Celebration Day
3 hours 43 minutes 44 seconds - can't quite believe it's all over! What an amazing experience... I have to go and sleep but I promise a full report tomorrow. Needless to say I'm very pleased with my time - I really wanted to beat four hours. And surprisingly I feel quite good.
I Can't Quit you Baby
Heading off to London soon to stay with a friend so I'm ready for the off.
Not much more to say - if you're coming to watch thank you very much. If you've got the right sort of phone you can follow my progress via the chip in my shoe - you can also do this on Facebook and I've sent everyone on my Facebook Marathon site a link - you basically just need to put adidas marathon tracker 2010 into the search box and it does the rest!
You need to know my number, which is 14453
I'm hoping to see some of you in Trafalgar Square afterwards - I'll be by the lion on the left if you have your back to the National Gallery and I'm offering: a kiss and a chance to wear my medal to the first person who can bring me a cup of tea, now there's an offer you don't get everyday!
Not much more to say - if you're coming to watch thank you very much. If you've got the right sort of phone you can follow my progress via the chip in my shoe - you can also do this on Facebook and I've sent everyone on my Facebook Marathon site a link - you basically just need to put adidas marathon tracker 2010 into the search box and it does the rest!
You need to know my number, which is 14453
I'm hoping to see some of you in Trafalgar Square afterwards - I'll be by the lion on the left if you have your back to the National Gallery and I'm offering: a kiss and a chance to wear my medal to the first person who can bring me a cup of tea, now there's an offer you don't get everyday!
Moby Dick
Labels:
Dave Broom London Marathon
Moby Dick turned out to be one of the best books I ever read - at the time I was trapped in Russia, the claustraphobia of the novel translated into my situation, the sailors trapped on a voyage of over 2 years searching for the whales. But Moby Dick is a novel of obsession so the link is with marathon running...
Tomorrow... I feel I haven't kept this blog up lately, so where have we been?
The epic of 20 miles with Dr Phil was repeated the following Sunday, but this time 22 miles on my own, the furthest I did in training. There was also an accident with a dog lead a few days later which readers of my Facebook page may well be aware of; that left me pretty shaken.
There was the great Christian Aid Raffle, which was amazing and raised £324 - basically the sponsorship has gone over the £2,000 mark; thank you all so very much! Photos from the raffle will follow.
The next long run was 18 miles and since then it's all been tapering down... 12 miles on sunday, 4 miles on Monday, sprint session on Tuesday and...nothing! Just pasta and sleep and sitting in the sauna. 2 miles tonight round Battersea Park in race kit and then the big day - feeling quite excited really!
So today is just a restful day of listening to Led Zeppelin (did anyone get the link?) and making sure all my kit is ready. Went to the marathon Expo at the Excel Centre yesterday to pick up my race number and chip etc... I was there for hours, there were some amazing deals!
Tomorrow... I feel I haven't kept this blog up lately, so where have we been?
The epic of 20 miles with Dr Phil was repeated the following Sunday, but this time 22 miles on my own, the furthest I did in training. There was also an accident with a dog lead a few days later which readers of my Facebook page may well be aware of; that left me pretty shaken.
There was the great Christian Aid Raffle, which was amazing and raised £324 - basically the sponsorship has gone over the £2,000 mark; thank you all so very much! Photos from the raffle will follow.
The next long run was 18 miles and since then it's all been tapering down... 12 miles on sunday, 4 miles on Monday, sprint session on Tuesday and...nothing! Just pasta and sleep and sitting in the sauna. 2 miles tonight round Battersea Park in race kit and then the big day - feeling quite excited really!
So today is just a restful day of listening to Led Zeppelin (did anyone get the link?) and making sure all my kit is ready. Went to the marathon Expo at the Excel Centre yesterday to pick up my race number and chip etc... I was there for hours, there were some amazing deals!
Over the Hills and Far Away
Dr Phil's and Rev. Broom's Awfully Big Adventure!
20 miles... too tired to write very much and I can't seem to upload the photos! I'll be back again!
Worked it out - the GPS does not lie... though the route looks slightly crazy!
Your Time is Gonna Come
Desultory thoughts of the lonely long distance runner
Early twilight, and by the canal again. The lights of the boats start to glow as the first stars appear in the darkening sky. So many miles along this path and still so far to go.
A heron in shadow, vast, sharp beaked, prehistoric, lifts from the bank; wide wings beating the evening air.
Ancient eyes gaze down:
‘O foolish man why do you labour so?
I have lived for so long and you will for such a short time. I have seen nations rise and fall. I have heard the call of battle, seen victory and loss and heard the prayers of the saint. I have seen what you, trapped in your small world cannot: you are but a handful of dust.’
