Overview

Another Monday evening run.  3 loops of a residential estate while my son has a piano lesson. It was 0 degrees, gentle but cold wind and snow!

I had to run fast to keep warm.

Did the three laps 20 seconds faster than last week and over a minute faster than the start of the year. Progress!

Sadly had a chat with Martin the Mentor this evening – he’s pulled out of VLM with a recurrent calf injury. That’s the 2^nd year on the trot. To say he is gutted is an understatement,  - bad luck Martin.

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A whole week with no blogging, where has the time gone I ask myself.

Monday was back at the piano practice loop – this time blowing away the cobwebs of last Saturday’s rather negative run, and I completed the three laps (5.4k) in under the half hour. In fact it was 20 seconds faster than my previous best for the loop. Son was less than impressed at having to share the journey home with a father who was not so much glowing as dripping!

Wednesday I was back at the gym doing some more intervals – again 4 mins 9.2kph then 4 mins12.2. 10k in just under the hour and another trip home with the car windows open and steam coming out!

So to the weekend. Once a year the wife goes off with girl friends for a spa weekend leaving me and the children (I mean young adults) to fend for ourselves. We coped last night, I even found some beer left over from the daughter’s party to enjoy while listening to 5live and the commentary from St James Park. My intention was to run on Saturday and get out and back before the offspring stirred! (Easily done if you have teenagers!)

I left the house at 6:30am – needless to say it was pitch black and headed off on what I had mentally planned as a new route. The new route took me into a neighbouring village before heading back into town as far as the Sainsbury’s roundabout – and the run past Sainsbury’s and the wafting aroma of Hot Cross Buns being cooked – before heading home. I had no idea of my early pace as I couldn’t see the garmin and we don’t have any street lights round here. As the sun came up I could see that I seemed to be averaging 10 min miles or thereabouts. Not quite sure why but miles 10 &11 seemed to hit the buffers but found a few last drops of energy to up the pace to get home.

Mrs Nike – about whom I may have said unkind words in the past, and even threatened to leave her, repaid my faith in her by telling me that I did a half marathon (13.1 miles). Mr Grumpy Garmin only had me down at 12.9 miles. I fear that Mr G is probably nearer the truth, but for the moment I am glowing at having done another half (without really intending to! – I thought the route would be about 12 miles).

Still, despite marking me down on the mileage, Mr G still has me quicker that the Royal Parks in October.

My training takes a rather curious route now. Next weekend wife and I are going north to see my mother, (leaving offspring in the house….) so no long run next weekend but I do have a  few days off the week after so will try to get some miles in.

As far as the 1000 mile challenge goes, 37 days into the year my target is 101.3 miles – I have actually done 96.3.

Just got to avoid the coughs and colds before Wokingham two weeks tomorrow.

Take care everyone and have a good weekend

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I suppose that it was inevitable that after a series of really good runs and generally getting faster that at some stage the wheels would come off.

Well, they did. Here’s how:

1.       Saturday was always going to be a busy day so my only real chance for a run was an early one.  I left the house before 7. Stupid. I was still very tired and would gladly have slept on for hours.

2.       We ate pizza last night for convenience but not very filling so was running on empty this morning.

3.        It was dark – well – apart from the full moon and so sign of any sun even attempting to come up over the horizon. Trying setting your Garmin in the moonlight!

4.       What’s more it was clearly very cold last night – at noon coming back from town the temperature on the car thermometer was only 2C so at 7 in the moonlight and a clear sky it must have been low.

5.       There was a frost and some black ice and all the ditches were frozen over.  

6.       I had decided last night that I was going to run in gloves as my hand just get so cold, but I could only find one. My left hand was beautifully warm, my right hand was numb with pain after about 10 minutes.

7.       Mr Garmin was still playing tricks with me. All my runs from home involve going to the end of out little street and turning right, - I have done this hundreds of times and whether with Mrs Nike or Mr Garmin I know to the nearest bush where the one mile point is. Not today. Mr Garmin had me doing another 100 yds before the little buzzer went off.

8.        And where did the breeze come from?? In the valley the air was still and frosty but on top of the hills there was a definite breeze and it was in my face and very cold. Two tops, short and leggings and a woolly hat and one glove, I was still cold.

I bet Paula Radcliffe never has these problems.

