Sunday 1st August
Ran to gym, did RPM (Nicole again) then ran 5 miles on the treadmill, ran home. So about 11 miles of running and an hour of spinning. Wanted to run for longer on the treadmill but had a very painful stitch. Still, managed to get quite a bit of housework done in the afternoon.
Monday 2nd August
Abs class. Tired after doing a lot at the weekend, and plan to do the Pewsey 5 on Wednesday so trying to conserve energy. Still plan to go to the track tomorrow as it's only 8 * 300m.
Tuesday 3rd August
Track session, 8 * 300m. Took it fairly steady as racing the next day.
Wednesday 4th August
Competed in the Pewsey 5 which turned out to be one of the most painful experiences of my racing career. Basically my lower back seized up in the second mile and I was in agony the rest of the way. I finished in over 44 minutes - 5 minutes slower than my last 5 mile race.
Still, the evening wasn't a complete disaster. Janine came with me so I had company and we stopped for a drink in Marlborough on the way home. She had a nice surprise later when I got an email from Gary O'Brien telling me he had collected a trophy on her behalf (she came 3rd in the senior female category). So a pleasant evening despite the pain, but I definitely need to find someone to give me a good sports massage.
Thursday 5th August
In no mood to do any running today. RPM and circuits.
Friday 6th August
Walked to and from work.
Saturday 7th August
Intended to give the park run another go and parked at the gym so I could jog out there. I was running too late though and they were starting just as I got there. My back was still niggling me, so I decided to spectate instead. Got chatting to a nice lady whose daughter was running and they recommended a sports therapist, the same one my friend Dom goes to. As I write I have arranged an appointment for later in the month.
Jogged back to the gym and did RPM and body pump.
Sunday 8th August
Had to cut my long run short (about 8 miles) as doing housework all morning and had a viewing pencilled in for the afternoon. Could have carried on running as it was cancelled anyway.
Monday 9th August
Complete rest. Got my hair cut. I'm tired.
Monday 2 August 2010
Tuesday 6 July 2010
July 2010
Thursday 1st July
Two classes today, RPM and circuits. Enjoyed both. Nicole is becoming a very good, confident RPM instructor. Circuits was good and very sociable afterwards, Michelle threw in some new exercises to make it fun.
Friday 2nd July
At Lords' tomorrow so long run tonight. Roughly 2.5 hours on my feet. Some walking thrown in but mostly felt good.
Saturday 3rd July
Day off. Had a really good day at Lords', England v Australia in a ODI. Got there early and had a seat about 3 rows up from the boundary, so saw the the players practising at close range before the game. Funny old game, it looked like they would get a modest total but ended up getting 270-odd. Had a wander round at the lunch break, and it struck me how there is always a party atmosphere at Lords' - it's not quite the same at other grounds.
England didn't quite get up to their total but there was some merry hitting and some fantastic fast bowling from Shaun Tait. In any case, we won the series 3-2. Stayed for the presentation which proved a good move, as on the way out I bumped into Mike Atherton and had a quick chat. It was nice to finally shake hands and speak to him in person at last.
Stopped at a Wetherspoons on the way home, there is one just outside Baker Street tube station which is good to know. Went to my friend Claire Davis' birthday party when I got back, but I really was quite tired by then.
Sunday 4th July
Day off. Just didn't have the energy to do anything, and needed to get some stuff done at home.
Monday 5th July
Abs class after work and then a 5-mile run. Quite a few aches and pains on the run, obviously need to take better care of myself.
Tuesday 6th July
Track session, 8 * 300m. 6 laps to warm up (4 on my own, then joined Janine for a couple). 8 * 300m again might sound easy but because there were so few I think we all pushed ourselves harder than usual. Couple of laps to cool down then a quick shop in Tescos with Janine which is always fun.
Wednesday 7th July
Abs class, 5k on the treadmill and RPM.
Thursday 8th July
Interval session at the lake, 5 laps. A good session.
Friday 9th July
Walked to and from work.
Saturday 10th July
Made my debut at the park run. Got there late, with literally seconds to spare before the off. Found it a real struggle, especially on the first lap, but very impressed with the organisation. Just wish it wasn't so early - 9am start! Disappointed later with my time but at least it's something I can work on.
Body pump at the gym (new release) and another 5k on the treadmill. Out later with Paul and Jason from the gym, so forming a nice circle of friends.
Sunday 11th July
Struggled with long run today, ran to the gym, did an hour on the treadmill and ran back so still about 15 miles in total. Not bad after a night out. Was amazed when someone on facebook questioned my having chicken tikka massala for dinner! I still remember Anthony telling me to have whatever I like on the days I do my long run, and I stick by that. I had deserved it.
Monday 12th July
Abs class. Just that. My body was screaming at me for a rest. People were trying to drag me into Octathlon and other stuff but I was having none of it!
Tuesday 13th July
Track session. A nasty one tonight: a 500m rep, followed by about a minute's rest, then a 300m rep. Five sets of this, with four minutes between sets. I surprised myself by doing all of it, but was knackered by the end. So much so I could only manage one lap to cool down, having done about 5 to warm up. Shopping in Tescos with Janine and guilt-free pizza when I get home makes the rest of the evening enjoyable however.
Wednesday 14th July
Abs class, followe by three miles on the treadmill. A lot of lower back pain, had to stop and stretch after every mile.
Thursday 15th July
Interval session at the lake, same as last week. A good session but again, a lot of lower back pain. Had a good stretch after the second rep and was a lot better after that.
Friday 16th July
Walked to and from work.
Saturday 17th July
Too late up to go to the park run and in no mood to rush like I did last week. Ran to the gym, did body pump, then ran/walked home (had to stop at the bank in town).
Sunday 18th July
Good long run today. Drove to gym, did 7 miles on the treadmill, then another two hours outside so about 19-20 in total - the longest I've run so far this year. It's good to be back into proper marathon training again.
Monday 19th July
Abs class and four miles on the treadmill. Legs not feeling as bad as I thought they might.
Tuesday 20th July
Track session. Four laps to warm up with Dom, which seemed about my 10k pace! Another two with Lydia to be sociable which were a bit more sedate. The session was 5 sets of 2*400m with a minute between the reps. It didn't feel as bad as I thought it would, but I think my legs would only go so fast because they were tired. Invited to warm down with Dom again and was glad when Janine had a stitch in the second lap as it gave me an excuse to stop. I was knackered. I guess it's a sign of a good track session when you are so spent you can't do the cool down. Had a right laugh with Janine in Tescos, people were looking at us and obviously wondering what a fat old man like me is going with a 24-year old blonde stunner! I wish!
Wednesday 21st July
Body pump. Hadn't been on a Wednesday for weeks as it is always too crowded, even when I have booked. Not too bad tonight though, managed to get enough weights to do it all properly. Three miles on the treadmill afterwards - I wanted to do more, ie go for a longer run outside or do RPM but I really wanted to see Toy Story 3 at the cinema. I should have gone for that run, as when I arrived at the cinema the queue was all the way out into the car park! So came home instead :(
Thursday 22nd July
Just did RPM with Nicole tonight. Wanted to make an appearance at my writers' cafe, which was worthwhile as I got some useful feedback on my book.
Friday 23rd July
Walked to and from work.
Saturday 24th July
Ended up doing quite a lot today. Ran to the gym, did an extra mile and a half on the treadmill, then did body pump (Nicole covering for Ali). Then after coffee and a chat I got back on the treadmill and knocked out another 7 miles in an hour! My friend Anna even questioned my sanity! Then I had to run home again, so probably 14-15 miles of running plus body pump so not bad going. Some days I really don't to train, some days I can't seem to do enough. This was one of the latter so I cashed in while I could.
Sunday 25th July
Not up to a long run due to my exertions yesterday as well as going out last night. Managed about an hour's run in the afternoon, but a very slow steady plod.
A sad day for me personally as I visited Dad who was just out of hospital and he wasn't looking well at all. Fortunately a visit to my sister Amanda's house cheered me up, especially as Tanya (my niece) was there with Taylor, her little boy. And the dog (Bear) played with me.
Monday 26th July
Just abs class tonight. Really not in the mood to do any more.
