Bear-ly running.

Thanks to a Morris Dancing-related injury to my knee (no, don't ask) things have been kind of tough recently. Training has been really restricted and as a result, so has motivation, mojo, whatever you want to call it.
I struggled round the Cloud 9 race with Mike, who was excited at the prospect of a fell race as he doesnt get out much. I avoided the downhills, and lost so many places, not that I had many to lose as we were near the rear of the field anyway - but I finished in reasonable form and so declared myself ready for the Grizzly Cub run. All that we needed was some reasonable weather!!
A whole week of inactivity followed, then a long trip down to Devon where we met up with Dave & Gail. Several pub meals and beers later, it was Sunday morning. The weather was closing in, it was barely above freezing and the waves were lashing the beach. Ah, yes, the beach. Of which we shall talk more in a little while.
I set off comfortably at a trot with Dave and we soon swept up Mick; then we turned off the road and onto the beach. Agh. I made a few early tactical errors, and soon Mick and Dave were a long way in front of me, a state of affairs I had to work hard to put right.
Soon, we were climbing towards Beer. I knew this would be hard work, not even a nice downhill slope in between the climbs brought much relief, but at least it was on the road. Once we moved off the road and onto the headland though, it became slightly more slippery underfoot and I was rather tentative about where I was putting my feet in case I slipped.
We put in a few indistinguishable miles on the headland and then began the long downhill to Branscombe. I was very slow going down the lane and halfway down decided I wasnt enjoying it much so I stopped for a pee. At this point Dave was catching me up and as I shambled down the steep hill to the beach (told you I would mention it) he apparently caught me up.
Something in the back of my mind said 'there's going to be some water in this route' and as I got further and further down, this voice got louder. Then we were on to the shingle beach. My inner monologue went into overdrive "no, no, no this isn't right ah, no...no...agh!!" I sized up the stream and hoped I could keep my feet - it looked deep and brown. And, overall, cold. Bloody cold.
The water went over my knees and I couldn't feel my feet. And then a quick pass round some tape and, yes, we went back into the water. Damn you, Axe Valley Runners (even though you are my 2nd claim club).
Allegedly, Dave was right behind me at this point. The next stretch, about 3/4 miles worth of beach plodding, soon sorted that out. It was agonising!!
Once off the horror of the beach there was a cliff to climb up, which was a bit muddy but nothing more - and then we were back on our way to Beer, the steps, the caravan site, all of which was going well. I was looking forward to the gentle run-in, when the marshalls sent up back up the road we had run down at the start. An unwelcome diversion. But it was still a nice run in, despite my hitting a wall (literally) with my arm as we turned into the field where the bandstand was. It was great to see the crowds at the bottom again and a lovely trot to the finish, to banana, hand shake from Town Crier, tee-shirt and something warm to wrap up in. (minor niggle here - we only do a small version of the Grizzly - we don't deserve the proper t-shirt !!)
Dave came in about 8 minutes later which was pretty good. Mick appeared sometime afterwards, having pulled his hamstring. See, I told you it was cold. Picture somewhere when I can download it.

Of Grizzlys, pre-Grizzlys, Cubs, Bears and other stuff

SO.......
If you read the last entry on this website, you would have found a suitably-motivated person, ready to rock&roll.
Unfortunately, life's got a habit of kicking you, after it has pulled the carpet from under you, before dumping you in the skip.
Enough of that. The weather's been rubbish. I've had another chest infection. I've taken up Morris Dancing. Some or all of the above statements may be true.

today's picture:

From left to right:
Some tourists, a pushchair, Dave Arnold, Dave Guinea, Mike Sprason, Shaun Reynolds, a Hillman Avenger.
This was taken on Seaton seafront, before the 1996 'Grizzly' race.
Ah, but we were all so young then. Ok, younger.
 Since then, of course, we've all gone on to bigger and better things. David A, of course, has been for some years acting as the body double of Bernard Thresher, the ace folk musician and lead singer of Lancashire's finest hardcore chip-eating guitar and pringle box whizzos the Lancashire Hotpots.
Dave G - well, he's been a bit quiet, to be fair. Always was. Looks like a shoo-in for Popeye in this pic, though.
Shaun - He's been a busy lad. His son Aidan lit t'Olympic torch you know. Fire is a big thing in the Reynolds' household, what with him being an ex-fireman and all that.
Mike - He's gone from strength to strength. He's still running. He still has those shorts.
Me? I'm not on that picture. I wasn't allowed out of the house at that time. But I did go to Devon soon afterwards.
The boys have a love-in every year over the Grizzly, though these days it does tend to be the Cub run. Hopefully I can post this year's version of that picture :)

