Run no 94 - Inverness Marathon 03/10/10

Well this was it, it's what the last 93 runs through wind, hail, rain and shine have been about.

And it was worth every step...........

Sat 02/10/10
Left Livingston at 10am and arrived at Dave's in Stonehaven just after 12.30 despite an impromptu stop in bushes on the way up.

Weather was looking nice, bit overcast and quite still. Had a bit of lunch then pressed on up to Aberdeen to pick Mike up. The journey from Aberdeen to Inverness took a bit longer than I expected and we arrived just after 5pm. After a bit of searching we found our home for the next 2 days, a lovely BnB about a 10 min walk from the river front. We unpacked then headed out to pick up our racing number and chip then on to Wetherspoons for some nice cheap pub grub washed down with a few beers. It felt a tad odd sinking a few pints the night before a marathon but I figured Dave and Mike knew the score so put my trust in them that this was the right thing to do. Decided to call it a night just after 10pm since it was an early start in the morning.

Sun 03/10/10
Here it was, the day had finally arrived and all the previous week's nerves seemed to vanish. I guess in no small part down to knowing this was it and there was no going back, so I'd be as well trying to enjoy it.

Following a bit of continental breakfast we made our to the pick-up point and had to run to the bus after a bit of an unwelcome shouting at from officials telling us the buses were about to leave, just what you need with a 26 miler ahead of you. Oddly we had to wait for 10 mins before they eventually set off. The buses were packed to the gunnels which pleased me no end since I figured the more people, the smaller chance I had of coming last, a real fear believe me.

I sat with Dave whilst Mike sat in front with a bloke we never knew. Mike struck up a conversation and asked how many marathons had the guy ran. " One, this is my second'. Thinking of an answer like 4 hours plus he asked what time the guy was hoping for 'Under 2hours 30 mins'. he replied.

As the buses climbed up high above Loch Ness the weather took a turn for the worse and it started to rain. After about an hour on the bus we finally arrived at the start i.e. at the top of a hill in the middle of no-where. By this point it was very cold and I was both glad and surprised at how effective a black poly bag is to shield the wind.

After a bit of waiting about for people to make their last 'visit' before setting off and handing in their bags the gun went and we were off......................

This was it, the last 4 months and 93 runs had come down to this, the training and prep was over. Just had to try and put into practice everything I’d learned.

I was rather happy to note the first mile was pretty much all downhill. This made for an easy start and allowed me to settle into my pace quickly. Having been used to running myself for the previous 93 runs having Dave and another 3000 odd people for company it felt a little odd but welcoming. The fact there was no traffic either was a huge plus since hopping on and off the pavement is something I'd become quite accustomed to these last 4 months.

The first 4 miles seemed to slip by rather quickly and as I passed the 6 mile marker the thought of just 20 left was a bit of a mental mile stone as I’d covered that distance 3 times previously. The first 6-7 miles had a lot of downhill, something I wasn’t really used to so although I lengthened my stride I made sure I never over stepped or ran too quick. Having Dave for company meant we were able to chat and as a consequence the time seemed to pass quick as did the mile markers.

As I approached the halfway mark the runner density had decreased which felt a bit more like I was used to albeit with Dave for company, if that makes any sense.

Miles 14-19 weren’t too bad and as I passed mile 20 the thought of ‘only a 10k left’ felt strangely welcoming. At mile 20 and a half probably the toughest hill awaited. It’s a long steady climb and takes a while to even off. Unlike a lot of runners, I was luckily enough to know this was the last bad bit to run thanks to Dave so knew once I climbed this it was going to be flat thereon.

Miles 20-23 though getting increasingly harder passed without too much pain. At that point in my head I knew I only had the equivalent of my shortest training run (3 miles) left to go so I dug in deep and keep at it. I was keen to reached 24 as then it only left me with a mile to go until the last mile. (I know that sounds a bit silly but when you’re physically knackered you get silly thoughts like that). As I neared marker 25 I could hear the dulcet tones of the ginger headed Scottish TV presenter Brian Burnett over the tannoy system. At that point I knew home wasn’t far now. As I came down the hill towards the river looking over the other side you could see the finish. All that was left to do was to run up to the bridge, cross over then head for home. Thankfully as the tiredness grew my spirits were lifted with the ever present encouragement from the spectators. As I got over the bride and turned for home I know I only had about another 5 minutes left to run.