Tuesday 27th July
Track session. 5 * 600m. Four laos to warm up, two to cool down. A very small group tonight. Mostly females so I wasn't complaining! A fairly tough but enjoyable session. Am struggling to do more than a couple of laps to cool down so I must be working hard at these sessions.
Wednesday 28th July
Body pump and RPM tonight, Emma teaching the latter. More calories burnt. Am convinced that even wicking t-shirts shrink, as one of my old vests is getting tight, whereas another that used to be tight, isn't. Interesting.
Thursday 29th July
Interval session at the lake. Only did 3 laps tonight as felt very tired.
Friday 30th July
Walked to and from work.
Saturday 31st July
Up early today so headed off to the Park Run. Nice to see my friends Claire and Martin there. Had a good run (at least, it felt good) and afterwards headed straight for the gym. Wasn't sure if I really wanted to do RPM as well as body pump, but Nicole was teaching so it became a no-brainer. Had a feeling the triple would sap my energy for running tomorrow - enjoying the cricket and athletics meant I wouldn't have much energy left at all.
Two classes today, RPM and circuits. Enjoyed both. Nicole is becoming a very good, confident RPM instructor. Circuits was good and very sociable afterwards, Michelle threw in some new exercises to make it fun.
Friday 2nd July
At Lords' tomorrow so long run tonight. Roughly 2.5 hours on my feet. Some walking thrown in but mostly felt good.
Saturday 3rd July
Day off. Had a really good day at Lords', England v Australia in a ODI. Got there early and had a seat about 3 rows up from the boundary, so saw the the players practising at close range before the game. Funny old game, it looked like they would get a modest total but ended up getting 270-odd. Had a wander round at the lunch break, and it struck me how there is always a party atmosphere at Lords' - it's not quite the same at other grounds.
England didn't quite get up to their total but there was some merry hitting and some fantastic fast bowling from Shaun Tait. In any case, we won the series 3-2. Stayed for the presentation which proved a good move, as on the way out I bumped into Mike Atherton and had a quick chat. It was nice to finally shake hands and speak to him in person at last.
Stopped at a Wetherspoons on the way home, there is one just outside Baker Street tube station which is good to know. Went to my friend Claire Davis' birthday party when I got back, but I really was quite tired by then.
Sunday 4th July
Day off. Just didn't have the energy to do anything, and needed to get some stuff done at home.
Monday 5th July
Abs class after work and then a 5-mile run. Quite a few aches and pains on the run, obviously need to take better care of myself.
Tuesday 6th July
Track session, 8 * 300m. 6 laps to warm up (4 on my own, then joined Janine for a couple). 8 * 300m again might sound easy but because there were so few I think we all pushed ourselves harder than usual. Couple of laps to cool down then a quick shop in Tescos with Janine which is always fun.
Wednesday 7th July
Abs class, 5k on the treadmill and RPM.
Thursday 8th July
Interval session at the lake, 5 laps. A good session.
Friday 9th July
Walked to and from work.
Saturday 10th July
Made my debut at the park run. Got there late, with literally seconds to spare before the off. Found it a real struggle, especially on the first lap, but very impressed with the organisation. Just wish it wasn't so early - 9am start! Disappointed later with my time but at least it's something I can work on.
Body pump at the gym (new release) and another 5k on the treadmill. Out later with Paul and Jason from the gym, so forming a nice circle of friends.
Sunday 11th July
Struggled with long run today, ran to the gym, did an hour on the treadmill and ran back so still about 15 miles in total. Not bad after a night out. Was amazed when someone on facebook questioned my having chicken tikka massala for dinner! I still remember Anthony telling me to have whatever I like on the days I do my long run, and I stick by that. I had deserved it.
Monday 12th July
Abs class. Just that. My body was screaming at me for a rest. People were trying to drag me into Octathlon and other stuff but I was having none of it!
Tuesday 13th July
Track session. A nasty one tonight: a 500m rep, followed by about a minute's rest, then a 300m rep. Five sets of this, with four minutes between sets. I surprised myself by doing all of it, but was knackered by the end. So much so I could only manage one lap to cool down, having done about 5 to warm up. Shopping in Tescos with Janine and guilt-free pizza when I get home makes the rest of the evening enjoyable however.
Wednesday 14th July
Abs class, followe by three miles on the treadmill. A lot of lower back pain, had to stop and stretch after every mile.
Thursday 15th July
Interval session at the lake, same as last week. A good session but again, a lot of lower back pain. Had a good stretch after the second rep and was a lot better after that.
Friday 16th July
Walked to and from work.
Saturday 17th July
Too late up to go to the park run and in no mood to rush like I did last week. Ran to the gym, did body pump, then ran/walked home (had to stop at the bank in town).
Sunday 18th July
Good long run today. Drove to gym, did 7 miles on the treadmill, then another two hours outside so about 19-20 in total - the longest I've run so far this year. It's good to be back into proper marathon training again.
Monday 19th July
Abs class and four miles on the treadmill. Legs not feeling as bad as I thought they might.
Tuesday 20th July
Track session. Four laps to warm up with Dom, which seemed about my 10k pace! Another two with Lydia to be sociable which were a bit more sedate. The session was 5 sets of 2*400m with a minute between the reps. It didn't feel as bad as I thought it would, but I think my legs would only go so fast because they were tired. Invited to warm down with Dom again and was glad when Janine had a stitch in the second lap as it gave me an excuse to stop. I was knackered. I guess it's a sign of a good track session when you are so spent you can't do the cool down. Had a right laugh with Janine in Tescos, people were looking at us and obviously wondering what a fat old man like me is going with a 24-year old blonde stunner! I wish!
Wednesday 21st July
Body pump. Hadn't been on a Wednesday for weeks as it is always too crowded, even when I have booked. Not too bad tonight though, managed to get enough weights to do it all properly. Three miles on the treadmill afterwards - I wanted to do more, ie go for a longer run outside or do RPM but I really wanted to see Toy Story 3 at the cinema. I should have gone for that run, as when I arrived at the cinema the queue was all the way out into the car park! So came home instead :(
Thursday 22nd July
Just did RPM with Nicole tonight. Wanted to make an appearance at my writers' cafe, which was worthwhile as I got some useful feedback on my book.
Friday 23rd July
Walked to and from work.
Saturday 24th July
Ended up doing quite a lot today. Ran to the gym, did an extra mile and a half on the treadmill, then did body pump (Nicole covering for Ali). Then after coffee and a chat I got back on the treadmill and knocked out another 7 miles in an hour! My friend Anna even questioned my sanity! Then I had to run home again, so probably 14-15 miles of running plus body pump so not bad going. Some days I really don't to train, some days I can't seem to do enough. This was one of the latter so I cashed in while I could.
Sunday 25th July
Not up to a long run due to my exertions yesterday as well as going out last night. Managed about an hour's run in the afternoon, but a very slow steady plod.
A sad day for me personally as I visited Dad who was just out of hospital and he wasn't looking well at all. Fortunately a visit to my sister Amanda's house cheered me up, especially as Tanya (my niece) was there with Taylor, her little boy. And the dog (Bear) played with me.
Monday 26th July
Just abs class tonight. Really not in the mood to do any more.
Tuesday 27th July
Track session. 5 * 600m. Four laos to warm up, two to cool down. A very small group tonight. Mostly females so I wasn't complaining! A fairly tough but enjoyable session. Am struggling to do more than a couple of laps to cool down so I must be working hard at these sessions.
Wednesday 28th July
Body pump and RPM tonight, Emma teaching the latter. More calories burnt. Am convinced that even wicking t-shirts shrink, as one of my old vests is getting tight, whereas another that used to be tight, isn't. Interesting.
Thursday 29th July
Interval session at the lake. Only did 3 laps tonight as felt very tired.
Friday 30th July
Walked to and from work.
Saturday 31st July
Up early today so headed off to the Park Run. Nice to see my friends Claire and Martin there. Had a good run (at least, it felt good) and afterwards headed straight for the gym. Wasn't sure if I really wanted to do RPM as well as body pump, but Nicole was teaching so it became a no-brainer. Had a feeling the triple would sap my energy for running tomorrow - enjoying the cricket and athletics meant I wouldn't have much energy left at all.
Friday 4 June 2010
June 2010
Tuesday 1st June
Track session tonight, 10 * 300m. Usual warm up and cool down. Found it tough after running at the weekend, and the group isn't getting any better.
