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Not me I hasten to add - you cant get rid of me quite that easily, but Southend United. As season ticket holders my son and I took up our places expecting a feast of football. Well expecting may be too strong  a term....hoping...no still too positive...praying? Yep thats what the season has come to. Instead we were treated to the most dire match between two very poor teams - on this performance cant see either Southend or Exeter city (where I went to Uni) staying up. And people paid good money to watch!

Anyway enough of the moaning. Day itself started really well with my 14 miler this morning. Was fab, fely good and although at times was feeling like I was running well within myself still managed the course in just under 100 minutes or 7:07 pace. Think that was around a 1h34 or so half marathon. Very solid I think. Thats 40 miles for the week so far/ Run was just one of those that flowed even enjoyed the audio book - Andrew Marrs history of the first half of the 20th century in the UK - good stuff.

Tonight I had completedly forgotten that I am due to go out as a mate is "wetting the babies head" - for some reason he has chosen the local Varsity pub. Now each to their own but anticipate we will be 15 years out of date if we are lucky - all those young people having fun . Should be a laugh anyway but not sure how I am going to cope with the long run tomorrow morning! 

Hope all is well in your worlds!

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Having  a day off work today. Partly because its the end of the holiday year so have some odd days to use up, partly because its Friday and its been one of those weeks and finally because there is never enough time at the weekend to do all the things that I need to do. So today it will be haircut, visit to opticians, suit fitting for wedding etc then will prob take the kids to see the new Alice in Wonderland film after school. So a rest it isnt!

Took the kids to school this morning as a rare treat. Managed to embarrass my daughter (10) as I went in running kit including shorts, it was only raining a bit after all and wasnt that cold ! Set off for a run after dropping them off. Plan was 3 miles steady/slow then a 5m/8km time trial and then a couple of miles to ease back. Didn't find it that tough to step up the pace when I hit 3 miles and did the next 5 miles at an average pace of 6:40's so a reasonable 33:20 or so for the 5 miles. In total did the 10 miles at just over 71 minutes so a good solid run.

Yesterday just did a 8 mile recovery run at about 7:55's. So last three days have been 8,8,10 building up for the big stuff over the weekend. Hope your training is going well - important to get the training in during March but not to over do it.

Hope all is well in your world...chores to do. 

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Just a quick update. Took  aday off yesterday(will make it up on Friday) as wasn't feeling 100% and as son was sick there was probably something going around

So today was Tuesday, Thursday is wednesday and Friday is Thursday etc etc

Hills on the old treadmill. Know this is frowned upon by the purists but needs must and only way I can get decent hills in. So 10 minutes warm up then 13 X 2 minutes between 4.5% and 5.5% with 2 minutes recovery. All run at same steady pace. 8 miles in 63 minutes so steady not spectacular but by last hill repeat was hard work.

Not long now to the Compton 40 (Easter Saturday) which will be  abig test for me but looks a well organised event.

Hope all is well in your worlds.

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Apparently the Proclaimers are still around and dining out largely on thebasis of two songs. Apologies to all Proclaimers fans out there who know their back catalogue by heart and think its an opus of some repute.  But I digress (whats new there) Todays run saw the 500 miles up for teh year so far....many more to come but pleased at how it has started (touching wood, lucky rabbits foot to hand to ward off ill winds)

No ill effects after yesterdays 17 so set off this morning at 6am for the long one of the week. It was lovely, cold, crisp and soon light. Ice on some puddles but perfect running weather - as teh sun came up was amazed that the whole world wasnt out there running - it was that good. As it was there were a fair few more runners than normal - is there  a marathon coming up or something? Along teh Seafront there was even the Essex Schools Athletic Team doing sprints.

Did a 10 mile loop on my own and then met up with another guy from the Charity team who wanted to do 18 today. Good to have someone to run the second half with. Passes teh time so much better to have someone to chat to and stops the mind wandering to niggles (real or imaginary). We were supposed to be doing the joint bit of teh run at 8:30's after I had done the initial bit at just below 8's but to be honest neither of us managed to as we ran a bit faster - he suffered a bit in teh last few miles which I feel a little guilty for but he made it and we managed a bit of a sprint in last mile.

So 28.5 miles today at average 8:08 pace. Heart rate today was a little higher than yesterday reflecting the pace but still averaged 135 which is a lot lower than LSRs last year. thats teh third marathon + distance run I have done in the last four weeks so training is going well. Am now also managing to mix up pace nicely as Thursday club run was at 7 minute miles, yesterdays just over 9's and today just over 8's. Variety being the spice of life.

 Enjoyed the roast dinner today it must be said and then took kids to a play centre - so low impact for me!

Loving catching up on some of the great racing going on today. Was supposed to be running Bath but felt the need to get another long run in as Bath will be there next year but may not be running an ultra (did I sneak in a maybe there?)

Hope all is well in your worlds.

