me. marathon runner. lapsed.

Why did I enter the London Marathon Ballot? What was I thinking?

I looked at some race training schedules today and to be honest, I was scared and baffled all at the same time. In years gone by (aka “the Golden Age”) I wouldn’t have looked at anything like that, I would have just gone and bashed out the miles, and well, the results are there for all to see. And laugh at.

But now I’m older, and presumably wiser. And I’m well out of the game, too. Recent efforts to train for the Wenlock Marathon aggravated some long-term injuries which I’m only just getting over. The memory of my sitting at the roadside with 3 miles still to go, holding back the tears of pain, on my last long training run will live long, although I now think it’s “funny” and “character building”.

So how the hell to I get from where I am now to, where I would like to be? Some realism is called for here. In my head, I still have the potential to run under 3 hours. My body though would probably give another opinion, if asked. I looked at one sub-3 schedule and it said “race 5km, 18.45/ run 3 miles in 18 minutes” in week 1. Hmm. It’s been a while since I ran sub-20, never mind a sub-19 (see my ‘training diary’ post earlier, that will tell you).

On the one hand, even if I manage anything like the training I did before, then surely I will get the same results ..at best. I’m probably better aiming for the Good For Age time of 3.15. But in my defence M’lud,  I can run quicker than sub-3 pace (6.50)…but just not for 26.2 miles.

The theory goes, it’s just the stamina that needs building up, so we can maintain the speedy pace over a longer distance. Yes? We’ll see. I am clearly barking mad. And delusional. Only an outright rejection by Virgin London Marathon is going to save me. And I’ve got a feeling that ain’t coming this time..

And while I’m on. This GFA (Good for Age) malarkey is a load of tosh. If I was a lady, all I would have to do is to run sub-4.00. But as I’m not, it’s sub 3.15. That is the standard for everyone from the age of 41, up to the age of 59. This seems an extremely harsh call by VLM, no doubt it’s an attempt to keep as many extremely un-photogenic 50-somethings in varying states of undress and distress off the streets of London as possible. And for that, I suppose, we should all be grateful.

got mah training diary right here, right now.

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with the blog post. Its Mick & Marc (I think) cheering Lord WIggo on to victory at the Olympic Time Trial. 



Great Days..




..I have kept a training diary for 20 years on & off. More on than off.

Other than to tell me when events have taken place (e.g. the Anywhere 5km fun run) and what my time was, at first glance it seems like it has served little purpose. I mean, who wants to re-read 17 entries of “4.5 miles steady” for the month of May 2007?

There have been times when I have stopped altogether for a month or so, when mr mojo has truly deserted me. There were also those times when I tried to record my efforts in some other way (step forward, Excel spreadsheet). These didn’t last too long though, although I have recently gone back to using the excellent Fetcheveryone website training log, more out of convenience and a desire to join the unofficial training league than owt else.

The real value to me though is two-fold; firstly, stepping back from the day-to-day stuff and look at weeks/months, you get a picture of a particular ‘block’ of training; what sessions were involved, how many speed/ hill sessions, how many long runs, how many off-road etc and, with any information gathering exercise, patterns start to emerge. Not accounting for decline over the years due to age, given no injury or illness issues and if I am the same running weight, over a similar time period, the same training *should * produce the same results.

The best example of this is that I have, over a 7-year period, after 3 month’s training (Jan – Mar) of on average 45 miles per week, much of which was 5 – 7 miles run at tempo pace (in a group) with few if any specific speedwork sessions, with one long, slow run at the weekend ranging from 12 – 20 miles, peaking with 3 consecutive 20 mile runs (one or more of which was a race) I could near as guarantee a 3.20 – 3.30 marathon run anytime after that during April or May. Put your money on me, folks.

Of course, looking at the cold stats now, it’s easy to say that with a few more longer, quicker runs to replace some of the tempo sessions and also more longer runs at the weekend I would have turned the 3.20 into more like a 3.00 but given the time constraints I had I was very much on the limit, and it was a remarkably consistent set of performances.