lean, mean, fighting machine

Good news on the health front. Since 31st December my mysterious condition seems to have been behaving itself so it's been back to training.
But how do you come back?
I have to say that during the nearly 3 months that I was off, I veered between the despair of not being able to do something I loved and acceptance that this was the way it was so I'd better try and find something else to do. I think most of the time I fell somewhere between the two stools.
When I couldn't run, I thought that my 'comeback' - if indeed there was going to be such a thing - would be a mad frenzy of athletic performance with me throwing myself in at the deep end until it just hurt through exhaustion, and at the end of the initial period I would be back to my bestermost best.
Any sane person would tell you it's not going to happen like that though. In a rare moment of sanity I set myself a target of 'just getting out there' for most of weeks one and two. The sheer pleasure of just getting out into the sun (for it was warm for the time of year) was enough for a couple of days, but then the CBA quickly made a reappearance and had to be held at arm's length. Leg strength has gone, somewhere, leg balance has also gone and flexibility is very poor, not that its been brilliant recently but it's definitely got worse.
Wakeup call no.1 came when I attempted a 'long' (over an hour) run round the Wrekin one Sunday morning. I was wasted by the end of it and it took me a day or two to recover.
Wakeup call no.2 came when I attended my first circuit training session for over a year. Although it was billed as an 'easy' session I was aching for some time afterwards.
Last week, motivation was already low when I commenced early morning running. Apart from the body shock of being out there, I had forgotten how nice it was. I was just getting into it when - wham - the snow arrived.
Snow is my enemy.
I can't run on snow. Having poor balance means I have poor confidence which means I have poor balance and it's generally an unhappy medium for me.
So it was another few days off, until I could get in the gym to vent my frustration on the machines. It was hard going, treadmill running usually is, it doesn't lend itself to getting on your toes very much. But I put in a good session on the 'mill, the bike and the rower. It's like warm-weather training, vest and shorts stuff. Lovely.
Targets for 2013 -
February Tough Ten. Get round the Tough Ten.
Cloud 9. Ditto
Grizzly Cub. Have a good run.
then..
warm weather training (..er..) in Tenerife :-)

2012. Year in review

It's Christmas. Draw a chair up to the fire like these lads and I'll tell you all about how the year 2012 was for me. Yes, I know it was Olympic year. Sadly I never hit the dizzy Olympic heights again (there is nothing new there)

After a quiet Xmas period 2011, I resolved to do 1 x Fell or MT run for every month of the year. I thought this was a stretching but achieveable target, and would mean i'd have to get back to a reasonable level of fitness. There was a lot of choice of races, plans were put in place, training was written and re-written on post-it notes..

The year kicked off with the Blymhill 10k. This was a nice multi-terrainer, a little like the Bells of Pattingham, quite fast in places, and of course in Jan '12 we were in the middle of a drought (yes, hard to believe, isn't it?). My favourite things? The mad Grand-National start, also wheeling downhill at about half way, and there was a nice bit through the trees too. It was a cold day and what I remember most is the cup of tea I had in the village hall (ta Mike) and the weird blue beanie buff thing we were given as prizes. I'm still not sure how it goes, I might go and get it out of the drawer and have another play in a bit.

2nd race in was the Shifnal MT 10k. Not too much MT in this one, but a rollicking fast finish last mile downhill nonetheless. Things were looking up. Training was going better, and ambitions and sights were being raised..

..only to come crashing down to earth on a snowy, icy Stourbridge Stagger 10mile course. I agonised for ages before deciding to run then spent the next hour or so regretting my decision. Oh, well. At least I survived in one piece.

A spot of ill health (a recurring theme in 2012) put me out for a few days but I was happy to make the trip down to Weston Super Mare for the Tough 10. It was a lovely late Winter's day, but the edge had gone from my training and I was also suffering a little with a sore knee. The course promised much, with a stretch along the famous 'goes on forever' beach before climbing up into the local woods and a couple of laps before returning to the town, but I struggled with my sore knee and underperformed massively. Still, dinner was nice and it was a great day out.

