Quote of the Day

During 13 years of professional running, I never got it fully right. It's like golf. You'll never be perfect; you try to get a little better at every opportunity. That's the beauty of distance running, I think. It's a never-ending journey of trying to find out how good you can be, what I can improve on, even with my limitations. I'll never know the answer, but I'll keep looking for it.

Bob Kennedy, American distance runner

Weekly Review and Plan

Summary of Last Week


No of Runs- 1 (asthma ruined plan)
Total weekly mileage- 2miles
Total time running : 20mins 19 seconds

BEST RUN: 2.00 MILES IN 20:19.29 (Sunday) In fact, it was the only run of the week

Weight now 11st 3lb (-1lb). S0 how does that work? I don't run, but lose a pound!

Plan for the week ahead

Exactly the same as the week missed. Forget speed, just run 2 miles comfortably. Improving speed is off the menu for a while as it effects my asthma. Concentrate on distance, and the speed, in time, will follow.

Tuesday - 2 miles
Thursday - 2 miles
weekend- 2 miles

October 31st 2010

Halloween! All of the most scary creatures enter the darkness of night. Witches and vampires, werewolves and mummies, Lady Ga Ga's (apparently this years most popular costume), and of course, zombies. Especially zombie joggers. With my homemade Zombieland Rule One: Cardio T-shirt, and a face covered in red and green make up, off I set. It was 5.20, and the street was full of Trick or Treaters. I was accompanied by my faithful horse in a hoodie Billy. He just wanted to try out his horse mask in public, again.
We started of gently, but couldn't resist a couple of quick "zombie pursuing horse" sprints. Nothing too strenuous, and nothing my lungs couldn't handle. Billy's lungs - that was another matter. Horse mask and hoodie are hardly ideal running attire and he was struggling after half a mile. Quarter of a mile later he said he was going to walk the rest of the way and the zombie jogger was on his own. I didn't mind. I was happily plodding along. I was not aiming for a fast one, just a comfortable one. The mile mark came, and I decided to go on. As Billy had come along, I hadn't brought my mp3 player, but was enjoying the sights and sounds of Halloween. Okay, so the decorations weren't up to the standard of the forthcoming Christmas ones, The occasional vampire outside a house, cobwebs in windows, that sort of thing. The kids were happy in their costumes. Very few adults in fancy dress, although I did see some parents with a group of children, and the Mummy was a mummy, head to toe in bandages. Suddenly my effort didn't seem as good. Still, I plodded happily and steadily away, and had no trouble completing another mile.



Garmin stats: 2 miles in 20minutes 19.29seconds. Nice and steady. First mile just 2 seconds faster than the second. An more importantly, no problems with asthma. The only problem is that I have stained my running cap with red make up which may never come out.

Photos to follow....

Peak Flow Results

I've had a week off running. Haven't missed it, mainly because I've been more worried about the asthma. I've been religiously taking peak flow reading now for 5 days, and making sure the brown puffer is used morning and night, 4 puffs each time at the moment for a quick improvement. The graph shows the outcome.

Okay, I'm still well away from the 500 plus I would like, but there's been a noticeable improvement even in such a short time. Morning readings and evening readings have both increased by about 50, and there's a clear upwards trend. The blue dot above the line shows how much effect the reliever has - it improved my peak flow in seconds by nearly 100 after two puffs 

The monitoring will therefore continue. I've obtained from Asthma UK a "Be In Control" Pack. The useful thing that  it contains is a peak flow diary. That now sits by my bed as a constant reminder that I must take these readings twice a day. It'll also help me detect early if I'm developing a chest infection or something.  The diary has enough space for a over a year's worth of readings. Hopefully I won't have to monitor it for that long, but you never know, it may just develop into a habit.

Good news is I feel well enough for a mile or two this evening. And it's Halloween, so I might as well get in the spirit of things too...



Quote of the Day

People often ask how I stay motivated, particularly on my long runs - but I actually enjoy running. It makes me feel alive and free. When I'm running along the coast or through beautiful forest, I can't imagine anything better. Of course there are days (afternoons especially) when I'm tired and I think it might be nice not to have to train - but it's when you conquer a tough session that you were nervous about that you feel the best.

Paula Radcliffe

Quote of the Day

When I think about running, it feels like the best 45-minute investment I make in a day. It's enjoyable, it makes me feel better, and it's probably paying dividends way into the future. Running is a really easy choice.

John Fixx, son of running legend Jim Fixx

Asthma Action Plan

I've decided to cancel all running for this week. The reason is that Sunday's run seems to have triggered problems with my asthma. On checking my peak flow today it was well down on what it should be. Having had breathless symptoms over the past few days, I decided to take my peak flow this morning. My max peak flow is (or rather was) 550 l/min.I struggled to hit 350. Not good.

For those who don't know, peak flow is a measure of lung function. The idea is to blow into a peak flow meter, expelling all the air in your lungs as quickly as possible. The meter transfers your effort into litres expelled per minute. For my age group, the average was about 630. My best ever was 550, in the lowest 5%. I was also given other peak flow thresholds. 440 would be increase medication, 330 seek medical advice, 220 get to a hospital.

What I didn't know was that in 1994 peak flow meters changed, and so did the scales. They could now measure more accurately, and were made easier to blow into. The equivalent of my maximum 550 became 516. When did I discover this improvement? Today, 6 years after. Last year I has an asthma check and my peak flow was well over 550, and that was on the new scale.

So apart from telling you how good your lungs are at any one time, how else can this information help you? By monitoring over a period of time, ans seeing how your readings change by taking readings morning and night, you can get a good idea how well controlled your asthma is. If it's controlled your readings will hardly vary. If not, the readings will be up and down all over the place. The graph below explains it better than I can.

My plan is this. For the next few weeks I will monitor my peak flow closely, taking the readings morning and night. This will also act as a reminder to regularly take my brown beclamethasone inhaler, and inhaled steroid preventer which should quickly improve my readings. I should then use the blue salbutamol reliever inhaler less.

