Triple Marathon

End of Triple Marathon - start of Rainforest Runners

2006-05-24T19:35:00.000+01:00

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

2006-05-04T20:40:00.000+01:00

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

2006-04-26T20:58:00.000+01:00

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

2006-04-26T20:55:00.000+01:00

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

2006-04-26T19:37:00.001+01:00

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!

2006-04-23T22:16:00.000+01:00

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

2006-04-21T21:27:00.000+01:00

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

2006-04-21T21:07:00.000+01:00

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

2006-04-17T21:14:00.000+01:00

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

2006-04-15T16:20:00.000+01:00

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

2006-04-13T20:38:00.000+01:00

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

2006-04-13T19:55:00.000+01:00

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

2006-04-09T08:14:00.000+01:00

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:

I ran a circle around Winchester which included a long hill which slowed me by a minute a mile for 2 miles
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

2006-04-07T08:25:00.000+01:00

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

2006-04-05T22:08:00.000+01:00

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

2006-04-02T19:00:00.000+01:00

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

2006-04-01T22:49:00.000+01:00

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

2006-03-29T16:44:00.000+01:00

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

2006-03-27T19:10:00.000+01:00

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

2006-03-26T21:54:00.000+01:00

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:

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.
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:
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.
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

2006-03-21T21:40:00.000Z

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

2006-03-20T20:49:00.000Z

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

2006-03-15T22:54:00.000Z

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

2006-03-13T21:11:00.000Z

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

2006-03-12T20:56:00.000Z

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

2006-03-07T21:06:00.000Z

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

2006-03-06T23:03:00.000Z

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

2006-03-05T08:51:00.000Z

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

2006-02-28T21:07:00.000Z

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

2006-02-27T22:29:00.000Z

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

2006-02-26T17:03:00.000Z

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

2006-02-18T16:43:00.000Z

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

2006-02-17T08:46:00.000Z

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

2006-02-14T11:09:00.000Z

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

2006-02-11T13:39:00.000Z

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

Training run and Schedule

2006-02-10T11:48:00.000Z

Tempo run today at almost exactly 9 minutes a mile. I ran 6.719 miles in 1 hour and 30 seconds.

I also worked out my schedule from now to the Flora London Marathon, given that there are only 10 weeks left (aaargh).

I will do 3 runs a week:

Speed-work: A one-hour session with warm-up and warm-down jog and speed bursts of about 2 minutes each in the middle. Starting at 4 bursts and rising to 6.

Tempo run: Steady running for an hour. Starting at 9m per mile and reducing it to 8m 45s, 8m 30s and so on.

Long run: Building up the distance at a slower pace. I'd like to get this to 9m per mile as that's the target for the marathon.

Weight training: I'm going to start doing one gym session a week from now. These include the cross-trainer and rowing machine to warm up, then sit-ups and free weights to build strength. If I'm not too knackered, I'll increase this to 2 sessions a week.

Finally, I need to lose some weight. When I did the Triple Marathon in 2004 I was running at 12st 2.5lb. I'm current at 12st 10lb so need to lose 6-8lbs over the next 10 weeks.

So, in order to track how I'm failing miserably to stick to the schedule, here are some weekly targets:

Week ending: Long run (miles): Weight:
12 Feb : 10 miles : 12st 10lb
19 Feb : 12 miles : 12st 09lb
26 Feb : 14 miles : 12st 08lb
05 Mar : 10 miles : 12st 07lb
12 Mar : 16 miles : 12st 06lb
19 Mar : 18 miles : 12st 05lb
26 Mar : 20 miles : 12st 04lb
02 Apr : 15 miles : 12st 03lb
09 Apr : 20 miles : 12st 02lb
16 Apr : 10 miles : 12st 02lb
23 Apr Oh my God I've got to run a marathon!

Cheers

David

Long training run - Friday

2006-02-03T20:07:00.000Z

I did the first long run of my marathon training today.

My wife and I went out earlier and ran together for 5.354 miles in 57m 36, then I carried on up and down the local hill, so my total distance was 7.845 miles in 1h 19m 24s - an average pace of 10m 12s - much slower than normal but at least my legs felt like they'd been pushed a bit on the distance.

It was extremely cold on the run, with tiny bits of snow falling. My wife looked freezing in her shorts and t-shirt. Some would say a gentleman would have let her wear their thermal leggings and jacket, but I think you can take some things too far.

Cheers

David

Training run - Weds 1st Feb

2006-02-02T22:09:00.000Z

My first run this year late in the evening and it was quite nice. No music this time because I'm getting bored with what's on the Ipod at the moment and haven't had time to update it

I could feel that I'm getting back into it a bit. My stomach didn't pick up any more grazes from hanging over my shorts and scraping along the pavement, so I'm getting here.

I'm still painfully aware that I'm way behind on the marathon training schedule and I'll increase the distance on the next run, but I still have a bit of a cold. I noticed that although my legs were fine on, and after, the run, my breathing was hard. Once the cold clears up it will improve.

So I did 5.988 miles in 53 minutes. That's 8m 51s pace.

I also had my first bag of crisps for 2 weeks. The only blip in an otherwise exemplary diet.

Cheers

David

Training run - Sunday 29 Jan

2006-01-29T20:37:00.000Z

A heavy, heavy stomach makes for an unpleasant run.

I'm still getting over my cold which has thankfully been short-lived if unpleasant. But I felt it on today's run. I also felt the large plate of spag bol (with added sausages at the kids' request) I had less than 2 hours before I went out.

I still managed a creditable pace, but the distance was shorter than I had hoped and it was very uncomfortable.

I covered 5.688 miles in 50m 43s - that's 8m 55s a mile.

The worry is, in less than three months I have to run that pace for 26.2 miles.

Only thing running is my nose

2006-01-26T22:20:00.000Z

Today was supposed to be another training run, but I have a cold and feel completely awful so it didn't happen.

I've had a nightmare week with work and everything outside work getting really busy and loads of things going wrong. Then last night I woke up at 4am with a sore throat, blocked nose and sneezing.

When I've had a bit of a cold before I've carried on running and it usually makes me feel better. And since I've been running a lot I've very rarely come down with anything. But this time I've got a proper man-cold and feel completely useless.

So I'm going to moan a bit, shuffle round unshaven and in my worst slobbing clothes, and make the most of it. Apparently ice-cream and port mixed with brandy are good for it.

Hmm. Maybe I should have a cold more often then.

Cheers

David

Training run - Tuesday 24 Jan

2006-01-24T20:28:00.000Z

Ha. It might still feel like I'm plodding along but there is still some speed there.

Despite feeling like I've slightly pulled a muscle behind my right knee and my left thigh tightening up on the run, I just squeezed under 9 minutes a mile.

