Brathay Windermere Marathon Report

Specificity - the quality or state of being specific.

This is how I should have viewed my training for the Brathay Windermere marathon. The reports had said undulating. I should have paid attention and trained accordingly. That is not to say that I had a bad day at the office, just that it could have gone better if I had a) trained for hills and b) set a more achievable target.

Hilly marathons are not the same beast as the run of the mill marathon. They are hard to pace and should be treated differently. Even to the extent that I think a hilly marathon PB should be given its own recognition and not compared to a flat marathon PB.

My wife and I travelled to Ambleside on the Saturday. I've been there a couple of times before, it's very beautiful and sits at the north end of lake Windermere. Once we had checked in to our hotel we set off for me to register for the marathon so it would be one less thing to worry about the following morning.

On the way there we were passed by a handful of people running the 10 in 10 (i.e. running the course 10 times over 10 days). I can barely walk the day after a marathon let alone get up and run another and then another and then another....

I picked up my number and was given a goody bag which is a first for me. I normally get a goody bag after a race not before. And another first, it came with a free bottle of beer. I laid out my bounty on my hotel bed to take a photo:

Goody bag bounty

The rest of the day we relaxed around the town and hotel and went to a local restaurant so I could fill up on pasta!

We drove to the start the next morning (having already paid for a parking spot). My wife loved the car park assistants who used giant foam fingers to help guide you where to park.

It was a beautiful day. The forecast earlier in the week had the weather as being cool and overcast. It most definitely wasn't. Hills and heat, an ominous sign!

Not a bad location for a marathon

We walked around the athletes' village for a bit until finally it was time for the marathon to start.

Athletes' village, finish line in the background

All smiles before the run

We all lined up behind a band of drummers who marched us the 400m down the hill to the start. Possibly the best way to start a marathon I've experienced. I've copied the official video below to give a taste of what it is like.

Waving not drowning

Walking down the hill

A steep hill that we have to run (walk) back up at the end!

Snaking down to the start

Finally at the bottom we all gathered behind the start line, the drumming band gave a final salvo and then a shotgun shot went off and we were away!

Start line

I had trained to run a 3:30 marathon so naturally I went off at that pace. The roads were undulating but not too bad. Certainly no worse than I've run before. It took about three miles for me to get into my stride and settle my pace to where I felt comfortable (still about 3:30 finish pace).

There was support, not loads; this is a countryside marathon after all.

After going through a village called Hawkshead I struck up a conversation with another runner called Matt. It was his third marathon although his first two were both Snowdonia so he was well suited for this sort of terrain. We both fell into the same rhythm and chatted away for the next 4 miles. I remember saying that I didn't want to jinx things but if the ups and downs were all like how they had been then I would be very happy. Then we hit the hill at mile 7!

I've run up steep hills before in a marathon, Richmond Park springs to mind, but this hill felt like it winded me. It was steep and long and completely sapped my pace. I could also hear the skirl of bagpipes which is not something you expect while puffing up a hill in the Lake District. Sure enough though, at the top were two bagpipers playing Scotland the Brave. At least they helped me take my mind off the climb. It levelled out eventually and then started a gradual decline.

I had split up from Matt by this time and settled into a slightly slower pace since I was now aware of the potential climbs to come and wanted to conserve some energy.

The sun had come out and it was heating up so I started looking for shade wherever I could get it. Race guidelines had said that headphones would be banned on non-closed sections of the race so I had decided not to wear any at all. I'm glad because I was able to take in all the sounds of the surrounding countryside as well as the sights. A total 4D experience. At this point there was nowhere else I would rather have been.

It stayed that way for the next seven miles. The undulations were manageable with no repeat of mile seven. I rounded the bottom of the lake and felt good. 12 miles down, 14 to go.

The sun continued to heat up and then I hit mile 14. Not as steep as mile 7 but a definite increase in slope compared to what had come before. My legs started to feel the pain. Race reviews had said that the second half was tougher than the first due to the unrelenting inclines. They were right.

My average pace was dropping. I was no longer on for 3:30, but I sort of knew that anyway. There was no way I could beat my PB on a course like this. I readjusted my expectations. 3:45 would be an excellent result, sub 4 would be good. That felt achievable.

I could see that my pace kept dropping very slowly for the next 6 or 7 miles but I thought I could manage it. Then I hit the hill at mile 21 that is known as ice cream mountain because of the ice cream van at the top. At that moment it might as well have been a mountain. My central governor won my body over and I had to stop to walk for a minute. I was annoyed with myself, I always am when I have to walk. It feels like a minor failure but sometimes it's the best thing to do. Unfortunately once you stop once it becomes easier to stop again and again.

I adopted a run/walk strategy for the final 5 miles. 800m run and 200m walk. My average pace dropped significantly but it helped get me back into a groove.