And exercising? I must make sure I use the reliever before I exercise. If it's very cold outside, I must also ensure I warm up properly. If it's too cold, go to the gym and use a treadmill instead. Not ideal, but better than what happened on Sunday.

Let's see what happens...

Quote of the Day

I think there is a couple of ways to look at guys stepping up their game. Either be inspired by it or give up. I have always chosen to be inspired.

Ryan Hall, Winner of the 2008 United States Olympic Marathon Trials

Weekly Review and Plan

Summary of Last Week


No of Runs- 3 (as planned)
Total weekly mileage- 4.93 miles
Total time running : 35mins 33 seconds

BEST RUN: 2.00 MILES IN 21:25.10 (Tuesday) Not quick, but an enjoyable gentle run
Weight now 11st 4lb (no change)

Plan for the week ahead

Forget speed for a week, just run 2 miles comfortably. I may have to decide if I want to improve distance or speed.


Monday - 2 miles
Wednesday - 2 miles
Friday- 2 miles

Sunday 24th October

Meltdown run. This attempt to run quickly was a major failure, and there could have been a few reasons for it.The graph shows I started of for the first quarter of a mile at over 7mph. My chest felt really heavy and I was struggling, so decided to drop back to recover. It was cold when I started running, but then the rain moved in and it got even colder. Breathing got even harder. The cold air was triggering my asthma. I struggled on and completed one loop, but that was it, I had to stop. 0.93 miles in 8 mins 33.51seconds.

So why had it failed so badly. I hadn't eaten, so perhaps it was lack of fuel. Possible, but shouldn't have been as it was just a 2 miler.  I'd started off much quicker than even I normally do, so perhaps I over strained my lungs. I hadn't warmed up either. Then the freezing rain moved in and finished me off.

I had hoped to try again in the evening, but still don't feel up to it, so that's it for the day. Learn the lessons from the failure, and try again another day.

Saturday 23rd October

Late again, but better late than never. Time to try to run the 2 miles in 20 minutes. It was a sunny, but very cold morning. As usual I set out too fast, but I quickly realised so slowed it down. Got to the slope at the half mile mark and let gravity pull me down it. My plan was to have quite a quick first mile, so I could ease off for the second one. However, I was quickly running out of power. After the slope I decided to try to maintain a 6mph pace. My hope was to keep this up for as long as possible and hope that my extra speed over the first three quarters of a mile would be enough to keep me around the 20 minute mark. I maintained that for a mile, but then my speed dropped again as I struggled on, pushing myself to the 2 mile mark. Did I do what I wanted?



Garmin reported 2.01 miles in 19 mins 33.69secs. Half a minute faster than I'd planned, averaging 6.2 mph (first mile averaged 6.4mph, 2nd mile 6.0). I'd actually gone faster than I'd planned. Now just got to see what I can do tomorrow when I try a fast run.

The Official London Marathon Register

A new book has come out for everyone who completed the London Marathon between 2001 and 2010. The Official London Marathon Register lists every finishers name and finishing time. Surely it's a must have memento for all London Marathoners. The cost, a mere £30.00. That's £30.00 for a book in which your name appears at most 10 times. And that's a special price - normal cost £60.00.

Why would anyone want to buy this book? For me the medal is a far better memento. I've also got the t-shirt, and the race number I wore is safely tucked away. There's also my Asthma UK vest which I wore on the day, even though the E fell off so my name is now MIK.

In order to save money, rather than buy this overpriced volume simply print this page if  you want a record of my time.

2008    Michael Radbourne    5 hours 49 minutes 39 seconds

October 20th 2010

Because life got in the way yesterday, I moved the slow 2 miler to today. However I had to be careful. There was a freezing northerly wind outside and no clouds in sight on what was a lovely evening, making the temperature very cold, and cold air is a major trigger for my asthma. However, exerting myself was not the plan. Jog 2 miles in around 22 minutes. It's time to learn to control the speed. For far too many sessions I've gone off fast and ended up knackered. Time to pace myself.

To try and get things right, I decided to concentrate on the variety of music from my mp3. Don't Stand So Close to Me (The Police) and Cruel to be Kind (Nick Lowe) started my run in an early 80s retro fashion. These were followed by the randomly selected but appropriate Moonlight Serenade (Glenn Miller) and Vienna by Ultravox (" We walked in the cold air.."). No heavy breathing required, which meant I could concentrate on breathing in through the nose, which warms the air before it hits the lungs. I concentrated on my form too, trying to keep as upright as possible. The only problem I did encounter was a silly sod who walked out of his house and stood in the middle of the pavement, oblivious to me approaching. I squeezed past him, and secretly hoped I made him jump. The Garmin beeped for the second time to mark the end of mile 2, and I stopped, but I felt I could have gone on for further. Sure I'd been slow, but steady.



Garmin stats: 2 miles in 21minutes 25.1 seconds. Average speed a lowly 5.6mph. Almost exactly as planned. I felt so refreshed afterwards, I think I can still do the scheduled run for tomorrow as planned. Tomorrow I have to maintain a quicker 6mph pace to get as close to 20minutes as I can.

Weekly Review and Plan

Well, for last part of week...

Summary of Last Week

No of Runs- 2 (as planned)
Total weekly mileage- 3.03
Total time running : 29mins 7 seconds
BEST RUN: 2.01 MILES IN 19:19.52(Sunday)

Weight now 11st 4lb (no change)

Plan for the week ahead

As today's 2 miler was such a slog, the plan for the next week is to concentrate on pacing

Tuesday - 2 miles in about 22 minutes
Thursday - 2 miles in about 20 minutes
Sunday - 2 miles in 19 minutes

I may also be off work on Friday, so may slip in a quick mile on that day, just for fun.

Sunday 17th October

Sunday, the day of rest arrived. It was meant to be a day off work and a nice gentle 2 mile run. After 5 hours at work, I can home, had a late lunch, and was ready to go. As I ran I found it quite hard going - I'd woken up with the backs of my thighs sore, and no idea why, so I assumed the hard going was because of that. I found it hard to breathe, so assumed that was because of the cold air. By the time I was getting to the end of the second mile it was getting really tough, but I kept going and finished. It was when I downloaded the information that I found what the problem really was.