In fact, on the last half mile I was doing 7m 30s per mile and although it felt hard, it didn't feel like I was moving very fast which is usually a good sign.

It may have had something to do with the music - Gatecrasher Experience at full volume so the bass alone probably added half a minute a mile.

Run time was 56m 07s to cover 6.257 miles off-road and including hills.

Cheers

David

Training run - Sunday 22 Jan

2006-01-23T23:25:00.000Z

Getting in the swing of training again now. Another gentle plod but it's already starting to feel easier.

6.325 miles in 58m 55s. Still a bit slow, but to be expected with a month long lay-off.

Cheers

David

Training run - Thurs 19 Jan

2006-01-19T11:04:00.000Z

Worryingly I ached rather a lot after the gentle run on Monday. However, today was better. I ran for 1h 04m 08s and probably covered about 6.2 miles again (I'm not sure as the stupid GPS unit is playing up again).

It was another gentle plod down the lanes, sticking to the plan of easy runs all this week then starting to build a little next week.

It is also encouraging that I quite enjoyed it. I managed to drift off and think about lots of different things which always helps, except when you are crossing roads. I had to make myself concentrate near the end as I nearly got run over crossing the road three times - all of them my fault. I don't want to be the first dead person to complete the London Marathon - I'd never hit my target time.

Cheers

David

2005 Best Running Music

2006-01-18T21:19:00.000Z

So what have you enjoyed listening to most on your runs in the last year?

My top 3, in reverse order are:

A late contender was Madonna's Confessions on a Dancefloor. I've never been much of a Madge fan but I really, really like this album and Hung Up and Sorry have just the right tempo for me.

Number two is actually the same track 13 times. It's Energy 52 with Cafe del Mar: The Best of the Remixes. Solid dance tunes that you can stride along to.

No surprise at number one though. I think I've mentioned it before. It's Hans Zimmer and the Gladiator movie soundtrack. From beautifully haunting melodies to powerful military crescendos, it's a daydreamers delight and has got me through some of the most unpleasant runs.

So what were your favourites?

Cheers

DavidM

Marathon training starts

2006-01-16T18:20:00.000Z

I've polished off the Toblerone, eaten the last of the Ben & Jerry's, posted the Golden Bond form for the London Marathon and finally got myself out for a run.

It's been nearly a month and I've consumed more calories than Elvis on a heavy binge, but the week's skiing seems to have helped maintain some fitness.

I started with a gentle run on a usual road circuit. I did 6.2 miles in 1h 02m 13s. The plan is to do three slow 1-hour runs this week, increase the tempo slightly next week, then every fortnight increase one run to build up to 2-hours plus.

Following this schedule means I will be ready for the London Marathon about 3 weeks after it happens. I guess I'll have to grit my teeth for the last few miles.

My ribs still hurt from skiing but they didn't affect my running and I don't have any unusual aches and pains so I'll carry on.

Cheers

DavidM

Skiing injury

2006-01-08T22:55:00.000Z

After several weeks of not actually writing about running (because I haven't been doing any) I was looking forward to posting tonight about today's training run. However, I've been skiing in Bulgaria for the past week and on my last day decided to step up from the red runs and take on a black run.

Unfortunately I completed the second half of the slope head-first after I tried to turn on a big patch of soft snow. In the process I've managed to bruise my ribs and it hasn't eased up yet.

I tried a very short jog this morning and discovered my ribs only hurt when I breath. Given that oxygen is fairly fundamental to a good running performance I decided to knock it on the head and take solace in the new Ben & Jerry's flavour - Dublin mud slide. Yum.

Hopefully I'll have better news later in the week.

Cheers

DavidM

Fat bloke run

2005-12-27T22:57:00.000Z

First training run for 2 weeks, with a belly full of chocolate, crisps, goose and roast potatoes.

I have felt rotten all over Christmas, partly due to a bug, but mainly from eating and drinking too much and not exercising. I feel yuck. So Nigel and I went for a jog on Boxing Day morning and although the run felt bad, I felt much better afterwards.

The stupid GPS wasn't working and I forgot to stop the watch when we got back to his house, but I think it was about 5 miles in 55 mins. Slow and steady.

It was cold and crisp and we ran out in the country. Even on the road sections there was no-one around.

I felt so pleased to be out running again I celebrated with some more chocolate.

Cheers

David

Happy Chistmas

2005-12-24T20:10:00.000Z

Here's wishing everyone a great Christmas and New Year. May santa bring you all a Personal Best and new running gadgets tomorrow.

Cheers

David

World Bank madness

2005-12-20T22:31:00.000Z

The World Bank is paying Congo to 'zone' up to 600,000 square kilometres of rainforest for industrial logging, to help Congo generate income and relieve poverty. Sounds good.

However, there are native populations - primarily indigenous pygmy tribes - who live in the areas to be zoned. So to make money in the short term, they will turf the native populations out of an area which has given them a sustainable livelihood for generations and which will take generations to grow back - if ever.

Once the zoned rainforest is gone, what will Congo rely on to bring in much needed money - especially with a greater displaced population that needs help? Sounds like the start of a vicious circle to me.

Rainforest is disappearing fast and there must be potential for managed tourism and other beneficial economies through keeping it.

Good luck to the Rainforest Foundation who are working with the Pygmy tribes to challenge this absurd thinking.

I shall now step down from my soapbox.

Cheers

David

A poker fiend at 7

2005-12-18T16:30:00.000Z

Yes, my parenting skills have resulted in my 7 year-old daughter now beating Debbie and I at poker. The first worrying signs were when I was reminding Debbie of the different hands and said, "If you get all the same suit..." and Ella chipped in "oh, that's a flush" as if it was obvious.

We had a family game yesterday of 'kids poker' where you get 5 cards each and everyone bets, then you exchange some or all of your cards. Everyone bets again then you show. I had to help Ella on the first 2-3 hands then she was off on her own.

Admittedly Debbie and I could have done better if we'd reacted to the squeals of delight when Ella got a good hand, or the groan and sulky face when it was poor. But watching her rake in a massive stack of chips is a treat.

As you can tell as I've whittered on about poker, I haven't run (again). I can feel the Christmas mood descending and running is falling to the side for a couple of weeks.

Pass another mince pie.

Cheers

David

Christmas parties...

2005-12-16T16:58:00.000Z

...are superb fun but not too helpful when it comes to training for a marathon.

Several evenings of free food and booze and my notorious inability to say no to anything ingestible have combined to turn me from a svelte figure of fine running form (ha) into Jabba the Hut.

I have actually got to the point where I don't want to go out anymore.

But on the way I have enjoyed a fine Morrocan meal at Momo. It's had mixed reviews but we had a good night. And I got to go to Chinese Experience again which is still my favourite restaurant of the moment, with a menu specially chosen by Tony, the owner, and Ian Fenn.