Wednesday 2nd June
Steady run, Lethbridge route so about 5-6 miles. A lot of lower back pain despite my new trainers which is a worry.
Thursday 3rd June
Ran with Terry and Tony tonight. An awful lot of pain in my lower back, it was just excrucating and not enjoyable at all. Managed to finish it though, but let them do a slightly longer run than myself. They measured the run at 6.75 miles, I probably did about .25 miles less. Used the foam roller a lot when I got back to the gym to self-massage myself.
Friday 4th June
Walked to and from work. A really horrible day for me personally, one of my lodgers left a pan of oil cooking and caused a fire. It wasn't serious, fortunately, but could have been.
Saturday 5th June
Body pump at the gym. Ran to and from the gym. Not a bad session considering how much alcohol I'd had to calm my nerves after the fire last night. Had actually hoped to be doing the park run at 9am for the first time, but that wasn't really an option.
Sunday 6th June
First really long run in the build up to NFM. 7 miles on the treamdmill, then another 9-10 outside. The latter took a lot longer than it should have, but my mind was all over the place after events in the last few days.
Monday 7th June
Easy run on the treadmill, 5 miles. Not bad considering how sore my legs were - pace between 10.2 and 11.8 kph.
I know I'm training for a marathon now. As I write I have just polished off a large plate of pasta but I'm still absolutely bloody starving.
Tuesday 8th June
RPM at the gym. I wanted to go to the track, but it was raining and I still can't wear my contacts so I wouldn't have been able to see a thing.
Wednesday 9th June
Steady run. Can't remember the exact time or distance to be honest.
Thursday 10th June
1 mile on the treadmill then Michelle's circuits class. Should get to the gym earlier and do a speed session before circuits, I enjoy it and it is good for the core.
Friday 11th June
No running, walked to and from work.
Saturday 12th June
Body pump in the morning. Couldn't figure out why my stomach was hurting so much, realised later it must have been from circuits, which proves what a useful addition to my training that is.
Competed in the Broad Town 5 race in the afternoon. It was a great afternoon out, there quite a few from the gym including Louise, Terry and Paul. Managed to finish in 39:19 despite a stitch which I was quite pleased with - at least it's sub 8 minute miles. Celebrated with a cake and a burger before going home to enjoy some beer on a Saturday evening.
Sunday 13th June
Ran to the gym, did RPM then another hour on the treadmill. So still managed a long session despite yesterday's exertions which is good.
Monday 14th June
Hills and sprints, 2 sets of 3 + 3. Didn't want to do anything too strenuous, but didn't fancy the tedium of the treadmill either.
Tuesday 15th June
Rest - Lethbridge 10k tomorrow. Makes a nice change to have an entire evening at home for a change.
Wednesday 16th June
Lethbridge 10k. Walked to the start from my home as it is only 15 minutes away. Had quite a good run, started with Terry, and he thought we were doing 7.5 minute miling in the first couple of miles. He said he was struggling so I pressed on ahead of him. Found it tough but enjoyable. Pleased with an offical time of 50:04, with chip timing that would have been under 50 minutes I reckon, so not bad on a tough course. It was definitely a PB for the course - and I beat Terry for the second successive time.
Thursday 17th June
Gave myself a rest from running, RPM and circuits back to back. Enjoyed both classes.
Friday 18th June
Walked to and from work.
Saturday 19th June
My birthday! Training as usual however, body pump at the gym in the morning but missed out the squats and lunges as saving my legs for the Bourton Hilly Half in the evening.
This was my fifth time at this event - the first time I have managed 5 consecutive appearances at any event, so that tells you how much I like it. I've even missed Lethbridge and the Swindon half once. It is a tough, hilly course but the scenery and views of the Gloucestershire countryside make up for the pain of those hills. And to be fair, the worst hill is in the first mile so is over quickly. Quite a long drag from 7-9 miles but apart from that just an undulating course really.
I made the decision, understandably, just to enjoy the run this evening and treat it as a hard training run. It worked - I was able to talk to people most of the way round but still found it tough. But as I said to a nice lady, I don't much see the point of entering such a scenic race, travelling from Swindon and then beasting myself to get a certain time. There are other races where I can do that.
I had no idea what pace I was doing and was quite pleased when I finished to be told I had finished in 1:58 (I found out later it was 1:58:58). One of the organisers joked with me 'Easy isn't it?' 'I've done easier ones' I replied archly.
Nice to chat with fellow runners at the end and interesting to hear about the Birmingham half marathon - a big city half that isn't a complete rip-off apparently. Might be a good opportunity to visit the city where I went to Uni.
Anyway, back home (quite a pleasant drive - shame it's so expensive) and just had a nice relaxing evening at home on my own with a curry and plenty of alcohol. I watched The Wrestler on sky movies and remembered why I enjoyed it at the cinema last year so much. A sad, depressing film but a brilliant character study and great performances from Mickey Rourke as an over the hill wrestler and Evan Rachel Wood as his estranged daughter.
Plenty of messages from friends and family on facebook which was lovely. Very often I feel lonely and isolated so it was nice to know there are actually lots of people out there who value me. It was a good day.
Sunday 20th June
Woke up quite late so it was a bit of a struggle to run to the gym and do RPM but I'm glad I did. Nicole was teaching which was a bit of a bonus and had a nice long chat with a fellow runner before jogging home. No need for a long run, a hilly half marathon is about the equivalent of 18 miles in training. As my lovely friend Emma said to me just before I left, fair play for coming to the gym after doing a half the previous evening.
Monday 21st June
Something a bit different tonight, did Michelle's abs class, then her 'octathlong' class later on after some light cardio. Only did 4 of the 8 stations as it was the first time, could be interesting to do all 8.
Tuesday 22nd June
Track session. Tough one tonight, 6 * 500m. Felt a bit queasy half way but got through it. Shopping in Tescos with Janine after which is always fun.
Wednesday 23rd June
Abs class again tonight, am enjoying this. Still sore from Monday though! Easy run afterwards, Lethbridge route, nice and steady.
Thursday 24th June
RPM tonight, Emma and Nicole teaching the new release together for the first time. Good fun and I like the new release.
Friday 25th June
Walked to and from work.
Saturday 26th June
Body pump in the morning, ran to and from the gym. Wanted to do the park run today, but ended up going out last night as my former boss, David Power, was playing in a gig in Swindon so I went to watch and had a couple of beers.
My birthday night out tonight, had a good evening and a great turnout, much more people than I expected incluing my niece Tanya which was lovely.
Sunday 27th & Monday 28th June
Rest days. Enjoyed my birthday a bit too much I think and ended taking Monday as holiday. In fairness I've had a lot on of late and probably needed a day off.
Tuesday 29th June
Track session, 7 * 400m. Sounds easy, but the recoveries were short and the idea was to sprint flat out for the last 200m. I did the best I could, but after 5 my heart was still pounding so had to miss one. So ended up doing 6 * 400m.
Wednesday 30th June
Abs class followed by a steady run.
Track session tonight, 10 * 300m. Usual warm up and cool down. Found it tough after running at the weekend, and the group isn't getting any better.
Wednesday 2nd June
Steady run, Lethbridge route so about 5-6 miles. A lot of lower back pain despite my new trainers which is a worry.
Thursday 3rd June
Ran with Terry and Tony tonight. An awful lot of pain in my lower back, it was just excrucating and not enjoyable at all. Managed to finish it though, but let them do a slightly longer run than myself. They measured the run at 6.75 miles, I probably did about .25 miles less. Used the foam roller a lot when I got back to the gym to self-massage myself.
Friday 4th June
Walked to and from work. A really horrible day for me personally, one of my lodgers left a pan of oil cooking and caused a fire. It wasn't serious, fortunately, but could have been.
Saturday 5th June
Body pump at the gym. Ran to and from the gym. Not a bad session considering how much alcohol I'd had to calm my nerves after the fire last night. Had actually hoped to be doing the park run at 9am for the first time, but that wasn't really an option.
Sunday 6th June
First really long run in the build up to NFM. 7 miles on the treamdmill, then another 9-10 outside. The latter took a lot longer than it should have, but my mind was all over the place after events in the last few days.
Monday 7th June
Easy run on the treadmill, 5 miles. Not bad considering how sore my legs were - pace between 10.2 and 11.8 kph.