March went by in the blink of illness (again) but I had enough in the tank to manage a reasonable run at the Grizzly Cub run, which turned out to be on one of the few 'proper' Summer's days of the whole year. If only I could keep the training going for a few weeks without breaking down..

..next up in the blink of an eye, the Exe to Axe relay with Dave. It was an occasion when it all went right. Even my troublesome knee behaved itself on the steep downhills. We were a little apprehensive, following last year's effort, but we needn't have been. I was in good spirits and managed to take a remarkable 15 minutes off our time from 2011. The 10-mile (each) MT event proved to be the high watermark of the year though, perhaps for both of us, and there was much pub talk of my attempting a solo in 2013. Of which we should talk later..

After a few days chillin' in Cyprus I entered the Telford Sexarathon road series. I rather fancied I could roll back the years and place in the top 5 age-groupers. Alas, no. The rain at Lilleshall 5 miler was a foretaste of the monsoons to come. I was left floundering in the rain and gloom. Back to the drawing board.
May brought better health - but laced with sharp knee pain. Nonetheless, I braved the pain, kicking off with a very enjoyable, though wet,  run at the Sheinton Steeplechase, a new one for me, and then adding to my new experiences with a run at Bollington 3 peaks race, though in my haste to get home I missed the free beer and meal. Oh well. at least I know now! It was a smashing little run, but the knee was hurting a lot by now though, and my speed was restricted. When the Phoenix 5km came round later in the month it was no more than a painful trudge round the fields of Dawley. I don't know why, but I persuaded myself it would be a good idea to enter the Wenlock games trail marathon at this time, though with hindsight, the prospect of several hours of agony was never going to be pleasant. I rounded off the month with another less-than-adequate performance at the Shropshire 4 miles. The feeling of not being able to sprint out at the finish was quite horrible.
June - and I was bravely banging in the long runs. I even ticked off the Hutchinson Way, laying an old ghost to rest. If only I could shake the sore knee, if only it would magically come right. In between the 20-milers I managed to fit in a short blast at Shugborough relays, but the old speed was well and truly gone. A decision, an inevitable sensible decision was made, and I was out of the marathon. I was part gutted, part relieved. I engaged the services of a physio and started over again, again. I did have time to fit in a very sedate Wenlock Olympian 7 miles race though and also the club handicap, neither of which were my finest hour but I was still getting out through the door.
August was an Olympics-watching and a rebuilding month; some holidays, some running, and surprisingly, some swimming, for I had entered the Ludlow Triathlon in September. This was a new departure and brought me back to some early mornings standing in the shallow end of the pool, waiting for the punishment of the next half hour. Oh, deep joy (literally) :) The build up continued throughout September, though i did venture back on to the roads for an extremely undistinguised Harper Scarper 5km. Best Forgotten, but a lovely course.
The Triathlon at Ludlow was another high point of the year for me. I just managed to keep it all together for long enough to not be embarrassingly bad - and I enjoyed it to boot! I just about had enough energy to get into October and the Newport duathlon where I was rewarded with a significantly better performance than in 2011. Things were looking up, maybe if I could get some training in between now and xmas it would be ok in 2013?
No.
23rd October may yet be a significant day in my running career. I broke my 'streak' of 21 years at Pattingham to line up for the FRA relays at Church Stretton. Although it was a brilliant day out, it was an extremely tough run for me. 2 months later, I'm still unable to run, due to a mystery illness in my stomach but who knows? Hopefully I'll be back soon.
So, on the whole, the year started with promise but was blighted more than ever by illness and injury, and I have finished 2012 in a far worse state than when I started it. There still were some highlights though, but overall I'm well and truly on the downward spiral. Age, injury and illness conspire to keep me out for too long and I don't seem to be able to get a decent block of training in.
Assuming I can get going soon in 2013, my targets must include Exe to Axe. And I keep mentioning Man v Horse too. One day................!!!

Favourite Runs 11-20

Now, the thing about this list of runs is that you may not know some of them. A few are really local and obscure, a few don't exist any more. A couple haven't existed for years!

List 11-20 (again, not in any order)

Newport (Shropshire) 10km (old course)

3 Laps round the town. Always fast, hard work. Cobbles. THAT never-ending finishing straight. PB time.

1500m races Crystal Palace, Antrim, Meadowbank, Cardiff, Exeter, Alexander, Barnsley, Portsmouth..

