Christmas Club Run

So it was the Christmas club run and about 20 of us headed to Llangollen in Wales. It was the longest and the hardest run for me so far, two and a quarter hours and just under 12 miles over hills and fells and down a great escarpment. Beautiful scenery. The run was followed by the worst shower of the year in some of the worst showers in Wales. Truly terrible - dirty, dribble of water that never warmed up. Lunch later was good in The Bull Inn - very hungry.

I'd map it but I've no idea where we went really.

Boxing Day run: Oxford

So I ran this route again, this time with my brother-in-law Ben. Apparently we did it in 36 minutes which was a whole 9 minutes quicker than 2 1/2 months ago. So training is having some impact, which is a relief.

Running is great

So last night was the club run and I ran the frustrating route. There must be something about being chased because I finished nearly 4 MINUTES quicker which is a massive improvement. 25min 47 seconds down from 29min 36 seconds. So 7 minute miles which is not bad. So, I clearly wasn't pushing myself hard enough running on my own.

Had some good advice on marathon training afterwards, which was helpful.

Oh and today my knees are sore.

Running is frustrating

So I ran the route of my last post again, and began to stretch out my stride and I felt good all the way round. Felt strong, felt like I had good rhythm and fluency. I was hopeful of a good time. 29 min 36 seconds which means yes I was quicker by 6 seconds. 6 SECONDS!!! I mean that's a slow crossing of the road, it's nothing. How does that work? How can I feel so much better about the run and only run 6 SECONDS quicker? Any ideas?

New quick run

Apparently the club are doing a handicap run soon, so I ran the route. As the slowest member I'll set off first, followed at intervals by the quicker runners. If the splits are right we should all finish in a bunch and the first one home is the winner. I did this 5k and a bit in 29min 42 sec on a first attempt, I should be able to knock a few minutes off that though.

Too icy to run

I have been running and hope to go running tonight, but the last couple of mornings have been too icy to run. When you're just trying to stay upright, going for a 7 mile run isn't too clever.

To the shop and back

Just off out to a run and got a call to go to my shop to sort out the heating. So ran there and back. About 20 minutes each way. So I'm consistently running 10 minute miles on my own...

2nd Club Run

I ran last night with the Shrewsbury Athletics Club for the 2nd time, all this time felt like the real deal with more people and a proper session. Worked me hard and I've taken today as a rest day, but need to get some runs in over the weekend. Still pushed me hard and I can run 7 miles in an hour, question is can do that just under 4 times in a row? We'll find out in April

New run

Latest run

I have been running, just not blogging. Anyway my latest run is here and was my first running with others which was good, stretched me a bit

Quick run on no1 - new pb

Struggled for motivation to get out on the road yesterday, still feeling tired. So I went for run 1 again and improved from 19.50 to 19.11 on the 2.2mile circuit. Felt all right, confident that I can do that quicker but must remember that warming up and stretching are important.

What I need to do now is start establishing a longer run into my schedule - say 8 miles at this stage and stretch that one out bit by bit.

6 months 1 day to go....

Run 4 (again)

So ran this one again, so that I'm beginning to stretch out the runs slightly. Clocked 32.06 for it, so that was 1min 34 seconds quicker which I felt pretty good about. Very tired at the moment thanks to this little fella on the left not sleeping well between the hours of 2am and 7am. We shall be having words...

New run

Last week was not a great week in terms of regular running - two days away, a wedding, a headache, tonnes of work. Ah excuses, wonderful things. Anyway, I got going again this morning and extended run 1 and turned it into run 3. It's just over a mile longer than the previous one and will become my regular run for the next couple of weeks and then I'll have to stretch it again to about 5 miles. Run 1 will become my fast run for speed work.

Felt ok, 3.43 miles took me 33 minutes and 40 seconds. We'll see how that improves over the next two weeks.

6 months and 5 days to go...

