Running club

Worked hard tonight. I had enough trouble understanding the training routine tonight so explaining it might be a rather big ask. Particularly good atmosphere though when no one knew what they were doing. Liked that.

Oh yeah did an upper body work out before running club as well, worked my shoulders, biceps, triceps and abs. Abs were actually as little delicate from the long run monday morning so exta core work is def needed.

Basically, we did speed work around a 500 meter lap. Teams of three with two running at any one time. After two laps you dropped off and the other joined in, the idea being you had a fresh pair of legs to chase when you were on your second lap. Get it? No? Oh well this blog is more for me than you so tell me I am an inarticulate fool in the comments and I can ignore you. (no wonder no one visits this blog, I am starting to abuse the 1 or 2 people who actually read this thing).

6.5 miles covered and club went on for a little over an hour.

After running 33miles on Monday morning I am fairly pleased with my performance. I am however a little worried about a pain that developed in my foot. This was about half way through the speed session and I seemed to run it off but when I stopped at the end it seemed to return.

I was desperately keen to say to people; 'I could of course run this faster but I ran an Ultra Marathon on Monday morning.' For once in my life modesty prevailed.

Being able to talk to my daughter on the phone tonight (back from holidaying in India) and having running club has taken the edge off of a truly awful day in the office. Trouble is tomorrow might be worse and I definitely cant run tomorrow as I have not had a rest day since the 33 miler........ Beer and burgers might just do it!

Tuesday night bicycle club

Reasonable cycle ride last night but it was a little lacking in pace. Nice pleasant evening not as cold as I had thought and just over 13 miles were covered all of which was on roads. We were out for an hour and ten minutes.

Legs have felt great considering I ran 33 miles on Monday morning. Certainly they have not been as bad when I ran my first marathon in the summer......but I was ill at the time (had to mention that again).

Last time I mention it but I took my little torch with me and it is amazing. Way, way brighter than my top of the range 1500+ Candlepower bike light. Awesome stuff. There was no practical reason to take it with me I just wanted to see how good it was and compare it to a light that I know to be very bright by normal standards. It will def make it into my rucsack at the end of January and it will doubtless see service in the desert as well.

Gadget tastic

Oh yes.....its here. Could really of done with this bit of kit this morning but nevermind its here now. Running with my bike light has been fine but it is a little awkward. Besides once I had heard about Surefire Torches I had to have one!

I know what your all thinking (if your a geek like me, that is) Maglites are the best etc etc. Well, this little puppy is 4 times brighter than a big D-Cell maglight! I know! I was excited too.

Its fricking incredible! They are described as 'illumination tools' not torches and I am not arguing. Its really quite something, one of there selling points is that they are so bright they can be used to blind bad guys and the bogey man. The police/army use them apparently.

The only downside is the price. The model I just got is £100 in the UK.

You know your getting old.....

You know your getting old when you notice chocolate and cereal bars getting smaller! I took some tracker bars out of there big box and put them in my rucksac ready for snacking on during today's run and when I cam to eat one they were tiny! Literally 'Fun size'! Why do manufacturers do this?! Just charge me more and give me a decent size bar! Please!

Ok rant over. Pretty good effort today, left at 5.20am and it was odd being in complete darkness for the first two hours. It kept trying to rain during those early hours but I got lucky again and it held off. The most remarkable thing about the weather was just how warm it was. I had my wooly hat off inside of 5 minutes and my windproof unzipped shortly after that. I had to keep reminding myself that it was nearly December. Not complaining but in a weird way I would of almost preferred it to be a bit cooler.

The sun rise was pretty spectacular this morning and stopping to get pictures did slow me down a bit. It was worth it. I actually looped past my house today at around the 13 mile mark and then carried on for the remainder of the distance. This gave me a chance to refill water bottles and put some decent sized snacks in my bag.

Now for the bad news, I did not do 35 miles. I estimate 33 but hate doing this because I know us humans tend to be generous in these kinds of estimates. My GPS gadget logged 31.8 but like an idiot I accidentally turned it off at around the 15.5 mile mark. I suspect that it was turned off for at least 1 mile and so I think 33 miles is a fair shout.