And yet here, along this bank the path goes on and on as if there was no other place, no other time just the sound of regular breathing and footfall on stony ground.
Dust, yes; but dust that for one brief moment can feel the gold of glory.
Got my race number for London this week – I’m 14453...
The Battle of Evermore
To Hastings then I came...
From the build up I'd dreaded this and it turned out to be my best half marathon yet!
Hastings, it has to be said, is a great place. I hadn't been there for years but it's got a lovely pebbly beach, the old town is really interesting and quirky and I think the night-life is pretty good if you're looking for that sort of thing (marathon runners have to go to bed at about 7pm ;o)). But don't just take my word for it - go and visit, make a weekend of it (I know some good B&Bs I can recommend!), if it's the weekend of the half marathon I might just see you there...
So, rather than building up the stress this time, I'll just tell you my times and then you can sit back and enjoy the rest of this blog! As you know, 'if you're a frequent listener to this programme', in previous blogs we've seen how my PB had gone from 1.47 set in Japan to 1.40 at both Watford and Berkhamstead; well on this occasion as the home straight loomed into view we managed to put down the pedal on the gas and knock off a further 2 minutes, coming in at 1.38.02! So overall we're 9 minutes faster since this whole exercise began.
What a great race though and what amazing support. I'd woken up in my B&B that morning feeling nervous only to tune in the radio to find Howard Jones telling me not to: 'crack up or bend my brain' it was good advice and at that point I decided to just enjoy the experience even if was going to be like running up the side of Everest!
Lining up at the start just seemed so different from the other half marathons: people seemed relaxed, cheerful, chatting to each-other, it was a bit of a carnival atmosphere with all the stalls at the start and the runners dressed as ghost busters or teenage mutant ninja turtles! The whole of Hastings seemed to have come out to support the race. There was music, DJs, bands and people handing out half-time oranges. The kids lined the roads to high-five any runner they could get to respond. One church seemed to have adopted the approach of 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em' and had simply moved its service outside, waving to the runners as they sang their hymns; nice.
There were about 5000 or more runners and yes for most of the way it was one long steep hill but of course as we know, 'what goes up must come down' and on the downward slopes I really managed to pick up some speed, which I think helped my time overall. So here's the breakdown: Mile one - 8.38 (it was a slow start and there were a lot of people to get past. I think the placing had broken down a bit), mile two - 8.23, mile three - 7.22, mile four - 8.14, mile five - 8.07, mile six - 7.32, mile seven - 7.23, mile eight - 7.00, mile nine - 7.21, mile ten - 6.26, mile eleven - 6.41 (you can see how the down hill helped!), mile twelve - 7.14 (along the sea front now feeling a zen moment of unconnectedness and total connectedness - now there's a paradox), mile thirteen (and the .1 bit) - 7.33 - total time 1 hour 38 mins 2 seconds.
Thanks very much to Rachel and her folks for food, hospitality, a roaring fire and for looking after a wandering marathon runner. When you make your trip to Hastings go and check out gallery 53 in the High Street (this is also a B&B). Thanks also to Rachel for further attempts to lead me astray onto the Guiness as well as her photography skills - more pictures of the half marathon to follow.
Hastings gets the thumbs up from me. The battle of Hastings was not quite the rout I feared though doubtless running remains the Battle of Evermore...
From the build up I'd dreaded this and it turned out to be my best half marathon yet!
Hastings, it has to be said, is a great place. I hadn't been there for years but it's got a lovely pebbly beach, the old town is really interesting and quirky and I think the night-life is pretty good if you're looking for that sort of thing (marathon runners have to go to bed at about 7pm ;o)). But don't just take my word for it - go and visit, make a weekend of it (I know some good B&Bs I can recommend!), if it's the weekend of the half marathon I might just see you there...
So, rather than building up the stress this time, I'll just tell you my times and then you can sit back and enjoy the rest of this blog! As you know, 'if you're a frequent listener to this programme', in previous blogs we've seen how my PB had gone from 1.47 set in Japan to 1.40 at both Watford and Berkhamstead; well on this occasion as the home straight loomed into view we managed to put down the pedal on the gas and knock off a further 2 minutes, coming in at 1.38.02! So overall we're 9 minutes faster since this whole exercise began.
What a great race though and what amazing support. I'd woken up in my B&B that morning feeling nervous only to tune in the radio to find Howard Jones telling me not to: 'crack up or bend my brain' it was good advice and at that point I decided to just enjoy the experience even if was going to be like running up the side of Everest!
