

The expected flat ‘main course’ middle portion of the race was actually a gentle descent from 600m through halfway (and so gentle uphill for the bulk of the return leg with a slight descent in the last 600m). I’ll blame that optical illusion on the lockdown or an early symptom of some virus (I did not wear a mask by the way).

I ran the 2nd km in 3:19. At the turnaround – a sharp 180 degree which felt like I turned on a penny – my iPhone showed 8:12. But the writing was on the wall. Not only did the course climb slightly, contrary to what I had expected, but I was also paying for an exuberant start and creeping humidity. My 3rd km was 3:23 and my app was now reading an average pace of 3:20. My 4th km was 3:25 and the average read 3:21. With a little bit of uumph I did the 5th km in 3:20 to get home in 16:47.

Approaching halfway

I was toast. I stumbled into the shade and caught my breath. My Strava data reveals I ran a fraction too far (5.02km) but in a real 5K I’d have likely run even further as we all tend to run slightly off the optimal racing line. The full individual results for M45-54 are here. Stephen, my younger brother, ran 17:08 and buddy ‘Rocket’ Ron Searle ran 20:36.

I was 8th M50 of 674 runners. The fastest M50 times were recorded by Mark Symes in 15:41 (World Masters Athletics 1500m champion at the WMA in Malaga in 2018 – see page 119 here) and Tim Hartley in 15:45 (multiple BMAF champion for 5K, XC and 10K and M50 winner of the British and Irish Masters Cross Country International 2018 where I’d come 8th). Five M55s and M60 Tommy Hughes, multiple world record holder at age 59 and 60, were also ahead of me. The official BMAF race report is here.

Kettering Town Harriers (KTH) had 21 runners. The team results are as follows: M45-54 9th of 117 teams – myself, Steve, Phil Brigden (17:11) and Phil West (17:46); M55-64 34th of 76 teams – Bruce Whitehead (20:03), Ron Searle (20:36), and Pete Goringe (20:40); and W45-54 66th of 111 teams – Trudi Pike (23:43), Karen Albery (24:06) and Nicola Speed (24:09).

Some 4,144 men and women aged 35 and over entered, over 3,300 competed, over £12,000 ($15,000) was raised for MacMillan Nurses charity (runners made a charitable donation in lieu of race entry fee).

So there you go. My first virtual race. The after effects – tired muscles, aching joints – are anything but virtual. Just like the good ‘ole days. We are on our way back. For now we’ll have to make do with virtual races. A good backup but not the real thing.

Race Report: Bushy Park Run (5K), 28 December 2019, London

by Paul Thompson (picture Shamala Thompson)

I’m not known but my spontaneity but I had no intention of running this race until 2 hours before the start. Infused with morning coffee on a wing and a prayer I decided to join my brother Stephen and wife Lynn on my second race of 2019 and first ever park run. It seemed a perfect way to start my 54th birthday. And the perfect place to run my first park run, Bushy being the birthplace of park runs.

The build-up and preparation for this race was far from ideal. Sham and I were in London for a 3 night stop over en route back to New York having been out in Singapore for most of December (incuding trips to Colombo and Tbilisi). On the Thursday morning I ran 13 miles in Singapore’s signature 33C, during a solar eclipse, and boarded a flight to London later that same day arriving at before day break at Heathrow some 13 hours later. After checking into the hotel at 8am Sham and I did a shakeout run in Richmond Park, my favorite place to run and an inspiration to David Attenborough. That evening we had a family dinner at a nearby Vietnamese restaurant.

2019 has been my least active year for racing since I can remember. Bushy was my second race of the year, the other race being the 2019 New Haven Half Marathon on 2nd September. While my memory ain’t what it was that’s at least 20 years. This time last year I was looking forward to running the London Marathon in April but piriformis syndrome struck in early February on my first long run. I was unable to resume normal training until late May. After New Haven extensive work travel got in the way of high intensity training So here I was pscyhing myself up for race two of 2019.

I jogged over to the start from our hotel in Kinsgton upon Thames. After a 4 mile warm-up, including some strides, I was all set to go bar a slight tightness in my left hamstring. My plan was to set out easy and then, depending on how I felt, either settle into a tempo run or go for it.

I stuck to plan. For a short while. I covered the first mile in 5:38 and yet was passing runners moving through from around 12th to 5th. Then I got caught. That changed things. My race instinct kicked in and I immediately stepped up my pace to fend off the interloper and set about chasing two runners some 20 metres in front.

