marathondan

The diary continues

2006-01-18T14:28:00.000Z

The ongoing marathondan training diary can now be found at Running Commentary.

Advertising revenue floods in

2005-08-01T14:10:00.000+01:00

In case anyone is thinking of trying Google AdSense for fundraising (or just making pocket money from their blog), I've received a check from Google in California for a mighty £12.27. It's going to charity, so it's worth doing I suppose. (That's from 2,600 unique visits to the site.)

Post script

2005-07-06T22:10:00.000+01:00

I've just sent off a fat envelope of cheques to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. The final total was £2372. A huge thank-you to everyone who supported me and contributed to this.

It all seems a very long way off now. I've completely failed to keep up any regular running - this is due to (a) no longer having anything to aim for, and (b) playing football every 1-2 weeks, which, being not used to that sort of thing, renders me unable to run for a couple of days afterwards. I might get my act together and enter some local 10Ks/half marathons - in particular I should stand a reasonable chance of beating 45 mins for 10K while some of my marathon fitness remains.

So unless I do get my running together, it's unlikely that this blog will continue. Thanks for all the supportive comments during the training and afterwards.

Finally, if anyone ever fancies running a marathon: DO IT! All it takes is about 4 hours a week for 4-6 months, and it's the adventure of a lifetime.

This is what it was like on the day

2005-04-20T12:25:00.000+01:00

I've read this kind of report before and they're really dull, but I think that if I don't write this down I'll regret it. So this is for me - feel free to skip it. You already know the ending.

***

0550 - Muesli and apple juice, then cycle to the station. Clear blue skies. Where is the forecast cloud and rain?

0639 - On the train. Busy, but not overcrowded.

0840 - arrive Greenwich park in glorious sunshine. Change, drink, then find the baggage truck. Oops - almost forgot to tape my nipples. Load the kitbag and slurp my first gel of the day. A Robin (avec Batman) calls "Alright Dan!" to me. I double-take, but don't know him. Then I realise that I have my name on my vest. I'll be getting this all day.

0920 - Make my way to the start pen. Having put 4h30 on my application form, I'm back in pen 8 of 9, but I'm now hoping to come in at least half an hour quicker than that. I'm behind the 11 min/mile pacer, and a couple of rhinos, so I'm worried that I'm too far back. I chat to a couple of other runners. Within a couple of moments, a young woman I've never met before is telling me how many times she's been to the toilet today. Female runners' toilet habits will turn out to be one of the big issues of the day.

0945 - I guess the gun went off, though I didn't hear it. About 8 minutes later, the sea of people washes through the famous gates and turns left. People around me are wondering if that's the start line. Then we see the start gate up ahead. I cross the line at about 10 mins.

Mile 1-3 - It's not as crowded as I feared. The plan is to move up into spaces where possible, but don't go mad. I'm managing to check my time at the mile posts, and I'm holding not much outside 8 minute miles. Dreams of a glorious run of 3h 30something mins are beginning to form. The support is already fantastic. The kids are the best, holding out rows of hands for high fives, and giving named support in return.

Mile 4-7 - we merge with the green and blue start runners at mile 3, and everyone starts booing each other ironically. It gets a little busier as we merge, but nothing to hold me back really. I'm still holding 8 minute miles consistently. There are great bands playing outside pubs, and most of the supporters seem to be local residents. I think I see Wole from work who lives round here, and yell to him, but no response. I go for my first gel after half an hour. They're safety-pinned into my pockets, but at the first attempt I pop open the safety pin and have to stop and redo it. Oh, the drama. Cutty Sark heaves into view, for the first real sight of tourist London.

Mile 8 - I'm due to see Chris on the right along this mile, but there's no sign of him. Scanning the crowd takes my mind off the running, but I feel like it's slowing me down. Looking at the times later shows this isn't the case - maybe I could have looked a bit harder. I hope he doesn't wait here too long and then miss me later - cos I am flyin' baby.

Mile 9-11 - The pace is slipping a bit, according to my measurements. Still, I'm well on target to beat 3h 45 min. I've been telling everyone that I want to beat 4 hours, but secretly I want to beat 3:45. Damn, I forgot to tape my nipples after all. I keep seeing St John's officers handing out Vaseline - just as I run past them.

Mile 12-13 - Mum and Dad are due along here and - yes, my first live supporters! Stop for quick high fives and an "alright, see you later!" and it's off again. I'm starting to feel it in my legs now, and realise that I'm going to have to work hard to keep up this pace. I dig in up the incline of Tower Bridge and don't really appreciate the view in full. Chris is due along here as well - the crowds are deep and I'm looking hard, but no sign. Bugger - well, I hope he's enjoying the day otherwise.

Mile 14-17 - I can sense my time slipping now, although it's getting harder to do the sums (multiply by 60, carry something) and my brain is getting addled. I plan the race in two parts - a steady, energy-conserving part and then a flat out survival part. I don't think the second part should start until mile 20. But I realise that in order to beat 3:45 I'll have to dig in hard from about mile 17. I eventually grab some Vaseline from St John's and smear on the run. Until now, I've been carrying a water bottle constantly, but I need to swing my arms now so I switch to sipping and chucking at each water stop. I've taken most of my planned gels, but the safety pins are a bugger and both have been discarded. I can feel a blister forming in my right arch. I've hardly had any blisters during training, and am proud of my £1 a pair socks.

Mile 18-19 - It's really getting quite tough now. My legs want to stop. I see Mum and Dad as planned at 18 which gives me a great lift, but there's no sign of Chris at 19. Damn. Still a long way to go. The blister is there, but doesn't seem to be getting any worse.

Mile 20-23 - Not going well. I've missed a couple of gels because I was feeling a bit windy but I realise I'm going to need that energy, so I pop one more. Amazingly, it does give me a boost after about 5 minutes. I think I'm starting to look a bit rough, because the crowd seems to be singling me out for encouragement - or is that my imagination? The named cheering thing is fantastic - for just a second, you make eye contact with a total stranger and engage with them really closely - and then you both move on. Early on I was trying to acknowledge every shout with a wave or smile - but raising my arm or turning my head is getting harder now. Chris is due at mile 23, and scanning the crowd takes my mind off things, but there's no sign again. I hope he knows that me knowing he's out there somewhere is a big boost. (Apparently, he saw me but I didn't see him.) I'm madly looking out for each mile post now. I'm desperate for those yellow balloons.

A very strange experience: I'm trying to visualise Lesley and Luke up ahead. I can just about picture Lesley but I can't conjure up an image of my own son - not now, not when he was a baby. I choke up a little, and my throat tightens... more and more. Please, not some kind of asthma attack. Then it's gone. I'll have to wait for the real thing.

Mile 24 - I realise there's half an hour to go and I'm not going to make 3:45. What can I do? I'm just not a fast as I thought I was. I'm comfortably heading under 4 hours, and I tell myself I've still got to give this my best shot. Under 3:50 would still be great. But my brain can't do much maths now. I've just got to keep the legs moving. Mum and Dad are due here, and - yes, my crazy parents have managed all three meetings! They beckon me over in the Blackfriars underpass and tell me that Lesley is on the left up ahead.

I grab some water at the next stop, and as I push away, I feel a pain in my left groin. Uh-oh, this could be a real injury. It's hurting with every step, but not getting worse - so far.

Mile 25 - this is the beautiful Embankment, but so what? I don't know how I'll keep going. I try to push through with my legs rather than just plod, and it works while I can keep it up. Then someone is madly calling my name from other side - it's Helen! I break out of my trance into a grin and do some kind of mad waving myself. Then back to the job in hand. I'm desperately looking for the 25 mile post. Please let that be it... no, it's the bastard 40 km post! How much longer to the 25 mile post? Please?

Mile 26 - Really slow now, but I know they'll be here somewhere... suddenly there's a madly waving vision of blue and white, it's Lesley and Luke! I can't describe how great it is to see them - but I don't have time to stop and enjoy. Lesley just has time to get a photo and then I'm off again. Not sure if Luke really sees me, but I learn later that for a 2 year old he's done a great job of "clapping and shouting at all the runners".

I know it's nearly over now, so I step up the pace as best I can. The total distance is 26.2 miles - will there be a 26 mile post? I'm round the corner running away from the river now, trying to give it all I've got. The groin is still hurting, but getting no worse. Running through the discomfort is actually a good distraction. I turn into the Mall and, yes, that big thing in the distance must be the finish - there's no 26 mile post. I'm trying to sprint but there's not much left. I look for myself on the big screen, but I'd rather just focus on that line. They tell you to look good for your finish photo, but I can't think what to do so I just step through and stop my watch.

Ah. This is what it feels like to not run. I'd forgotten.

