Trot round the plot

Trot round the plot was the alternative name that my friend gave to the half marathon distance race we had both entered. Actually titled "Bolt round the Holt" I think her interpretation was probably far more accurate as for me there wasn't a lot of bolting going on. With 3 weeks to go to the marathon, I had yet to achieve a half marathon distance, not a good place to be, so headed off to take part in a trail event of 21k to see how I held up. A last minute change saw 2 of us entered for the 21k and and additional one for the 10k, on a suddenly chilly day after some glorious March sunshine.
Arriving in the car park field, we headed to register and claim our chips and numbers, found where the finish was (always important to know where you are finishing, and then off to prepare ourselves for the run.
Determined to get around, they lined us all up, setting the racers off in groups. 5k runners first, then 10k runners, then the 21k runners. (Well i say runners....) Not surprisingly within about 400metres I was trailing nicely, and with a 1k loop to do at the start then twice round the 10k lap, I knew it was going to be a long run. Can't call it racing, although I guess in effect the race is against myself and my mental strength to continue, when it would be so easy to say "sod it" and give up. I was happy with my pace, I do seem to have a little more of it when being race timed, even though for most it is slow, it is quicker than I have managed in some training runs, so I think it is all relative.
The course had few marshals, not a problem for directions, and sometimes i find their empty encouragement a little sickly (though some do genuinely mean it others seem to be just saying it and pitying you round) and the route was clearly marked with arrows, and it was very pleasant scenery to run through though extremely undulating with a few hills thrown in for good measure. I walked up a long incline and apologised to the marshal sat at the top, that it would be a long wait for me to get round for the next loop, while ahead of me I could see people already looping back to join the 2nd circuit. I wondered how long before i was lapped, and how I could minimise the damage of being overtaken by too many.
I surprised myself by running (or trotting) a lot more than I thought I would and was joined by a man on a bicycle to check I was OK and to let me know that I had the "dubious honour of being the backmarker"...um....tell me something I didn't know. He zoomed off to find the next slowest with my "don't tell me I don't wish to know how far ahead they are".
Joined by a 2nd cyclist "Angus" the "sweeper" of sorts as he kept disappearing and then coming back to find me later.
The first water station at 5k was already devoid of refreshments, just as well I was carrying my bottle then.
At 5 miles I had my first runner pass me :-( they were heading for home, I was heading for my 2nd lap. As the course split between "head to the finish" and "go round again", I spoke to the marshal there and said I had enjoyed it so much I was going round again. Waiting at the water station my 10k buddy, with gel and water to give me a boost. Famous last words "I'll trot with you for a while to keep you company and cool down a little" well the cool down trot turned out to be the whole 2nd lap and I must say the company was nice (though I am so used to running alone I find shouting at myself is fine, someone else shouting at me is irritating). The Garmin beeped for low battery, arrrrggggh no....... only 8 1/2 miles gone. So back up plan and "buddies" Garmin activated to capture the last few miles.
Same marshal at top of the long hill I had walked the first time, looked at me and said "Are you sure you want to carry on?" Hmmmmm red rag, bull and "of course" knowing full well she was obviously desperate to get home and would have to wait for me to go round part of the loop to pass her again.
Repeated loop was nice, I remembered where I was and could push myself to each marker, including watching people up in the trees on the Go Ape course.
Lady marshal however, did not wait around for me to return to her agan, she had gone leaving just a lonely yellow arrow to direct me.
Passing the water station for the seond time revealed 2 little cups of water on their own waiting for us. Angus had previously caught us up to see how we were doing and must have organised it ....bless.
With no-one else on the course now, it was starting to get to "severe talking to self" stage, but eventually the finish line approached and there were still a couple of people there to hand over my goody bag and medal. "I don't think anyone deserves this more than you" she said as she put the medal round my neck. Hey I did the same distance as everyone else, just a lot slower. in fact about 3/4 hour slower than the next to last. Oh dear!!! Marathon time prediction has shifted to a further half hour from previous predicted time, but I think i may ignore that, after all the marathon will be road and flat :-)
Oh and the garmin survived the remainder for the race, though it lost its power button and the battery is not great at holding a charge, so, a quick call to Garmin in Totton and it is now off to Garmin heaven to be "refurbished" while i get a nice new (well refurbed) one back, which i hope will have good battery life and get me safely round the marathon in a good time. Now wouldn't that be nice.
http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=340zher&pictureid=18092205to check out a nice photo of me almost looking like I am running.

What a difference in 5 weeks (A hare in tortoise shell clothing)

Partly changed my mind about this post as having written it I realised that with 11 weeks to go back at 6th Feb, I was still suffering after my laryngitis and cold, had no running in me since the beginning of January and was feeling a little unfit to say the least.

