End of Triple Marathon - start of Rainforest Runners

I set this blog up to keep me motivated as I prepared for the London Marathon this year, to keep my sponsors, friends and family up-to-date on my training and to share bits with other runners.

Now that I have completed the London Marathon and have officially retired from marathons, there is less reason to keep the blog going.

So the Triple Marathon blog is over, but as this ends another - better - blog starts.

I have set up the Rainforest Runners blog with The Rainforest Foundation, where anyone who runs to raise funds for them can write about their training, running generally and news related to the Rainforest Foundation's work.

We're in the process of signing up the Rainforest Foundation's New York Marathon runners and as more people sign up to run for them they can join the blog.

It would be great if you could change your Triple Marathon bookmarks to Rainforest Runners. If you have a running or rainforest-related blog that you'd like us to feature on our page, please leave a comment on the Rainforest Runners site.

Thanks for reading over the last months and good luck with your own running.

Cheers

David

Bad news on post-London Marathon recovery runs

It's been less than 2 weeks since the London marathon and I've kept to my aim of starting running again after a week's rest. However, it hasn't gone exactly to plan.

I went out Sunday morning for an hours gentle run, on a route with one reasonable hill but otherwise easy. As I set off I felt pretty good but before I'd even covered half a mile I could feel my thigh muscles knotting up. By the time I got to the end of the hill my legs were hurting - not badly but enough for me to change route. Instead I did a very flat 30 minute route and barely covered 3 miles. It was agony.

Today, I tried again and the extra rest meant my leg muscles didn't hurt at all, though the heat didn't help and I still felt tired. Even so, I ran 6.473 miles in 59m 23s - an average of 9m 10s a mile.

However, about half way round I felt a tightness on the outside of my right knee - where it had hurt most after the marathon. I slowed down but it grew slowly worse. It wasn't overly painful so I took it easy and made it home. After warming down though it got very painful and I had to use the cool pack again. It's still stiff and is a bit worrying.

The good news though is that my muscles have now recovered so as soon as the knee improves I can get in training for the Winchester 10k at the end of the month.

Cheers

David

London Marathon 3 - post race

Now it was back into the efficient London Marathon organisation - ChampionChip off, freeby-bag in hand and kit bag back off the lorry. It's not the efficiency that's impressive it's that for such a big event all the people are so friendly and treat you like you're the reason they're there. If only we could transplant that into high street shop staff!

I didn't bother getting changed as I was heading straight to Chinese Experience and could change in the dry in their toilets. I wrapped my foil blanket around me and headed off.

Walking (slowly) up to Piccadilly Circus I was amongst many other runners but as I hit Shaftesbury Avenue I was the only person in running gear. I stood out in my shiny silver cape and got a few amused looks but most people asked how I got on or said well done.

At the restaurant I got a nice reception from Tony and the team. Our table was at the back in the main room but no-one else had arrived. The whole restaurant turned and looked at me and waiters stood back so I could pass and walk down among all the tables. I got to the back, dumped my bag and took my foil blanket off.

As I turned, with my number and medal showing, one of the tables gave me a round of applause (and not a little polite one, a full bodied "well done" one) and half the restaurant joined in. Although I was very embarrassed it was a lovely moment. I don't know who you were but thank you, you've no idea how special that was. I muttered my thanks then slinked off to the toilets to get changed.

It was only then that I found that not only had I shown the restaurant my number and medal when I turned to them, but also a long, bright-red streak on my white top running down from my left nipple. Strangely few people ordered anything after that.

When I emerged the family had finally started to arrive. They had got caught up cheering other people which is great. They had all signed a congratulations card and there was much hugging and well done-ing.

I ordered a beer which went down soooo well and we told them we wanted to spend £25 a head and to bring us a selection of their best stuff. And boy did they. The dishes weren't as unusual as they've done before but there was a lot of it.

We finally left just after 5pm but the Northern line was slow (surprise) and we had to run up the escalators and along the platform to catch our train. Yes, I had to run, clutching Harry's hand and carrying my heavy kit bag. It was one of the least fun things I have ever done.

But eventually we were home. I collapsed and had a very easy night.

It's now Wednesday and I've had 3 days to recover. Day 1 I could hardly walk up or down the stairs. Day 2 I could go up but down was hard and today I can do both with only mild grimacing.

My nipples have been incredibly tender and I have sores under both arms and on both sides of my ribs where the GPS rubbed. I also have two small abrasions on my belly where the bottom safety pins holding my number on rubbed me. My knee joints were painful on Sunday but after using a cold pack haven't given me any more grief.

But the most bizarre injury is that I have burnt my mouth. Not a little, but quite seriously - my tongue has been stripped and the sides of my upper mouth are raw. The only cause I can trace is the 3 bags of very salty Snack-a-Jacks in nearly a 12-hour period.

And if you want evidence that running helps you lose weight, I weighed myself Saturday morning and was 12st 10lb. On Monday morning I was only 12st 5lb. I have been very tired over the last 3 days but am starting to feel more normal now.