I'm taking tiny steps on my tender legs. I just about manage a smile as I get my medal. Where is my runner's high? I'm supposed to be elated by now. I stumble through the baggage reclaim and into the repatriation area. The meeting point is right over the other side. Just take it nice and slow... suddenly the crowd opens out, and a moment later Lesley is bounding towards me with open arms. It's truly fantastic to see everyone.

Update: my time was 3:50:26.

Pictures

2005-04-20T12:17:00.000+01:00

	The night before
	General views from 25.5 miles
	Me at 25.5 miles
	Repatriation area
	Finished

Finished

2005-04-18T10:20:00.000+01:00

3:50:26

Utterly, utterly knackered.

Full report and pictures to follow soon!

Almost at the start line

2005-04-16T20:11:00.000+01:00

The expo is visited, the number collected, the chip attached, the bag packed, the meeting points arranged, the carbs loaded.

Here goes nothing...

Too fast

2005-04-12T19:43:00.000+01:00

3.5 miles at lunchtime today. I was road-testing the charity vest, it was a nice warm day, and over such a short distance I had a spring in my step. Today’s new niggle was a general soreness in my left calf, during and after the run - a slight worry.

It was only when I got home that I checked the time on the watch – 27:08, something like 20 sec slower than my PB for that circuit. But that time included stopping to buy a paper. (Yes, advanced training techniques.) I didn’t have to queue, but I must have been in there a minute. So that’s quite fast then.

Then later (ahem), I read up in Hal’s book what I was supposed to have done. Apparently, I should have barely broken sweat today. So not run a PB then. Oops. I think I will just walk today and tomorrow to loosen up, and leave it at that.

If it’s Sunday night, it must be running time

2005-04-11T12:34:00.000+01:00

My final long run last night – just 8 miles this time. It seemed like small fry, as you might expect. It also tipped the total training miles over 500, which is nice.

Generally, the taper is going great and I’m feeling totally relaxed about Sunday. My only concern is that now when I run I’m starting to feel soreness in my hamstrings, rather than in my quads (which I used to get). There’s also still a definite niggle behind my left knee, which I picked up during the 20-miler.

Does this mean I’ve over-worked my hamstrings, and they will give a delightful "ping" on the day? Only one way to find out. Hopefully, the logical explanation is just that I’ve over-worked a few muscles doing the 20, and with a three-week taper they are slowly getting better. Let’s hope.

Also, a strange thought occurred to me last night. If I’m worried about injury, I think I’d rather go for a decent time and risk blowing it, than be conservative and put in a time I know I could have beaten. I don’t mean going flat out and risking exhaustion, I just mean that I’m not going to take it easy just in case something gives out. I’ve come this far without damaging myself, there’s no reason to expect that anything will go wrong on Sunday. Obviously, if pain starts, I will be sensible and I won’t risk doing permanent damage. But the worst thing would be to finish, knowing that I could have done better.

This week’s schedule is back to the levels of December. Recreational running! Then Friday lunchtime, a trip over to Docklands to pick up my race number. Other than that, it’s plenty of starchy carbs, fruit, vegetables, and water.

Barefootin’

2005-04-11T12:26:00.000+01:00

Ouch!

bbc.co.uk
icnetwork.co.uk
thesun.co.uk
scotsman.com
press.net

Taking it easy

2005-04-08T12:10:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I took the train, and made up for Wednesday’s omission by doing three legs of the normal, for a total of 9ish miles - two days’ worth. I was treated to a two-hour lie-in as I was going out in the evening straight from work, so adopted a late shift. It was still right parky when I went out at 7.00 am, and I went back in and almost changed to a long-sleeved top. However, I held firm, and was glad I did. The chill wind flapping my t-shirt as I crossed the A40 footbridge under a cloudless spring sky was lovely. I saw three other runners - all in tights, long sleeves, hats and gloves. They missed out.

Strange to find that I am actually having to curtail my running now. This morning I had the option of another four miles, but did the sensible thing and saved myself for my final "long" (8 miles – ha) run at the weekend. The taper is working – I’m feeling rested. This is all building towards a massive case of overconfidence.

"Marathon places for sale"

2005-04-06T12:17:00.000+01:00

Stories here, here.

I’m surprised that GB places only effectively cost the charity £50 each – I thought they were more – so my conscience is eased slightly.

Busy weekend

2005-04-05T21:24:00.000+01:00

Friday: limited myself to a single 4 miler from work to Ealing Broadway, the rest of the journey being done by bike and tube. The tube is proving far more efficient than I thought - it actually takes only half an hour longer to get to work by public transport than by car.

Sunday: after an enjoyably hectic weekend, comprising not one but two dinners with friends (unheard of in these days of parenthood) plus playing with attendant children during the days, a dozen-toddler farm park mayhem on Saturday, and quite a few miles driving to three points in Surrey, Hampshire and then back to Berks, I threw in an 11.5-mile run for good measure. This was accomplished without too much fuss - two long laps and one short, on a sunny Sunday afternoon. As usual, every ache and twinge was over-analysed for signs of impending injury, but none seems apparent. Any complaints from the 20-miler are now gone - the only recurrent niggle is my right hip, although it's only really noticeable after running, which is fine with me.

Today: drove to work and was out on the road around work at 6, the first time I've done this routine for some time. For t-shirt and shorts it was eye-wateringly cold, but after 5 minutes or so I was toasty apart from my hands. 3.5 miles - the kind of distance I like.

Rest of the week: was going to try and strictly follow the plan this week, in number if not distance, but I can see already that I won't have 90 minutes spare tomorrow lunchtime so will have to push things back a day.

I can't believe it's only a week on Sunday.

Injury can strike at any time

2005-04-01T06:43:00.000+01:00

No, not me - Tracey.

Recovery run

2005-03-31T12:42:00.000+01:00

On the train today so 1.75 to the station and then 4 from Ealing to work. I opened the front door in t-shirt and shorts, but wimped out and changed to a long-sleeved top. Remarkably, for 5.30 am in March, this did in fact prove too warm - but it was too late by then.

The legs were a trifle tender and the back of my left knee is still definitely sore. So I took it very gently, and was thinking about walking up the big hill rather than running. However, to my pleasant surprise, everything was loosening up well so I was able to take it at a rather sedate run.

I feel OK enough to do the reverse tonight - leaving plenty of time so I don't have to sprint for the train - and then I'll see how things feel before deciding whether to run tomorrow.

Conquered the 20

2005-03-29T12:40:00.000+01:00

RAH! That 20 miles is history. I kicked its arse. I looked it in the eye at 18 miles, legs seizing up, out of water in the blazing er, March, heat, and I said: come and have a go, 20, if you think you’re hard enough.

In fact, I probably just said “urgh”, but it’s true that I got a great deal of satisfaction from going the distance. As usual, the moment I’d finished I completely forgot how hard it had been, and felt great.

Friday had been great weather, and I took myself off to the other side of town, partly checking out the area of a house that we’re hoping to buy (spring is in the air, and a not-so-young man’s fancy turns to house-hunting). This ended up being a very pleasant 9 or so miles, and much less boring than laps of my normal 2.5 mile circuit.

So for the 20 I plotted a similar route, 4 x 4.5 laps right around the town, with a single familiar (and somewhat comforting) 2.5 to finish. The weather was great – some direct sun, definitely vest weather – a few weeks ago I couldn’t imagine being out of long sleeves and tracksters.

I think this run was more manageable than, say, the 18 a couple of weeks ago, because I now know more what to expect. I now know that anytime after an hour or so, strange and new niggles will appear and might not go away. I also know that my whole lower body will begin to gradually and progressively get sore and stiff, and that won’t go away until I stop. I have conquered the creeping aches and pains. The only fear is that something will give way. About half way into the 20, the tendon behind my left knee (anatomists, help?) made itself known – yet another new twinge. I decided that if it got bad I would stop, but it just hung in there at a low level of soreness. I can do sore. I can’t do injury. Or don’t want to have to.

20: sorted. The taper begins!

Cash boost

2005-03-24T12:43:00.000Z

I finally sent a big email to everyone who knows me at work. So thanks to some generous support the totaliser is looking even better. Thanks everyone.

However, work giveth with one hand and taketh away with the other. I managed a nice 4.75 on Tuesday but have not had time since - no real lunchtimes, and with 5:00 am starts and a determination not to totally stop family life then no real time in the evening. Still, these things can be dealt with - I'll probably do 10 tomorrow, miss out a 5, and then push back the 20 till Monday. Then taper time will be here already.

Big Steve diary

2005-03-24T12:40:00.000Z

Steve Redgrave's occasional marathon diary from the BBC.

Here comes the big week

2005-03-21T22:38:00.000Z

Friday: I dragged myself out for a gentle 6 miles around Maidenhead on a mild evening (a taste of the weather to come as it happens). Motivating myself to get out is becoming a chore, because when I don’t have time to run at lunchtime then it’s taking away family time.