With 2 miles to go Matt caught up with me again. He'd had a tough day as well and the hills had caught him out too. He seemed to be finishing stronger than me though so I let him go ahead.

I finally entered the grounds of the estate where the finish line was and was faced with the cruellest of hills to get there. No way would I be able to run it. I walked until there was about 200m to go to the finish and then picked my legs up and sprinted (shuffled quickly) to the line. Official finishing time - 3:49:36.

My wife was there to greet me but all I wanted to do was lay down on the grass and get some oxygen back in my lungs.

I felt far worse than I appear to look

Finally we headed off to get back to the hotel. It took a while due to road closures but once back I headed straight down the hotel's spa and pool to soak my legs and get some circulation back in my body (the reason I booked the hotel was because they had a pool, sauna, steam room and hot tub - all of which helped my aching bones).

So, how do I feel about the marathon?

I would recommend it wholeheartedly. It's well run, challenging and in a beautiful location. I can see why it is rated so highly by runners.

Am I disappointed by my time? Not really. You learn something every time you run a marathon. This time I have learnt that if I'm going to run a hilly marathon then I have to set my expectations better, really listen to what other people have said and to train for hills better. Next time I run a hilly marathon I would set a goal of 3:45 and not get carried away at the start.

Now I do nothing for two weeks while I let my body rest. I've got a slight post tibial tendinitis pain after Sunday so that will have to disappear before I can start any real running. Then I will ease back into running before picking up training for the Chester marathon on 2nd October. I might try for a decent time for Chester but that will depend on how training goes over the summer.

The goal guessing game

Three days until the marathon. One training run left to run tomorrow morning. It's time to start preparing. My race day kit has been washed. I've printed out all the instructions and passes I need in order to get to the hotel and the start of the race. Tonight I'll gather everything together and put it in a bag ready for the off.

The forecast at the moment looks pretty much perfect according to the BBC:

Not too hot, not too cold

I'm hoping to use the Endomondo live tracking app on my phone to allow friends and family to track me during the race. I've only just discovered it so I may not be able to get it working perfectly. Also, I'm not sure what the phone signal is going to be like in the Lake District so it may not work anyway. My profile is here for anyone interested (race starts at 10am): Endomondo running profile, click through for a live map update

So, now I have to set some goals for myself.

I have run seven marathons and these have broken down as follows:

sub 3:30 - 1

sub 3:45 - 2

sub 4:00 - 3

4:00+ - 1

My PB is 3:29:57 and I am extremely unlikely to beat that due to the undulating course but I should set it as my A goal anyway.

My B goal will be sub 3:45. I can normally do that with minimal training (albeit on a flat course) so should hopefully get under it.

My C goal will be sub 4:00 as this is normally my upper limit on any marathon. I've only came in over four hours once (4:00:57) on my second marathon which I foolishly ran six weeks after my first. I was definitely not ready for it. So as long as nothing drastic goes wrong then I should be able to get back in one piece under that,

I think I've resolved the problem I had with my video. I took a new one earlier this week and then used a converting tool to put it into YouTube friendly format. This worked much better. It's still a bit shaky but I think it's workable, I'm still not sure I'll take it with me on the marathon though since I don't think it'll capture the run in as much detail as I'd like. I'll also have my phone with me so can take video with that if I want to. Anyway, here's the video from earlier this week when I went through one of my local parks (ignore the time stamp, I haven't set it to the correct date yet and it cannot be removed from display):

I'll write up a race report next week when I am back home. Hopefully the weather will hold out as I am really looking forward to what should be a challenging marathon in a beautiful location.

On easy street

Today was my longest run before the marathon next week. 12 miles, 10 at marathon pace. All my remaining runs are in single digits and at an easy pace. Last year I remember feeling very sluggish during this period so I won't be surprised or worried if that happens this year too. Experience is handy.

I've just finished reading a book called Eat and Run by Scott Jurek. If you don't know him he's an ultrarunner. Probably the best in the world and his book is a bit of an eye opener. Sometimes I feel tired and my legs ache while training for a marathon but it pales into insignificance next to what Scott does. He will quite happily go off on a run of 50 miles at a faster pace than I can run a marathon at. During competitions he will run up to 150 miles and run the latter stages at around 7 minute mile pace. That is some serious running right there. I've often thought I'd like to do a race longer than marathon distance but I reckon I'd have to give it at least a year of training to get to the level that I would want. Maybe it will be one of my things to do before I'm 50 (in about four and a half years!).