I dug in deep and pressed on encouraged by Dave. Then finally there it was, the most welcoming sight ever, the finish line. ‘Come on, lets go for it’ Dave shouted. I lifted my legs and made for a sprint. At that point both my calve muscles started to pulse making staying upright a bit difficult. I ran as fast as I could without falling over and crossed the line in 4hour 16 mins and 52 seconds. As I got over the line I punched the air then felt overcome with a swath of emotion and had to cover my mouth to prevent myself for looking like a right prat.

I’d done it.

As I walked / wobbled away from the finish I grabbed as many of the free bottles of Lucozade and water as I could such was my thirst. We soon met back up with Mike who has smashed his own PB coming in just over 3 hours 20 mins.

We joined the queue for food and was soon sitting down tucking into a hearty meal of baked potato with chilli and a roll in soup. Thirst was high on the list so a pint of the black stuff was soon down our necks. As we started to walk back to the BnB to get changed the marathon time was now well pat the 6 hour mark and people were still running in. we cheered and encouraged the, knowing how well they had done. Running marathon regardless of time is a remarkable feat in itself and seeing anyone complete this deserves all the praise and congratulations going.

We got back to the BnB had a welcome shower then headed back out to ‘Spoons for more food and drink. Whilst there we met a lot of others who had ran the marathon and it was fantastic hearing each and every one’s own story.

One chap worthy of mention was an Aussie named Tristan. He had lost his job about 10 months ago and decided to use all his redundancy to run one marathon a week raising money for UNICEF in the process. He had been to virtually every corner of the world and only had something like another 20 to go – fantastic story.

Left Spoons about 10 as I think the day had caught up with us so bed was sounding very welcoming indeed.

Mon 04/10/10

Down for breakfast at 8am and left for home around 9am. Dropped Mike off in Aberdeen then down to Stonehaven to drop Dave off. Had a quick coffee then headed home.

This was such an brilliant weekend for all sorts of reasons. Achieving a target I’d set myself just a short time ago felt great and has definitely spurred on to more of the same.

I met some great people and learned a lot about myself. If you ever have the opportunity to do something like I’d suggest you grab it with both feet and do it.

You never know, you might just enjoy it.

Run no 93

Thats' it, the last run before Inverness!!

93 runs later and the preparation is over, up to me to produce on the day now.

Run no 92

5 miler in the dark, not fun running in the dark.

Run no 91

Last of the long runs before Inverness. A nice leisurely 10 miler, nothing too strenuous, got a 5, a 4 and a 2 before the big day.

Run no 90

Did my 5 miler. Run itself was fine tho running along roads in the dark isn't something I'd really recommend, especially when a car full of youths think it'd be hilarious to scream at you as they drive past missing you by inches.

Run no 89

Down in Leeds yesterday and never got home till late. The fact that it was pitch dark put paid to any run. Got out tonight and did a 7.5m, first couple of miles were hard going probably down to the fact I was wearing a long sleeved top and it felt very close and sticky.

Run no 88

Cracked out a very enjoyable and quick 13 miler in the pissing rain this morning. Got around in 1.54.28 averaging 8.51 min/miles.

One more biggie next Sun then it's the real deal.

*gulp*

Run no 87 - Fri 17/09/10

Did a quick(ish) 5 miler before heading out for beer.

And plenty of it.

:-)

Run no 86

DIY put paid to my run on Sunday, T not getting in until late on Mon and Tues put paid to runs on these days. Got out tonight and did my 8 miler in reverse. Didnt bother timing it but it felt fairly quick and comfortable, I'll take that any day of the week.

:-)

Run no 85

Set out at 6am, it was pitch dark and pouring with rain, lovely!

