That'll be the day!

Based on how I performed at the Serpentine yesterday the McMillan Running Calculator reckons I could/should run the following times:

10K - 37:43
Half - 1:23:55
Marathon - 2:56:59!

Flippin' right! Not with a sore thigh!

A matter of time

Unfortunately I'm not talking about the clock, I'm talking injuries! There can be little doubt that having trained for two marathons and never picked up a significant injury I've done pretty well, but perhaps my 'luck' is about to run out - at the worst possible time?!

After yesterday's race I awoke this morning with a rather uncomfortable left thigh - perhaps I pushed myself too hard, perhaps it's nothing... only time will tell! As for today's 'time'? 49:53 for 7-ish miles.

That and better will do - a new PB!

Now I know - having been a little unsure about timings and mileage today was D-day! A 5k race - with proper timings and everything!

So having run 3M (5k) around Hyde Park's Serpentine some bloke with a beard and a watch was able to tell me how long it had taken me - which was nice!

So, now I know! It blinkin' hurt but an 'official' PB of 17.30 was worth it... I think! And I of the 193 runners I came 9th - so that was OK!

Roll on next month?!

Yeh, yeh

Another 5M in 32:47 - I think?!

Training (b)log - the story so far (week twelve)

5 sessions; 48 miles; Total running time: 5hr 31m 39secs

Worrying?

No, not the run - the 'big one' (22M) passed by without too much incident (2:46:34)although big, whopping trucks that seem to enjoy turning left without bothering to check if there are any skinny runners in the brightest flourescent yellow running tops also looking to 'pass that way' are somewhat tiresome! It's fair to say that London is a vastly different place on a Monday as opposed to a Sunday - even at 6.30 in the morning!

No, what is slightly worrying is that I am now waking up at 5.45am - 5.45am!! without an alarm! Which is even before Joshua wakes up! I remember the days when I was able to sleep all the way to 7 or even 7.30am - there was this one time, when I lay in bed until 8.30 - oh, those heedy (non-running), care-free(child-free), days!

The calm before the storm?

Not much to report given that today's run was a 'slow' 5M with the clock stopping on 37:41. Pretty uneventful from start to finish, but no less enjoyable for that, it probably was the 'calm before the storm' because tomorrows the big one - literally! Tomorrow, before I speak at Startford Central Baptist, I'm due to run 22 miles - ideal sermon prep!

If only...

Couldn't drag myself out of bed when the alarm went off this morning (probably something to do with spending 5 hours standing at Waterloo station yesterday?!), so it was a rare mid-morning run.

Would the toast in my stomach make a difference?

What about the fact that I was actually awake?

Who knows, but it was a decent run with some decent breakdowns:

4M - 27:15 [6:49 per mile]
7M - 49:58 [6:45 per mile)
10.3M - 1:08:52 [6:41 per mile]

If only I could run another 16 miles at that pace - I'd be a happy, and retired(?) marathon runner! Three weeks time we'll know for sure.

Roll on the Last Friday 5k

This morning was another Fartlek of sorts. After an easy first mile, there were three fast miles and then another easy mile to finish. All done in 29:16 with the middle 3 timed at 16:08. All timings unofficial of course - until the 29th at the Serpentine!

The East End at night

Tonight was my first night run - 4M in an 'easy' 29:16 and it's fair to say that the sights, sounds and smells are different at night.

The sounds change because its dark! I feel the need to concentrate a little more, so the radio gets ditched and we go 'natural'.

The smells change because its late! I still get the odd lung-full of bus fumes, but its mixed with the fragrance emanating from the endless fried chicken places desperately seeking business.

The sights change because there's a call to prayer and numerous Muslims end to a mosque that seems to operate from someones front room. I guess if Christians can have house church Muslims can have house mosque. I wonder if they've thought of 'Cafe mosque'?!

Training (b)log - the story so far (week eleven)

5 sessions; 50 miles; Total running time: 6hr 16m 47secs

32,187 steps later

Twenty miles is a fair way to run and two hours thirty-one minutes and thirty-three seconds gives you a fair chance to think, listen and observe - especially when you're shuffling around early morning London.

Things I saw... someone sleeping on a bed in the middle of the street, a discarded condom (thankfully these two were not linked?!), and the biggest rat I've ever seen!

Things I heard... Big Ben chime 7am as I turned into Parliament Square, DJ Spoony's last 'Early Doors' club on Radio 1 (a real pity as he's kept me company on most of my long runs), and Ozmosis' awesome track 'Imagine the dreamer' - check it out.

Things I thought... why?! Is this what a heart-attack feels like? I really need to find a toilet - quick!

Dangerous game

To get a copy of the training schedule I wanted to follow I had to sign-up/subscribe to RunnersWorld - a magazine aimed at the budding runner - don't you know! But I thinking it's a dangerous thing to do. Don't get me wrong, I've found it really helpful and a pretty good read (if you're into the running thing!), but the danger lies in temptation. Hardly a new or original 'danger', but a danger nonetheless!