But it’s also easy to pick out smaller blocks of useful training; from 2010/11 I know that two months’ worth of steady run + speedwork or hills + 8ish midweek + longer at weekend (av 35-40 mpw) (most of it done alone) is going to get me low-40 min 10k and a place in the Cross Country team. Whoopee! I have a recipe for (relative) success !

So am I going to carry on with it forever? Will it be like the classic outbursts of angst you see in Ron Hill’s famous diaries? Probably not..

“1^st September 1973. Got up early. Seem to have a broken leg. Ran 20 miles steady in plaster. Doesn’t hurt as much as I thought it might”. (..I may be slightly misrepresenting the great man here :0)  ).

Olympic Trip #2

Photos from 2012 Olympic Marathon are here  Enjoy!!

The ramble of Training

Summer.
Should be a good time for training, yeah?
Well, for some reason, call it Holiday-Olympic-Cantbearseditis or whatever, it's bloody tough.

You'd like to think I'd come back from holidays all fired up, but it's been a bit sporadic. Probably not helped by this knee injury stuff either.

Last week's results were poor, to day the least:
My speedwork session was a bit poor, I usually run 1.8k out and back with a minute's rest. It's slightly downhill going out and I was reasonably happy with 9.45 but the return leg was 10.20 which is a new low. However I know this is a baseline and things ought to improve.
The Dales Dash on Thursday was a bit weird, with Dave dipping out of the main route, leaving Mike to set the pace; I was 3 minutes down on my usual time, having gone out far too quickly, and by the time I got to the big climbs back from the river my legs had gone. However, one great thing; I tried on my knee support strap for the first time ever. And it was amazing. Ran downhill, quickly, pain free. Maybe things aren't so bad after all.
Friday saw me back in the gym, setting new PBs on the treadmill, bike and rower in a desperate attempt to work up an appetite for the chippy.
I entered Ludlow Tri (End September) with Mike and also Newport Duathlon (7/Oct) and so I need some bike and swim miles. Kicked off on Sunday with 30 hilly miles round Cressage, Sheinton, Ironbridge.
So, to sum up. Sporadic. But at least I'm running.

Olympic Trip #1

We set out from home at early o'clock to go down to That London to see the Olympic Marathon. It was the last day of the Olympics - and we just couldn't get enough.

We were SO early, we got to Stanmore before the tube started running. While we were waiting, Alan almost had an accident while slipping off the toilet seat (not fixed. Yay. time to crouch),

The platform was dotted with volunteers and spectators all off to the games, it was a time of quiet excitement. Co-incidentally, Dave had planned our route so the Tube took us right into Westminster and our proposed standing area, right opposite Big Ben, so no changes were needed. This was good, all coming together at the moment...

a picture of the others in the Kenyan Supporters' Club

We were quickly adopted into the group of fans on the corner and treated like lifelong friends!! We guarded our spot jealously, as the early morning joggers, runners and cyclists took a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go on the traffic-free roads, the signs were still being set up, the streets were being cleaned etc.
We were 'adopted' by the Kenyan supporters and generously given some shirts and flags (well, Mike blagged them really) and we had to promise to support their man. This left us in a quandry as we had also promised to support the Spanish, Irish and our brave lads from GB (and Guernsey) - but what the hell, we had time for everyone.
While all this was going on, the Japanese were busily making their own banners, painting themselves up and devising new ways of getting themselves onto the TV. Of course, we dispatched someone to join the fun..

Pretty soon the streets were clear... and the security guards were in place. We befriended Boniface who was a smashing bloke, from Kenya (of course) and Dave delighted in telling him about his Arsenal fandom, where he was hilariously denounced by another Gooner fan..
..'I was at Wembley in '71 when they did the double'
...'So was I sir, and I can safely say I don't recall seeing you there'

The helicopters, the photo crews, the motorbikes announced the arrival of the race...

And the noise... was.... utterly fantastic!
Being at Mile 1 also meant we were near Mile 9, 17 and 25 - so we were able to see the race develop. Apparently we were on TV at 17 miles :-) I shall sign autographs if required.

Here's Scott Overall (GBR) at 9 miles.

