Laps and hills

Well, as I couldn't bring myself to run around the streets of gay Paris last weekend (two notably large nights out put pay to that), I had to squeeze my long run in at the begining of this week, and decided to get it out of the way on Monday night.

In trying to pick my route for this 12 mile run, I decided to stick two together, and did my normal short run home from Palmers Green, followed by 2 laps of Enfield.  The first 4 miles was good I was feeling really positive and didn't even get annoyed at the "stupid" people walking along the path (for a change), then the 2nd 4 miles started with a hill (Windmill Hill for those that know Enfield), then the Ridgeway, Lavender Hill (down), Lancaster Road, Baker Street, High Street and back to the bottom of the hill), finishing lap 1 and mile 8 it was going really well. There is something about running round somewhere more than once (as I keep learning about running and how to trick myself into being able to do it), but the simple fact that the next 4 miles where the same as the 4 miles I'd just done, made it feel easier, you know, that sort of talking to yourself saying, "come on, it's just once more round and you've already done it once you wuss!", so I did.  

However, I think I've got to start tricking myself into thinking that I'm doing longer runs, because it seems the last 1 mile of what ever long run I do, is getting hard, and the legs are really feeling it towards the end, I am sure I look like I'm trying to dance like someones Dad at a wedding rather than run.

Oh, and that reminds me, twice now when I'm stretching at the end of my run, a caring passer-by has asked me if I'm alright?, does my bright red face covered in sweat really look that bad that complete strangers feel the need to offer me help? 

Anyway, long run done for the week and I did it in 2:09 so not to bad for me.  Only problem, for some reason and I don't know if it was the cold, the rain, the hill or the tight shorts but I could hardly walk until Thursday, my legs were like lead. 

Getting Longer!

So, having got back into regular training after the excess of my holiday and the high jinx of my birth(weekend), I now had to get back on track with my long runs. I seemed to slip back into the running during the week quite well and was pleased with the relative "ease" in which I got back to the 4 mile runs. But I am now at the point where every long weekend run I do is going to be further than I have ever run before (and before anyone elses says it, yes that has pretty much been the case since I started with the little 2 milers!).

So with a 100 minute run on the cards for the weekend, the sudden realisation that I was going to my parents (and a wedding) hit me. For those that don't know, my parents still live in the village I was brought up in, Rothbury, which is in a valley, in the middle of Northumberland and it is not well known for being flat!

In fact, there was no route that I could take that wouldn't involve hills, and some quite big hills, in fact, some very big hills, you know, the sort of hills that have names! But I managed to put in a 95 minute run, complete with some hills and covered 8.5 miles, which I was pretty pleased about, as I think half of the route was on an incline!

Running Speed

So, into week 5 of my "how to run a marathon for stupid people who aren't fit enough to run a marathon" training programme and I'm confused, yes, very little baffles the sharp mind of Mr. Scott, but this has.  You see, the training programme is now talking in terms like, jog, steady, easy, brisk, fast, slow, comfortable and hard, like - 75 minutes steady or 40 minutes brisk etc.

Now for those that know me, you might now understand my confusion, you see, I have 2 speeds of running, one is the pace I class as "running" and the other is "walking", there is nothing faster than running and nothing in between, if I really wanted to I could add "standing still" as a 3rd and possibly "lying down" or "walking backwards", but I'm not really sure that is in the spirit of what I'm trying to achieve.  So my quandary is, what pace is my "running" pace, am I jogging, taking it easy, steady or briskly?

Oh The Pain!

So as per usual the body is strong (stop laughing) and the mind is week!

Last week was full of good intentions, I was going to get seriously back into my training schedule following our holiday and rack up the 100 training miles etc. etc. however, with the multiple events that included my wedding anniversary (lovely night out and fantastic dinner with plenty of champers, wine, great steak and creme brulee - not the greatest of training diets) and me turning the ripe old age of 35 (I know, you're all thinking that he doesn't look that old) , which involved a complete day out with Southgate RFC watching the rugby on Saturday, followed by Sunday which hinged on the toss of a coin, the coin won, and we ended up sitting in a beer garden downing shots and playing silly drinking games until I had to be taken home (at least an early night followed).

So, as is becoming a bit of a theme on this blog, this week I mean it, this week I get back into the programme.

I reckon I'm 2 long runs behind on my target which means that the 110 minutes run this weekend is going to be hard, but I'm confident that I'll get back on track, I have to if I am to stand any chacne of finishing on November the 4th (which I have just worked out is 11 weeks from Sunday - bugger).

Oh and it's raining again, great.

Holiday is long gone

Ok, just over 4 miles last night (and as it was MB's brithday I had 2 pints and a curry at lunch time, then forgot to eat banana on the train) and just short of 2 miles this morning on my quick run into the office (fastest time yet), both runs where under the 10 mintues 30 seconds per mile mark (I know it's slow compared to all your flighty things, but remember I'm the size of 1.5 normal runners!).

Any way, I'm feeling quite pleased that my holiday doesn't seem to have damaged me too much, but I still have my long run this weekend and I may have to plan a flat route for it, however, It will be off the back of me bringing up my 100th training mile.

Tuscan Training

So, I've just arrived back from our holiday in Tuscany. The Scott's Summer Holiday was fantastic with a couple of days in Rome where we took Alice to the Colesium (she loved it), and the week in a beautiful house the Tuscan region of Italy (which had no mobile phone signal or internet connectivity, it was brilliant, so sorry for the lack of updates!).