Lumped all of my track races together. I was very lucky to race on some great tracks and even luckier to get on the podium for one of them (Alexander Stadium) . Happy days!

Shifnal 5 miles road race

A very under-rated race round the streets of Shifnal. Flat, but nowhere to hide. Fast out from the gun, just hanging on until the estate at the end and the big finish (sort of).

XC Elmdon, Solihull CSSC

My first ever cross country as a senior. Made up the numbers to begin with, but over a period of years I eventually brought home my one and only gold medal for running. Tough, flat course... and far too many laps, as I remember!

Broseley 5 miles road race

Tough, tough run on May Day. Start and finish from the Village Green. Prize for the first person to the pub and ...I was second. Damn.

South Staffs Half Marathon

Great half marathon. Rolling hills. I always treated it as the start of the Autumn season.

XC CSSC Richmond Park

What a pleasure and honour it was to take part in the Civil Service National Championships at Richmond Park, among the deer. We even got changed at the Bank of England Sports Ground.

Potteries Marathon

Great run, hottest day of the year, my Mum & Dad came and saw Stanley Matthews start us off. Ooh those hills. And biscuits!

Manchester Marathon

2 weeks off with 'flu and I lined up for the Manchester Marathon. I was glad I turned up. Best marathon performance ever. Brilliant day.

The Tour of Tameside

Actually 6 races in 7 days, with the travelling up to the area thrown in for good measure. The races were on the roads, fells, cross country and canal paths. The distance was a double marathon. What a wonderful experience - I was totally exhausted at the end of the week.

So there you go. I was even thinking of changes as I wrote this!

Favourite Runs - 1-10

Dave told us he had a list of his favourite runs. That set me thinking. In 20 years I've done a lot of races, been to some places, met some faces.
That sounds a bit like a song...
...Anyhow, in putting the list together I umm'ed & arr'ed and some came in some came out, I know I'll never come up with the same list on two consecutive days.
So, here goes, 1 -10. No Particular order - no way could I rate them individually!!

Rivington Pike

Iconic 3.5 mile fell race from a pub in Horwich. 400 people did this on the 50^th Open Year Anniversary. Me too! It's just up, round the top, and brakes off, brain out to the bottom, with 400m or so on the flat to finish.

Trentham 10

Have done this a few times. It's a two-lap road race with a monster hill in it. It's usually on one of the hottest days of the year. Good atmosphere from the village of Tittensor. Titter ye not.

World Masters Fell Championship

My “..and England” moment. In 2005 I travelled up to Keswick for the WM Championship. I got to rub shoulders with some of the great & good, and though I wasn't at my best, I wasn't last. Fairly tough climb up & down Skiddaw though no technical descents were involved.

Buxton Half Marathon

Tough race; first time out it was on a Saturday night. Steep climb up Axe Edge followed by a steep drop, then a climb, then a longer descent back to Buxton. Stunning scenery.

Colmore Scamper 6 mile road race, Bridgnorth

6^th place – my highest finish. What a hard, hilly race this was. It was all descents and climbs - with the toughest being in the last mile which was a climb back into the town. Pub afterwards was always nice!

Belmont Winter Hill Fell Race

Done this one twice. Classic little Northern Fell race, with a small fayre in the village, welcoming pub etc. The race comprises a couple of tough climbs and then some bog-trotting with real bogs.

Welsh Castles Leg 7

Leg 7 of the WCR from Dolgellau to Dinas Mawddwy is one big mountain. Spectacular - and once over the top of Dinas, there is still such a lot left to do before you get to the village. Had a top run there once!

The Grizzly

Because it's one of the few races that has completely floored me. Upon completing my first Grizzly I was so exhausted. Tough run, especially that beach bit and also the slurry bits.

Wrekin 10 mile road race

Much-missed classic of yesteryear. Snaking climb, good descent, then you just hang on. And that bit round by the farm never seems to end. Finished 11^th one year - and passed out another year - and failed to complete another year. It was always feast or famine.

Race The Train

Deceptively tough. Great going out...so hard on your way back. Have taken a few tumbles in my time... and I was so close to beating the train. Loved the atmosphere and the trip to the ice-cream factory afterwards.

11-20 are in the next post.

In the gloom and the dark.