Garmin Stats: 2.01miles in  19mins 19.52secs. That was not slow. I was planning on 21 minutes. The exact time for 2 miles was 19:10.51. Average speed 6.2mph. Okay, so if I kept that pace up I would complete a 10K in an hour, but I can't keep that pace up yet. Not surprising at that was as fast as my best 2 miler since I got back into running. I must pace things better

Quote of the Day

I've learned that finishing a marathon isn't just an athletic achievement. It's a state of mind; a state of mind that says anything is possible.

John Hanc, running writer

Foot Care Fish-style

I've never really bothered with my feet, having been lucky and not had many veruccas or athletes foot. However, perhaps with all the running I will suffer a little more wear and tear on them. I was intrigued when Dr Spa opened in Norwich, and today was the day I tried it out.

From their website, here's the science:-

Garra Rufa or Spa Fish are the name of the primary fish used in the spa treatment known as a fish pedicure, fish reflexology which involves the Garra Rufa fish nibbling at the dead skin to leave feet feeling soft and smooth. Also known as Doctor Fish or Kangal Fish - named after the town in Turkey where the fish are found in abundance - these Garra Rufa fish have become very popular in the development of spa techniques across the world.

They claim the fish will:

• Work through unsightly built up hard skin on heels and soles
• Effectively assist with treating psoriasis and eczema
• Stimulate acupuncture points
• Improve blood circulation
• Relax the body reducing fatigue

 So how did it fee? Having soaked  my feet in warm water for a few minutes, we were ready to enter the main tanks. I followed the instructions carefully. Lower the feet slowly into the water so as not to scare them, and don't stand on the bottom of the pool or you'll squish them. As soon as my feet entered the cool water hundreds of tiny fish swarmed around them and began nibbling away at whatever was there. There was no pain, just tickling as they worked all over the foot's surface. There were a few uncomfortable moments when the little buggers went between my toes. I wiggled my feet to get them out, and then tried to close my toes tighter together. After a while it stopped feeling like tickling, and was more like a tingling, a vibrating sensation as they continued removing the dead and toughened skin. With my 15 minutes up, I slowly removed my feet and the fish held on for as long as the could without coming out of the water. A quick dry and antibacterial spray, and then it was finished.

 

Are my feet softer now? There's certainly less rough skin. Are they healthier? Don't know. Was it relaxing? I personally found it hard to relax while being eaten alive. Will it make me a better runner? Probably not, but it was a very interesting experience.

 

 

 

Olympic Tickets

Today they announced the prices for the Olympics tickets in 2012. We could only really afford the cheapest, but I've registered an interest in them. Becks says she'd like to go to the opening ceremony. The cheapest tickets are £20.12, the next price up £150! We'll just have to try for the cheap ones. Apparently there will be a ballot for the tickets, and I don't tend to have much luck in those, do I?

Friday 15th October

With dinner in the oven I had a choice. Eat dinner, wait 2 hours, then run, or get in the planned mile before tea finished. I chose the latter. This left no time for a warm up, it was straight out into the cold air. That meant my lungs and heart rate hadn't got going properly, and almost straight away the cold air made my chest hurt. I slowed down until it wasn't so bad, and then tried to speed up. I'd made my usual mistake of not taking it steady as planned. Still, although it wasn't blistering pace, it showed I was getting well and truly over the bug. I got home just before tea was ready, got changed, ate (no time for stretching either), and then uploaded the results.



1.02 miles in 9mins 47.62. The time for the mile was 9mins 35.47. Respectable considering I was recovering from the virus,ands hadn't prepared. Next run on Sunday. That one I'll do properly.

Quote of the Day

"The greatest pleasure in life is doing the things people say we cannot do.."

Walter Bagehot, 19th Century Journalist

Weekly Review and Plan

Okay, so it's very late, but on the bright side it will make the weekly plan easier.

Summary of Last Week(ish)

No of Runs- 3 over 9 days instead of 7
Total weekly mileage- 6.14
Total time running : 60mins 50secs

BEST RUN: 3.12 MILES IN 32mins 1 second (Tuesday - WFOR)

It was a bloody virus after all, which made the fact that I actually managed to complete the 5K at all. On Wednesday I felt even worse, so I wasn't sure if the aching legs were DOMS or the bug. Probably a bit of both. During today it seems to have cleared up. Just a good night's sleep and I should be fine.

Plan for the Rest of the Week
Friday : 1 mile very gently, just to see if I am over the bug.
Sunday: 2 miles very gently.

So on Sunday evening I should be know if I can plan for Parkrun in Norwich a week on Saturday.

Commonwealth Steeplechaser Disqualified for Using Pot

This is my favourite story from the Commonwealth Games..

In a Commonwealth Games beset by issues away from the events, a bit of light relief is definitely welcome - and that came in the form of Papua New Guinea steeplechaser Sapolai Yao.The news isn't such light relief for Yao, though, who was disqualified from the race after he used a flower pot to help him over the water jump. The athlete stands a little under 4 feet 10 inches tall (1.52metres) but is already a firm crowd favourite in Delhi after his antics at the weekend. Towards the end of the gruelling race, the diminutive runner couldn't quite muster the energy to get over the water jump. So the resourceful Yao did what any other vertically-challenged individual would - using his surroundings to help him out. Spotting the pots below the hurdle, Yao gave himself a leg up onto the beam, stopped for a quick breather, and then leapt over into the water. Somehow, despite his troubles with that particular jump, he still managed to finish 9th of the 13 runners. Makes you wonder what the other four were doing exactly...



Worldwide Festival of Races - Kick the Couch 5K

Was my tiredness due to the travel at the weekend? Was I coming down with a virus? Today came, and I felt worse. Went to work and was told I looked awful (Thanks). Had to work late as well to get the manager details for tomorrow. Joy. So by the time I got home I was totally knackered. Fell asleep, cooked tea, ate tea, and felt a bit better. Time to Kick the Couch! It would also be a good chance to see if the mechanics I'd performed on the Garmin had worked. I switched the units from lies to kilometres so I could measure the 5K. and pulled on the 2150s. It was a cool windy evening. I was ready.