My sponsors have been fantastic. A colleague who offered £25 more if I finished in under 3h 45m gave me the money anyway, my neighbour tripled his donation as I beat 4 hours and I've had a number of donations since finishing which is excellent.

It was a great event. I'm glad I did it again but I'm more convinced than ever that it should be my last one. Mind you, Gordon Ramsey only beat me by 6 minutes...

Cheers

David

PS Congratulations to all the other Rainforest Foundation runners, especially Jane who was aiming for 4h 30s and came in at 4h 01m. Brilliant stuff.

Photo courtesy of Chopstix.com

London Marathon 2 - The race

My run was different to 2 years ago - I wasn't out to enjoy the atmosphere but to beat 4 hours. So I wasn't so chatty, I didn't hi-5 so many of the kids lining the course and I was slightly more ruthless about pushing through the slow runners who walk 6 abreast down the middle of the course.

The hardest part of the London Marathon (apart from the last 6 miles) is maintaining a steady pace. I was happy to run at 8:00 a mile pace when the route was clear but this rarely lasted more than a minute. Then the crowd would slow me to 9:30 a mile.

Although it was frustrating and took more energy, I managed to stay on 8:30 a mile average until half-way. Then I started to lose 10-15 seconds a mile. I'd had the usual 8-mile leg tiredness kick in at 9 miles which was positive and even at the half-way stage I felt okay but it was getting increasingly difficult to keep the pace.

I saw my parents, wife and kids at the 9-mile mark, as well as Mel - an ex-work colleague who was cheering on her son. I then saw my sister and her husband at Canary Wharf and Debbie, the kids and my parents again along Embankment. It' surprising how much of a lift it gives you, especially later on.

The St John's Ambulance teams were out with vaseline along the route. I had mine in my belt but took a tactical decision not to reapply any. I have to take my belt off to apply it and as I was close to the 4-hour mark and wasn't feeling sore I decided it was more important to save the minutes and I'd just suffer later. It wouldn't normally have been a problem, but as it was raining my top rubbed more than usual. At about half-way I found my GPS unit had chaffed my upper arm so swapped it to the other arm. Where it proceeded to rub the skin away again.

At 17 miles my legs felt heavy and I thought "now for the grind". The 20-mile training runs really made a difference here - it's the mental training to just keep going, keep the pace steady and be positive. I found that visualising the tiredness washing through me and onto the street gave me a 100-yard lift. By the time I saw the family at 24 miles I was suffering badly. The fast and uneven pace at the beginning had taken it's toll.

I had slowed to about 10:00 a mile. With 3.2 miles to go I had run for 3h 20m so I knew that at that pace I'd finish at around 3h 52m. Although I wanted the best time possible this made the last couple of miles easier.

The last mile is down Birdcage Walk - from the Houses of Parliament to Buck Pal. In every race I've run I have overtaken other runners all the way to the end. As I came down Birdcage Walk though I realised that everyone was passing me and I couldn't raise my pace. However, as I came onto the Mall and saw the finish line about 150 metres ahead I shouted at the crowd to cheer an they responded brilliantly. I gritted my teeth and sprinted all the way to the end. I crossed the line grimacing and exhausted but almost euphoric.

I even remembered to look up and hold my arms out as I came over the line for the photo instead of immediately hitting the stop button on the watch. I think at that point I nearly said something rude.

So, my official time was 3:52:08. I beat 4 hours. I beat 9 minutes a mile. I finished feeling that I couldn't have done more. I'd done everything I'd hoped.

London Marathon 1- Pre-race

As promised, here is a full review of the big event.

Everything went to plan before the race. I had a quiet Saturday morning, pasta for lunch then got the train to London and checked into my hotel - the safe and clean but not exactly luxurious Arriva Hotel near Kings Cross. I watched Syriana at the Apollo West End cinema (high luxury - and the £12.50 ticket reflected it) and ate a pack of Snack-a-Jacks which are high in carbs.

After that I went to Wagamama for noodles then headed back to the hotel for Match of the Day and another bag of Snack-a-Jacks. After an uncomfortable night on a lumpy bed I had more Snack-a-Jacks, an orange, banana and fruit juice for breakfast, got dressed and headed off.

At Kings Cross tube most people were heading to London bridge which is straight down the Northern Line. I decided to go to Charing Cross instead. By the time the 8.30 left Charing X it was packed. The poor runners at london bridge were panicing as they couldn't get on the crowded trains coming through.

At the other end the organisation was superb as ever. I handed my kit bag in and queued for the loos. And queued and queued. A little tip - the portacabins behind the urinal areas have the shortest queues and no-one uses the urinals in them.

The marathon started as I was 2 people from the front of the queue. A few of those around me were worried about this but I knew it took at least 20 minutes for everyone to get through the start. Eventually that was done, vaseline was applied and I joined the massed ranks as far forward as I could.

We started running about 50 yards before the start line and I felt relief as soon as I crossed the line - the tension of waiting was ovber and it was time to get on with it.

I ditched the bin-liner and I was off.

Flora London Marathon - beat 4 hours!