Like on previous runs my legs started to feel achey at around the 17/18 mile mark and at 22 miles when my direction turned once again for home I was in need of human conversation to take my mind off them. I had been running for over 4.5 hours and I needed a bit of company. Charlie in Australia was the obvious choice, so after a bit of a chin wag with el Stocko I got the iPod rocking and headed for home. My legs were severely weakened after after the Marathon mark and I was moving along very slowly, this frustration was compounded by a couple of very muddy/slippery sections towards the end where the effort to steady my self was monumental.

Although I would normally be annoyed with myself for not completing the goal of 35 miles I am not. I know I could of continued but time was really against me and I was feeling dehydrated. Earlier in the run my mind felt blunted and I felt oblivious to the winds. I was plodding along listening to music in a kind of nonchalant state. My mind had accepted the pain in my legs as normal and it was only when I stopped to pee, drink or eat that the pain could not be pushed into the back ground. I was knackered but able to continue. I love this body of ours, its so rediculously capable.

30 seconds after stopping I felt absolutely fine. Going and doing another 2 miles felt so plausible that I did not even feel the need to prove to my self I could do it. However after having a shower I had a bit of a power nap before getting on with some work and this did not not feel very nice, it reminded me of trying to sleep when you have a head full of stimulants. Slightly ill and cant really relax even though you are asleep...Weird. This is why I rarely drink Coke or coffee, but today was likely to be some kind of runners high that prevented me from feeling calm. Felt a bit rough when I woke up to.

30+ miles means that this really was my first Ultra!

Science bit:
Approx 4.5 liters of fluid were drunk
I was out for 6hrs 11 minutes
7 cereal bars (6 Kelloggs Nutri Grain and 1 tracker)

Its now nearly 6 hours since I finished and I feel in pretty good fluid balance but as ever will keep a close eye on thigs.

cant upload pics at the mo but will get them on asap.

F*ck

Very annoyed, alarm did not go off and I did not wake up until 6.30. My new phone needs to be told not only what time I want to be woken but also the day......annoyed, but at least I know now. This meant that if I began running at 7am I would not of finished until around 1pm. I was not happy with th idea of spending only the afternoon with my my daughter as she has been away for the last couple of weeks so that was the decision made. Another bonus has come from the rain Gods, unforecasted torrential rain (even some thunder) has hit us this morning so at least I have missed that......trouble is I have kind of been wanting to do a training run in the rain. I am well aware that this makes me slightly strange.

Finishing at 1pm instean 11am was not really an option. Alternatively, I am going to run the 35 miles tomorrow morning and start work a little later than normal.

Instead, we are learning the rules of chess! I never learned them and it was my daughters idea so I guess this will be today's adventure instead!

Cant wait!

Its 10.30pm on Saturday and whilst most eligible young batchelors are out trying to meet chicas I am sitting in so that I can get up early and do a 35 mile run. This rock & roll life is pretty wild at times.

In all seriousness, I am looking forward to my alarm going off at 4.30 tomorrow morning. I will be doing something I have never done before. I have spent the evening packing my rucksack at a relaxed pace and popping to the Supermarket to stock up on cereal bars.
The first 2 hours will be dark and I have clipped my rear bike light to my rucksack to increase visibility/safety. My new torch has not arrived yet so the front bike light is also doubling up for running duty as well. iPod is charged and I will finally get to have a proper listen to Royseven's album. Helen, who is just a little bit more rock & roll than me is there manager and was kind enough to send me an album to listen to. Sorry to be so slow Hel's!

Camera, is on charge, gloves/hat are in my windproof's pockets, warm clothes in rucsack, drinks are made and in the fridge.....think I am done.....Phone will go in Peli case, so even I get run over that will live....what else......New pair of Gel Kinsei's (shoes) are being rolled out tomorrow as well so hopefully my big toes wont ache as much come Monday.

Until now I assumed that my current (old) Karrimor sc35 rucsack would be used for Tring2Town but now I am not so sure. The longer you are out running the more little things you need quick access to. Vaseline/shave oil (for chaffing), drinks, food, iPod, torches, phone, gloves......

The bags designed specifically for Ultra's seem to have a plethora of little pockets and other nooks to stow all these little things meaning you don't have to go into the main the compartment. I generally think its quite nice to get the pack off your shoulders every so often so that you can let the muscles in your shoulders/neck have a bit of movement and rest. Now, I am not so sure. I am starting to see the benefits of having more little pockets to store things in....will keep you posted if a new bit of kit is purchased. You are going to love the torch I am getting!