So no running update. I will try and go on Sunday if my hangover has gone by then.

Cheers

David

Blasting training run

2005-12-13T19:31:00.000Z

I only went out for a plod as I'm in the middle of a week of hangovers and colds and didn't feel up to much. But I ended up mulling over some crap that's flying round at the moment and halfway round a 10k circuit realised I was running rather fast.

It always happens. If someone's hacking me off and I run, I do really well. Before the London Marathon I'm going to spend the day with the most obnoxious people I know. If I invite you out for a beer on Saturday 22nd April, you know you're one of them.

So 6.125m in only 49m 44s. Works out at about 8m 7s per mile. Not 10k race pace but good for a training run.

That's it until at least Friday now as I have Christmas do's tomorrow and Thursday, so more hangovers, late nights and opportunities to embarrass myself.

I must check if there has been any research on runners' performance whilst in a bad mood. I know some people who could make a lot of money being incredibly annoying just before races - without even trying.

Grump, grump.

David

PS

2005-12-10T17:23:00.000Z

Happy birthday Jen.

Training - wolves and thorns

2005-12-10T17:10:00.000Z

I squeezed in a short run this afternoon before heading out for another Christmas bash. The weather was clean and crisp, there was still enough light to go off-road and I felt fine, though my ankle is still slightly stiff.

I went through the cow field and headed into the woods. I passed a group of ladies walking some very frisky dalmation-sized dogs. Then as I headed down a narrow track I caught the back of my calf on a thorn bush. I looked up after inspecting the damage and saw a wolf-like dog staring at me across a small wooden bridge. No owner in sight. Me and a wolf-like dog. Staring at each other. For a while. Across a small wooden bridge.

Okay so it was muzzled, but it was a wolf-like dog. When I'm alone in the woods having a face-off with a wolf-like dog, the important word in the sentence becomes WOLF. And I know there aren't any around here, but you weren't the one standing across a small wooden bridge from the thing.

How did it end? Well his owner came whistling down the path after a couple of minutes, said "oh he's alright", the dog bounded over playfully and I gave a small smile and went on my way. Remember, this blog is my real life, not Hollywood. This is how things end.

So uneventful in the end, apart from the blood running down the back of my leg. 3.841 miles in 35 mins 48 secs.

Have a good weekend.

David

Running drunk

2005-12-09T18:15:00.000Z

Oh dear, the perils of alcohol-affected logic. I went out last night and got more than a little tipsy. Okay, I got completely drunk.

At the end of the night I had to get home from the railway station, so I decided that because I was going to have a hangover today and wouldn't feel like running I should run home as a training session.

It's only 3.5 miles which is half a normal run for me. But I'm not normally in brogues, suit and heavy winter coat. My pace was a little off at 15 mins a mile, and running alongside a main country road in the pitch black wearing a long black coat at 2am is hardly advisable, but it was strangely pleasant.

Ah, and then there was this morning. Pounding headache (dehydration from alcohol plus the running), 5 hours broken sleep, lifting my shirt off the floor and realising it was absolutely soaked with sweat and limping because when you're hammered you don't realise your ankle hurts with every step.

Well, I've learnt my lesson. I'm never touching beer again, and never again will I run home drunk in work clothes... until next Wednesday when I'm out again.

Cheers

David

Football instead of running

2005-12-07T19:27:00.000Z

I didn't run yesterday as Debbie wasn't working so I went down to football training with the Compton veterans.

I haven't played for 10 years and you can tell. My touch was about as clever as Paul Gascoigne giving a talk at a drink rehabilitation centre then punching a photographer (muppet). Is there a trend here:

George Best - greatest player of his generation then an alcoholic
Gazza - greatest player of his generation then an alcoholic
Wayne Rooney - greatest player of his generation (maybe) and...

Anyway, football went well but I was conscious that last time I felt the effects for some time. So while I still chased up and down the pitch, after the game I jogged gently round the pitch twice to warm down. Everyone else just buggered off home as it was freezing and thought I was mad. But today I have only minor aches, and the only problem is a stiff ankle. But it should be fine.

And if you haven't worked it out yet, the reason for this posting? It'll be the only time ever that my football will be discussed in the same place as that of George Best, Gazza and Rooney.

Cheers

David

Sunday run

2005-12-04T20:21:00.000Z

I cut today's long run to a normal session but aimed to run it in under 8 mins 30 sec pace again. I went early this morning and although it was a bit nippy, it was clear and fresh.

Even including the Shawford lung-buster - a sharp incline that used to wipe me out - I managed 6.542 miles in 55m 22s - an average of 8m 28s per mile.

I noticed I had average about 8m 47s with a mile and a half to go, so that last bit was run at a fair old lick. Naturally I was very sweaty by the time I returned to our front door.

More importantly, though, was last night's result - Chico's out of X-factor. Thank goodness for that. The guy knows how to command a stage but he should have been out ages ago. Journey South to win now.

Cheers

David

Thursday training - faster

2005-12-01T20:51:00.000Z

Yep, today for the first time in a while, I was actually looking forward to my run. So having had a few gentle jogs, I decided to push it a little today.

The target was to reach 3.5 miles in 30 minutes on the outbound leg and beat the hour mark for the return.

In the first 30 mins I did 3.548 miles and I hit 7 miles in 58m 35s, so a nice little success.

The whole run was 7.193 miles and took 59m 56s which, while considerably slower than my 10k races (8:30 pace versus 7:30 in races) was good for training.

I didn't have any aches or pain (though my knee is sore now) and really enjoyed it.

Hurrah!

Cheers

David

The man from London Marathon, he say..

2005-12-01T20:47:00.000Z

No!

I received my lovely Flora London Marathon fleece in the post today with a little note letting me know that I do not have a ballot place in the race.

So I will be using one of The rainforest Foundations' places and raising the full £1,100.

I've never been very good at handling rejection. I may mope.

Cheers

David

Tuesday training run

2005-11-29T19:51:00.000Z

Debbie and I ran together today round most of the route I did last week when I got lost. Getting lost is a great part of running - it's the best way to find new routes and discover what there is around you.

Admittedly it can also be the worst part of running as you invaribly end up cold and far from home.

Today was a steady 1h 02m 39s covering 5.864 miles.

We were both snug in running tights and thermal tops and surprisingly there were no sniggers as we ran past a gang of schoolkids. I had no aches or niggles and it was lovely having someone to chat to while running.

All in all a rather pleasant run.

Cheers

DavidM

London Marathon numbers coming out

2005-11-28T20:51:00.000Z

Reading around my blogroll, it seems that a number of people are getting their race numbers for next year's London marathon. They are arriving across a number of days so there is still a chance of it arriving in the post, but now the nerves start jangling.