On Sunday I ran 10 miles along the canal and then through Southall and back home to Ealing. As I ran through Southall at about 8:30am I passed a man on a BMX (call me weird but I never trust adults riding on a BMX). He turned his bike around and started cycling behind me about 5 metres back. This was on a relatively busy street so I wasn't too worried and thought maybe I was being paranoid and that it was a coincidence. After about 200m I could still see him in my peripheral vision slowly cycling behind me. I thought I would test him out and crossed the road. Immediately he stopped cycling and went back the other way. I have no idea what his plan was. Maybe he was just curious to see a man running. Maybe it was another coincidence (unlikely). Anyway, I've mentioned on here before that I sometimes feel like being in an impervious bubble whilst running but these things make you realise that you should always be aware of your surroundings.

Last week my tiny video camera arrived as well as the 16GB memory card. All in it cost around £8 which is practically giving it away. It came with a number of attachments to clip on to clothing or a cycling helmet etc. It also has a protective sleeve to give some protection from the rain.

Tiny video camera or massive hand?

I took it out for a run on Monday just to see how it felt and what sort of quality video I could get. It hardly weighed anything so that was a bonus. I did however have difficulty holding it steady and managed to capture the sky more than the path I was running. I might take it out again to see if I can improve both the shakiness and the angle of video. Anyway, here it is in all its glory:

[Update: for some reason the video is really jerky. I've uploaded it twice and have also uploaded to youTube all with the same result. I will try to fix this for the next video I upload]

This weekend I have two 8 mile runs. I might run along the canal for the final time if the weather is good (when it rains the path has a habit of gathering large puddles). Anyway, it's pretty much relaxed jogging for the next week and a bit and then I run a marathon. Simple, eh?

Doing the no-taper taper

The Hanson marathon method is structured in such a way that the schedule only really alters from the routine that has been followed with one week to go until the marathon race itself.

This effectively means that although the quantity of running follows a downward trend for the last three weeks of training it doesn't actually feel like a taper until the final week.

I have though run my last long run. 16 miles through Richmond Park on a glorious blue sky day. Deer came out to play but I did not see any parakeets (unfortunately).

I managed to take a couple of photos while out running through the park and you can see them on my Strava link below:



I have just over two weeks to go to the marathon and the longest run I have left is a 12 mile tempo run (1 mile w/u, 10 miles tempo, 1 mile w/d) next Thursday. I can't say I will miss the interval and tempo training but they do give a sense of variety to what is a very intense (6 days per week) training schedule.

I've ordered a micro video camera that I am hoping will arrive in time for me to test out. It may be possible for me to clip it on my vest as I run the marathon so I can upload some videos. Unfortunately the battery only lasts for about two hours so I won't be able to capture the whole race, I'll just have to be selective (providing I can get it working sufficiently).

I'm running my last pair of back to back ten mile runs this weekend. Saturday will be my usual jaunt around the local parks of Ealing and on Sunday I think I'll run along the canals since I haven't done so in quite some time, so long as the weather stays nice.

Given the cold temperatures of March and April it has just started to warm up around here now. I don't particularly mind about the heat or the cold but it does feel nice when I step out at 5:30am and the sun is shining and the temperature is above freezing!

If my video camera turns up by next week I'll try and put up some sample videos.

Pre-race prep

There are no gels supplied at the feeding stations at the Brathay marathon so I've had to buy my own. The trouble is that I only use gels during marathons, never during training so I always buy a large box and end up not using most of them.

But now I've discovered the marathon race pack from High5. Basically it has everything I need for pre-race, race and post-race nutrition.

£10 from Wiggle. Good value I think. There's plenty of gels, an energy bar and some supplements to add to water.

Now all I had to do is find a way of carrying them around with me on the course. My gel belt that I normally use is not the most comfortable so I'm going to use a FlipBelt. It can hold all the gels I need (six, I think if I go for one every half hour) as well as my iPhone and keys etc. I've tried it out whilst carrying my iPhone and by the end of my run I forgot I was even wearing it so I consider that a success.

Finally (I have been busy!), I've bought some Event Clips. These are a replacement for safety pins that allow you to clip your number to your shirt without the awkwardness that safety pins always cause. Being Welsh I've gone for the Welsh flag motif. I've not tried them out in anger yet but they do appear to work.

This weekend I'm running my last long run, 16 miles. I've saved one of my favourite routes until the end. I'm going to run through Richmond Park. I'll take my iPhone in the FlipBelt so I can take photos of the deer and parakeets if I see any. I might try out the Event Clips too if I remember.

Just over three weeks to go. Can't wait!

Video of the Brathay Windermere marathon

Here is a great video I found on YouTube of the Brathay Windermere marathon that I will be running exactly one month from today. Looks beautiful but very, very hilly. Almost certainly won't get a PB at this.

Better late than never

I know, it's been a while since my last update but I have a really good excuse! I was lazy. There, that's good enough isn't it?

I meant to start up the blog again when I began marathon training back in January but forgot. And then once you've forgotten once it becomes easy to continue to forget.

Anyway, let's put all that behind us and move on from here.