Felt comfortable the whole way although I'll be glad to not have to run along that straight road to Bathgate, you put your life in your hands with the traffic.

Anyway, throughout the run I experienced torrential rain and lovely warm sun - can't beat Scotland for a variety in the weather. Got around the 20 miles in just over 3hrs 5 mins averaging 9.22 min.miles and an average heartbeat of 150 which I'm very happy with.

This is the last really long run now until Inverness. Glad to report the leg felt fine all the way round.

Out for some beer with a few Rodents tonight.

Reckon it'll taste like nectar.

:-)

Run no 84

Did a 5 miler, apart from having a numb face from the dentist earlier I felt very comfortable.

Kinda odd, I feel over the past few weeks I've hardly ran much although apart from a couple of missed days I've always met my quota distance wise.

Got my last big run before Inverness with a 20 miler on Sat.

:-)

Run no 83 - Wed 08/09/10

Did a 6 miler with Tommy, nice and relaxed and enjoyable.

What running is all about.

:-)

Run no 82

Set out at 7am this morning and evne then I could feel it warming up. Run fel harder than normal, not quite sure why but I did run it almost 4 minutes quicker than Fri so I shouldn't be surprised it felt harder. Completed it just over 1hr 29m averaging 9.01 min / mile.

Run no 81

Had a terrible sleep last night and woke up feeling like I was comimg down with a flu bug. Felt pretty crap most of the morning although started to feel better in the afternoon. Managed to get myself out for a 10 miler and had a surprisingly good run. Got around in 1hr 32mins.

Quite looking forward to my day off tomorrow.

Run no 80

7.46 miler tonight. went out before tea and felt a bit 'weak' for the first 2 miles, settled in and ran a steady 1hr 8mins, second quickest on that run so quite happy.

:-)

Run no 79

Ran a 4 miler in a fairly quick pace tonight. The Garmin ran out of battery power so have no idea the time.

Setup my Just Giving pages today and after only 1 day its'a up to over £100, suddenly feel a lot more pressure on me now.

:-)

Run no 78

Well that's the farthest training run in the bag - 22.21 miles to be exact. If I can just muster the strength for another 4 I'll be there.

:-)

As with all the long runs I'm always very apprehensive, not sure what about, failure I guess, giving up, running out of enery.

I seem to be able to find my pace within a few miles which I'm pleased about. Bar the usual near misses with traffic the run went well with no bad bits. Legs did feel like lead with about 4 miles to go but managed to get around in one piece. Had 3 minute stop to take on water and gels. Need to order some more for Inverness.

All in a good day - nice easy run tomorrow I reckon.

Run no 77

Set a PB of 55 mins exactly for my usual 6.48 miler, felt great all the way round. Hope this bodes well for my 22 miler which I've had to bring forward to Sat instead of Sun.

:-)

Run no 76

Wed 25th Aug

Nice leisurely 10k with Tommy, nothing outragious but good to have a bit of company for a change. Leg felt ok which is good.

Run no 75

Per my coach's advice ;-) I applied the Deep Heat and wore the Tubi-grip, did my usual 6.48 miler running it back to front. The leg felt a tiny bit tight but overall the run felt relaxed and easy.

Meeting Tommy for another 10k tomorrow, he said he *might* accompany me on my 22 miler on Sun. It'd be great to have a bit of companyfor a change.

;-)

Run no 74

This week hasn't been the greatest for my running what with missed days and sore legs.

Only ran once mideweek and rested for 2 days. Was supposed to do a 5 yesterday but given I was up at 4am for a car boot sale I was in bed by 9.45pm.

Decided to run today with just Deep Heat to 'test' the leg. Set out somewhat apprehensively about how it would go. Got to say I was delighted with the run. Ran a nice relaxed 10 miles and bar a bit of tighness for the few couple of miles the leg held up the whole way round and even now an hour afterwards it feels fine.

After a bit of a rubbish week running wise I'm happy to report that things seem to be back on track.

:-)

Run no 73

Damm I hate the wind, whenever I run into a strong headwind I feel like I'm hardly moving.