My right quad was still slightly making its presence felt, which was a little worry. But generally I seemed recovered, at last. (I can’t believe it’s only two weeks since Reading.)

Sunday: Again I wasn’t keen to do this, but I didn’t have much choice. Although this was a step-back run, I was concerned that it would still be damn hard work – 14 miles, after all. It turned out to be quite instructive. With my current level of conditioning (and that’s not going to change much in the next four weeks ) I can start to feel it in my legs, ankles, hips, back, all those lower body muscles and joints, after about 8 miles. The more miles I do on top of that, the more the aches build up and the more keen I am to stop. Rocket science, huh?

14 miles turned out to be not too bad. Of course there were aches and pains, but I’m learning to accept them. The main problem that they cause is worry that they’ll turn into something more serious. Distractions help to minimise those worries, and there should be plenty on the big day.

The right quad irritation came and went, and finally went – hopefully that’s the last I’ll hear from it. So all in all, quite a success and a confidence boost. It turns out that the pace was faster than I thought, and today I’m feeling virtually no ill-effects – I’ve certainly felt a lot worse after half the distance.

This week is supposed to be the big one: 40 miles. I had planned to cut down the midweek runs a bit, because I thought I was overdoing things. But I am seeing now that my body has recovered well from the fast half marathon and the 18 mile run, and it should recover equally well during the taper that starts next week. So I think I’ll try and get fairly close to the target total.

GRR

2005-03-17T12:31:00.000Z

I managed 3.5 miles yesterday lunchtime in warm sunshine (spring is here!) but today I'm too busy - GRR! OK - you've spotted that I'm not too busy to write this. I've awarded myself a short lunchbreak, but not the 1hr+ I was planning.

I might have to run tonight but I don't really want to - the evenings are short enough as is it, cos I'm getting up at 5:00 this week to get some overtime in. Anyway, the good news is that during yesterday's run, all was totally recovered from Sunday apart from the tiniest ache in my right quad.

I guess I really should try for one medium-length and one short run over the next two days.

Still recovering

2005-03-15T12:23:00.000Z

Legs still too tender to run today - but much better than yesterday. It seems to be quads and calves rather than joints, which is reassuring. Definitely on for something tomorrow - not sure how far yet though.

Hardy

2005-03-14T12:23:00.000Z

During my hard (that is, difficult – not what runners mean by "hard", which is fast) run I was thinking about Thomas Hardy. For some reason, this passage from Far From the Madding Crowd has stuck in my mind for twenty years since I read it (forcibly) at school.

She said again in the same tone, "I'll believe that the end lies five posts forward, and no further, and so get strength to pass them."

This was a practical application of the principle that a half-feigned and fictitious faith is better than no faith at all.

She passed five posts and held on to the fifth.

"I'll pass five more by believing my longed-for spot is at the next fifth. I can do it."

She passed five more.

"It lies only five further."

She passed five more.

"But it is five further."

She passed them.

I can remember being totally unable to relate to either the need or the solution when I first read this. But recently I’ve been employing the technique all the time. 1.5 laps into a 6-lap run, I’m telling myself that I’ve nearly done a third, which is nearly a half, and then it’s all downhill from there. After 4 laps, I’m telling myself that I’ve nearly done 5, and 5 is virtually 6.

Remarkably, it seems to work. But yesterday I think it failed for the first time – by 5 laps there was no consolation – just another 5 miles to be plodded.

Hard

2005-03-14T12:17:00.000Z

Friday: I finally got out for a slow 7.5 around Maidenhead in the afternoon (the reason for all these 6.30 am starts: 4½ day week). Very average – although mild enough to get the shorts and t-shirt on for only the second time this year. My legs still felt a little tender from Sunday – they got sore quicker. Basic culinary experience tells us that repeated hammering of meat causes tenderisation.

Sunday: The big 18. 7½ laps of my usual circuit – plus the three short detours to pick up a new water bottle and some figs from the front garden, making up an extra half mile.

This was hard. H.A.R.D. hardy hardy hard. Mr Hardy "Hard" McHardle of Hardfordshire. The hardest run I’ve done so far I think. My legs ached. My back ached – until I sorted my form out about a mile from the end. After five laps (12.5 miles) I was struggling – much more than at the same point in the previous 15 and 16 mile runs. Or so I remember, anyway – the memory has a habit of blocking out the bad bits, otherwise we’d never do anything difficult more than once.

I could have easily given up at the final drink stop at 15 miles. But there was never any real question of me doing that. It’s not as though I was in any real pain. Just a bit of an ache, and knowing how good stopping would feel. In the end it was just a case of deciding to delay that relief for another 22 minutes or so.

I finished in under 2:55. IF I could maintain that pace for another hour or so, on race day I would be finishing around 4:10, outside my target of 4:00 which seemed so easy after last week’s triumphant half marathon. Conclusion: never place the words "easy" and "marathon" in the same sentence.

Today: John Wayne legs. I also have one problem toe, which has been bruised under the nail for a couple of weeks, and was very sore after yesterday – that’s recovering a bit. On the plus side, I checked my schedule and realised that this week is a step-back – only 14 miles required on Sunday rather than the 20 I’d thought. Bliss.

Too much

2005-03-07T12:43:00.000Z

I ran in to work via the train this morning, but it was too much after yesterday’s exertions. No great surprise, but since I was without the car the temptation to get two days’ runs done in one day was too great. However, I ended up walking the last half mile or so and now my hips and knees are really stiff. I’ll take the tube tonight, and be careful for the rest of the week before my 18 at the weekend.

Reading Half Marathon: feeling quite pleased with myself

2005-03-07T12:34:00.000Z

Hal Higdon target consistent with a sub 4 hour marathon: 1:45.
Runner’s World target consistent with a sub 4 hour marathon: 1:50.
My time yesterday: 1:39:35.

This is a big event. When I was one of 100 or so just at Maidenhead station, I got some inkling. When the train arrived (the route from London to Reading) and it was as packed as any commuter train, it became clearer. When several thousand of us queued all the way around Reading station, for half an hour and more for a shuttle bus, it was rather obvious. When the baggage trucks turned out in fact to be ten articulated lorries, there was no doubt.

I was impressed with the organisation though. The only mistake seemed to be that 10,000 runners had to pass through one gate to get to the start, and then found themselves only halfway along. Consequently the start was delayed by 20 minutes. Otherwise, good. The shuttle buses were moving: you just can’t load 5,000 people onto buses any faster than that. And with 10,000 bags at the finish, I was able to stroll up and collect mine in seconds.

With all the arrival congestion, I had started to resign myself that this would not be a fast time, with bodies everywhere for the first couple of miles, but in fact it all moved along very smoothly. I kept missing the mile markers, but I heard someone say at 4 miles that we were below 9 minute miles. At 5-6 miles I was on target for 8 minute miles (1:45) and just decided to try and hold that. All went well, so I was able to up the pace (or at least the effort) a bit at 10 miles, and then give it everything with half a mile to go.

It’s a nice course, taking in the university, the shopping areas and residential streets of Reading, and then open fields (and industrial units) before winding its way into the Majedski Stadium for a grandstand finish. The good people of Reading lined most of the route, with a couple of steel and brass bands towards the end - and a group of small children banging oven trays with wooden spoons at one point, which in a way was better than the professional efforts.

Clearly I could go on and on about the day’s events, deliver a mile-by mile analysis, describe the great variety of supporters, speak of figs, water, energy drinks, bin bags, gloves, micropore tape, and so on, recount overtaking the Cheeky Girls but failing to catch Gordon Ramsay, and more. But I must mention the perfect end to a very satisfying race. Goody bags normally contain some small nutritious titbits – an energy bar, perhaps an apple at a more downmarket event. This time, my best ever goody bag contained none other than a whole malt loaf. 650 calories in a single brick-sized hit. It lasted about 10 minutes.

Results here.

PS - a slow 2.5 miles on Friday seemed to shake off the last of the football twinges. Seems I got away with it.

11 miles + football

2005-03-02T20:00:00.000Z

The journey home on Tuesday was OK at best - cold and light rain. I was very pleased to be home. A bowl of muesli and three hours' rest and I made my way to Slough for 5-a-side football. This was fun - a friendly against a team three divisions higher than the league we're entering, who were intrigued to learn that we'd never played together before. At half time we were 11-0 down. In the second half, they took their feet off the gas and we began to get it together a bit: it finished 12-5.

I did feel my recovery was better than when I used to play a couple of years ago - although with rolling subs no-one was on for more than about 15 minutes at a time. I was worried about lower leg tweaks like knees, calves and ankles, but I seem to have avoided those. However, the fronts of my hips (no idea what the muscle is called) are really sore. I guess I should do some stretching. Will do a short run on Friday to try and loosen up for Sunday.

Oh yes - no more football for me until after April 17th.

Wheee!