If I get a number, I will still give whatever I raise to the Rainforest Foundation (I'm already up to £187.58 with another £45 promised) and they can give my place to someone else. If I don't get one I have to raise the full £1,100. Given how much I fleeced people a year ago, that's going to be tough.

Fingers crossed then.

Cheers

David

Loss of motivation

2005-11-28T20:47:00.000Z

It's partly the weather, partly being stupidly busy at work and home, but I just don't want to go out for a run at the moment. I am supposed to do a 10-mile long run on Sundays, and yesterday I talked myself down to doing 10km only. Then I managed to work out I didn't have time to go at all.

In all honesty I was busy but I could have squeezed in a one-hour run. But I really didn't fancy it.

I am definitely going out for an hour tomorrow - Debbie is going to run with me round the new circuit I found - though I'll try not to get lost this time.

Cheers

David

All hail the recovery run!

2005-11-25T19:44:00.000Z

I was crippled and now I walk tall! I endured pain and suffering and now...well actually it still hurts a bit, but it's much better.

Yes, after 2 days barely being able to walk after football training reached the parts of training sessions hadn't reached, I managed to hobble round on a short recovery run.

Except it wasn't. I certainly hobbled, but I did a bit of exploring and got lost. My plan to do an easy 30-45 minutes became a normal 1h 04m 49s run, covering 6.649 miles.

It hurt really badly for the first 15 minutes of so, then just hurt pretty badly. Now I'm home and relaxed, I can feel it has all eased up, though I still have slight aches and pains.

So thank you blessed trainers for healing my ailments. I would kneel and pray to them but they smell bloody awful.

Oh well, beer time. have a nice weekend.

Cheers

David

Oh my god it hurts!

2005-11-23T19:09:00.000Z

How come I can run 10km twice a week and 10 miles once a week and barely feel it, but one hour playing football and I can hardly walk?

It started with some tightness in a few areas last night, was achy by this morning, and now is just full-blown pain. Especially my bum, back and thighs.

I know it's because the running is all about a long steady pace, and football (particularly 6-a-side) is all sprint, turn, stretch, but really, should it hurt this much? I can barely move.

Fortunately my jaw is fine so I can whinge about it for England. Ooooow. And none of the family will give me a massage.

No run for me today

Cheers

David

Missing football team found - alive and well!

2005-11-23T06:55:00.000Z

You may remember a few weeks ago I plucked up the courage to join the Compton Veterans football team, only to spend the evening sitting in a dark, wet car park waiting for someone to turn up.

Well, last night I found them, down at Thornden School, kick-off 9pm. So I girded my loins once again (even though I'm not entirely sure what 'girding' is), kitted up and headed out. I was a bit nervous but they were fine, and no-one laughed during the warm-up kick-about when the ball bounced off my shins, my belly (more of a splat than a bounce) and everywhere else but my feet.

I haven't played at all for about 7 years, so knew I would be a bit rusty. However, I picked it up quite quickly, read positions well and of course could run about more than some. The thing that caught me out was how slow my reactions were.

The vets played 6-a-side against the 2nd team, who are all young and fit and I kept being suprised how they could reach the ball a foot ahead of me, when it looked like I'd easily get there first. After a while I learned how vets play - stand off, let them come to you, don't dive in.

This morning I ache like mad. 6-a-side especially is all about sprinting, turning, stretching, so I used all new muscles - my inner thighs and groin ache (no sniggering at the back) and my lower back feels stiff. Fantastic - almost a full body workout.

I really enjoyed it and didn't feel I played that much worse than the regulars. So I'll definitiely go again.

Cheers

David

PS. Definition of 'girding'

I'm a Saucony man

2005-11-21T20:42:00.000Z

Some runners change make every time they buy new trainers, but others are the same as me - they find a pair they like and stick to it.

When I started running I had an old pair of Nike's that were good for nothing but posing (unlike the rest of me). Once I was given that most important piece of advice - "if you don't do anything else at least buy decent running shoes" - I headed to Alexandra sports in Portsmouth and had a proper fitting.

I walked out with a pair of Saucony Vision and they were great. When I went back I tried the Vision again, but had a go in a few others to compare. As it turned out, I prefered the Saucony Omni Grid 4. I did the same the next 2 times I changed trainers - tried the old model and a few others. But from then it was always the same result - Omni Grid 4 for me.

Last time I found the Omni Grid 4's were being discontinued, replaced by - wait for it - the Omni Grid 5. Fortunately they still had two pairs of 4's in my size so I bought them both.

So I have been a Saucony man ever since I started running. But the 4's are getting worn now and will need changing soon. Will it be the Omni Grid 5? Will it even be Saucony? Does anybody actually care?

Cheers

David

Not a 10-mile training run

2005-11-20T20:57:00.000Z

As always on a weekend, I was supposed to do a long run today but just couldn't face it. I've been ambivalent towards my running for a week or two yet keep managing to go out, but the idea of doing an hour an a half today was too much so i opted for a normal one hour jog.

I did get out the door and ran 6.579 miles in 59m 43s and I was glad I had decided to go short. My legs felt like lead, I had chronic heartburn, I felt slightly sick and at the halfway stage my left hip was aching badly.

I also nearly got run over by some plonker in a 4-wheel drive who mounted the pavement to pull up behind a fire engine. And to top it all off - the stupid mini-Ipod ran out of juice after 20 minutes so I ran for 40 minutes with earphones in but no music.

Did all this put me in a bad mood? You betcha.

Cheers

David

Back online - thank you Belkin

2005-11-18T21:16:00.000Z

Hurrah. As many of you on my blog-roll will have noticed by all the comments I've made tonight, I am back online properly.

Thanks to Belkin for prompt replacement of my wireless router (and a new model too. Nice) which turned up yesterday. Unfortunately I was working all yesterday evening so only got to sort it out tonight.

So watch out blogging world, I'm back.

Cheers

David

Friday training run - very cold

2005-11-18T20:57:00.000Z

After um-ing and ah-ing about whether to wear my running leggings the other day, today was an easy decision. By the time I got out it was dark and absolutely freezing. On with the full thermals, fluffy gloves and flourescent bib.

As with all my runs at the moment I really, really didn't want to go out. But once I was there, it was fine. One of the bloggers I follow (apologies for not remembering who) said they tell themselves if they aren't enjoying it after 5 minutes they can go back, and they never do.

That is so true. The best runs I've ever had are when I hadn't wanted to do it.

Stupid GPS turned itself off after a few minutes, but I think it may be user error rather than the equipment. I used it on the return leg so know the run was 6.92 miles and I did it in 1h 00m 19s.

Bad news was, many of the mums in the street were round for tea and found my Max Wall outfit highly amusing.