He was going really well here and we had high hopes he would carry on through the field, but it wasn't to be.
Mike disappeared at this time to the floor, in search of food. While this was happening a midget tried to take the oxygen from him by leaning on top of him to take photos. He was swiftly removed.

As the race developed, the group behind us changed from Kenyan, to Dutch, to Italian, to Mexican. They were all there for the craic.
Team Ercall Kenyan Stompers continued to cheer everyone on, all the little countries who had sent their best runners to pound the streets in the hot, hot sunshine. Costa Rica, Lichtenstein, PRK. The Lesotho man managed to stay in front of the broom wagon. Just. Forza!
What was amazing from a running point of view, was that even the stragglers were knocking out 2.30-2.40 marathons. Some stragglers. Puts our efforts into perspective.
We tried a two-man Mexican wave for a Mexican runner (Dave wouldn't join in..) and we even got the Koreans to smile and give us a thumbs-up.
Eventually, sadly it was all over. We said goodbye to our new lifelong friends and set off for the tube home, to be followed by getting lost in the Northamptonshire countryside in search of a pub which had changed its name, where in our Kenyan shirts we were then treated like celebs. But that's for another day.

AVR

Well from now on, the Stompers will be associated with the Axe Valley Runners. There is no logical reason for this save our trips down to the South West from time to time, and also because it is so bizarre it is right up our street. Oh yeas, and they didn't charge much. And they are a bit mad. As I am about to misquote someone "There will be a corner of Shropshire that will forever be the Axe Valley".

Prize Winner

Wenlock Olympian Triathlon,
July 2012

Mike celebrating a 3rd MV60 place.

Looks like a good day's work!!

The Olympics, Old Father Time, the Rain....

15th July. St. Swithin's Day. If it rains today then it will rain for 40 days and nights. Oh, blimey.
It's also the main day of the Wenlock Olympian Games. The Wenlock Games are acknowledged as the modern forerunners of the Olympic Games. Oh yes they are, stop arguing at the back there..

<--This is William Penny Brookes. No doubt he had us in mind when he thought that "every grade of man should have opportunities to become mentally and physically fit". (snigger)

Much Wenlock was heaving on Sunday with people, cameras, TV cameras and more people when we turned up, ridiculously early - or in good time, depending on your point of view.
Mike was taking on the Wenlock Olympian Triathlon, so we went along to see how a real athlete went about his business. Dave & I decided that, due to our injuries, the 7 Mile Road Race was the extent of our efforts and that was going to be tough enough,  thank you very much.
We cheered Mike on to a stirring effort which at the time of writing we believe to be 3rd V60. The wall of Fame on the right-hand-side will be updated as soon as we know for definite. YAY!
And so to the Road race. My own knee was a bit sore and Dave was complaining, well he was just complaining really, as is his want.
Eventually, at 12.30pm we kicked off, the route having been shortened by some 300m due to the sports field being a bit boggy. Soon we were out on to the road and this was all going swimmingly, even more so as we splashed through a few puddles on the way. The road up to the Wyke took it's toll out of Dave though and I stood on the top while I waited for him, having a little chat to Scott who had ridden out there on his motorbike to come and see us.
We got going again ...but it was clear that the hills were taking their toll on my mate's venerable legs, with some long slow climbs becoming long, slow runs, but eventually we were on the road back down into the town and our speed and spirits picked up. Phew. Because there were so many folks around, it felt like a really special atmosphere running through the town, and I thought Dave might have saved something for the final hill (I was  wrong).
Do you know? they've sorted out the trail to the back of the Gaskill Field now.. no longer mud, it's really rather nice. I waited up here again for Dave and we ran in together to a large crowd, a well-deserved Olympian medal and some jelly babies :0)
Later celebrations/commiserations/post-run analysis continued at HQ over a pint. What a blissful day, and no - it didn't rain............

Telly Excellence

Two items this week:

(1) Comrade Alan's venture back to Newport for the Summer Handicap. This was always going to be a big ask, with rickety knees and a general lack of fitness, but sometimes you have to take advantage of a glorious Summer's evening sunset as, well you just don't get many of those, do you?