I have gone off track tonight talking about kit and prep etc. The reason I sat down was because I wanted to record the fact that I am excited about tomorrow. This made me understand my reason for doing this a little better. I realized that to me doing something like this is a huge adventure! Running for 6 hours straight is a new boundary, a new journey! I have a need for travel within me but as a Father I could never leave my daughter for months to scratch this itch. I think this kind of running is Methadome to the hard drug of 'proper exploration'.

Sound like a drunken philosopher again. Really sorry.

Ps. I have no idea how you spell 'Methadome'. I may be describing some bizarre stadium from a Madmax movie for all I know.

Running club

Few days late....I knew I would soon lose interest in this blog!

Running club on Wednesday consisted of hills and speed work. In all, just over 7 miles were covered in a little over an hour. Enjoyed it.

On Friday I got out for a quick 30 mins on the bike but not exactly hard effort.

Week summary

Missed one of these out last week but not to worry it was identical to the week before.

Last week has been pretty pathetic to be honest. It mostly consisted of 'rest'.

Thursday: Cycle ride in evening 13miles
Sunday; 10k run followed buy 5 sets of walking lunges. Then hour and a half cycle ride (17miles).

The cycle ride consisted of at least a dozen photo stops though so nothing too intense

Crikey, I have some sore buns today though from the cycling/lunges!

That's better!

Good evening to you all, I trust everyone had a good weekend. My daughter is still away but I did my best to salvage things and the weather was kind enough to lend a helping hand.

Yesterday was spent at Brands Hatch cheering a friend on. This was followed by a bite to eat in London with the same guys I was at the track with.

Today is slightly more relevant to this running blog. I had always planned to steer clear of any huge distances this weekend. Instead I opted for a quick 10k and an hour and a half riding around the beautiful countryside where I live. The 10k was good and I somehow managed to run a Personal best for the distance. I ran slightly under 43 minutes so all good there. Cycling was awesome, literally everywhere I looked was a picture waiting to be taken! Luckily I had remembered to bring the camera and I will add as many pics as I can.


Most importantly, I enjoyed training today. I have been a bit down on it this week and wondered if I was coming down with something because normally I am chomping at the bit to get stuck in. Perhaps running marathons on consecutive weekends took a lot out of me? For probably the first time in my life I have experienced a dip in my sex drive and apparently this is normal when running long distances. Normally the reverse is true for me, the fitter I am the more intense the desire. Perhaps this explains the lack of motivation to train? The pleasure derived from these two activities is often similar so once one pathway in the mind is closed off perhaps the other fades away as well?

Dam this kind of thing fascinates me, our mechanics, the effects our actions and environment has on our bodies. On top of all that we have to consider the effect of the mind on our bodies as well..... Wow I could waffle on all night about this but I know my limitations as a psychologist and as a writer so I will spare you. I think however that this is what makes me want to run across the Sahara. To study your self under such harsh conditions and experience such extremes must be very special.

I know a chap who once had to make a very difficult decision and so he fasted for 7 days because many people believe that it focuses the mind. He felt that he could do with the additional clarity that it would bring and so this is why he went with out food. This notion literally captivated me and I had to experience it. So a few years ago whilst my daughter was still very young and University lectures were at a minimum I went with out food for 4 days. I have to say that I did not experience any kind of 'high' or a feeling of increased 'clear headedness'.

Despite all this I am so pleased that I did it. I had proved to my self that we Westerners do eat far too much and that our bodies are indeed designed to starve. Most people think this is somehow reckless, I believe they are missing a trick. I believe in making the most of our incredible bodies and like any worthy subject, the more you know the more it contributes to your pleasure. Besides, I bet our hunter-gatherer ancestors commonly went for days without food, given the amount of time that has passed since then it is unlikely that we have lost these remarkable capabilities. With the introduction of commercial farming we simply do not need to tax these hidden strengths.

Crikey I sound like a drunk philosopher. Sorry.

What a bind!

One of those days today. Everything has been a bit of an effort.....I suspect its because I decided to have a couple of days off after running Marathons on consecutive weekends. Then work prevented me from going to running club last night and suddenly its Thursday night and you have not trained since Sunday. Poor show old chap.