Cheers

David

Training run - getting chilly

2005-11-16T20:46:00.000Z

The temperature really dropped today and it's meant to be -2c tonight. However, I put my shorts on and trundled out for a gentle run with Enigma on the Ipod to keep the pace down - good daydream music.

The stupid GPS unit decided to turn itself off halfway round, but fortunately I was on a regular route so I know it was about 6.4 miles. I ran it in 57m 28s which isn't too bad for a plod.

I still can't access the internet from home, hence the irregular posts at the moment. The good thing about Belkin is they have a lifetime warranty on their products so they are replacing my faulty router for free. The downside is I will have been about a week without access.

The other evening there was bugger all on TV, I couldn't do blog-stuff so I thought, that's okay, I'll have a little game of poker. Then I realised the poker is online so I couldn't even do that. I picked up one of those things with loads of small sheets of paper stuck together down one edge where you have to keep turning the sheets to read more. Nothing to click, no remote control. What's the point?

Please, please, please let the router turn up tomorrow.

Then I'll get back to posting more often.

Cheers

David

10 mile training run

2005-11-13T18:39:00.000Z

Again, I didn't want to go out but enjoyed it when I did. I ran 10.44 miles in 1h 31m 14 sec - an average 8m 43s per mile which isn't bad.

I wimped out for the first time this autumn and opted for my black full length running tights that make me look like Max Wall. It was too early - my legs got too hot and after splashing through where the river had burst it's banks I felt like I had weights attached to my ankles.

I decided to run up the river bank to Winchester, then turn around and come back on the other side for as long as I could. There were loads of people walking the route and I was very polite to all of them - even trying not to splash them as I passed.

And the vaseline did it's job well. No problems in the nipple department today. I did, however, understand why they hurt so much last week. As it felt cold I wanted to wear my long-sleeved bright yellow thermal top and had to dig it out of the wash-basket (well, I was going to smell after 10 miles anyway). I hesitated slightly when Debbie pointed out the blood stains at nipple height.

The shame - I can no longer sneer at the marathon amateurs who run without protection so their nipples bleed. Bugger, I really am running out of people to look down on.

Cheers

DavidM

Slow training run - Friday

2005-11-13T08:54:00.000Z

Sorry for the delay in posting - my Belkin router has blown up so I am accessing the internet via friends' computers.

I had the day off on Friday to....clear out the garage! Oh how things have changed. Once I used to take leave due to a massive hangover, to go to Alton Towers or to Europe for the weekend. Now I shift junk around my garage.

A very useful day though and it started with Debbie and I taking the kids to school then going for a run. We did the Shawford lung-buster circuit, but the easy way round. Debbie hasn't run 10k distance since early summer but we took it nice and easy and she was fine.

It made a change for me to have someone to talk to and I really enjoyed it. Damion at work (who has sponsored my via this page - thanks Damion) has offered to go running at lunchtimes which sounds like a good idea.

So we ran 6.42 miles in 1h 09m 19s. My left achilles ached afterwards (as usual) but everything else was okay.

Cheers

David

Training run - London

2005-11-09T23:20:00.000Z

I had an evening meeting in London today so had to run at lunchtime from our office near St Paul's. Unfortunately the GPS couldn't catch a satellite amongst the tall buildings so I don't have a distance, but the run took 47m 33s. As I squeezed it in between meetings I made it a short but quick run.

From St Pauls I went up to the Angel, through Islington and got to the new Arsenal Stadium. I came back the same way and knocked half a minute off the return time, including a warm down jog for the last couple of minutes.

The obstacles of uneven roads and pavements, bustling pedestrians, bikes, motorbikes, cars and buses meant it was a different sort of run for me. But there is a thrill to jumping on and off the pavement and weaving through crowds without losing speed.

I was lucky a couple of times not to fall or get hit by something/one. However, my left achilles is feeling tender and all through the run I had a muscle ache in my left calf.

Back to the countryside now though.

Cheers

DavidM

Runner's Nails?

2005-11-08T22:19:00.000Z

Is it just me or do your nails grow quicker when you start runing further?

Normally cutting my finger nails isn't something I think about as it is a fairly rare event. But I noticed last year when I stepped up my training, and again in the last couple of months, that I seem to have to cut them far more regularly.

My toe nails seem normal though. How bizarre!

No training today but I did finish off the Thai takeaway that we got last night when my sister came over. I had an interesting reaction to it last night so I'm looking forward to the effect with an extra 24 hours marinading.

As Debbie told me, "You are the wind beneath my sheets."

Cheers

David

Gym session 7 November

2005-11-07T18:39:00.000Z

Standard gym session today but it felt hard.

My legs were tired on the cross-trainer and rowing machine which isn't a surprise after the 10 mile run yesterday.

Debbie must have been dreaming about kick-boxing again on Saturday night because yesterday and today my stomach and ribs really ache. So the weights and sit-ups were an effort tonight.

And of course every time my shirt moved it rubbed over the two raw areas on my chest.

Despite all that, I felt better after the session. Odd how it goes.

I'll get Debbie drunk tonight and hopefully she'll just dream about shopping. It's more expensive but less painful.

Cheers

David

Chinese Food website

2005-11-06T19:41:00.000Z

My friend Ian has just relaunched his Chinese food website - www.chopstix.com. Ian is a writer specialising in Chinese food, is qualified as a Chinese chef and regularly works in the best Chinese restaurant in London.

I used to think my local takeaway did good Chinese food. Then Ian has introduced me to a few of the excellent modern Chinese restaurants in london (my favourite is Chinese Experience on Shaftesbury Avenue) and the food is a world away from what I was used to.

So this is an unashamed plug for Ian's site.

Cheers

David

10m Training Run & Jogger's Nipple

2005-11-06T19:28:00.000Z

How stupid am I? Only last week I mentioned that I needed to use vaseline on my long weekend run as I was starting to feel sore by the end. Today I ran 10.12m in 1h 33m 32s in a cold wet miserable dark evening and before I set off I thought about applying vaseline and sheer laziness stopped me going back up the stairs to get it.

The price was an uncomfortable feeling that started at 5 miles and was painful by 6. I tried running holding my shirt out but couldn't do it for long. The rest of the run was pretty unpleasant.

The worst bit was when I got in the shower at the end - oooh that stung.

Aside from my own stupidity resulting in severe chaffing, the run wasn't much fun. I'd been dreading it all day, I felt heavy and slow and the time seemed to drag all the way round. I felt very tired on the last couple of miles.

However, it's done now so I can settle down to watch last night's Match of the Day with toast and golden syrup and a cup of tea.

Cheers

David

Timex vs Garmin

2005-11-06T09:41:00.000Z

After I mentioned Bruce Ure's cool running map using his Garmin system he asked what Timex kit I'm using to see if I can create maps too. Unfortunately I have a year-old Timex Bodylink system which doesn't capture navigational data.