Stepped out of the door around 8.30pm, and started off at a gentle pace. My legs felt heavy, breathing was a bit hard to start with because of the wind, but I kept on. I tried to find a rhythm, but it was always going to be a slow on, and it turned out slightly slower than I'd hoped. I had decided I wasn't going to stop. I noticed the second mile was slower than the first, and things were getting harder. My chest was beginning to hurt from the work, and my legs felt more and more sore, especially my right knee which has been playing up for a few days now. But I had decided I wasn't going to stop. When the third mile started I managed to speed up slightly. Not an exceptional increase, but I was determined to finish strongly. My legs were hurting even more, but I was going to make it. I kept going, and managed to run my first 3 miles since I don't know when.

When I got home, I tried stretching, buy my legs were just too sore. I retired to the computer and told the watch to upload. It complied. Thank God it still worked. Actually, forget that. I fixed the bloody thing, not God, so thanks to me, I got my usual Garmin Stats:



It had recorded 3.12 miles in 32mins 0.69 seconds. I had also turned on autolaps so each mile the time is recorded (Mile 1 10mins 2 secs, Mile 2 10mins 25, Mile 3 10 mins 21). Average speed was 5.8mph.

Armed with all my details, I went over to the Worldwide Festival of Races site and entered my time. That time put me 17th among those who ran the Kick the Couch 5K.



I've downloaded the Certificate and Virtual Goody Bag. I'll have a read through it later. My initial plan is to see if this is a virus or just tiredness. Then plan the rest of the week from there. I know it won't include another 5K at the weekend. I think I need more preparation for that first.

Uh-Oh, Garmin Trouble

Despite feeling a bit run down (couldn't decide if it was due to weekend or an oncoming virus) I stepped out of the door at 8.30pm to run my delayed Kick the Couch 5K, my contribution to the Worldwide Festival of Races. Looked down to start my watch, the bloody thing was blank. I went straight back inside to try to get it to work again. It's a fairly new battery, so that shouldn't be dead. I opened it up and found the battery had come loose somehow. I put it back in, put the back of the watch back on, and the screen was still blank. The battery kept slipping out. I tried for ages to get it to stay in place, but it wouldn't.

I looked online, and found a forum wear people moaned at how hard the battery was to change because of a clip thingy which held it in place. I didn't have a clip thingy. My first Garmin did, but I threw that when it got it's chip scrambled. This one I had always taken to a shop for a new battery, so I didn't know if it ever had one. Try as I could, it wouldn't stay in place. I eventually found a few sticky strips on a book of stamps, and had an idea. I taped the bloody battery into position. And it worked. All that was left was to reset it as it didn't seem to work properly now (was this one scrambled too?) That worked, then I had to reconnect it to the footpod (no problem) and the computer. No matter what I did, it didn't like being told to talk to the PC automatically. I eventually got them to talk to each other when I make them, but they won't do it automatically. Having spent 3 hours trying to resuscitate the watch, I decided it was too late to try anymore. At least it was sort of working. Time for bed!

Weekend Away

It seemed strange having a weekend away without a running event on Sunday. It definitely didn't seem like a proper thing to do. However, running still kept jumping into my head. We spent Friday and Saturday in the Nottingham/Derby area. I kept noticing sport shops and had to resist popping in to check out the shoes I couldn't quite afford at the moment. The radio said to avoid Leicester on Sunday morning as it was that city's marathon. As we drove from Nottingham to Derby on Saturday I had to comment that the road we were on was the route for the Kilomathon (26.2km) next March. I noticed gyms offering membership for £10 a month, and wished we had local sports centres which could match that. When we got home, I was worn out so decided to postpone my 5K run and rest instead. Running had been running through my mind all weekend long. I must find something else to think about.

Team Lucozade Competition

Having not made it to London in the ballot, I've entered a competition to win a place in the Marathon, along with professional coaching, kit, Lucozade Sports Energy Packs, and entry into all Lucozade sponsored warm up races. I thought I'd give it a go. Closing date is November 1st, and I'm sure there'll be loads of entries, and my chance of winning low, but it's worth a go.

Here's my entry. It had to be less than 100 words, so was edited, mostly by removing the words "bloody" or "f**king" from in front of the word "bridge".

I injured my knee while training for London Marathon 2008. Despite this I ran on the big day. Big mistake! While crossing Tower Bridge, the knee went again. I continued with a pathetic half run/half hobble, finishing in just under 6 hours. Three ballot rejections later, I still yearn for another crack at London and that bridge. I swear at it every time I see it on TV. I hate it with a vengeance. I will not rest until I have crossed it. I don't expect to finish fast. I'd estimate around 5 hours. Please give me my second shot!

Marathon Runners View of that Bloody Bridge



Thursday 7th October 2010

To zoom, or not to zoom. That was the question. Whether tis better to run fast after my last run went fast when twas meant to be slow, or to run slow when run is planned as fast. I couldn't make up my mind, so I decided to play it by ear.It was a cool but very windy night, and as I'd left it late again, I skipped the warm up (mistake), and decided to try to go quickly. I quickly found out that was a mistake too, that my lungs need a warm up because of my asthma, so I had to slow it down. Having the wind blowing straight in my face and taking my breath away didn't help either. However, after another 400metres, I found I had now warmed up, so picked the pace up again. Nothing blistering, only around the 6.5mph mark, but I was happy with that. It felt comfortable. It was approaching the end that I felt I should really unleash, so despite being quite knackered, I tried to let loose. I worked my legs as fast and as hard as I could, with the Garmin recording a top speed of 10.2. Excellent.

Garmin stats: 1.01miles in 9mins 30.35secs, averaging 6.4mph. Almost a case of 2 runs in one, but I still enjoyed it.

Now for a few days rest before the step up to 5km on Sunday for the Worldwide Festival of Races.