I know I'm training for a marathon now. As I write I have just polished off a large plate of pasta but I'm still absolutely bloody starving.
Tuesday 8th June
RPM at the gym. I wanted to go to the track, but it was raining and I still can't wear my contacts so I wouldn't have been able to see a thing.
Wednesday 9th June
Steady run. Can't remember the exact time or distance to be honest.
Thursday 10th June
1 mile on the treadmill then Michelle's circuits class. Should get to the gym earlier and do a speed session before circuits, I enjoy it and it is good for the core.
Friday 11th June
No running, walked to and from work.
Saturday 12th June
Body pump in the morning. Couldn't figure out why my stomach was hurting so much, realised later it must have been from circuits, which proves what a useful addition to my training that is.
Competed in the Broad Town 5 race in the afternoon. It was a great afternoon out, there quite a few from the gym including Louise, Terry and Paul. Managed to finish in 39:19 despite a stitch which I was quite pleased with - at least it's sub 8 minute miles. Celebrated with a cake and a burger before going home to enjoy some beer on a Saturday evening.
Sunday 13th June
Ran to the gym, did RPM then another hour on the treadmill. So still managed a long session despite yesterday's exertions which is good.
Monday 14th June
Hills and sprints, 2 sets of 3 + 3. Didn't want to do anything too strenuous, but didn't fancy the tedium of the treadmill either.
Tuesday 15th June
Rest - Lethbridge 10k tomorrow. Makes a nice change to have an entire evening at home for a change.
Wednesday 16th June
Lethbridge 10k. Walked to the start from my home as it is only 15 minutes away. Had quite a good run, started with Terry, and he thought we were doing 7.5 minute miling in the first couple of miles. He said he was struggling so I pressed on ahead of him. Found it tough but enjoyable. Pleased with an offical time of 50:04, with chip timing that would have been under 50 minutes I reckon, so not bad on a tough course. It was definitely a PB for the course - and I beat Terry for the second successive time.
Thursday 17th June
Gave myself a rest from running, RPM and circuits back to back. Enjoyed both classes.
Friday 18th June
Walked to and from work.
Saturday 19th June
My birthday! Training as usual however, body pump at the gym in the morning but missed out the squats and lunges as saving my legs for the Bourton Hilly Half in the evening.
This was my fifth time at this event - the first time I have managed 5 consecutive appearances at any event, so that tells you how much I like it. I've even missed Lethbridge and the Swindon half once. It is a tough, hilly course but the scenery and views of the Gloucestershire countryside make up for the pain of those hills. And to be fair, the worst hill is in the first mile so is over quickly. Quite a long drag from 7-9 miles but apart from that just an undulating course really.
I made the decision, understandably, just to enjoy the run this evening and treat it as a hard training run. It worked - I was able to talk to people most of the way round but still found it tough. But as I said to a nice lady, I don't much see the point of entering such a scenic race, travelling from Swindon and then beasting myself to get a certain time. There are other races where I can do that.
I had no idea what pace I was doing and was quite pleased when I finished to be told I had finished in 1:58 (I found out later it was 1:58:58). One of the organisers joked with me 'Easy isn't it?' 'I've done easier ones' I replied archly.
Nice to chat with fellow runners at the end and interesting to hear about the Birmingham half marathon - a big city half that isn't a complete rip-off apparently. Might be a good opportunity to visit the city where I went to Uni.
Anyway, back home (quite a pleasant drive - shame it's so expensive) and just had a nice relaxing evening at home on my own with a curry and plenty of alcohol. I watched The Wrestler on sky movies and remembered why I enjoyed it at the cinema last year so much. A sad, depressing film but a brilliant character study and great performances from Mickey Rourke as an over the hill wrestler and Evan Rachel Wood as his estranged daughter.
Plenty of messages from friends and family on facebook which was lovely. Very often I feel lonely and isolated so it was nice to know there are actually lots of people out there who value me. It was a good day.
Sunday 20th June
Woke up quite late so it was a bit of a struggle to run to the gym and do RPM but I'm glad I did. Nicole was teaching which was a bit of a bonus and had a nice long chat with a fellow runner before jogging home. No need for a long run, a hilly half marathon is about the equivalent of 18 miles in training. As my lovely friend Emma said to me just before I left, fair play for coming to the gym after doing a half the previous evening.
Monday 21st June
Something a bit different tonight, did Michelle's abs class, then her 'octathlong' class later on after some light cardio. Only did 4 of the 8 stations as it was the first time, could be interesting to do all 8.
Tuesday 22nd June
Track session. Tough one tonight, 6 * 500m. Felt a bit queasy half way but got through it. Shopping in Tescos with Janine after which is always fun.
Wednesday 23rd June
Abs class again tonight, am enjoying this. Still sore from Monday though! Easy run afterwards, Lethbridge route, nice and steady.
Thursday 24th June
RPM tonight, Emma and Nicole teaching the new release together for the first time. Good fun and I like the new release.
Friday 25th June
Walked to and from work.
Saturday 26th June
Body pump in the morning, ran to and from the gym. Wanted to do the park run today, but ended up going out last night as my former boss, David Power, was playing in a gig in Swindon so I went to watch and had a couple of beers.
My birthday night out tonight, had a good evening and a great turnout, much more people than I expected incluing my niece Tanya which was lovely.
Sunday 27th & Monday 28th June
Rest days. Enjoyed my birthday a bit too much I think and ended taking Monday as holiday. In fairness I've had a lot on of late and probably needed a day off.
Tuesday 29th June
Track session, 7 * 400m. Sounds easy, but the recoveries were short and the idea was to sprint flat out for the last 200m. I did the best I could, but after 5 my heart was still pounding so had to miss one. So ended up doing 6 * 400m.
Wednesday 30th June
Abs class followed by a steady run.
Wednesday 12 May 2010
May 2010
Sunday 9th May
First long run for a while, did the Swindon half route from my house so about 15 miles. Felt good most of the way, a bit of foot pain in the last mile or so, but I really struggle to keep running in the last mile. I think it must be a mental thing.
Monday 10th May
Rest. Time to watch England's last match in the super eights of the twenty20 world cup. They won comfortably and are top of their group to go through to the semis. Yay!
Tuesday 11th May
Track session, 6 * 900m. Did 4 laps to warm up then an extra 2 with Janine. Session wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I didn't get lapped at all and managed to break each rep down into chunks. First 100m as a loosener, then a 400m rep strong and steady then pushed it on the last 400m. Managed all the reps which I didn't think I'd do. 2 laps to cool down with Janine and Lydia then had fun in Tescos shopping with J.
Wednesday 12th May
Easy run outside, 5 miles approx, followed by RPM class. Lot of lower back pain on the run, and worked out my trainers are over 6 months old so that may be why. RPM good, Emma teaching tracks 5-9. Would prefer to do body pump but again it was far too busy.
Thursday 13th May
Rest - Eng v Sri Lanka in the semi-final of the world twenty20, and England through to the final - yay!
Friday 14th May
No running, but walked to and from work so that's the best part of 2 hours' walking. In terms of calorie burning, I reckon that's as good as anything and the t-shirts I was wearing were soaked at the end of each walk.
Saturday 15th May
Quite a lot of training today. Ran to gym (the long way), did RPM and body pump and then ran home (the long way).
Sunday 16th May
Legs felt battered after yesterday and England are playing in the final of the world twenty20 this afternoon so didn't want to knacker myself out completely and end up sleeping all the way through it.
So ran to the gym (short way) did James' one hour RPM class and ran home (long way). By God that was a tough RPM class - I was struggling and someone else nearly passed out!
Enjoyed the afternoon watching England winning their first ever World Cup! Not every day that happens!
Monday 17th May
Enforced rest. Not a happy day at all - spent the morning trying to see a doctor as my iritis has flared up again after a few years' absence, was referred to the eye clinic at the hospital in the afternoon and given some drops.
Had hoped to do a track session with HIghworth Running Club tonight, 2 sets of 8 * 300m. Have too many friends there to not go to the Tuesday session but can't go tomorrow due to a leaving do. Only consolation about not being able to go was getting a text from Janine saying she couldn't go either.
Tuesday 18th May
Rest. Tracey Freeman's leaving do at the Oriental Aroma straight after work so no chance to get a run in. Ended up wishing I had gone to the track instead, as good as the food was the company was boring and I could have saved myself £15.
