One month off (or five)

Since the Milton Keynes Marathon earlier in the year, running and blogging have been pretty low down on my list of priorities.  I started this blog as a way of motivating me to pull on the trainers and get out the door.  I also had an underlying desire to find out whether I could become a better than average runner.  I think the last few months have helped answer that question, even though I probably knew the answer when I asked it.

I probably could be a better than average runner*, but I'd have to put in more than the average amount of effort and training.  

At the moment and for reasons that will become clear, more than average hasn't been something that's a realistic option for me or my family.

Don't get me wrong there's not much better in the world than finishing a long run and feeling like it's gone really well.  A new PB is great for the soul and can leave you feeling like you can conquer the world for a few weeks and I really really like that feeling! I want to feel it again sometime soon but a new baby has been giving me a much longer lasting and slightly different feeling of euphoria recently.
When I think about it, perhaps the feeling isn't that different to running a Marathon; you feel like shite and your knackered but its bloody great all at the same time.  Whatever the feeling, Reuben (see pic) is the main reason for a distinct slow down on the running front.

Future runner?

For the last few months any running I have managed to do has been focused on going back to basics.  Getting out purely for fun at lunchtime and with a bit of company from whoever wants to tag along.  Since May my weekly mileage totals have almost always been in single figures and I don't mind a bit.  'Fatherly duties' are now firmly Item 1 on the agenda.  Worries about fitness won't be rekindled until such times as running becomes a bigger part of my life again.

Baby Reuben is now 7 weeks old and I sense some normality around the corner.  You never know, routine might be returning to the Hos household in the next few weeks.  So with that prospect my thoughts are starting to return to putting one foot in front of the other and what might be realistic challenges for the next few months.

In the spirit of going back to basics, my Winter aim is to be a happier than average runner.  To get to that point I guess I am going to have to do some kind of running, so these are my running objectives until Christmas (or may be March) : -  

1. A bit of night running (with my trusty head torch)
2. A few Sunday morning long(er) runs in the sun
3. A 10 miler just for fun
4. A short dog run / jog (with my virtual training partner)
5. A bit of muddy running around Danbury

So that's what I'm planning to do and then I'll try and write a little bit about it.  If that happens then I'll be a happy runner.  If it doesn't I'll still be happy but I probably shouldn't call myself a runner at that point.



* Average does depend on how you measure it!

Too long

Well it's been a while since my last post. I thought I'd put a little note up just to say that I actually did a bit of running this evening. A nice little trail race around Heybridge. It was hot and I was really slow but it was good to get out and get running again after a little break.

Sunshine on a rainy day

As laid in my hotel bed at 3:45 am, unable to sleep because of the combination of excitement and nerves, I thought to myself, 'we must be close to a railway line or something'.  A short time later I realised it was actually the wind in the trees outside my window.  I eventually got up at 7am and looked out, it didn't look quite as bad as the forecast suggested. Yes it was raining, yes it was windy but I imagined a biblical downpour rather than just - rain.  I managed to eat my breakfast and messed about packing and unpacking my bag and trying to decide between shorts and tights.  My pre-race routine went completely out of the window as my Sister and Brother In-law (Pete) called to say they were waiting downstairs.  It was time to go (outside) and at this point it was clear that actually it was pretty flippin cold.

We got dropped off and spend the next few minutes avoiding the puddles in a vain attempt to keep our feet dry on our way into the stadium/start. And that was the last time I saw Pete until about 6 miles in (when he overtook me like I was standing still).  A few more distractions inside the 'Dons' meant I was even less organised than normal.  What a time to get a call about a stray dog a 100 odd miles away!

The plan for the race was to stick as close to 3:45 (8:15) pace as long I could, accepting that at some point I would blow up and that by then I'd hopefully have banked enough to scrape under 4 hours.  Not a 'normal' pacing strategy but I was worried that if I started running just under 9 minute miles when it came to the latter stages I'd not have anything left to pick up a bit.

Anyway the race got underway and I slipped into a nice 8:15 pace for the first six or so miles, give or take 30secs for a wee break.  Despite limited training in April I felt okay in the legs but crikey my stomach felt as ropey as a bag of full of ropes. I had only one swig of water until I got the first Lucozade station at 8 miles and after a swig of that, I spent the next mile trying not to lose my breakfast.  Puddles of rain is bad but puddles and other runners breakfast is quite another.
I reached halfway more or less bang on 3:45 pace and started to think that maybe it would be possible to keep up the pace, but by 16 I was starting to slow up a bit and beginning to felt the miles. By 20 I'd worked out that I was still about a minute ahead on my 3:50 pace band but I was loosing about 30 seconds a mile on that.

Just a small puddle!

I should have mentioned that I was I-podded up for this run and until 22 miles I had only one dodgy shuffle.

But just before 22 miles there was quite a steep hill that really started to hurt, then of all the songs on my i-pod, Adele came whining into my ears about some bloke who's she's heard about and who's married now or something. It's not the easiest thing to 'release' the i-pod from my back pocket, switch of the 'keylock' thing with frozen hands and then try and change tracks... But I just about managed it but did a sly walk whilst changing - sadly my wife and sister were just up the road a bit and spotted that!

