I’d intended to get up really early for the long run but lacked the energy and motivation. Ended up dithering and then having to hurry to get on with it. It was a grey and drizzly start to the day and I decided to head into Leeds along the A660 and then out again to Otley and back. Still couldn’t get the water carrying right and ended up with a bottle in my pocket and another one in my hand with one in the front garden to pick up when I passed the house. Didn’t bother with a watch as I’ve decided that setting times and paces are counter productive on my solo long runs.
When I reach about as far from home as possible I find I’ve “shaken something loose” as they say. Spend the next five miles with buttocks clenched and no doubt a strange grimace as I fight nature. Fortunately, I win and make a quick dash into the loos at Golden Acre Park. Things are a whole lot easier after that. Make a mental note to get organised in future and stop procrastinating before long runs. End up with 18 miles in 2 hours 44 mins including the toilet stop. Wasn’t out quite as long as planned, but having gone past the house once, I didn’t have the energy to go past it a second time. If I ever do another marathon I’ll try and mix up my long runs with some solos, some with company and some as races. This has been the least enjoyable element of marathon preparation.
No VARR training session tonight as my eldest is making me take him to watch Oldham. I’d put the season tickets on eBay, but who’d buy them? Must admit though, it really makes me feel like a “glass half full” kind of guy when I listen to the moaners and whingers at Boundary Park. At least tonight we’ll get to see a decent player as Arsenal’s 4th choice keeper is on loan at Brentford. Apparently he’s a better prospect than the three clowns ahead of him in the pecking order at Arsenal. This may be the first “proper” player we’ve seen this season as Shelvey, the wunderkind at Charlton, was a sad and sorry disappointment. Maybe he just had an off day and will send us down on the last day of the season. The days when rising talent and fading stars graced the lower leagues are long gone. It’s just a collection of journeymen and drones now. The end of the season can’t come soon enough for me. Too early to start thinking about the World Cup I suppose, but I am beginning to get anxious about not having a World Cup wall chart yet.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
The Ninth Photo
Don’t know how everyone else is standing up to marathon training, but my toes feel pretty mashed at the moment. I still have all ten toe nails, but four of them won’t see the summer out. Apparently black toenails just means you have blisters under the nail. Only one of them is currently causing any discomfort. Generally, they’re not painful either when running or afterwards, but they’re sure not sightly. Sam Murphy alludes to the causes of black toe nails in Marathon from start to finish “Shoes that are too tight, or too big, can cause this”. No shit Sherlock, but how helpful is it?
The body is taking longer to recover or maybe I’ve just forgotten as you get loads of bumps and scrapes as a kid and as a youth obsessed with the beautiful game. I’ve still got a swollen ankle from my very first blog run and a mark where I barked my shin on a stile with a ludicrous piece of poor judgement back in December when reccying the Leeds Country Way.
If there’s nothing worse than my current ills then I should have done what the Marathon Talk boys say is half the battle – got to the start line in reasonably good nick.
The Eighth Photo
Jeez, I don’t half pull some faces. I’m going to have to practice going as fast as I can without grimacing as the race photographers tend to concentrate on the efforts in the final straight. It’s not like I was even trying to sprint as the hamstring wouldn’t stand for it. It’s good to be running in a vest again though rather than the three layers I’ve been wearing through the winter. There’s nowhere to hide though and I’m looking more tortoisian as I get older. Definitely a touch of the Deidre Langton/Barlow/Rashid neck there too.
Tried to download a pic from Wakefield 10k on Sunday but it must have been embedded with some sort of photography magic as it just wouldn’t have it. I look even more strained. Didn’t get anywhere near to catching Paul H on that one, even though his hamstrings are just as damaged as mine. On this one I managed to just stay ahead of Ian who’s on the road back to recovery from the knee op.
Just two more long runs and I can taper. I’m looking forward to upping the intensity as I cut down the mileage. Not sure I can increase my leg speed this close to the marathon or even what good it would do me, but I have enjoyed the 10ks these last two Sundays. I need to make a conscious effort to pick my feet up as I’ve started trudging especially on long runs.
Monday, 29 March 2010
Monday, 29th March – 27 days to go
Go for a slow jog in the morning. Just three miles to get the legs turning over. Looks like we’ve seen the best of the day as it’s cold and miserable by the time I’ve finished.
I’ve received a second magazine from VLM and this one seems to have some fairly detailed stuff about the event. How to get to the start, where to meet afterwards, good spectating spots etc. Read it cover to cover and this is what I’ve learned so far.
• They’ve abandoned the guaranteed place to those who have entered the ballot on five consecutive occasions and been rejected each time. This is bad news for us as there was at least a guarantee that Liz would get a place eventually.
• The “normal” ballot opens on 4th May 2010 for next year’s marathon.
• I can watch a video of Liz Yelling opening her Lucozade gel on the Lucozade website. This is not as daft as it sounds as I still can’t get the hang of ripping the top off. The Lucozade lady was at parkrun on Saturday and I’m even more stocked up on their products than before.
• There are free Lucozade gels after fourteen and twenty one and a half at VLM.
• Free Lucozade sports drinks (in bottles) at five, ten, fifteen, nineteen and twenty three miles.
• Bottles of water at every mile marker from three through to twenty five. It’s a fine line though, as they warn against dehydration from not enough water on the one hand and hyponatraemia from too much water on the other.
• Run through showers at nine, thirteen, seventeen, nineteen, twenty two and twenty three & a half miles.
• Toilets every two miles
• 5k markers which recognise your chip and have large display clocks
• Free travel for runners on the tube and DLR on race day
• My number is 11459, meaning I start from the blue start
• Liz can track me round the course with the Adidas waptracker. She’ll get a text each time I pass a 5k marker
• It’ll take me a minimum of twenty minutes to get from the finish line to the post run meeting point
• You have to use the official kit bag to stow your warm clothing and anything else you take to the start
• Average finish time in 2009 was 4:41
I’ll read through the stuff again, but I’m beginning to get a feel for it and it’s becoming a bit more real. Not sure how I’ll be able to run with either Michael or Helen if we’re starting from different places or are in different pens.
I miss my gym session with Tony as I have to wait in for the IT guy. He manages to be four and a half hours late this time. Aim to post my blog daily from now on. I usually write it in Word with a view to editing later, but never seem to get round to doing editing so just post what I’ve written. Given the unreliable state of my IT I’ll just have to write straight to blog in future.
Caught up with Michael’s blog – sounds like they also had wind on Merseyside. Great times then for Michael, Kay, Paul W & Harp. Fantastic time for David from parkrun in the M55 category. Also caught up with Julie’s blog; the Preston run sounds like not the best of preparation, but quite an experience.
I’ve received a second magazine from VLM and this one seems to have some fairly detailed stuff about the event. How to get to the start, where to meet afterwards, good spectating spots etc. Read it cover to cover and this is what I’ve learned so far.
• They’ve abandoned the guaranteed place to those who have entered the ballot on five consecutive occasions and been rejected each time. This is bad news for us as there was at least a guarantee that Liz would get a place eventually.
• The “normal” ballot opens on 4th May 2010 for next year’s marathon.
• I can watch a video of Liz Yelling opening her Lucozade gel on the Lucozade website. This is not as daft as it sounds as I still can’t get the hang of ripping the top off. The Lucozade lady was at parkrun on Saturday and I’m even more stocked up on their products than before.
• There are free Lucozade gels after fourteen and twenty one and a half at VLM.
• Free Lucozade sports drinks (in bottles) at five, ten, fifteen, nineteen and twenty three miles.
• Bottles of water at every mile marker from three through to twenty five. It’s a fine line though, as they warn against dehydration from not enough water on the one hand and hyponatraemia from too much water on the other.
• Run through showers at nine, thirteen, seventeen, nineteen, twenty two and twenty three & a half miles.
• Toilets every two miles
• 5k markers which recognise your chip and have large display clocks
• Free travel for runners on the tube and DLR on race day
• My number is 11459, meaning I start from the blue start
• Liz can track me round the course with the Adidas waptracker. She’ll get a text each time I pass a 5k marker
• It’ll take me a minimum of twenty minutes to get from the finish line to the post run meeting point
• You have to use the official kit bag to stow your warm clothing and anything else you take to the start
• Average finish time in 2009 was 4:41
I’ll read through the stuff again, but I’m beginning to get a feel for it and it’s becoming a bit more real. Not sure how I’ll be able to run with either Michael or Helen if we’re starting from different places or are in different pens.
I miss my gym session with Tony as I have to wait in for the IT guy. He manages to be four and a half hours late this time. Aim to post my blog daily from now on. I usually write it in Word with a view to editing later, but never seem to get round to doing editing so just post what I’ve written. Given the unreliable state of my IT I’ll just have to write straight to blog in future.
Caught up with Michael’s blog – sounds like they also had wind on Merseyside. Great times then for Michael, Kay, Paul W & Harp. Fantastic time for David from parkrun in the M55 category. Also caught up with Julie’s blog; the Preston run sounds like not the best of preparation, but quite an experience.
Sunday, 28th March – 28 days to go
You’d have to be a real f*!*wit to forget that the clocks went forward an hour last night. Double that if you’re a couple. We did. I was up reasonably early (I thought) for a spot of porridge, watched the end of the Grand Prix from Melbourne – isn’t Lewis Hamilton a prat? You’d think Jenson Button would be too, but he always comes across as a nice boy. We decided to leave early for the Wakefield 10k - 8.15 for a 9.50 start. That would give plenty of time to find parking and the start point and then register, chat with people we know and warm up. By the time we realised the clocks had gone forward it was 8.55. A mad scramble and relatively traffic-free roads had us there for 9.30. Found a parking spot v. close to the start that everyone else had overlooked. In the queue for registration by 9.40. They delayed the start anyway as there were loads of people registering on the day.
I started off closer to the front than I’d have liked and ran 4:03 for the first k. Started to climb after the first 500m and it was uphill for the next 2k. Then down for another 500m and up for the next 2k. I went through 5k in 21:15. It’s an out and back, so mostly downhill on the way back. All the way out we were running into a head wind. I’m prepared to believe we had the benefit of a tail wind on the way back, but I can’t say I was aware of it. Just behind James from parkrun/Valley Striders on the way out. He clearly doesn’t like the uphill bits either. See Will from Bedes and Daniel from parkrun on the way back. Blimey, I’m 400m ahead of Deadly Hedley at the 5k mark – he must have set off late. I expect him to storm past anytime. See Marie from VARR and Sarah guiding Louise, the blind lady that Lisa guided last week at the Bradford 10k. Small world. Liz is looking strong when we cross and has Arthur and Diane in hot pursuit.
James gradually pulls away from me and Paul goes past me with about 300m to go. 41:20ish – I still haven’t got internet access so will have to wait for the official time. Good negative split, better time than the previous Sunday and in more testing conditions. Marie isn’t far behind and Liz finishes in 1:04. Arthur finishes with his customary sprint finish going past three others just before the line. All in all, a good race, though I would have preferred a less manic pre race prep.
Nipples. What’s all that about? Why do men need nipples anyway? I only ask because mine are sore. Chafed. I think it’s the combination of a running vest that isn’t really “technical” and moisture. Mostly sweat, though I did have a good soak at the water stop – bottles instead of paper cups, which made a pleasant change. I’ll need to plaster up for the marathon. It’s borderline fetishistic, but the chafing is unpleasant especially after the race if you don’t whip your vest off straight away. I remember my first vets race in York last year when it absolutely siled it down and at the end there was a group of three guys in their sixties all with nipples bleeding through their white running vests. Yuk.
Also, I’ll have to wear a cap. I got sweat in my eyes today and although it was sunny, it wasn’t what you’d call warm. Was behind a lady with a “Clima Control” cap on at the start, so I’ll see if I can get something specifically aimed at running.
In retrospect, in terms of my marathon training I’d have been better off running a longer distance – either the half marathon in Liverpool or the seventeen miler in Preston. I only ran this because it was a VARR club championship race, but if I ever do another marathon I’ll be looking to run more longer races and do fewer solo long runs.
I started off closer to the front than I’d have liked and ran 4:03 for the first k. Started to climb after the first 500m and it was uphill for the next 2k. Then down for another 500m and up for the next 2k. I went through 5k in 21:15. It’s an out and back, so mostly downhill on the way back. All the way out we were running into a head wind. I’m prepared to believe we had the benefit of a tail wind on the way back, but I can’t say I was aware of it. Just behind James from parkrun/Valley Striders on the way out. He clearly doesn’t like the uphill bits either. See Will from Bedes and Daniel from parkrun on the way back. Blimey, I’m 400m ahead of Deadly Hedley at the 5k mark – he must have set off late. I expect him to storm past anytime. See Marie from VARR and Sarah guiding Louise, the blind lady that Lisa guided last week at the Bradford 10k. Small world. Liz is looking strong when we cross and has Arthur and Diane in hot pursuit.
James gradually pulls away from me and Paul goes past me with about 300m to go. 41:20ish – I still haven’t got internet access so will have to wait for the official time. Good negative split, better time than the previous Sunday and in more testing conditions. Marie isn’t far behind and Liz finishes in 1:04. Arthur finishes with his customary sprint finish going past three others just before the line. All in all, a good race, though I would have preferred a less manic pre race prep.
Nipples. What’s all that about? Why do men need nipples anyway? I only ask because mine are sore. Chafed. I think it’s the combination of a running vest that isn’t really “technical” and moisture. Mostly sweat, though I did have a good soak at the water stop – bottles instead of paper cups, which made a pleasant change. I’ll need to plaster up for the marathon. It’s borderline fetishistic, but the chafing is unpleasant especially after the race if you don’t whip your vest off straight away. I remember my first vets race in York last year when it absolutely siled it down and at the end there was a group of three guys in their sixties all with nipples bleeding through their white running vests. Yuk.
Also, I’ll have to wear a cap. I got sweat in my eyes today and although it was sunny, it wasn’t what you’d call warm. Was behind a lady with a “Clima Control” cap on at the start, so I’ll see if I can get something specifically aimed at running.