Wednesday 19th May
Rest again. In London for Damian Barr's literary salon. Had hoped to run in the morning, but forgot I was on a course and had to pop into work instead to do a presentation (long story).
Very pleasant evening with Alex Preston (author of This Bleeding City) and Diana Athill among those doing the readings. Had a relaxing afternoon in London, the weather was good enough for me to sit in St James' Park, read and generally de-stress.
Thursday 20th May
Steady run in the evening, about 7-8 miles. Had to take it steady as vision in left eye very blurred, some pain in my lower back and shins due to my trainers being so worn out, but good to run again.
Cinema on the way home, the film tonight was Four Lions, a spoof about suicide bombers. Wasn't sure if I found the idea of suicide bombers trying to blow themselves up at the London Marathon all that amusing, but it had its moments.
Friday 21st May
No running, but walked to and from work again. I remember Dad telling me once walking is better than running in some respects because it makes you less thirsty. Sorry Dad, I don't agree.
Saturday 22nd May
Body pump at the gym. Ran there and back, the long way home. Probably should have tried to do a longer run today. Ali wasn't teaching and the girl who covered, lovely girl that she is, made a mess of it, including starting on time when it was meant to start at 11.15 so yours truly missed the first two tracks. Oh well. At least I had a good read afterwards.
Sunday 23rd May
Just a short-ish run (about 50 minutes) in the morning as off to watch cricket at Bath today. Interesting how many more runners there are out in the nice weather, and made even better by the number of female runners!
It was a lovely day at the cricket, Somerset v Worcestershire in a 40 overs match. I couldn't really follow it as I couldn't see well enough, plus we couldn't see the scorecard from where we were sat. So just chilled out, read the paper, drank some beer, soaked up the sun, drank more beer, enjoyed Terry, Hazel and Aaron's company, drank more beer before it was time to grab a Schwartz burger and catch the train home. It might sound decadent, but I stopped at the Savoy for a drink on my own which may turn out to be one of the best things I ever did as I read an interesting piece on how struggling authors get published in the Sunday Times, which offered some useful advice..
Monday 24th May
Feeling a bit happier in myself today, my eye looked better for the first time since the infection set in and the hospital confirmed I can start reducing the drops at the end of the week.
7 miles on the treadmill at a decent pace, a bit too warm to run outdoors, plus I can't really trip on anything running on the treadmill can I?
Posted my entry forms today for the New Forest Marathon in September and the Bourton Hilly Half Marathon in June, the latter being on my birthday. Never thought I'd see the day when I run a half marathon on my birthday, but there you go.
Tuesday 25th May
Track session, 7 * 500m. 4 laps to warm up as usual, then the session. A smaller group than usual, which seemed a bit odd. I could understand it if it had been as warm as the previous evening, but it was a lot cooler, if slightly muggy. Had a good session for the most part - until the 6th rep in fact, when I felt a bit wobbly with 100m to go. I stopped, took a quick breather and then jogged to the end before taking the last rep a bit steadier. I just wanted to leave with my pride intact knowing I had finished the session. 4 laps to warm down, mostly with my friend Dominique. Very often it is too easy to skimp on the cool down if there is no one to jog round with, so it's nice to have someone who does the same distance to warm up and cool down, even if her running is in a different league to mine.
Must have been tired from the session as I fell asleep in my armchair when I got home which doesn't normally happen on a Tuesday. I later wondered if the iritis is anything to do with it as my body is still fighting an infection, which takes something out of you.
Wednesday 26th May
Pay day today and a small bonus in our pay packets so ordered new trainers as a matter of priority. Look forward now to starting proper training ie getting proper long runs in at the weekends.
Forgot to book in for body pump tonight so did 3 miles on the treadmill steady followed by RPM. Won't be going to this so often in future, just supporting Emma while she qualifies as an instructor.
Thursday 27th May
Writers' cafe so rest today.
Friday 28th May
At Lords' for the cricket today so rest again. Cricket was ok but the weather was great, really feel like I deserved my day in the sun.
Saturday 29th May
New trainers arrived today but too hungover after yesterday to do anything!
Sunday 30th May
Really, really wanted to go for a run in my new trainers but had to deal with a minor disaster at home as some idiot spilled oil over my doorstep. I didn't see it and trod in it when I went outside early in the morning so managed to tread it all inside the house.
Monday 31st May
RPM in the morning as Emma was teaching, then got out for a run in the evening with Terry, Kev and Tony. 5 miles, average pace 8.5 mins per mile. Had a terrible stitch in the first 3 miles but broke in my trainers at least.
First long run for a while, did the Swindon half route from my house so about 15 miles. Felt good most of the way, a bit of foot pain in the last mile or so, but I really struggle to keep running in the last mile. I think it must be a mental thing.
Monday 10th May
Rest. Time to watch England's last match in the super eights of the twenty20 world cup. They won comfortably and are top of their group to go through to the semis. Yay!
Tuesday 11th May
Track session, 6 * 900m. Did 4 laps to warm up then an extra 2 with Janine. Session wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I didn't get lapped at all and managed to break each rep down into chunks. First 100m as a loosener, then a 400m rep strong and steady then pushed it on the last 400m. Managed all the reps which I didn't think I'd do. 2 laps to cool down with Janine and Lydia then had fun in Tescos shopping with J.
Wednesday 12th May
Easy run outside, 5 miles approx, followed by RPM class. Lot of lower back pain on the run, and worked out my trainers are over 6 months old so that may be why. RPM good, Emma teaching tracks 5-9. Would prefer to do body pump but again it was far too busy.
Thursday 13th May
Rest - Eng v Sri Lanka in the semi-final of the world twenty20, and England through to the final - yay!
Friday 14th May
No running, but walked to and from work so that's the best part of 2 hours' walking. In terms of calorie burning, I reckon that's as good as anything and the t-shirts I was wearing were soaked at the end of each walk.
Saturday 15th May
Quite a lot of training today. Ran to gym (the long way), did RPM and body pump and then ran home (the long way).
Sunday 16th May
Legs felt battered after yesterday and England are playing in the final of the world twenty20 this afternoon so didn't want to knacker myself out completely and end up sleeping all the way through it.
So ran to the gym (short way) did James' one hour RPM class and ran home (long way). By God that was a tough RPM class - I was struggling and someone else nearly passed out!
Enjoyed the afternoon watching England winning their first ever World Cup! Not every day that happens!
Monday 17th May
Enforced rest. Not a happy day at all - spent the morning trying to see a doctor as my iritis has flared up again after a few years' absence, was referred to the eye clinic at the hospital in the afternoon and given some drops.
Had hoped to do a track session with HIghworth Running Club tonight, 2 sets of 8 * 300m. Have too many friends there to not go to the Tuesday session but can't go tomorrow due to a leaving do. Only consolation about not being able to go was getting a text from Janine saying she couldn't go either.
Tuesday 18th May
Rest. Tracey Freeman's leaving do at the Oriental Aroma straight after work so no chance to get a run in. Ended up wishing I had gone to the track instead, as good as the food was the company was boring and I could have saved myself £15.
Wednesday 19th May
Rest again. In London for Damian Barr's literary salon. Had hoped to run in the morning, but forgot I was on a course and had to pop into work instead to do a presentation (long story).
Very pleasant evening with Alex Preston (author of This Bleeding City) and Diana Athill among those doing the readings. Had a relaxing afternoon in London, the weather was good enough for me to sit in St James' Park, read and generally de-stress.
Thursday 20th May
Steady run in the evening, about 7-8 miles. Had to take it steady as vision in left eye very blurred, some pain in my lower back and shins due to my trainers being so worn out, but good to run again.
Cinema on the way home, the film tonight was Four Lions, a spoof about suicide bombers. Wasn't sure if I found the idea of suicide bombers trying to blow themselves up at the London Marathon all that amusing, but it had its moments.
Friday 21st May
No running, but walked to and from work again. I remember Dad telling me once walking is better than running in some respects because it makes you less thirsty. Sorry Dad, I don't agree.
Saturday 22nd May
Body pump at the gym. Ran there and back, the long way home. Probably should have tried to do a longer run today. Ali wasn't teaching and the girl who covered, lovely girl that she is, made a mess of it, including starting on time when it was meant to start at 11.15 so yours truly missed the first two tracks. Oh well. At least I had a good read afterwards.