The temptation for me is to want to run every marathon going - well the flat ones anyway! The opportunity to run through some of my favorite cities (and a few I haven't yet been to) is really appealing. Admittedly running 26.2 miles or 42,195metres to do so may seem rather bizarre or extreme, but life is a strange beast and I rarely end up doing things the easy way - just ask my teachers/parents/wife!

Recognising that I am perhaps unlikely to run them all I thought I might start compiling a 'wish-list' of possible marathons (as my wife is always telling me - I am a 'list' person!). So here's what I've got so far (in no particular order):

Stockholm (June) - one of my favorite places, the race finishes in the old Olympic stadium. But at £45 it's not exactly cheap, but that doesn't seem to stop the 17,000 entrants.

Rome (March) - possibly my favorite city in the world, a city oozing with history, culture and architecture. What better way to see it? (alright I'm sure we can think of plenty more leisurely options?!) Starting and finishing around the Colosseum and taking in pretty much all of the major sites (St.Peters/The Trevi/Spanish steps) it seems like a great way to spend a few hours. Besides I don't really need too much excuse to spend a weekend in Rome!

Edinburgh (May) - while I'm a little worried this might be a 'hilly adventure' it would be great to shuffle around this wonderful place. As the promotional blurb says '26.2 miles of inspiration - an ancient castle, a beautiful coastline, an extinct volcano, a royal palace, an amazing place!' Sounds roo good to miss?! And if I can suss out whether or not 'back-to-back' marathons are feasible, next year could be a possibility.

Berlin looks good too, particularly because its an autumnal (September) event. It's a city I've yet to visit, but with 40,000 runners and the whole ballot thing this might have to stay on the wish-list a while longer.

Perhaps I should wait and see how Sunday's 20M training run goes first - I wouldn't want to get ahead of myself!

Man, did I sweat!

Since I was up at 6am to head to a community leaders breakfast it was perhaps not surprising that I didn't manage to get out early for a run?! And as the day transpired it was dark before another opportunity arose. To be honest I didn't fancy heading off in the dark so I optd for a session on the running machine. Not only is it easier on the knees, but using the 'incline function' it allowed me to do some 'hills' work.

It may've only been 5 miles (41:21), but I was dripping by the end. Whether it was just because I was stuck indoors or not I don't know, but I certainly felt like I'd had a workout (I also had a a good sing-a-long with Sting and his Mercury Rising album - in between the 'hills'!).

Typical!

I pay my money and my legs turn to lead!

This morning was a right drag - literally. It was a drag when the alarm went off at 6am and it was still pretty dark. It was a drag when my radio couldn;t find a decent reception for more than 5 minutes. And it was a drag when, after 2 miles, I wanted to ditch it and get the bus home (this being the very reason that I never take any money with me - you don't want to make it too easy to sack it!). It was a drag because I had another 10 miles to go!

Ultimately I still dragged myself around in 1:29:04, but I didn't really enjoy it. Which was a shame as I'd plotted my first route around the Isle of Dogs/Canary Wharf - a run that allowed me to relive possibly my favorite part of the 2005 London Marathon (one of the many places where I saw Lisa and the Weeman). But there won't be too many happy memories from this morning - hopefully next April will be different?!

Blessed rain!

I love the sound of the rain outside when I'm lying in bed - just not when I know I've got to drag myself out of bed and into the rain at some unearthly hour - ie. this morning!

Thankfully(?) having got wet in the first 10-15 minutes the rain abated - a mixed blessing, but a blessing nonetheless. 'Just' 8M this morning which I was 'glad' about, at least I was glad when it finished 1:02:42 later.

Home sweet home

It's nice to be home and while the last two weeks have been virtual blow-outs, week 11 started today with my nice Olympic park 5M - easy does it - 32:07.

Newfie running

I can't say that Canada was a fruitful training ground - it was beautiful, but not fruitful, largely because of the blessed hills! I couldn't run anywhere without having to scale some pretty hefty mounds!

This fact, coupled with an energy-sapping illness, meant I was not a prolific runner on the North American continent. That said, I did get out twice. The first outing was 6-7 miles (hard to tell with the hills!) in 58:23. While the next day was a taxing 9M that involved running up the biggest hill in the world (now obviously I am not claiming to have run up Mt Everest, but this thing came a close second! It went up and up and went on for miles!). Bearing that in mind I was glad to finish the run in 1:24:47.

Not much to show for 9 days in Canada, but every little helps!

The great transaction is done!

Actually, in the scheme of 'transactions' it probably wasn't that great, but it is done - I've signed up to run the race that I've been training for for the last ten weeks.

My £29 has been paid and I have officially entered the 2006 Cardiff marathon - so there's no turning back now, I'm mean £29 is a lot of money! It's more than £1 a mile I've paid for the brief privilege of finishing in the Millennium Stadium, I guess I could've got a ticket for some sporting event for less and bougt myself an over-priced hot-dog with the change! And I wouldn't have had to do so much training for that!