In retrospect, in terms of my marathon training I’d have been better off running a longer distance – either the half marathon in Liverpool or the seventeen miler in Preston. I only ran this because it was a VARR club championship race, but if I ever do another marathon I’ll be looking to run more longer races and do fewer solo long runs.
Saturday, 27th March – 29 days to go
Don’t sleep well and I’m up early for porridge and parkrun. Arrive warmed up as Liz drops me off part way but with no clear idea of how I want to run. When we get there we find that we’re desperately short of volunteers. We all help with the setting up, then Sam and Liz step into the breach as Sam starts the race and Liz is timekeeper. Sam gets to run, but only after giving the rest of us a couple of minutes start. I get off to a surprisingly quick start – the running in and then warming up before the start really works for me. If I don’t do it, it takes me the first ten minutes to get up to pace. Run round with Dave and Ellie at a touch faster than my marathon pace and half a minute slower than last week, but still a good time. Sam overtakes us near the end and I make him work to stay ahead for the last couple of hundred metres.
A few others do volunteering rather than running and we’re treated to some excellent support from Pamela Lamarro who really gets into the swing of things. We’ll get there earlier next week and help with the set up as it was a little chaotic this week.
Weight 71.0 kg
Total Mileage 27 miles
Long Run 7 miles
Long Run Pace 8:00
Days without alcohol 40
A low key, low mileage week. The closest I get to a long run is the Tuesday evening session with VARR which was fast but disjointed as we stopped to do intervals in the middle of the session. I have one long run planned for this week plus a final long run a week tomorrow. I’m making a deliberate effort to eat more carbs and with only another eight days before taper I’m expecting to put some weight back on before the VLM.
A few others do volunteering rather than running and we’re treated to some excellent support from Pamela Lamarro who really gets into the swing of things. We’ll get there earlier next week and help with the set up as it was a little chaotic this week.
Weight 71.0 kg
Total Mileage 27 miles
Long Run 7 miles
Long Run Pace 8:00
Days without alcohol 40
A low key, low mileage week. The closest I get to a long run is the Tuesday evening session with VARR which was fast but disjointed as we stopped to do intervals in the middle of the session. I have one long run planned for this week plus a final long run a week tomorrow. I’m making a deliberate effort to eat more carbs and with only another eight days before taper I’m expecting to put some weight back on before the VLM.
Friday, 26th March – 30 days to go
I’ve just checked my mileage for the week. Although I’ve had to just guess for both the Tuesday and Thursday sessions, it’s only about 21 miles. I’ll just do the 5k on Saturday, so even with a generous warm up and cool down that will be a pathetic 28 miles for the week if I don’t run today. I have no idea what distance to run or what the purpose of the run would be other than to up my mileage for the week. The Marathon Talk boys and Steve at yesterday’s session bang on about always having a purpose for any training run.
After some deliberation, I decide that looking at seven day blocks gives a false impression. I have long runs planned for next Monday and the following Sunday, so over a period I’ll have enough miles in my legs. I can run today if I want to just for the sheer pleasure of having a run. I have a gym session with Tony booked for later today and also have to fit in being around for the IT guy so I may run to Tony’s place or back depending on how things go. If it happens I can get some off road running and the far side of Yeadon is between five and six miles.
As it happens, the IT guy lets me down yet again. What is it about people who “fix” home computers? Why is it that I have to rely on someone who’s clearly incompetent and who I’d steer well clear of in other aspects of my life? Isn’t there anyone in the Leeds area who can make home computers work who’s reliable and personable? If there is, they’re doing a good job of not being found. How can someone rearrange a visit at the last minute, fail to show, turn up one hour and forty five minutes late and then say “sorry I’m a little late” when they eventually arrive? Rant over. Thanks to Liz for dealing with him and giving up her gym session.
I don’t get a run today but do manage an upper body and core work out and get the hamstrings massaged.
After some deliberation, I decide that looking at seven day blocks gives a false impression. I have long runs planned for next Monday and the following Sunday, so over a period I’ll have enough miles in my legs. I can run today if I want to just for the sheer pleasure of having a run. I have a gym session with Tony booked for later today and also have to fit in being around for the IT guy so I may run to Tony’s place or back depending on how things go. If it happens I can get some off road running and the far side of Yeadon is between five and six miles.
As it happens, the IT guy lets me down yet again. What is it about people who “fix” home computers? Why is it that I have to rely on someone who’s clearly incompetent and who I’d steer well clear of in other aspects of my life? Isn’t there anyone in the Leeds area who can make home computers work who’s reliable and personable? If there is, they’re doing a good job of not being found. How can someone rearrange a visit at the last minute, fail to show, turn up one hour and forty five minutes late and then say “sorry I’m a little late” when they eventually arrive? Rant over. Thanks to Liz for dealing with him and giving up her gym session.
I don’t get a run today but do manage an upper body and core work out and get the hamstrings massaged.
Friday, 26 March 2010
Thursday, 25th March – 31 days to go
After a warm sunny day in Leeds/Wakefield we head off for our evening distance training group session in Bradford. We’re at the Horsfall Stadium again and although we set off in plenty of time we still get there late. I must be some sort of traffic magnet as the roads seem clear until I get there, then suddenly I’m surrounded by other cars that don’t appear to be going anywhere.
True to form, it starts to rain when we get out of the car. Steve is already into his pre-session talk when we meet up with the others. We’re doing a pyramid session with runs at about 5k pace or slightly quicker. 200 metres then the same jogging, 400 metres then the same jogging, 600 metres then the same jogging, 400 metres then the same jogging, and finally 200 metres and a cool down. Steve talks about the difference between aerobic workouts and anaerobic workouts. It seems to make perfect sense when he’s speaking, but as soon as he finishes I have no idea what kind of session this is. I must have the attention span of a goldfish. It’s just like being at secondary school again.
When we head back out the rain has got heavier. Bradford must have it’s own monsoon-like micro climate as there’s standing water on the football pitch and the rain doesn’t let up for the whole session. After a warm up and the session starts I decide to follow Tony and Adrian (what’s he doing back in our group?) and let them determine the appropriate pace. I’m not really on it and can’t ever seem to quite keep up with them. I can still feel some tightness in the hamstring, but it’s not as bad as it was. Despite the rain, I’d have liked to be out there longer, but I know that the talking about what we’re doing is important as well.
The building intensity into my training isn’t going as well as I’d have hoped. The niggle with the hamstring has been inconvenient. Also, last Sunday’s 10k and next Sunday’s 10k at Wakefield have replaced long runs and that probably wasn’t in the best interests of my marathon training. Still, it’s a compromise as I have other objectives from running as well as running a good first marathon. When I hear about the first marathon times of runners who are loads quicker than me I’m quite encouraged as I think I’ll be closer to my optimum time. Worryingly, I’ve already started to think that because of my nature and outlook I’m probably better suited to an autumn marathon. Isn’t Rick planning on running Nottingham this autumn?
True to form, it starts to rain when we get out of the car. Steve is already into his pre-session talk when we meet up with the others. We’re doing a pyramid session with runs at about 5k pace or slightly quicker. 200 metres then the same jogging, 400 metres then the same jogging, 600 metres then the same jogging, 400 metres then the same jogging, and finally 200 metres and a cool down. Steve talks about the difference between aerobic workouts and anaerobic workouts. It seems to make perfect sense when he’s speaking, but as soon as he finishes I have no idea what kind of session this is. I must have the attention span of a goldfish. It’s just like being at secondary school again.
When we head back out the rain has got heavier. Bradford must have it’s own monsoon-like micro climate as there’s standing water on the football pitch and the rain doesn’t let up for the whole session. After a warm up and the session starts I decide to follow Tony and Adrian (what’s he doing back in our group?) and let them determine the appropriate pace. I’m not really on it and can’t ever seem to quite keep up with them. I can still feel some tightness in the hamstring, but it’s not as bad as it was. Despite the rain, I’d have liked to be out there longer, but I know that the talking about what we’re doing is important as well.
The building intensity into my training isn’t going as well as I’d have hoped. The niggle with the hamstring has been inconvenient. Also, last Sunday’s 10k and next Sunday’s 10k at Wakefield have replaced long runs and that probably wasn’t in the best interests of my marathon training. Still, it’s a compromise as I have other objectives from running as well as running a good first marathon. When I hear about the first marathon times of runners who are loads quicker than me I’m quite encouraged as I think I’ll be closer to my optimum time. Worryingly, I’ve already started to think that because of my nature and outlook I’m probably better suited to an autumn marathon. Isn’t Rick planning on running Nottingham this autumn?
Wednesday, 24th March – 32 days to go
No ill effects from pushing it yesterday. It’s another inactive day. One thing from reading the Sam Murphy book is that she advises runners over fifty to only run on alternate days. Studies show that we take longer to recover. Not just me being a lazy bugger then.
I’ve been thinking of having my name on my running vest. People tell me it’s really uplifting to hear your name shouted when you’re really struggling. But it isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Whenever someone shouts “Come on Chris” at a race I’m looking all over the place to see who it is. Imagine that with a load of strangers shouting it; I’d never get anywhere. Then there’s the “Dave factor”; can’t really see me acknowledging a crowd and getting some banter going whilst running, but you are encouraging a two way interaction that could be a distraction. How would I know whether I was getting encouragement from people who know me or just total strangers? What if I was running alongside someone else called Chris and people were shouting encouragement to them not me? I’d be acknowledging their shouts and then feel a right berk when I realised they weren’t shouting for me at all. I went out with someone called Chris (a girl!) for a while and I just couldn’t hack it. It’s not like Sparatcus; I’m Chris and there’s no room for another. Alright, that was thirty years ago, but some things don’t change.
Of course I could get a nickname printed instead of my real name. But I don’t have a nickname. In my late teens and early twenties I had a pretty good nickname that I did my best to live down to. But what was right then certainly isn’t right now and there’s no going back as they say. I could invent a nickname, but how sad would that be? Most people with a nickname that’s not related to their surname have a nickname that refers to some sort of physical anomaly. Whilst I’ve got no shortage of those, it’s not really something I want shouted at me by strangers.
On reflection, I think I’ll pass on the vest name printing thing.
I’ve been thinking of having my name on my running vest. People tell me it’s really uplifting to hear your name shouted when you’re really struggling. But it isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Whenever someone shouts “Come on Chris” at a race I’m looking all over the place to see who it is. Imagine that with a load of strangers shouting it; I’d never get anywhere. Then there’s the “Dave factor”; can’t really see me acknowledging a crowd and getting some banter going whilst running, but you are encouraging a two way interaction that could be a distraction. How would I know whether I was getting encouragement from people who know me or just total strangers? What if I was running alongside someone else called Chris and people were shouting encouragement to them not me? I’d be acknowledging their shouts and then feel a right berk when I realised they weren’t shouting for me at all. I went out with someone called Chris (a girl!) for a while and I just couldn’t hack it. It’s not like Sparatcus; I’m Chris and there’s no room for another. Alright, that was thirty years ago, but some things don’t change.
Of course I could get a nickname printed instead of my real name. But I don’t have a nickname. In my late teens and early twenties I had a pretty good nickname that I did my best to live down to. But what was right then certainly isn’t right now and there’s no going back as they say. I could invent a nickname, but how sad would that be? Most people with a nickname that’s not related to their surname have a nickname that refers to some sort of physical anomaly. Whilst I’ve got no shortage of those, it’s not really something I want shouted at me by strangers.
On reflection, I think I’ll pass on the vest name printing thing.
Tuesday, 23rd March – 33 days to go
Do a recovery run to make up for not doing one yesterday. Not sure I should need a recovery run after a 10K, but it’s a slow, short run to test out the hamstring and get the legs moving. Run out to Hilton Grange and then come back down Occupation Lane to throw in an extra mile and a half. The body feels creaky at the start but by the time I’m home I’ve loosened up considerably. No twinges from the hamstring but I do a thorough cool down afterwards anyway.
No football this evening so I head off to Kirkstall Road for the evening training session. Liz is away with work so I’m on my own. After a fine day it’s raining constantly so I seek shelter in the gym. There’s a surprisingly good turn out considering the conditions, but only Sam from group 5 so he joins us. Michael leads group 4 as Rick is injured.
We head up Kirkstall Road away from the city centre with a view to running to Beckett Park and doing some long intervals. There are five of us in the group and no one is certain of the quickest route so we end up going further than anticipated. I’m struggling to keep up right from the start so can’t give my “wisdom” on the best route. We arrive at Beckett Park at what Michael refers to as “the green mile”, which is a rectangle that I’ve seen many times before, but in pre-running days so had never considered it as a potential site for intervals. Apparently, once round the rectangle is a third of a mile. We only have time for three with a couple of minutes break between circuits. The fast boys are just dipping below 2 minutes and I’m ten to fifteen seconds behind that.
It’s mostly downhill all the way back so I manage to hang on. The rain doesn’t let up all session. Running sessions are strange. This one was a mixture of very enjoyable and pretty awful, both at the same time. Not sure I understand it, perhaps I’m developing a split personality. I dash for home and the comfort of a warm bath.
No football this evening so I head off to Kirkstall Road for the evening training session. Liz is away with work so I’m on my own. After a fine day it’s raining constantly so I seek shelter in the gym. There’s a surprisingly good turn out considering the conditions, but only Sam from group 5 so he joins us. Michael leads group 4 as Rick is injured.
We head up Kirkstall Road away from the city centre with a view to running to Beckett Park and doing some long intervals. There are five of us in the group and no one is certain of the quickest route so we end up going further than anticipated. I’m struggling to keep up right from the start so can’t give my “wisdom” on the best route. We arrive at Beckett Park at what Michael refers to as “the green mile”, which is a rectangle that I’ve seen many times before, but in pre-running days so had never considered it as a potential site for intervals. Apparently, once round the rectangle is a third of a mile. We only have time for three with a couple of minutes break between circuits. The fast boys are just dipping below 2 minutes and I’m ten to fifteen seconds behind that.