The run itself wasn’t great either. I left the house in the dark and by the time I passed my mile marker with no peep from Mr Garmin my mood was not very positive. Still, I trudged on. The pace was not great but at least it was consistent. I had a gel at about mile 3, which gave me a slight lift up a long slow hill and then – by means of an experiment – tried some new fangled energy sweets – like a high tech version of jelly babies – at about mile 8. I had just done another long slow climb so though it would be a good idea. Well with one numb hand I failed miserably to open the packet where it should have opened so gave a big tug and spilt the contents on the road but managed to catch a few in the gloved hand, which I gulped down and was almost sick on the spot. No more of those! Trudge home weary and nauseous after 9.2 miles (probably more but had given up arguing with Mr G at that stage). Total mileage for the month down slightly from my predicted in the last post but reasonable enough under the circumstances.

Next week will be different. I hope.

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There are some things about technology that just defy common sense. On Monday I do a short run that involves three loops round an estate while my son has his piano lesson.  I have done this most Mondays since October when I have been fit and doing it with Mr Garmin, every time I have done it each lap has measured at 1.86k. Every time. Every lap. Until Monday. OK, so I can’t be sure that a small earthquake didn’t hit northern Andover, I wasn’t aware of a chink in the time space continuum that Dr Who inhabits, but on Monday each lap was 1.6km.  The thought never crossed my mind for the first lap – just thought the little buzzer for the mile was a bit later than usual and gosh I seem slightly slower, so I kept the pace up for the second lap. The buzzer went off a bit late in the second lap as well and under the streetlights I started – or tried – to pay it some attention. Trouble is, in the dark with cold hands and only streetlights to go by you can’t really be sure. Pushed hard again on the third lap and got back to the parked car. In the comfort the car’s lights I see the problem. I KNOW I have run 5.5k but old Mr Garmin says, “Sorry mate, you might have done your best but tonight I’m just giving you a 5.1k”. My thoughts are unprintable.

Anyway, I’ve put it down as 5.5k and it was 18 seconds faster than the previous Monday.

Tonight was back at the gym. Interval time. 4 minutes at 9.2 kph then 4 mins at 12.2 kph. For 5 miles (8k). Just over 46 minutes – at 9:13 per mile. Needless to say  I was glowing slightly after such exertion.

The 1000mile challenge is going well. If I can manage a good long run at the weekend,  I will have clocked 78.5 miles for the month which included a week out for snow, and I will end the month just 4 miles down on the target.

Keep plodding on - Spring will be here soon!

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Clearly a lot can happen in a month. I know, having done the Royal Parks Half in early October, three weeks later when I should have been doing the GSR, I could barely stand. However, in my own rather slow way, things are generally moving in the right direction.

I was out this morning for another longish run. Risking the weather I was in shorts but compromised on a long sleeve top (the RonHill Hi-Viz one that is a luminous yellow and visible across most of the south of England and probably from space too.) My intention was to continue from last weeks longish run and just go slightly further. 11 miles this week, 12 next and then 13 then maintain for the Wokingham race on 21^st Feb.

There were no cars on roundabouts today – in fact no cars at all for most of the run. Leaving the house at 7:15 ish, I was running in a sort of half light. I have a 10k route which is a circle- so I ran that and then continued for a second lap, got just about half way round the second lap and turned back for home with a slight detour thrown in to get to the 11 miles.

I even met a couple of runners – coming the other way and passed a few dog walkers this morning on the second lap. Clearly the village I live is doesn’t get up too early! I seem to have more success than Alaistair when  it comes to dogs but always when coming up behind dog walkers, the dogs hear you first and are often straining at the lead behind their walker – I then move to the other side of the road to pass them, and then there is a look of surprise/horror as a yellow sweaty body trudges past. Don’t these walkers ever wonder what their dog has been sniffing for the past few minutes, straining at the lead?

Result: 11 miles, 7 minutes faster than the equivalent point in the Royal Parks. 7 minutes!! I may not be quick compared to  the likes of Sean, Alaistair or Matt but I am trudging slightly faster than 3 months ago. I also hesitate to mention hills – but I bet I did more today than there are at Wokingham which by all accounts (Thanks WTS) is flat.

So, fingers crossed for a PB four weeks tomorrow.

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Monday’s usual run didn’t happen as when I got home form work supper was ready so I ate before heading to my son’s piano practice – and rather than run I sat in the car and did some work related reading.