Lining up at the start just seemed so different from the other half marathons: people seemed relaxed, cheerful, chatting to each-other, it was a bit of a carnival atmosphere with all the stalls at the start and the runners dressed as ghost busters or teenage mutant ninja turtles! The whole of Hastings seemed to have come out to support the race. There was music, DJs, bands and people handing out half-time oranges. The kids lined the roads to high-five any runner they could get to respond. One church seemed to have adopted the approach of 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em' and had simply moved its service outside, waving to the runners as they sang their hymns; nice.
There were about 5000 or more runners and yes for most of the way it was one long steep hill but of course as we know, 'what goes up must come down' and on the downward slopes I really managed to pick up some speed, which I think helped my time overall. So here's the breakdown: Mile one - 8.38 (it was a slow start and there were a lot of people to get past. I think the placing had broken down a bit), mile two - 8.23, mile three - 7.22, mile four - 8.14, mile five - 8.07, mile six - 7.32, mile seven - 7.23, mile eight - 7.00, mile nine - 7.21, mile ten - 6.26, mile eleven - 6.41 (you can see how the down hill helped!), mile twelve - 7.14 (along the sea front now feeling a zen moment of unconnectedness and total connectedness - now there's a paradox), mile thirteen (and the .1 bit) - 7.33 - total time 1 hour 38 mins 2 seconds.
Thanks very much to Rachel and her folks for food, hospitality, a roaring fire and for looking after a wandering marathon runner. When you make your trip to Hastings go and check out gallery 53 in the High Street (this is also a B&B). Thanks also to Rachel for further attempts to lead me astray onto the Guiness as well as her photography skills - more pictures of the half marathon to follow.
Hastings gets the thumbs up from me. The battle of Hastings was not quite the rout I feared though doubtless running remains the Battle of Evermore...
Black Mountain Side
Hills... hills... and more hills; and I thought Hastings was going to be bad!Wasn't sure how this one was going to go as I deliberately hadn't tapered down as I felt this was a training run and I'd trained pretty hard in the last two weeks. Having run 7 miles with my good friend Dr Phil through the lanes of Hitchin yesterday this was going to push up my weekend mileage to 20 miles, which is good for the marathon but perhaps not for my half marathon PB!
I also seem to have pulled a muscle a bit in my right leg, nothing too serious but I can feel a nagging pain there.
This was a great run and through some beautiful countryside; if one was able to stop and appreciate the surroundings it really would be very pleasant, as it is one just groans as yet another hill approaches!
A strange race in some ways - there was also a 5 mile fun run, which started just before the half marathon and then apparently (according to my correspondents on the spot) stuffed up the half marathon front runners! Certainly by the time I got there, there were still a fair few fun runners to trip over.
I really didn't think I could keep my PB on this one as it seemed so hilly and the morning seemed so cold and icy but I managed to 'dig deep' and also had the support of my comrades James and Gary (Gary had come all the way from Edinburgh).
So... how did it go? Here's the times - the annoying thing is that there was no mile 1 marker, which really threw me - so miles 1 and 2: 14.26 (so 7.13 each, I guess); mile 3: 8.24 (hills!); mile 4: 7.50; mile 5: 7.20; mile 6: 7.11; mile 7: 7.57; mile 8: 8.28; mile 9: 7.44; mile 10: 7.56; mile 11: 7.37; mile 12: 7.55; mile 13: 6.45 (I could see my PB slipping away; I was practically sprinting for the finish by this point!) 0.1 of a mile: 0.50 - Final time: 1 hour 40 minutes, made it! Kept the PB I had set at Watford and on a much harder course and not feeling as good as I did at Watford so really pleased. Hastings beckons... and that's a mountain!
Thanks again to Gary and James for turning out in support and thanks to Matt for the running kit.
When the levee breaks
Sunday is the day for LSD - no, not the psychtropic drug popular among the freaks of the 1960's generation but rather Long Slow Distance. The rest of your week might be spent doing shorter runs, tempo runs, interval training, hill runs and so on but Sunday is the day for mileage: putting those miles into the marathon bank. LSD may be mind altering none-the-less! I find I have to convince myself that I'll just run for an hour, then, when the hour's up, it's easier to think, 'well I may as well carry on for a bit longer, another half an hour maybe?' today I managed to trick myself into running for 2 and a half hours, which I'm quite pleased about, also felt that I could go on for longer, which feels like a good sign.
It's amazing how much rain there seems to have been in the last few days. All my regular off-road running routes had turned into a scaled down version of the Great Lakes and at points I really did have to run through rivers freezing my feet to blocks of ice! The levee seems to have broken; even the canal path is flooded. Felt quite satisfying though; a somewhat challenging bit of training!