Well, I'm Back outside. 2 painful miles at sunset. Leaving aside the pain issue, what did this first outing for some weeks teach me?
I turned onto the disused railway line in the darkening gloom. Agh! no lights. I had no headtorch either. No worries, I'll be walking in a minute anyway. It was dark, but not cold. There were puddles across the path. I don't remember all that much rain? Careful now, mind the tree roots across the path (at the speed I was going, the chances of a fall were pretty slim).
The darkness creeps up. All I can see is the last knockings of daylight on my right. All I can hear are a few birds, the babble of the brook, the farmer locking up his metal gate for the night, and spot on time, the 5.00 train from Shrewsbury clanging along. All I can smell is the sweet smell of gently rotting leaves, damp wood, wet grass and woodsmoke somewhere over there on the left. I like this, I like this a lot. Pretty soon I'm back on the road into town, soon I'm back dodging the cars and the cyclist with no lights on. Soon, I'm home. But on the whole, I'm feeling ok. I'll have a go at this again.

Wild? Go wild in the country..

While I'm not running, I've taken the opportunity to help out at a couple of local races....
....One of those was our club's outing to the local Cross Country league.
It's been a while since cross-country runners were required to run semi-naked and vault stone walls (...it seemed like a nice picture though..) but that doesn't mean it's not tough, just, er, a wee bit 'safer'.
So, the Cross Country was at that hot-bed of athletics...Stafford. You mock, I hear you mocking. But to anyone who knows anything about cross country, Stafford Common is the stuff of legends.
Two facts I know about these hallowed acres. One, it's so damp, no-one has ever expressed any desire to build on it. Two, its near the Evo-Stik factory. These facts may be related in some way, draw your own conclusions. Actually, it's not far from the prison either. I'm sure it's lovely in the Summer, unfortunately we never go there in the Summer. The weather is always suspect here when we arrive to run.
We pitched the Club tents on the only piece of ground not waterlogged, but first we had to clear a space between the pedigree cow pats (the common also seems to be 'home' to a herd of rare breed cattle).
Cross Country in this league is inclusive; that is, there are girls and boys races, there are women's and then the men's race rounds the afternoon off nicely.
The kids are funny; there is a mix of dead serious, can't be bothered, and slightly embarrassed at being there in the first place. The keen team managers are there to show us that pushy surrogate parents aren't exclusive to football. It's quality effort by everyone though, the poor kids are often bent double in the finishing tunnel. I don't think flapjacks make ideal warm-up food.
All the facilities you ever need are at Stafford. A single portaloo AND a tent where you can get a cup of tea. Just like home (...if you live in a field with a portaloo, that is.).
The 2012 vintage mud was truly ikky. One of our boys lost both shoes shortly after the start and ran the whole race bare, well, sock-footed. I wouldn't fancy rinsing those off in the sink, probably a bit of a lost cause :)
He wasn't alone - several shoes were lost during the afternoon. One imagines 'Time Team' visiting in the 22nd Century and trying to make head or tail of what they might find at the bottom of the mud pit.

Everyone, without fail, was muddy. Even the spectators. Some were muddier than others. Some went A over T into the mud, others just settled for the basic Face-Plant. I was surprised to see one chap wearing jogging bottoms which, after 3 laps were pretty damp and grimy, but if you haven't got any shorts what are you going to do?
Even the winner in the men's race fell over on the last lap. But he was so good, so quick that he could have stopped, washed it all off and popped over to use the roller towel in the portaloo while he was waiting for the others to catch up. That's the thing about Cross Country though, it brings you all down to the same basic level, and if you do well, you've earned it. There's no such thing as a 'lucky' race.
It was a fun day in Stafford. Cold, mucky stuff. As nice as my new friends were on the finish line, I still wished I was running. I realised today though it's going to be a really long, hard road back.

things to do

While laid up injured again, thoughts are turning to what I would like to have a go at next year. Some randomly-generated thoughts:

(1) Ironman. Are you crazy? Quite apart from the training required, it costs a screaming fortune and given my flaky attendence record at these things it would be a waste of money.
(2) Half Ironman. More likely, but still unlikely.

(3) Triathlons. Hopefully I would like to do 3 or 4 Triathlons next year. To do better I need to swim better. I swim like a brick.

(4) Fell races. I'd like to do more now I've got my knee problem to a manageable state. But I need to practice the downhills to avoid being just embarrassing.