A quick post to let you know that I achieved my overall target of finishing today's Flora London Marathon in less than 4 hours. I also managed to run it faster than 9 minutes a mile. However, I couldn't get it down to 3h 45m.

My final time (by my measurement) was 3h 52m 12s - an average mile pace of 8m 52s a mile.

Some highlights:

• I was running at 8m 30s pace (around 3h 43m for a marathon) up to around 12 miles. However it meant changing pace a lot as I'd go at 8m pace when it was clear then get stuck at 9m 30s behind a bank of runners.
• I was okay until about 20 miles then had to really grit my teeth. My final 3 miles were at 10m a mile pace, and everyone was overtaking me down Birdcage Walk.
• However, I got the crowd cheering along the mall and sprinted (relatively speaking) the last 100 metres.
• I beat Mr Incredible which impressed my son.
• I made from the novice's mistake of not reapplying vaseline along the route and crossed the finish line with a big red streak running down from my left nipple. It was a conscious decision to save a minute or two and didn't hurt during the race. It does now.
• My knees are absolutely killing me and I've been wearing ice-packs for the last 2 hours.
• I had a great meal at Chinese Experience and the customers spontaneously clapped as I walked through the restaurant to our table. That was very special.

I enjoyed the day even though the end was really tough and having beaten 4 hours I have now retired from marathon running.

I'll write a fuller report later in the week as well as let you know what is happening next with the blog.

Cheers and thanks for all your support.

David

A big thank you

Okay, that wasn't quite my last post before the Flora London Marathon.

I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has sponsored me and helped me achieve my target of £1,100 for the Rainforest Foundation.

I've had a great response from family, friends and work colleagues. Especially the response to my last plea when I was still just a little off target has been tremendous and taken me over easily.

Thank you all and I will be thinking of you on Sunday morning, in between thinking "yuk it's raining", "ooh my legs hurt" and "why oh why am I here?".

Cheers

David

Runner 43754 reporting for Marathon duty

36 hours until the Flora London Marathon and I'm surprisingly nervous.

I collected my race number yesterday and I am runner 43754. I just hope that's not my finishing position too.

The Rainforest Foundation arranged a runners meet-up in a London pub on Wednesday. It was good to chat to other runners as well as catch up with the Rainforest Foundation team.

Only one of the others had run a marathon before so when I was introduced as the bloke who did the thee marathons for them 2 years ago, someone said "wow, you've run loads".

This took me back a bit as I don't think of what I've done as loads. Partly because I spent some time with Winchester running club and most people there were far better runners than me, partly because at the Thailand marathon I was with people who had run 30, 50 or even hundreds of marathons. And partly I think because when you've actually done something, it doesn't seem as special as when you are looking up at it beforehand.

Anyway, it was nice.

Weather is looking mixed for Sunday. 50% chance of rain at the start, 70% chance by midday (this has worsened in the few since I last checked). The good news is the wind should be very light and it should be warmish. I can handle getting damp as long as I'm not fighting a breeze or freezing.

So this is it, the last post before the big event. For any of you who are also running on Sunday, may your trainers carry you lightly and speedily to the finish. Should any of you be running around 3:45 - 4:00 pace I'm the grey haired bloke with DAVID on the front of a white t-shirt and The Rainforest Foundation logo on the back. Say hello as it's always nice to chat on the way round.

Cheers

David

1 week to the London marathon

Less than a week to go and today was my last 1 hour run before the Flora London Marathon. I'll do a 30 minute jog on Wednesday or Thursday and that will be it.

Today's run started slow but I soon settled into the usual pace. In total it was 6.482 miles in 55m 12s, an overall average of 8m 31s a mile.

Being Easter and having lots of friends over, my diet has gone completely to pieces. But, as I sit here eating chocolate ice-cream with whipped cream, I promise I'll be very good from tomorrow and eat lean protein and carbohydrate-heavy foods for the rest of the week.

With just the occasional chocolate.

Cheers

David

10 miles - last long run

Yesterday morning I did my last long run before the Flora London Marathon. As I mentioned last time, I don't feel like I'm doing enough running but I'm sticking to the taper to make sure my legs are fully fit for the big day next Sunday.

Unfortunately I forgot to write down the time before Debbie used the stopwatch this morning. I know I did 9.82 miles and I think it was in something like 1h 22m as I had done 9 miles in about 75 minutes.

This gives an average pace of 8m 20s a mile - a bit quicker than normal as I pushed myself round the route.

This made the run feel quite hard and my legs got tired towards the end. Worrying when you think I'll have to do an extra 16 miles in 8 days time!

Cheers

David

Flora London Marathon route on GMaps

I have mapped the Flora London Marathon route out on Gmaps pedometer to send to my family so I can suggest where to stand and watch the race from.

It gets very crowded and runners come through in a mass, so I've found it helpful to know where they will be and which side of the road you need t run on at that point.

If you haven't used Gmaps pedometer before, it's dead easy and helps you plot how far your run is going to be.

You can see from this plot that it's not 100% accurate - giving the Flora London Marathon route as 26.39 miles - but that's less than 1% inaccuracy over marathon distance, which is pretty good.