As for the training, I did eat a lot of pasta, however this was washed down with a lot of Nastro, and Chianti, and I'm also very glad that the marathon is taking place in the cool of November. I managed to get some runs in, and as our house was at the end of a half mile forest road (up hill) and most of the runs took place with tempratures in the high 30's, I felt I did alright, I reckon the heat and the hills added a mile or two to each run. I've also convinced myself that the endless days of splashing about in the pool pretending to be a shark for the kids, actualy counts as cross-training, someone please agree with me?

But I'm not kidding myself, I am behind on my schedule (something I share with Sam after his trip West), and I need to put some effort in this week (which is going to be hard, considering the week contains my wedding anniversary and my birthday!!).

However, needs must, and I am again spurred on by the performance of my friends, as Rob completed the London Triathlon yesterday in a time of 2 hours and 40 minutes, which is brilliant, so well done Rob, Ollie on the other hand managed 6 hours of drinking in celebration, which for him is an excellent effort.

The old fella still has it

So, my schedule had me down for my 3x8 minutes hard with breaks, and well, I didn't do it. I know what you will be saying, "that boy can't stick to anything", but before you cast me aside, hear me out, as instead I went rugby training with Southgate RFC, and worked really hard.

At the moment the training is a mix of fitness, skills and fun, with some core strength work at the end, so trust me it got me out running around and out of breath. I also felt that as the schedule had me down for shorter harder bursts of running, that the training would fit well and it did.

It also finished up with the customary game of touch-rugby, again lots of explosive sprinting (not a term often used in the same sentence as me), and well, what can I say, there are a couple of the Southgate backs that are looking a little shame faced this morning, having been sold dummies and stripped for pace by the big fella.

Roll on vets rugby.....

Back to schedule today.

Wet Wet Wet

Plenty of poeple have told me about how much they prefer running in the rain, I don't.

Yes I know it is refreshing, and yes I know that it helps to keep you cool, but there is just something about starting your run dripping wet and getting sore nipples. Granted this happens anyway, normally by about the end of mile 1 when the sweat is pouring off my head and my fancy running top is "wicking" the sweat away from my back (I hope none of you are reading this over breakfast or lunch, if you are, oops, sorry), but at least I've had a mile when I didn't feel bedraggled.

Last night I had my 45 minute run to do, and it started and finished in the rain. However, it was just rain and not the hail that I had the week before last, which is worse and actually hurt. As for the run, I was really pleased (if I say so myself, and frankly I have too as no one else is going to say it). My route was from Palmers Green Station to home along Green Lanes, just shy of 4 miles, and I had what was probably my most consistent run to date. I'm still not fast (I won't be challenging the elite runners that's for sure, in fact I'm quite positive a number of the fancy dress runners will beat me) but I am getting better.

Still rest day today, so hopefully off to the gym for some work on the bike!

Making up for last week

So, last week was week 1 of the main 16 week training programme and I was terrible.

For the past 5 weeks I have been following a "Pre marathon warm up for fools", and was doing quite well (I thought any way). This programme took me from walk for 15 minutes, up to a full 10k run, which was equal to furthest I have ever run before, and certainly the furthest in one go!!

But after finishing the pre-programme on a high I spent last week in New York. I meant well, I took my running gear with me and was all set to do some miles round Manhattan, running through Central Park, up and down the river side, visualising November and the marathon itself with me pounding through the Manhattan streets with the crowd screaming and shouting encouragement, however, it was not to be, and the temptation to spend each night eating and drinking and generally enjoying myself was too great (for those who know me well, you will understand that this is quite out of character, as it normally takes a lot to get me into a pub). I am ashamed of my poor performance even more so as the eating and drinking I did was with my friend Sam Johnson who is also running the New York Marathon and who is also partly to blame for convincing me to do such a silly thing (he did that over beers as well), but he was strong enough to brave the rain and continue his training while I worked on my excuses!!

So, with a poor week behind me and plenty of sarcastic comments regarding the "lack of progress" on my blog, I tried to make up for it this weekend and ran on both Saturday and Sunday, covering just over 3.5 miles on Saturday and 7.25 on Sunday. Sunday's was very pleasing as I was quicker over 10k than I had been the week before, and also my route took me off road and through Whitewebbs which was very damp under foot. Obviously keen to keep my pristine new trainers clean, I needed to navigate round the large muddy puddles, which slowed me down, but I was able to pick the pace up again once I got back to the road.

So, I'm back on track. The schedule for this week is:

• Monday: 45 minutes
  
• Tuesday: rest
  
• Wednesday: 3 x 10 minutes hard, 3 minutes recovery
  
• Thursday: Easy 25 minute jog
  
• Friday: 50 minutes steady
  
• Saturday: rest
  
• Sunday 90 minutes
  

So it is 16 weeks until the marathon, and my training has started in earnest. That said, so far I've been able to use my "it's raining really hard", "I don't want wet running gear rotting in my bag" and "the dog just ate my trainers" excuses.

However, I did drag myself out yesterday in the hot and humid conditions for a 3 mile run round the streets of Manhatten, and ended up as wet as I would have been in the rain. Oh joy

Blog Launched

So today I have launched my blog in an attempt to make sure I do it, and to make sure I keep training (because I'm really going to need to). On my blog over the coming months you will be able to follow my training progress, tell me how stupid you think I am or send me words of encouragment!

On here you can see when I run, how far I run and how fast I'm running, as well as the goals that I'm setting for myself as part of my training, so I really need to keep it up.

I look forward to getting ALL your comments.