‘Why does it always rain on me?’ That was very much the theme once again this year as we headed into Sunderland running festival last weekend. The bad weather was not down to lying when we were 17, as Travis might have suggested back in 1999, but rather it was a case of enduring an ongoing run of bad luck. It seems that at some point in time, a Mackem has really annoyed Mother Nature and we are forever suffering her wrath because of it. It seems race day is no longer race day without gale-force wind or snow or a deluge.

One could have been forgiven for thinking they had travelled 12 months back in time when the 10k and Half Marathon were contested in similar torrential conditions to 2015. This year the race started from its new HQ at Keel Square but while the start line location differed from the previous year, the weather and the athletes at the front of the pack remained largely the same. Tadele ran out winner of the half-marathon, just as he had in 2015 and meanwhile it was the same face representing the Royal Blues at the front of the field as Kev Jeffress turned out for the club. I train a lot with Kev and he is one of the most consistent runners I know. You can always rely on him to churn out a good result even when it’s a tough day at the office. We must take our hats off to Kev and all of our team mates who turned out to race on what is a tough course. It was great to see Hoody back in the racing scene again as he competed in the 10k with another solid performance that shows he is returning well from injury. Before I joined the club, Hoody was someone who always inspired me because of his ability as a runner so it’s great for us as a team and as a club to see him back.

I had planned to run the half but after being struck down by a vicious bug – as many of the team have in recent weeks – decided against entering. On the day though, I found myself feeling somewhat relieved to be missing out as a few of us incorporated our long run into jogging around the course and cheering the runners on. Well done to everyone from our club who turned out and took on the elements, you did yourself and your city proud.
Recently the club has moved into phase three training. It is a time when the sessions - set for us by our coach Richie Tough – crank up the speed as the weekly miles begin to decrease. It’s a tough transition to negotiate after a winter spent churning out an abundance of slower miles but it is an important phase and one that will set us up nicely for the challenges ahead. The change of phase raises the question in our minds: ‘what are we capable of running this summer?’ It is a question that carries a lot of weight, and even anxiety, because after a winter spent ramping up the miles and working hard to attain a strong base, it is only natural that we want to ensure we get the best out of ourselves when it matters. It is important to remember that the training phases are there to steer us along this road and if we follow it right, eventually we will find the junction signposted PB city. We have done a large part of the work over winter and by building on this we can look forward to a good summer.

You worked hard in the cold, snow sprinkled months of dark nights and frost bitten mornings so have faith in yourself that you will hit your goals over the months ahead. We can’t accurately predict what will be, at any given time of the year, especially in a sport like running but now the hard work is done and the sun is shining, we as runners have the biggest say in what will be, or what we will become. Abraham Lincoln said it best when he suggested that ‘The best way to predict the future is to create it.’

You received the paper in the autumn, learned to write in the winter, got the pen in the spring, and now that summer is just around the corner… you will be fully equipped to write your desired script.

And I’d bet my last quid it will make for a great read...
AP