Worryingly from Timex's perspective, though, was how hard it was for us to work this out.

On Garmin's website it's easy to find the Forerunner 301 series and see that it captures elevation and location data. On the Timex site I couldn't find the bodylink system at first. When I finally did I had to scroll down the product list before I noticed a new 'Recorder 2' that captures the data, but only if linked to a Timex GPS 3D unit. Great, but could I find this unit through the Timex site navigation or typing it into Timex's own search box?

Eventually found it by searching Google and looking in third party shops. It looks like I would have to buy a complete new Timex system to get navigational data. This isn't on. The reason I went with Timex rather than Garmin is because it is made up of several components so I could upgrade one bit at a time rather than fork out for a complete new system.

Come on Timex, you need to catch up with Garmin and make the component idea work, and you really, really need to sort out your website.

Cheers

DavidM

Running blog family directory

2005-11-05T17:46:00.000Z

Thanks to Sean I have discovered the Running Blog Family (RBF) Directory, listing over 450 running related blogs.

I've added Triple Marathon to the directory, so it will be interesting to see if it has an impact on our readership.

No training today although I did do some sprint races up and down our street with the kids. The good news was that am still faster than a 5 and 7 year old, though I have to admit they recovered quicker.

Happy bonfire night all.

Cheers

David

Brown toast and honey

2005-11-04T18:25:00.000Z

I've recently rediscovered toast and honey as a post race snack, especially when I'm cold. But tonight I went one better. As I reached into the cupboard for the honey I noticed a tin of Golden Syrup. Absolutely gorgeous.

As I watch what I eat (I usually watch it head towards my mouth until my nose gets in the way!) I checked the ingredients, looking out for "hydrogenated", E numbers or any other horribles.

The ingredient for Golden Syrup is:

"Partially Inverted Refined Sugar"

That's it. The odd thing is, even though sugar is the only ingredient, per 100g of syrup there is only 82g of sugar! So what is the other 18g made of?

If anyone knows then drop me a comment. Meanwhile, I'll see if I can identify it from the taste.

Cheers

DavidM

Training run 4th Nov

2005-11-04T18:20:00.000Z

Good training run tonight - 6.483 miles in 55m52s - clear and dry weather and although I was planning to taking it easy my average pace was 8m 36s which is pretty good.

I ran in my back-up trainers tonight as my main ones are still drying out from Wednesday's cross-country. Debbie has also complained about the cow dung smell coming from the socks I wore. I don't think she'd mind too much but I was airing them in the kitchen as it's the warmest room in the house.

Cheers

DavidM

Jo Brand's running joke

2005-11-04T17:34:00.000Z

I remembered Jo Brand's running joke from last night. Slightly paraphrased to remove the swearing.

"If your lover starts to put some weight on, suggest they run 3 miles in the morning and 3 miles in the evening. It really works - by the end of the week the fat git is 42 miles away!"

Jo's also taken up running and had been planning on running the London Marathon in 2005 but fell ill. Maybe she'll start a blog and I can link to her.

Cheers

DavidM

First sponsor

2005-11-04T17:30:00.000Z

Everyone give a little cheer for Albert, a friend from school, who is the first person to sponsor me via this page. Thanks Albert and great to hear your own running is coming along pace.

Maybe next time I'll be sponsoring you for London?

Another friend, Col, has offered to sponsor me too.

Cheers both of you.

DavidM

PS. Albert -I'd like to complain about the weather on Wednesday...

Jo Brand gig tonight

2005-11-03T23:00:00.000Z

Jo Brand was very funny as usual. But the best line of the night goes to her support act - Andy Robinson - for this:

"I don't know who invented Feng Shui, but I know they weren't English. Here we just arrange our furniture according to where the plug sockets are."

He also did a routine on why God didn't make men have periods but it's too rude and complicated to repeat here. It was, however, very funny and very, very true.

Good night.

DavidM

PS Massachusets has stormed from nowhere to lead North Carolina in the readership stakes. And we've had a new reader from Cyprus!

Embarrassing website names

2005-11-03T18:31:00.000Z

I hope no-one's offended by this but I couldn't resist posting the website names below. They are all genuine and don't worry - once you open each you will see that they are quite safe to view.

They demonstrate that the most innocent of names can lead to a very bad website address.

http://www.whorepresents.com
http://www.penisland.net/
http://www.therapistfinder.com/
http://www.molestationnursery.com

If you know any others, drop me a comment.

Cheers

DavidM

Link on triplemarathon.com

2005-11-03T18:10:00.000Z

I'm off to see Jo Brand tonight so no training report, but I'll be running tomorrow.

The good news is that the Rainforest Foundation have put a link to this blog on the homepage of the Triple Marathon website. Thank you Rob and Becky.

This coincides with a marked step up in traffic to the site. Last week we went from an average of 5-10 people reading per day to between 20-30 per day.

Thanks to danjc, Bruce Ure and J at Life Lessons Learned While Running for the links they have added to their sites.

On the international front, the US readership is closing the gap on the UK. Most US readership still comes from North Carolina, but California is chasing hard! Welcome also to Portugal and the Czech Republic.

For all you non-UK readers, Jo Brand is a fat female comedienne who makes jokes about, well, being fat and female. If I can remember a good joke from tonight I'll post it tomorrow, and hang the copywrite laws!

Cheers

DavidM

Training run - preparation for Grim 8

2005-11-02T21:12:00.000Z

Raining, windy, puddle-strewn dirt tracks, ploughed fields and cow dung. What better running experience can you possibly ask for!

A 7.051 mile training run today across countryside which took 1h 09m 56s. I knew I was going to get wet anyway so decided to go get muddy and cut a straight line through the deepest puddles I could find.

There is an absolute sense of freedom in running in this weather and going across bad terrain. It's not something people normally do and it looks cold and miserable. But it isn't. After 10 minutes running you're warm and the weather hardly affects you.

Today I had to wade through some brown, ankle-deep puddles and while I hesitated at first, you quickly find it's not so bad, your feet warm surprisingly quickly and apart from a squelching noise, you carry on as normal.

During the 2003/4 winter when I trained a lot in bad weather I wasn't ill once. No colds, flu or general bugs, and I put it down to being outside when it's horrid.

So, go splash in puddles. If you live somewhere hot you may have to make your own. The addition of cow dung is recommended only for the more experienced runners.

This is all preparation for the Grim 8 which is an 8 -mile race and, er, grim.

Cheers

DavidM

Hello to our international readers!

2005-11-02T17:41:00.000Z

I thought you'd like to know the countries where readers of this blog come from.