It’s mostly downhill all the way back so I manage to hang on. The rain doesn’t let up all session. Running sessions are strange. This one was a mixture of very enjoyable and pretty awful, both at the same time. Not sure I understand it, perhaps I’m developing a split personality. I dash for home and the comfort of a warm bath.
Monday, 22nd March – 34 days to go
Rest Day. When I get up I don’t feel any tightness in the hamstring. Maybe the stretches are beginning to work. I don’t feel like taking a recovery run so I don’t. On checking the results I’m encouraged that Adrian did a 39:32 and Andy Hudson a 39:19 so maybe there’s hope for me that I can break 40 minutes if I can hang onto one of those two at some future race.
Tony is away so I have no gym session today – it really is a day of complete rest and recovery. In order to feel like I’m doing something run related I read Marathon From Start to Finish by Sam Murphy. Someone got this for Liz as a present for her 50th and it seems to have worked as she now says things like “When I run a marathon” before she checks herself to make it sound like she hasn’t actually decided that one day she will. We also have another running book by Sam Murphy and I really like her writing style. On first read she sounds a lot less technical than others, but when you re-read it there’s a lot in there.
When someone has written several books on the same subject it makes me wonder whether they’re just finding a different way of saying the same thing. This book is clearly aimed at the first time marathon runner and as that’s me, it pretty well covers the areas I’m interested in and the concerns I have. Mind, she doesn’t always get to the bottom of things the way I’d like. She says we shrink by 2 centimetres in the course of a marathon run, but doesn’t say why or if/when we get the 2 centimetres back. There are some other pearls such as studies show that if one runs the same distance on soft terrain and on road you’ll burn 26% more calories on the soft terrain, as well as being kinder on the feet. She’s also got a couple of pages on getting round even if your training or the early part of your run has been a disaster. Hope I won’t need it, but commit it to memory anyway. Oh and I’ve got a 1 in 54,000 chance of having a heart attack in the course of a marathon!
A good book. I’d recommend it if like me you won’t do anything without reading a “how to do” book first.
Tony is away so I have no gym session today – it really is a day of complete rest and recovery. In order to feel like I’m doing something run related I read Marathon From Start to Finish by Sam Murphy. Someone got this for Liz as a present for her 50th and it seems to have worked as she now says things like “When I run a marathon” before she checks herself to make it sound like she hasn’t actually decided that one day she will. We also have another running book by Sam Murphy and I really like her writing style. On first read she sounds a lot less technical than others, but when you re-read it there’s a lot in there.
When someone has written several books on the same subject it makes me wonder whether they’re just finding a different way of saying the same thing. This book is clearly aimed at the first time marathon runner and as that’s me, it pretty well covers the areas I’m interested in and the concerns I have. Mind, she doesn’t always get to the bottom of things the way I’d like. She says we shrink by 2 centimetres in the course of a marathon run, but doesn’t say why or if/when we get the 2 centimetres back. There are some other pearls such as studies show that if one runs the same distance on soft terrain and on road you’ll burn 26% more calories on the soft terrain, as well as being kinder on the feet. She’s also got a couple of pages on getting round even if your training or the early part of your run has been a disaster. Hope I won’t need it, but commit it to memory anyway. Oh and I’ve got a 1 in 54,000 chance of having a heart attack in the course of a marathon!
A good book. I’d recommend it if like me you won’t do anything without reading a “how to do” book first.
Sunday, 21st March – 35 days to go
Bradford Epilepsy Action 10k today. I’d earmarked this as a potential PB when I entered, but don’t want to push it now with the dodgy hamstring. I always seem to have an excuse for underperforming in a 10k and today is no exception.
We set off on a cold but crisp morning, a great improvement on yesterday. For some reason I’m underdressed; it looked a lot warmer out the bedroom window than it is in reality. When we get there I take an age to get ready and am reluctant to strip down to my running kit. I even manage a last minute toilet stop as I try to avoid running. I set off quite far back down the field and soon we’re doing the completely unnecessary up and down the hill bit. I set off slowly – 4:30 then 4:20 and 4:10. I’m going past people gradually and although I’m aware of the hamstring it’s not threatening to stop me.
It’s an out and back and all too soon the fast guys are coming back; don’t recognise any of the leaders except Will who’s looking strong. I don’t spot Adrian but see Andy Hudson, Claire and Ian who are all going fast and are further in front of me than I would have wanted. I must be going round with my eyes closed as I miss the 5k and 6k markers. I’m going past people all the way to the final kilometre with only one guy coming past me. I pass Dave from parkrun (not that Dave!) who tells me he’s saving something for Sport Relief later and catch Ian with about 500m to go. I get dangerously close to what passes for a sprint, but have to rein myself in as my hamstring protests and I hold on for a chip time of 41:51 – 82nd out of 928 finishers and 6th over 50. Liz does a respectable 1:01:30 which is close to her PB.
The event was really well organised with lots of marshals from St Bedes, Eccleshill and the other Bradford clubs. Thanks to everyone who shouted encouragement; I wasn’t always aware who was shouting, but it certainly helped.
As ever, I’m knackered for the rest of the day.
We set off on a cold but crisp morning, a great improvement on yesterday. For some reason I’m underdressed; it looked a lot warmer out the bedroom window than it is in reality. When we get there I take an age to get ready and am reluctant to strip down to my running kit. I even manage a last minute toilet stop as I try to avoid running. I set off quite far back down the field and soon we’re doing the completely unnecessary up and down the hill bit. I set off slowly – 4:30 then 4:20 and 4:10. I’m going past people gradually and although I’m aware of the hamstring it’s not threatening to stop me.
It’s an out and back and all too soon the fast guys are coming back; don’t recognise any of the leaders except Will who’s looking strong. I don’t spot Adrian but see Andy Hudson, Claire and Ian who are all going fast and are further in front of me than I would have wanted. I must be going round with my eyes closed as I miss the 5k and 6k markers. I’m going past people all the way to the final kilometre with only one guy coming past me. I pass Dave from parkrun (not that Dave!) who tells me he’s saving something for Sport Relief later and catch Ian with about 500m to go. I get dangerously close to what passes for a sprint, but have to rein myself in as my hamstring protests and I hold on for a chip time of 41:51 – 82nd out of 928 finishers and 6th over 50. Liz does a respectable 1:01:30 which is close to her PB.
The event was really well organised with lots of marshals from St Bedes, Eccleshill and the other Bradford clubs. Thanks to everyone who shouted encouragement; I wasn’t always aware who was shouting, but it certainly helped.
As ever, I’m knackered for the rest of the day.
Saturday, 20th March – 36 days to go
Today we’re volunteering at parkrun as all the students except Alex are away. We get there for 8 o’clock and help to set up. I go with running clothes and standing around clothes as I’ll run if there are enough volunteers to keep the race going. Tom and Ned both turn up to help along with an army of volunteers so I choose to run.
I’m looking for a steady 23 minute run as I want to stretch the legs but not overdo it as I’ve got the 10k race tomorrow. Adrian has also volunteered and is looking for an easyish run so we decide to pace Ellie who is looking to go faster than her PB of 22:53.
We set off slowly and I warn him that we won’t actually catch Ellie until we get up the hill at 1.5k. When we get there she’s nowhere in sight so we pick up the pace and can’t catch her until 2.5k. We push on and I draw ahead with about 500m to go as I don’t want to risk the hamstring with a sprint. I can’t get ahead of them though, they just keep going faster. In the end Ellie knocks 53 seconds off her PB, is first lady home and breaks the 70% age graded barrier. What a great run!
My hamstring tightens during the rest of the day and is about the only thing that keeps me awake through the interminable football match in the afternoon.
Weight 71.3 kg
Total Mileage 45 miles
Long Run 20 miles
Long Run Pace 7:47
Days without alcohol 33
Really happy with the long run, but could have done without the hamstring niggle. Tell myself it’s a blessing as it’s keeping me from doing too many miles.
I’m looking for a steady 23 minute run as I want to stretch the legs but not overdo it as I’ve got the 10k race tomorrow. Adrian has also volunteered and is looking for an easyish run so we decide to pace Ellie who is looking to go faster than her PB of 22:53.
We set off slowly and I warn him that we won’t actually catch Ellie until we get up the hill at 1.5k. When we get there she’s nowhere in sight so we pick up the pace and can’t catch her until 2.5k. We push on and I draw ahead with about 500m to go as I don’t want to risk the hamstring with a sprint. I can’t get ahead of them though, they just keep going faster. In the end Ellie knocks 53 seconds off her PB, is first lady home and breaks the 70% age graded barrier. What a great run!
My hamstring tightens during the rest of the day and is about the only thing that keeps me awake through the interminable football match in the afternoon.
Weight 71.3 kg
Total Mileage 45 miles
Long Run 20 miles
Long Run Pace 7:47
Days without alcohol 33
Really happy with the long run, but could have done without the hamstring niggle. Tell myself it’s a blessing as it’s keeping me from doing too many miles.
Friday, 19th March – 37 days to go
I wrote a letter a couple of weeks ago to the VLM Race Director pointing out that the “good for age” qualification is unfair to older runners. David Bedford has replied, so in my best Hugh Dennis Mock the Week style I’ll try and interpret his weasel words.
“Our Good For Age categories have had little change since they were introduced by Chris Brasher in the 1980s and over the years have been well received”. We’ve not changed them in the past so why should we change them now? Someone else set the system up so don’t blame me. Almost all the feedback is from runners who have made the times and they’re all happy.
“If we created times on a “1 year” Good for Age basis it is likely that we would have too many runners”. Any fool with a spreadsheet could design a fair system in less than two hours but I’m going to make it sound complicated.
“If we were forced down this route it is more likely that we would just do away with this category”. I’m aware there’s been some age discrimination legislation recently and I strongly suspect that we don’t comply with it. If challenged I’ll take my bat and ball home rather than change the system.
“If we discriminate against anyone ….. it is probably against slower runners rather than older runners”. I’m going to leave you wondering whether I’m taking the mick out of you or whether I’m as thick as two short planks.
Oh well. I’ve written to VLM about my concerns and that’s about all I can do. I can now moan about their appalling good for age policy with a clear conscience!
I use my strength and conditioning session with Tony to get my hamstrings massaged while Liz concentrates on her shoulder again. Although the hamstring feels a lot looser at the end of the session, Tony advises rest over the weekend, but I decide to run easy. Hope it goes OK or I’ll have to live with guilt as well as disappointment.
“Our Good For Age categories have had little change since they were introduced by Chris Brasher in the 1980s and over the years have been well received”. We’ve not changed them in the past so why should we change them now? Someone else set the system up so don’t blame me. Almost all the feedback is from runners who have made the times and they’re all happy.
“If we created times on a “1 year” Good for Age basis it is likely that we would have too many runners”. Any fool with a spreadsheet could design a fair system in less than two hours but I’m going to make it sound complicated.
“If we were forced down this route it is more likely that we would just do away with this category”. I’m aware there’s been some age discrimination legislation recently and I strongly suspect that we don’t comply with it. If challenged I’ll take my bat and ball home rather than change the system.
“If we discriminate against anyone ….. it is probably against slower runners rather than older runners”. I’m going to leave you wondering whether I’m taking the mick out of you or whether I’m as thick as two short planks.
Oh well. I’ve written to VLM about my concerns and that’s about all I can do. I can now moan about their appalling good for age policy with a clear conscience!
I use my strength and conditioning session with Tony to get my hamstrings massaged while Liz concentrates on her shoulder again. Although the hamstring feels a lot looser at the end of the session, Tony advises rest over the weekend, but I decide to run easy. Hope it goes OK or I’ll have to live with guilt as well as disappointment.
Thursday, 18th March – 38 days to go
Marathon Talk is spot on again with a particularly fine Tony’s Trials. The time seems to be flying past and pretty soon the Paris runners will be tapering. Don’t know anyone doing Brighton but Mick is doing Lochaber
Distance Training tonight with Mick’s group. We head for a football field at Apperley Bridge – much easier for us to get to than the other Bradford locations. Not untypically we’ve had rain on Thursday afternoon again, but it’s reasonable by the time the session starts. We aim to do 300m intervals round a couple of pitches.
I’m a little sluggish at the start but am back on it by the time we do the third run. We finish off with some relays which are very tiring. I felt a twinge with the hamstring on my right leg towards the end of the session so have to back off for the last couple of runs. By the end of the session it’s raining hard and we rather rush through the cool down to head for home.
I’ve got to say everyone seems to be coming on in leaps and bounds and there’s a very positive vibe among the group. The course has certainly been both worthwhile and enjoyable. Back to the track next week, so I’m not planning anything too strenuous in the interim.
Distance Training tonight with Mick’s group. We head for a football field at Apperley Bridge – much easier for us to get to than the other Bradford locations. Not untypically we’ve had rain on Thursday afternoon again, but it’s reasonable by the time the session starts. We aim to do 300m intervals round a couple of pitches.
I’m a little sluggish at the start but am back on it by the time we do the third run. We finish off with some relays which are very tiring. I felt a twinge with the hamstring on my right leg towards the end of the session so have to back off for the last couple of runs. By the end of the session it’s raining hard and we rather rush through the cool down to head for home.
I’ve got to say everyone seems to be coming on in leaps and bounds and there’s a very positive vibe among the group. The course has certainly been both worthwhile and enjoyable. Back to the track next week, so I’m not planning anything too strenuous in the interim.
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Wednesday, 17th March – 39 days to go
Decide to run the parkrun course twice at lunch time. It’s familiar and I want to support parkrun freedom. The intention is to run the first one slightly slower than marathon pace and the second one slightly faster. I’ve already run several at marathon pace (about 23 minutes), so I reckon one at 24 minutes and another at 22 minutes should give me a feel for the right pace.