Bushy is flat and, aside from a few tight turns and some soft ground (most of it is unpaved), and fast. In the second mile there were long straights with some paved surfaces. Inow had the bit between my teeth and enjoying running fast. I clocked 5:11 for the second mile. in so doing I caught the two runners in front and successfully fended off the interloper.

Into the third mile I dug deep and clocked 5:12 despite occasionally losing traction on the soft surface and having to navigate some puddles. I finished in 16:55 for 2nd (the 2nd placed guy some 5-7 seconds in front of me was scratched from the results for not being registered) out of 1358 parkrunners. That was enough to win the M50-54 age category and secure the highest age-graded score of 90.05%. Steve was 2nd M50-54 in 18:28 while Lynn recorded her 2nd fastest in 26:13. Full results are here. The official Bushy parkrun race report kindly notes my first outing.

The feeling at the finish reminded me why I do it. It felt good, real good, especially when I put the pedal down. The hamstring held up and the race was a welcome introduction to park running. I will surely do more. And 16:30 should be possible on a fast paved course without jetlag.

• 

In sight of the finish

In 2019 for perhaps the first time since joining the masters ranks I failed to get in the top 3 in any of the UK masters rankings lists. My best effort was equal 6th in the half marathon. In 2020, despite being the elder statesman in my age group, I plan to put that right. The London Marathon, which includes the inaugural AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championship race, and the World Masters Athletics Champs in Toronto (XC, 5000m, 10K and half marathon are on the program) beckon.

Race Report: 2019 New Haven Road Race Half Marathon, September 2, New Haven CT.

by Paul Thompson (Photos by Shamala Kandiah Thompson)

Well this race was a long time coming. Almost a year since my last injury free race, the Bronx 10 in late September 2018 (in November 2018 I ran the British and Irish Masters Cross Country Champs unaware I was nursing a broken shoulder). And of all the days I chose to make my comeback it had to be Labor Day. It turned out to be hard labor. But let me stop laboring that point and get to explain that year out and the race.

My Year Out

The past year consisted of 3 phases. The first phase, what I called pain in the shoulder phase, was 2 months of intense PT rehab through December and January to get the shoulder back to normal, in terms of movement and strength, during which time I built up my mileage by end of January to 70 miles per week, all set for the 12 weeks through to the 2018 London Marathon.

The second phase, what I call pain in the arse phase started in early February. In the closing miles of my first long run as part of my London campaign while in Singapore I noticed a sharp pain in the butt and hamstring brought my 20 mile long easy – as easy as it can be in 32C and 90% humdity – to stand still. It took a while to figure out it was piriformis syndrome rather than high hamstring tendinitis. This phase lasted to the end of May. The piriformis proved stubborn but not as stubborn as me.

By early June I was back to normal training mileage but without the speedwork. This marked the start of the third phase which ended on Labor Day. I call it the hard labor phase since it was all about getting back to the normal routine including getting reacquainted with time in the hurt locker. On Labor Day I spent 1:14:33 in that locker.

Going into the race I was cautiously optimistic. A 20 minute Mona Fartlek, in which I covered 3.53 miles at an average pace of 5:40 mpm, the farthest and fastest I can remember in the 3 years I’ve been doing them, gave me confidence. But set against this was the fear the piriformis would reemerge: its still lurking albeit only rearing its head during intense workouts . And this was the longest time ever between races since I started running seriously in my early 20s. How would I take to racing again.

Race Day

Sham and I, with running mate Mo’ath Alkhawaldeh and his wife Maira, had driven up the day before from Peekskill. After picking up race numbers – having switched from the USATF 20K National Championships to the half marathon that starts with and shares the same finish line but includes a 1.1K ‘detour’ at around 11 miles (course map) – I grabbed an early dinner and settled into my bed early at a rather unkempt La Quinta Hotel (never again).

The alarm rang at 6am for the 8:30am start from New Haven Green, barely a mile away. I had my small bowl of oatmeal and coffee and then jogged to start area, picking up Mo at another hotel en route. Conditions were favorable, for the time of year. It was slightly overcast, a little breezy, quite humd and in low 20sC / 70sF.

The great thing about this race is that being a USATF National Championship it has quality and depth at the front, and feels like an occasion, but has none of the heavily regulated corral arrangement of a NYRR race.

