North East Running

Check out the route on Strava: -  https://www.strava.com/routes/2776497061663443326 A good place to park is the Hadrian Park Estate - somewhere near  NE28 9YB  - right on the edge of the Rising Sun Country Park. The route goes through the park and then west through to Killingworth. Take in the lake and then across the main road and into Gosforth Park. The Newcastle Racecourse (would make a good parkrun!) can be seen to the left, then it's possible to wind all of the way down to Jesmond Dene on nice tracks through fields and in between golf courses. Jesmond Dene is absolutely beautiful and this leads to the coast road. Then it's back through Heaton and eventually Rising Sun again. Selected photos... The entrance to Newcastle Racecourse in Gosforth Park The water was flowing through Jesmond Dene at some rate Love the area around the old mill in Jesmond Dene Strava Segment of note : - Jesmond Dene River Path - Beautiful section of Jesmond Dene Useful links : Rising Sun Country Pa

 Check out the route on Strava: -  https://www.strava.com/routes/2772828984079196850 Easy car parking at New Herrington DH4 4ND - just in the housing estate. The run starts by winding through Herrington Country Park and up to Penshaw Monument. Stop for the view at the top and then down the other side to cross the picturesque bridge at Cox Green. It's then a nice wind through the housing estates of Washington before running through the Princess Anne Park. The route then goes back across the Wear and then up the side of the Lambton Estate (a nice place for a walk and a bit of lion park nostalgia ) and then wind all of the way back to the start again. Washington half marathon starting and finishing at Herrington Country Park A slight incline to the top of the hill ;) Penshaw Monument with sun coming up over the horizon Strava Segment of note : - Penshaw Monument: South Side - Get sprinting up those steps all of the way to the top Useful links : Herrington Country Park: -  https://ww

Check out the route on Strava -  https://www.strava.com/routes/2770053320151874970 I parked at Silksworth Sport Centre SR3 1PD . The runs starts with a lovely (slight) downhill all of the way down a wagonway to the coast at Ryhope. Then it's time to run up the coastal path towards the city. The coast line is not a 'polished' Tynemouth or South Shields - but a rough industrial coast that is pretty stunning in its own way. Even though it wasn't a stormy day the waves were really crashing off the old concrete piers. Mowbray Park into the city centre is a nice route and then it's back around to the coast again, but this time the regenerated sea front leading up to Seaburn. From Seaburn back through to Silkworth allows you to explore the edges of the city a bit - a nice tour of Sunderland with something of interest around every corner. Silksworth-Sunderland-Seaburn The 'industrial' sea front just south of the city has a strange beauty to it The famous walrus (wit

 Check out the route on Strava: -  https://www.strava.com/routes/2763069315242615926 Plenty of parking around the Tees Barrage - TS17 6QB . The route starts at the Tees Barrage area (same place as the Tees Barrage Parkrun) - I ran out west and followed the River Tees. It's not long before you get into nature reserve area and it feels a long way from the town centre. Looping around at Ingleby Barwick you actually run into Yorkshire for a short while. Then it's back to Stockton, past all of the university buildings and on through to the Tees Transporter Bridge. A little loop around again and back to the start. Selected photos: The famous 'Tees Transporter Bridge' Cool looking bridge near the Stockton university campus Some countryside is found as the route went out west Strava Segment of note : run over - How fast can you sprint across the Transporter Bridge? Useful links : Tees Transporter Bridge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tees_Transporter_Bridge Tees Barrage https:/

Check out the route on Strava: https://www.strava.com/segments/26248649 This route was actually part of a RunNation organised race. That means that the route below is a lap that needs to be done twice to get to the half marathon distances. The main carpark in Bamburgh is at the post code  NE69 7BJ  - but if you look around the side streets you can get parked for free somewhere. The run starts just before the castle, it then goes up through the beautiful village of Bamburgh before turning left onto some narrow back roads. The day of the race I did it was very windy, but the hedgerow gave some great cover from the cross wind. The road eventually winds around the coast with views of the Farne Islands. Then back to the village again. Keep looping around a second time until you hit the 21.1km mark! Selected photos... Bamburgh Castle Each lap started and finished near the historic castle The Farne Islands Strava Segment of note : Bamburgh HM - One lap - A great little 10k route Useful links

I'm forever trying to work out what small things you can do to make sure you give your best performance on the day. Part of me thinks there is a bit of a random factor - some days you are lucky and some days it wasn't meant to be. But the science-part of my brain analyses all of the small variables. Looking back through Strava at similar efforts is interesting. The first screenshot below shows five efforts over the same 5.1km route (+100m elevation). Over a ten week period the best and worst performance are only 18 seconds apart. The reason for this consistency I believe is that the preparation for each effort was almost identical. Time of the day: 0715 on a Tuesday morning Runs in previous two days: HM long run run on the Sunday and a 8km easy run on the Monday morning 24 hrs before. Footwear: The same (old pair of Nike Vaporfly 4%) Food beforehand: Bowl of cereal + cup of coffee Weather on the day: Nothing out ordinary Consistent times on the same route However, the next two

Main areas to explore: -  North East half-marathon routes - Over 20 routes from Holy Island in the north down to Hamsterley Forest in the south. -  Training workouts - A few different running workouts to keep training fun.  -  How to run faster - How to go from a 22 minute parkrun to breaking the 18 minute mark in five years. Hope you find it of interest.