Sunday 23rd May
Just a short-ish run (about 50 minutes) in the morning as off to watch cricket at Bath today. Interesting how many more runners there are out in the nice weather, and made even better by the number of female runners!
It was a lovely day at the cricket, Somerset v Worcestershire in a 40 overs match. I couldn't really follow it as I couldn't see well enough, plus we couldn't see the scorecard from where we were sat. So just chilled out, read the paper, drank some beer, soaked up the sun, drank more beer, enjoyed Terry, Hazel and Aaron's company, drank more beer before it was time to grab a Schwartz burger and catch the train home. It might sound decadent, but I stopped at the Savoy for a drink on my own which may turn out to be one of the best things I ever did as I read an interesting piece on how struggling authors get published in the Sunday Times, which offered some useful advice..
Monday 24th May
Feeling a bit happier in myself today, my eye looked better for the first time since the infection set in and the hospital confirmed I can start reducing the drops at the end of the week.
7 miles on the treadmill at a decent pace, a bit too warm to run outdoors, plus I can't really trip on anything running on the treadmill can I?
Posted my entry forms today for the New Forest Marathon in September and the Bourton Hilly Half Marathon in June, the latter being on my birthday. Never thought I'd see the day when I run a half marathon on my birthday, but there you go.
Tuesday 25th May
Track session, 7 * 500m. 4 laps to warm up as usual, then the session. A smaller group than usual, which seemed a bit odd. I could understand it if it had been as warm as the previous evening, but it was a lot cooler, if slightly muggy. Had a good session for the most part - until the 6th rep in fact, when I felt a bit wobbly with 100m to go. I stopped, took a quick breather and then jogged to the end before taking the last rep a bit steadier. I just wanted to leave with my pride intact knowing I had finished the session. 4 laps to warm down, mostly with my friend Dominique. Very often it is too easy to skimp on the cool down if there is no one to jog round with, so it's nice to have someone who does the same distance to warm up and cool down, even if her running is in a different league to mine.
Must have been tired from the session as I fell asleep in my armchair when I got home which doesn't normally happen on a Tuesday. I later wondered if the iritis is anything to do with it as my body is still fighting an infection, which takes something out of you.
Wednesday 26th May
Pay day today and a small bonus in our pay packets so ordered new trainers as a matter of priority. Look forward now to starting proper training ie getting proper long runs in at the weekends.
Forgot to book in for body pump tonight so did 3 miles on the treadmill steady followed by RPM. Won't be going to this so often in future, just supporting Emma while she qualifies as an instructor.
Thursday 27th May
Writers' cafe so rest today.
Friday 28th May
At Lords' for the cricket today so rest again. Cricket was ok but the weather was great, really feel like I deserved my day in the sun.
Saturday 29th May
New trainers arrived today but too hungover after yesterday to do anything!
Sunday 30th May
Really, really wanted to go for a run in my new trainers but had to deal with a minor disaster at home as some idiot spilled oil over my doorstep. I didn't see it and trod in it when I went outside early in the morning so managed to tread it all inside the house.
Monday 31st May
RPM in the morning as Emma was teaching, then got out for a run in the evening with Terry, Kev and Tony. 5 miles, average pace 8.5 mins per mile. Had a terrible stitch in the first 3 miles but broke in my trainers at least.
Sunday 3 January 2010
January 2010
1st January
Hill reps, two sets of ten. Start the new year as I mean to go on with a quality session
2nd January
Body pump at the gym, plus I ran there and back so about 5 miles of running.
3rd January
Not the long run I planned. Too icy to run outdoors so ran for an hour (11.1k or 7 miles near as dammit). Should have done another hour but really couldn't face it.
Monday 4th January
5 miles on the treadmill plus some core exercises. Much too icy to run outside.
Tuesday 5th January
Speedwork at the gym. Snow and sleet showers forecast so did not risk the track.
1 mile warm up then 10 * 2 minutes @ 14kph, 1 minute recoveries. 1 mile cool down. Did try to crank the speed up on some of the middle reps to 14.5 - 15kph but it nearly killed me. God I am so overweight and out of shape. I really have it all to do if I want a PB at the Bourton 10k.
Wednesday 6th January
The snow came down with a vengeance so had to walk to work! I think 2 hours of walking counts as good exercise!
Thursday 7th and Friday 8th January
As Wednesday 6th Jan!
Saturday 9th January
The snow hasn't melted but managed to move my car at last. Drove to the gym, did the new body pump release and a speed session (as per Tuesday) on the treadmill.
Sunday 10th January
Very disappointed that the rough n tumble has been cancelled as this has become one of my favourite winter training runs. Fortunately there was a 2.5 hour spinathon at the gym which cheered me up a bit. Greatly enjoyed this as always, nice to see the class full on a Sunday. Plus I ran to the gym (in the snow, with my off-road shoes on) so that's over 3.5 hours of exercise! I slept well later - unfortunately during a film I wanted to watch on Sky!
Monday 11th January
Very sore today so 5 miles slow on the treadmill. Felt a bit looser in the last two miles.
Tuesday 12th January
Speed session on the treadmill again as didn't know what conditions would be like at the track, or how bad the traffic would be. 1 mile warm up, then 10 * 2 mins, 1 mile cool down but it was actually a bit all over the place. Not sure how much of it was due to feeling tired from Sunday or the fact that the treadmill is seriously doing my head in and I just wish I could run outside in some way shape or form.
Wednesday 13th January
Body pump. Helped push Kathryn out of the gym car park after!
Thursday 14th January
RPM. Almost safe enough to run outside but decided not to risk it.
Friday 15th January
Rest.
Saturday 16th January
Body pump. Missed out legs to keep them fresh for tomorrow.
Sunday 17th January
Highworth Half Marathon. Was going well for the first 8 miles, then my legs just seemed to seize up. Still, enjoyed the run and finished in 1:56:00 which is not bad for the course, in fact I'd have taken anything under two hours today. Also did another 5 miles on the treadmill after to make this the first quality long run of 2010.
Monday 18th Janury
Legs seriously sore today! 5 miles easy jog (Blagrove route).
Tuesday 19th Janaury
Track session. 1 mile warm up, then I did 11 * 400m (actual session 15 * 400). 1 mile cool down. Not bad considering how sore I still am, in fact I seemed to get looser through the session.
Long runs, track sessions - this is much more like it :)
Hill reps, two sets of ten. Start the new year as I mean to go on with a quality session
2nd January
Body pump at the gym, plus I ran there and back so about 5 miles of running.
3rd January
Not the long run I planned. Too icy to run outdoors so ran for an hour (11.1k or 7 miles near as dammit). Should have done another hour but really couldn't face it.
Monday 4th January
5 miles on the treadmill plus some core exercises. Much too icy to run outside.
Tuesday 5th January
Speedwork at the gym. Snow and sleet showers forecast so did not risk the track.
1 mile warm up then 10 * 2 minutes @ 14kph, 1 minute recoveries. 1 mile cool down. Did try to crank the speed up on some of the middle reps to 14.5 - 15kph but it nearly killed me. God I am so overweight and out of shape. I really have it all to do if I want a PB at the Bourton 10k.
Wednesday 6th January
The snow came down with a vengeance so had to walk to work! I think 2 hours of walking counts as good exercise!
Thursday 7th and Friday 8th January
As Wednesday 6th Jan!
Saturday 9th January
The snow hasn't melted but managed to move my car at last. Drove to the gym, did the new body pump release and a speed session (as per Tuesday) on the treadmill.
Sunday 10th January
Very disappointed that the rough n tumble has been cancelled as this has become one of my favourite winter training runs. Fortunately there was a 2.5 hour spinathon at the gym which cheered me up a bit. Greatly enjoyed this as always, nice to see the class full on a Sunday. Plus I ran to the gym (in the snow, with my off-road shoes on) so that's over 3.5 hours of exercise! I slept well later - unfortunately during a film I wanted to watch on Sky!
Monday 11th January
Very sore today so 5 miles slow on the treadmill. Felt a bit looser in the last two miles.