New Yorkers make for such a stressful final countdown to a race. After a 3 mile warm-up I lined up about three rows back. I now run for 212 Track Club (#212TC) but as I’d yet to get a vest I decided to race in my Team GB masters vest.

My plan was to settle into a group with some of the leading women and run 1:13:30 to top the 2019 UK and US half marathon rankings for M50-54. And sutre enough soon after the race started I was running alonside a group of some dozen women (see picture below), including 2018 champ Sara Hall. Turns out most of this group would end up finishing in front of me, at least in front of me at the point when I had to add the 1.1K detour.

It felt great to be back at it. And it showed in my fast start, clocking 5:20 for the first mile. Realising this I then tried to make some adjustments, slowing down slightly but not much as I was keen to stay in contact and work with a small group. I reeled off miles in 5:30, 5:32 and 5:34, passing 5K in 17:00 and 4 miles in 22:00. The course was fast – flat, long straights, few turns and good road surface. And I was happy racing for the first time in the Hoka One One Carbon X having been using the Adidas Adizer Adios since 2016 (though the Carbon Rocket may have served me better).

Up ahead of me was NYAC runner Jerry Faulkner running with Katie Newton – and even further ahead Michael Cassidy, who I used to trade strides with in NYRR races when he was slower and I faster, duking it out with Mo’ath. I passed mile 5 in 27:40. My mile splits were now slowing slightly – I clocked 5:39 and 5:42 for 5th and 6th miles, passing 10K in 34:40. I caught Jerry and Katie. Jerry dropped off.

Along the long straight tree-lined Chapel Street heading east to wards the city centre I worked with Katie (see picture above) chasing the pack of women some 100 metres up ahead. We ran miles 7, 8 and 9 in 5:39. I was now outside my goal of 1:13:30 and hurting. During the 10th mile, that ends near the high point of the course at an elevation of 140ft (verses 50ft at the start / finish area and 5ft at mile 9), I started to crack. This is unknown territory for me at point in a race: typically I’m either holding pace or accelerating slightly.

As I ascended the hill, most appropriately on English Drive, Roberta Groner, the 41 year old masters standout who will run for the USA at the marathon at the upcoming World Champs, caught me. We worked together and crested the hill. The 10th mile had taken 5:48 and I passed mile 10 in 56:05. But as we descended Roberta stole a lead. While I had to conserve a little, as I had my 1.1K detour coming up, if I was doing the 20K she’d have beaten me.

As the 20K runners made a right just before 11 miles I turned left. Just before the turn I saw Mo, leading the half with me in 2nd, pass in front of me having just done the 1.1K detour, a straight out and back before rejoining the 20K course. That 1.1K included a steady descent followed by a steady ascent. I was now treading water, in survival rather than competing mode as I typically find myself in a marathon. I’d covered the 11th mile, largely descending, in 5:40 but the 12th in 5:55. I was glad to rejoin the 20K runners. The 3rd place guy was some distance behind me.

The last mile felt like a procession, a slow funereal one, despite being flat and straight. I was focused on limiting my losses and hoping to get as close to 1:14 finish as possible. I ran mile 13 in 5:52 and crossed the line in 1:14:33. This was 2nd place after Mo with 1:08:48. Race results are here (and 20K, won by Leonard Korir and Sara Hall, here) and my Gamin data with splits and heart rate here. It gets me =5th in the UK M50-54 rankings.

Post Race

Overall I enjoyed being back racing and relieved I got this one under my belt. I was back doing what I love, maybe a little slower than I’d like but unjury free and hungry for more. Perhaps I pushed too hard in those early miles.

I now look forward to the 2020 London Marathon and World Masters Athletics Champs Toronto 2020. The inaugural AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championship race will be part of the London Marathon. While I did not qualify via the rankings system – based on finishing places in 2 major marathons over the past 2 years – I will able to compete for this as I’m in the race.

This race has left me as tired as if I’d run a full marathon. Tired enough to prompt me to take today off and instead write this! Needless to say the tiny bottle of champagne I got for being first masters, and the one Mo gave Sham as he’s teetotal (see picture below), have already been consumed.

Running Europe: Switzerland

by Paul Thompson (Photos by Shamala Kandiah and Mala Gehri)

A few years ago, on the occasion of my wife Sham’s 50th birthday we were in Europe visiting, running and blogging our way through Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Salzburg and Innsbruck. This year we were back in Europe to celebrate her and her sister Ramola’s birthdays with their cousin in Thun, Switzerland. Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB), with its great mobile app, got us from place to place on time – give or take a minute. On the way out we had a one night layover in London. On the way back we both flew into London and while Sham then transferred to a flight to New York I headed to Brussels for work. The runs are here (June 8 to 17) while the links in the text below are to 3D videos.