It takes an age to get going, then I find I’m going too quickly and have to slow down for the last kilometre. I end up with 23:49. After a drink and a couple of jelly babies I wander back to the start and I’m away again. It’s really difficult to judge the pace when there’s nobody else running the course. There are plenty of walkers and people cutting through the park, but the only runners I see are ones running in the opposite direction. I can’t sustain the pace and end up doing the second run in 22:21. I’m not sure how useful an exercise this has been as I’ve still got Sunday’s run in my legs and can’t seem to go as fast as I’d like. I hope that by Thursday evening I’ll be able to run quicker as we’re doing speedwork – 300m repetitions - with the distance running group.
I find I’ve left the car in a permit holders only place, but seem to have got away with it. When I get back I find I can’t enter my parkrun freedom times as the link is on my weekly newsletter and we always delete two of the three weekly e-mails we get and as luck would have it none of the ones we’ve kept is mine.
It takes an age to get going, then I find I’m going too quickly and have to slow down for the last kilometre. I end up with 23:49. After a drink and a couple of jelly babies I wander back to the start and I’m away again. It’s really difficult to judge the pace when there’s nobody else running the course. There are plenty of walkers and people cutting through the park, but the only runners I see are ones running in the opposite direction. I can’t sustain the pace and end up doing the second run in 22:21. I’m not sure how useful an exercise this has been as I’ve still got Sunday’s run in my legs and can’t seem to go as fast as I’d like. I hope that by Thursday evening I’ll be able to run quicker as we’re doing speedwork – 300m repetitions - with the distance running group.
I find I’ve left the car in a permit holders only place, but seem to have got away with it. When I get back I find I can’t enter my parkrun freedom times as the link is on my weekly newsletter and we always delete two of the three weekly e-mails we get and as luck would have it none of the ones we’ve kept is mine.
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Tuesday, 16th March – 40 days to go
Decide I’d better make up for my idleness yesterday and have a recovery run. Three miles at dead slow, I don’t bother with a watch. I don’t exactly move freely, but I work up a reasonable lather and I’m down to two items of clothing on top and one on bottom. Still wear hat and gloves though as it’s not that warm.
In the evening I turn up to meet the VARR mob for a more strenuous work out. Michael, Sophie and Kay are all there and seem pretty well recovered. After considering dropping down to group 3 I decide to stick with group 4 as Michael is leading the group and he must be just as tired as I am. We run up to the ring road at Horsforth and back – seven or eight miles. It’s a wee bit challenging on the way out as the pace is a little faster than I would have chosen, but I manage to stick with it. A good workout but I wouldn’t have wanted to go any faster or any further.
In the evening I turn up to meet the VARR mob for a more strenuous work out. Michael, Sophie and Kay are all there and seem pretty well recovered. After considering dropping down to group 3 I decide to stick with group 4 as Michael is leading the group and he must be just as tired as I am. We run up to the ring road at Horsforth and back – seven or eight miles. It’s a wee bit challenging on the way out as the pace is a little faster than I would have chosen, but I manage to stick with it. A good workout but I wouldn’t have wanted to go any faster or any further.
Monday, 15th March – 41 days to go
Not too bad with aches and pains when I crawl out of bed. Not keen on the idea of a recovery run though so I sack that as an idea. I appear to have caught the sun yesterday on my slap and nose. Will have to start using sunscreen and checking out whether I can run wearing a baseball cap. The weather at the London marathon appears to have been difficult to predict with hot and sunny one year and cold and rainy another. I’ll keep my options open but it would be wise to try out different clothing.
We have an evening appointment at Tony’s and after a ten minute warm up my legs are having the effort from yesterday massaged out of them. Whilst I have no specific pains this is definitely a Level 2 massage as there are plenty of aches and strains to be got rid of and this in itself is painful.
I’m still shattered from Sunday so take an early night.
We have an evening appointment at Tony’s and after a ten minute warm up my legs are having the effort from yesterday massaged out of them. Whilst I have no specific pains this is definitely a Level 2 massage as there are plenty of aches and strains to be got rid of and this in itself is painful.
I’m still shattered from Sunday so take an early night.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
The Seventh Photo
Following a disappointing long run on the Wednesday I’d decided that entering a long race would be good for my training. I’d looked at the Trimpell 20 website on the Thursday, but they weren’t taking on line bookings and there was no entry on the day. I then convinced myself that a long race would be bad for me and that I’d be better off sticking to my schedule and not have the distraction of other runners. Consequently, when Gill offered me her place at Trimpell 20 I was thrown into a momentary panic. By the time I’d thought about it some more I’d changed my mind again and wanted to run. I used to be indecisive but now I’m not so sure.
Everything about the day of the race went well and it was an excellent confidence booster for me. I confirmed what I’d learnt fairly early on when I took up running; I run better when I set off at a good pace and then pick it up in the latter stages. I’ve had a couple of good races recently where I’ve set off quickly (for me) and tried to hang on to Paul H and I’ve finished knackered but fairly high up the field. I’ve also had a couple of awful races recently where I’ve gone off too fast and faded badly towards the end. The idea of a negative split is appealing as long as I don’t get too far behind my target pace.
I went past something like fifty runners in the last eight miles of the race and ran the last eight almost a minute a mile faster than the first eight. Psychologically it’s a lot better going past people than being the one who is overtaken. Not sure I have the discipline to slow myself down at the start though. If Michael hadn’t been running I know I’d have gone too quickly. I’ve got to learn from it and that was what this long run was about. So here I am crossing the line at the Trimpell 20 in the middle of the target range I’d set myself. Job done.
Sunday, 14th March – 42 days to go
Up early for brekky as I want to get some fuel on board for the run later today. Couple of slices of toast with beans and a small bowl of porridge. It’s got three hours to digest so I should be ok. Had my first real alcohol test as Liz’s niece and young gentleman came over yesterday evening and prepared a sumptuous meal. Wasn’t really tempted to drink but didn’t sleep brilliantly well as I’m still not sure whether running an organised race is such a good idea.
Drive over to Lancaster and see the 13 mile marker at Caton on the A683. Seems an awful long way out of Lancaster. It’s a fabulous morning and there are lambs in the fields which is an encouraging sign in the battle against winter. We make good time and I make use of the facilities at Asda and top up on our supply of jelly babies. There are no problems in picking up the number and transferring to my name. Thanks to Gill for giving me her place.
The Eccleshill girls arrive and fellow bloggers Kay and Michael are also running. After a couple of warm up laps of the race track I begin to relax and shed several layers of clothing. Michael is aiming for a 2:45 run while I’m hoping to come in somewhere between 2:30 and 2:40. I ask him if it’s ok for me to run with him for the first few miles and he’s happy with that.
We start on time and although it feels like we’re running slowly, we go past the first mile marker in 7:40 so try and rein it in a bit. We are able to chat reasonably comfortably and settle into a pace of just over eight minutes. I have the opportunity to try out three different gels en route and I’ve got to say that High Fives win it for me. Not only are they less sticky, but they’re the only one of the three that I can get the top off properly. It’s a lovely sunny day and there are plenty of water stops to keep us hydrated. I utter the magic phrase “I’d better eat these jelly babies before they get stuck up my ass”; make a mental note to carry jelly babies in a bag and not loose in the key pocket of my running tights next time. We go past the half way mark in 1:21:30 and become aware that we’re running up a slight slope as the leading runners come storming past us down the slope. The leader is a couple of minutes ahead of the second guy who in turn is a couple of minutes ahead of the chasing pack.
Michael and I run together to the twelve mile mark when I decide to push on to see if I can run the last eight miles at marathon pace. I’m soon passing other runners and feeling pretty good. I see Julie, Sophie, Kay and David as I head back and figure that Lisa and Joanne must be not that far behind me as there’s a two mile loop in the course. I go through the half marathon mark at just over 1:45 – I find out later that the winner of the race has already finished by the time I get to this point. I’m still feeling good and going past other runners as I up the pace a little more on the down slopes.
There are no hills either up or down so it’s not difficult to get into a rhythm. There’s a confusing zig zag bit in the last mile where twice you go past the entrance to the running track before you finally get onto the track for the last two laps. I’m pretty tired by this time but manage to keep the pace going for a 2:35:34 finish.
As I recover I realise the track is some sort of wind trap and I get very cold and stiff very quickly. Throw on some clothes and try and remember some of the stretches Mick has shown us. Have to lean on Liz as I can’t stand and stretch without support. Michael comes in bang on time - the man’s a metronome. Liz is scurrying around making sure she gets photos of everyone and we wander back out to cheer people in as they enter the running track.
Everyone looks strong at the finish and has posted an encouraging time. Liz has dashed around the course shouting encouragement and taking photos. I’ve had a really positive run at a time when I was dreading the next long run. Running with Michael, seeing other runners I know on the way round, being part of a race and running somewhere different have all combined to give my training a real boost.
I slumber in the car on the way home (fortunately Liz is driving) and then have half an hour in a cold bath and a warm shower before piling into the pasta (gluten free) and drinking loads of water. I don’t feel too stiff, though the feet are a bit mashed.
Drive over to Lancaster and see the 13 mile marker at Caton on the A683. Seems an awful long way out of Lancaster. It’s a fabulous morning and there are lambs in the fields which is an encouraging sign in the battle against winter. We make good time and I make use of the facilities at Asda and top up on our supply of jelly babies. There are no problems in picking up the number and transferring to my name. Thanks to Gill for giving me her place.
The Eccleshill girls arrive and fellow bloggers Kay and Michael are also running. After a couple of warm up laps of the race track I begin to relax and shed several layers of clothing. Michael is aiming for a 2:45 run while I’m hoping to come in somewhere between 2:30 and 2:40. I ask him if it’s ok for me to run with him for the first few miles and he’s happy with that.
We start on time and although it feels like we’re running slowly, we go past the first mile marker in 7:40 so try and rein it in a bit. We are able to chat reasonably comfortably and settle into a pace of just over eight minutes. I have the opportunity to try out three different gels en route and I’ve got to say that High Fives win it for me. Not only are they less sticky, but they’re the only one of the three that I can get the top off properly. It’s a lovely sunny day and there are plenty of water stops to keep us hydrated. I utter the magic phrase “I’d better eat these jelly babies before they get stuck up my ass”; make a mental note to carry jelly babies in a bag and not loose in the key pocket of my running tights next time. We go past the half way mark in 1:21:30 and become aware that we’re running up a slight slope as the leading runners come storming past us down the slope. The leader is a couple of minutes ahead of the second guy who in turn is a couple of minutes ahead of the chasing pack.
Michael and I run together to the twelve mile mark when I decide to push on to see if I can run the last eight miles at marathon pace. I’m soon passing other runners and feeling pretty good. I see Julie, Sophie, Kay and David as I head back and figure that Lisa and Joanne must be not that far behind me as there’s a two mile loop in the course. I go through the half marathon mark at just over 1:45 – I find out later that the winner of the race has already finished by the time I get to this point. I’m still feeling good and going past other runners as I up the pace a little more on the down slopes.
There are no hills either up or down so it’s not difficult to get into a rhythm. There’s a confusing zig zag bit in the last mile where twice you go past the entrance to the running track before you finally get onto the track for the last two laps. I’m pretty tired by this time but manage to keep the pace going for a 2:35:34 finish.
As I recover I realise the track is some sort of wind trap and I get very cold and stiff very quickly. Throw on some clothes and try and remember some of the stretches Mick has shown us. Have to lean on Liz as I can’t stand and stretch without support. Michael comes in bang on time - the man’s a metronome. Liz is scurrying around making sure she gets photos of everyone and we wander back out to cheer people in as they enter the running track.
Everyone looks strong at the finish and has posted an encouraging time. Liz has dashed around the course shouting encouragement and taking photos. I’ve had a really positive run at a time when I was dreading the next long run. Running with Michael, seeing other runners I know on the way round, being part of a race and running somewhere different have all combined to give my training a real boost.
I slumber in the car on the way home (fortunately Liz is driving) and then have half an hour in a cold bath and a warm shower before piling into the pasta (gluten free) and drinking loads of water. I don’t feel too stiff, though the feet are a bit mashed.
Monday, 15 March 2010
Saturday, 13th March – 43 days to go
Up early for parkrun. I’d decided to really go for it today, but have had to rein myself in as I’ve entered a twenty mile race tomorrow by accident. I haven’t gone for it since 28th November and haven’t broken twenty minutes since 10th October, but it will have to wait a while longer.
There’s a great turn out and some old familiar faces. Ian is running despite getting injured suspiciously close to his last two parkruns. He’s brought Mungo who is absolutely enormous and he’s also brought me a yoga for runners book which I intend to work through during my taper. Adrian is also running for the first time in a while and it’s a shame I won’t be able to give him a run for his money, but I’ve got to be sensible.
Run round at marathon pace with Ellie who breaks 23 minutes again. New shoes are excellent and will use them sporadically gradually building up to longer runs.
Weight 71.6 kg
Total Mileage 36 miles
Long Run 20 miles
Long Run Pace 8:30
Days without alcohol 26
I’m probably not doing enough total mileage, but I’m so tired after the long runs that I want to rest the legs. Not sure where to go from here. Just get the long runs finished and try to up the intensity on shorter runs during the taper.
There’s a great turn out and some old familiar faces. Ian is running despite getting injured suspiciously close to his last two parkruns. He’s brought Mungo who is absolutely enormous and he’s also brought me a yoga for runners book which I intend to work through during my taper. Adrian is also running for the first time in a while and it’s a shame I won’t be able to give him a run for his money, but I’ve got to be sensible.
Run round at marathon pace with Ellie who breaks 23 minutes again. New shoes are excellent and will use them sporadically gradually building up to longer runs.
Weight 71.6 kg
Total Mileage 36 miles
Long Run 20 miles
Long Run Pace 8:30
Days without alcohol 26
I’m probably not doing enough total mileage, but I’m so tired after the long runs that I want to rest the legs. Not sure where to go from here. Just get the long runs finished and try to up the intensity on shorter runs during the taper.
The Sixth Photo
This is Tony Heath, Leeds’ premier personal trainer (am I allowed to say that?) getting some of the aches and pains and lactic acid out of my legs. Although I’m always moaning, I’ve had no significant pains throughout my marathon training so far. This can be attributed to Tony giving the legs a regular working over.