2005-03-01T12:41:00.000Z

Possibly the best run ever into work this morning. Snowing! The area to the west of London seems to have had the least severe weather of the country, so it was a nice novelty. Once I was warmed up, I took off my jacket and hat to enjoy the big, fat flakes to the full. Lovely!

16

2005-02-28T12:34:00.000Z

Saturday morning, 6am.

16 miles.

Under 2½ hours.

Sorted.

7 weeks to go

2005-02-24T21:14:00.000Z

Tuesday: lunchtime recovery run of 3ish miles, with stops at Jessops and Iceland for minor errands. I was still very stiff after Sunday – probably the most tired I’ve felt going into a run (unsurprisingly) – and so wondered whether it was the right thing to do. No harm was done though as I fought my way through the wind and snow (it lasted about 5 minutes – this is London), and my legs were definitely looser afterwards. Result!

Wednesday: lunchtime 7 miles, not quite the 8 on the training plan but hey – I have a regular 7 mile circuit. Towards the end my legs felt a little more sore than usual, obviously the after-effects of Sunday. I can cope with sore legs, I just need to watch that it’s remaining steady rather than getting progressively worse. Otherwise, the run was a real breeze (the weather was warmer than Tuesday, but still cap and gloves weather) and I recorded a PB for the circuit by 50 sec.

Thursday: the reverse of Tuesday, stopping off at Jessops again to pick up the photos - half a minute faster. Sleet, but not much wind, so it felt quite mild. The receptionists at work have commented all week that I must be really cold, but it only takes gloves and a hat and the rest of me stays toasty.

The weekend ahead: to fit in family activities, I’ve decided that the best time for my first 16 miler will be… first thing Saturday morning. I want to be out by about 6.30 so I can be back around 9.00 and get on with the day. It will be cold, dark and generally grim.

Strangely, just typing that makes me look forward to the challenge. “Eye of the Tiger” fires up in my mental walkman and I can feel my Asics pounding the pavement. LET’S GO BABY!

Next week: Sunday/Monday, collapse in a heap. Tuesday, travelling by train so 11 miles across four sessions, and then an ill-advised game of football in the evening. I promise to only play 20 minutes or so, but hopefully after FLM I will join this team and put my new-found fitness to good use. Not ideal preparation for the Reading half on the Sunday, but I will probably just do a light run on Thursday or Friday to shake off any lingering aches.

"Mile" stones, ha ha

2005-02-21T20:30:00.000Z

First 30 mile week!

Total training exceeds 300 miles!

Only 8 weeks to go!

When in Frome

2005-02-21T20:23:00.000Z

I completed my first fifteen miles on Sunday afternoon. We were in the fine town of Frome for the weekend and I had plotted a 2.5 mile circuit in advance. It was a tad more hilly than I’m used to. Upwardly speaking, the most notable was a longish, steady climb followed by a sharp corner, and then fifty yards or so of steep hill. On the descendant side was a lovely last half mile of each lap through open countryside, almost entirely downhill, when I could slow my breathing to tickover and just coast.

Laps 5 and 6 were a bit of a killer on the legs, but I did feel that I could have managed another lap if I had to. So much of this seems to be mental – almost every step of the way I was aware of how far I’d gone and how far was left.

Fuel-wise I got through 2 litres of water and half a pound of figs. (I’ve decided that buying another 2-3 boxes of gels just to get me through the training is a waste of money – I’ve tested them and they’re fine, I’ll just save them for the race.)

Time-wise I came in at 2h 23 min, which is about 4hr 10 min pace for the marathon, slightly outside what I’m hoping for but totally pleasing. Overall, it felt much better than the 12.5 miles a fortnight earlier. Today, the legs are still pretty stiff, but I’m sure that three miles tomorrow will loosen them up.

Bring it on! Er, I think

2005-02-17T12:43:00.000Z

The run home was completed with a minimum of fuss yesterday – although I was reminded how relentlessly uphill the final leg from the station to home is. The really good news is that I ran 11 miles yesterday, and today there isn’t the slightest hint of soreness. This weekend will be interesting…

Hello, Dawn

2005-02-16T12:31:00.000Z

Another run/ride/run this morning, and again tonight – so I can have an extra rest day tomorrow!

In contrast with last Thursday, this was probably the best ever for this route. Getting off a warm train for a half-hour uphill run with a rucksack is never appetising, but once I’d got into step it went pretty easily. Plus there are plenty of interesting sights to distract me – Ealing golf course, St Mary’s churchyard, footbridge over the A40 into London (seriously – quite a sight at rush hour), and Horsenden Hill – and this morning the sun was actually coming up. That’s something I haven’t seen since November - it’s nice to feel I’ve been through winter and come out the other side.

Sorted for Squeezy gels

2005-02-15T12:36:00.000Z

I took the easy option on Sunday and stuck to the planned 10 miles. It was the sixth time I’ve been that far or more, so it was quite pleasingly routine. I’m starting to find the long runs a bit boring now – so much of this training is in the mind. It was also my first chance to try out the lemon and lime Squeezy gels.

I had a couple over the hour and a half (they’re only 25g) and was pleasantly surprised. They weren’t at all as sickly sweet as I expected, but I was taken aback at the gloopiness of them. Like drinking emulsion paint or something. I guess roughly speaking they’re made of cornflour mixed with fruit squash, and that’s pretty much what they tasted like. Anyway, they did the job, so I’ll be abandoning my organic principles and embracing mass-processed stimulants from now on.

This morning, I was up at five for a 3.5 mile run around work at six. Half-hour runs go by in a flash now, and I couldn't tell that I'd done 10 miles two days earlier. Gradually, my fitness and stamina are creeping up.

Midweek fixtures

2005-02-10T12:34:00.000Z

Tuesday night: a quick 2.5 miles, to check that everything was still working after Sunday’s exertions. It felt like I was flying round, but as is almost always the case, the stopwatch told a different tale – only 5 seconds per mile faster than Sunday night, when I ran five times as far.

Wednesday night: intended 7.5 miles but stopped at 5. I’d over-indulged at an all-you-can-eat Indian buffet at lunchtime (I always take these things literally) and my insides were still awash with protein and fat by the evening. Good job the restaurant didn’t serve alcohol, or things would have been worse. The run was fairly plodding, but I’m glad I at least got a few miles on the board. Afterwards, I was still sustained by curry power, so my recovery meal consisted of a cup of tea and a biscuit.

Thursday morning: out just before 5.30 am for a run/ride/run to work (1.75+4 ish). The first leg was OK, if a little panicked – I made the train with about 2 minutes to spare. But the second leg was pretty unpleasant. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the facts that:

1. It was only 10 hours since I’d done 5 miles.
2. I hadn’t eaten for 18 hours.

Great work. The run was little more than a stumbling jog, the worst I can remember. That bowl of muesli at my desk never tasted so good.

New ground

2005-02-07T14:15:00.000Z

I broke new ground for the first time in 10 weeks last night and did my 12.5 miler. It wasn't too bad - the first couple of laps felt pretty good, the next couple were slightly uncomfortable, and the last one a little grim - so no real surprises. But I felt pretty good afterwards and am not suffering any major ill-effects today.

One thing is for certain though - the bananas are off. They went down fine, but after 10 miles of swinging around in a bum bag they were in a pretty sorry state. And I do not want to be arsing around with squashed bananas after twenty miles of running. So I'm off to order some energy bars and gels.

Now I just need to decide whether to stick with the planned "step-back" long run next weekend (10 miles) or do another 12.5 to make up for the 12 I missed.

Exactly 10 weeks from now...

2005-02-06T13:45:00.000Z

...it will all be over bar the shouting.

And I think there will be plenty of that.

All is revealed

2005-02-06T13:30:00.000Z

...well, not quite. But more than usual. Friday was Shorts Time for the first time this season.

Very pleasant weather for my first run for eight days - a midday five miles. As expected, it was a little hard going, but not disastrous, and the stopwatch showed just under 4hr marathon pace. Tonight I will attempt the much-anticipated 12 miler. I'm not exactly in tip-top condition for it, but sometimes you just gotta get out there.

Return of The Bug

2005-01-29T21:19:00.000Z

Have you seen this film? It's a disaster movie, the one with the recurring nightmare of the guy who can't train because he keeps getting flu.

OK, I'm not dying, but my slight cold has turned into flu again so there's no way I'll be out for my 12 miles tomorrow. I guess I'll have to slip a few days (hopefully not as much as a week) and miss out a few short runs to catch up.

The week had been going OK - fast 3.5 and 7s on Tuesday and Wednesday lunchtime, although I missed my Thursday due to sheer laziness. Since then, the only thing I've been running is a temperature.

Still, worse things happen at sea, can't expect it all to go smoothly, etc etc. Should be back on track soon.

