I’m tingling with excitement having just taken another look at the Bexhill weather forecast for Thursday evening. This is week 19 of my 13th training plan. Crazy to think I’ve done that many. Yet here I am, hoping that my change in approach and knowledge gained from my recent coaching courses can help me run my fastest 10k time ever.

My initial goal was a tad more ambitious but such is life, fitting in 5 runs per week, 2 coaching sessions, 2 strength and conditioning sessions and a daily stretching routine hasn’t always been possible.

Success or failure will be determined by what my watch says when I cross the finish line shortly before 7:30pm tomorrow. But should that be the case? Does it really matter what time I run tomorrow? I’ve spent the last 19 weeks looking after my fitness and health whilst encouraging others to do the same. That’s what matters.

Sadly there’s no hiding place from race times. It’s the only real measurement of our performance on the day and generally one everyone has access to. That’s probably why we focus too much on it, even obsess about it.

This is why I want to lay down a challenge to all of Team Orange and any other Hastings Runners taking part in the race. Don’t judge yourself on the time you run, judge yourself on how many of the following tasks you are able to complete.

The more of these challenges you can tick off the better your chances are achieving the time you wish to run.

Barry Richards 10K Challenge List.

1. Arrive in plenty of time – The race starts at 6:45pm, so work permitting get there at least 45 mins before the race.
2. Do a warm up jog of 10-15 mins. I like to do a min of 2km. You should never start a race without a warm up as it takes our aerobic energy system a few minutes to switch on.
3. Dynamic Stretches & Drills – Add in some dynamic stretches and running drills to get the heart rate up before the race (time required 10 mins)
4. Wish other runners Good Luck – Engage and smile at the other runners. They may be nervous and anxious. A nice good luck comment from another runner could make a big difference.
5. Don’t start off too fast – Most runners will make this mistake so if you see someone you know who is a little bit slower than you tear off into the distance, let them go, you’ll catch them up towards the end.
6. 1st Km should be around your average pace – This relates to the above. If you plan to run 55 mins, then your first km should be 5:30/km or higher. With no wind forecast you want to start off steady and finish strong.
7. Thank the Marshals – Assuming you are still able to speak, say thank you, if not, just give them a polite nod to show your appreciation.
8. Run Tall & Relax – we can only run to our true potential if we run tall and relax. Easier said than done but by at least prompting ourselves it should help our posture.
9. Ignore the demons – Toughest one of the lot. At some point during this race our head is going to tell us to stop. It’s a safety mechanism in the brain to protect the body. Ignore it. You can do this. Remember all the efforts sessions you completed when they got tough, or long runs you finished. Use the word “Can” not “Can’t”. If you do need to slow down a touch, do so, but keep the effort level up! This race won’t last forever.
10. Remain Positive – It’s one thing ignoring that stupid brain of yours, but stay positive. Use a mantra, such as “Light & Smooth” or “Stay Relaxed”.
11. Last km the quickest – A time related goal, if you succeeded with challengers 5 & 6 you should have some energy left in the tank to finish well. You’ll also need to remain positive to achieve this goal.
12. Sprint Finish – You will have primarily been using your aerobic energy system up until now. Luckily we have another energy system to call upon, which doesn’t even require oxygen (anaerobic), so no matter how hard we are breathing we can inject a burst of pace. Sadly it doesn’t last long, but it’s there, switch it on in those last 30-60 seconds to finish with a sprint.
13. Congratulate Other Runners – You’ve done it, well done. Take the time to congratulate some of the other runners who took part in the race. They will really appreciate it.
14. Cool Down Jog – very important after a race like this to get the heart rate back down and regulate your blood flow. At least 5 mins please. Head back on the route to encourage other runners as you cool down.
15. Stretch – The stretching police will be out in force and watching
16. Be Proud of yourself – regardless of the outcome, you turned up and ran 10k. Even if you didn’t hit your goal time give yourself a pat on the back for trying.

I don’t expect you to remember all of these on the evening, but come back to this article the next day and tick off how many of these challengers you completed. Hopefully regardless of your time you can then be pleased that you managed to do the right processes to give yourself the best opportunity to run a strong race.

Good Luck.

Coach Simon.