The marathon approaches: 55 days to go today. I feel like an explorer standing with Mallory in the foothills of the Himalayas contemplating the enormity of Everest - the question (in mountaineering parlance) is, 'will it go?'
Some really good fundraising as well as training this week. I'm currently organising a raffle at the school and people have come up with some really good prizes: a pilates session, a manicure, bottles of wine, guitar lessons and a scooter trip around London to name but a few. All excellent stuff and hopefully we can really push that thermometer up a bit. Thanks very much to you all.
It's amazing how much rain there seems to have been in the last few days. All my regular off-road running routes had turned into a scaled down version of the Great Lakes and at points I really did have to run through rivers freezing my feet to blocks of ice! The levee seems to have broken; even the canal path is flooded. Felt quite satisfying though; a somewhat challenging bit of training!
The marathon approaches: 55 days to go today. I feel like an explorer standing with Mallory in the foothills of the Himalayas contemplating the enormity of Everest - the question (in mountaineering parlance) is, 'will it go?'
Some really good fundraising as well as training this week. I'm currently organising a raffle at the school and people have come up with some really good prizes: a pilates session, a manicure, bottles of wine, guitar lessons and a scooter trip around London to name but a few. All excellent stuff and hopefully we can really push that thermometer up a bit. Thanks very much to you all.
Stairway to Heaven
Photos from the weekend - thanks very much to Matt, Tim and Jen for some really enjoyable climbing.
The Song Remains the Same
Back to some serious training and serious fund raising... thank goodness I appear to be well again. Still feeling tired at the end of the run but I'm hoping this is just a bit of a blip - send your positive vibes in my general direction, if you would be so kind!
Remarkable weekend at my brother's in Leeds which we spent running, swimming and climbing on the practice wall (and watching a Viking ship burn (felt quite sad about that one)) - photos will follow I just need to download them from my camera.
The associated gurus (you know who you are...) thought that I should set the fundraising target for £1000 and duly that is what I have done; so please, please sponsor me because I can't quite see how I can raise this much! It has to be said though that if I was running 26 and a bit miles round London knowing that I had the potential to raise £1000 for Christian Aid it would make the whole thing seem very much more worthwhile! Currently this is what propels me out of the house in the dark, rain and cold.
Online donations are now up to £142.56 with gift aid (please gift aid it if you're a UK taxpayer) and pledges from staff and students at school are around the £200 mark so it's all looking quite positive at the moment. Fundraising plans at the moment include - cake baking, a raffle, a quiz and some busking. I read recently in a running book that preparing for a marathon is like having a second job I kind of wonder, with the fundraising, whether it's not like having 3 jobs! I'm very grateful to the people who have sponsored me and helped me so far. If you are able to help in any way I would be eternally grateful... I'm signing off now because I've run, showered and eaten my lentils and I must sleep; but I shall return with the photos tomorrow!
Remarkable weekend at my brother's in Leeds which we spent running, swimming and climbing on the practice wall (and watching a Viking ship burn (felt quite sad about that one)) - photos will follow I just need to download them from my camera.
The associated gurus (you know who you are...) thought that I should set the fundraising target for £1000 and duly that is what I have done; so please, please sponsor me because I can't quite see how I can raise this much! It has to be said though that if I was running 26 and a bit miles round London knowing that I had the potential to raise £1000 for Christian Aid it would make the whole thing seem very much more worthwhile! Currently this is what propels me out of the house in the dark, rain and cold.
Online donations are now up to £142.56 with gift aid (please gift aid it if you're a UK taxpayer) and pledges from staff and students at school are around the £200 mark so it's all looking quite positive at the moment. Fundraising plans at the moment include - cake baking, a raffle, a quiz and some busking. I read recently in a running book that preparing for a marathon is like having a second job I kind of wonder, with the fundraising, whether it's not like having 3 jobs! I'm very grateful to the people who have sponsored me and helped me so far. If you are able to help in any way I would be eternally grateful... I'm signing off now because I've run, showered and eaten my lentils and I must sleep; but I shall return with the photos tomorrow!
Whole Lotta Love...
So, it's taken a long time to recover but I've finally managed to get back to the running. Went out last night for about 45 minutes, felt ok but slightly dizzy when I got back. Feel ok today and I've managed a session of yoga and deep tissue massage so I think I'm on the mend. This illness is all very frustrating but the good news is that my 3 peaks certificate turned up today as did my running number for the Hastings half marathon; really looking forward to this one. It seems that this race is the trendy one to do in preparation for London; it involves about 5,000 runners and is very steep - if you have a look at their very nice website: http://www.hastings-half.co.uk/ you can see how steep by clicking the button marked route map; the profile of the gradient is something to be believed!