Tuesday 5th October

First run of the week, sticking to the schedule as planned. A gentle 2 miler. Except I forgot the word gentle. Early evening run this time, with it still being light, but no rain. I warmed up on MFC Cardio Workout (passed the next level boxing exam - Yay!) then headed out, but as I said, I forgot the taking it easy bit. I was happily bombing along (well, bombing for me) adn nothing was going to stop me. The after a quarter of a mile I felt a small but sharp pain in my calf. I tried running through it but couldn't. It was toop annoying, and beginning toi itch. It wasn't an injury. I'd picked up an unwanted guest, a cat flea, which had decided now was a good time for a meal. How I hate those little sods. I stopped, brushed him off, and then carried on. However, despite reminding myself this was meant to be a gentle run, I kept the pace up. With half a mile to go, I decided I really should be running as planned, and made myself slow even though I didn't want to.  When I finished I was totally worn out and couldn't have gone another mile. The idea was to finished and have enough energy to be able to consider going further.



Garmin stats: 2.01miles in 19 minutes 19.27seconds. Average speed 6.2mph. Fastest time for 2 miles since I returned to running, so how could this be considered a gentle 2 miler. I must stick to the bloody plan!

Next run: A quick mile on Thursday. Might make it a gentle one instead

Great Eastern Run Photos

Got the following email today from Marathon Foto:-

Dear 2009 Great Eastern Run Participant,
Last year when you participated in the 2009 Great Eastern Run MarathonFoto had the privilege of being the official race photographer and taking your photos.
We are writing to you now to let you know that we will be deleting your 2009 Great Eastern Run images from our online database within the next few weeks. We do this approximately one year after an event because of the volume of images we take each year – over three million – and the high costs associated with storing this amount of data online.
If you need any photos from this event, prior to this deletion, please follow the link below and place your order now.

I was intrigued. Mainly because, although I did enter the Great Eastern Run, I didn't participate. Becks was in hospital at the time of the race, so I actually forgot to go. I clicked on the link to see what I looked like while I wasn't running.

It seems that through all the running, I've lost a lot of weight. And height. I also have a more youthful appearance, about 30 years younger than my true age. And I've changed sex. If anyone knows who the hell this is, please inform MarathonFoto, cos I'm 100% certain it ain't me.

Her finishing time was probably better than mine too.

Lidl Visited

As I said I would, I got up early, and we drove to Lidl to pick up some cheap running stuff. I wasn't the only one. There were a handful of people looking through what was on offer, and as there was not a lot of stuff there, I was glad I'd made the effort. I picked up a running jacket and tights, both black with green reflective patches, and a couple of pair of running socks. The bloke in front of me in the queue had bought the same, along with some compression leggings. I'd already seen a couple of others leave with things, and we'd left a couple more still looking. At this was only 8.10 in the morning. It was worth making the trip, as I now should be fully equipped for winter jogging. Although I could use another pair of shoes...

Next job: Sort out the kit drawer. It's getting a bit full,

Weekly Review and Plan

Summary of Last Week
No of Runs- 3 (as planned)
Total weekly mileage- 5.03
Total time running :   49mins  11secs

BEST RUN: 1.01 MILES IN 8:42.26(Tuesday)

Weight now 11st 4lb (-1lb)
Another week completed, and although the 2 miles weren't as fast as last week's, the slower one felt more comfortable. Highlight again was the quick mile. Lost just under a pound in weight too.

Plan for the Next Week
Tuesday: 2 mile (try to get back under 20 minutes)
Thursday: 1 mile (quick)
Sunday: 5km (Worldwide Festival of Races)

Time for another step up. Tuesday's run will be the third consecutive 2 miler, and hopefully after a couple of days rest I can drop under 20 minutes again. Another swift mile on Thursday. Then the step up on Sunday to 5K for my own personal route on the Worldwide Festival. As I'm going away next weekend, the days must be strictly kept to. There's no room for shuffling around this week. If all goes well, it could mean a trip to Park Run in Norwich the week after.

Sunday October 3rd

Yesterday's 2 mile run did not go well, so today I decided to just slow it down and get round comfortably. Sticking to Scarning Loop Route and the Asics 2150s, I set off at 8.30pm. This time there was very little to write about. I kept a slow but steady pace, concentrated on getting the breathing pattern right, and plodded around. I lost the breathing a few times but soon recovered it. No problem with energy. In fact it was only a couple of hours after tea, so I probably had too much food in me. I finished the distance and felt I could have probably continued at that pace for longer.



Garmin Stats: 2.01mph in 20mins 36.33secs. Average speed 5.9mph. Slower, but a better run than yesterday.

Scarning Estate Route Loop

Since I began running again, I have stuck to the Scarning Estate loop. It's almost a mile long, fairly flat, and is good for beginners as if an injury or problem does occur there are plenty of paths through the estate which can be used as shortcuts home.

It's basically like any other estate for running.The route has a  slight decline for the first half, then slight incline at the end. There are a couple problems

• The roads are narrow, so on occasions the cars take over the paths too. Makes it very awkward when running
• There is a footpath with a metal barrier with a gap for pedestrians. This can be difficult to see at night.

 

The only other problems would be from dogs (only been chased once in 3 years) and abusive kids (never happened on the estate - they must be used to seeing me circle)

So that's where I've spent so much time recently. However, I am getting ready to burst out and try something new.

Worldwide Festival of Races

My first "race" since I started running again. Set up by Steve Runner of Pheddipidations podcast fame, the Worldwide Festival pf Races take place next weekend. This race is a free, non-commercial event for runners of all abilities, where everyone is invited to register, train and run with us in the spirit of friendship. All you have to do to enter is register to the website, choose one of 3 distances, and run. Then enter your time on the website and get your virtual goody bag! The distances are World Wide Half (13.1miles),  The Zen Run (10K), or Kick the Couch (5K). You can either enter an organised race on the weekend, or just work out your own course and run that. I've opted for the 5K and will be running my own route. It's the perfect time in my training to try the next stage. The kids have even said they'd join in, and Amy has registered on the site too. As me and Becks are going away next weekend, I'll be running on the evening on the 10th. So far this year I will be joining 560 other runners from 40 countries.

The website, for anyone else who wishes to enter, is http://worldwidefestivalofraces.com/.