So, what's up you ask? I am four weeks away from my next marathon. The Brathay Windermere marathon in the Lake District. Not much hope for a new pb since it is apparently rather tough and hilly but it's a beautiful area I've been to several times and I'm looking forward to a good, hard marathon.

I've been following the Hanson marathon method again for a sub 3:30 finish. I don't actually think I'll achieve sub 3:30 because of the course but at least I can train to that level and see how it goes. I'm thinking of negative splitting again since it has reaped dividends in the last two marathons.

I've only missed three training runs out of the schedule due to illness/tiredness/can't be arsedness and I've only got one long run remaining next weekend. My legs feel tired all the time, which I know is a good sign, and I think my weight is finally starting to drop. I'll probably reach 80kg by the time of the race which is not too bad (78kg would be my ideal).

This has just been a quick update to get back up to speed. I'll post again next week after a couple of 10 mile runs this weekend.

Chester Marathon Report

I love the Chester marathon. I try to run two marathons a year if possible and due to the summer training schedule clashing with holidays and birthdays etc. I use the Chester marathon as a race without pressure and run it just for fun with no desire to beat my PB. That way I get to enjoy both the fantastic support and beautiful course as well as getting more marathon experience in my legs for when I do race for a PB in the spring.

It's a very well organised race and I feel lucky to run two brilliantly organised and supported races on two successive weekends (with the Ealing half a week before).

We stayed the night before with my wife's sister who lives a 15 minute drive outside of Chester in Frodsham. I woke up at 7am and got my race gear on, ate a couple of pieces of toast and then we drove to the racecourse in Chester. There was a mist that wouldn't last for long but for now it meant that the weather was cool and I joined the rest of the race goers on the course waiting for the off.

After the inevitable queue for the toilet (I never really need to go but I always feel that I should go) I settled myself in to the 3:45 pen. I wanted to get in under 4 hours with an ambition of getting round in under 3:45. No real pressure but nice to achieve if I could.

My wife took a photo of me just before I headed in to the running pen.

Ready to run!

Every time I run a marathon I never actually feel like I'm ready to run a marathon. It may be my brain trying to protect me from the physical exertion ahead or it may be an outcome of the taper but it never occurs to me what I am going to put myself through!

The Chester town crier gave an amusing speech to rally the troops and then we were off. We swept around the race course and then up a hill into the town centre itself. There were crowds everywhere cheering us along as we ran through the centre, under the famous Chester clock (you know, the one from the opening titles of Hollyoaks!) and then out over the Dee towards Handbridge. It's a familiar route for me as I used to run it as part of my training runs when I stayed in Chester (also, because I've run the last three Chester marathons). The mist burned away and the sun stayed out in clear skies for the rest of the race. Maybe I should have brought my cap. Nevermind, too late to do anything about that now.

The course runs out through small villages in the nearby Chester countryside as well as several miles through Wales. At each village crowds would gather and cheer you on, some would have music playing, jelly beans were proffered and children held their hands out for high fives (which I tried to oblige them with!),

Every 3 miles or so there were drinks and gel stations. I decided to go on a gel every five miles strategy and every time I thought I'd need one a station would appear out of the distance just in time! The stations were well manned by volunteers holding out proper bottles with sports tops on (so much better than paper cups!).

At half way the course ran back on itself slightly so you could see other runners in the opposite direction. This always gives a little lift to tired legs although knowing that they've run about two more miles than you can make you somewhat jealous.

I felt fine and decided to pick up the pace ever so slightly. I was on course for sub 4 easily so I thought maybe if I just increased my speed I could get under 3:45. Two years ago I was going for sub 3:30 and picked up my pace at half way but it backfired as I had to walk much of the last two miles. This time though time was not so important so I figured I could risk it.

At about 18 miles the course merges with people who were running the metric marathon (26.2km). It meant that the course got a little more crowded but not so much that I couldn't run my pace.

I managed to avoid hitting the wall and the course started to head back in towards Chester and the finish line at the race course. Before then though there were a couple of hills to master. I say hills but in reality they are slopes, they just appear to be hills after running 24 miles. I noticed more people walking but I was determined to keep my legs ticking over. After getting up the final slope/hill on Sandy Lane with the enthusiastic encouragement of the volunteers and crowd it's pretty much a 1 mile run along the river and back into the race course.

At the sign for 400m to go I checked my watch to see how I was doing. 3:42:30. I know I can run 400m in less than two and a half minutes so I was going to make my A goal. I entered the race course and saw the finish line 300m off into the distance. No matter how little 300m can seem, at the end of a marathon it looks so far away. I stuck my head down, lifted my legs and picked up the pace again. With 200m to go I decided to sprint. I pegged along, faster and faster and saw the 3:45 pacers just ahead. I raced past one and caught up with the other right on the finish line. I punched the air and stopped my watch - 3:44:10. Then I felt like throwing up. Actually felt like throwing up. Started to throw up! I managed to move past the volunteers handing out water and was helpfully move by a St. John's Ambulanceman off to the side where he told me to let it out. So I did. And I felt much better. I've never thrown up after running before, must have been the effort of the sprint at the end. A swig of water and I collected my medal and went through the finishing chute to pick up an excellent long sleeve training top (perfect for the winter, Chester always give great tops) and a goody bag full of sweets, nut bars and porridge.