Fast forward to 5 weeks later, 11th March, and I have completed a 10k race in a reasonable time for me 2 weeks ago, a 10 mile race yesterday, in the same time (well one second quicker actually) that I did the Great South last October, and have really built my fitness levels back up to a good base point.

So while the blog postings may have been a bit slow, the exercise and fitness regime has certainly upped the pace.

I decided that once my throat started to feel a bit better I really needed to up the fitness levels, but with it still being cold outside I wondered at the wisdom of trying to get out in the cold night air to run with the club, so opted for some indoor cardio exercise AKA "Zumba" and "Bokwa" (Thanks to Anna for providing these super classes check out http://www.strutstrutfitness.com/)

Since the beginning of Feb I also decided that to get back to the running after starting on the cardio I needed to also get the legs back into the regime, so opted to take my own advice (wonders will never cease) and build up slowly. Well as slowly as would be possible with only 11 weeks before the marathon.

Starting with a few short walks of 3 miles or so (suddenly interrupted by an Ikea experience - oops) building up to the route for our Club race at 5 miles in the first week with 3 exercise class also completed.

Week 2 saw me back out to run/walk, agan starting with short 3 miles for 3 times that week along with another 2 classes.

Building the miles up again in week 3 I managed 2 five milers and a couple of classes before heading to a 10k race on the Sunday. A multi lap around Castle Combe race circuit, in glorious weather and with people continually passing me (something I know some people hate, but I love as it makes me feel I am actually in a race rather than just being at the back seeing no-one) Each lap getting progressively faster, I was happy with my time. the first marker but now 8 weeks to go and progress needed. predicted Marathon time at this point is now 6.21.23.

The next week saw 3 classes and a 7 mile run with the following week including 2 eight mile outings and a 3 mile soggy trot out midweek with 2 classes completed and a "have you lost weight" comment - yippee starting to tone up and feel much fitter. The week ended with a 10 mile race at Burton near Christchurch in glorious sunshine, again. And a few targets set to keep me motivated along the way. First decision was that I would run/walk so had to be strict with my walk breaks or at points I would have been carried away and overdone it. There was also a 20 mile race starting 15 mins after the ten. My first challenge to get to mile one before their race started - done tick, 2nd challenge to be past 2 miles when one of our fast club runners came past me (potentially for the first time) - done tick, next challenge to be past 3 miles before my friends I travelled there with came past me - done tick in fact 4 1/4 miles when they came past - I overestimated their pace (and underestimated mine). After 5 miles easier to settle into a pace, and was passed by a few people I knew who slowed for a chat and some encouraging words which kept me going nicely, then the final challenge to be at the finish before out fast runner finished his 2 laps (20 miles) - tick done. And the bonus - I was ONE SECOND quicker than when I ran the Great South last October. Not a great achievement when that was 6 months ago and I should have been so much further into my training, but definitely an achievement. Predicted marathon time now 6.21.08

Now with 6 weeks to go a half marathon to complete in 3 weeks and then get mentally prepared for the big one 3 weeks after that.

With the consistency in my race pace it looks like I am needing to add some speedwork into my programme, so will also give that a go and try to get that predicted pace a little lower by the half marathon.

Watch this space will blog again then.

All the best laid plans in ruins

Newly enthused for my training, I developed a slight cough, not too much to worry about, I thought, as I had similar before Christmas and away it went again quite quickly. This progressed to an impressive chesty hack and frothy sounding gurgle and rattle, followed by a touch of laryngitis that means my voice has been missing for a couple of weeks now (but is on the way back I hope).

Consequently the 10k, mid-January, I had signed up for was a No No. Breathing without wheezing has not been an option and even my Zumba class has had to be missed. (Shock horror, I really love that class)

To try and combat the ever increasing feeling of lethargy I opted to do a 10k walk at the Stonehenge Stomp (most others running the 10k or 20k or walking the 20k, or some brave fools running the 30k). I can tell I have not been exercising for a while now as I ached. It was, though a lovely morning, just ambling along with views of the stones in the distance, looking probably not as old as I was feeling. A very therapeutic experience indeed. But not a run.

While all the coughing and breathing issues have been going on, I feel a fraud for not actually feeling ill. Time for it to go please.

Hey ho, now it is 1st February. The marathon countdown clock is counting down much quicker day by day and my prospects for a quicker time than previously are looking slim. The run/walk programme is being brought into play, but I need to be out there to start it off. I still have no doubt I will get around it, but it is going to take me a lot of hard graft from now to get there.