Anyway....You guessed it, tonight's cycle ride was frankly rather crap. Covered around 14 miles and did not really get into it. 99 times out of a 100 I will always be pleased as punch I got off the sofa and exercised. Not really the case tonight, I would rather have been watching the new Bond film.

Pretty negative post Brucey! Snap out of it!

Wild life

Bit of a delay since posts but its not as if I have had a load of adoring fans wondering when they can read more about my exploits. 'Exploits' almost make things sound interesting!

Anyway, last Thursday night a couple of us had a cycle ride of around 12 miles and the most memorable things were the wildlife. Nearly had another head-on collision with a badger and then shortly after that nearly ran a black cat over. If either of you chaps are reading, sorry about that. The highlight though was an Owl that flew above us for a few seconds. It looked ghostly in the moonlight/darkness and I don't think I can explain it any better than that, it just did not look real. Alex reckoned it to be a Barn Owl and frankly I am not in possession of sufficient knowledge to say otherwise. It was very beautiful whatever it was, something that will stick in my memory for many years to come. So, if you are reading reading thanks for joining us!

I have to confess to getting really rather drunk on Friday night and when attempting an early morning cycle ride to sober up the inevitable happened. On top of the black eye and grazes I think I have had a slight concussion ever since. I dont really think the 'the football hooligan look' will be a big hit on this seasons catwalks. Silly sod.

Onto the serious business of Sundays long run. Regrettably my daughter is on holiday with her Mother at present and therefore I did not have to get up quite so early in order to 'run long'. As planned I ran another Marathon. Around 5 minutes slower than last week and I am trying to decide why this was. It did feel like more of a chore than the week before but that could easily of been because of the previous nights alcohol intake or was it the concussion? Like I said, silly sod.

It felt like it took a bit more out of me this week, I ate more on route (6 bars instead of 4) and I consumed almost an extra liter of fluid. Yesterdays Marathon suppressed my appetite just as the previous two had and today I could literally eat a cow. I have been picking all day long and tonight I could easily jump in the car and grab some junk......But I wont.

Fluid levels have again been watched with interest. Last week I thought I had got my self back in to balance very quickly after the run but the reality was different. Last Monday afternoon it was obvious that I was quite low on fluids.

In light of this I did not stop drinking all day yesterday after the run and I have still struggled today to get back into proper balance. This is a lesson that all active people have hammered into them and frankly you get bored of hearing it and anyway, for the most part it is relatively easy to get right. Consequently, the last two weekends have really surprised me. I have drunk at least double my normal daily intake today and it was only at around 7pm today that I could say with any real confidence that I had topped my self back up. that's at least 30 hours after completing the run. Fascinating man. Fascinating.

Bottom line is: whatever the prevailing temperature a Marathon is a big undertaking and it takes a lot from your body, its vital to keep an eye on fluid levels for at least 24 hours after the run not just the traditional 'couple of hours after exercise'.

Running club

Pretty good session last night, basically pyramid training around a 300 metre circuit. i.e
1 fast lap and 1 slow,
2 fast and 1 slow,
3 fast 1 slow,
4 fast 1 slow
Then the same in reverse back down to 1 fast and1 slow

Had a mile or so run either side of this and the session lasted just over an hour. Thorough stretch afterwards and headed home to upload the data from the run (did I just write that? upload?) and then headed out on the bike.

As soon as Nick turned up at the house though it started to rain which was rather annoying. My first wet ride of the winter and it felt quite cold at times. We altered our normal route and found ourselves on a part of the railway line that had been used recenty but a tractor, quite possibly a lot of tractors! Very muddy and this made it slow going but very entertaining. Only out for about 45 minutes but ended up muddy and very wet. All good fun.

No stiffness this morning but despite drinking plenty of fluids last night I felt rather dehydrated upon waking this morning.

Working Lunch

Got my strength training session in at lunchtime today. Work was serving up a few anxieties so it was great to have a bit of relief.

Anyway, basically the same circuit as last Tuesday so wont bore you with the details. No bike ride tonight either as I am heading to the best burger restaurant in London.

Later potata.