It's amazing to think people all over the world read this. The "free porn" meta-tag I added must be doing it's magic.

Here are the stats for the last 100 page views. Bear in mind that they are over-reported for the UK as it includes my views when I update the site:

60 England
29 United States, of which
6 North Carolina
3 New York
3 Virginia
3 California
3 Maryland
2 Ohio
2 Massachusetts
2 Michigan
1 Louisiana
1 Connecticut
1 Illinois
1 Rhode Island
1 Florida
3 Ontario, Canada
2 Germany, of which
1 Berlin
1 Nordrhein-westfalen
1 La Rioja, Spain
1 Victoria, Australia
1 Lima, Peru
1 Wales
1 Andhra Pradesh, India
1 Scotland

So welcome, willkommen, recepción, g'day.

Apologies to Peru and India as the Google translator doesn't include English to Peruvian or Telugu/Urdu.

And of course apologies to the Welsh and Scottish, both for the lack of translation and for being English.

Data is, of course, from StatCounter.

Cheers

DavidM

Another milestone on this blog

2005-11-01T21:56:00.000Z

Just checked my StatCounter page and since 13th october when I added it we have had over 100 different people visit the page (104 to be precise) and 57 of them have returned at least once!

Hang on a minute, that means 47 of them thought it was completely dull and never came back!

So, anyone want to give some feedback on what you'd like to hear about, or want me to focus on? I can't sing or dance and I'm afraid I'm not doing nudity, even if it is for charity - I'm trying to stop suffering not inflict it!

Let me know.

Cheers

DavidM

Bruce Ure's very cool run tracking software

2005-11-01T21:35:00.000Z

Whether you go 'oooooh' at cool running things or 'aaaah' at new technology/web tools, this is for you.

If you save your 'oooh's and 'aaaah's for entirely different pursuits then you may as well look anyway, because there's none of that other stuff here.

Particletree have built a tool using Google Maps to take data from a Garmin Forerunner 201 (GPS system showing where, how far and how fast you run) to create a map of your route. Bruce Ure has added a mod to work for the 301 model and has posted his latest run around Kingston.

Oh I wish I were techy so I could do this with all my runs because I just know you're all desperate to watch my every stride.

Cheers

DavidM

Gym session

2005-11-01T21:26:00.000Z

Well, my little S.A.D. phases is well and truly over. I'm back into the training and feel up for everything again. It just takes a week or so of adjusting to the fact that I can't lie in the garden in my underpants in the evening (it's alright we're not overlooked by a school or church or old people's home) the I'm fine again.

After the weekend I remembered a lesson from last year - if you run over 9 miles or so, you'd better use vaseline. This may be more information than you want, but after the 10-
miler on Sunday I have a very tender left nipple, and my work pass-card rubbed against it all day today. Not nice.

Back to the point of this posting: I went into the gym tonight and did a basic session. There, that's it really.

Cheers

DavidM

One of our football teams is missing!

2005-10-31T21:55:00.000Z

So, after psyching myself up for 2 weeks I finally dragged myself out in the pouring rain to go training with the Compton Veterans football team. It's been years since I last played and I get really nervous about joining things like this, but I was ready.

As I went out the door with my shinpads on and boots in my hand, the rain stopped and I thought - this is going to be great. I was so looking forward to having a kick-around, getting really wet, muddy and cold, then coming home to a hot bath and a cup of Bovril.

But could I find them? There was no-one on the main field at Compton (or there may have been but it was pitch black). After hanging around outside the school looking shifty I realised they weren't in the hall when a lady came out in a leotard. So eventually I gave up, really, really fed-up.

I have, however, now got the phone number for the club secretary and I'm going to ring this week to find out where and when they train. Oh, and I decided to have the Bovril anyway.

Cheers

David

Training Run - 10 miler

2005-10-30T19:59:00.000Z

I did my long run this afternoon in the break between continuous rain. In total it was 10.39 miles and took 1h 40m 17s. More importantly I enjoyed it, which I haven't done recently.

I felt very heavy for the first couple of miles and was running slow. May have been something to do with the sausage, bacon, black pudding, fried egg, beans, mushroom and tomato brunch I had!

One slight hiccup on the run. I had a great exploring route worked out from my OS pathfinder map, but the road I needed to take at the back of IBM at Hursley was a private road so I had to make a route up on the spot. Lots of main road running which isn't best but it was okay.

Hopefully my first football training session tomorrow night.

Cheers

DavidM

Finding blogs to add to your Blog-roll

2005-10-30T19:50:00.000Z

Following on from my post showing how to set up a blogroll, below are some tips to help you find blogs of interest. Blogging has exploded in popularity in the last year or so and there are now tens of millions of blogs available, so you could easily waste a lot of time trying to find ones that interest you.

Below are some simple suggestions to help find blogs you want to read.

Technorati
Technorati is the blog tracking site.

You can type a word, phrase or name into the search box on the homepage, or click on options (on the right above the search) to be more specific. For example, if you type “triple marathon” (without speech-marks) into the search box you will get blogs that contain “triple”, “marathon” or both in any order. However, if you go into "options" and type it into “contain this EXACT phrase:” it will only return blogs that have the phrase “triple marathon” in them.

Another way is to look for blogs linked to a blog you already know. If you type http://triplemarathon.blogspot.com into the search box on the Technorati homepage, it will show you all the other blogs linking to that site (only 3 so far for me).

Google
I have a Google search box on my blog, and you can use this to find other blogs. As with Technorati you can just type the phrase into the search box. To make sure you get blogs containing only the exact phrase, put it in speech marks, so type:
“triple marathon”

You can find links to the site by typing “link:” followed by the site address. So:
link:http://triplemarathon.blogspot.com

Blogger
Blogger is the leading free blog site, and you can search all sites that use it from my site or from their homepage.

On my site there is a search box in the top left. Type the phrase in here and click “Search all blogs”. Blogger is owned by Google so use the same techniques as above.

There are a number of other ways to search for the right blog, but these should get you started. If you have any favourite tips, please leave them in a comment on this posting.

The next thing is to set up your own blog and I'll try and cover that during this week.

Cheers

DavidM

Who are you favourite celebrity London Marathoners?

2005-10-29T21:21:00.000+01:00

The list of celebrities who've run the London marathon is pretty long so no wonder it's a nightmare for the rest of us to get a place. Below is a list of many who have run in the last couple of years plus a couple of classics. Post the 3 you'd most like to work up a sweat with as a comment and I'll work out the most popular.