I think in future I should plan not to make any plans and see what happens next. (having said that Lent fast approaches - the time of willpower for me; maybe the timing is just what I need)

Time to stop clowning around and get to it

Right then, to business.......... a brief summary of the blog to date
.......a couple of years ago I entered the Marathon ballot, knowing that I wanted to run it in April 2012. As soon as I had my acceptance for the 2011 race I knew I could defer and that as they say, would be that. Job done, 2012 here we come. So what did I do? Did I start immediately to get myself fit so that when the day arrived I would be incredibly fit and raring to go??? well no of course not, I deferred my training, by managing to fall over on a rock and bash my knee, which led to a loss of fitness and subsequently no motivation. This is where I have been for some time. It is amazing how the mental aspects can take over and lead the body into self destruction.
The Great South at the end of October was meant to be my kick-start to the training I needed, a good 6 months of building up to the big one would do the trick.
So.....The Great South. Well eventually I got myself out training, because I knew that I needed to have at least covered the distance to give me a fighting chance of getting around in one piece. The race day dawned and I had given myself a healthy slow target to achieve. At the pace I was training and capable of, a very slow 2 hours 15 would do me to prove I still could pace myself. Job done as I arrived at the finish at 2.17.19, legs tired at around 8 miles, so I knew I hadn't done the preparation, but a satisfactory conclusion nonetheless. The most worrying thing was finding myself thinking at around 6 miles "Am I supposed to be enjoying this as much as I actually am" and meaning it. It was great fun, the weather was perfect, a light drizzle and cool, loved every minute.

Next to train hard for my London build up........ but yet no setting foot outside the door took place. So what happened? Having opted to avoid club training sessions for a multitude of reasons, not least that my mind had slipped into beginner mode, something I encounter regularly with others who say "I am not quick enough to run with the club" My response, just get out there and do it, the mind is the problem not necessarily the body.

Anyway my mental state was such that I only managed, 2 runs of around 5 miles each between the Great South and Christmas, not really good preparation, and sees me looking at a very slow 7 hour finish for the marathon. (At which rate I might be able to go up there on the club coach but would definitely need to make my own way home)

So folks, time to up the ante.

Christmas came and went, then 2012 dawned. Ah!!! I am running the marathon in 3 months, let's get cracking....... and mentally something shifted.

A 5k race to "warm me up" around some beautiful grounds of a country house, and I didn't finish last (always healthy that) and I overtook people, and I managed to hold some youngsters off with the sprint finish.

Club training session the same day, 200m reps. I can run 200m eh? I managed 4 of those before my mind said enough (could have done a full 6, but......) walking the next day was tender, but achievable, then 2 days later a 4 mile run/walk with a friend as a build up to our 10k coming up mid January. Again leaving things until the last minute.

A punishing session with my personal trainer Helen followed. I have known her for years and she doesn't so much train me now as bully me incessantly for an hour on an irregular basis, something I know I need but try to resist as often as I can to no avail. (Everyone should have a Helen). So now I am aching from that session and wondering when my next run should be.

Maybe there is an easier way to do this?

Let me know if anyone can run a marathon without actually putting in the hard work for it. I don't believe it can be done, I know I need to get miles under my belt, I need now to believe I can do this, stop clowning around, and get cracking.

Timed or timeless?

October, the month of Autumnal leaves and burning orange heathers across the forest as the purple colour fades away. Ferns fading from green to brown and my training fading from bad to worse. Um.....well no actually the training is going pretty well :-)

I decided that trying to run out with others just was doing nothing for either my training or my confidence, so nothing for it but to be self sufficient.

I worked out that if I planned a run/walk strategy and practiced it well, it would come as second nature and I'd be on the way to dealing with the longer distances while still not being fully fit.

I have a Garmin 305 I ask to beep at me nicely every 2 minutes, every mile and when I drop below a certain pace. Armed with this my training runs have been fairly successful as I know when my next planned break is so can push myself until then.

Then disaster......... well actually no, success (see I am getting this positive vibe going eh?) I headed out for a planned 11k ish run, knowing it would be nice to be back by 10.30 (having set off at 9am) an achievable goal I thought. Until I got to the start of my run and found I had left my trusty Garmin at home. What to do?

Well, I thought.....let's just see how good my internal pacing clock is. So setting off on the planned course, I knew the pace I could comfortably travel at and I knew the time I wanted to be back by. Time to put this internal clock into practice.

Almost half way round I realised that I felt I was slower than I should be, so mentally revised my finish time to give me a range of 10 minutes rather than a set time. Look....I know I should have picked up my pace instead but that is another training plan entirely, I am still on the get me round principle.

So taking my walk breaks only when I really felt I needed them and goading myself into continuing on the running path otherwise, I started to settle into the run. I am certain I could have gone further, but will save that for another day. I arrived back around 7 minutes after my initial expected time to complete the run in 1hr 35. I felt good, I hadn't missed my watch and I had achieved my goal (sort of - but modified by the way i felt I was running not by looking at the watch to see)

The moral of the tale - ditch the watch every so often, go on a planned route and set yourself a time to be back. See how close you can get to that time and start to recognise your own feel for pacing. It gives you a different challenge for a run rather than always focussing on time or pace and does really make a difference to the way you feel.