Thank you to those people who have donated to my charity this week via the Virgin Money Giving page (see attachment on the left) it'll be good to see that thermometer start to change colour!
Anyway in the abscence of much running information here's, This Week's Running top 10 (as formulated on the top of a few wintry Yorkshire hills):
Greetings pop pickers, in at number 10 this week is Run to You by Australian artist Bryan Adams. This week's number 9 is a non-mover although Kate Bush is still Running up that Hill. Down this week from number 6 to number 8 is Status Quo but they still haven't quite Run, Run Away from the top 10. Moving up the charts and definately not Running to Stand Still is U2 at number 7. So replacing Status Quo this week and up from number 20 to number 6 is Lindisfarne who are trying to Run for Home, will they make it all the way to number 1? tune in next week to find out, not arf! Number 5 is another non-mover for ELO, who'll just have to Keep on Running. There's a surprise entry for Iron Maiden this week, straight in at number 4 as they Run for the Hills. Level 42 are relatively happy to remain at number 3 for a fourth week as they keep it Running in the Family. Bruce Springstein may be Born to Run but he can't quite make past that number 1 finish tape as for five weeks in a row Tears For Fears show us their marathonic mettle - and possible meglomania - as with their 1986 Sport Aid release they tell us that Everybody Wants to Run the World. (Check out the YouTube link for a bit of a nostalgia).
Thank you to those people who have donated to my charity this week via the Virgin Money Giving page (see attachment on the left) it'll be good to see that thermometer start to change colour!
Anyway in the abscence of much running information here's, This Week's Running top 10 (as formulated on the top of a few wintry Yorkshire hills):
Greetings pop pickers, in at number 10 this week is Run to You by Australian artist Bryan Adams. This week's number 9 is a non-mover although Kate Bush is still Running up that Hill. Down this week from number 6 to number 8 is Status Quo but they still haven't quite Run, Run Away from the top 10. Moving up the charts and definately not Running to Stand Still is U2 at number 7. So replacing Status Quo this week and up from number 20 to number 6 is Lindisfarne who are trying to Run for Home, will they make it all the way to number 1? tune in next week to find out, not arf! Number 5 is another non-mover for ELO, who'll just have to Keep on Running. There's a surprise entry for Iron Maiden this week, straight in at number 4 as they Run for the Hills. Level 42 are relatively happy to remain at number 3 for a fourth week as they keep it Running in the Family. Bruce Springstein may be Born to Run but he can't quite make past that number 1 finish tape as for five weeks in a row Tears For Fears show us their marathonic mettle - and possible meglomania - as with their 1986 Sport Aid release they tell us that Everybody Wants to Run the World. (Check out the YouTube link for a bit of a nostalgia).
Struck Down!
All I've managed this week is an hour's cycle ride... I've spent the week struck down with the 'flu virus and unable to walk. It's been fairly horrible, as you can imagine, but I'm starting to feel better now. It's infuriating to lose a whole week's running and I'd really wanted to do some hill training this week but never mind. Maybe I've built up some antibodies that will mean I won't be ill in April. There's always a positive spin one can put on these things!
Most importantly this week, however, is that I've decided which charity I'm going to run the marathon for and I've set up a Virgin Money Giving page.
I've decided to run for Christian Aid a charity close to my heart and one that I've supported for a long time. Among other things Christian Aid works with partnership projects in some of the world's poorest countries; so any money you can donate will make a real difference in the lives of these people. The link on the left of the screen will take you directly to my sponsorship page; I've also included some information about Christian Aid and I recommed that you have a look at their website which gives a lot more information about projects tackling poverty and campaign work. The website can be found at: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/
Please give what ever you can. It would be really good to raise a significant ammount... it would make those 26.2 miles worthwhile! I do have a plan for selling each mile to the top 26 highest bidders. In other words if you're one of the top 26 you can buy whichever mile you fancy and I promise to dedicate that mile to you - you can even go and stand at that mile marker on April 25th, it will be your mile. Also this means that I can't fail on your mile; so I'll have to run the whole race! It's a win-win situation!
Most importantly this week, however, is that I've decided which charity I'm going to run the marathon for and I've set up a Virgin Money Giving page.
