We can't I meet fat unfit people?

Ok, this is starting to grate on me a little bit, I've mentioned my marathon escapade to a few people, and on a number of occassions it has been met with suprise, shock, disbelief and on the odd occasion, "really, so am I".

However, the "so am I's" all seem to be fit, healthy looking people who weigh about the same as my running top when wet, and none of them seem to be like me.  In fact, at a meeting this morning it went a little further, when one of the people I was meeting with suggested a beer this evening, to which I gracefully declined due to my marathon preparations, then all of a sudden the slip of a lad that was also in attendance perks up and mentiones that he is also running it, when questioned about the sort of time he was aiming for I physically felt the blood draining from my head as he discussed his hope of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, which means he needs to post a time less than 3 hours and 10 minutes. Oh deep joy.

However, my personal trainer (wife) lifted my spirits and told me "some people don't even train for it, mind you, they're the ones who nearly die!"

Less than 1 week to go!

Would you believe it, this time next week I will (hopefully) be recovering from a very large hangover!

Yes, in less than 1 week, in fact, in almost exactly 6 days time, I should be finishing the New York Marathon, woo hoo.  The end of 4 months of training, hours of endless running and no more talking to myself.

For the rest of the week the training runs are really gentle, and even the 10k I had to do yesterday was "easy pace", and supposedly in "race" gear, firstly there is the use of that word again, "race", any one who has seen me run will know that I am not racing anyone next week.  But the question of "race" gear did get me thinking.  The weather forecast for New York has changed quite a bit in the last few days, firstly the temprature was in the mid 70's last week, which would not be fun, but is expected to be around the 15c mark next week, which will be nice. However, it might rain, now I don't mind running in the rain, it can be quite refreshing, but I've not run for 4-5 hours in the rain, actually I've yet to run for 4-5 hours at all, but any way I'm not sure what to wear if it is going to poor down for the whole thing, perhaps that divers suit would have been a good idea after all!!

Any way, for those interested, yes I am really nervous now, it has come round so quickly, and all the people who have asked me "so when is this run thing then, 3-4 weeks away?" haven't helped at all this weekend.  No it isn't 3-4 weeks away, and part of me wishes it was, but the other part is like, no come on, lets get it over with now, you can do it, and at the worst it is just going to be the worst 5 hours or so of your life, but it is only 5 hours, and then I can sit down and enjoy a beer or 3, how fantastic is that hangover going to feel.

To Mickey

Today is a big day for reminding me why I'm doing this.

Today is the anniversary of the day my friend Mickey died. 

Today my thoughts are with Glenda.

Today 26.2 miles is nothing.

Last Long One

Ok, so this weekend is the start of Tapering, and for those that don't know, this is when you start to ease off the running to let your body prepare for the actual marathon.  

The idea is that you have done all the training you need to do by now, and the next 2 weeks the body can replenish some of the carbs ready for the run and rest the muscles in preparation.  However, at various points during the day I have a deep desire to go and do a long run, these times normally coincide with me thinking about how ill-prepared I am for the marathon, or when someone asks how the training is going.  But I've been told that I should taper, and that going and running 18-20 miles now will not help.  I really do wish that I'd done that long run.

Still, at the weekend I met my schedule halfway and rather than (as I wanted to) push myself onto my longest run yet, I did 14 miles, which was a bit more than the schedule said to do, but less than I wanted to, and I did it and felt pretty comfortable.  In fact (and I may regret this) I actually felt like I could run a marathon.

My route was different too, and I think this might have helped a lot.  We were staying in Poole, for the Mother-in-laws birthday (don't worry mum I won't mention your age here), and as the party didn't start until 2:30, I took myself off in the morning for a very gentle (as the schedule said) run down to Poole Quay, and along the coast.

This proved to be a very nice route (with the exception of low tide and a smell that nearly had my toast reappearing) along the quay, through Poole Park, and up Evening Hill with it's lovely views of Brownsea Island and the beach.  The I turned round and ran back home.

The run back was less fun, 1) because I'd seen it all on the way out, 2) because the streets were busier, and my invisibility cloak seems to work in Poole as well, as no one could see me, and 3) because the last 3 miles were up hill.  

The good news:  no chafing of the thighs (thanks to all at bodyglide for there tireless research), no bleeding nipples (thanks to all at elastoplast for their tireless research), but stupid here forgot his socks, so whilst breaking in new running shoes for the marathon, I sustained a blister to the end of my big toe and took the skin off the back of my heal just around the top of my trainer, luckily though I didn't notice either until I got home, and I guess that should be them broken in.

I wasn't fast, but I did it, in about 2:30, which still has me on target for a 5 hour marathon, but I have decided that I am really going to be looking for inspiration from the crowd to lift me on to the finish, probably from about mile 2!