London

We landed in London after a red eye from New York and a few hours later were settling into a friend’s place – Nial, wife Kieko and son Sean – near Wimbledon Village. After a mid afternoon easy run through Wimbledon Common to Putney Heath and back we cracked open a bottle of Opihr gin that helped us get a good night’s sleep.

The next morning I met Peter Clarke and pack of elite masters runners including David Smith, Paul Cheetham and Simon Baines at Robin Hood Gate for a lap of Richmond Park and the Common.

Geneva

Our second destination was Geneva. After a short flight and 10 minute Uber ride we were at Sham’s friend’s place in Prévessin-Moëns, a village just across the border in France. We opted not to run the following morning but rather wait until we arrived in Berne, the  Swiss capital. We’d have a chance to savour the countryside around Geneva on the return leg.

Berne

Berne was wet and cold. Berne is a beautiful human scale city.  Once the rain abated Sham and I  stepped out. Our run took us along the river which was bulging with snow melt from the mountains of central Switzerland to the south. One could feel the force of the torrent. From the river we passed through the Old Town, a parade of historical buildings, and then the government quarter. I added a few miles by popping into the forest immediately to the north of the city centre.

Thun

We arrived in Thun after a short train ride from Berne Where Sham’s cousin, Mala met us and showed us the way to their place. Mala and Swiss hubby Adi live in a duplex apartment at the top of a 5 storey building on the central pedestrianized shopping mall. They have an incredible view from their balconey of the city’s castle which looks like it’s lifted straight out of a fairytale. Sham’s sister’s family – Ramola, Kevin and daugther Eloise – arrived in the evening. That day I decided to rest and enjoy the pre-birthday drinks and view.

The next morning I ventured out for a mid-week semi-long run along the shoreline of Lake Thun (Thunersee). While much of the run is on a paved path alongside the road the unobscured views of the lake and mountains were a perfect backdrop.

The following day I got my run in on the way back from a trip to Lauterbrunnen and Mirren – in a valley at the heart of the Swiss Alps – by train, cable car and hike. The hike culminated in amazing views of the Eiger and Jungfrau.

(Photo Credit: Mala Gehri)

I stepped off the train on the way back to Thun at Spiez . I ran 8 miles, with a few short diversions, back to Thun. While mainly alongside a road, descending gently, the run’s closing few miles took me through the picture postcard lakeside parks of Bonstetten and Schadau.

The next day we were back in the mountains this time  at Beatenberg. And again after a bus, cable car and hike started my run from a cable car station on the way home. While  the others descended via cable car to the Thunersee and owards to Thun via boat I ran the 12 miles back to Thun.  The route was mainly a small side road that followed the mountainside and slowly descended before I took a small detour to walk across a spectatular panoramic footbridge. The descending allied with hot weather took its toll. I  crawled into Thun and dipped my feet in the ice cold river.

The next day I ran easy with Sham through the parks of Bonstetten and Schadau. My plan was to recover for a long run the following day. It seemed to work. Early Sunday morning, a few hours before we caught the train to Geneva, I ran along the banks of the River Are north towards Berne for 7.5 miles before turning round and retracing my steps. It was a key test for my Hoka One One Carbon X. Fast paced long runs were their forte. The shoes passed with flying colours: 6:40 pace felt effortless. Unfortunately the sole unit was showing signs of wear from offroad running.

Geneva

Our final night of our Swiss vacation was spent again with Sham’s friend Laura in Prévessin-Moëns. The following morning,  our last of our vacation in Europe, we went out for an easy run along the farm trails around the village. It was little more than a shakeout after the previous day’s fast paced long run.

The holiday was a crucial test of my recovery from piriformis syndrome. I logged 63 miles and two 1:40 runs. Troopy had me down for two workouts – tempo and fartlek –  which I deferred a week due to some bruising around my ankles. I last raced in November 2018.  This is  my longest period of no racing since arriving in the US in 2004. If all goes to plan I’ll be ready to pin on a race bib in September.