I've decided to run for Christian Aid a charity close to my heart and one that I've supported for a long time. Among other things Christian Aid works with partnership projects in some of the world's poorest countries; so any money you can donate will make a real difference in the lives of these people. The link on the left of the screen will take you directly to my sponsorship page; I've also included some information about Christian Aid and I recommed that you have a look at their website which gives a lot more information about projects tackling poverty and campaign work. The website can be found at: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/
Please give what ever you can. It would be really good to raise a significant ammount... it would make those 26.2 miles worthwhile! I do have a plan for selling each mile to the top 26 highest bidders. In other words if you're one of the top 26 you can buy whichever mile you fancy and I promise to dedicate that mile to you - you can even go and stand at that mile marker on April 25th, it will be your mile. Also this means that I can't fail on your mile; so I'll have to run the whole race! It's a win-win situation!
February 7th 2010 - Dazed and Amazed - Watford...
Labels:
Dave Broom,
Marathon
1 hour 40 minutes! Smashing my pb by 7 minutes! Above you can see some of the pictures from the day. This of course was the Watford half marathon, which was special for a number of reasons. Watford is the place of my birth and the place where most of my family came from (and the football team I support!). This was also the first competitive half marathon that I had run for quite a long time; and poiniantly the 7th of February would have been my mother's birthday, so it seemed very appropriate to run in Watford today.
My PB was set in Japan on a warm, Tokyo day and on a completely flat course. This was a very hilly course and very, very cold (note pictures above!) so doubly pleasing.
Also, I walked 18 miles around Dorking, Box hill and White hill with the Met Walkers on Saturday. This plus waking up with cold symptoms this morning did not make me feel that I would do particularly well...
As it was it felt like a good atmosphere, lining up with 2000 other runners and people wishing each-other good luck. As the race started I realised I felt good and was amazed to find I'd run the first mile in 7.57 (I was planning on an 8 minute mile but in the end I just felt good and kept at the same pace pretty much all the way round). It was a really nice course, out in the countryside round Watford and very well marshalled and supported - mile markers every mile and good drinks stations. The horses were a bit annoying: surely if the road is closed to cars it's closed to horses as well? And they stopped me from getting water at one of the stations but no matter.
It felt like a fast course and being a Met Walker and 3 Peaks club member the hills felt like a breeze (sort of...)
So: Mile 1 - 7.57 (suddenly there was the marker!), Mile 2 - 7.56, Mile 3 - 7.45, Mile 4 - 7.46, Mile 5 - 7.44, Mile 5 - 8.01 (long hill on that one), Mile 7 - 7.57, Mile 8 - 7.21 (starting to get back into my stride), Mile 9 - 7.48, Mile 10 - 7.43, Mile 11 - 7.21, Mile 12 - 7.32 (the end is in site, back on suburban roads and Cassiobury park seems very close), Mile 13 (and the extra .1 bit) 7.58.
What is really good, as I've said before on this blog, is if one can get support so thanks very much to James, Mark, Luisa and Milo for coming to Watford to watch the race, cheer and sound a rattle(!). Thank you so much to Luisa for making what was probably the best flapjack I've ever tasted (a cup of tea and a flapjack and lots of warm clothes and one is right-as-rain after these races...)
It goes without saying of course that they didn't know where I was at the end so missed my moment of triumph crossing the finish line in 1.40 but it is ever thus with these things. Probably the reason Francis Drake said he could 'see no ships' of the Spanish Amada coming towards England was that he'd been looking in the opposite direction at some fayre maiden at the crucial moment.
Anyway, fortunately we did meet up soon after the race, before I developed hypothermia, and went off to the junction cafe for a slap-up feast (see above).
So people to thank this week include James, Mark, Luisa and Milo for turning out to Watford and standing in the freezing cold, also again to Matt for the watch, which has now proved its worth. Thanks to Rachel for the Guiness and Bob Dylan evening (an unusual training method and one that I've not read in any running guides but which none-the-less seemed to work) and thanks again to Dad for the hills of Ischia; this half marathon was a chance to see how well the winter training had gone; the island of Ischia seems to have prepared me well for this challenge! Thanks also again to Flora for marching up those Yorkshire peaks; it's all grist to the mill. Dazed and amazed, a bit light-headed after this run and not in the best shape with the cold symptoms but really pleased to have acheived the time... onwards and upwards!
The Way of Yoga
I'm surprised that I don't read more in the running publications about the value of yoga. There's always quite a bit about core strength and the need to stretch and it seems to me that yoga is very much the answer to this.
I've done a bit of yoga over the years and more committedly over the last 6 months and I really can feel a difference especially in my lower back and left knee. Now the knee is still bad but without the yoga I think it would be terrible. I've also been having deep tissue massage once a week for about the last 10 weeks to try and sort my knee out. I have done everything for my knee: osteopath, physiotherapists, accupuncture, ultrasound, referral to a specialist, MRI scan... Nothing has worked. At least the deep tissue massage has had some effect and coupled with the yoga it forms a rounded therapy (my yoga teacher runs a massage therapy clinic at my gym).
