Thursday, 27 March 2008
The marathon shuffle
I think I have started to perfect my marathon shuffle. Just imagine...your legs are tired, your quads are tight and painful...what's the most economical way to run? Yes, you guessed it, the marathon shuffle!
Training week ending 16 and 23 March
Week ending 16 March
Monday: rest
Tuesday: circuits (am), 3 miles at the running club (pm)
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: circuits (am), 4 miles at the running club (pm)
Friday: rest
Saturday: rest
Sunday: Oakley 20
Totals:
Training sessions: 3 running, 2 circuits
Total milage: 27
Week ending 23 March
Monday: rest
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: cold
Thursday: Circuits (am)
Friday: cold
Saturday: cold
Sunday: 13 mile Cardiac Arrest Double Bypasss
Totals:
Training sessions: 1 running, 1 circuits
Total milage: 13
Monday: rest
Tuesday: circuits (am), 3 miles at the running club (pm)
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: circuits (am), 4 miles at the running club (pm)
Friday: rest
Saturday: rest
Sunday: Oakley 20
Totals:
Training sessions: 3 running, 2 circuits
Total milage: 27
Week ending 23 March
Monday: rest
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: cold
Thursday: Circuits (am)
Friday: cold
Saturday: cold
Sunday: 13 mile Cardiac Arrest Double Bypasss
Totals:
Training sessions: 1 running, 1 circuits
Total milage: 13
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Cardiac Arrest/Double Bypass
I'm blogging in bed again, it's started to become a really bad habit, either that or I just don't have enough hours in the day.
Since the Bury 20 I have run once due to illness (see my post about being bunged up to explain why!). And the only time I did run was pretty memorable!
For some reason I decided I liked the write up Jo did on the Cardiac Arrest so being adventurous I decided that it was a good idea for Gary and I to enter the 2 lap/16 mile version of this race on Easter Sunday. In my defence, I didn't know it was going to snow as well!
Everywhere was white when we woke up but we decided to go anyway. Jo S sensibly wimped out, I wonder why we didn't? By the time we got to the farm at Weston Underwood it wasn't as snowy but it was still pretty cold.
View Larger Map
We hung around in a draughty barn before the race started at 11am with less than 40 hardy souls. The 1 lap version was due to start half an hour later, but more of that in a sec.
We started round a field, through a muddy wood, down through a stream and back again (just for the sake of it!), it was cold, quiet and very definitely off road. In the first field I spotted Gary leading the race and I checked behind me, there were 5 people behind me!
The weather stayed cold and windy with snow on the ground (although the snow did disappear after while) and I plodded on. It was slippy underfoot, especially clambering up, over and round a railway bridge swiftly followed by a very deep stream crossing (I got wet pants, very unladylike!) with a very steep clamber out through some brambles, this was the first time I scratched my legs and had to tighten my shoe laces).
And so it continued, slippy, slidy, steep stream crossings, a longish tunnel (scary dark), more slipply slidy up and down hills in a wood and over a few hay bales. After 40 minutes the leaders of the Cardiac Arrest started to pass me, they must have started earlier than 11:30! Next was a scramble up and over piles of rocks in a quarry followed by some very claggy fields and then a long section where you crossed over and ran though and up a stream for quite some time. There was a great part just before a mini tunnel where the only way down the bank was by a control slide in the mud! Another part involved a steep bank that took me 3 attempts to scale. It's worth mentioning I was on my own for a good part of this race and there were very few marshalls. After having been in a race in the past where I fell and broke my arm, I am very glad I didn't do that in this race (although it wouldn't have been a surprise if I had) as I would have had to go quite some distance before seeing another person and it was cold!
Near the end of the first lap, the 2 lap people got to skirt 'The Dudleys', 2 large deep ponds which was good but gave you an insight into what was to come...
Something did go wrong somewhere as I managed to miss the first 3 miles of the second lap (I feel a bit cheated I only did 13 miles and not 16!). The second lap was very quiet and I had a number of bramble issues which meant I had some very impressive war wounds on my leg (loads of blood!). My trip into the Dudleys was cold, very cold...
Mmm, don't fancy this
Easy does it
Deeper
Bit cheesed off now
Phew, all over!
I managed to catch the guy in front of me (but not overtake sadly) just before the finish and then it was over, I was tired and very cold but pleased...even more so when I discovered Gary had won! Yippee! Just a shame I missed the presentation as I was still shuffling round in the snow!