My wife had turned up just in time to see me finish and before long we were in the car and on the way to her mother's house so I could freshen up. Another great marathon and one I intend to do again and again.

Here's a video of me finishing the race, thoughtfully provided by Marathon Photos from a camera on the finishing line. You can see me in my blue and white top from about 17 seconds onwards. I thought I was sprinting but it turns out I was merely walking fast!

Here's also my Garmin stats from the race:


All in all an excellent event and one I can totally recommend. A beautiful city and a great race.

I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down and Ealing half report

I tripped and fell again!! Less than 3 weeks since the last time. This time I smacked my hand down and have really hurt the bone in my right hand below the fleshy part of the palm.

How did this happen? Again? Well I tripped on a paving slab, same as last time. Not the same place but the effect was the same. Slow motion. Realising I'm going to hit the floor. Put my hand out to break my fall. End up flailing on the floor looking foolish as cars drive by. This time though I got up and carried on my run. I've got a nice new scar on my right knee and took the scab off my left elbow. Painful but manageable. I really need to pay attention to where I'm going.

On Sunday I ran the Ealing half marathon. My plan was to use it as a training run and enjoy the race. It sort of went like that but the night before I had watched the rugby world cup match between England and Wales. Being Welsh I was beyond happy with the result. So much so that I celebrated way too much (is two bottles of wine too much? I think so). I also didn't get to bed until 1am.

The next morning I woke with the mother of all hangovers and managed to get myself to the start line for 9am. I felt and looked rough (see photo for evidence!).

How not to look on the day of a half marathon!

There were lots and lots of runners (about four thousand I think) and we all waited in the brisk autumn air in our pens. I realised that I had forgotten to put on my timing chip and that my Garmin was low on battery. This is how not to be ready for a race!

The gun went off and I settled in to my training pace.

I don't normally take on any water for a half marathon run but this time I took a bottle at each and every station. I really needed to get rid of my hangover. After about six miles it finally went away and I started enjoying myself.

Support was plentiful and it was good to see how so many people from Ealing had come out to support the race. It really feels like a proper fixture in the local calendar.

My watch gave up the ghost with about two miles to go so I had to continue on feel alone. Eventually I came in at about 1:55 which was pretty much dead on my target time.

This week has been a case of getting in a few shortish runs, no longer than 7 miles. Then my wife and I will head up to Chester on Friday to get ready for the marathon on Sunday morning. I'm hoping that a) my knee, elbow and hand stop hurting by then and b) one of my wife's family will put us up for the weekend. She has plenty of relatives so b) shouldn't be an issue.

I would like to get a sub 3:45 marathon but realistically I think sub 4 would be good at this stage. I'll write up a report once I'm back.

Back on my feet

So I missed my 20 mile run but managed to pick up my schedule again from the following week.

My elbow and knee still hurt but once the adrenaline kicks in then I don't really feel anything.

Since the rugby world cup has started I decided on Saturday to route my 16 mile run down the Thames and back via Twickenham to get a taste of what was going on around there.

I managed to run past some laconic cows by the banks of the Thames.

Cows by the Thames in Richmond

I like this part of the Thames footpath. I don't run down here too often as I can only include it on my longer runs but it's nice to change the scenario now and again just to keep things fresh.

Before long I came to the footbridge by Teddington Locks. A lovely iron bridge with a weir one side. I image the house prices around here would be a touch out of my price range.

Teddington Locks footbridge

My legs didn't feel too bad but I still don't know how they are going to cope with 26.2 miles in 10 days' time. I know that I always feel like this and that it should come together on the day but I still have mild anxiety that I'm going to crash and burn. Although last year I forgot I'd entered the Chester marathon until two weeks before when my number was posted through the door and I still managed to get round in under 4 hours so I'm hoping that will stand me in good stead.

With about 5 miles left to run I finally passed Twickenham stadium. I've been here a few times to watch Wales play (and invariably get beaten) by England as well as watched my home team the Ospreys beat Leicester a few years ago in the Anglo-Welsh cup. It's a great stadium and now it's all been decked out in the world cup glitter.

Twickenham. English rugby HQ

This weekend is the Ealing half marathon. I'm treating it as a training run so should finish in about 1:50 or thereabouts. It's an excellent event and rare to get a big half marathon in London with so much support and superb organisation. I'm looking forward to it. I'll write a report next week, my final update until the marathon a week on Sunday.