This part of my race preparation is going to be even more important over the next couple of weeks as I increase mileage, length of long runs and the intensity at which I’m running them. I’m also planning a session the day after the marathon to help with my recovery.
During the course of this particular massage Tony shared a tip from his sister-in-law who’s also running the Virgin London Marathon. Before she set’s off for her long run she runs a cold bath. When she gets home she immerses herself for thirty minutes. Apparently, anything less won’t have the desired effect in getting rid of the lactic acid. Although I’ve pledged to give this a try I’m not sure I’ve got the backbone for it.
The Fifth Photo
New shoes! Mizuno Wave Rider 13s. Pretty sure I’ll not be riding any waves in them, but they’re certainly comfortable. And so white. Didn’t realise how grey my old pairs had got. Still plenty of wear left in the old ones mind.
I’ll be wearing these in over the next couple of weeks with a view to running the marathon in them. They just feel so light they’re like slippers. They felt right the moment I put them on. Whereas the others I tried on felt OK, but no better than that.
When I got home from buying them I looked at some reviews of them. Nothing yet on the 13s, but some people felt that earlier versions were great for anything up to 10 miles, but didn’t have enough cushioning for distances beyond that. I’ll have to see. I’m not intending to go beyond ten miles that often to be honest.
Friday, 12th March – 44 days to go
A busy marathon centred day with a gym session with Tony in the afternoon, followed by a trip to York for my marathon shoes, a talk from a nutritionist plus a curry with some of the Thursday group.
After a warm up Tony stretches my legs and does a recovery massage. Liz takes some photos of Tony at work. Again, my legs feel significantly lighter when we leave than they did when I arrived.
Over to York to Sweatshop for some shoes. I’ve been having blister and black toe nail problems for some time so I want to get the best fitting road shoes I can for the day itself. I reckon with just over six weeks to go if I wear them in gradually I should have got used to them and be comfortable in them come the day. The lady in Sweatshop is the same lady who sold us our trail shoes and within five minutes my head is spinning with thicker mid soles, softer heel strikes, shock absorption and dispersion. She either really knows her stuff or just makes it up as she goes along and can talk confidently about running shoes for hours. What really sells it to me is the comfort and lightness. When she tells me about the improvements to the forefront cushioning and how this will protect my poor little tutsies the sale is made.
In the evening we pop over to Tong School for a talk from a couple of nutritionists. This has been arranged by Barney and Mick and most of the Thursday group are there to listen and ask questions. After charts and food diaries and a slide show I come to the conclusion I’ve not upped my carbs to take account of the extra work I’m doing. I should be eating my own body weight in carbs every three days or something instead of having the reduced portions I’ve been dishing up. At the end of the session Gill asks if I want to take her place in the Trimpell 20 on Sunday. After a momentary panic because I’m not psyched up for it I gratefully accept her offer.
Over to the 3 Singhs for a curry organised by Nikos. We talk running and I eat too much including polishing off Liz’s curry and rice. It’s out with the Rennies when we get home as the indigestion kicks in and feeds on the anxiety of the impending Trimpell 20.
After a warm up Tony stretches my legs and does a recovery massage. Liz takes some photos of Tony at work. Again, my legs feel significantly lighter when we leave than they did when I arrived.
Over to York to Sweatshop for some shoes. I’ve been having blister and black toe nail problems for some time so I want to get the best fitting road shoes I can for the day itself. I reckon with just over six weeks to go if I wear them in gradually I should have got used to them and be comfortable in them come the day. The lady in Sweatshop is the same lady who sold us our trail shoes and within five minutes my head is spinning with thicker mid soles, softer heel strikes, shock absorption and dispersion. She either really knows her stuff or just makes it up as she goes along and can talk confidently about running shoes for hours. What really sells it to me is the comfort and lightness. When she tells me about the improvements to the forefront cushioning and how this will protect my poor little tutsies the sale is made.
In the evening we pop over to Tong School for a talk from a couple of nutritionists. This has been arranged by Barney and Mick and most of the Thursday group are there to listen and ask questions. After charts and food diaries and a slide show I come to the conclusion I’ve not upped my carbs to take account of the extra work I’m doing. I should be eating my own body weight in carbs every three days or something instead of having the reduced portions I’ve been dishing up. At the end of the session Gill asks if I want to take her place in the Trimpell 20 on Sunday. After a momentary panic because I’m not psyched up for it I gratefully accept her offer.
Over to the 3 Singhs for a curry organised by Nikos. We talk running and I eat too much including polishing off Liz’s curry and rice. It’s out with the Rennies when we get home as the indigestion kicks in and feeds on the anxiety of the impending Trimpell 20.
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Thursday, 11th March – 45 days to go
Listen to Marathon Talk and Tony’s Trials is another classic. Not quite up there with Help! and Naked Running, but not far off. Frightening though. He’s aiming for 3:00 and I’m aiming for 3:15 to 3:30, yet he ran 85 miles last week, 10 sessions that week and 539 miles in the last seven weeks. I ran 32.8 miles last week in five sessions and have run fewer than 200 miles in seven weeks. I know I’m trying to run my first marathon on a light workload, but perhaps I’ve overdone it.
The evening session with Mick is at Horsfall Stadium in Bradford. This is the home of Bradford Park Avenue. It’s a newish home for them not the old league ground which also doubled up as a cricket ground for Yorkshire (when they recognised their obligation to play around the county instead of just in Leeds).
This is my first track session and I’m a little anxious as the legs are still heavy from the twenty mile run yesterday. After a few circuits of the track and a warm up we start the running. 400 metres at a fast 5k pace, repeated six times with a jog round the track in between. Managed between 82 and 90 seconds for each 400k so not bad even though the rest periods were somewhat generous. I’d like another track session when I’m not feeling so heavy legged just to see how fast I can go over various distances. We have another Thursday evening track session in a fortnight, but suspect I’ll be even more knackered for that.
Horsfall Stadium is a Bradford Council property and you can get on at virtually anytime for £2.75 a session including changing and showering facilities. Think I’ll make it a regular session over the summer.
The evening session with Mick is at Horsfall Stadium in Bradford. This is the home of Bradford Park Avenue. It’s a newish home for them not the old league ground which also doubled up as a cricket ground for Yorkshire (when they recognised their obligation to play around the county instead of just in Leeds).
This is my first track session and I’m a little anxious as the legs are still heavy from the twenty mile run yesterday. After a few circuits of the track and a warm up we start the running. 400 metres at a fast 5k pace, repeated six times with a jog round the track in between. Managed between 82 and 90 seconds for each 400k so not bad even though the rest periods were somewhat generous. I’d like another track session when I’m not feeling so heavy legged just to see how fast I can go over various distances. We have another Thursday evening track session in a fortnight, but suspect I’ll be even more knackered for that.
Horsfall Stadium is a Bradford Council property and you can get on at virtually anytime for £2.75 a session including changing and showering facilities. Think I’ll make it a regular session over the summer.
Wednesday, 10th March – 46 days to go
Today is the long run - 2hrs 50mins with 60mins easy, 90mins steady and 20 minutes near marathon pace. At least that’s the aim. I still haven’t found a satisfactory way to carry drinks around with me on these long runs. If I carry a drink it always finds it’s way into my right hand and after a while I get a stiff shoulder. Also I can’t use my arms properly in my running style so they end up just stuck in the same position. Today I’m using a holster type thing which is reasonably comfortable for walking, but hasn’t been brilliant when I’ve used it for running in the past. It feels like I’m pulling a sledge behind me as I set off down the road towards Otley.
It’s another sunny day – maybe Spring has arrived. The first mile is a bit of a drag as I’m aware of the little niggles and aches, but this soon wears off and I make good time going downhill and into Otley. Not quite so easy when I turn round and come back up the hill, but by the time I go past my house I’ve done the first seven miles in 57 minutes, which is a touch quicker than I intended.
I try to up the pace into Leeds and although I’m a little quicker for the first couple of miles I can’t sustain it. Coming back up the hill out of Leeds is awful; I slow down to a crawl and can’t seem to find any pace or energy. I’ve chomped an energy bar and an energy gel along the way, but I’m completely lacking the ability to pick up the pace. Drop the holster thing in the front garden and run half a mile past my house and back for a quicker final mile. Twenty miles in two hours fifty minutes at an average speed of 8:30. I was aiming for twenty one miles at an average speed of 8:06 so I’m not too happy.
On reflection I may have to just abandon a target time and just aim to get round as quickly as I can. I have three more long runs in my schedule and I’m not looking forward to them. They’re joyless and I feel overdressed and overburdened. I’ll try the camelback thing next time, but the water tastes horrible and I haven’t really mastered drinking through the tube thing. Another thing that is really irksome is the gels. Whenever I rip the top off it makes a pinhole which is almost impossible to get the gel out of. By the time I’ve got the gel out I’ve got messy hands and I’ve stumbled along for half a mile.
I don’t get the impression from other blogs that other people are struggling with their long runs the way I am. Michael and Kay are running them too quickly! Russ and Julie don’t seem to mention pace, but seem very upbeat. Must be just me then. They all seem to be running the Trimpell 20; wonder if I should? No entries on the day but on-line still open. Bugger, on-line is closed when I go into it. Decision made.
It’s another sunny day – maybe Spring has arrived. The first mile is a bit of a drag as I’m aware of the little niggles and aches, but this soon wears off and I make good time going downhill and into Otley. Not quite so easy when I turn round and come back up the hill, but by the time I go past my house I’ve done the first seven miles in 57 minutes, which is a touch quicker than I intended.
I try to up the pace into Leeds and although I’m a little quicker for the first couple of miles I can’t sustain it. Coming back up the hill out of Leeds is awful; I slow down to a crawl and can’t seem to find any pace or energy. I’ve chomped an energy bar and an energy gel along the way, but I’m completely lacking the ability to pick up the pace. Drop the holster thing in the front garden and run half a mile past my house and back for a quicker final mile. Twenty miles in two hours fifty minutes at an average speed of 8:30. I was aiming for twenty one miles at an average speed of 8:06 so I’m not too happy.
On reflection I may have to just abandon a target time and just aim to get round as quickly as I can. I have three more long runs in my schedule and I’m not looking forward to them. They’re joyless and I feel overdressed and overburdened. I’ll try the camelback thing next time, but the water tastes horrible and I haven’t really mastered drinking through the tube thing. Another thing that is really irksome is the gels. Whenever I rip the top off it makes a pinhole which is almost impossible to get the gel out of. By the time I’ve got the gel out I’ve got messy hands and I’ve stumbled along for half a mile.
I don’t get the impression from other blogs that other people are struggling with their long runs the way I am. Michael and Kay are running them too quickly! Russ and Julie don’t seem to mention pace, but seem very upbeat. Must be just me then. They all seem to be running the Trimpell 20; wonder if I should? No entries on the day but on-line still open. Bugger, on-line is closed when I go into it. Decision made.
Friday, 12 March 2010
Tuesday, 9th March – 47 days to go
I have to do a long run today or tomorrow. I guess because I’m not looking forward to it I put it off until tomorrow. Read Graeme Hilditch on motivation. Nor much there for me really. He has nine tips for staying motivated and I immediately discount six of them. Decide to read the Lance Armstrong book I’ve got and also to buy the other one that I haven’t read. Particularly like the quote “Pain is temporary, quitting is forever”. Not sure I’m ready to live up to that just yet though. Also decide to go and watch an event of two and get a second hand feeling of satisfaction from watching other runners. It would be nice to remind myself how the frontrunners look when they’re going for it.
I’m becoming a fruitaholic. Once I can get past the hassle of eating fruit I’m ok. It is a lot easier to open a bag of crisps and throw them down your throat than peeling a messy orange, particularly when you have to take off all the pith like I do. I know it’s not much hassle, but it has been an excuse in the past. Now I’m straight in there. They’re a bit unpredictable though. Two oranges can be identical to look at but one’s delicious and the other’s a dog. Same with satsumas and clems. For no apparent reason one can be bursting with freshness and another bursting with pips.
I’ve given up this only eating food that’s in season nonsense though. I like berries so why should I have to wait until they’re in season in Yorkshire? That’s hardly going to help me with my Spring marathon training. Not keen on this “ripen in the bowl” stuff that some of the supermarkets are promoting. One day it’s rock hard and inedible, next day it’s soft and mushy. Avocados seem to change in a blink.
In the evening I head off with my eldest for a look at the new gym facilities at the University, but soon hit traffic. I arrive late and immediately get lost on campus. As I’m on my way to an evening football match I abandon all hope of finding the facilities and head off for the M62. Apologies to George for temporarily suspending my no swearing resolution. There were exacerbating circumstances (aren’t there always).
I’m becoming a fruitaholic. Once I can get past the hassle of eating fruit I’m ok. It is a lot easier to open a bag of crisps and throw them down your throat than peeling a messy orange, particularly when you have to take off all the pith like I do. I know it’s not much hassle, but it has been an excuse in the past. Now I’m straight in there. They’re a bit unpredictable though. Two oranges can be identical to look at but one’s delicious and the other’s a dog. Same with satsumas and clems. For no apparent reason one can be bursting with freshness and another bursting with pips.
I’ve given up this only eating food that’s in season nonsense though. I like berries so why should I have to wait until they’re in season in Yorkshire? That’s hardly going to help me with my Spring marathon training. Not keen on this “ripen in the bowl” stuff that some of the supermarkets are promoting. One day it’s rock hard and inedible, next day it’s soft and mushy. Avocados seem to change in a blink.
In the evening I head off with my eldest for a look at the new gym facilities at the University, but soon hit traffic. I arrive late and immediately get lost on campus. As I’m on my way to an evening football match I abandon all hope of finding the facilities and head off for the M62. Apologies to George for temporarily suspending my no swearing resolution. There were exacerbating circumstances (aren’t there always).
Monday, 8th March – 48 days to go
Rest Day. I feel I need it. No running today, but have a gym session with Tony. Liz works on her dodgy shoulder again while I concentrate on upper body circuits interspersed with some stretching. I’m much more flexible than I was expecting as I thought the body would lose some stretch when I upped the mileage as it has done in the past.