It may be that yoga is a popular subject in the running press and I just haven't read the right articles, so I don't know, but I heartly recommend it; and some of the exercises are really good to do before a race - if you can find a bit of grass and you don't mind looking slightly odd! (why worry; we runners are odd, aren't we?)
I've done a bit of yoga over the years and more committedly over the last 6 months and I really can feel a difference especially in my lower back and left knee. Now the knee is still bad but without the yoga I think it would be terrible. I've also been having deep tissue massage once a week for about the last 10 weeks to try and sort my knee out. I have done everything for my knee: osteopath, physiotherapists, accupuncture, ultrasound, referral to a specialist, MRI scan... Nothing has worked. At least the deep tissue massage has had some effect and coupled with the yoga it forms a rounded therapy (my yoga teacher runs a massage therapy clinic at my gym).
It may be that yoga is a popular subject in the running press and I just haven't read the right articles, so I don't know, but I heartly recommend it; and some of the exercises are really good to do before a race - if you can find a bit of grass and you don't mind looking slightly odd! (why worry; we runners are odd, aren't we?)
Sunday 31st January - I'll see you on the dark side of the moon...
17 miles today over to Milton Keynes adding a bit on to the usual run to get the distance. So, so cold! As Father Grant at All Saints told me this morning, 'it's brass monkeys!'
Have relented over using an MP3 player when running... normally I despise the use of such things as they disconnect you from your body and from the mental, spiritual and physical experience of running, which I feel is a way of moving zen...
Yesterday and today, however, when the temperature has been so cold and the motivation has struggled but the need to get the mileage done has remained just as pressing I decided to cave in!
The problem with my MP3 is that it seems to have malfunctioned and returns to Glen Campbell as a kind of default so I usually get to hear what it's like to be a linesman for the county or a rhinestone cowboy (it's like riding out on a horse in a star spangled rodeo, apparently). Today, though, I decided to tackle it's mischevious ways and downloaded Pink Floyd and the Beatles onto it's complaining circuits (yesterday I ran to King Crimson). Quite a mellow experience running to the guitar solos of Dave Gilmour and the sitar of George Harrison. Just as the route got to Bletchley and the industrial area Davy Graham's 'Angie' flicked itself on and motivated me up Watling Street. It wasn't long though before we were back to being a wichita linesman or remembering how the sea winds were blowing the last time we were in Galveston...
Anyway 17 miles (2 hours 33 minutes), not bad and thanks to Tim and Isla for the boiled eggs and cups of tea - and for being part of team Broomy. These marathons are never a solo event I do need my motivators and supporters (thanks also to Rachel for Facebook motivation!).
Anyway, Watford Half Marathon next Sunday and I'm going to try and beat my half marathon PB...
Have relented over using an MP3 player when running... normally I despise the use of such things as they disconnect you from your body and from the mental, spiritual and physical experience of running, which I feel is a way of moving zen...
Yesterday and today, however, when the temperature has been so cold and the motivation has struggled but the need to get the mileage done has remained just as pressing I decided to cave in!
The problem with my MP3 is that it seems to have malfunctioned and returns to Glen Campbell as a kind of default so I usually get to hear what it's like to be a linesman for the county or a rhinestone cowboy (it's like riding out on a horse in a star spangled rodeo, apparently). Today, though, I decided to tackle it's mischevious ways and downloaded Pink Floyd and the Beatles onto it's complaining circuits (yesterday I ran to King Crimson). Quite a mellow experience running to the guitar solos of Dave Gilmour and the sitar of George Harrison. Just as the route got to Bletchley and the industrial area Davy Graham's 'Angie' flicked itself on and motivated me up Watling Street. It wasn't long though before we were back to being a wichita linesman or remembering how the sea winds were blowing the last time we were in Galveston...
Anyway 17 miles (2 hours 33 minutes), not bad and thanks to Tim and Isla for the boiled eggs and cups of tea - and for being part of team Broomy. These marathons are never a solo event I do need my motivators and supporters (thanks also to Rachel for Facebook motivation!).
Anyway, Watford Half Marathon next Sunday and I'm going to try and beat my half marathon PB...