Stats for week

Miles 69    Runs 5   Average Pace 8:11  Time 9:25

Calories earned equivalent in a roast dinners 12

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Not a typical run today as one of my wifes friends is running the marathon and her usual long run partners couldnt do today sp she asked if I could go with her. I said sure as long as shes prepared to do 7:30 minute miles . Course I didnt really.

Its her first marathon and she is up to 15 miles hoping for a bit longer today. So we arranged to meet about 10:30 which was a bit later than usual for me but OK and set off. Was an OK run and I worked hard to maintain a consistent steady pace. In the end we did 17 miles at 9:09 pace (all miles +- 7 seconds) which she was pretty pleased with as she should have been - I thought she finished quite strongly and wasn't dead by end which bodes well for her training. My average heart rate was 125 for the 17 miles which I guess makes its a good relaxed workout.

Last night we went out to some friends and had a night of darts, games and beer and snacks. Was a good night but I drank a little too much - but its all hydration I guess.

Plan is to go out tomorrow reasonably early for the long run of the weekend with some guys who are also running for the charity.

Hope all is well in your worlds.

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Went to the club tonight - first time I have been for ages as with the journey there and back it just adds on time to run etc. Excuses I know as when I go I always enjoy it. Was a ten miler tonight which is about as long as mid week club runs get.

Most of the really fast guys werent running tonight as there are a few races this weekend. But I went out with the fast group and after a couple of slow warm up miles I hung on to the back of one of the young racing whippets who lead us out. He pulled away and I sat on his shoulder - well hung on basically as he got faster and faster. Think he was trying to lose me ...so in true silly boy style I stayed with him. Until the point I was about to call it quits I heard his breathing get really heavy then he dropped back - only about a mile or so from the finish but it was great to be pushed so far and so fast for a training run. This was exactly the sort of run I needed and not the sort you can do well on your own.

So 10 miles at 6:59 pace but the mile splits tell a different story

8:41  7:50  6:51  6:24  6:53  6:55 6:54  6:44 6:31  6:24 - so a nice finish there.

Rest day tomorrow

Hope all is well in your worlds.

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Just goes to show how relative running is. Did a six miler today as (a) only had a short amount of time and (b) was supposed to be a recovery run and it felt very short and over almost as soon as it started. Nothing exceptional to report about it....a good solid run that keeps the legs ticking over and stops me getting lazy.

Thanks for all you kind comments on yesterdays blog.

Other news is that I have secured a place in the Great North Run - just one of those races that I have always wanted to take part in and you may recall I booked my flight and Hotel a month or so back but didnt have a place...well now I have one so thats gotta be good.

Have also booked a place in the Abingdon Marathon in October. This was one of the Runners World Top 10 races and is supposed to be a fast flattish course. As I am running London slowly this year (still trying to work out how to add on 7/8 miles before it starts) then Abingdon will be my attempt to keep my GFA time for 2012. Places for this one tend to sell out well before the event and apparently its usually a great get together.

Hope all is well in your worlds.

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It was three years ago today - that Sergeant Pepper taught the band to run....I can see why the Beatles didnt add that to their song book. But it was three years ago this very day that I took my first run since I was at school. Think it was about three miles on a treadmill in a gym. (unfortunately my training record from that year got corrupted - stupid computers).

I was going through some form of mid life crisis where I had decided to run the New York Marathon that autumn a month after my 40 birthday. I think when I first told my wife she laughed (although that didnt stop her coming to New York for the shoppingsupport)- probably a common reaction for many of us! Whilst I wouldnt have said I have enjoyed every minute since then I can honestly say I have enjoyed perhaps 80% plus of them if not more - the number of truly bad runs doesnt get much over single figurers, the number of good ones that make you glad to be doing it is countless (since I lost my early records!).

Thinking back two of the best memories are finishing my very first marathon after a horrid race that I did totally wrong - went off way too fast, weaved in and out of people, high fived hundreds (seemed like it) of American school children and hit the wall big time. But finishing was still special even if I was asked by no less than 8 separate support crews within 250 yards if I was OK and needed some assistance! Second memory is running down Bird Cage on my second marathon and my first London, had it in the bag, had loved literally every yard of the entire race, the crowds, the course, high fiving my son twice on the course (even having to run through a huge puddle to do so) and getting a big PB and GFA time to boot.

So its been an interesting journey and one I would recommend to anyone. Those doing their first marathon - well for many I know it wont be your last. Thanks for all the support, encouragement and suggestions over the past three years.

As it was where I started had to revisit the treadmill for the anniversary run (OK it was a different treadmill but its the thought that counts). Hills today so 10 minutes warm up then 11 X 2 minutes at between 4 & 5% with 2 minutes recovery each time. 7.5 miles in just under an hour so not the fastest but it was hills! Legs surprisingly Ok after the 27 miles on Sunday.

Happy running to you all and hope all is well in your worlds!

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