Tuesday 12th January
Speed session on the treadmill again as didn't know what conditions would be like at the track, or how bad the traffic would be. 1 mile warm up, then 10 * 2 mins, 1 mile cool down but it was actually a bit all over the place. Not sure how much of it was due to feeling tired from Sunday or the fact that the treadmill is seriously doing my head in and I just wish I could run outside in some way shape or form.
Wednesday 13th January
Body pump. Helped push Kathryn out of the gym car park after!
Thursday 14th January
RPM. Almost safe enough to run outside but decided not to risk it.
Friday 15th January
Rest.
Saturday 16th January
Body pump. Missed out legs to keep them fresh for tomorrow.
Sunday 17th January
Highworth Half Marathon. Was going well for the first 8 miles, then my legs just seemed to seize up. Still, enjoyed the run and finished in 1:56:00 which is not bad for the course, in fact I'd have taken anything under two hours today. Also did another 5 miles on the treadmill after to make this the first quality long run of 2010.
Monday 18th Janury
Legs seriously sore today! 5 miles easy jog (Blagrove route).
Tuesday 19th Janaury
Track session. 1 mile warm up, then I did 11 * 400m (actual session 15 * 400). 1 mile cool down. Not bad considering how sore I still am, in fact I seemed to get looser through the session.
Long runs, track sessions - this is much more like it :)
Friday 15 May 2009
And so it ends...
Just a quick note to say that I have decided to draw a line under this blog having completed the Flora London marathon. The reason is simply that whilst I fully intend to continue training and racing, I need to give other activities priority. The book I have written won't get itself published and I need to devote my energies to that particular project.
I shall also be following the Ashes series of 2009 with a great deal of interest, and this also gives me an opportunity to hone my writing skills in this area. To this end (and to relieve some frustration at times no doubt) I have set up a cricketing blog at http://jonscricketblog.blogspot.com/
I may still post reports of certain races here, but for now as they say, that's all folks.
I shall also be following the Ashes series of 2009 with a great deal of interest, and this also gives me an opportunity to hone my writing skills in this area. To this end (and to relieve some frustration at times no doubt) I have set up a cricketing blog at http://jonscricketblog.blogspot.com/
I may still post reports of certain races here, but for now as they say, that's all folks.
Tuesday 5 May 2009
Jon runs London 2009
Saturday 25th April
The big day (or at least, the weekend) is finally upon me! Met Daniel at the station in the morning to catch the train to London, and we met Anthony and some of his friends from South Wales on the train. When we arrived in London we made our way over to the expo at Docklands and swiftly completed the registration process - the organisation at FLM is faultless.
Anthony and I then headed over to the pasta party for our meal and then spent an hour or two looking round the stands. I resisted any temptation to spend lots of money, but did grab a few pairs of running socks at the sweatshop stand.
Afterwards, I made my way to Kennington to pick up the key for the guest room at my Uncle Eddie's retirement home there. True to form, he offered me alcohol as soon as he saw me but I managed to resist. I had come too far to mess up my chances over a few rum and cokes.
In the evening, I met up with Anthony, Daniel, Martin, Claire and other members of the Swindon Striders for dinner near their hotel at Vauxhall. It was a really nice meal and incredibly cheap - £5.50 for a huge plate of lasagne and chips!
There was a slight scare for me in that I seemed to have developed blisters on both heels; my new shoes weren't as comfortable as I at first thought. Fortunately Claire gave me some blister plasters to out on in the morning so all I could do was get to bed and hope for the best in the morning.
Sunday 26th April - THE 2009 FLORA LONDON MARATHON
Good news. My feet were less sore than the previous evening and with the blister plasters on I was able to walk normally again. Packed my bag, had my pre-race breakfast of rice pudding and made my way to the tube station. Somewhat serendipitously I met Anthony et al there, and teamed up with Martin and Claire, who was in the same pen as me at the blue start. If I had wasted energy the previous day by spending too much time on my feet I wasted more energy this morning sprinting between trains and getting stressed - a result of platform alterations and delays at London Bridge. Fortunately we still got to the start with a few minutes to spare. No time for a stretch but the first few miles were going to be my warm-up anyway.
Before long we were off and I was noticeably closer to the start this year - it only took 5 minutes or so to cross the line, unlike 10 two years ago. Whilst the pace was slightly faster, the streets were equally crowded and it was hard to get any sort of speed up. The first mile took 9 and a half minutes, and as my plan was to run 9 minute miles all the way round I was already behind schedule.
Not to worry, or so it appeared; I managed a few faster miles and by 5 miles was ahead of schedule. The mood of the runners was very positive and good-humoured; cries of 'Oggy Oggy Oggy' at the start and boos and hisses for the runners from the red start when the race converged at mile three!
On a more sombre note I will always remember passing a young man with an artificial leg in the first few miles wearing a 'Help for Heroes' t-shirt. I mused that he had possibly lost a leg fighting for his country in Iraq and Afghanistan, so I vowed at that point I wasn't going to whinge during the race, no matter how much it hurts.
I was still going strong at mile 10 and by now was starting to count down the miles. 16 to go, how many times have I done that in training?
Like I say, it was very crowded and there were plenty of near misses, and already I was getting sick and tired of people's elbows bashing into me as I tried to pass them.
The first major collision took place on Tower Bridge. Some TV or radio presenter, in his wisdom, decided to stop a lady right in my path. I couldn't stop and went straight into her. I'm guessing it hurt her more but it knocked the wind out of me. That notwithstanding, I felt reasonably strong at halfway, which I passed in about 1:56 so sub four hours was still a possibility at that stage.
I think it would have been at about mile 16 that things started to go wrong. I suddenly felt tired, my legs were heavy, and I was increasingly annoyed at having to avoid collisions. By now people were stopping in front of me, and it was as much as I could do not to crash into them. I didn't realise it at the time, but it was also now getting pretty warm.
I very nearly had a nasty accident in docklands when a bottle of lucozade rolled under my foot (whose idea was it to have bottles this year instead of pouches?!) and I could have ended up flat on my back. Fortunately I was still alert enough to realise what I had stepped on and roll my foot over it.
By miles 20-21 I was really starting to suffer and as much as I tried to tell myself it was only another 10k, it still seemed like a hell of a long way. My stopwatch had been stopped in another collision but I knew I was slowing down and hopes of finishing in under four hours were disappearing fast. I had to have a few walk breaks, usually at the drinks stations so I could regain my composure (I was feeling faint and dizzy) and take some fluid on board, which I badly needed. Truth be told, I can't recall ever wanting a pint of beer so badly in my life!
The signs saying Lucozade station in 500m were cruel by mile 23, as 500m seemed a very long way by that stage. I remember the crowd cheering me on and all I wanted to shout in return was 'Where's the f***ing lucozade station?!' I'm glad I can remember the humorous aspect of this painful passage.
By now I was just trying to hang in there and whilst I was moving slowly and really wanted to just stop I tried to remember the words of one of my true sporting heroes, the legendary Shane Warne: 'Never give up. Never, ever, give up.'
I tried to focus on the sights of London and the cheers of the crowd as I edged towards the finish. It was nearly over; soon I was passing the Houses of Parliament and beginning the final passage along Birdcage walk. By the time I got to the 600m to go sign I was in all kinds of pain; among other things my spine was hurting and so a sprint finish was out of the question. I did manage to raise my arms aloft as I crossed the line. I didn't know exactly what my time was, it was about 4hrs 6 minutes so I hadn't managed four hours but it was a lot faster than two years ago. A good 25 minutes, roughly speaking. Despite still being in agony I still managed the broadest smile possible as I had my finisher's photo taken.
Still wheezing I made a phone call to my Dad to let him know I had finished. When I told him how much I had suffered in the last six miles but kept going, he told me that was 'true grit'.
Yes, you could say that I guess.
After the race
Met up with Anthony et al in the meet and greet area, but when they made their way home my day wasn't over as I was very lucky to have an old mate, Roger, come to London to spend a few hours having a celebration drink with me. It was great to see him and a fantastic atmosphere in London. People were randomly shaking my hand, high-fiving me and saying well done when they found out I had done the race. In fact, it was easy to pick out anyone who had run as they were the ones hobbling...
We had a nice thai meal in Covent Garden (a cheap restaurant opposite The Salisbury, one of my favourite watering holes) and a few beers and generally caught up. Later I headed back to Eddie's but wasn't able to have a drink with him - I was well and truly whacked and a well-earned good night's sleep beckoned.