The Three Peaks Challenge
Time really seems to go by with this blog and I seem to fall behind so fast. However to bring it up to date I need to go back to last Saturday and the 3 peaks challenge of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. All together it's a 26 mile circuit in the Yorkshire dales with 3 rather large peaks as a sort of inconvenience along the way! Since this was January there was mud, snow and ice to add more variables to the mix. At points I have to say I did feel outside of my comfort zone and traversing across a verticle snow slope on Ingleborough towards the end of the walk still gives me post-Vietnam type flashbacks... Never-the-less this felt like a great achievement and it was some beautiful walking. Thank you very much to Flora for being Tenzing to my Hillary; Flora doesn't appear in any of the pictures as she shuns the publicity; the cost of fame is high, so maybe she's right, but none-the-less, thanks, and we achieved the walk in 9 hours 33 minutes, which given the conditions was a very good time and I am pretty sure made us the fastest team on the day. Stayed at a really good B&B called the Willows in Horton-in-Ribblesdale absolutely fantastic pack lunches!
Experimented with dextrose sweets on this walk in my eternal quest for the right energy supplement and found them really good. With this sort of extreme exercise I find that my appetite becomes supressed and all I really want is hot tea. However, one still needs the calories and the energy and being hypoglycemic I have to watch this. So a dextrose sweet once an hour a few veggie sausage sandwiches and of course the emergency flapjack (I was carrying 6!) and I was ok!
Got back on Sunday and ran for 45 minutes - felt amazing. Just had to prove to myself that I was still in good condition. Ran or used the gym most days this week apart from Wednesday when I went to see Avatar - amazing!
Experimented with dextrose sweets on this walk in my eternal quest for the right energy supplement and found them really good. With this sort of extreme exercise I find that my appetite becomes supressed and all I really want is hot tea. However, one still needs the calories and the energy and being hypoglycemic I have to watch this. So a dextrose sweet once an hour a few veggie sausage sandwiches and of course the emergency flapjack (I was carrying 6!) and I was ok!
Got back on Sunday and ran for 45 minutes - felt amazing. Just had to prove to myself that I was still in good condition. Ran or used the gym most days this week apart from Wednesday when I went to see Avatar - amazing!
Wednesday 20th January: Energy Gels and Narrow Boats
Something of a day off today though still did the usual 6 or 7 mile daily walk. Ran 11.5 miles on Sunday over to Milton Keynes and a late Christmas dinner with some friends. It took 1 hr 40 mins; was feeling rather tired after a week's teaching but tried experimenting with one of these energy gels, which I had at about mile 7. Not sure that it really made any difference but did taste quite nicely of bananas and had a bit of a psychological boost, I guess! I did feel slightly better after the run so maybe it had some benefit after all. Experimented with my new Helly Hansen top and old pertex jacket. The pertex doesn't seem very breathable and the Helly Hansen doesn't seem very warm so the idiom that you get what you pay for does not appear to ring true...
Anyway, did an hour or so in the gym on Monday - just core stuff and strength exercises, particularly anything that will strengthen my knee. Lots of stretching too, of course, and yoga exercises. It is interesting what a difference these make.
An hour's run on Tuesday, which felt really good. Unfortunately it still gets dark by four o'clock so I'm still running along the canal in the darkness... it is important not to fall in but the lights of the narrow boats do make it look very pretty! It's not really spooky along there, just dark.
This weekend I'm attempting the 3 peaks in Yorkshire - all part of the training - I'm just really praying that the snow will miss us.
Will report back on this, of course, in a later post.
Just signing off by saying thanks again to my brother for the Christmas present. The marathon watch is really proving useful both for timing runs and timing students speaking in English exam classes... thanks very much!
Anyway, did an hour or so in the gym on Monday - just core stuff and strength exercises, particularly anything that will strengthen my knee. Lots of stretching too, of course, and yoga exercises. It is interesting what a difference these make.
An hour's run on Tuesday, which felt really good. Unfortunately it still gets dark by four o'clock so I'm still running along the canal in the darkness... it is important not to fall in but the lights of the narrow boats do make it look very pretty! It's not really spooky along there, just dark.
This weekend I'm attempting the 3 peaks in Yorkshire - all part of the training - I'm just really praying that the snow will miss us.
Will report back on this, of course, in a later post.
Just signing off by saying thanks again to my brother for the Christmas present. The marathon watch is really proving useful both for timing runs and timing students speaking in English exam classes... thanks very much!
Blog 2
So...rather a long gap between these postings! However, training is still going well and I've now worked out how to post photos onto this site. Note the Watford Autumn Challenge (very pleasant 5 mile cross country race (39.01)) and the London Santa Run (6k round Battersea Park (28.31))...more to come...
Just spent two weeks of really good training in Italy on the island of Ischia: swimming, walking and running. It's been hard to come back to cold, cold Britain and try to run in the snow! Actually it's been impossible, I've had to use the treadmill at the gym lately, which goes some way to getting the job done but it's just not the same. The great thing about running is the noseyness...it's great to watch the world going on around you from a largely invisible position.
99 days today until the start of the marathon...
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