To mark out your own course go to the homepage, use 'Jump to' to select the country and town where you want to start, zoom and drag the map to your starting point, then click 'Start recording'.

Double-click on the map to set your starting point then at each turn double click again to draw a straight line between the points. You'll see the distance rise on the left as you go. So simple.

Enjoy.

David

Evening 1 hour run

I managed to sneak in a run tonight before I went out to watch football at the pub. I added a lap around the playing fields to one of my normal routes to make it nearer an hour in total.

The run totalled 6.823 miles and I finished it in 58m 45s - an average of 8m 37s a mile. Not too shabby.

It feels odd at the moment. Because the weekend mileage has come down and I didn't run from Saturday through to Wednesday, I feel like I'm not doing enough, especially as the Flora London Marathon is only a week and a half away!

I'm going to try and go out again on Friday for my 10 mile run, then do an hour on Sunday, a gentle hour on Tuesday and half an hour on Thursday. Then the big one!

On Wednesday the Rainforest Foundation have arranged for all their marathon runners this year to meet before the race, which should be good.

Cheers

David

14 mile run

Yesterday I started my 2 week taper, reducing my mileage before the Flora London Marathon on the 23rd.

It was meant to be a 15 mile run but the route came to only 14.24 miles. I was going to do a couple of circuits around the estate but I was getting rather desperate for the gents.

I managed it in 2h 01m 38s, giving an average of 8m 32s a mile. About normal but quite good given 2 key factors:

1. I ran a circle around Winchester which included a long hill which slowed me by a minute a mile for 2 miles
2. We'd had a curry the night before and that's really not good preparation (and made me cut the run short)

I had to be careful not to be complacent about this run. 15 miles is a long way and you can get very dehydrated, chaffed or injured if you don't prepare properly. But after 3 weeks of 20-milers it's easy to think of it as a simple run.

I've run out of energy bars so stopped at a corner shop half-way round and had a bottle of water and a Mars bar. It was gorgeous, but it was at the start of the long hill and it's hard eating and drinking when you are panting your way up a slope.

The shoppers who passed me looked concerned at this sweaty bloke huffing and puffing along with chocolate dribbling down his chin.

After the run I had a nice shower and lunch. Then I went out again!

Harry, after watching Ella run the 1km race at Bournemouth last week and not being one for being left out, has decided he is interested in running again. So I took him for a 1km jog around the park. He did well - completing it in 10 minutes without stopping.

But true to form he gets a bit bored so his running style included brief periods of skipping, trotting and something approaching the Ministry of Funny Walks.

Cheers

David

Same route, slower time

I went for another normal training run last night and this time managed to get the GPS working, so decided to check the route I covered on Tuesday.

Lo and behold it turned out to be longer than I had guessed, bringing the average time for that run down from 8m 48s per mile to 8m 18s a mile. It had felt like a fast run so I was slightly bemused that it had worked out so slow.

Today, though, was slower although still a reasonable time. My right knee is aching and I felt a bit tired leg-wise, so took it a bit easier. I also ran the route in the opposite direction for a bit of variety (it doesn't get more exciting than that!).

I covered the 8.485 miles in 55mins 03 secs, giving a mile average of 8m 29s which is still good.

Nothing eventful happened on the run.

Next is a 15-mile long run at the weekend. I'm quite looking forward to it after 3 weeks of 20-milers, it should be rather pleasant.

Cheers

David

PS. If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?

No-need-to-recover run - UPDATED

That's right, after a third very long run my legs seem to be getting used to it, so by yesterday evening they hardly ached at all.

So rather than gently limp round wondering if this could be doing me any good at all, I felt that I ran reasonable hard.

However, I only ran 6.2 miles in 53 mins 52 secs, an average of 8m 41s per mile. Maybe I wasn't as recovered as I felt because this is a bit slow.

Also I was running without my increasingly temperamental GPS unit which couldn't pick up a satellite signal outside my house, meaning I couldn't check my pace on the way round.

I had been planning not to wear the GPS for the Flora London Marathon itself, but if it means I could go too slow I need to have a rethink.

Another 6-miler or so later this week, then the 15 mile taper on the weekend.

Cheers

David

PS If Wile E Coyote had the money to buy all that ACME rubbish, why didn't he just buy dinner?

UPDATE - I ran the same route 2 days later, this time with a working GPS, and found that it was longer than I thought. The route was 6.485 miles so my average pace wasn't 8m 41s per mile, it was 8m 18s per mile, which is a bit faster than normal.

Last long run - with added half-marathon

Yes, today was the day of reckoning where I attempted to run 7 miles on my own then go straight into the Bournemouth Bay half-marathon and compete.

I wasn't expecting a half-marathon PB but I did hope to average 9 mins a mile or below across the whole distance.

First to describe the Bournemouth Bay run. Most of it is absolutely flat as it goes along the seafront promenade. However, as there is no protection you are at the mercy of the coastal winds - which were definitely out to play today.