Week Summary

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Upper body/core strength training and Evening bike ride
Wednesday: Running club
Thursday: bike ride of 13 miles
Friday: rest
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 26.5 mile run

Also a 20 minute brisk walk every morning followed by stretching

Big Thanks

I don't know about you but I hate Group emails. Especially the chain letters you get. They are probably more annoying that the 100 emails (not joking) I get everyday offering me Stock tips and viagra. I therefore cringed on Friday Morning as I hit the 'Send' button on a group email telling some friends about my plans.

So you can imagine my bewilderment when two of those friends were generous enough to sponsor me the astonishing sum of £100 each!

Cheers Adam, I thought I had peaked early with Greg and Kirsten but you kept it going! Then Mr anonymous slipped in another £100. Thanked him privately but prob best I respect his wishes and not mention his name. Thank you!

This amazing generosity has even prompted a close friend of mine to say; "I will sponsor you when a few other people have sponsored you 'normal' amounts"!

I never anticipated this problem! Seriously, £100 is great (putting it mildly) but so is £20 or £5 or £1.

Hope your all well and speak soon.

My First Ultra

Good afternoon. A momentous occasion has come to pass! This morning I ran my first Ultra Marathon. Just! I completed the distance of 26.5miles. Ok, so I scrape in by about 200 meters but I am so claiming it!

Weather was fairly misty and cold when I first went out at around 06.30. Apart from this it was a clear bright day. The picture you can see was taken at around 7am and even though I have run past this lake at least several hundred times I still wanted to get a picture. I am so lucky to live and train around here. I get very jealous of Charlie having the beaches, sun and sand but I know I am very lucky.

I took snacks with me today for the run. This was a first and I think they made a tremendous difference to the run. Sure, from 20 miles onwards my legs ached like a mamma jamma (remember the censored version of Coming To America?) but I never felt light headed or hungry despite being on the move for over 4 hours.

I had put a bit of thought in to what I should snack on on whilst running and ended up settling on Kellogs Nutri Grain bars. Not exactly health food but I knew that I liked the flavour and I have had a few of these whilst in the middle of a hang-over. I reasoned that if my stomach can deal with them when I am suffering from the night before I would be able to digest them whilst running. Thankfully I was right.

Total consumption during the run:
4 x Cereal bars and 2 litres of fluid (simple squash/cordial)

I finished off with a cold bath and I have to confess to finding these utterly horrific. Recent research has even cast serious doubt on there worth so I am definitely an idiot for putting my self through the torment. Interestingly, upon finishing the run I was approx 4kg lighter (around half a stone). Clearly this must be fluid loss but I don't feel dehydrated and getting back in to balance has been very easy. Interesting stuff.

Any way despite the fact that I just ran a Marathon and should be feeling rather smug with myself I feel that this has been a rather uninteresting entry. Apologies.

If you are reading this check out Charlies blog entry under 'Marathon Des Sables'. Its brilliant
www.charlierunsmds.blogspot.com

Good ride!

Cracking ride tonight! Just over an hour and 13+ miles covered. 90% off road. I did nearly hit a Badger though, poor thing! For something so big and cumbersome they can really Hussle when they need to!

Well, three posts in a day are quite enough so that's me done. Need a shower.

BIG NEWS

Hold the phone and Stop Press!

The most important news so far since starting this blog! my 'Justgiving' website is now live! Karen Chesney at Marie Curie Cancer Care and I set things up this morning. Thank you.

Click the 'Sponsor Me' Link on the left hand side and see how my fundraising is going or maybe even donate yourself. Donate the cost of a couple of pints!

Good friends (they definitly are now!) Greg and Kirstin have been incredibly generous and already given the astonishing sum's of £100 each. With 'Gift aid' that is over £250!! Unreal! Thank you very, very much.

Its only been on line an hour or so! At this rate we should of cured the worlds ill's by Sunday Lunch time! (approximate forecast)

Timed lap

Good afternoon! Need to be quick as in a bit of a rush. Running club was good, but I always forget that its the first Wednesday of the Month and therefore the dreaded timed lap! In the Summer its a lovely 5 mile loop round a near by village and in the winter its approx 2.5miles around town.

Strangely I find the 2.5 harder.

Anyway last night was good with a thorough warm up and warm down either side of the lap and I estimate that around 7 miles in total was covered.

Must dash

Next Caller....