The course was as tough as ever. I think it's quite tough. Run up from the Wheatsheaf Pub, turn up the drive to Lilleshall Hall, turn off along Pitchcroft Lane before taking in a loop of fields near Sheriffhales, whcih brings you back onto Pitchcroft Lane, then there is another loop out towards the A518 before picking up the old Church Aston lane back to the old A41 & the Wheatsheaf. Anyhow, the old legs kept going quite well but there was never much under the bonnet and I was always scared the jabbing pain in the leg would return. Not so. Whoopee! It was a painfully slow time but there was a fair bit of water about. It would seem that Sheriffhales now has it's own Lake District. I couldn't catch many other runners, I suffered the indignity of being asked if I was last (I wasn't) but I didn't mind really. A useful step on the long road back. (2) It's the run up to the Olympics (are we going to get prosecuted for using the name?) and so the telly is positively bristling with sporting programmes. I've seen the excellent Michael Johnson presenting one on his theory that Black slave descendants have made the quickest runners due to evolution. Good theory but the programme was I thought a little stodgy and could have been wrapped up in half an hour. The BBC's series Stronger Higher Faster has been excellent and from a running perspective the shows on the 100m and the 1500m were a real treat of archive running. My favourite this week though has been 'Born to Run' about the Kenyan running boom and looked at just what the secret might be. Turns out it's a combination of living at altitude, really hard work, a need to succeed to get away from poverty and some inspirational coaching from Brother Colm O'Connell.

Dave_stomper

Pictured before a recent Tuesday run, Comrade David posing for the camera in the Club kit.
Impressive, eh? Rather inevitably, it was raining, rather inevitably it was humid, rather inevitably David had too many clothes on so this meant a stop and a kit change half way round. Sigh.
However, on a happier note, the beer was good.
As I'm writing these few words, I'm thinking about the physio exercises and the next run. July will be a rehabilitation & training month for me, but I'm hoping to be really back by the Autumn time, suitably fit, well and inspired by the Olympics. Until then I'm working hard on the road, in the gym and with the Theraband and the Tennis Ball :0)

Cooper testing #1

So, Comrade Mike goes out in the Monsoon that is the English Summer and has a crack at this Cooper test thing. After a warm-up, you give it yer all for 12 minutes. Turns out his stats were rather good. 2220m - not bad for a v60. V02 max = 38.1 . Considering it wasn't actually ideal weather, the lad's done good :)

Out

Sports News: I'm out of the Over The Edge Marathon & on the injured step. Visit to Physio soon. Oh well, more time for me to paint the bathroom door and play the ukulele. No, honest.

A testing time

You cheats.
You big bloody cheats.

When I was at school, you promised me no-one would have to work any more, all our domestic chores would be done by robots, our time would be our own, we'd be able to go on holiday to the moon, we'd all have personalised jet-packs and there would be monorails everywhere. I especially liked the monorail thing.
what happened?
I don't know, but as a natural optimist I'm still waiting.



So, anyway, what do you know about the Cooper Test? It's all here and basically you run as hard as you can for 12 minutes. This tells you 2 things as far as I can see: (1) you can work out your VO2 max (2) 12 minutes is a LONG time when you are flat out. Comrade Dave has brought it to my attention as a way of training us up to take on future challenges. If we do, I shall take pictures, but I warn you - they won't be pretty.

Things to do when you're not running

I was looking on the internet for 'weird sports pictures'. Don't ask why. But anyway this one made me laugh.

Injury Corner
I have got a sore knee. In fact, it's been sore since the last big run a few days ago. What really made a bad situation much worse though was cycling to-and-from Shrewsbury on Tuesday.