I'd had suggestions of doing my extra miles after the race or doing 3.5 miles either side. Physically these were probably the right thing to do, but I knew that psychologically I would find it very hard finishing a 13.1-mile race then trundling out on my own, so I stuck to my original plan.

We arrived an hour early, but by the time I was sorted out I only had time to run 5.85 miles before the half-marathon started. In that preamble I did discover which way the wind was blowing and by how much, so planned to run the first part of the race harder - while the wind was behind me - then ease up in the latter stages as I was fighting my way back through it.

By the time I reached the start-line I was sweating and was a bit breathless, but that's not too unusual. 3 miles into the race I was worried that I felt tired, until of course I remembered that I'd run 9 miles overall and was nearly half-way there on my total run.

I made up some time on the way out and was running comfortably. The half-marathon route goes further along the seafront than the 10km race my wife was doing so I didn't have to run the zig-zag path up the cliff, but once I turned for home at the top it got much harder with the wind. However, it was only with 3 miles to go that I felt I was struggling - after I'd run 16 miles in total.

I was wearing my new running top prepared for the Flora London Marathon - with my name on the front and sponsors on the back - so had quite a few cheers from the thin crowd. While I find it a bit embarrassing it always cheers me up.

As I approached the last mile I passed a young lady called PJ who was running for Parkinsons. Then I noticed she had caught and was staying with me. We didn't talk but intuitively pushed each other forward a bit more. With about 300 metres to go I decided to run hard for the line - partly to see how much I had left - and was pleased that I got quite a pace up, overtaking a few extra runners.

In the queue after, I noticed PJ and thanked her for helping in the last bit and she said likewise. We chatted and found we have trained to the same level and expect to do about as well in London in 3 weeks, so you never know, we may be racing down the Mall together.

I did 18.86 miles in total with a time of 2 hours, 42 mins, 19 secs. That gives a grand average per mile of 8 mins 32 secs - almost bang on target.

And I felt I'd run it the right way for me - there was no way I could have run after the race because I can't hold myself back when I'm in a crowd.

My legs don't ache as badly as they did the first week, and I'm really pleased I'm dropping down to 15 miles next week.

And finally, Ella ran her 1km race well and didn't stop, and my wife got a new 10km PB at 59m 30s despite feeling a bit under the weather. My son lay in the sand and made sand-angels the whole time. A good day all round.

Cheers

David

2 training runs in a day

True, but I'm not quite the ironman this suggests. Yesterday I went for a gentle training run on my own then picked up my daughter for her 1 mile training run at - for me - an even gentler pace.

I didn't want to push it today with only Saturday to rest before my final 20-miler (with added half-marathon race) so I took an easy route and set out slow. Although my pace initially was very slow I felt tired and heavy due to a serious case of the munchies this week.

Cadbury's and Walkers shares have rocketed with the chocolate and crisps I've been filling my face with. I get these binge's after being good for a while, but after feeling like I did on Friday and knowing the Flora London Marathon is only 3 weeks away, I'm comfortable that I'll get beck to the plan now.

My solo run took 49m 19s to cover 5.312 miles, an average 9 mins 17 secs a mile - one of my slowest times in ages.

My run with Ella was even slower - 11m 50s to cover a mile.

In total, then, I ran 6.312 miles in 61m 09s, an average of 9 mins 41 secs.

It may have been slow but that was the plan. And credit to Ella, she wanted to stop after half a mile but kept going and finished strongly. Not too shabby for a 7 year-old.

I'm getting nervous about Sunday's long run. How will I feel running 7 miles then a half-marathon race?

Cheers

David

10km recovery run

After an extra day to recover, yesterday's 10km run wasn't too bad. I could feel my legs aching a bit but less than last week and I took it steady.

An uneventful run really. No exceptional weather, I didn't break any of my own records - I just plodded round.

So 6.135 miles in 54 minutes. I forgot to stop my watch at the end so that's my best guess at the time. That makes an average of 8m 48s a mile.

Yawn.

David

Ella's fastest mile

Although I decided to rest until Tuesday after the 20-miler on Saturday, I ended up running today. However, it was only a mile and it was very slow.

On Saturday we are all running in Bournemouth (well, Harry keeps changing his mind but I think he'll decide to do it). Ella and Harry are doing the 1km fun run, Debbie is doing the 10km race and I'll do the half-marathon - after my 7 mile warm-up.

Ella hasn't run for 6 months so wanted to do a bit of training so we went out in the wind, rain and mud and did a mile - very gently by my standards but Ella's fastest to date. She did it in 11m 33s, her previous best was 12m 40s I think. She also ddn't stop talking all the way round.

I had the day off today and went into town to get my running top printed with the Rainforest Foundation logo and my name. You wouldn't believe how much it helps hearing the crowd cheer your name. Plus, after 26.2 miles, tiredness and dehydration, it helps you remember who you are.

I'm a bit achy and leg-tired again today but I think it's better than last week. The big thing I've noticed (and remember from 2 years ago) is how incredibly sleepy I feel all the time. Oh well, 4 weeks to go.

Cheers

David

20 miles - 3 hours in the rain

Yesterday was the second of my three 20-mile training runs in prepation for the London Marathon in 4 weeks time.