Since the Bury 20 I have run once due to illness (see my post about being bunged up to explain why!). And the only time I did run was pretty memorable!
For some reason I decided I liked the write up Jo did on the Cardiac Arrest so being adventurous I decided that it was a good idea for Gary and I to enter the 2 lap/16 mile version of this race on Easter Sunday. In my defence, I didn't know it was going to snow as well!
Everywhere was white when we woke up but we decided to go anyway. Jo S sensibly wimped out, I wonder why we didn't? By the time we got to the farm at Weston Underwood it wasn't as snowy but it was still pretty cold.
View Larger Map
We hung around in a draughty barn before the race started at 11am with less than 40 hardy souls. The 1 lap version was due to start half an hour later, but more of that in a sec.
We started round a field, through a muddy wood, down through a stream and back again (just for the sake of it!), it was cold, quiet and very definitely off road. In the first field I spotted Gary leading the race and I checked behind me, there were 5 people behind me!
The weather stayed cold and windy with snow on the ground (although the snow did disappear after while) and I plodded on. It was slippy underfoot, especially clambering up, over and round a railway bridge swiftly followed by a very deep stream crossing (I got wet pants, very unladylike!) with a very steep clamber out through some brambles, this was the first time I scratched my legs and had to tighten my shoe laces).
And so it continued, slippy, slidy, steep stream crossings, a longish tunnel (scary dark), more slipply slidy up and down hills in a wood and over a few hay bales. After 40 minutes the leaders of the Cardiac Arrest started to pass me, they must have started earlier than 11:30! Next was a scramble up and over piles of rocks in a quarry followed by some very claggy fields and then a long section where you crossed over and ran though and up a stream for quite some time. There was a great part just before a mini tunnel where the only way down the bank was by a control slide in the mud! Another part involved a steep bank that took me 3 attempts to scale. It's worth mentioning I was on my own for a good part of this race and there were very few marshalls. After having been in a race in the past where I fell and broke my arm, I am very glad I didn't do that in this race (although it wouldn't have been a surprise if I had) as I would have had to go quite some distance before seeing another person and it was cold!
Near the end of the first lap, the 2 lap people got to skirt 'The Dudleys', 2 large deep ponds which was good but gave you an insight into what was to come...
Something did go wrong somewhere as I managed to miss the first 3 miles of the second lap (I feel a bit cheated I only did 13 miles and not 16!). The second lap was very quiet and I had a number of bramble issues which meant I had some very impressive war wounds on my leg (loads of blood!). My trip into the Dudleys was cold, very cold...
Mmm, don't fancy this
Easy does it
Deeper
Bit cheesed off now
Phew, all over!
I managed to catch the guy in front of me (but not overtake sadly) just before the finish and then it was over, I was tired and very cold but pleased...even more so when I discovered Gary had won! Yippee! Just a shame I missed the presentation as I was still shuffling round in the snow!
Friday, 21 March 2008
All blocked up
I've got a horrible nasty cold. I blame it on working in London. Every morning the train is full of germy people coughing and sneezing. Once I get to work, I sit in an office full of germy people coughing and sneezing. And this week was even worse. We've got some space issues in our office, so much so we are moving offices in May to a swanky new office in Covent Garden. In the meantime we keep emplying people with nowhere for them to sit so most of us are sharing desks now. So I spent last week sat right next to a very germy person with another very germy person very close to me on the other side.
Actually, thinking about it the signs were there last weekend, I am a classic example of a runner who ignores the signs and just keeps on running anyway. Since the Oakley 20 I haven't run at all as first I was too tired and then I got a cold. But, I have discovered decongestant tablets, I'm not sure what is in them but they give me a real buzz!
Actually, thinking about it the signs were there last weekend, I am a classic example of a runner who ignores the signs and just keeps on running anyway. Since the Oakley 20 I haven't run at all as first I was too tired and then I got a cold. But, I have discovered decongestant tablets, I'm not sure what is in them but they give me a real buzz!
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Oakley 20
Well, here I am again, tucked up in bed blogging. And it's only 10pm...I had to struggle to keep myself awake this long, running 20 miles is a very tiring business!