I love Leap Years

Well no getting out of it now as the "Congratulations" magazine arrived today. A few minutes of panic as I suddenly wondered if in fact I had paid for my entry or if I needed to pay for it (in the financial sense as I know I will pay for it physically in many ways), but a quick check of bank statements shows I paid on 15th June for 2 years worth (last and this - see previous for explanations on this). So 6 and a bit months to go eh?

Interestingly I have been very unfocussed this far, even having known the date was approaching, and I have known I was doing this from October 2010 when I received my 2011 acceptance (see previous also). Something tells me I can ignore no longer.

As of today I have 206 days or 29weeks and 3 days or 6 months and 23 days including the extra day very kindly added into the training known as 29th February, which I am certain will make all the difference. Which sounds better I am not sure at the moment, but am banking on that extra training day :-)

How short is this post eh? Impressed???

Ha!!!! After all it is only money

Well here we are again, confused myself completely with the last post being dated 21st June when I know I posted it in July, so that'll teach me to hold onto a post for weeks before uploading it eh?

Anyhow, I know you are dying to find out how my training is progressing........well.......um........as expected.......it isn't :-( I know, I know, just get on with it, it'll be less painful if I keep going with it now than put it off and try again later, but.......

I think I may have been to the gym at least once since my last post, spent an hour and got sooooo bored that I had to get out of there before I screamed rather loudly. Mixed up the programme a bit by rotating the exercises rather than completely overloading one muscle then moving on to the next. Maybe not strictly the idea but surely the same effect with marginally less muscle soreness afterwards. Seriously that intro session really put me off and if it was meant to encourage me to continue and improve it, that certainly failed in its objectives.

But...how's the running? I hear you ask. Well again, things are not quite going to plan.

Calf muscles seizing after 15 minutes, hips (most probably tight ITB) giving me pain from the off and lower back tightness that really kicks in after a short while, have almost made it impossible to be out for more than half an hour. Something needs to be sorted or I shall not be doing any running anytime soon and the marathon will be even more of a challenge.

Along comes a lovely groupon voucher, offering a deal for 2 visits to an osteopath for £19 instead of £80. Snapped that one up quick, so decided to get some torture sorted of a different kind. A very nice Osteopath asked lots of important health questions and had I seen an Osteo before, to which I replied I had but felt that I was being brought back weekly to pay for a new car while everyone else was discharged after one or two visits. Famous last words then came from new Osteo....there should be no need to continue any treatment beyond a couple of weeks, we can sort you out. Ha!!! Like to see you try.

First problem.....pelvis may be out of line as a result of the fall I had last year (remember the pretty knee?) ah yes, leg length is different and pelvis a little out of line, so that sorted. (Ouch 1) neck and shoulders "Bloomin 'eck" or something similar, have never felt muscles as bad as that. Deep sigh from me. Nope not going to get the neck sorted I am afraid and I apologise for not being able to help more. Oh well that's more money to be thrown at the body then, maybe more massage will help first.

Next visit, day after a deep full body Thai massage, muscles much better :-) good stuff, back still OK but tight, shoulders/neck a little better but still no result. Maybe come back again....here we go!!! (Ouch 2)

Later that same day, couldn't walk, the pain was constant, how people who have more serious problems cope i do not know. Hot water bottle and lying down was the only was to feel better, so much for a day of rest!!! (Big Ouch 3)

Wondering if I can win the lottery and have daily massage to pummel the muscles into submission then maybe I could be fixed OK.

Oh yes and the running? well a couple of friends, who also find club nights difficult to keep up with invited me to join them on their short runs. around 7k and slowly increasing will mean improvement etc. Started fine until the back and ITB started causing problems.

OK another tack to try then...my Thursday morning ladies seem to have all disappeared for their holidays, so me, myself and I alone, had the enclosure to myself and worked a strategy I felt I could cope with, managed to push myself to get around run/walk styleee but finished feeling a sense of achievement. The next week was even better, much quicker and ready to develop onwards. I wonder if I can run/walk the marathon like that?

Final challenge for this blog was the first big Road Race League race of the season a 5 mile 2 lap race fairly hilly but short. Oh and look they do a 2 1/2 mile fun run being just one lap. Right done, 1 lap it is (the same distance as my Thursday run at the moment) I can run/walk and still be back at the finish in time to see the 2 lappers come in. Result!!! Well yes the result was I was last out of the 32 that ran in the fun run, most of whom were about 12, but I did it, my first race in a long time (and had the bonus of a nice policeman called Paul on his pushbike trying hard to stay on while I toddled round the course). But....I did it, I seem to have managed to get back onto the racing horse after a good few years absence, time to schedule the next one and start cracking at that long distance training build up.

But first I think I need to book another massage and some physio, let's get this ITB and back completely sorted. Ah well...after all it is only money!!! (Biggest Ouch 4)