The main differences with last week:

1. My legs were still tired after last week's run. I didn't notice at first but by 14 miles I knew it. Also I was wearing more and stopped more often as I planned my water breaks better. So I was slower and came in at 3h 08m 31s compared to 2h 57m last week.
2. It rained for the whole 3 hours. It went from drizzle, to rain, to downpour, to light spray to teeming and back to drizzle. But it never stopped. The good part of this is that, combined with a better water strategy, I wasn't dehydrated at the end of the run, so:
3. Despite feeling tired earlier, at the end of the run I was in better shape than last week and could have carried on more easily.
4. Finally, although I ran exactly the same route as last week, the GPS measured it as half a mile longer - 20.79 miles.

I'm still planning to change my routine to do 20 miles next weekend then drop to 15 and 10 in the 2 weeks before the race.

However, next week I am already entered for the Bournemouth Bay half marathon and don't want to drop out. So I am planning to get there an hour early and run 7 miles, then do the half-marathon afterwards.

Is it just me or does that sound slightly unhinged?

Not a speedwork run

Still very, very achy from Sunday's long run. Today was meant to be speedwork - doing four sets of sprints.

I ran at lunchtime at work in London today, so didn't use the GPS as last time it couldn't get a signal, and there was no way I was sprinting given that I could barely walk.

It's horrible running with sore legs but it needed doing. I ran from St Paul's Cathedral, across the Millenium Bridge to the south bank of the Thames, then out past Tower Bridge and further along the river. On the way back I came across Tower Bridge (very windy) and back along the north bank.

This last part followed the London marathon route which was nice.

The run overall was 1h 01m 08s and I would think it was about 6.5 miles as it wasn't very quick.

Sometimes a run on sore legs eases them. Not today. Wondering whether a run on Thursday is a good idea.

I had a chat with a colleague who used to run marathons who suggested I do more of a taper, so I'm changing my long run schedule. The plan is to move from (starting with last Sunday's 20-miler):

20m - 20m - 15m - 20m - 10m - marathon

to

20m - 20m - 20m - 15m - 10m - marathon

This will give more recovery time from the very long runs. I will also do my last training run on the Wednesday before the marathon.

Cheers

David

20 mile run - excellent

Yesterday's long run was meant to be 18 miles, but it was only an extra 2 miles to my in-laws so I decided to go all the way.

After last week's 16-miler which I found very tough I had a much better run this time. I hadn't run since Wednesday, spent half an hour in the gym on Friday, so I was feeling fresher.

The weather was perfect - sunny, not too windy and being March not too hot. Even so I sweated loads and the only real problem on the run was finding water. I bought some at a garage after 5.5 miles, and planned to get more at 11-12 miles, but from 10 miles onwards there were no shops until the 19 mile mark.

I had no problems at all with my hip, or anything else, which was really encouraging after last week. When I finished I was shattered, but I was pleased with my time.

I ran the first 18 miles in 2h 38m 18s - about 8m 48s a mile, so within target. The last 2.2 miles were tough and I averaged 9m 05s but that's not too bad. So in total it was 20.15 miles in 2h 57m 47s - an average of 8m 50s a mile.

I would have to run the next 6 miles in 10m 17s a mile to beat the four hour mark for the marathon - which should be very do-able.

Today I ache a lot and it's going to be difficult to do my 2 other runs this week on Tuesday and Thursday, ready for a repeat of the 20 mile route on Saturday.

Cheers

David

Fast run - until the hill

A straightforward nearly-one-hour run today. The pace felt good and although I was breathing hard I didn't feel too tired. I was running very well up to the 5 mile mark then hit a mile long hill and slowed down.

I'm running well on flats but seem to struggle more on inclines as my muscles are tired. I could have taken a flat way home but if I'm struggling on hills then I need to do more of them rather than less.

However, despite this I finished the run in 52m 20s and covered 6.504 miles. That's an average pace of 8m 03s per mile. Pretty good.

I have 3 days rest now before the 18-miler on Sunday morning. Hmm, looking forward to that one.

Cheers

DavidM

Monday - boring speedwork

I hate speedwork. I do the same route each time so I know how far I am sprinting, and repeating the sprint loop is dull dull dull. And it's so much worse when your legs are tired from the 16-miler from 2 days before.

But it is necessary and I do feel it's working, lifting my pace on my long runs. On Saturday's 16 mile run I found my natural plod - when I wasn't too tired - was around 8m 20s a mile, which is way better than it was a few months ago.

My hip felt fine today after the worry on Saturday and I haven't ached too much, but as I ran my legs felt very tired and heavy. I can't leave it until later in the week s it's a hard session so my legs will be tired for the next long run - and I'd rather feel bad for an hour's sprinting than 2.5 hours of distance.

Still, four sprints for 2 minutes each at about 6m 30s pace is now done for the week.

Overall, I ran 6.268 miles in 54m 21s, giving a pace of 8m 40s.

A couple of days rest now. Lovely.

Cheers

David

16 mile run. Very tired

My longest run for nearly 18 months.