Two thoughts ran through my head when I was woken up by the alarm at 7am today. 1: it can't still be raining can it? Oh yes it can... 2: I still feel a bit rough, like I am coming down with a cold. Most of you who know me know that I never drop out of races (probably a very bad habit) so there was no question of me not doing the Oakley 20 today. Gary had sugegsted maybe he could come and watch on his bike but I didn't really expect him to be keen on the idea given the weather so I was very surpised when not long after I got up Gary was vertical and dressed in his cycling gear.
The weather wasn't the greatest to be honest, it was wet and windy but luckily not too cold. After having run The Grizzly in gale force winds and Folskworth 15 in a blizzard and in a huge storm I knew I could handle most weather conditions. I was more worried about the distance, my last 20 miler (Bury 20 last year) was not a great experience with me crawling over the finish line in 3:43 (ouch!).
So, we set off running directly into the wind (yay!) and it took 3 or 4 miles for me to get going, I think this was running into the wind added to a slightly uphill start and no warming up (as it was too wet to go outside!). Luckily the rain started to slacken and the roads got a bit more sheltered so I settled into it. After a while I heard some loud encouragement in the distance. The runners around me remarked on the volume levels of those shouting, I knew it had to be John F, Martyn, Gary and Jo H who were fearlessly cycling round the course. I didn't see them for a couple of minutes after I first heard them which shows how loud they were! They popped up all over the course in many different configurations, I was most impressed, it was nasty weather to be out on a bike!
As time went on I realised I had settled into a nice 10 min/mile pace and there I stayed, maybe slowing slightly but not in the way I usually do, no walking (apart from water stations) and I even started to catch some people up. I've not felt like this running for ages...Gary did remark at one point that I seemed to be going Ok but you couldn't exactly call it running, cheekly so and so.
So in the end I finished strongly in 3:25 which is slightly more than 10 min/mile pace and I still felt strong at the finish: I could walk (just), I didn't feel sick and I was completely compus mentus. And although I am in bed at 10pm I haven't felt too bad since I got home. All in all a good day in the office and if I feel that on marathon day I will be very chuffed indeed.
Oh, and no cold baths for me, I just can't do that. And I am sure the amount I have eaten since returning from the race is not healthy either...blame Nigella for making food too easy and quick to make!
Two thoughts ran through my head when I was woken up by the alarm at 7am today. 1: it can't still be raining can it? Oh yes it can... 2: I still feel a bit rough, like I am coming down with a cold. Most of you who know me know that I never drop out of races (probably a very bad habit) so there was no question of me not doing the Oakley 20 today. Gary had sugegsted maybe he could come and watch on his bike but I didn't really expect him to be keen on the idea given the weather so I was very surpised when not long after I got up Gary was vertical and dressed in his cycling gear.
The weather wasn't the greatest to be honest, it was wet and windy but luckily not too cold. After having run The Grizzly in gale force winds and Folskworth 15 in a blizzard and in a huge storm I knew I could handle most weather conditions. I was more worried about the distance, my last 20 miler (Bury 20 last year) was not a great experience with me crawling over the finish line in 3:43 (ouch!).
So, we set off running directly into the wind (yay!) and it took 3 or 4 miles for me to get going, I think this was running into the wind added to a slightly uphill start and no warming up (as it was too wet to go outside!). Luckily the rain started to slacken and the roads got a bit more sheltered so I settled into it. After a while I heard some loud encouragement in the distance. The runners around me remarked on the volume levels of those shouting, I knew it had to be John F, Martyn, Gary and Jo H who were fearlessly cycling round the course. I didn't see them for a couple of minutes after I first heard them which shows how loud they were! They popped up all over the course in many different configurations, I was most impressed, it was nasty weather to be out on a bike!
As time went on I realised I had settled into a nice 10 min/mile pace and there I stayed, maybe slowing slightly but not in the way I usually do, no walking (apart from water stations) and I even started to catch some people up. I've not felt like this running for ages...Gary did remark at one point that I seemed to be going Ok but you couldn't exactly call it running, cheekly so and so.
So in the end I finished strongly in 3:25 which is slightly more than 10 min/mile pace and I still felt strong at the finish: I could walk (just), I didn't feel sick and I was completely compus mentus. And although I am in bed at 10pm I haven't felt too bad since I got home. All in all a good day in the office and if I feel that on marathon day I will be very chuffed indeed.
Oh, and no cold baths for me, I just can't do that. And I am sure the amount I have eaten since returning from the race is not healthy either...blame Nigella for making food too easy and quick to make!
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