London Marathon 1981 Covered

Found this on Ebay for 99p. Always liked stamps covers, so decided to buy it, just to cheer myself up. I know it'll just sit in a drawer and collect dust, but what the hell..

Saturday 2nd October 2010

Finally got round to putting in the 2 miler. The combination of London Marathon rejection knocked me back a bit, and with other circumstances I was still just fed up. I woke up with a fresh outlook having had a good night's sleep. The postie delivered the new aerial for our bedroom TV, so I spent a little time setting that up, and even dug out the DVD of me finishing the London Marathon in 2008 (sob). I then got changed and went out.

Although it was sunny, it was very cold. I found it quite a struggle this time. Didn't seem to have any energy, found the breathing hard and couldn't find a rhythm. Maybe I should have had something to eat this morning! I wasn't going to give up though. I still wanted to complete my target, so I forced myself to keep going. I was slowing all the time it seemed, and getting a stitch even tough I was going slowly. I was glad when I got to the end.

Garmin stats: 2.01miles in 19mins 52.75secs, average speed 6.1mph. I was glad to get under 20 minutes again, but I'd learned that if I'm going to do a morning run, I must fuel properly first.

And the London Marathon Ballot Result is....

unsuccessful. I rang home from work and asked Amy if a magazine had arrived. She told me it had, and gave me the bad news. Then she asked me if I was disappointed. That's not quite the words. Gutted. Three rejections in a row is not good. At least there's only 2 more I can get before they guarantee me a place. So at the moment it's still London Marathon 2014 for me.



However, I will run a marathon next year, and the most likely candidates are Loch Ness or Nottingham next Autum. Plent yof time for trainiong then.

Oh, and by the way I'm mocing today's run to tomorrow due to feeling pissed off and genrally fed up. ANd that's mostly due to other things, not the rejection.

London Marathon Ballot Result..

..is not out yet. One runner on the forum, said he got his rejection today, so it's looks like they're starting to send them out. So now I'll just have to ring home every day to see if the postman had been.

I rang home today, and asked Amy if there had been any post, and by post I meant magazines. She said there was one, and went to check. It was only bloody Sky Magazine for Becks. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Is it possible to fall in love with a Shoe?

Dear Santa,

I know it's September, but I just had to write to you. As you know, I'm running again, but I only have one pair of decent running shoes. Those Asics 2150s that I was given by work are so comfortable, and seem to be helping me speed along. I really could do with another pair. But not just any pair. I found the latest colour scheme on-line tonight



I know deep down that the colours are garish and disgusting. But that's what make me like this shoe. I have been a really really good boy this year, so if you could see your way to putting a pair of these under the tree for me I'd be very grateful.

And if you don't, I'll tell all the kids I see that you don't exist, you fat old git!!

Love

Michael

Quote of the Day

If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don’t spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it.

Priscilla Welch

28th September 2010

Another bad nights sleep, caused by other half having to get up at 4am for work, disturbing me in the process. So when I got home from work,I cooked at early tea, then lay on the sofa for a 15 minute nap. An hour later I woke up in a semi-daze. I went online to check London Marathon website (no news of ballot results yet - damn!) At 8pm, I started my warm up on MRC Cardio. I tried the skipping exercise and finally got the hang of it. However, it was tough on my legs and hard to get the rhythm right. Almost totally wore me out before I even started. I must find the skipping rope we've got hidden away somewhere.

Time for the actual run. 1 mile quick was the plan, and I set out at a brisk pace. Another nice cool evening, with no-one else around to keep me company. A cat dashed in front of me at one point, and I sprinted across a road when I saw white van man coming down it at speed, but apart from that fairly uneventful. I pushed myself all the way, refusing to let myself slow down just to see if I could keep a good pace. I was concentrating so hard at keeping the pace up I hardly looked at my watch. Got home totally worn out, and carried out my stretches while wondering how well I'd actually done. I thought I'd done well. I wasn't disappointed.



1.01 miles in 8 mins 42.26seconds. Average speed 6.9mph. I can vaguely remember a few years ago running at that pace, when I was running 3 x 1 miles in a session with a long recovery between miles.But that was in the days before I bought the Garmin. I've done nothing near it since. I'm delighted I can do it again in just my 4th week of training. Seems a speed session is paying off. I'm also delighted my knee suffered no pain today, especially after playing up on Sunday.

However, now I'm getting used to going quick, I've got to slow down for the next run on Thursday. Mustn't push it too hard all the time. That's a sure way to get injured.

Lidl

Running gear on special offer at Lidl's next week from Monday. I could do with some runing trousers, I feel a bit self conscious in my running tights (especially the hi-viz ones). So it's up early next week for a trip to the supermarket to make sure I can get a pair.

Sad, aren't I??

I'm not the only one

Another extract from Runners World Forum today

OK it's a bit tricky to write because I've got a cat curled up on my lap, but I'll give it a go!

Until 6 months ago I was a regular runner for about 5 years. I loved it - did a marathon and a couple of HMs, and ran for at least half an hour 4-5 days a week. I wasn't the fastest, but I was in great shape and felt really good about myself.

For some reason I fell out of the habit in early spring. I can even remember the turning point - I was down to run the Newham 10k in early March, but I couldn't drag myself out of bed. I just couldn't be bothered. It didn't hold any appeal for me any more.

Since then I've done a brief (5k-ish), reluctant run maybe five times. I've lost muscle but gained at least half a stone, which on my tiny frame (4'10") feels and looks like a lot.

Some days I wake up thinking "this is it, I'm going to run" - but when I put on my running kit, I look so unlike my old runner-self that I can't face going outside. I wobble and I hate it. I'm also so scared that if I do try to run, I'll struggle to keep going for more than 10 minutes. That would kill my confidence once and for all  

What's more, I've been eating more than ever, partly for comfort. So my lack of fitness is just getting worse and worse.

How did this happen? I'm disgusted with myself and wish that I could have the fit old me back.

I'm moving house soon, from East London to the south coast, and I hope that the change will kick me into touch. I have GOT to start running again and eating less. I don't know what's happened to me, and I'm scared that it's just going to continue.