The tendons at the top of the knee are revolting, the knee itself is behaving like an Austin Allegro having been yanked into a handbrake turn, and if you bend it on to a certain spot, OOOUUUUUCCCCH. I think I need some of the magic mushrooms, maaan. So I'm in a strange netherworld, now. If I was a proper athlete, I would be up at the expensive physios and all activity would be suspended until I can return to peak performance level.
But as I'm just an average bloke who likes running, and because there is an attractive event coming up Next Week, and because I have done some training - not much, but enough to get round, I'm still pondering whether or not I toe the line at the Over the Edge Marathon. Give it till Tuesday and then we shall see. Present odds - 70% chance I won't be there.
The Gym
I decided I needed to work on those other parts of my body, so I joined the local council gym scheme. I was partly seduced by the fact that all the gym equipment is brand new, and after having made a few enquiries it seemed like a good deal. So off I trotted on Thursday to seal the deal, and on Friday I pitched up for my first session. Having gingerly eased my way into the gym I went first of all for the familiar option; the running machine. I fired it up, and set off without understanding the calibration, due to my clunky leg I didn't seem to be going very fast and in fact I wasn't - somewhere around 10kph, plus I could see how badly I was running in a full-length mirror. Oh, dear, that wasn't good at all. After I while I decided I was warmed up, so switched to the bikes. These had the advantage that I could tinker with the TV buttons and so completed 5km while watching Ninja Warrior. After the bike I progressed to an old favourite, the indoor rower, where I knocked out a couple of fairly easy 500m reps. I'm not aerobically unfit, it's just my flipping leg. To the weights!! I tried all the weightstations, kept the weight low as per previous knowledge and managed to get out in one piece BUT two days later the Abductor/Adductor machine seems to have taken it's toll.
In Ercall Stompers news, no plans as yet to get the numbers out for a run. Current plans include the Cat & Fiddle cycle Sportive in October and the Little Stretton - Stiperstones Time trial in November. But there must be more, we can't waste this Summer !!

A well deserved rest.

Ahhharrrr. A man's gotta chill out sometimes. And so my Inspiration and I went out on the MS 'day out' to Blists Hill Victorian Town. Highlight of the day... was a pint in the Victorian pub, in the sun, sadly not at Victorian prices though!! It was nice after the long run of the day before. I'm struggling with a sore knee at the moment.

of Relays and long, long, long runs (for me)

I shouldn't do these updates on a Sunday morning, I'm sleepy and my brain is like fudge. I'm writing after what has, in terms of running, been a tough week for me. Not the training - well, not solely the training - but more of the motivation for running. I'm desperately in need of a change, the training is getting me nowhere and I'm getting slower and slower and more frustrated over it. Highlight of the week: Tuesday night's 8 miler. Sun, warm, a lovely trip round the Wrekin and the Ercall all performed at a reasonable lick (well as much as I could manage post Hutchinson Way). I wasn't able to do much better at the Shugborough Relays though. The days of me tearing round in 11 minutes seem long gone. I found it difficult to motivate myself, I got it into my head it was just a trot round and that's the way it turned out. When I wanted to put a bit more in, I put down the pedal and...nothing. Let's hope this is a temporary lack of form and not "the end" in sight. Roll on to Saturday and the long-dreaded 20 mile training run. That is 2 x big runs in 6 days. I decided to make it up as I went along, so I meandered out of town and eventually found myself picking up a bit of last week's route before diverting into Telford Town Park (not impressed - fences everywhere - looks really tumbledown) and on to Stafford Park and a long meander before making it to St. Georges. Thankfully it was a big downhill from there as I was already in the red zone. The last 3 miles were done from memory! So that's it now. No more long runs before the marathon, if indeed I do the marathon. It's going to be an extremely hard day. Hopefully I can fit in a race next weekend as a warm up - before that it's Ironbridge 4 miles and I'm just hoping I don't put in another lame performance.

Old enough then?

Blimey. Merlene Ottey is bidding to go to her 8th (EIGHTH) Olympics at the tender age of 52. And not in some sitting down sport either, she is, if you don't know, a sprinter who famously represented Jamaica back in the day and who now represents Slovenia. Well done, girl.