The perfect banana

2005-01-24T12:44:00.000Z

The perfect banana is bought slightly unripe, firm and with just a hint of green. It’s then ripened in the open air for a week, by which time it’s a rich yellow, still moist and blemish-free but with no hint of fibrousness.

And such a fruit is what accompanied me on my Saturday afternoon long run of 7.5 miles. It seemed to go down fine, and taking on energy in such a natural form rather than some kind of gel thing did give me a little burst of moral superiority. Unlike the figs or the crackers, it didn’t need much chewing, and didn’t crumble to dust.

But according to this, to get 30-60 g of carb per hour I need 1-2 small bananas per hour, or between 4 and 8 bananas for the marathon. Do I really want to carry a pound or more of bananas with me, and will my digestive system cope for four hours with all that fibre? Well, I do think that whipping out a banana mid-race has a certain style – it even comes with its own carrying pouch – so I’ll persevere with les bananes for a few long runs and see how I get on.

Otherwise, the run wasn't bad – foolishly, I thought that because this was a shorter run it would be easy, but of course even 7.5 miles isn’t meant to be fun. But after about 40 minutes I finally got into a rhythm, and within no time another week’s training was put to bed.

Thank you Thank you Thank you

2005-01-20T20:51:00.000Z

I may have been resting, but my sponsors haven't. In response to my big email, the pledges have been flooding in, and the original target of £1250 has already been beaten! Thank you for your donations everyone, together we're giving a little bit of help to some people we've never met.

Resting

2005-01-20T20:37:00.000Z

I've got a bit carried away with resting this week. I completed the second half of my double run on Monday, leaving a meeting at 1700 to get changed and make the 1741 train, 4 miles away. I made it with about three minutes to spare (faster than 10K PB pace).

So by Monday night I was two days ahead of schedule and looking forward to putting my feet up until today. Also, the training plan shows that this is a step-back (reduced mileage) week, which further contributed to my relaxed frame of mind.

However, even without any running, the intervening days have seemed anything but relaxed. And after a whole fornight of perfect health, I've caught another cold, although nowhere near as bad as the last one (I'm sure that this exercise level is reducing my immunity). So today I felt like I could do with one more day of rest. I'll do a quick 2.5 tomorrow and then my shortened long of 7 on Sunday. Consider it extra preparation for doing nearly 75 miles in the following three weeks.

Monday update

2005-01-17T13:01:00.000Z

The runs are all merging into one now if I don't post an entry every day.

Thursday - 3.5 miles at lunchtime, as I recall it was very smooth and just what I needed after 5 hours in front of a screen.

Saturday morning - long run brought forward from Sunday. I was low on Hovis crackers so had to supplement them with malted milk. Biscuits are proving to be a problem as they do disintegrate - a lovely mix of flavours after about 10 miles. I think I'll try bananas next week. The run was not bad, just what is becoming your average run of the mill 10-mile run. I broke 90 mins for the first time, which was nice but not important.

Today is my getting ahead of schedule day - I'm travelling by train, so am doing the run/ride/run routine in both directions (1.75 miles from house to station, 4 miles from station to work, x2) to clock up 11 miles in one day and get a day ahead. Plus Monday is normally a rest day, so by tonight I'll be where I normally am by Wednesday night. I was on the 0546 this morning!

The sponsorship emails are flooding in faster than I can reply to them: thanks everybody, I'll be in touch very soon.

Hello, friends old and new

2005-01-14T14:29:00.000Z

Over the last couple of days I've sent out a big email to everyone in my address book to ask for support. The replies are starting to come in steadily. Hello to lots of people I haven't spoken to for years! It's great to hear from you. Thank you for being so generous - the totaliser has jumped up by over £160 in a day or so.

PLEASE remember to click the ads over to the left, and to come back again to see how the training is going.

Update

2005-01-12T12:33:00.000Z

Yesterday lunchtime: the first fartlek of the year, 3.5 miles. A really enjoyable run in light to medium rain, and another PB for this circuit.

Today 6.30 am: a medium-pace 5.25 miles near work (my old circuit from before moving house). Comfortable.

The two-week break to get over the cold seems long in the past now. Which is really good, because doing five miles before breakfast made me realise that the mileage is going to start creeping up every week now – something I’m not used to.

Crackers

2005-01-09T22:40:00.000Z

I was wondering how to fit in some cross-training at the weekend, as required by the training schedule I'm following. I needn't have worried - it just comes naturally. Yesterday I walked approximately half a mile to the park and back, at toddler pace. Then, I cycled into town and back, a total of about three miles, some of it uphill. If the local pool had been open, I would have thrown in some bouncing in the toddler pool as well. I think that's the kind of hardcore cross-training the author had in mind.

This afternoon was my long run; I did 10 miles instead of the prescribed 9 as I'd already done a few 10s. It was fine thanks, completed a few sec/mile outside of 4 hour marathon pace, and with some steady rain at the end which made re-entering the house like stepping into a sauna - great! A sauna that provides post-run home-made bread with butter and honey, that is.

I tried out a new on-the-move food after discovering some in the larder in a snack attack during the week: Hovis crackers. About 70% carbohydrate, lightweight, don't need much chewing - a couple every 2.5 mile lap seemed to go down well, with plenty of water. Somebody please tell me if this is a stupid thing to do, because at that rate I'll get through a whole packet in the course of the marathon.

Another week beckons.

Too many running blogs

2005-01-09T22:35:00.000Z

It's official: there is a running blog epidemic. And most of them seem to have started around November last year. I'm as guilty as anyone. To anyone who has a running blog dating from before November 2004, I salute you: where you lead, others follow.

I just took a look at Spud's blog, as newly-promoted in the Runner's World FLM Forum. It should be a good read - from complete beginner to marathon in six months. Anyway, I take a quick look at his blogger profile, interests include Guinness, all well and good, wonder how many other people list that as an interest? Click on Guinness... hey, there's quite a few! At random, let's pick the second one in the list... list of blogs... uh-oh, she's got a blog with "run" in the title... aaargh! It's another marathon blog!

Early run

2005-01-06T20:21:00.000Z

0530 Get up, fall into running clothes
0630 Arrive office, run 3.5 miles
0700 Shower and breakfast
0730 Start work

A good start to the day. The weather was relatively mild, and I went at a more sensible pace than yesterday. It felt like I'm almost back to normal after my cold. Let's see how I get on with the long run at the weekend.

Lunchtime

2005-01-05T12:59:00.000Z

I just completed 3.5 lunchtime miles – this is going to be a very regular event.

After the first few flying strides, as I zipped past colleagues wrapped up in scarves and overcoats, I found it very hard going. Maybe after a couple of weeks off I’ve forgotten that even a good run isn’t really much fun. Even a good run isn’t really enjoyable until it’s finished. I felt very unfit, the way I felt when I started light training back in September.

Then approaching half way, I suddenly realised that I’d been thinking about something else for about five minutes and was running on auto-pilot. I was smooth and relaxed. It didn’t last that long – just until the next hill – but it was another surprising little reminder in my re-learning how to run.

I’m most definitely not going to say “running is like life” – but this short half-hour adventure had good times and bad, surprises both pleasant and unpleasant, times to dig deep and times to enjoy the view. What a load of melodramatic nonsense.

And the final surprise? The stopwatch showed I’d averaged one minute and five seconds PER MILE faster than my previous two runs. No wonder it felt hard.

BBC2 Documentary

2005-01-05T12:55:00.000Z

FLM runners, if you want to be on telly, start preparing your marathon story now. See the BBC website. Includes a nice picture of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign mascot - imagine running 26.2 miles in that (one day, maybe).

New Year update

2005-01-04T12:23:00.000Z

Saturday – another post-cold 2.5 miles. Didn’t feel very comfortable, probably because it was only an hour after lunch. Think about pre-race eating strategy! On the plus side, it was about 10 seconds per mile faster than the previous two days.

Sunday – 5 miles, felt comfortable, same pace per mile as Saturday. I’m still about 40 sec per mile slower than my "normal" (randomly determined) training pace and it feels like it will take quite a while to regain that.

Monday – scheduled rest day.

Tuesday – unscheduled rest day! (Unless I get time for a run tonight). I need to plan whether my midweek runs will be before work, at lunchtime, or the evening, and stick to it. With the mild panic of returning to work after a week and a half off, the plan still requires some more planning. I felt that just getting out of bed two hours earlier was more than enough effort for today.

Regarding pace: I’m a bit of a hippy, so I’m trying to stay away from over-technologising my training, hence the absence of heart rate monitors, GPS units, etc (and why I’m writing a training diary on the internet, obviously). However, I do need to think a little bit about pace, and make sure I don’t train too fast. I’m optimistically hoping to beat 4 hours for the marathon, which is 9:10 per mile… and which is just about my current (post-cold) training pace. So really, for the long runs, my previous pace was too fast, and I shouldn’t be looking to get any faster.