Tuesday however I took advantage of a slightly early finish to do some miles around the town with the benefit of street lights. I was actually doing really well – 1^st mile up hill in 9:37 and despite the time of day and the early start (I start at 7:30 on Tuesdays – thanks to Mr Brown) I felt full of energy and running. However, at one of the roundabouts on the ring road I came across a car stuck in the middle – clearly broken down, so I offered them a push – which while it might have been the correct thing to have done to a fellow human being, but it ruined my rhythm spoilt an otherwise excellent time for the second mile. A loop round an industrial estate failed to reignite the tempo so I drifted back towards  work and the car not sure whether to try and push the speed or just keep it sensible. Ran passed a donut van and if I had had any loose change I’d have stopped  and also ran past the back of Sainsburys – with the smell of their bakery wafting over me – these things just make life hard!

 Either way it was another 6.5 miles done in just over the hour.

Tonight was back in the gym and this time I committed myself to some intervals. 4 minutes at 9kph then 4 minutes at 12.2, for 5 miles. Somewhat moist and red in the face after that.

Thank you for all your kind words about being last at Wokingham, but the summer before last I did enter a small 5 mile run in my home town and I was the running man home, by quite some way! I put my time down at 2 hours 20 on the Wokingham application (which would be a pb) so you see why I am worried that only 50 people reckon they will be slower than me. It is clearly a very serious race and I hope I won't seem too out of place there.

Another longish run planned for Saturday, fingers crossed.

20 days into the year I am now a mere 9 miles behind target.

Take care on these dark nights and mornings.

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So the white stuff has all gone. Hooray. Alas stepping out this morning I realised that it had been replaced by the black stuff. Black ice. Boo …Hiss….

To recap, I made it to the gym on Wednesday despite more of the white stuff and did 5 miles on the treadmill at a variety of paces. Also included some cross training and a few leg weights.

Undeterred, and having publicly said that I would run today, off I went.  Not quite as early as usual either. Daughter turned 18 on Thursday but had an important exam on Friday, so she opened presents and had cake on Thursday. Friday was a family meal out with best friend and Saturday was the party. Wife, son and I left the house at about 8, and in an act of faith, returned at midnight. All went well and they had a great time. No spillages, no breaks.

So this morning headed off at a rather sedate pace (though for me “sedate” is probably not much faster than a brisk walk for you lot…). The sun was coming up and the sky was clear but there was a lot of ice around. I did one or two moves that would probably have been better on “Strictly” or the like rather than running on tarmac, but I kept concentration and plodded on. The ice was very patchy and hard to spot - guaranteed to keep you awake! I actually found that going slightly slower meant that I seemed to have more energy and even my least favourite hill at the start of mile 5 was not too taxing.  I found that the usual wave of fatigue that overtakes me about an hour into the run didn’t happen either and as a consequence the 10 miles  rolled by.

My bench mark for longer runs nowadays is to compare the splits with the Royal Parks Half which I did in October and was my fastest half. I actually reached the 10 mile point this morning 4 minutes faster than I did in October – mind you then I had another 3 miles to run but it wasn’t as hilly as the run I did this morning and also over four minutes faster than the last long run before the snows came! Progress, perhaps.

5 weeks today to the Wokingham half. I realise that this is a serious run. When you enter you have to put in your predicted time. Most seem to be to the nearest 5 minutes – 1 hour 40, 1 hour 45 etc but some have predicted very specifically to the nearest minute. That’s scary. Scanning the list of people entering I think that I will be in the final 50 to finish though hopefully not actually last. I hope it stands me in good stead for the Reading half a few weeks later.

I actually did my target mileage this week!

Take care everyone.

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Mondays, as you may recall, is piano practice night for son. I take the opportunity to drive him there, park the car and do three laps of the estate where he practices before he comes out. Just using any chance to clock the miles.

Monday’s run was the fastest for the three lap route yet – averaging 9 min miles on a circuit that has a gentle uphill section at the end. I ran in the road – the pavements were all too slushy – so ran without Mrs Nike so that I could hear the cars that were coming.

Will probably get back into the gym tomorrow for some interval running on the treadmill while son does his D of E bit.

We then have a rather run free period as daughter’s 18^th birthday celebrations are stretching over Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I will be looking to blow the anti oxidants out of the system with a long run Sunday morning.

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