The Hutchinson Way, way, way

The above picture is the route profile for the Hutchinson Way footpath, copied from the LDWA site . The footpath is described as 17-18 miles or rural, urban -type of trail. I've only tried it once before; tales of me failing and sitting, sobbing gently on the base of Lilleshall Monument are dotted around t'internet. I set out this morning, slightly apprehensive but eager not to repeat that sad event. Ok. So the run starts at Wellington pool, but quickly climbs up to the Ercall and then climbs some more into the Limekiln Woods before crossing the golf course and then deeper into Limekiln Woods before coming out at Short Wood. First minor problem here when I was confronted by a barbed-wire fence, thankfully I was tall enough to get over with negligible damage. The next bit took me past the travellers' camp at Lawley before getting on to some tarmac, going via the Rock and eventually pitching up at Telford Centre. It's quite surreal being away from it all in one minute then running past the cinema and office blocks the next. But all was going well. The next bit was via the railway station and up to Priorslee and the Flash (pool), here's where the leaflet/map proved to be a bit rubbish and local knowledge took over. How you can find the route just using the map, heaven knows (more later on this!) Once at the top of Limekiln Bank, it was down the hill and into the Granville Park, along the trails again and across to Lilleshall over the fields. All was going well, maybe I should have quit then. Oh, hang on, that IS where I quit last time! I knew I had to be on the Incline, I knew where I was but I insisted on following the HW map/directions. Bad move. Not clear signage left me climbing another fence, then stile, then struggling across a field of Oilseed Rape (thankfully not in flower) until I got to another grassy field. Easy? no. the grass was knee-high, my feet were soaked. Eventually I got onto the incline and picked up the more familiar path along the old canal, scaring the sheep, feeling good. This path soon became almost impassable too though, being overgrown with brambles, scratching my legs and reducing me to a jog/walk/stumble. Eventually I made it back to the woods and some running relief. The map then directed me on to the A518 and then up Pitchcroft Lane (nasty touch, definitely an unnecessary climb) before crossing more nettles/ long grass and crossing the A518 again. On the other side I could almost taste the finish but the path was completely overgrown and I soon found myself stuck in a long grassy field and then lost. I retraced my steps and decided the best course was to go into Church Aston and pick up the trail there. From then on it was easy, though I was a bit tired I was soon trotting down the High St. I realised the finish was on Stafford St. Car Park so a quick detour via Waitrose was called for! Stats: 18.64 miles, over 3 hours . 3.33 on the clock, but considerable time taken up with detours and some walking/falling over. Had no problem with the distance though. The course is, to be honest, very contrived in the final few miles, poorly signed and poorly maintained. But it's done now...!

Lost

Getting 'lost' when you sort of know where you are is one of the little pleasures of running in company. What I mean is..when you know roughly where you are, and in what direction you should be travelling, but you've never seen that trail, path, hill, hedge, brook before. And so you discuss where you think you are; you agree that you're along the right lines and decide on the next little bit together. Sometimes it works out and you get a little high from your cleverness; quite often you are wrong, so your route needs adjustment or occasionally backtracking. Tonight was one of those nights, a fairly straightforward Stompers run out of the Dale but we got lost somewhere in Lightmoor. Lightmoor for goodness' sake. It's not the Lake District is it? Two decisions, several stiles and some nettles later, and we were running across someone's lawn -ok, it wasn't quite as bad as it seems, as it was a right-of-way but it was a blooming nicely looked-after one! Anyway, we worked out way through the rain back to the sanctuary of t'pub. Lovely stuff :)

Small catchup and it's almost year zero again.

After Granville 4ml (see below) I pulled my left calf. Completely self-inflicted, due to overdoing a stretch. That's the last time I listen to Facebook advice :) Then a few days off with chest infection/inflammation have left me missing 2 x long runs training. So I guess it's how well I get back to it which will decide for me whether the Marathon is on or not. In other news, Ercall Stompers now have their own LiRF (Leader in Running Fitness). I'm not a gun for hire, more of a training plan-cum-hi-viz jacket for hire. I noticed this weekend it was the Welsh Castles Relay. What a great event that is, 20 legs over 2 days. Good for cameraderie/banter and usually either good for sunburn OR a soaking. Or both - Wales can be like that! Also it was the Man v Horse Marathon, in Llanwrtyd Wells. Here's the MvH website. Don't know whether Man beat Horse this year, but I really fancy a crack at it next year. Failing that, there's always the Bog Snorkelling or even the Bog Snorkelling Triathlon!