(5) Road races. Well, I've seen Snowdon marathon but I haven't seen any others I'm interested in. They will come though.

(6) Known races. Grizzly and Exe to Axe. Beyond that, maybe the Man v Horse?

Book Review

Eat & Run
Scott Jurek.
This book stayed in my rucksack, unopened, for two weeks after I had bought it(!). This is usually the mark of something I don't want to read. Oh-oh...
I was wrong though. It's a good read.
Scott is a vegan ultramarathon runner. His mum had MS, as does Mrs J, so it got off on the right foot with me, triumph over adversity, that sort of thing. Scott had a hard upbringing, making him into a tough runner. The book covers a lot of his races, including 'the other side' of the Copper Canyon race made famous in 'Born to Run'. I particularly enjoyed this bit, it was nice to get his perspective.
At the end of each chapter, Scott provides us with his own recipes. Part of me bought the book to see what if anything I could make. Sadly, I'm a bit confused, I don't know half of the ingredients, nor do I have any idea where I might get them from !!
If anything, Scott under sells his book. He is clearly a talented runner but perhaps he's so good he can't always stand back and articulate just what he has gone through. In some passages though, such as his Badwater marathon, it is very graphic and you can imagine yourself there (if that was at all possible).

Scores on the doors - 7/10. Would recommend it. Not quite as 'In Yer Face' as Dean Karnazes.

Colin

Colin passed away a few days ago.

I first came across him as the organiser of the Works Relays, dwarfed by a big board of results in the Rugby Club. Very serious, very focused.
I saw him at a distance at the various races, he was one of the 'greats' at TAC but sort of in the background.
And then he joined our running club. He said it was because he fancied a change, he didn't want to be competitive any more, he wanted to enjoy his running...
...it was clear from the outset that he could cope with anything we threw at him with ease. He was always on your shoulder on a training run. He was equally at home with absolute beginners as he was with those at the 'sharp end'.
We ran together at the Wellington 4 mile race, I hardly knew him. I kicked for home with 400m to go and left him in my wake "If I'd gone a bit quicker, you wouldn't have got near me" was his gracious reply :0)
He claimed he was past it; he loved to tell tales about the old days when training was brutal, but he was never condescending towards us. I remember him training well one Winter though and he stunned us with a fabulous time at Chester - I think it was 1.21. We just didn't believe it!
He was the complete Club man. He would turn out whatever the weather. I remember us both getting changed back into wet kit on a cold day at Sutton Park for the second legs of our relays. Brr. No complaints from Col though. We turned up once at Aldridge airfield on the coldest of cold days, he looked around the school gym, swore quietly to himself and just got on with it. It was the same when we went to Gloucester for the cross country, we both had a great run in the mud that day, round the abandoned fridges in the dip..
He went down in club folklore one training night after an accident with a young lad on a bike. He was bashed  right in the forehead and there was blood everywhere. But, plastered up, he was back again. One tough cookie. Then there was the night he had his shorts on the wrong way round, stepped off the path behind a tree to change them in broad daylight (the tree was thin, Colin was thinner, no one could see him)
..I only ever saw him tired once, at the Pontesbury Potter. We'd been out for hours, it was cold, it had been snowing, we had come down off Pontesbury Hill together. I was knackered, I'd done all of the navigating. He turned to me and said "How much further you reckon Al I'm really tired now.." He still didn't stop though, we dragged each other to the finish, in true Alf Tupper stylee..
He loved to do those long Sunday morning runs out near Kemberton. Get in a group with Col, and he would look after you no matter how slow you were or rubbish you were feeling.
The last 4 or 5 years I hadnt seen much of him, my last real running memory was when I was running Silkin Way top to bottom. I got into the Telford Town Park, feeling a bit rubbish, not looking forward to the run down to the river much, when he appeared from behind a tree....although he'd been out for an hour already... he ran all the way down to Coalport with me. He was great company, and when he'd delivered me at my destination he disappeared again into the afternoon. Boosh! Just gone..
I knew he was ill. But you never believe it in one so fit, you always thought he'd make a comeback one night, looking as pale and wasted as ever, ready to run the legs off you "till you tasted Iron in your spit". But sadly, no.
We paid our respects at the church, all runners brought back together, some after many years apart. We saw Col off on his last training run. Watch out for those kids mate!!

You run, you walk, you crawl. Then you go again.