 

Words of encouragement

All, you may know that I have been training with my ipod, and intend to run with it in the marathon. Everyone says that the atmos is great and that you don't need it, but it has become a bit of a crutch to me, and the tracks that I have on there really seem to make a difference to how fast and far I can run.  Saying that, I did have a thought today, and I'm now calling on all my supporters (yes both of you), to see if you can record some words of encouragment, you know the sort of stuff I mean, thatI can then put on my ipod to help me through the hours.  If you can record it as an mp3 on your computer and then email me, I will stick it on my ipod and listen to you shouting obscenities at me at random intervals around the streets of NY.

Personal Trainer

It has also come to my attention that the "friend" that talked my into running this silly marathon has secured the services of a "personal trainer" of late, this I believe is the same "personal trainer" that his brother (another marathon runner who is doing Dublin the week before we run New York) uses.  Not wanting to be out done, I now have my own "personal trainer" who is constantly making sure that I get up and get out and do my runs, pushing me to run further, faster, and not to miss a training run.  I have to say, that my dear wife Amy has stopped short of biking alongside me with a megaphone shouting abuse at me, but there is still time.

Glorious victories and a dodgy 14 miler

So what a weekend, England stun the world with a fantastic display of some of the forgotten art within the wonderful game we call rugby, and I do another 14 miles stomping around the streets of North London.

Yes, I know I said I was going to try and stop going off topic, but come on, wasn't that truely fantastic? I always said that if the pack could turn up and they had a flyhalf they had a chance, and on Saturday both happened.  The pack (led be Sherri) gave an amazing performance, the Aussie back row has been legendary on the run up to this tournament (something akin to the England back row last time round) yet they were taken apart at the breakdown by the likes of Moody, Corry, Easter and Shaw, the ball carrying from the forwards was relentless and the support at the breakdown was staggering in comparrision to previous games, let alone what the front row and tight 5 did to the scrums.  The backs were also very close to being able to show what they can do with quality ball in hand.

Anyway, bring on Le Blues.

So back to the running, I had quite a good week last week following my 16 miler, and picked up early in the week with some good quicker short runs, and also I didn't need 4 days before I was able to walk again, which was a huge relief.  But this weekend was always going to be difficult, I had intended to run 18miles but having my daughter and England playing the Aussies was going to mean it was difficult to fit the time in (and now it is a long time).  Saturday came and went and I was left having to do the long run on Sunday (before the 3rd quater final).

I set off from Winchmore Hill this time, and ran up to Southgate, and up past the home of Southgate RFC and on to Cockfosters and trent park.  This was all really straight forward and my times were wonderfully consistant.  I refulled at the shop, and headed back down Southgate and past the Fishmongers Arms (the other home of Southgate RFC) and down to Grange Park.  I didn't have any real idea of route in mind, but I've done so many miles round the area now that I know I could link particular runs I'd done together to form a long run over familiar terrain.  From Grange Park it was up and over the hill on Old Park Ridings (which I still think is quite a steep climb) and down through the park, this was around the 7-8 mile mark and I'll be dammed if I didn't feel really good, so good in fact that I desided to put Windmill Hill into my route and started to do the 2nd climb in 2 miles, with the benefit of hindsight I think that might have been a mistake, I laboured my way up the hill which was really disapointing as I'd sailed up the fist climb, and then as I reached the top this little slip of a lass came bouncing past me, and I mean bouncing, I swear she used more energy bouncing upwards than I could muster to propel myself forward, still better than  being overtaken by the suit running for his bus last week.

As I headed back down into Enfield around the 10 mile mark me legs were really starting to feel it and I began to get quite down about how little time I had left to build the strength up in my legs before the marathon itself, I had stopped to get another bottle of water and think that in doing this it might not have helped, but I pushed on and after a few miles the pain subsided from my calves and then moved up my legs into my thighs, then groin and then the lower stomach. 

The per mile pace of the last few miles of my run resembles the Alps, with everything from a really poor 12 minutes to a 9:50 as I started to get angry with myself.  At this stage I'd also like to apologies to the lady with the small child who probably didn't need to overhear those sort of words at such a tender age, and also if anyone out there knows if you can get running insurance, you know, hyperthetically for someone who perhaps whilst running collides with a child in the street and flatterns them?  

In the end I pushed myself onto 14 miles, and then took myself home to watch the rugby and spend some time with my family.  It wasn't quite the success I'd wanted, but on the positive side I did another run over half way.

Less than a month to go

Ok, it is really starting to get very real now, and it is coming round very quickly.

Before too long my training is supposed to start tapering, can you believe that, the last 2 weeks before the run and I'm supposed to taper my training, there are those out there who think I started my tapering around about 12 weeks ago, but I can assure you I have now logged over 250 training miles (unfortunately an ipod malfunction appears to have lost some of my runs including my 16 miler last weekend).