I’ve been reading “The marathon and half marathon – a training guide” by Graeme Hilditch. It seems to cover all the things you’d expect in a reasonably straightforward manner. There are loads of photos and charts to break up the text which is pretty dry. The explanations for many of the charts (and how they apply to me) are inadequate (or perhaps I’m not on the same wavelength). The photos are great though. I particularly like a photo of someone hitting the wall on page 105; the person looks fitter than me, is wearing a bona fide club vest (Westbury Harriers) and it appears to be at the end of a half marathon. So real runners have hit the wall at lower mileage than me.
I seem to be doing most of the things that Graeme suggests, but he can’t tell me why I can’t get up to pace on my long runs. Guess I’ll have to keep reading.
I’ve been reading “The marathon and half marathon – a training guide” by Graeme Hilditch. It seems to cover all the things you’d expect in a reasonably straightforward manner. There are loads of photos and charts to break up the text which is pretty dry. The explanations for many of the charts (and how they apply to me) are inadequate (or perhaps I’m not on the same wavelength). The photos are great though. I particularly like a photo of someone hitting the wall on page 105; the person looks fitter than me, is wearing a bona fide club vest (Westbury Harriers) and it appears to be at the end of a half marathon. So real runners have hit the wall at lower mileage than me.
I seem to be doing most of the things that Graeme suggests, but he can’t tell me why I can’t get up to pace on my long runs. Guess I’ll have to keep reading.
Thursday, 11 March 2010
The Fourth Photo
This is me getting caught by Andy Hudson just before the finish of the final PECO cross country at Esholt. My running style looks better than his, though to be fair I’ve gone round the cunningly placed tree stump while he’s leapt over it. You’d have to be pretty unaware to trip over this particular tree stump, but they’d dotted a few smaller ones around the course, particularly where you couldn’t see properly because the sun was in your eyes. Still, I managed to get round unscathed and it was good to be running at something that felt faster than marathon pace.
It was also good to lose several layers of clothing. I’ve been running with three layers up top and two layers down below, but managed to lose a layer off each for this race. It was just a bit too cold to give up the T shirt though. Also good to get a run where I’m not carrying a drink which is also getting a bit wearing.
Bring on the Bradford 10k. Maybe I can crack the forty minute barrier this time. This will be my last race before the marathon so I want to give it my best shot as the training is now getting tiresome.
Monday, 8 March 2010
Sunday, 7th March – 49 days to go
We have the fifth and final PECO cross country race today. I’ve checked the course online and it doesn’t look too daunting, 4.76 miles of a two lap course.
It’s a lovely sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. Very chilly when you’re out of the sun, but there’s definitely a touch of Spring in the air. We park up near the viaduct and wander down to Esholt and through to the registration area. The Eccleshill ladies are on duty prior to Sophie & Julie doing their long run.
We saunter over to the start and meet up with a good turnout of VARR. We trot along part of the course and in the quarter of a mile we peruse, brambles and a large icy puddle are just two of the obstacles that will make the run interesting. We congregate in the sunshine and find ourselves close to the front as the claxon sounds the start of the race. Faster runners soon hurtle past and I settle into some sort of rhythm. There’s an interesting steeplechase hurdle that seems to appear out of nowhere and then we’re off the concrete and up into the woods. My plan of following Russ is already out of the window as he’s nowhere in sight and I have no idea whether he’s ahead of me or behind. I focus on Paul H and decide I’ll trail him for as long as I can. Overtake a couple of runners on the first circuit and settle in behind Paul and a Kirkstall Harrier. I hold position for almost all of the second lap as Paul goes past the Kirkstall guy and gradually pulls away. On the final uphill slope the Kirkstall guy turns aside and is very ill indeed. On the last downhill bit two runners risk life and limb to go past me and have their own race for supremacy. Nailed on the line by Andy Hudson again – doesn’t he get fed up of doing that? I finish thirty seventh, which is significantly higher than the previous two races. Quite a few of the faster older guys have raced in the vets league rather than this one, but even so I was very happy with the way things went.
This has been a proper cross country race with a bit of everything. Other runners come home with scrapes and scratches, but for once I managed to stay on my feet. I have very muddy legs, but no aches or pains that I didn’t start off with.
Have a drink (non-alcoholic) in the clubhouse and get some very positive provisional results with VARR first in both men’s and women’s teams. I’m cream-crackered for the rest of the day and don’t manage to do any of the gardening I’d promised to do.
It’s a lovely sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. Very chilly when you’re out of the sun, but there’s definitely a touch of Spring in the air. We park up near the viaduct and wander down to Esholt and through to the registration area. The Eccleshill ladies are on duty prior to Sophie & Julie doing their long run.
We saunter over to the start and meet up with a good turnout of VARR. We trot along part of the course and in the quarter of a mile we peruse, brambles and a large icy puddle are just two of the obstacles that will make the run interesting. We congregate in the sunshine and find ourselves close to the front as the claxon sounds the start of the race. Faster runners soon hurtle past and I settle into some sort of rhythm. There’s an interesting steeplechase hurdle that seems to appear out of nowhere and then we’re off the concrete and up into the woods. My plan of following Russ is already out of the window as he’s nowhere in sight and I have no idea whether he’s ahead of me or behind. I focus on Paul H and decide I’ll trail him for as long as I can. Overtake a couple of runners on the first circuit and settle in behind Paul and a Kirkstall Harrier. I hold position for almost all of the second lap as Paul goes past the Kirkstall guy and gradually pulls away. On the final uphill slope the Kirkstall guy turns aside and is very ill indeed. On the last downhill bit two runners risk life and limb to go past me and have their own race for supremacy. Nailed on the line by Andy Hudson again – doesn’t he get fed up of doing that? I finish thirty seventh, which is significantly higher than the previous two races. Quite a few of the faster older guys have raced in the vets league rather than this one, but even so I was very happy with the way things went.
This has been a proper cross country race with a bit of everything. Other runners come home with scrapes and scratches, but for once I managed to stay on my feet. I have very muddy legs, but no aches or pains that I didn’t start off with.
Have a drink (non-alcoholic) in the clubhouse and get some very positive provisional results with VARR first in both men’s and women’s teams. I’m cream-crackered for the rest of the day and don’t manage to do any of the gardening I’d promised to do.
Saturday, 6th March – 50 days to go
Ran parkrun reasonably slowly, only went for it for the last 400 metres. I’m pleased that I’ve managed to avoid trying to go quickly at the 5k time trials as my priority is getting fit for completing the marathon in a reasonably fast time.
It has been a tiring week with three short runs, one medium run and one long run. The legs feel permanently tired, but I have no specific injuries or anything I can blame for slowing me down other than general fatigue. The long run pace has not quickened and is still over a minute slower than my marathon pace, so I know I have to up the intensity as well as the mileage.
Weight 72.1 kg
Total Mileage 32.8 miles
Long Run 18.8 miles
Long Run Pace 8:34
Days without alcohol 19
Unbelievably, at last I’m in the “normal” range on the BMI scale. It seems to have taken an age to get from just into obese (BMI of 30.0) through “overweight”. I’ve tried metric and imperial, different on line calculators and got Liz to do the calculations in the past all to no avail. Alright, at 24.9 it’s borderline; I admit I’m right on the cusp of overweight and it could always go the other way in the next week, but for now at least I’m normal. It looks a weird chart though. If I lost another 10.1 kg I’d still only be at the mid-point of normal. I’d be down to 9 stone 10 lbs in real money. To get to “underweight” I’d be weighing in at 54 kg (8 stone 7 lbs). I think my head weighs more than that on its own.
It has been a tiring week with three short runs, one medium run and one long run. The legs feel permanently tired, but I have no specific injuries or anything I can blame for slowing me down other than general fatigue. The long run pace has not quickened and is still over a minute slower than my marathon pace, so I know I have to up the intensity as well as the mileage.
Weight 72.1 kg
Total Mileage 32.8 miles
Long Run 18.8 miles
Long Run Pace 8:34
Days without alcohol 19
Unbelievably, at last I’m in the “normal” range on the BMI scale. It seems to have taken an age to get from just into obese (BMI of 30.0) through “overweight”. I’ve tried metric and imperial, different on line calculators and got Liz to do the calculations in the past all to no avail. Alright, at 24.9 it’s borderline; I admit I’m right on the cusp of overweight and it could always go the other way in the next week, but for now at least I’m normal. It looks a weird chart though. If I lost another 10.1 kg I’d still only be at the mid-point of normal. I’d be down to 9 stone 10 lbs in real money. To get to “underweight” I’d be weighing in at 54 kg (8 stone 7 lbs). I think my head weighs more than that on its own.
Friday, 5th March – 51 days to go
A rest day. Have a training session with Tony. I’m on my own as Liz is away in London with work. Have a good upper body and core workout. The physio was right; I really do have a weak core. I can barely do the crunches. Perhaps I’ll have to do some strength and conditioning work at home.
I’m beginning to look forward to the cross country race on Sunday. It’s strange that when I was racing for four consecutive Sundays I was keen to stop racing and get on with training. After three weeks of training I feel I need a race to freshen things up.
St Bede’s have stepped in and are providing the course, facilities and some marshals with Eccleshill also providing support. One consequence of the last minute changes is that there will be no post-race buffet. For me, this is a blessing as buffets are probably the one thing about being a coeliac that I really don’t like. I don’t hanker after any particular food that I can’t have and have got used to the inconvenience of not being able to just pick up a sarnie or pasty or something in town when I’m peckish. Buffets are pretty awful though as there’s never anything I can eat. What makes it worse is that I was a world class buffet performer before I was diagnosed.
There are very few people in the world who can claim to be “world best”, but I reckon that at buffets I could make such a boast. I was entirely self-taught, with no formal training in structural engineering. The key for me was always in making a rectangle with four vol au vents (two storey if they had reasonably sound lids) and build round with sandwiches, particularly the little triangle ones. In fill with other goodies such as sausage rolls, chicken legs, crisps etc. I always took two plates and if challenged (usually by some matriarch who was already ticked off because we weren’t technically invited to the party anyway) would say one was for my (imaginary) friend Denis. If this didn’t give me free access to the buffet and I was feeling cocky I’d add “He’s in a wheelchair”. One particular speciality was with buffets where paper plates were being used. I mastered a technique of whipping a ceramic plate from under the food that was placed on it (usually without too much disturbance to the food) thus giving me the edge on others who were trying to stack food onto paper plates. This technique was more or less successful even after many beers.
I’m beginning to look forward to the cross country race on Sunday. It’s strange that when I was racing for four consecutive Sundays I was keen to stop racing and get on with training. After three weeks of training I feel I need a race to freshen things up.
St Bede’s have stepped in and are providing the course, facilities and some marshals with Eccleshill also providing support. One consequence of the last minute changes is that there will be no post-race buffet. For me, this is a blessing as buffets are probably the one thing about being a coeliac that I really don’t like. I don’t hanker after any particular food that I can’t have and have got used to the inconvenience of not being able to just pick up a sarnie or pasty or something in town when I’m peckish. Buffets are pretty awful though as there’s never anything I can eat. What makes it worse is that I was a world class buffet performer before I was diagnosed.
There are very few people in the world who can claim to be “world best”, but I reckon that at buffets I could make such a boast. I was entirely self-taught, with no formal training in structural engineering. The key for me was always in making a rectangle with four vol au vents (two storey if they had reasonably sound lids) and build round with sandwiches, particularly the little triangle ones. In fill with other goodies such as sausage rolls, chicken legs, crisps etc. I always took two plates and if challenged (usually by some matriarch who was already ticked off because we weren’t technically invited to the party anyway) would say one was for my (imaginary) friend Denis. If this didn’t give me free access to the buffet and I was feeling cocky I’d add “He’s in a wheelchair”. One particular speciality was with buffets where paper plates were being used. I mastered a technique of whipping a ceramic plate from under the food that was placed on it (usually without too much disturbance to the food) thus giving me the edge on others who were trying to stack food onto paper plates. This technique was more or less successful even after many beers.
Thursday, 4th March – 52 days to go
The evening session with Mick’s Thursday group is described as “VO2: Long intervals”. We meet just off Thornton Road (a shady district of Bradford) instead of the usual shady district in Bradford. This particular locale is like the before photos in some city regeneration story, but of course there is no regeneration and little chance of any after photos anytime soon. It is not somewhere I’d choose to run on my own, but feels safe enough in a large group.
After exercises and a warm up jog we do four circuits of a one kilometre rectangle with a three minute plus rest in between runs. We aim for something a little faster than our 10k pace, but not quite as fast as 5k pace. We set off in reverse order and in theory we should all get back at around the same time. The competitive streak kicks in and we all end up going a little faster than our original intention. After a 2k cool down we all head home following a really good session.
Next Thursday we have an evening at the track planned for a “short tempo” session. This will be my first track session so I’m really looking forward to it.
After exercises and a warm up jog we do four circuits of a one kilometre rectangle with a three minute plus rest in between runs. We aim for something a little faster than our 10k pace, but not quite as fast as 5k pace. We set off in reverse order and in theory we should all get back at around the same time. The competitive streak kicks in and we all end up going a little faster than our original intention. After a 2k cool down we all head home following a really good session.
Next Thursday we have an evening at the track planned for a “short tempo” session. This will be my first track session so I’m really looking forward to it.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Wednesday, 3rd March – 53 days to go
Just a recovery run today. I would have liked to go off road to give my feet a bit of a break from pavement pounding but with the recent snow just melted I decide to leave it for now. A gentle three miler around the lanes close to our house is the order of the day. There’s still a little snow in the shady bits and it’s another lovely day.