One moment of note during my 5 miles on Sunday. Just into the second lap, I felt a familiar sensation… all over my legs – hamstrings, quads, knees, ankles, hips – little pains were appearing. Nothing serious, just the odd twinges that go with regular running. These had been absent while I’d been resting, and it was strangely comforting to feel them again. Training for a marathon is, for me, something very much out of the ordinary – the kind of daft experience that reminds you that this is real life – and the little aches that I feel as I walk around the house or office constantly remind me of that.

I’m well aware of the proverb "Be careful what you wish for", so let’s be clear – it’s just LITTLE aches and pains I want, OK?

I've also formally adoped the Hal Higdon novice programme into my training plan.

Finally, an utterly heartwarming interview. And a follow-up.

Marathon Year is here

2005-01-01T13:14:00.000Z

My marathon year is here... only 105 days to go!

Santa brought me some new Asics Gel 1100 shoes and a copy of Hal's book. And after 16 days of rest, my cold has finally gone.

Thursday and yesterday I tried a couple of short 2.5 mile forays to get back into the swing of things. Thursday wasn't much fun - I felt generally sluggish and unfit, plus I quickly developed a new niggle in my right ankle, so I was cursing the new shoes and generally feeling anxious. Last night was much better though - no sign of the niggle, so the shoes are in the clear - and everything felt much smoother and more relaxed.

I continue to be amazed at how I feel while running is unrelated to my speed - compared with the night before it felt like I was flying round, but the stopwatch said exactly two seconds faster (weird enough to be running times 0.1% apart two days in a row, I think).

So, another 2.5 later today, 5 tomorrow, and then try and pick up where I left off next week.

'Twas the night before Christmas

2004-12-24T23:16:00.000Z

...and all through the house, nothing was stirring - least of all a running shoe.

I'm eventually starting to see off this cold, although I've still got a really annoying cough. It must be the worst cold I've had in about 15 years. I'm sure that running last Tuesday set it back, so I won't try anything silly this weekend - but hopefully I'll be out on the road early next week.

One more thing... another training diary by real journalists, this time for the Big Sur marathon in California. It's a couple of weeks after FLM so the training programmes will coincide.

Have a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Cold

2004-12-15T12:34:00.000Z

My cough and cold show no signs of abating, but I made the effort to get out last night and did about 6 miles. Once I got warmed up it was pretty good, a pleasant couple of laps of West London suburbia/parkland in damp evening air.

Today I feel worse than yesterday (cold-wise), so maybe I'll lay off until the weekend unless I start to feel better.

That was the week that wasn't

2004-12-12T21:02:00.000Z

A very light week this week, but I have my excuses ready. Monday was rest day, Tues and Weds I felt like I was coming down with flu so decided to hold off, and also cancelled my Thursday lunchtime run. By Thursday I was feeling fairly normal, so Friday morning I did my run/ride/run via the train to work, and it was very good.

However, Friday afternoon was a work Christmas lunch, and for reasons best known to themselves, my colleagues turned into LOUD SHOUTY PEOPLE as soon as they entered the pub, despite it being remarkably (and pleasantly) quiet. A couple of hours later I sounded like a chainsmoking frog. I don't know whether that sensitized my throat, or a cold was coming anyway, but I've spent the rest of the weekend croaking and sniffling.

So horror of horrors, I've missed my long run this week due to a puny cold. WIMP! Still, I have a couple of hours to kill on Tuesday evening, so I might try and fit it in then if I'm feeling better.

More eBay

2004-12-09T12:41:00.000Z

Now someone is auctioning a guaranteed place in the FLM. Not sure if this has been done before (or if it's allowed).

Ready for auction

2004-12-07T12:32:00.000Z

Anyone who enters the Flora London Marathon via the ballot, and doesn't get in, receives a souvenir showerproof running jacket. These are starting to appear on eBay now.

Cross? I'm furious

2004-12-07T12:20:00.000Z

Today can go down as cross-training, as I took my bike on the train to work this morning and cycled 5ish miles (plus the same on the way home tonight).

I thought this would give my legs a gentle stretch and soothe my aching joints. How wrong I was! I felt worse than after my 10 mile run on Sunday. I guess my muscles are used to be used in different ways these days, and are complaining. Next time I'll stick to swimming.

The Power of Figs®

2004-12-05T21:44:00.000Z

This is my proposed new slogan for the Fig Marketing Board. I will be submitting it shortly.

I had a rather more comfortable 10 miles tonight – not exactly a walk in the park, but I wasn’t quite as drained afterwards. This is partly because I took about 3½ minutes longer than last week to complete the distance – not deliberately, but no bad thing.

And partly because of the supply of figs I took (thanks James - Sainsbury’s was too busy to bother trying to find jelly beans). They weren’t rocket fuel, but they must have had a good effect because I didn’t feel hungry like last week. Now I have to learn the skill of eating while running - frustrating when eating something nice like figs, as the best bet (to ensure continued breathing) is to get 'em down as quickly as possible.

Muesli 1 - Bacon Rolls 0

2004-12-03T12:07:00.000Z

We may be witnessing a swing in the balance of power for this regular Friday morning fixture.

Another 5-ish miles this morning with a train ride in the middle. The second run included some beautiful scenes of late autumn leaves under sodium lamps, through quite a respectably dense mist. And the mornings are getting darker – apparently that happens at this time of year.

Various

2004-12-02T21:29:00.000Z

The Guardian’s Alok Jha to do Regent’s Park 10K to baseline fitness before FLM training.

Lloyd Scott finishes trans-Australia penny-farthing ride.

Dan (that’s me) does a gentle 3 or so miles around, up and down Horsenden Hill at lunchtime.

Rest day

2004-12-01T12:21:00.000Z

A rest day today. I'm still feeling the effects of Sunday's 10 miles, in my calves and in my hip joints (which have been sore in the past, but not given me trouble so far since I started marathon training.) Yesterday I did a "recovery" run before work, but when I checked my records found that I'd done a PB for non-fartlek. So that was probably a bit too fast then.

Eating while running

2004-11-29T12:33:00.000Z

I'd been wondering about strategies for taking on food during the race itself (and during long training runs). This article from the New York Road Runners Club seems pretty comprehensive. Now is the time to start experimenting - I have 19 long training runs left.

Double figures

2004-11-29T12:31:00.000Z

Last night once again I ran the furthest I've ever run, ever – this time 10 miles, the first time in double figures. It was my hardest run for a very long time – I could really feel soreness setting in towards the end, and today my legs are pretty stiff. I need to avoid going too far too soon – I increased my mileage by nearly 50% this week, which is almost certainly too much.

Also I noticed that towards the end of the run, I was craving food rather than drink (having got through a pint of water during the run). Looks like I’m getting to the stage where my endurance is being put to the test.

Balanced diet

2004-11-26T11:56:00.000Z

Hal Higdon says that “a well-balanced diet for runners is to obtain 55 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 30 percent from fats and 15 percent from proteins”. Sounds just like a bacon roll. Good job I had a couple after this morning’s run/ride/run.

Fartlek before breakfast

2004-11-25T12:39:00.000Z

The pre-dawn madness continued this morning. The alarm went off at 5.15 and I was pounding the streets outside work by five past six. Sprinting before breakfast – what is the world coming to?

I’ve also clocked up my first 100 miles of training – which in 15 weeks isn’t particularly impressive, but serves as a good base for the serious stuff to come. In the next 142 days I’m hoping to cover another 400 or so.

Morning person

2004-11-23T19:18:00.000Z

Tried a pre-work run today, schedule as follows:

05.50 – alarm, straight into running gear
06.00 – in car
06.40 – arrive work
06.45 – 3.5 mile run
07.15 – stretch, shower and change
07.25 – breakfast at desk

At 05.50, I contemplated forgetting the whole thing, but by 06.45 I was quite keen, and enjoyed the run. It helped that it was a pleasant, mild morning. The buzz lasted all day.

The two problems are:

(1) This routine included a half-hour lie-in; normally I would have to start at 05.20.

(2) I’m thinking about changing to the highly-regarded Hal Higdon programme, which has longer midweek runs – that Week 15 Wednesday 10-miler would require me to get up at ten past four…

Cartographical error

2004-11-21T22:05:00.000Z

This afternoon I went for my first long weekend run around Maidenhead. A pleasant three-lap circuit in cool, damp air, taking in both open fields and suburbia. The run was completed with a minimum of fuss, the only downer being that I miscalculated the lap distance as 3.1 miles when it was only really 2.5.

My watch showed around 22 minutes for the first lap, and I immediately thought that I’d got the distance wrong. However, maybe delirium began to set in after a few more miles, as I began to believe that I really was running that fast – despite, as I later worked out, the pace being faster than I’ve ever run. When I finally checked the map, I wasn’t really disappointed that I hadn’t improved a minute per mile overnight - just that I hadn’t run as far as I intended.