Mr. Tumble

The perils of city running. A loose paving slab, a slight lack of attention and I find myself hurtling towards the ground. Called off the rest of my run (it was only a 4 miler) and walked home. As I walked up my road a neighbour stopped me to borrow my phone. Her new puppy had locked her out of her house (she stepped outside, he butted the door, it closed, she had no key!) and she wanted to phone her dog walker who had a spare key. So that's two of us who had a bad start to the day. Still, nice to help a neighbour out.

Here's a couple of shots I took of my damaged limbs. I'm hoping I'll be ok to run my 20 miler tomorrow. It hurt for a while but now I think most of it is superficial and won't affect my running.

So, lesson learnt: pay more attention!

Nasty scrape

Blood and tears

UPDATE: The pain was worse the next day and I couldn't run without pain so called off my long run. Next run planned is Tuesday. Hoping nothing else happens before the marathon!

In the long run

I was meant to run in a 10k race last weekend with a friend who was going to be running the Ealing half with me in two weeks' time. But he cried off with an injury and I decided I didn't fancy a trek all the way across London to run in a 10k. I will however still be running the Ealing half since it's local, a really great race and cost a lot more.

Talking of which my race pack turned up in the post this week.

This Saturday I'll be running my longest run of 20 miles before three weeks of taper. I've run so many routes it's hard to find a new one. But I think I will run all the way down Uxbridge Road, down Oxford Street to Tottenham Court Road. Then turn down Charing Cross Road, head towards the Houses of Parliament and then find a route back home. That should cover 20 miles and add a few touches of a new route.

I'm bringing forward my schedule by one day for the next two weeks because I will be out on the next couple of Saturday nights (the proms this Saturday and a joint birthday celebration for my wife and me the following Saturday) and don't want the spectre of a long run on the Sunday looming over the enjoyment of the Saturday.

Hooray, hooray it's a holi-holiday!

A training schedule is the road, not the destination. It needs to be flexible to adapt to the changes that occur on the way to the goal race.

I had hoped that it wouldn't be too hot in Malta to disrupt my running too much. But that proved a futile hope. High heat and humidity. A new plan was needed. Run every other day, early in the morning, no more than six miles. It didn't help that from our hotel there was pretty much only one running route that I could take. In a similar circumstance in Cyprus a few years ago I was able to work out three or four various routes but not here. It was out along the sea front for three miles, turn around due to the road running out and run three miles back. It helped me tick over and keep my fitness up.

The great big bonus though were the magical sunrises. I just about left the hotel when the sun crept over the horizon. The views were lovely. I managed to take a camera with me on one of the runs to capture it.

Hello sun!

View from the bay by our hotel

Party revellers still hanging on from the night before!

About a mile from our hotel, sun rising nicely

Three miles out, looking back to the hotel

Almost back, stopped to take a photo of these boats

Since I've been back I've slipped back into the training schedule. 12 miles, 5 miles, 20 miles and 8 miles. It's quite a wake up call. Especially the 20 mile that I ran on Sunday.

That's the longest distance I've run since the marathon in April. I decided to go down a tried and tested route up through Wembley, down the Harrow Road to Baker Street and then back along the Uxbridge Road to home. The Notting Hill carnival was being set up and I ran past several homes that were preparing barbecues in their front gardens for the inevitable crowds later on. It smelt amazing, which with about 12 miles still to go was not ideal!

This weekend I'm running a 10k race in the Olympic Park in east London. I'd like to think I can get under 45 minutes now without breaking myself. The day after I have to run 17 miles so it'll be interesting to see how I cope.

Parklife!

Short update this week.

A 17 mile long run this Sunday so I decided to go back to Richmond Park. I followed the trails all the way around the outside of the park and took a load of photos. Sometimes it's hard to remember I'm actually in London!

River Thames by Richmond

Cows in a field. In London!

Start of the trail in Richmond Park

Beautiful morning

At the bottom of a steep hill

The greater spotted MAMILs gathering before setting off

Next week I'm going on holiday so I am starting to juggle my running around. I'll try to get as many lengthy runs in before we fly off. Experience has taught me that it's difficult to keep to a running schedule on holiday so whilst I'll be aiming to keep on track I am prepared to reduce the distances I'll be running since it may not be feasible to put in double digit distances. As long as I keep my fitness up then it should be ok, We're going to Malta and Google streetview isn't available over there so I'll have to see what the conditions are like when I get there.

I hope to take a few photos while running so I'll post when I'm over there.

Hyde and seek and back pain

I woke up last Wednesday with a twinge in my right shoulder. Nothing to worry about I thought. As is often the case in these scenarios I was completely wrong.

By the time I finished a four mile recovery run my shoulder was in more pain than just a twinge. Over the next few hours it became a full blown nightmare!