I treated myself to an overdue day out in London the next day before catching the last train home. In the morning I spent some time with Eddie and checked my result on his computer. My exact time was 4:05:52 and I came 11,808th overall, so well within the top third I guess. Again I was unlucky not to meet any celebs as Gordon Ramsay had finished just fifty seconds ahead of me and Ronan Keating 10 minutes later! Not sure if Matt Dawson was running though...
The weather was a bit rubbish which was a shame. I had anticipated relaxing in St James' Park but it was too wet for that so I bought my theatre ticket for the evening, had some lunch, spent a long time browsing in Waterstone's, bought a paper and had perhaps a few too many rum and cokes and pints of Stella in some of my favourite pubs. The play was Three Days of Rain starring James McAvoy (who I would love to play the lead character if my novel Ashes Summer ever gets made into a film) and I wish I could tell you all about it but my memories start getting hazy after dinner in Chandos...but to be fair, even Ali O'Hara told me to have a few beers after the race so if he thinks I deserved it then I guess I did.
The big day (or at least, the weekend) is finally upon me! Met Daniel at the station in the morning to catch the train to London, and we met Anthony and some of his friends from South Wales on the train. When we arrived in London we made our way over to the expo at Docklands and swiftly completed the registration process - the organisation at FLM is faultless.
Anthony and I then headed over to the pasta party for our meal and then spent an hour or two looking round the stands. I resisted any temptation to spend lots of money, but did grab a few pairs of running socks at the sweatshop stand.
Afterwards, I made my way to Kennington to pick up the key for the guest room at my Uncle Eddie's retirement home there. True to form, he offered me alcohol as soon as he saw me but I managed to resist. I had come too far to mess up my chances over a few rum and cokes.
In the evening, I met up with Anthony, Daniel, Martin, Claire and other members of the Swindon Striders for dinner near their hotel at Vauxhall. It was a really nice meal and incredibly cheap - £5.50 for a huge plate of lasagne and chips!
There was a slight scare for me in that I seemed to have developed blisters on both heels; my new shoes weren't as comfortable as I at first thought. Fortunately Claire gave me some blister plasters to out on in the morning so all I could do was get to bed and hope for the best in the morning.
Sunday 26th April - THE 2009 FLORA LONDON MARATHON
Good news. My feet were less sore than the previous evening and with the blister plasters on I was able to walk normally again. Packed my bag, had my pre-race breakfast of rice pudding and made my way to the tube station. Somewhat serendipitously I met Anthony et al there, and teamed up with Martin and Claire, who was in the same pen as me at the blue start. If I had wasted energy the previous day by spending too much time on my feet I wasted more energy this morning sprinting between trains and getting stressed - a result of platform alterations and delays at London Bridge. Fortunately we still got to the start with a few minutes to spare. No time for a stretch but the first few miles were going to be my warm-up anyway.
Before long we were off and I was noticeably closer to the start this year - it only took 5 minutes or so to cross the line, unlike 10 two years ago. Whilst the pace was slightly faster, the streets were equally crowded and it was hard to get any sort of speed up. The first mile took 9 and a half minutes, and as my plan was to run 9 minute miles all the way round I was already behind schedule.
Not to worry, or so it appeared; I managed a few faster miles and by 5 miles was ahead of schedule. The mood of the runners was very positive and good-humoured; cries of 'Oggy Oggy Oggy' at the start and boos and hisses for the runners from the red start when the race converged at mile three!
On a more sombre note I will always remember passing a young man with an artificial leg in the first few miles wearing a 'Help for Heroes' t-shirt. I mused that he had possibly lost a leg fighting for his country in Iraq and Afghanistan, so I vowed at that point I wasn't going to whinge during the race, no matter how much it hurts.
I was still going strong at mile 10 and by now was starting to count down the miles. 16 to go, how many times have I done that in training?
Like I say, it was very crowded and there were plenty of near misses, and already I was getting sick and tired of people's elbows bashing into me as I tried to pass them.
The first major collision took place on Tower Bridge. Some TV or radio presenter, in his wisdom, decided to stop a lady right in my path. I couldn't stop and went straight into her. I'm guessing it hurt her more but it knocked the wind out of me. That notwithstanding, I felt reasonably strong at halfway, which I passed in about 1:56 so sub four hours was still a possibility at that stage.
I think it would have been at about mile 16 that things started to go wrong. I suddenly felt tired, my legs were heavy, and I was increasingly annoyed at having to avoid collisions. By now people were stopping in front of me, and it was as much as I could do not to crash into them. I didn't realise it at the time, but it was also now getting pretty warm.
I very nearly had a nasty accident in docklands when a bottle of lucozade rolled under my foot (whose idea was it to have bottles this year instead of pouches?!) and I could have ended up flat on my back. Fortunately I was still alert enough to realise what I had stepped on and roll my foot over it.
By miles 20-21 I was really starting to suffer and as much as I tried to tell myself it was only another 10k, it still seemed like a hell of a long way. My stopwatch had been stopped in another collision but I knew I was slowing down and hopes of finishing in under four hours were disappearing fast. I had to have a few walk breaks, usually at the drinks stations so I could regain my composure (I was feeling faint and dizzy) and take some fluid on board, which I badly needed. Truth be told, I can't recall ever wanting a pint of beer so badly in my life!
The signs saying Lucozade station in 500m were cruel by mile 23, as 500m seemed a very long way by that stage. I remember the crowd cheering me on and all I wanted to shout in return was 'Where's the f***ing lucozade station?!' I'm glad I can remember the humorous aspect of this painful passage.
By now I was just trying to hang in there and whilst I was moving slowly and really wanted to just stop I tried to remember the words of one of my true sporting heroes, the legendary Shane Warne: 'Never give up. Never, ever, give up.'
I tried to focus on the sights of London and the cheers of the crowd as I edged towards the finish. It was nearly over; soon I was passing the Houses of Parliament and beginning the final passage along Birdcage walk. By the time I got to the 600m to go sign I was in all kinds of pain; among other things my spine was hurting and so a sprint finish was out of the question. I did manage to raise my arms aloft as I crossed the line. I didn't know exactly what my time was, it was about 4hrs 6 minutes so I hadn't managed four hours but it was a lot faster than two years ago. A good 25 minutes, roughly speaking. Despite still being in agony I still managed the broadest smile possible as I had my finisher's photo taken.
Still wheezing I made a phone call to my Dad to let him know I had finished. When I told him how much I had suffered in the last six miles but kept going, he told me that was 'true grit'.
Yes, you could say that I guess.
After the race
Met up with Anthony et al in the meet and greet area, but when they made their way home my day wasn't over as I was very lucky to have an old mate, Roger, come to London to spend a few hours having a celebration drink with me. It was great to see him and a fantastic atmosphere in London. People were randomly shaking my hand, high-fiving me and saying well done when they found out I had done the race. In fact, it was easy to pick out anyone who had run as they were the ones hobbling...
We had a nice thai meal in Covent Garden (a cheap restaurant opposite The Salisbury, one of my favourite watering holes) and a few beers and generally caught up. Later I headed back to Eddie's but wasn't able to have a drink with him - I was well and truly whacked and a well-earned good night's sleep beckoned.
I treated myself to an overdue day out in London the next day before catching the last train home. In the morning I spent some time with Eddie and checked my result on his computer. My exact time was 4:05:52 and I came 11,808th overall, so well within the top third I guess. Again I was unlucky not to meet any celebs as Gordon Ramsay had finished just fifty seconds ahead of me and Ronan Keating 10 minutes later! Not sure if Matt Dawson was running though...
The weather was a bit rubbish which was a shame. I had anticipated relaxing in St James' Park but it was too wet for that so I bought my theatre ticket for the evening, had some lunch, spent a long time browsing in Waterstone's, bought a paper and had perhaps a few too many rum and cokes and pints of Stella in some of my favourite pubs. The play was Three Days of Rain starring James McAvoy (who I would love to play the lead character if my novel Ashes Summer ever gets made into a film) and I wish I could tell you all about it but my memories start getting hazy after dinner in Chandos...but to be fair, even Ali O'Hara told me to have a few beers after the race so if he thinks I deserved it then I guess I did.
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