Pushing myself

Once again, not ideal preparation today. I was tired, new baby helps with that. I'd also been fasting for 36 hours and I'd just broken that with a 'heavy' snack. Still, decided time to run and felt ok so tried to push myself a bit. Felt more like running than a quick shuffle. Anyway did good ol' run 1 and clocked a PB of 19 minutes 50 seconds, so under the 20 minute mark which was my first aim. Felt ok, should be able to do that quicker, so I'll make that my fast run and plan other routes for the distance long plods.

Run No.3 Oxford

Beautifully sunny day, first run in Oxford and despite once again not being ideally prepared, it was OK. 5.66 miles in 45 minutes 04 seconds. Just under 9 minute miles, which would give me a marathon time of 3 hours 54 minutes, which sounds like a very long time to be running. Still if I can repeat that same at that same pace 5 times in a row, I'll be all right. Or possibly dead.

University parks is a nice place to run though.

Cold

This is the first challenge to my training. I have a cold. It could be man flu. But either way I don't want to go running, but apparently if it's above the neck (ie not in the chest) then stop being a wimp and get out and run. I will try to do that later. In Oxford.

Not stiff but still slow

OK, out on the trail again. I guess retrospectively, my goal this week is just to get the legs going again and start to get the discipline back. So while the legs are going they're just not going very fast.
I went for Run No.1 again and managed a slight improvement over yesterday but slower than the first run. 2.2 miles in 22min 56 secs which is a whole 18 seconds faster. Hmmm, it felt quicker than that. Short term goal - get that time under 20 minutes.

Encouragement

My wife has really got behind my marathon attempt and has suggested we watch some inspirational films to spur me on. I was thinking, Chariots of Fire she was thinking, Run, Fat Boy, Run! Nice...

Any other suggestions?

The point of stretching...

...is so you're not as stiff and sore as I was today. Following on from Sunday's 6 mile run, I needed to get going again after a rest day yesterday. Didn't quite manage to get on the road in time so opted to do a SR (officially that's a steady run but for the moment it's a SLOW run) and ran run no.1. Oh my goodness, how sore was I? My knees and calves just were stiff and sore - I did loosen up a bit near the end of the 2 miles but I completed the circuit in 23min 14sec which is, even allowing for traffic crossing the roads 2 minutes SLOWER!

I, in my vanity, think I look in shape. The evidence tells another story. Still, this is what the training is for. I still didn't stretch and cool down properly as I had to dash straight out again, so I need to be careful of shin splints (I've had them before) and other such delights. Still, in the past 5 days I've run 10 miles in a total of 1 hour 44.

There are 6 months and 18 days to go.

Run No.2

I don't think the preparation for this run can be found in any runner's magazine. After church we had lunch at some friends, we start eating about 2.30 and finish about 3.45 - I stuff myself on pudding. I cheekily weigh myself in their bathroom and discover I am 12 stone 4lbs or about 77kg. I think that is near my heaviest. I feel bloated, two trips to the toilet help just a little. At just before 5 on a gloriously sunny day, I waddle down the road and begin trundling the road home. I have the wrong top, dressed for winter, running in summer. Idiot.

Here's my route. 6.34991 miles or 10.2192km covered in 1hr 9 min 11 seconds. That's 5.5mph (sounds really slow) or just under an 11 minute mile. By unfair comparison Haile Gebrselassie did a half marathon by the time I plodded those 6 miles and did 26 consecutive 5 minute miles.

End result, my longest run for some time just one quarter of the distance I need to run in April.

Run No.1

Fear sets in, it's months since I last ran to the bus stop let alone 26 miles and a bit. I need to just start, so I rehash an old run that I did and stretched it, you can see it here. Slightly disappointed to find out it was only 2.24771miles or 3.61734km covered in 21 minutes. I am slow.

Shocking news

After I don't know how many attempts, I've finally been given a place in the 2009 London Marathon. Oh my goodness. Fear and excitement are the dominant emotions, quickly followed by panic. I'm not fit, my pride says I should be. I have 6 months and 22 days to get my butt into gear.
Clearly time to start another blog. This one chronicles my progress (or lack of it) between now and my first marathon.