I normally cycle to work but decided to work from home for the next day or two because that's how long I thought it would take to clear up. I pushed my Thursday run to Friday and waited for it to improve.

It did not. To be honest it was probably worse on Thursday than Wednesday. I medicated with ibuprofen and paracetamol. I wore a heat patch and went to bed with a water bottle under my shoulder. Nothing helped. I had to cancel my Thursday pushed to Friday run and managed to get into work via public transport rather than cycling.

By Saturday morning I felt ok to run again since it appeared that moving was less painful than lying down trying to get better.

On Sunday I was due to run 16 miles. I thought I'd risk it. I headed down the Uxbridge Road towards central London. My shoulder pain went to the back of my mind and I enjoyed being out early on a beautiful Sunday morning.

It surprises me how many people are out at 6am on a Sunday morning in London. It tends to be a mixture of people with suitcases arriving or leaving from hotels, shop owners opening up, runners such as myself and people with cans of beer in their hand. I'm not sure if the beer drinkers are early starters or late finishers. Either way, it's not something I'd like to be doing so early in the morning, or even late in the morning!

I eventually found myself in Hyde Park running along the Serpentine. It was so peaceful I stopped to take a panoramic photo.

The Serpentine

I ran along the south path of Hyde Park and ended up by the Royal Albert Hall and Albert Memorial. Another photo opportunity!

The Royal Albert Hall

Albert Memorial

Back along the Hammersmith Road, through Chiswick and up towards home in Ealing. 16 miles. Done!

As I write this on Tuesday, 6 days after my first onset of pain, it is starting to subside. I'm hopeful that it will be gone by tomorrow or the day after at the latest.

It's meant that I've missed one 11 mile run last week but at the end of the day the marathon is far enough away for it to not make much difference.

This week will be a 17 mile run and I might head back into Richmond Park but taking a different route from last time. I might change my mind though! Watch this space.

Deer oh deer!

I'm constantly surprised by how green London is. I shouldn't be considering I've lived here for 17 years but it still amazes me that I can be running past a housing estate one minute and be surrounded by the most delightful flora and fauna the next.

On Sunday I had a 15 mile run ahead of me. A good distance. Long enough to give a work out but not too long to exhaust me.

I planned a route to take me down to Richmond and through the park and back along the Thames to home. The weather was perfect. Overcast, not much wind and not too hot. I suppose at 6am it's never too hot but it stayed cool for the next couple of hours and I just avoided a downpour of rain that has hit London for the last week or so.

I also remembered to take my iPhone with me so stopped and took some snaps.

View from Richmond Bridge

After crossing the bridge at Richmond I ran up the hill and into Richmond Park. I love Richmond Park, it's beautiful and has trails and paths that criss cross the entire park but it isn't flat and that's what's so great about it. Variety.

Miles of greenery in Richmond Park. The Shard is visible just in the distance

Sitting in the long grass next to the path were some deer. They blend in so well I almost missed them. Almost. The stags have magnificent antlers at this time of year although I don't think rutting season is on us at the moment.

A stag in the grass

Herd of deer? Of course I have!

One thing you can't avoid in Richmond Park are the MAMILs. Cycling around and around in all the latest gear and high spec bicycles. Even though I cycle to work every day and have cycled solo from Land's End to John O'Groats (see my other blog from 2012: http://mikelejog2012.blogspot.co.uk/) I have no interest in cycling for fun or fitness. Don't get me wrong, I love cycling to work and doing LEJOG (as it is known) was one of the most pleasurable and proud things I've ever done but I don't see the appeal of cycling as a fitness pastime. Running always wins for me.

Came out of Richmond Park and then ran back along the Thames to home. Just as the rain started to empty out of the skies. Pretty good timing.

View of the Thames from south end of Chiswick Bridge

Here's the run in total, if you look at the pace charts then you can see how often and where I stopped to take photos:

My mid week running has been going well. I'm hitting the paces and finishing strong. Hopefully this is a good sign for the next ten weeks.

Next Sunday I'm running 16 miles. I think I'll head into London and through Hyde Park down towards the museum area. I ran the same route back in March and really enjoyed it. And that is the key word. Enjoy. If you can do that then you can run forever.

Here I go again!

So, Chester marathon is on the 4th October. That's just under 11 weeks away from now. Luckily I started my 12 week Pfitzinger and Douglas plan last week.

Since the plan is only 12 weeks they don't mess around too much with warming you up into the distances. The first long run was 13 miles and they only get bigger. They do however only have me running four days a week for the first two weeks before moving up to five days for most of the rest of the plan. Compared with the six days a week regime I was used to doing with the Hanson method for 18 weeks this seems almost like a holiday!