OK that's all... I need to get out for a walk. Forgive my whiney self-indulgence. I hope that someone out there can relate. Thanks in anticipation!

That sounded so familiar. It was basically me a few months ago. I had to reply to this one

You sound exactly like me. I was a regular runner until last August. Then running became less regular. Wedding plans, then wedding, then honeymoon, then Christmas, then I just couldn't be arsed anymore.I two year I had gone from a couch potato to a slow marathoner.

About a month ago I decided to get of my backside an try again. I started slowly, just a mile at first. It wasn't long before I remembered how much I enjoyed running. And I'm getting extra motivation from seeing my half stone extra slowly vanish and my fitness slowly increase. I will soon be taking part in a nearby Parkrun, I have decided next year I will run a marathon again (faster than before), and I am not going to let life get in the way again.

Just get your shoes on, and get out there, and I'm sure before long you'll be enjoying it as much as you did before. Especially when the weight you've put on starts to disappear again.

If I can return to running, anyone can!

Quote of the Day

The battles that count aren't the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself - the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us - that's where it's at.

Jesse Owens



Weekly Review and Plan

Summary of Last WeekNo of Runs- 3 (as planned)
Total weekly mileage- 5.03
Total time running :   48mins  51secs

BEST RUN: 1.01 MILES IN 9:08.83 (Friday)

Weight now 11st 5lb (-2lb)

Another good run. Adjusted the days, but still ran the correct distance and at the speeds I wanted. Didn't do much cross training, but have found that MFC Cardio Workout is getting more intense now, so may have to use something in Wii Fit as a warm. Weight dropped 2lb, which I was pleased with as I haven't really kept my promise not to snack.


Plan for the Next Week
Tuesday: 1 mile (quick again (9.15ish)  if legs are okay after today, if not just go slow to recover)
Thursday: 2 miles (slow and steady)
Sunday: 2 miles (slow and steady)

I've decided to repeat the week as although I was running 2 miles well, they didn't feel as comfortable as they should have, so I'll go again to get me more used to the distance. I'm also enjoying the quick 1 miler, and will probably keep this in on a weekly basis, which may mean I will eventually have to run on 4 days. Make sure I cross train on Monday and Friday at least. If Cardio workout is becoming challenging, I might as well make the most of it. Of course, all this depends on if I damaged the knee again or not. I'll find that out tomorrow morning.

And there's hopefully the ballot result before next Sunday too, so I can plan a bit more.

London Marathon Ballot Results - 5 days to go

It's the time of year when 120,00 UK runners watch their letter boxes every day. At some point after October 1st, a magazine will drop onto my door mat. For 1 in 6, it'll be a "Congratulations, You're In" magazine, and all the hard work can begin. Months of running through the cold, the dark, maybe a bit of sunshine, recoering from illness, injuries, taking part in warm up races, eating right, drinking right, chasiong people for sponsorship and genrally boring everyone with marathon talk.



For the rest, they have a decision to make. Go for a charity place and promise to raise £1500 for the priviledge of entering the biggest fundraiser in the world (can't do that, sorry charities); find another marathon to run (did that once and went to Edinburgh instead); give up running a marathon, until next time (did that last year and ended up giving up running properly for a year). There will also be some who entered on a whim, and they'll think "thank God I didn't get a place!". I've seen some of those in the past too.

If I fail to get in, taht'll be three rejections in a row. I'm one of the lucky ones to be on the Priority entry list. I qualified having been rejected in '09 and '10, some I'm still entitled to guaranteed entry after 5 rejections. That means I will run London again , but maybe not until 2013. After then, I'll be in the hat with all the others, waiting in hope for my 1 in 6 chance. That is if I can actually get into the ballot. This year the ballot closed in less than 1 day, so it was harder to enter than it was to run it.

Anyway, the countdown has begun....

Are You Fitter Than a Pensioner

Thanks to Sky+ we watched this show which was shown on BBC3 last week. It took 4 fast food loving lazy young Brits and made them live for a week in Sun City California, a community for the over 55s where everyone is superfit. There was even a 103 year old who regularly worked at at the gym. The Brits tried her workout and found it hard. "I find it very easy", she laughed.



The two boys and two girls thought they were just going to try a fitter lifestyle. They gave up take aways for vegetables (well, almost all of them).Then they were told at the end of the week they would have to compete against 4 super fit geriatrics at four events. The lads chucked themselves into it. They had too. They were staying with an ex New York cop who proudly flashed his gun as encouragement. The girls were not so keen. One refused to do the bike ride, and whined when trying kayaking - just because she was in alligator infested waters. Bloody women, letting the side down.



When the time for the quadrathlon came, although I wanted the Brit boys to do well, I secretly was rooting for the oldies. The lads however gave their all, and won a 2 mile run (probably at a pace slower than mine) and a 1 mile cycle sprint. The girls put in a good effort for kayaking and swimming, but couldn't keep up with their older counterparts. That left it at 2-2, so they had a tie-break - a 1 length swim of the pool. Up stepped one of the lads, and thrashed his way through the water to victory. The Brits had beaten the pensioners, but only just.



Very entertaining, and a good reminder that being old doesn't mean you don't have to be fit. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. I wonder if I'll still be running when I'm 70?

September 26th September

The weather was absolutely bloody awful today. My plan was to do today's run this afternoon, so I had to pray for a break in the downpours which were spoiling the day. 3 o'clock I put on the MFC Cardio Workout to warm up. The workout turned out to be more of a full upper body workout than a warm up, and 15 minutes later I was knackered. However, running was scheduled so running was to take place. Asics 2150s on feet, off I went. The rain had turned into drizzle, and it wasn't as cold as it had been, so I ploughed on at a relaxed pace. Stairway to Heaven cam on my mp3 player, and it reminded me of the "Mile in Stairway" challenge I'd set myself. I'm getting closer to reaching that, but it's still a few months away at least. First mile no problems, but half way through the second I felt a twinge on the inside of my right knee, the one which gave me so much trouble lately. There was a pain every time my right foot hit the ground. I didn't want to stop running, but I did dramatically slow for most of the remainder of my two mile target. I managed to speed up again when the twinge stopped.