The next event was my second gel attempt. The stomach was feeling better by now or at least my legs were hurting so much my stomach felt better by comparison so the 23 mile gel station was visited. Another narrowly avoided vomiting incident later 24 miles were ticked off and I knew that I could run 12 min miles and still make sub 4 hours - phew. But if I ran a little bit faster I might, just might scrape sub 3:55 so off I went.  It felt like I'd suddenly started running 7s but the Garmin told me different! The final mile or so was emotional to say the least.  As Doug says on his blog Stadium MK appeared out the trees and suddenly we were a wide open road, running down hill.  The I-pod chose this moment to shuffle onto 'So here we are' by Bloc party which is one of my favourite songs and one of those tunes that makes my hairs stand on end even though I've heard it loads of times.  I've never actually looked up the lyrics until now but after 25.5 miles it seemed much more meaningful... So I've pasted them here with my MK Marathon additions

I caught a glimpse, but its been forgotten (of the stadium and no it's not been forgotten) 
So here we are again (yep)
I made a vow, to carry you home... (yep and I blogged a bit about it) 
I really tried to do what you wanted (run sub 4 hours) 
It all went wrong again (Not this time) 
I figured it out,  (apparently I did) 


Brilliant - those 3m53s of Bloc Party brilliance will stay with me forever.  The song ended just as I turned into the stadium and I pulled out my ear phones and just ran as hard as I could running past the goal and up the side line... and across the finish line.

3 meters  from the finish line if you squint

13 seconds over 3:55 I blame that ALL on Adele and her rubbish relationships!  Anyway I set out in the morning to run sub 4 and was nearly 5 minutes under my target so at that point i was an emotional wreck.  Crying when your out of breath is so hard I gave up until I saw my wife and niece in the stands waving...

Where's Wally (in a yellow top)

Plodding out from the stadium was nice and gave everyone a chance to encourage the people coming into the stadium to finish.

MK Marathon - Done. And I loved it despite the rain, the cold, the mud, the puddles, the floods, the pain and the hills.  All of those things made it a really memorable day but most of all it was the marshals and people that lined the course with so much enthusiasm, energy and at times humour.

The Journey to MK
This whole MK adventure started with a conversation with my sister and Pete. Sis didn't manage to do any training for the race so didn't run (something about a new job).  With 600 odd training miles between us and a 26.2 mile Pete was the clear winner completing his debut in 3:37.  I am seriously impressed with that time and it does give me a target for NEXT time.

Thanks to my wife (Lisa) for taking the pictures and supporting me throughout the journey...

3:55:13

New PB by 29mins 01 secs. A slightly more detailed account of my experience to follow...

Not long now...

It's less than 22 hours until the start of the MK marathon and the weather forecast is looking interesting to say the least. I can't really complain as I was hoping for a cool race but I don't remember ordering 40 mile an hour gusts of wind.  

• The bag is packed. 
• Pace bands are printed.
• Carbs have been loaded. 
• (Some) Training has been completed. 
• Hotel's booked and dog sitters organised. 
• Meal with big sis booked for this evening.

I am ready... (I think).

Virtual training partner?

I thought I'd introduce my new training partner for 2013, Rosie.

I'm hoping that in 12 months time she'll be big and strong enough to come with me on some shorter runs and be far more interesting that the 'virtual training partner' function on my Garmin.  In the interim she can just look cute and probably eat the furniture.

The plan for tomorrow is a final really long run of about 20 miles followed by an Easter egg based recovery strategy.

Boy Lilikoi

This last week I've rediscovered two running experiences - Running with music and running in the heat. Luckily the weekend was pretty cool so I'll just skim over the heat part, its going to snow (maybe).

I stopped running with my iPod last winter because most local races have banned them and in all honesty I hadn't really missed it.  My home turf is pretty remote therefore all you get to hear is your own footsteps and whatever the environment has to offer that day.  It sort of adds to the isolation, atmosphere and the whole experience.  But I thought I'd dig out the old iPod for a long run over the weekend and I'm glad I did.

Seal (In St Lawrence and not featuring Adamski or on my iPod)

My run took me along my route to work along the sea wall towards Mayland and Lawling Creek and then a loop between the two creeks before retracing my steps.  The first 8 miles ticked by really easily as my iPod shuffled through MY music. It might have been the cooler day but I actually felt quite strong!

I like to think that my wife has pretty good taste in music but then she does also have an affinity to Take That and similar, so I enjoy a few hours listening to  MY music without any complaints.  Don't get me wrong I do appreciate that Gary Barlow can write a decent pop song (I'm nearly middle aged you know) but frankly I can do without being reminded of Morrisons while I'm running.  Typing this now I'm struggling to remember all the songs so I'll just share my 'top five' from the weekend.

5. Price of Gasoline, Bloc Party
Woo hoo I had a political thought during exercise!
4. Counterpoint, Delphic
A cracking tune to run to
3. Second, Minute or Hour, Jack Penate
Actually this is one of my wife's songs, see she does have taste.
2. Overpowered, Rosin Murphy
A long run wouldn't be a long run without this song (or lots of Sigur Ros).
1. Boy Lilikoi, Jonsi
This is the song that shuffled into my ears at the point where I got to the section between Mayland and Lawling Creeks.  It's one of those tunes that builds and builds and makes you feel great when its really loud.  It was made better by the six seals sitting in the mud on the opposite site of the creek watching me run past.  I wonder how many people can say they saw six seals on a run?

The rest of the run was pretty good too, the sun came out and I did a boil in the bag impression as I was fully 'tighted' up again.  It was unpleasantly hot in all that clothing but I just thought I better get used it, it will be summer soon!  So I ticked off 16 miles averaging about 8min30s. Not quite the 8:00's I'd hoped to have been doing at this stage but I am not unhappy with that.