London Calling’s a Pain in the Butt

by Paul Thompson

So today I was at the London Marathon Expo with running buddy Flavio De Simone and his wife Kate. While they collected their numbers I was deferring my entry to 2020.  This Sunday morning I’ll be spectating rather than running it. London is calling but I have a pain in the arse which has wrecked my 2019 plans. Those plans centered on trying to emulate London 2017 when I ran 2:31:45 and then running the Berlin Marathon  in September in a bid to top the M50 rankings in the Abbott Age Group World Rankings.

Jamie Lopez, Katharine and Flavio De Simone seeking PBs of around 2:45, 3:40 and 2:35

Those that have suffered from piriformis syndrome know the choice of words is apt – metaphorically and physically it’s a total pain in the arse. It’s the main reason I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve had nothing to brag about, but lots to whinge about. This year look set to rival 2013 when I was knocked over by a cyclist and was forced to take 6 weeks off running altogether to allow my broken scapula to heal. I opted to save you the whinging. Until I saw some light at the end of the tunnel. I think I see some.

So what’s the story this time? And what have I learned, if anything?

Onset of Injury

The injury struck just as I was ramping up for the final marathon training block. By end of January,  some 13-14 weeks out, I was back in full training mode following 2 months of intense rehabiliation following breaking my shoulder on 9 November 2018. By the time I landed in Singapore in early February in time to celebrate Chinese New Year with family my shoulder was 90% right and I was all set for full marathon training. Or so I thought.

After spending a few days accimilatizing to the tropical weather I slammed in a 20 minute Mona Fartlek, took a day off and then ran 20 miles off road in 88F / 30C and 90% humidity. In the latter stages of the long run I could feel encroaching pain in my butt and hamstring. I’ve not been right since.

Diagnosis and Treatment

I have had no shortage of well intentioned and expert advice and help. Soon after the issue first arose I saw physiotherapist Mok Ying Rong at the Rehab Lab in Singapore who focused on trying to correct my gait. On arrival back in the US I then saw acupuncturist Russ Stram at Runner Clinic NYC and had weekly sessions of massage and active release therapy with Tom Nohilly  But it took several weeks to determine whether I had high hamstring tendinitis or piriformis syndrome. The symptoms are similar.

It’s not the first time I’ve had this. Back in 2013 I was grappling with it when I was knocked over by a cyclist and broke my shoulder. After six weeks forced rest the problem disappeared without trace. Hopefully this time I don’t have to wait for a cyclist to knock me over.

After spending several weeks fighting it and getting increasingly frustrated eventually I found some rhythm to my daily routine. Today that daily routine comprises an hour of cross training – a mixture or ART focused on the hamstrings, foam rolling the upper leg and lower back, and general hip and leg strengthening (quad, calf, gluteal muscles, hip abductor) – and running 30-60 minutes 5 days per week with the rest of the time on the static bike for an hour as I did this past week.

Root Cause

While I’m not out of the woods yet I’d like to figure out what caused this. Only then can I avert a repeat. Unfortunately, the list of possible causes is as long as my layoff and like my layoff the list keeps getting longer. Contenders include a wearing new running shoes (some Hokas instead of adidas Adizero Boston, my go to shoe these past few years), new Loake suede ankle boots (my brother Stephen helps make them), number of long haul flights in coach / economy, lack of icing legs post run (prompted by the cold winter weather), and that old chestnut – lack of regular TLC.

But the root cause might well be the accident in which I broke my shoulder. Friends in the know who I’ve consulted online reckon the accident may have knocked my back out triggering a chain of events culminating in my injury.

Lessons Learned

I’m afraid I’d like to think I’ve come out of this business wiser but suspect not. I’ve been reminded how poorly I respond to injury. It’s taken me far too long to diagnose and get into an alternative exercise routine. But I think I’ve gained some patience. I was starting from a very low base.

Revised Plans

My plan is to be done with this before the Brexit impasse is resolved. So that gives me until 31 October at the latest. I’m hopeful I’ll be firing on all cyclinders come June and then do the half marathon, 10K and 8K cross-country at the European Masters Athletics Championships 2019 in Venice on 5-15 September and / or the Berlin Marathon.

Flavio, me and Jamie in Greenwich Park after a recce of the marathon start area

London Calling

In 2020 I aim to compete with the top masters from around the world as they converge on London for the Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group Championships. This Sunday I will be watching the world’s greatest marathon and tracking closely top masters athletes Lee Aherne (M50), Stephen Watmough (M55), Flavio (M45) and Kate De Simone (W45), Rob Downs (M55), Jonathan Ratcliffe (M50) and Jamie Lopez (M45), amongst others. Right I’m dialling off here.