I wrote to David Bedford race director of the Virgin London Marathon today. They make it difficult for you to write to him, presumably to stop all the nutters, but I found a way through. I tried to stick to the point and not to rant and didn’t use the word “complain” even once. It’s to do with their rules on “good for age” which I feel is both discriminatory and frankly lazy. I have to run 3:15:00 to be deemed good for age. I think this is a tall order and right on the edge of my capabilities. Everything would have to go just right for me to run that fast. Yet it’s the same time for a forty one year old bloke. Worse still, it stays at 3:15 until I get to sixty (if I get to sixty).
If you look at the age graded calcs a forty one year old bloke would have to run 2:55:30 to match my target time of 3:15:00; he’d have to run 2:46 to match a fifty nine year old running a 3:15. This is just wrong. Most rants are clear-the-head, vent-the-spleen exercises which I regard as good for your overall wellbeing. When someone can do something about a thing that you perceive to be wrong I think you really ought to tell them and give them the opportunity to make changes or come back at you with their reasons leaving things as they are. It seems a little ungrateful to be whinging whilst still six and a half weeks from the start, but I’ve got it out of my system now and can move on. The reason I want to be “good for age” isn’t an ego thing; you get allowed back for either of the next two years if you get good for age. If Liz is lucky with the ballot we could then prepare for and run the event together.
The legs are a little wobbly and achy from yesterday’s efforts. The plan for the evening is to listen to Marathon Talk and watch the footy on telly. An alcoholic beverage would be most welcome but I’ll stick to the water. Haven’t really had the urge for a bevy, but it doesn’t seem right watching an evening game on TV without a drink in hand.
I wrote to David Bedford race director of the Virgin London Marathon today. They make it difficult for you to write to him, presumably to stop all the nutters, but I found a way through. I tried to stick to the point and not to rant and didn’t use the word “complain” even once. It’s to do with their rules on “good for age” which I feel is both discriminatory and frankly lazy. I have to run 3:15:00 to be deemed good for age. I think this is a tall order and right on the edge of my capabilities. Everything would have to go just right for me to run that fast. Yet it’s the same time for a forty one year old bloke. Worse still, it stays at 3:15 until I get to sixty (if I get to sixty).
If you look at the age graded calcs a forty one year old bloke would have to run 2:55:30 to match my target time of 3:15:00; he’d have to run 2:46 to match a fifty nine year old running a 3:15. This is just wrong. Most rants are clear-the-head, vent-the-spleen exercises which I regard as good for your overall wellbeing. When someone can do something about a thing that you perceive to be wrong I think you really ought to tell them and give them the opportunity to make changes or come back at you with their reasons leaving things as they are. It seems a little ungrateful to be whinging whilst still six and a half weeks from the start, but I’ve got it out of my system now and can move on. The reason I want to be “good for age” isn’t an ego thing; you get allowed back for either of the next two years if you get good for age. If Liz is lucky with the ballot we could then prepare for and run the event together.
The legs are a little wobbly and achy from yesterday’s efforts. The plan for the evening is to listen to Marathon Talk and watch the footy on telly. An alcoholic beverage would be most welcome but I’ll stick to the water. Haven’t really had the urge for a bevy, but it doesn’t seem right watching an evening game on TV without a drink in hand.
Tuesday, 2nd March – 54 days to go
What a bummer; it’s snowed overnight again. About half an inch which will soon melt, but is a nuisance and completely unexpected. I must start checking the weather forecast as I suppose it was only unexpected to me.
The long run is scheduled for two hours and forty minutes. I reckon that equates to about nineteen miles if it’s hilly or closer to twenty if it’s flat. I’m aiming to run down the A660 to the roundabout above Otley and then come back up the hill past my house. I’ll then carry on and do two circuits round Eccup rezza and then back home. That way I can drop a couple of bottles in the front garden and keep hydrated without carrying a load of fuel around with me.
Decide on the road shoes rather than trail shoes as 90% of the run will be on the road. It’s a lovely day with hardly a cloud in the sky and the snow melts quickly where the sun can get at it. Downhill to Otley is easy with just a couple of slippery bits where there’s a covering of mud on the path. Uphill is hard work and I have to stop to re-lace my shoes when I get back to our house. I’d scrubbed the road shoes at the weekend and taken the laces out and not put them back in the way they’d been before. It’s funny how a little thing like that is enough to make them feel uncomfortable. I must remember not to mess with my laces just before marathon day.
Up the road and through Golden Acre park which is full of geriatrics enjoying the relatively good weather. When I go off road to go anti-clockwise round the rezza I hit problems in the first field which is just gloopy, claggy mud that sticks to the shoes and soaks the socks. A bit of a waste of time washing the road shoes at the weekend. Back on the made path it’s easier underfoot. It’s Siberian on the far side of the rezza where the sun can’t get through and the wind seems to pick up as it blows uninterrupted across the rezza.
The second lap round the rezza is a real drag and my legs feel really heavy. The massage from yesterday evening is now just a distant memory. I slow considerably until I get back to the A660 when I make a conscious effort to pick up the pace. I know that Mick’s schedule for all future runs has me starting slowly, picking up the pace in the middle section and finishing more quickly. He says this is more a mental test than a physical one, but I’m not so sure.
Finish the run in 2 hours 41 minutes and I reckon it was 18.8 miles. When I get back it’s a mad scramble to do all the post-long run things. Neck the recovery drink, get out of sweat-soaked kit, cold water on legs, warm shower and some snap. Apparently (yes, I know that all sentences that start with the word “apparently” are either urban myths or just plain wrong) any food you can get down within twenty minutes of your long run has no calories. Effectively you’ve got a free hit, so obviously I never want to miss out on that.
For the first time after a long run I don’t need to go for a lie down, which I’m taking as a positive sign. Also I’ve set off for the run at roughly the same time as the VLM starts – a tip picked up from someone on Marathon Talk. This won’t always be possible, but it did feel more civilised than the early morning long runs I have been doing.
Although I’m knackered I join the VARR boys and girls for the evening training session and social. We jog down Kirkstall Road towards town and turn off just after TGI Friday’s. We do short intervals on a side road; twelve one minute sprints with a one minute recovery. I more or less manage to keep up and am still reasonably strong at the end of the session.
Ten of us roll up to Sheesh Mahal for a curry before going home. Polishing off Liz’s leftovers after finishing my own meal was probably not such a good idea in retrospect. I’m up in the night with indigestion.
Still, a good day’s training and for the first time I’ve done two running sessions in a day. It was good to do some speedwork as well and get the legs moving at something quicker than marathon pace.
The long run is scheduled for two hours and forty minutes. I reckon that equates to about nineteen miles if it’s hilly or closer to twenty if it’s flat. I’m aiming to run down the A660 to the roundabout above Otley and then come back up the hill past my house. I’ll then carry on and do two circuits round Eccup rezza and then back home. That way I can drop a couple of bottles in the front garden and keep hydrated without carrying a load of fuel around with me.
Decide on the road shoes rather than trail shoes as 90% of the run will be on the road. It’s a lovely day with hardly a cloud in the sky and the snow melts quickly where the sun can get at it. Downhill to Otley is easy with just a couple of slippery bits where there’s a covering of mud on the path. Uphill is hard work and I have to stop to re-lace my shoes when I get back to our house. I’d scrubbed the road shoes at the weekend and taken the laces out and not put them back in the way they’d been before. It’s funny how a little thing like that is enough to make them feel uncomfortable. I must remember not to mess with my laces just before marathon day.
Up the road and through Golden Acre park which is full of geriatrics enjoying the relatively good weather. When I go off road to go anti-clockwise round the rezza I hit problems in the first field which is just gloopy, claggy mud that sticks to the shoes and soaks the socks. A bit of a waste of time washing the road shoes at the weekend. Back on the made path it’s easier underfoot. It’s Siberian on the far side of the rezza where the sun can’t get through and the wind seems to pick up as it blows uninterrupted across the rezza.
The second lap round the rezza is a real drag and my legs feel really heavy. The massage from yesterday evening is now just a distant memory. I slow considerably until I get back to the A660 when I make a conscious effort to pick up the pace. I know that Mick’s schedule for all future runs has me starting slowly, picking up the pace in the middle section and finishing more quickly. He says this is more a mental test than a physical one, but I’m not so sure.
Finish the run in 2 hours 41 minutes and I reckon it was 18.8 miles. When I get back it’s a mad scramble to do all the post-long run things. Neck the recovery drink, get out of sweat-soaked kit, cold water on legs, warm shower and some snap. Apparently (yes, I know that all sentences that start with the word “apparently” are either urban myths or just plain wrong) any food you can get down within twenty minutes of your long run has no calories. Effectively you’ve got a free hit, so obviously I never want to miss out on that.
For the first time after a long run I don’t need to go for a lie down, which I’m taking as a positive sign. Also I’ve set off for the run at roughly the same time as the VLM starts – a tip picked up from someone on Marathon Talk. This won’t always be possible, but it did feel more civilised than the early morning long runs I have been doing.
Although I’m knackered I join the VARR boys and girls for the evening training session and social. We jog down Kirkstall Road towards town and turn off just after TGI Friday’s. We do short intervals on a side road; twelve one minute sprints with a one minute recovery. I more or less manage to keep up and am still reasonably strong at the end of the session.
Ten of us roll up to Sheesh Mahal for a curry before going home. Polishing off Liz’s leftovers after finishing my own meal was probably not such a good idea in retrospect. I’m up in the night with indigestion.
Still, a good day’s training and for the first time I’ve done two running sessions in a day. It was good to do some speedwork as well and get the legs moving at something quicker than marathon pace.
Monday, 1st March – 55 days to go
Blimey, it’s March already. That marathon date is looming larger. Today is a rest day before tackling a long run tomorrow – “2 hrs 40 min easy”. The weather has bucked up, wintry sunshine and plenty of activity in the rookery opposite our house. Can I see these as signs of Spring?
We have an hour at Tony’s in the evening. After warming up I’m straight on Tony’s folding table for a massage. Level 1 again today – there are no niggles just an underlying heaviness in the legs. Liz concentrates on exercising her dodgy shoulder while I just lie there and do bugger all. Afterwards the legs feel considerably lighter; not exactly pumped full of helium but no longer full of lead.
I’ve been pondering over what time I ought to be aiming to run the VLM. Indeed, I’ve been considering whether it would be better to not set a target and aim to get round reasonably slowly and just enjoy the experience. I know from Marathon Talk that there is some fairly detailed splits information available on each London Marathon finisher from previous years. I download information about 3:15 finishers and 3:30 finishers in 2009 and stick it into Excel. First interesting thing; the splits are at the 5k marks throughout the race plus the half way mark. Clearly there are mats to run across each 5k that recognise your chip, I’d imagined that all markers would be mile markers with no reference to kilometres. Only two out of the thirty runners recorded negative splits. Times for almost everyone fell away significantly for the last 12k. The 3:15 runners ran more closely to a 3:15 pace than the 3:30 runners did to a 3:30 pace so I guess consistency pays off.
I don’t have to commit to a target until the day of the race, but I’d feel more comfortable with a defined target so I don’t go off too fast and can aim to maintain a steady pace. It sounds daft but a kilometre target of 4:39 seems less daunting than a mile target of 7:27. I think I’ll stick with 3:15 as a notional target for now and then just see how the training goes.
We have an hour at Tony’s in the evening. After warming up I’m straight on Tony’s folding table for a massage. Level 1 again today – there are no niggles just an underlying heaviness in the legs. Liz concentrates on exercising her dodgy shoulder while I just lie there and do bugger all. Afterwards the legs feel considerably lighter; not exactly pumped full of helium but no longer full of lead.
I’ve been pondering over what time I ought to be aiming to run the VLM. Indeed, I’ve been considering whether it would be better to not set a target and aim to get round reasonably slowly and just enjoy the experience. I know from Marathon Talk that there is some fairly detailed splits information available on each London Marathon finisher from previous years. I download information about 3:15 finishers and 3:30 finishers in 2009 and stick it into Excel. First interesting thing; the splits are at the 5k marks throughout the race plus the half way mark. Clearly there are mats to run across each 5k that recognise your chip, I’d imagined that all markers would be mile markers with no reference to kilometres. Only two out of the thirty runners recorded negative splits. Times for almost everyone fell away significantly for the last 12k. The 3:15 runners ran more closely to a 3:15 pace than the 3:30 runners did to a 3:30 pace so I guess consistency pays off.
I don’t have to commit to a target until the day of the race, but I’d feel more comfortable with a defined target so I don’t go off too fast and can aim to maintain a steady pace. It sounds daft but a kilometre target of 4:39 seems less daunting than a mile target of 7:27. I think I’ll stick with 3:15 as a notional target for now and then just see how the training goes.
Monday, 1 March 2010
Sunday, 28th February – 56 days to go
Just a recovery run today. I want to get yesterdays’ long run out of my legs as quickly as possible as I’ve brought forward this weeks’ long run from Sunday to Tuesday. I’ve slept in one set of compression kit and have the other set ready to wear during the day. That sounds really decadent – two sets of compression wear, but they’re not Skins just the finest that Aldi provide – wouldn’t look out of place at a Trekkie Convention.
I run a gentle three miler up to Hilton Grange and back. It’s a reasonably pleasant day a little warmer than of late and no sign of wintry showers. Quite a few people about by the time I get out the door. I have to steer clear of the potentially murderous hooves of five horses/ponies on the run. Loads of walkers wrapped up warm and the occasional runner. I no longer refer to runners as “joggers” and always now check out their running styles. Every runner today is more businesslike than me and seems to be moving considerably quicker than I am. I’m only a little concerned by this, but I am looking forward to some shorter sessions where I am running quicker than my marathon pace.
The body feels ok. No specific pains, but a general tightness and aching. I have decided to work my way through another of our running and fitness books “Look 15 Years Younger Yoga Plan” by Barbara Currie. I have to say straight off I have absolutely no wish to look fifteen years younger and don’t think I could achieve it without major surgery; it was the only yoga book in the shop that wasn’t written by a “celebrity” or didn’t have photos of young people on the cover and inside. Old Barbara could do with a little advice from her chums as there’s a real danger that she’ll go too far down the Barbara Cartland path, but she’s a game old bird and you should see what she gets up to on page 146.