I'm still training at a pace that would get me under 3:30 for the marathon although due to summertime interruptions such as holidays and the fact that the schedule is a third shorter than usual I am not expecting to run the marathon at that pace. If I can get round in under 4 hours I'll be pleased. It's more of a "bonus pleasure marathon" (if there's such a thing) than going for a target.

I have however decided to ease up on alcohol once again. It may be a bit trickier to go the entire 12 weeks without drinking since we're hoping to go on holiday at some time, my birthday also occurs during the schedule as does the Great British Beer Festival (to go there and not drink would probably be the ultimate challenge!). But, generally I won't be drinking.

After the Shakespeare marathon in April I put on about 3 kgs (half a stone in old money), and went from 77kg to 80kg over three months. Which to be honest I was happily surprised at. I thought I'd pull the ripcord and balloon up to the mid 80s but I suppose the general running I was doing helped keep it down.

After 1 week of proper training with no alcohol I've gone back down to 79kg.

Next week I'll try to remember to take my camera with me. I have a 15 mile run on the Sunday and the weather is beautiful at the moment. Perfect for a few snaps.

Swansea Half

Finally writing up my Swansea half marathon review.

The day was perfect for running. Not too hot (to start with!), no rain and a slight breeze. I had stayed at my parents' house so they drove me near to the start line and I gathered in the runners' village. Lots of people milling around waiting for the off. The village was well organised and I saw that a nearby Sports Direct had opened up early, a bit of opportunistic trading never hurt anyone!

Runners' village

With about 10 minutes to go I headed to the start line and found my pen (1:45). I visit Swansea once or twice a year to see my parents but don't often go into town. I was surprised and slightly depressed by the decline in the town centre. Too many boarded up shops and a general run down feeling pervades everywhere. I guess the recession from a few years ago bit hard. Hopefully it will turn around. I guess locals go to Cardiff to shop and visitors bypass the centre and head straight for Mumbles or the Gower.

Waiting for the start

The gun went off on time and I ran over the start line. My ideal pace was going to be around 5 minutes per kilometre but my optimism took over and I thought I could go faster. About 15 seconds per kilometre faster but enough to hurt me later on. Also, the clouds broke and the sun came out. It got quite warm quite quickly. Nevertheless I continued to pound away at my optimistic pace and headed onto the Oystermouth road for the next five miles towards the halfway turnaround point in Mumbles.

Support was good, the weather had brought the crowds out. I even managed to see a friend of mine who I hadn't actually seen for about 15 years!

Finally we hit the halfway point and headed back towards Swansea along the cycle path that skirts the seafront. By now the sun was definitely out, I felt hot and my pace was hurting. I had to slow down a bit. Still managed to keep my average under the 5 minute per km that I was aiming for but my thoughts of this being a nice easy fun run disappeared. I had to start digging deep.

I focussed on a fellow runner about 10 metres ahead of me running at my pace and decided that I was going to beat him. With about 11 miles we turned into the marina before heading back to the finish line (same as the start line). 12 miles went by and I ran up Wind Street, the new centre of drinking and eating. Quite nice as long as you avoid Friday and Saturday nights!

My "rival" was still 10 metres ahead so I upped the pace and started closing him down. With 400 metres left I drew level. Maybe if he knew I was racing him he'd have given a better fight but as it was I eased past and started sprinting towards the finish.

I ran across the line in 1:43:46. Well under my goal but it hurt a lot more than I had planned!


Would I recommend this race? Yes. It's well organised, well supported and flat as a pancake so perfect for a PB. If I wasn't still shattered from my marathon effort maybe I would have broken mine.

Since the race I've been ticking over until marathon training starts again in mid July. It's a lot warmer in the mornings at the moment but I suppose that's better than running in the cold! Lighter mornings also mean that parks and canals come into play.

I've planned a few pre marathon races, a couple of 10k races and the Ealing half marathon. I definitely will not be racing the half marathon for a PB since it is a week before Chester so I'll use it as a training session, it's a good marathon well liked by the running community. It always does well in the running surveys and awards. I'm looking forward to it.

Springwatch along the canal

Canals are great for running. Flat, aesthetically pleasing and you get to see all sorts of birds. Even sometimes a rabbit or two!

Sunday morning was a beautiful, bright day. It wasn't too hot and the wind was cooling. I hadn't a plan of where to go so I let my legs decide. They took me to the canal. Four miles down the Grand Union from Hanwell to Brentford. There's not many better runs than those where you have no idea where you want to go and let the wanderlust take over.

Lock-keeper's cottage on the Grand Union

Down the canal I stopped to take a photo of a family of coots. They were taking a breather on a log.

Coots

As the canal path ended at Brentford I ran the remaining three miles back home along the roads. The rest of this week is a small taper until the half marathon on Sunday. Tomorrow I'll run an interval session just to get some speed through the legs. I'm still determined to run it for fun rather than time. I might even take my iPhone to get some snaps as I go around.