Training and the train

2004-11-19T22:00:00.000Z

This morning saw my inaugural, occasional run/ride/run journey in to work, including my first run in my new home town of Maidenhead. I was out the door at 5.40 am – I could have had another quarter of an hour in bed, as it turned out – for twoish miles in the coldest morning of the year so far, to the station. Then a quick jaunt on a nice, warm train to Ealing Broadway, and another three and a half miles or so up to Sudbury Hill and the office. Strangely, Ealing at 7.00 seemed colder than Maidenhead at 6.00. Must remember gloves next week. Oh, and a towel would make the shower at work a little more pleasant, as well.

The second run was quite hard in places, mainly because it’s largely uphill, and also because until yesterday I’d had a ten-day layoff. I was also running with a rucksack, which wasn’t half as bad as I expected (the forgotten towel must have helped) although it must have slowed me down a bit. No spectacular sunrise unfortunately – the sun just oozed up somewhere between Slough and Ealing. Best bit was probably crossing a misty River Brent in the middle of the golf course. Either that or the bacon rolls at my desk at ten to eight.

Who needs sleep?

2004-11-19T21:59:00.000Z

Yesterday I went for the first of many planned lunchtime runs, taking in some of North Greenford’s most delightful scenery: Paradise Fields, the Grand Union Canal, Horsenden Hill, and Westway Cross shopping centre. This was undertaken with potential new lunchtime training partner Mo, which made for a nice change and someone to talk to. I haven’t told him about my plans for hill sprints yet.

The only trouble with the lunchtime runs is that I have to get up at 5am in order to allow myself a full hour’s lunchbreak.

The ability to suffer for long periods

2004-11-18T13:31:00.000Z

A real journalist shows us how training logs should be written, in a fortnightly column in the Guardian. He's a new runner attempting the FLM05 while looking in detail at the science of training. Should be worth a look at the updates.

FLM ballot entry nears 100,000 for 2005

2004-11-18T12:33:00.000Z

Running Boom confirmed.

Nil points

2004-11-15T12:50:00.000Z

A big, fat zero on the training log this week. I really haven’t had any spare time or energy, due to moving house, which I think is a valid excuse at this stage of the programme. The stories of how stressful moving is are evidently true – which is OK, provided you don’t have lots of other stuff going on, such as training for a marathon. So something had to give – and it was the training. Normal service should be resumed this week, and I’ll try and fit in one or two extra short runs to keep things ticking over.

More on Lloyd Scott

2004-11-09T22:09:00.000Z

I mentioned Lloyd Scott and his trans-Australia penny-farthing ride a little while ago. He's writing a daily diary of his endeavours. (Or, the full site.)

Calories

2004-11-09T21:57:00.000Z

There's an interesting table in the rec.running FAQ entitled "Calories burned by running". A quick analysis of the table reveals that it's pretty much based on a single rule:

Running at 70% of maximum heart rate, calories burned per mile = 0.73 * body weight in lbs.

70% is a fairly easy pace and so should be around what I'm doing for my long runs. So at about 200lbs, my current 8.75 mile run burns about 1280 calories. That's around an extra half a day's food I have to eat on Sundays in order to avoid losing weight. Wahey!

Then again, my BMI comes out at 23.6, so maybe it wouldn't hurt to shed a couple more pounds.

I did a run

2004-11-08T21:37:00.000Z

Five hours sleep, big Sunday lunch, very tired, after dark, light rain, 8.75 miles, good pace, drank loads of water, felt great.

I feel these posts might be becoming a little formulaic.

But there’s not that much else to say: I’m mostly managing to fit the runs in, I’m not getting injured, and I’m enjoying it. Until the real serious stuff starts after Christmas, or one of my legs falls off or something, I’m, a bit stuck for things to tell you.

I don’t have the time, the powers of recall, or the literary skills to put together anything like Andy’s account of his 2002 marathon training. And I’m not going to turn this into a proper blog and start telling you what I had for breakfast. (Actually, I might mention nutrition in future. OK, I won’t start telling you what I watched on TV. Hang on, I already have. But the point is: I’ll try and stick to the main topic.)

So please keep reading, give me your money, and tell your friends. It’ll be worth it in the long run.

Feedback

2004-11-04T12:32:00.000Z

My body is giving me a bit of feedback today, some of it in new forms. My knees are a bit sore when I go downstairs - nothing particularly new. What I haven't had before is the twinge in the backs of my thighs when I walk - which suggests that the sprinting last night was reaching a few muscles that hadn't been reached before.

Nothing to worry about, but I definitely won't push the sprinting any harder (as if my lungs would let me) for a while yet.

Got the buzz

2004-11-03T21:56:00.000Z

Another really enjoyable fartlek session tonight. I really went for it in the first couple of fast sections, which was a little uncomfortable on an empty stomach - although probably would have been on a full stomach as well. Still, as usual, it felt great when I stopped. The stopwatch showed 20 sec outside my recent PB, which isn't important, but it's nice to know that it was as fast as it felt. But the best thing at the moment about these fartlek sessions is that the time passes so quickly - the variety keeps the mind occupied, and I was halfway round before I knew it. And without wishing to alienate any gym-using readers - why would anyone go to the gym when you can have such a great, literally-on-the-doorstep, fresh-air workout for free?

OK, there's lots of reasons, I know. But - well.

Mad or not?

2004-11-01T22:30:00.000Z

Here are some really mad people. Lloyd Scott is cycling 100 marathons on a penny farthing in 40°C heat. Ben Fogle ran a marathon a day for a week in 45°C heat. I caught a bit of the Fogle programme yesterday – at least I know my blisters won’t be as bad as his, and at the worst I’ll only have to endure pain for half a day or so.

Then again, Lorraine Kelly did FLM04 and runs "an hour or two three times a week and at the weekend… 10 miles" – considerably more than I’m currently prattling on about. I’m not belittling the bonny lass, but it just goes to show that with a bit of determination, running a marathon is something that anyone can do.

Cash-o-meter

2004-10-31T22:28:00.000Z

The totaliser is looking very healthy today thanks to the kind people of St. Stephen’s church. I received some great words of encouragement and talked to a few marathon veterans that I wasn’t aware of. Equally valuable, if a little unsettling, were the comments like “Have you got good knees? My friend ruined his knees doing the marathon.”

Moving on

2004-10-31T22:10:00.000Z

I missed my midweek session this week due to packing for our imminent house move, so today I treated myself to an extra half a lap, making a total of 8.75 miles – officially the furthest I’ve ever run in my whole life, ever. That’s a whole third of a marathon. Can I really treble my endurance in five and a half months?

Anyway, it was really rather good, apart from the old left hip making its presence felt a little. I got through about a pint of water which I’m sure really helped (I’m getting the hang of drinking while running – it’s not that difficult), and I really did feel very good afterwards.

So what have we learned? Stick at this mileage for November and then up it by another half lap (about 15 minutes) in December. Hydration is good. Try and fit in the midweek runs while moving house, but don’t lose sleep over it. Progress is being made.

Weekly update

2004-10-24T21:47:00.000+01:00

Another week, another 10.5 miles on the clock. My now regular weekly fartlek session slipped to Friday for various reasons, mostly laziness. Again, it was quite enjoyable and satisfying, although completed in about a minute longer than last week. One does feel like some sort of Proper Athlete when one is jogging along the street and then one bursts into a sprint.

I’d left the weekend’s long run until the last possible moment, Sunday night, and was thus forced to go out in the rain. So it was on with the fully non-breathable waterproof jacket and distinctly non-technical-fabric cap. I also heeded my own advice and took some water – unfortunately the best bottle I could find was half a litre, a little cumbersome.

It was a mild night and the rain soon stopped, so I ditched the hat and jacket pretty quickly as I was starting to sweat like a heavyweight boxer. Carrying them along with my barrel of water was a little awkward and I think was responsible for the sore neck that developed after a while. I got to practice my drinking technique – drinking from a bottle while running and breathing hard isn’t that easy – although I think that come race day I’ll follow Hal Higdon’s advice and walk through the drink stations.

Overall it was a comfortable run, although quite slow. I definitely feel that mentally I’ve got the 7 mile distance licked. I might up the distance in a few weeks and see how it feels.

What's it all about?

2004-10-18T22:10:00.000+01:00

At least writing this diary gives me something to think about while running. Yesterday's 7-mile meditation was "long-distance running: what's it all about?"

I'm coming to the conclusion that it's not about not getting out of breath, or how fast your muscles will take you, or about the strength of your heart and lungs, or even much about toughening up your joints to survive 40,000 impacts without a rest.