I joined Newport to get some new adventures.
One of the new adventures was an appearance at the FRA Relays, held at Church Stretton.
Regular readers of my moaning & whinging will know I am an unbalanced, irregular but devoted fell runner, having competed since the mid-90s and I've been an FRA member also since that time.
So, when the relays came up, it seemed like it was too good to be true. National relays, big event, just down the road. When would I get the chance to do this again?
I was not in the peak of fitness, to be fair, though I had taken part in a triathlon and a duathlon in the preceding weeks. Should be enough, I reckoned, to get me round.
Oh, boy. It soon sorted me out and showed up how unfit I really was.
I was teamed up with Ian who is a genial chap. I figured out he would be waiting around for me a fair bit; so did he because he took his mobile phone with him to take a few pictures!
We were on Leg 2 of the Relays, which has since got a fair bit of press about being really hard. I'm sure it was hard, but how it was harder than a Lake District or Scottish or Welsh run I don't know. As I usually strut my stuff in the Peaks it compared fairly well.
To the race: We waited and waited for our leg 1 runner to appear at the top of the hill, eventually there he was, large as life. Yikes! we were off, and straightaway up and out of the Rectory Field, ahead of us we could see the runners walking up Ashlet. Blimey. No shame there then.
We got up on to the plateau and climbed up the road to Pole Bank in good order. By the time we were off Pole Bank I was going well, but ever so slightly worried about the next bit. Ian was bounding along..
We skirted Round Hill and Minton and then took a sharp drop to the stream below Callow. Ugh. The climb up Callow almost finished me. I worked so hard, I was on my hands and knees. Knackered by now, the skirting round Grindle and drop into Ashes Hollow went by me in blind acceptance. Every step was a trudge towards the fast-disappearing green vest in front. Once I got down into the valley agh no! back up Ashlet. This time I used the fence to haul myself up. Ian was surprised I was right with him here.
Off Ashlet for the last time, sharp drop into the valley for CP5. I hit a muddy patch and came down on my arse. But it didn't hurt by now....We picked up the pace in the last half mile and narrowly finished in front of the Mercia Ladies (B ) team but what a great day. I was absolutely battered.
Big thanks to Ian for dragging me round. Maybe next time I wont be so slow :0)

...let my mojo go...

September drifted into view. Days got shorter, the sun got weaker, there was dew on the car in the mornings. And my mojo went, too.
Events this past month:
North Staffs Cross Country
It was the 1st Cross country of the season and it was miles away at Winsford, which I thought might be a little quaint place in the country but turned out to be a much bigger place. No running for me as I took my place as Newport's team manager for the day. We had 3 youngsters out, 3 ladies (needed 4) and 6 men. They all ran fabulously, the course was flat & fast, one of those where you complain about it not being muddy enough but one where you run almost as hard as you do on the roads. For some reason I had no pangs of remorse whatsoever about taking or not taking part. If this is all I do, the roll on the next one!!
Ludlow Triathlon
Of course, the stated reason for not doing the cross country was that I had Ludlow Triathlon the next day. It was my first Tri since 2008 and I had bought an Aldi trisuit especially. The day was cloudy & cool but just about stayed dry. The swim: tough as I expected it to be, all style went out of the window by the 2nd length and it was just horrible. The bike: well, I thought it was ok. I was never overtaken and I overtook all those people who had come out of the pool before me, which is a result really. The run: never more than steady but it went by really quickly.
The tri suit held together and I really enjoyed the day, what a pity its the end of the triathlon season now :(
Newport Duathlon
1 Week later and I'm at the Newport Duathlon. It was cool and misty but I knew it was going to warm up so I risked the t-shirt rather than extra clothes.
Run#1 - this seemed to go ok, fairly steady plod rounf
Bike - as usual I enjoyed the bike, I was thinking about Run #2 though..
Run#2 - Last year, there was walking. Not so this year. Ran from start to finish, though it was hard graft.
Overall, 2 minutes quicker than last year. A PB!
Will my mojo ever come back though?