Check out the route on Strava: -  https://www.strava.com/routes/2759877585105340114   Parked for free by the side of the road at Bedburn - approx DL13 3NP . The way out is up-hill for 11km  - a slow climb for +350m through the forest. The 9th km in particular is a bit of a monster going up for around +100m. I went really early in the morning - but probably best making sure you keep well to the side of the paths to make sure descending mountain bikes don't give any cause for concern. You are deep in the countryside - so this also means that mobile phone coverage is really poor - so make sure you have your GPS working on an app like Strava. Also, with trail roads and a lot of hills - it'll feel like further than a HM - so make sure you have 30km in your legs. A proper outdoor run! Selected photos... Some nice artwork around the visitor centre Misty, damp, Autumn morning Mountain bike heaven Strava Segment of note : Hill from Hell - +84m in 850m - see if you can sprint up it ;) U

My favourite racing is either 5k (especially parkruns) and 10k. I know the pace I can hit for each split and train to get faster . Next week though, I've entered a 3000m track race. I've done one track race before (a 5000m) and a mile challenge on a cycling circuit. So... what's the plan for a 3,000m track race? What's the pace I should set myself? As with planning for a road race, I'm going to have a look at the pace I've done previously - but then add a bit on based on being a bit fitter (hopefully), the 3000m distance being shorter than 5k and the track being a perfect flat surface. So looking at three past runs... 1. 5k PB My 5k PB tells me I should be able to do a 3000m comfortably in splits of 3:30/km, 3:30/km and then 3:25/km (10:25). 2. 5000m track race Just over a year ago I did a 5000m track race. Managed 3:30/km pace for a number of the laps. Again, this suggests a 3:30, 3:30, 3:25 is doable. 3. One mile challenge Over the shorter distance (in a field

 Check out on the route on Strava: -  https://www.strava.com/routes/2737683312484083464 Warning - More than half of this route is on country roads - so run at a quiet time with high vis gear I parked the car in Edmundbyers - around DH8 9NL . It's worth saying that all of the way around, parking at the visitor centre is pretty much 10 miles. But as I'm trying to a half marathon each Sunday, I added a little bit extra on to the south east - a nice little starter on very quiet roads with cattle grids and sheep. Once you get the reservoir then the first 2-3 km of the route is on lovely forest trails, but then unfortunately you have to run on the road for a good portion of the loop. Around +300m of elevation - but no single climb is huge. Nice to run around a reservoir I have seen on the map - but probably not a route I'd do a second time. Selected photos... The reservoir wall Looking back to the reservoir wall from the opposite shore Beautiful County Durham hillside Cool statue

I remember running in the NE 5k championship last year talking to a lad I knew at the start line. He runs about two mins quicker than me (sub-16min). He said he had thrown his Garmin watch away and just runs against who turns up and tries to beat them. I'm the opposite. :) I look at Strava for hours before a race learning the course and working out the sort of pace I want to try and hit for each km. So I guess everyone is different, but for those interested, this is how I plan for a race. 1. Condition The one thing you cannot control is the weather. You don't want it too hot. You don't want it too windy. But there is nothing you can do other than deal with what you are given. I read somewhere that on a strong windy day you lose 12s/km going into the wind, but only gain 6s/km when the wind is on your back. So if its windy, accept you'll not be getting as fast a time as you may have. If it's red hot - then try and make sure you get plenty of water on board and try and

Two months ago I blogged that I needed new race shoes. Finally I managed to get a pair of the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% -  https://northeastrunning.blogspot.com/2020/07/nike-or-adidas-for-running-shoes.html These are the new, top of the range race shoes from Nike , They have been made famous by Eliod Kipchoge who broke the two hour barrier for the marathon  and also through some of the speculation that they may have been about to be banned for the Olympics (they weren't). Eliod Kipchoge setting records in the Alphaflys So... what were my thoughts after I took them for my first run. Fit : I have size 9 feet and fit snuggly in my Adidas Ultraboost training shoes and my previous race shoes, Nike Vaporfly 4%. Having ordered them online without trying them on, I was a bit nervous - but needn't have been. They fitted perfectly. You have to stretch them quite a bit to get your foot through the neck - but then they fit really nicely. The Atomknit material hugs your foot nicely (as

 Check out the route on Strava: -  https://www.strava.com/routes/2740271790431958528 Park at the Blyth South Beach car park for free - NE24 3PL .  I actually did this half marathon route as my virtual Great North Run 2020 route. A - It is pretty flat and B - not many roads to cross. That said, there was a pretty horrible cross-wind from the west for the whole run, so it was pretty tough. Running along the cycle path through the sand dunes is a lovely start - as is winding your way round the back of Seaton Sluice along to St Mary's Lighthouse. Once you get to Whitley Bay, you can hug the coast all of the way to Cullercoats... then it's turn around time and run back. Either the same way, or follow the cycle path up along the main road back to Blyth. Traditional beach huts at Blyth The north east certainly has some lovely beaches St Mary's Lighthouse Strava Segment of note : - Links cycle path N-S - Great surface path through the dunes at Blyth - you'd have to be going a