With the extra distance I am now preparing in the same way as I will for the marathon. Not only did I apply vaseline to the 3 key areas (nipples, thighs and bum) but I also carried it in my bum bag and reapplied at the half-way mark. I also took an energy bar which I ate at 8 miles and found a farm shop and bought a bottle of water.

This also meant I had to practice eating and drinking on the move. The energy bar was lovely - banana flavour - and the water went down well. Down my front, that is.

The first 8 miles were fine and I covered them at 8min 43sec pace. The second started okay but by mile 11 I was feeling it, and from 13 onwards it was a matter of moving one foot in front of the other. But this is really what I am practicing on these runs. I'd never be fit enough to run the marathon easily, so while I am improving my fitness as much as I can, these long runs are mental preparation for the last 6 miles when all you want to do is sit down.

Anyway, I managed the second 8 miles at 9 min 03 secs pace, which isn't so bad until you consider that on the day I'll have to do another 10 miles.

So, overall I was on target pace, covering 16 miles in 2h 22m 18s giving an overall pace of 8m 53s per mile.

I was exhausted at the end, but more worryingly my hip had hurt for most of the second half of the run and I could barely move it for the rest of Saturday. The good news is that on Sunday morning it felt fine again.

Cheers

David

Speedwork in shorts

Yes, shorts. I took the plunge, left my sweaty running tights hanging on my wardrobe door handle, donned my shorts and venture out into winter. This was partly inspired by pictures of my friend Dom fell running up North.

While I wrap up in as many layers as it's physically possible to run in, Dom and his fell-running companions would feel over-dressed in a thong. Not that I've seen Dom in a thong. Erm.

Changing the subject, today's speedwork session felt good. I had to cut it a bit short, so did 5.166 miles in 42m 31s. That's 8m 14s a mile - one of my fastest yet.

I've got to go and get the image of that thong out of my mind now.

Cheers

David

Tough ten-miler

Hmm, makes it sound like I was up hill and down dale, through thick mud, crossing swollen rivers, clambering over rocks and evading menacing dogs.

I wasn't. It was a bog standard 10 mile run which, after 15 miles last week, should have been a doddle. But a very late Friday night and a fast food binge Elvis would have been proud of combined to make me feel heavy and tired the whole way round.

Still, I managed 10.2 miles in 1h 27m 46s, an average of 8m 36s per mile, which isn't too bad. It was just the way it felt.

And, despite a big bag of Walkers 4 Cheese & Onion Sensations, chocolate cake, Cadbury's cream egg, deep fried chicken sandwich from the Charcoal Grill Kebab shop in Portswood, prawn cocktail crisps and Guinness, I weighed a pound less this morning! Ha, up yours Atkins.

Cheers

David

Bouncing along in my new trainers

Friday's training run still felt very different with my new trainers. My old ones must have had absolutely no support left in them at all.

Apart from the shoes the run was quite unpleasant. Again I felt tired and heavy.

Still, I managed 7.149 miles in 1 hour 1 min 53 secs, an average pace of 8m 39s which included a couple of short stops to sort the ipod out.

Talking of which, I see Apple are now making ipods for specific national markets. The first is the Aye-pod, targeting the Scottish market. Hmm, I'm not sure that's our tartan.

Cheers

David

Speedwork in new trainers

I really, really don't like doing speedwork when my legs are aching from a 15 mile run.

I haven't ached this badly for quite a while and it's going to take some getting used to. If my diary allows it, I'll change to having 2 days rest between the long run and speedwork run, instead of after the speedwork.

One good thing about the run was wearing my new trainers. I've been wearing Saucony Omni Grid 4's for the last year and a half but they aren't made any more so I had to go with something new. I tried a few pairs on and lo and behold I chose...Saucony Omni Grid 5's.

I only realised how bad my old shoes were today on the run. I felt like I was bouncing along on the cushioning. Also, my hip didn't ache - probably a combination of the shoes and Ibuprofen.

So, although it was horrible, I ran 6.138 miles in 52m 05s, an average of 8m 29s per mile.

And I have to say, my legs barely ache at all tonight.

Cheers

David

Weight watch - 8 weeks to go

According to my schedule I am supposed to have lost 2lbs by now and be down to 12st 10lb, but for the previous 3 weeks my weight had stayed static. After a week with 2 posh dinners and a heavy drinking night, I didn't hold out much hope for any progress this week.

But magically I have actually lost my first pound - this morning I was 12st 9lbs.

I think it is because I did my long run on Sunday afternoon rather than Saturday morning and I always seem to be lighter the day after.

At least it's some movement. My meals are generally pretty healthy now, my alcohol intake is non-existent during the week and I've cut my snacking right down. I do still get the odd chocolate/crisp cravings (like today when I had a Mars mini egg) but I'm doing pretty well.

The main thing is that my running is going very well, so the weight is secondary. If I was huffing and puffing round my runs, I'd focus more on my weight to make it easier.