I’m very much at the beginner stage when it comes to yoga. In fact I haven’t made it past Chapter 4 of this book in the twelve months since we bought it. The first four chapters have some excellent fifteen minute workouts and have definitely contributed to getting some flexibility back into the old bod. My balance isn’t what it might be – a bit like James Nesbitt in the Yellow Pages ad where he signs up for the intermediate class. I doubt that I’ll ever follow all the routines in the book as Babs fairly quickly moves into poses that I couldn’t possibly take up, but I do find it a useful book.
I run a gentle three miler up to Hilton Grange and back. It’s a reasonably pleasant day a little warmer than of late and no sign of wintry showers. Quite a few people about by the time I get out the door. I have to steer clear of the potentially murderous hooves of five horses/ponies on the run. Loads of walkers wrapped up warm and the occasional runner. I no longer refer to runners as “joggers” and always now check out their running styles. Every runner today is more businesslike than me and seems to be moving considerably quicker than I am. I’m only a little concerned by this, but I am looking forward to some shorter sessions where I am running quicker than my marathon pace.
The body feels ok. No specific pains, but a general tightness and aching. I have decided to work my way through another of our running and fitness books “Look 15 Years Younger Yoga Plan” by Barbara Currie. I have to say straight off I have absolutely no wish to look fifteen years younger and don’t think I could achieve it without major surgery; it was the only yoga book in the shop that wasn’t written by a “celebrity” or didn’t have photos of young people on the cover and inside. Old Barbara could do with a little advice from her chums as there’s a real danger that she’ll go too far down the Barbara Cartland path, but she’s a game old bird and you should see what she gets up to on page 146.
I’m very much at the beginner stage when it comes to yoga. In fact I haven’t made it past Chapter 4 of this book in the twelve months since we bought it. The first four chapters have some excellent fifteen minute workouts and have definitely contributed to getting some flexibility back into the old bod. My balance isn’t what it might be – a bit like James Nesbitt in the Yellow Pages ad where he signs up for the intermediate class. I doubt that I’ll ever follow all the routines in the book as Babs fairly quickly moves into poses that I couldn’t possibly take up, but I do find it a useful book.
The Third Photo
The Lucozade Sports Scientist attended parkrun Leeds on 27th February. Unfortunately, I was using the parkrun as the middle section of my long run for the week so didn’t have time to stop and seek advice on nutrition and hydration (and blag a few freebies). Liz volunteered to stop by at the Lucozade stall when she finished her run.
Imagine my surprise when I got up from my post-run kip to find a veritable treasure trove of goodies all kindly supplied by Lucozade to assist me with my training. I speculated that Liz must have taken along a full range of cunning disguises and practiced a variety of regional accents in order to have scavenged such a hoard. But no, she’d just explained where I was with my training, what I was intending to do and the Lucozade lady had been very accommodating. I guess the different approach must be a male/female thing. Liz has definitely got the job at future events.
In my defence, I will actually purchase Lucozade products (when I’ve used up the freebies) as part of my training. Having been daft enough to go out on a long run without proper hydration last week I’m planning to take proper measures in future.
Seems an awful long time since Barnesy told us that, “Isotonic means it’s in balance with your body fluids”. What on earth does that mean? Mind you I spent many a happy hour trying to boot a tin can into a waste bin like Barnsey did in the ad. Seems even longer since Lucozade was something your mum brought you on the (very rare) occasions you’d persuaded her you were too ill for school. It certainly is a world in motion.
Saturday, 27th February – 57 days to go
Off to a bad start as either my alarm fails to go off or we sleep through it. Woken by Liz’s back up alarm twenty minutes later than intended. I have my cuppa and a double breakfast. Slice of toast with beans followed by a small bowl of porridge. I’m trying to follow the advice of the Lucozade guy on Marathon Talk and avoid the wall. I don’t want to run on a full stomach, but I don’t want to run out of fuel either. Liz mixes up a couple of bottles of Lucozade Sport as I set off.
Today’s long run is supposed to be “2 hrs 30 mins easy”, but will be in three stages and will incorporate parkrun in the middle. Eighteen miles with eight prior to parkrun and seven after. I run to Dyneley Arms and back and pick up my bottle from where Liz has left it for me in the front garden. No problems on the run into Woodhouse Moor, just a nagging anxiety that I may not make it to the start on time. In the end, I arrive about five minutes before the start and stow my empty bottle. I run round parkrun on my own and get a little swept along by other runners. 22:30 was definitely a couple of minutes faster than I intended. Make a mental note to watch my speed when other runners are around and run my own race.
I was going to give my bar code and number to someone else to process, but the marshals are on top form today and soon have our details on their laptops. A quick drink, pick up a fresh bottle that Liz has brought down for me and I’m off heading for home. The run up Otley Road was pretty awful. I just couldn’t seem to get going. Coming up to the Ring Road I virtually ran myself to a stand still. In retrospect I should have walked some of the way. I think it must be a man thing the not walking, but it’s pretty silly when you reach a certain level of tiredness and your pace slows considerably. I walked the steeper uphills when I did the Great Langdale Half Marathon last year and felt that that benefitted my overall performance. Similarly, in the Calderdale Way Relay I had to walk some of the steeper bits (sorry Adrian) and felt that taking the opportunity to get my breath back helped me go faster on the level and downhill bits.
I managed to pick up the pace beyond the ring road, but still seemed to take an age to catch and overhaul the octogenarian who we occasionally see running down Otley Road. I also struggled to overtake the guy walking along reading his newspaper and the lady carrying two carrier bags full of shopping from the Co-Op. I was mighty relieved to drop my bottle in the front garden and run the final half mile out and back to take me up to eighteen miles.
After a smoothie disaster I ran cold(ish) water over my legs and collapsed into bed for a kip. I understand that chilling the legs after a long run aids recovery by flushing lactic acid through the system. I’m never brave enough to get the water freezing cold, but I like to think I’m making the effort.
I ran the first eight miles in sixty three minutes, the middle three in 22:30 and the final seven in a disappointing sixty seven minutes. I’m going to have to plan my last three runs better as the schedule has me running the last bit faster than the first bit. I’ll need all the help I can get with that so will try and make sure I end up with a downhill run to home.
Oh no! When I check the parkrun results I find that Tony Audenshaw has been running. I’ve missed an opportunity to hear some of Tony’s Trials straight from the horse’s mouth so to speak. To be honest, I wouldn’t have recognised him as I haven’t watched Emmerdale since Archie and Seth used to have an entertaining double act before the Great Disaster.
When I consider my progress, I feel I’m getting closer to where I need to be in order to get round 26.2 miles, even if I don’t seem to be able to run at a pace that is close to my marathon pace.
Here’s how things look at the end of this week.
Weight 72.5 kg
Total Mileage 57.8 miles
Long Run 18 miles
Long Run Pace 8:28
Days without alcohol 12
Mileage has doubled from last week (28.5), but this is deceptive as there are two long runs included in this Sunday-Saturday seven day period. Pace on the long run has improved, but is still one minute slower than my target for the day itself.
Today’s long run is supposed to be “2 hrs 30 mins easy”, but will be in three stages and will incorporate parkrun in the middle. Eighteen miles with eight prior to parkrun and seven after. I run to Dyneley Arms and back and pick up my bottle from where Liz has left it for me in the front garden. No problems on the run into Woodhouse Moor, just a nagging anxiety that I may not make it to the start on time. In the end, I arrive about five minutes before the start and stow my empty bottle. I run round parkrun on my own and get a little swept along by other runners. 22:30 was definitely a couple of minutes faster than I intended. Make a mental note to watch my speed when other runners are around and run my own race.
I was going to give my bar code and number to someone else to process, but the marshals are on top form today and soon have our details on their laptops. A quick drink, pick up a fresh bottle that Liz has brought down for me and I’m off heading for home. The run up Otley Road was pretty awful. I just couldn’t seem to get going. Coming up to the Ring Road I virtually ran myself to a stand still. In retrospect I should have walked some of the way. I think it must be a man thing the not walking, but it’s pretty silly when you reach a certain level of tiredness and your pace slows considerably. I walked the steeper uphills when I did the Great Langdale Half Marathon last year and felt that that benefitted my overall performance. Similarly, in the Calderdale Way Relay I had to walk some of the steeper bits (sorry Adrian) and felt that taking the opportunity to get my breath back helped me go faster on the level and downhill bits.
I managed to pick up the pace beyond the ring road, but still seemed to take an age to catch and overhaul the octogenarian who we occasionally see running down Otley Road. I also struggled to overtake the guy walking along reading his newspaper and the lady carrying two carrier bags full of shopping from the Co-Op. I was mighty relieved to drop my bottle in the front garden and run the final half mile out and back to take me up to eighteen miles.
After a smoothie disaster I ran cold(ish) water over my legs and collapsed into bed for a kip. I understand that chilling the legs after a long run aids recovery by flushing lactic acid through the system. I’m never brave enough to get the water freezing cold, but I like to think I’m making the effort.
I ran the first eight miles in sixty three minutes, the middle three in 22:30 and the final seven in a disappointing sixty seven minutes. I’m going to have to plan my last three runs better as the schedule has me running the last bit faster than the first bit. I’ll need all the help I can get with that so will try and make sure I end up with a downhill run to home.
Oh no! When I check the parkrun results I find that Tony Audenshaw has been running. I’ve missed an opportunity to hear some of Tony’s Trials straight from the horse’s mouth so to speak. To be honest, I wouldn’t have recognised him as I haven’t watched Emmerdale since Archie and Seth used to have an entertaining double act before the Great Disaster.
When I consider my progress, I feel I’m getting closer to where I need to be in order to get round 26.2 miles, even if I don’t seem to be able to run at a pace that is close to my marathon pace.
Here’s how things look at the end of this week.
Weight 72.5 kg
Total Mileage 57.8 miles
Long Run 18 miles
Long Run Pace 8:28
Days without alcohol 12
Mileage has doubled from last week (28.5), but this is deceptive as there are two long runs included in this Sunday-Saturday seven day period. Pace on the long run has improved, but is still one minute slower than my target for the day itself.
Friday, 26th February – 58 days to go
Another rest day. This will be my highest mileage week ever and if I can deliver tomorrow I will have also done my two longest runs ever so I feel I’m due a break today.
I’ve had to re-arrange my running schedule to take account of the final cross country PECO race a week on Sunday. I will be missing my long run that Sunday so have brought that one forward to next Tuesday. In order to give me an extra day to recover from this week’s long run I’ve brought it forward from Sunday to tomorrow. Confused? So am I.
Again, Liz can’t make it for our session with Tony. Her carefully timed dental appointment falls apart as she has to wait for an hour while the dentist catches up with previous appointments. I make the most of it by having an extended massage after warm up and stretches.
The body is holding up ok at the moment with no injuries just a general feeling of tiredness in the legs. This is a level one massage as I don’t even wince as Tony digs his thumbs into my calves.
I’ve been working my way through “Running Past Fifty” by Richard Benyo. I bought this because it was the first running book I’d seen that was aimed specifically at my age group. However, reading it is not without difficulties; all the chapters are single words ending “ing”. Fair enough on “Pacing” and “Resting” and the like, but somewhat wearing with “Goaling”, “Drugging” and “Aloning”. Also, it is written for people who have been running all their lives and assumes a lot of knowledge that I don’t have as I’ve only taken up running in my fifties. Finally, the book gives lots of advice about not overdoing it and then almost every case study is some crazy old coot who runs a marathon every week or who has clocked up a hundred ultras in five years or something equally improbable. On the whole, a pretty disappointing read with little to take away and help me with my first marathon.
I’ve had to re-arrange my running schedule to take account of the final cross country PECO race a week on Sunday. I will be missing my long run that Sunday so have brought that one forward to next Tuesday. In order to give me an extra day to recover from this week’s long run I’ve brought it forward from Sunday to tomorrow. Confused? So am I.
Again, Liz can’t make it for our session with Tony. Her carefully timed dental appointment falls apart as she has to wait for an hour while the dentist catches up with previous appointments. I make the most of it by having an extended massage after warm up and stretches.
The body is holding up ok at the moment with no injuries just a general feeling of tiredness in the legs. This is a level one massage as I don’t even wince as Tony digs his thumbs into my calves.
I’ve been working my way through “Running Past Fifty” by Richard Benyo. I bought this because it was the first running book I’d seen that was aimed specifically at my age group. However, reading it is not without difficulties; all the chapters are single words ending “ing”. Fair enough on “Pacing” and “Resting” and the like, but somewhat wearing with “Goaling”, “Drugging” and “Aloning”. Also, it is written for people who have been running all their lives and assumes a lot of knowledge that I don’t have as I’ve only taken up running in my fifties. Finally, the book gives lots of advice about not overdoing it and then almost every case study is some crazy old coot who runs a marathon every week or who has clocked up a hundred ultras in five years or something equally improbable. On the whole, a pretty disappointing read with little to take away and help me with my first marathon.
The Second Photo
Another admission; this photo was staged. I was home alone when the postman delivered our envelopes containing the outcome of our Virgin London Marathon applications. I think it was the first week in October. It was clear from the outside of the envelopes that the contents were very similar but not exactly the same. One envelope (mine) said “You’re In” the other (Liz’s) said “Charity Places Still Available”. I opened my envelope to read confirmation that it was true, I had been offered a place and phoned Liz with the mixed news. She was very pleased for me and somewhat relieved that her application had not been successful. I left her envelope unopened as I read the contents of mine with some trepidation.
Neither of us actually felt ready for a 2010 marathon; we’d only applied through the ballot because we’d read that eventually they give you a place if you’ve applied unsuccessfully a number of times. We just wanted to start that process. Having been lucky enough to be offered a place I didn’t feel I could turn it down to wait for a better time or for a year when we could both run.
The magazines sent to both those offered a place through the ballot and those who weren’t offered a place were almost identical. The difference being that all the ads and articles in the “successful” mag start “Congratulations ….” and the ones in the “unsuccessful” mag start “Tough luck loser ……”.
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