Despite the enforced slow down, I still completed the 2.01 miles faster than my recent runs, finishing in 19 mins 23.13seconds. Average speed was 6.2mph, maximum 6.9. 
Now it's time to wait and see, what will happen to the knee.

(Poetry on a running blog! Cool!)

Friday 24th September

Put off yesterday's run to today6, but left it very late again. Good job I did, as the rain which had been here most of the day had gone, leaving a clear but cold evening to run on. Warmed up on MRC Cardio Workout, usual route, Asics 2150s (back after a brief break), and off I went. Not much to say. I just got out there and got on with it. No time for thinking, daydreaming, or whatever. I was here to run 1 mile as fast as I could, and I got on with the task in hand.



Running stats: 1.01 miles in 9 mins 8.83 seconds, average speed 6.6mph, top speed 8.9mph. It's good to see myself making progress even just a couple of weeks into my return to running.

Back on the road on Sunday for a more sedentary 2 miler.

Wednesday 22nd September

Didn't feel well yesterday - ached all over - and was worried I'd got flu starting. Today I felt better, so I moved the run to today, and made sure it was straight after work. This time I had company. Billy decided to join me as he's feeling very unfit. Usual route, but this time I decided to wear the old blue and white Asics 2130s which carried me around Edinburgh last year - and haven't seen much action since.

We set out at a steady pace of 6mph. Billy normally goes faster than me but he seemed to be having trouble. It seems he has lost fitness too. I was having trouble too. The shoes felt so uncomfortable compared to the 2150s. All I could think of was how the hell did I run a marathon in these things. Despite our problems, we kept a steady pace for 3/4mile, after which Billy needed to walk as he wasn't recovering from his stitch. My feet needed a brief rest too. After about a minute, we began running again. With one lap completed Billy dropped out, but I set off on lap 2. I picked up the pace a little, despite my feet still hurting. I seemed to be maintaining a good pace of 6.5mph, and I managed to run the second lap faster than the first. Staggered back into the house, and while I did my cool down stretches, the watch and computer transferred data..

The stats were better than Sunday;s run. 2.01miles in 20mins 19.46seconds, averaging 5.9mph, peaking at 7.2mph. Improvements continue, which will only make my confidence grow.

My concern now is have the uncomfortable shoes had any after effects. I'll find out tomorrow, If all is well, it'll be time for a quick mile. If not, mile moves to Friday.

Weekly Review and Plan

Summary of Last Week

No of Runs- 3 (as planned)
Total weekly mileage- 4.02
Total time running : 40 mins 33 secs

BEST RUN: 1.01 MILES IN 9:15:98 (Thursday)

Weight now 11st 7lb (+1lb??)

Running-wise, everything went according to plan. I didn't let life get in the way, I did all 3 runs when I was meant to, and I ran them how I was meant to. Weight went up, no idea why. Perhaps a week of sticking to 3 meals with no snacking would help. Chuck in a bit of cross training twice a week and that may help.

Plan for the Next Week
Tuesday: 1 mile (quick again (9.15ish)  if legs are okay after today, if not just go slow to recover)
Thursday: 2 miles (slow and steady)
Sunday: 2 miles (slow and steady)

I managed the 2 miles, quite slowly. Putting in 2 slow 2 mile runs will help cement that position and get me used to the distance again before I step up another mile. AT this stage I don't anticipate not being able to do a quick mile on Tuesday, but you never can tell.

Cross Training:
Monday and Friday: Have a good look at that My Fitness Coach Cardio Workout on Wii. BUT DON'T OVERDO IT!!  And now the 6 second abs thing has turned up I can have a good investigation of that too.

Diet:
3 meals a day. No nibbling. Drink lots of water. See what happens.

The Future

Today's Great North Run reminded me of how much I like the big events, mainly because I can get lost in the crowd, and the support at these events is just fantastic. Id' love to run it again next year, but it all depends on the London Marathon ballot.

If I get in, then I'll have to get to half marathon standard for mid March, probably for a run out at Silverstone, ready for my assault on the capital a month later. That'll leave the Autumn possibly marathon free, so I could return to the Great North Run, or perhaps have a first go at the Great South Run.

If I don't get in, then it'll be an October trip to the Highlands for a crack at the Loch Ness Marathon. So I'd be looking for a local half marathon in August/September, and a spring/summer free to improve over shorter distances.

First, however, I've got to get to 5K and enter Parkrun in Norwich.

So many options...

19th September 2010

While thousands were taking part in today's Great North Run, an event I completed 2 years ago, I had to get on with recovering my running fitness with a 2 mile jog. Target time about 21 minutes. No rushing, no one to compete with apart from myself. All I had to do was to run all of 2 miles. Simples. It was a cool, windy day. Just as I started preparing for the run, the rest of the family decided to enjoy an ice cream from the van which had just pulled up outside the house. I turned down the offer On went the Asics 2150s, and after a 10 minute warm up using Wii Fit Plus, I was off.

The first mile felt very good, plodding gently along at 6mph, faster than I'd planned but as it felt comfortable I kept going. Every now and then I saw the ice cream van which had tempted my family which I had resisted.  I felt good as I ran past it. Probably not as good as those stuffing their faces, but good nonethless. I am letting less and less get in the way of my training again. The problem came after 1.25 miles, when I'd made the mistake of speeding up and developed a stitch. I don't often get these, and usually it's because I've lost my breathing pattern. I slowed down a little, a and concentrated on breathing out when my right foot hit the pavement. Pushing my fist into the site of the discomfort helped too, and  it eased fairly quickly. However by this stage I was beginning to feel it. I kept the slow pace for a while, speeding up a little towards the end, a bad habit I've developed and I must break it. With the Garmin re-calibrated, my run took me past the turning for home a little way, which is probably a more true measure of the distance. It also gave me a gentle walk home after the run, good for loosening the legs a little. While I did my customary warm down stretches, the data upload from watch to computer:-

Distance 2.01miles in 20mins 28.49 secs. Average speed 5.9mph, maximum 6.8mph. The run went as planned. Now barring no side effects, it's time to try again next time.