Cheers

David

4 runs in a week

I haven't posted since my long run last Saturday (sorry Mum) but I have been running. So, an update on the week:

• Monday: Speedwork. warm up and warm down with 4 sprint circuits in the middle. 6.133 miles in 51mins 14 sec - and average 8m21s per mile. Pretty good and I felt fine but my hip was hurting again.


• Tuesday: I had to take the car to the garage so ran home. gentle run - 3.182 miles in 28m 17s - an average of 8m 53s so still below 9m a mile.


• Friday: The weekly one-hour plod. I felt rotten for this run - really heavy and slow. Still, I did 6.529 miles in 58m 32s - average 8m 58s. My hip hurt almost from the start.


• Sunday: The long one. The schedule says I should have done 14 miles. Actually, I did 14.8 but it was slow. I ran the long way round to my friend Nigel's (6.739 miles in 1h 53s), then he and I did a good plod for 6.879 miles (in 1h 15m 45s) and I did the shortest route home (1.182m in 9m 59s). My hip ached a little early on but otherwise didn't bother me (I started back on Ibuprofen on Saturday to keep any swelling down) and although I was tired, I didn't feel too bad.

I don't think I'll be on target with my weight this week though. I went for lunch at Le Coq d'Argent on Wednesday with Touch Clarity, had a heavy night at the school quiz on Friday and went to Chez Bruce for dinner last night. Le Coq was good but Chez Bruce was fantastic. However, I'm not sure boned quail stuffed with black pudding and calves kidneys with bacon and onion dumpling are on Paula's marathon training menu.

And I'm off to Gordon Ramsey's Boxwood Cafe on Tuesday. I wonder if he'll give me a free meal, being a fellow London Marathon runner. Hah!

Cheers

David

12 mile run - Saturday

Yes I'm sticking rigidly to that schedule. But it's starting to get hard now.

I've been really encouraged by the fact that last week I ran 10 miles and wasn't feeling tired or achy. However, today I started feeling it.

This morning I ran 12.06 miles in 1h 44m 19s - that's an average pace of 8m 38s. This is excellent given my target marathon pace is 9m 0s. It didn't feel too hard until 8.5 miles in, but my hip ached for the last 5 miles and my left achilles felt tender.

And I didn't get a rest when I finished either. I ran to Romsey Rapids and met the family there so we could go swimming - which for me means spending an hour with 2 children on my back who want underwater rides. I considered it an hour's warm-down!

Cheers

David

Thursday tempo - fast

I know the tempo run is meant to be steady, but I'm not sure how fast I'm supposed to go.

In my schedule I said I want to bring it down from an average 9 mins per mile. But yesterday I went out and felt good so kept the pace up and did it in 8m 12secs a mile. It was hard on my breathing but the good news is that my legs felt fine, though they are a bit tired now.

The question is, should I be pushing it like that on tempo runs? While it feels great I worry that I need to have one relatively easy run each week. Next week, I think I'll slow it down a bit.

So I covered 6.624 miles in 54m 19s.

I also finally changed my Ipod tunes. Much as I like Madonna's new album and the other tracks I've recently downloaded, I have heard them a lot recently. So yesterday it was 'guitar bands' - everything from Keane and Snow Patrol to Oasis and dashboard Confessional. Pretty good stuff to run to.

Cheers

David

Monday speedwork & progress

The good news first. I didn't ache at all after my 10-mile run on Saturday and felt fine for yesterday's speedwork session. Although the sprints themselves were no better or worse than last week, I did notice that I was moving quicker on the warm down. So I did over 6.3 miles in about 57mins.

I think I'm hitting a purple patch. My cold has gone at last, I have the odd ache and pain but I'm injury free and the weather is pretty decent.

I also managed to get myself into the gym on Sunday - not a long session but 10mins on the cross trainer and rowing machine followed by sit-ups and weights.

The bad news, though. I was 12st 10lbs last Monday. I was hoping to get a bit ahead of my schedule by yesterday as I've eaten well, cut down on snacks, chocolate, crisps and general rubbish. I haven't had a single boozy night all week - just a couple of glasses here and there - and of course my running effort has increased. And my weight on Monday morning? 12st 10lbs.

Debbie reckons it's because I'm replacing fat with muscle and I'd love to believe her, but I can still feel this ring of blubber around my middle.

Oh well, have to be even better this week.

Cheers

David

Long run - Saturday

Well, first run into the new training schedule and I'm sticking to it rigidly.

This morning I ran 10.17 miles in 1h 32m 29s which is excellent - that's a pace of 9m 06s a mile!

I didn't push the pace, I wanted to see what I naturally ran it in. I was worried when I started out as I was going at 10mins a mile, but it started coming down to 9.45, 9.30 and so on. I ran the second half fairly consistently at 9mins.

Which is great because that's what I have to do on 23rd April for 26.2 miles. I've never had any doubts about getting round but I was increasingly losing hope that I'd beat my 4 hour target. But after the runs I've had this week, and especially today's run, I'm starting to believe I could do it.

I've also finally started a proper push on my fundraising. I'm up to £297 so still a way to go. If you are feeling generous you can donate via the 'My Justgiving Page' link on the right of this page.

Cheers

David