I think it's about your whole body being able to take half a day's exertion without everything turning to jelly and you collapsing in a heap. It may sound obvious, but it seems the key to this training is not so much strengthening muscles and joints, but simply building endurance, core strength. I feel like right now, I could probably run a half marathon, but would be completely shattered at the end. By April, I've got to be able to do that and then get up and do another one.

I think I will only really start to understand what long-distance running is about after Christmas, when the serious, regular mileage starts to kick in.

Note to self: take some water on next week's long run. I haven't bothered so far, but by the second lap I was feeling dehydrated. Everyone says it's important, so I'd better get used to it.

Do check out the ads

2004-10-15T21:41:00.000+01:00

Please while you're here, take a minute to click on some of the ads over to the left of the page. They generate revenue based on the number of clicks, and from initial figures they look like they could make quite a good contribution to the fund. Plus you'll get to buy some great long distance running related products!

Thank-you sponsors!

2004-10-15T21:38:00.000+01:00

Big thanks to some generous sponsors who have got the fundraising ball rolling and pushed the totaliser beyond a fifth of the target already. You know who you are! I'll try and do you proud...

Leks and Farts

2004-10-13T21:27:00.000+01:00

In which I reveal a liking for toilet humour.

Tonight I decided to try a spot of fartlek. Maybe I should have read the article before I tried it.

Actually, it went really well. I did my normal circuit of 3.5 miles and ended up doing 7 cycles of fart and lek (as I like to think of them). I was able to fart quite hard - until the "I would really like to slow down quite soon" point, rather than the "I must stop now or my lungs will burst" point - and then lek at a moderate jog until I was reasonably comfortable again (although not totally relaxed). I think distance-wise the leks worked out about twice as long as the farts. It was only in the last two cycles that my leks slowed to a really slow jog in order to recover.

So all in all it was a very good cardiovascular workout, and gave my legs much more of a stretch than normal, and the time passed very quickly. AND, much to my surprise (based on previous attempts a while back), I recorded a PB for my circuit. Which all serves to increase my over-confidence... something is bound to go wrong soon.

Update: Etymology here.

Training Pant

2004-10-10T20:31:00.000+01:00

This week it was on with the training pant and long-sleeved top as the autumnal weather drew in. On Thursday I went for my first run in the dark since last winter, which turned out to be really nice. I felt like I flew round - actual running, not jogging - although the stopwatch only showed an average time.

This this morning I went for my first 7 mile run at home - two laps of my normal circuit. As last week, I didn't really start to feel comfortable until about 40 minutes. Not sure what to conclude from that but it can't be a bad thing? Anyway, no nasty pains, just the usual slight muscle soreness this afternoon. And my lap time was actually faster than on Thursday.

My only slight worry was that I can see myself getting bored with the training by Christmas - let alone April. I guess the answer might be variety, so I'll see how I'm feeling in a few weeks and then maybe vary things a bit. Also I really need to get started on raising some of that great big £1250, which should hopefully keep me focused. I'll try and start work on my office colleagues this week and then think about organising a big mailout to my friends.

In other news, I've entered the Reading Half Marathon on March 6th, which will provide a good challenge as I've never run that far before. I've slipped in into the training plan.

The training has begun

2004-10-04T19:46:00.000+01:00

Well, it really began a month or so, but this week I upped the mileage in accordance with the training plan. Yes, I’ve already missed a midweek session – my excuse being that I didn’t look at the plan until Thursday. Not too important at this stage.

On Saturday morning I went for a jog around the suburbs of Birmingham with my brother-in-law Ian, and the weather confirmed that autumn is definitely here. The idea was to do an hour, which should be roughly 7 miles. It was quite grim to start with – probably not helped by unfamiliar surroundings, and running with someone else which I’m not used to. After a while, the doubts started setting in:

"I’ve only done half an hour, think what four and a half will be like."
"What am I letting myself in for?"
"Why am I doing this?"

However, after about 40 minutes I settled into a rhythm and the various worrying twinges settled down into dull aches. As it happened, our route took in a running track and I was able to time myself at about 2:20 for a 400m lap, which sounds appallingly slow but is actually about 9:20 for a mile – certainly faster than it felt. Based on that time I’ve put 6.5 miles in the log, which must be about right.

Admittedly, I was very glad to stop after an hour, but I felt good afterwards and there was only a little soreness the following day. Today, I’m (almost) raring to go for my shorter, faster midweek session.

Hopefully, by the time the dark, rainy nights of mid-November arrive, I’ll be able to draw inspiration from this rather than just laughing.

Links

2004-09-01T13:07:00.000+01:00

UK-based blogs
Beanz
Evil Pixie
Laura
Michelle
Run Rob Run
Run Susie Run
Running Commentary

Non-UK-based blogs
Jodi
Running Chick
Running Toward Fitness
The Longest Mile

Stories of the 2005 London Marathon
First Time Marathon
Laura
Michelle
Run to the Pub
RW FLM Forum

Forums
Runner's World - a vast UK forum
Running Commentary - a slightly better... class of discussion

Resources
Runner's World - one-stop-shop for UK running information
Hal Higdon - great training programmes
Wiggle - gear
Up & Running - gear and blogs
Running Blog Family - more running blogs than you could ever read

Training plan

2004-09-01T01:00:00.002+01:00

From 9th Jan this is based on the Hal Higdon novice plan (week 4 onwards). Before that I've made it up, based on what I think I'm capable of. I'll update the table regularly so you can see my progess, or lack of it.

MILES	Planned								Actual
Week ending	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
22-Aug							3.5	3.5							3.5	3.5
29-Aug							3.5	3.5					3.5			3.5
05-Sep							3.5	3.5							3.5	3.5
12-Sep							3.5	3.5						3.5		3.5
19-Sep							3.5	3.5								0
26-Sep							3.5	3.5	3.3						3.5	6.8
03-Oct			3.5				7	10.5						6.5		6.5
10-Oct			3.5				7	10.5				3.5			7	10.5
17-Oct			3.5				7	10.5			3.5				7	10.5
24-Oct			3.5				7	10.5					3.5		7	10.5
31-Oct			3.5				7	10.5							8.75	8.75
07-Nov			3.5				7	10.5			3.5				8.75	12.25
14-Nov			3.5				7	10.5								0
21-Nov			3.5				7	10.5				3	5.75		7.5	16.25
28-Nov			3.5				7	10.5		3.5		3.5	5.75		10	22.75
05-Dec			3.5	3.5			7	14		3.5		3	5.75		10	22.25
12-Dec			3.5	3.5			7	14					5.75			5.75
19-Dec			3.5	3.5			7	14		6.1						6.1
26-Dec			3.5	3.5			7	14								0
02-Jan			3.5	3.5			7	14				2.5	2.5	2.5	5	12.5
09-Jan		3	4	3			9	19			3.5	3.5			10	17
16-Jan		3	5	3			10	21		3.5	5.25	3.5		10		22.25
23-Jan		3	5	3			7	18	11.5				2.5	7.5		21.5
30-Jan		3	6	3			12	24		3.5	7					10.5
06-Feb		3	6	3			13	25					5		12.5	17.5
13-Feb		3	7	4			10	24		2.5	5	5.75			10	23.25
20-Feb		3	7	4			15	29		3.5	11.5				15	30
27-Feb		4	8	4			16	32		3	7	3			16	29
06-Mar		4	8	5			12	29		11.5			2.5		13.1	27.1
13-Mar		4	9	5			18	36	5.75				7.5		18	31.25
20-Mar		5	9	5			14	33			3.5	2.5	6		14	26
27-Mar		5	10	5			20	40		4.75			9			13.75
03-Apr		5	8	4			12	29	20			9.75	4		11.5	45.25
10-Apr		4	6	3			8	21		3.5		9.75			8	21.25
17-Apr		3	4	2			RACE	9		3.5						3.5
	GRAND TOTAL							574.5								504.5

Sponsor Me!

2004-09-01T01:00:00.001+01:00

If you were hoping for a state-of-the-art secure online payment system, sorry. If you would be kind enough to sponsor me and support the work of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign then please email me with your name (optional) and sponsorship amount.

Plus, if you're a UK taxpayer, please supply your postal address so that the charity can claim your income tax back under the Gift Aid scheme. If you do this, your sponsorship will be worth an extra 28% to them. (You'll obviously have to give your name as well in this case.) I will not publish or share any names, postal addresses or email addresses.

As for payment, during the next six months I will set up a suitable system and get in touch with you when it's ready. In the meantime, I'll trust you!

People with websites

If you have a website, or belong to message boards or mailing lists, you can support me even more by linking to this site.

About Me

2004-09-01T01:00:00.000+01:00

My name is Dan Haldane and I'm training for the 2005 London Marathon. I'm 33 and this will be my first marathon.

I'm raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. I've got myself a guaranteed place in the marathon by pledging to raise at least £1250 in sponsorship. So please sponsor me!