End of Summer Season - Harper Scarper 5km

I've left it a few days before writing this little paragraph. Bit lazy, really!
The last Sexarathon series race was held this year at Harper Adams University College, replacing the much-loathed Madeley Matchmaker 5km. The Madeley race had to go as the Court Centre Sports Centre has also gone. Sad in some ways, but probably not missed much.
It was a beautiful late blue-sky Summer's evening. The old and new buildings of the college shone out in the sunshine. Here and there groups of young people were gathering for small sports events on the fields, or out working on the crops (HA is an agricultural college).
Here and there the older people were gathering for the race.
We too got together in small groups, comparing injuries and expanding waistlines, checking on series points, avoiding eye contact with our deadly rivals (well, maybe not the last one), warming up, stretching, diving into the fields for a pee..
Being a lovely warm evening in the country, there was that warm, sweet smell you get from field crops.
We made our way to the start and the field of about 200 were soon making their way out into the countryside, along a narrow lane before turning out on to a wide and undulating farm track. There was a short road stretch before a half-mile in the woods and back in the way you came out. It was over as soon as it began, really. Nothing too strenuous, nothing too hilly.
It's a shame I couldn't complete the whole series due to injury but I'll be back next year, I think I might have a new favourite little race.

Ageism in sport

The Olympics and Paralympics were very good. Very, very good indeed. Let's hope they do "inspire a generation".
But I've got a small point that's been niggling away for some time now.

Why aren't there any serious 'games' for older people?

Both the Olympics and Paralympics are about excellence, the Paralympics also about the triumph of the human spirit over adversity perhaps. But aren't these the same sort of arguments that can easily be applied to older athletes? Substitute "disabled" for, say "60-year-old"?

Some would say older athletes have had their day and should move aside and help the next generation. That's fine if you have had a fulfilling career but what about those who came into sport later in life, and what about those who don't just want to jog about or play badminton or golf socially.(I'm picking sports at random, don't take offence!!). Older people are often tough and resourceful, and can perform to a surprisingly high level. We can all be deadly serious about our sport. Many is the time I've had a sobering lesson in a 10k or half-marathon from a 60+ year old as they run me into the ground.

Youtube, and the rest of the media from time to time come up with stories about "100-year-old marathon runner" and clips of 80-year old sprinters, and they are all done very tongue in cheek. Turn it round, substitute "disabled" for "80-year-old" and it's not so easy to snigger or be as patronising.

UK Athletics is very ambivalent about older athletes. They are all very well getting involved in RunBritain, they are encouraged to get involved with coaching, yet when UKA realised they were paying for over V35 category medals in the FRA Championships they promptly backed out their support. This is not inclusive at all.

Similarly, we often get stories like this appearing in the press. Let's all have a laugh at the middle-aged blokes who want to get back on a bike. Mid-life crisis, blah blah blah.
Climbing off my bike on Sunday after another few hours in the saddle, looking at my sweat-stained kit (from Aldi) and my dirt and grit stained bike (£475 back in 2004) I'm not jealous in the slightest. If it gets more people on bikes, good luck to them.

Ageism really is one of the last frontiers. We should encourage older citizens to compete if they want to. We shouldn't ridicule them. We should look to follow their example. We should be inclusive to all in our society and we should be "Inspiring all of our Generations".

wimmin

Tri training has begun - Swimming at the local pool.

Now, I have to say that in previous years I HATED swimming. I would never go swimming on its own, I only do swimming as part of Triathlon "training".
"Training" is a loose term I use to describe the struggle to complete 400 metres of so in a pool before hauling myself out and getting on the bike.
Before taking on my first Triathlon (2004) I could hardly swim at all, but somehow over a few years, I acquired enough skill to tough it out. Amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it.
So, I checked the old diary and found that I hadn't been 'proper' swimming since 2008. Lounging around in the pool in Cyprus doesn't count, mate.

Hopes weren't high for yesterday's debut session. Just keep going, try not to look too much of a prat and when you need a rest, take a rest. My advice to myself.
But it actually turned out ok. I was slow, but after a fashion I completed enough lengths and I hadn't stopped midlength gasping for air or spluttering as per normal. I did have a funny moment where I dived to retrieve a ring which turned out to be a cracked tile though, but that's what getting cheap goggles does for you :-)
It was so good, I went back THE NEXT day. As both of these sessions were 7am this made it even more impressive. In session 2, I was able to complete the 400m without stopping and in fact I did another block of 400m. I really enjoyed the swim, too. It wasn't quick but who cares? Now I know I'll get round the triathlon in one piece :0)

Jelly Belly

Found this to fix ma jelly belly
Core H video

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!!