Jimmy Saville
Bernie Clifton (on an ostrich)
Gordon "f*****g" Ramsey
Michel Roux (of Le Gavroche)
Sir Stephen Redgrave
Luther Blissett
Adrian Moorehouse (olympic swimmer)
Graham Taylor
Lorraine Kelly
Jo Brand
Anthea Turner
Chris Parker (Spencer Moon in Eastenders)
Hannah Waterman (mad Laura in Eastenders)
Charlie Brooks (Janine in Eastenders - I wonder how she raises her sponsorship money?)
Chris Chittel (eric Pollard in Emmerdale - one of his earliest appearances was in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner!)
Noah Huntley (Holby City)
The Cheeky Girls
Floella Benjamin
Steve Rider (Grandstand)
Dermot O'Leary
Johnny Lee Miller
Nell McAndrew (I think she now qualifies as an elite runner)
Iain Duncan Smith
Jeffrey Archer (I wonder who his sponsorship money goes to?)

So go on, have your vote, otherwise it could be Jeffrey Archer who wins it!

Cheers

DavidM

How to set up a blog-roll

2005-10-28T19:32:00.000+01:00

As I know some of the people I’ve told about my blog are new to all this, I thought I’d give some tips to help you get more out of it. First, how to keep up to date with my blog (and others) by setting up a blog-roll.

A blog-roll is a list of blogs that you want to keep an eye on. But rather than bookmark each (or add to favourites) and keep checking if there is anything new, you can use free online tools to check them for you.

Setting up a blogroll in Bloglines
Bloglines is free and I’ve never had a problem with spam or any other rubbish from it:

go to www.bloglines.com
click on “Sign up now It’s Free” in the centre of the screen
enter the details as requested. For "Time zone" you want “+0000 Greenwich Mean”.
you will then be sent a confirmation email. Open the email and click on the link in the email to validate your email address.

You can now add blogs to your Bloglines account.

In Bloglines, click on the “My Feeds” tab in the top left.
click “Add” just below the “My Feeds” tab
in the main section, type http://triplemarathon.blogspot.com/ (without the speech marks) into the box “Blog or Feed URL”.
click “Subscribe”
if you don’t get a page with “options” on it, check the spelling of the url you typed in.
if there is more than one feed from the site you will need to select one. Tick the small box usually for the feed listed first.
under “Options” click the down-arrow next to “Folder” to get the drop down list. Select “TopLevel” if you want to list the feed on it’s own, or select “New Folder…” if you want to create a new folder to put it in.
if you selected “New Folder”, type the name into the pop-up box. (e.g. “running blogs”)
leave “Updated Items” on “Display as New” – Bloglines will highlight your blogs that have new entries.
at the bottom of the page click “Subscribe”

You should see “Triple Marathon” appear in the list of blogs on the left hand side (or “Running blogs” if you created a new folder – click the “+” next to it to expand and show “Triple Marathon”).

Reading blog updates

This first time, it will show all my postings to the blog as new entries.
“Triple Marathon” will be in bold and have a number in brackets after it showing the number of new entries.
click on “Triple Marathon” – the link is unbolded and the number disappears. My posts also appear in the main section.
next time you come into Bloglines, you will be able to see if I have updated my blog – “Triple Marathon” will be bold and the number of new posts will be shown.
you can read the new entries within Bloglines or click on the Triple Marathon header in the main section to go to my blog homepage, or click the title of the post to go to that post’s page (for example if you want to post a comment).

So now you are set up to add other blogs to your Bloglines page. Over the weekend I will post about how to find other blogs you may be interested in.

Cheers

DavidM

Training run with Ella

2005-10-28T19:05:00.000+01:00

I took Ella for her first run since her race at Bishops Waltham in summer. We only did 1.4 miles in 20m 28s as we walked quite a bit of it and she grazed her knee early on. However I managed to get her really muddy and she seemed to enjoy it.

Then I ran another 5.0 miles on my own in 45m 47s. I tried out the river bank path to see if the nettles have died away yet. It’s better than it was but I still got stung quite a bit.

So a total of 6.427 miles in 1h 6m 16s.

No playlist on the ipod today, just Energy 52’s album ‘The best of Café del Mar…the remixes’ which is blissful running music.

Cheers

DavidM

More London Marathoners

2005-10-27T23:30:00.000+01:00

I've found a few more bloggers running next year's London marathon, to add to my previous list:

Stuart Hay - describes himself as an 'average runner'. He's a member of the Dunbar running club in east Scotland and is a long-term blogger - since July 2003. Be good if you could allow comments on your blog, Stuart.

Martin little - Has submitted his entry for the London Marathon. His blog mainly covers technology and life. I like the bit about Garmin GPS and Google.

Susanne is based in Kent and has a guaranteed place for the London Marathon with Lasers for Life. She's now completed her first two 10k runs.

Sabine is based somewhere in Germany and has entered the London marathon as an international runner so isn't subject to the ballot but does have to pay for the privilege. She's also got tickets to see Little Britain the day after the London Marathon - I don't envy her sitting in the theatre with achey legs.

Nick is running for the NSPCC (as you can tell by the subtle signage on his blog) plus he also seems to play a fair bit of golf.

Bruce Ure ran the London Marathon this year and has submitted his entry again for next year. He is a very regular runner and has posted a delightful picture of his black toenail to show you all what you have to look forward to.

I've got some other running bloggers bookmarked, but they aren't doing the London Marathon. These include:
A runners blog
Life lessons learned whilst running
Marathon matters

If you are running the London Marathon next year, let me know your blog address and I'll add you to the list. And if you want to link here from yours, I'd be grateful.

Cheers

DavidM

Hurray - first sponsorship money from this page!

2005-10-26T21:40:00.000+01:00

Not only have we had our highest number of readers per day (a whopping 15) but today the site made it's first search and advertising revenue - $1.46!

I will be sending this to The Rainforest Foundation so they can buy a stamp to send me a thank you card.

Seriously though, thanks to all of you who are visiting and browsing. The readership has been climbing steadily over the last couple of weeks, and not just among friends and family.

Knowing people are looking to see if there is an update helps keep me motivated to train and think of (vaguely) interesting things to write about.

Cheers

DavidM

Top 5 running (related) moments

2005-10-26T21:12:00.000+01:00

Turning a corner at the Thai Temples Marathon and realising I only had 200 yards to go - not the mile or so I thought.
Doing a show and tell session in Ella's class after completing the Triple Marathon. All the kids were sat around me, desperate to hold my medals and Ella was sat down next to me, looking up with pure pride on her face.
Cresting the brow of a hill and being hit by freezing horizontal rain and yelling "come on then you b*****d" with a huge grin on my face.
Watching my two children finish their first race. It was a mile over rough grass. I was proud of Ella because her training paid off and I was equally proud of Harry as he was determined to finish even though he was exhausted to the point of tears. How could I ever walk in a race after that?
Being told by the nurse in Accident & Emergency that they had to turn off my heart monitor because my "atheletes" low heart rate kept setting the alarm off!