I have also had some criticism from some regarding the content of my blog, and that it had originally started out to be a window onto the sole of a man undertaking the hardest phyiscal and mental challenge of his life, and instead (although very interesting) has become a window onto one mans view of the England Rugby Team - GO ON ENGLAND.  But I feel I can draw a number of similarities from my running and the England team, no one thought they could get this far and it is sheer determination rather than form and prearation that is keeping them going.

So apologies, but I will try and get the blog back on topic for those that prefer to read about my physical and mental anguish and pain.

Back to running

Ok, after the fun of watching England win I had to run again.

So Sunday came round really quickly, and the fun I'd had in Paris seemed like a mistake.  But I had to do my long run and as I'd put in a poor performance in New York I was desperate to make up for it.

I was aiming for 16 miles, and I had a good idea of a route that would deliver that, but I also wanted to push myself further so set off with 4 out of the first 5 miles being up hill, as I climed up towards the M25.  No it isn't K2, but boy did I notice the difference that a constant (if shallow) climb makes, and it took my 1 hour 40 minutes to do the first 8 miles.  I also had to stop for a wee, and also to buy some more water, but that's not included in the running time!

I did the next 8 miles in 1 hour 20 minutes, but this was anything but even paced.  Miles 8-12 felt really good, and I covered them in a really good time, but the last 4 were a struggle, to the point that I actually think walking might have been quicker at times, but I pushed on and finished.

I won't say I felt confident afterwards, I'd spent the best part of Sunday afternoon out running, I was fed up with listening to myslef, and I couldn't see where I could get another 10 miles from, and I really felt that it was likely to take me about 6 hours, I could walk it in 8!

But, my wife cheered me up, and I had a good run yesterday a quick run just short of 4 miles, the day after the long run and the legs felt good, not like the other week when I couldn't walk for 3 days after running 12 miles.  Perhaps, just perhaps, I can do this.

England 36 - Tonga 20

Back from New York for 1 night, and then off to Paris for the crunch game between England and Tonga and the possibility of a quater final place.

Having sat in the Stade de France and watched England getting hammered by the boks, and then the composure that they showed against a well up for it Samoa, it was with renewed confidence that I took my seat in the Parc de Princes for the do or die game.  With the fixture list for the weekend showing that every group had a game to decide who went through I felt that those who stated that the world cup was only between 4 teams might be eating their words now.  And certainly the England supporters did not want their side going home early.

Some might say that it was rude, disrespectful or discouteous, but when the Tongan's started their haka and the England Team lined up to face them, I for one was very proud of the rousing chorus of Swing Low that echoed round the stadium and made sure that our boys knew that we were firmly behind them.

A very good game then ensued, Tonga showed why they were challenging for a quarter final and the strength of their tackling, direct running and clearing out a the ruck was testament to a side that was 100% committed to winning this game.  England on the other hand had Lewis Moody who more than ever showed the side and country what it was to be on the "front foot", if only he might choose to use other parts of his body rather than just his face next time, his opposite number really should have left the field after the tackle that broke Moddy's nose.

After a little scare England certainly seemed to find their feet and the forwards started to show the sort of form that we as supporters are seeking, someone of the handling was great including a whole 30 seconds (yes 30 seconds) that was as good as anything we've seen this world cup from any other nation, no matter which hemisphere you are watching.

Jonny was fantastic not just his vision and execution of the cross field kick instead of the penalty and the wonderful finish by Sackey, but his distribution and all-round running of the game was exactly what England need.  He made the rest of the backs sparkle (with the possible exception of Ollie who didn't have his best game), but Tait looked sharp and for the first real time in an England shirt showed what he can do, the same could also be said for Farrell, who scored his first after Jonny put the 4 Tongan deffenders on the wrong foot.

It isn't about one player making the difference, but since Jonny's return the others around him play with more confidence, and the really positive thing, although he keeps kicking the points, he has put Sackey in for 3, Tait in for 1, Farrell in for 1, Corry in.  He is playing like a more complete flyhalf, and with him, and the team playing confidently around him, I reckon we could take the Aussies again.

 

Back to NY

So, last week I went to New York for a few days, the last time I will be there before the big day itself (which is far too close now), and so I decided that I'd familiarise myself with a little bit of the route. As I was staying near Central Park I thought an early morning run round the great park itself would be a great idea, so I planned to start at Columbus Circle, run up the left side, across the top, down the right side, and along the bottom, as I will do on November the 4th, finishing back at Columbus, rather than in the park.  However, whether it was the flight the day before, the not so great nights sleep or what I don't know, but my legs felt twice as heavy as usual, and that is pretty heavy anyway, given that each of them is about 40% of my overal body weight (all muscle - honest).

So I trudged and struggled up the street, it was a glorious morning, the sun was out, the air was good, there were lots of other people looking very fit running towards me and overtaking me, and I really couldn't get into it.

As I reached the top of the park, I figured it was going to take everything I had just to go back the way I came, so I did, and a very dejected runner ended up in the queue at JambaJuice waiting for a "Power Orange-a-peel" with added energy shot.