Anyway, did a relaxed 7.8 miler, time was unimportant and happt to report the leg felt no too bad, probably 80% better.

Up early for a car boot sale in the morning.

*yawns*

Run no 72

Rested yesterday as instructed by coach Dave ;-)

Deep Heat applied and Tubi-grip on I did my 5 miler round Livvy Village, took it nice and easy, Muscle is aching a bit but gonna head up for a nice hot bath.

:-)

Run no 71

Strained the big muscle at the back of my knee just above the joint during a 10k on Tues last week. Thought no more about it and ran again on Wed, it wasn't long before it was quite painful and by the end of the run it was pretty sore. Dave advised I have a complete layoff until Sun which I did. Got up at 5.45am this morning, and applied Deep Heat and a tubi grip around my upper right leg. Set out and made a point of taking it easy. It wasn't long before I could feel it twinging although it wasn't anywhere as near as bad as it was on Wed. Although it would be daft to run with an injury the thought of not doing this wasn't something I wanted to bear thinking about given the marathon is only about 6 weeks away. For the first quarter of the run I was concious of every little ache and pain in the right leg tho that tends to happen if you're continually thinking about it. Settled in to a comfortable 10 min/pace and the aches seemed to vanish. Stopped at the 6m mark for a delicious gel ;-) and a drink of water which I felt gave me a bit of a boost. Round the 10m mark the legs started to feel really heavy but by them I was running on auto-pilot. Took a second 1min break for another gel and mouthful of crisps snack at the 11 mile mark. The last 9 miles were ok albeit with aching legs. Unfortunately the right leg pain returned with a vengeance for the final 2 miles but by then there was no way I wasn't going to finish. Overall felt quite fresh from a breathing and energy viewpoint tho the leg was sore.

I'm very satisfied the way the run went tho am pissed off with the injury especially with the marathon so close and a few of the really important long runs scheduled. Just need to rest as much as I can and hope the old body can repair itself within time.

Following my coach's advice (Dave :-) ) I am resting until Sun to give my muscle a few days to hopefully fully recover. Missing getting out running but understand to run with an injury could affect my marathon hopes.

Run no 70

Deliberately ran a lovely slow 10k, abeit running my usual route in reverse which made it a bit more interesting. Really need to pick up a luminous jacket tho as I'm sure some cars dont see me.

Bit of a setback tonight, the large leg muscle at the back of the leg just above the knee felt very tight and painful this evening. It did feel a bit sore yesterday so I've probably strained it. Hope it eases off for Sun.

Never bothered timing myself as I just wanted to run and not worry about pace or ought.

Run no 69

Pissing with rain and never got out until after 8pm to do my 6.48 miler. Another PB, almost 5 mins off my PB coming in at 55.58 averaging 8.38 min / miles.

Not sure what's happened in these last few weeks but something has definately clicked into place and I'm now consistantly getting sub 9 min/miles, something I just couldn't crack for the first 3 months.

Sounds daft but I keep going back to when I watched the Great North on telly a few weeks ago and noticed they always held their arms in a high position as opposed to my 'down near your waist' position, a technique I'm sure I was advised to do by a someone many years ago as it helped save energy. Whatever it is it's definately given me extra zip being able to drive with my arms.

I could also be talking complete pish and it's just because I'm getting a little bit fitter. Whatever it is, I'm not complaining.

:-)

Run no 68

Set out just after 6am on what was a lovely morning. Ran the 1st mile in about 8.45 and felt I was in for a good run. Got round the 9.8 miles in just over 1hr 26 mins almost 10 mins faster than my PB, averaging 8.47 min / miles which I'm very happy about.

Not wanting to speak too soon but training seems to be going very well just now.

Just got to plan my 20 miler for Sun now........................

;-)

Run no 67

Did my 3.26 miler and took 49 seconds off my PB getting round in 27.19 averaging 8.22 min /mile.

Woot!

Run no 66 - Thursday 5th Aug 2010

A hard 4.4 mile run. Didn't run particularly fast although I'm putting it down to the fact it was very windy.

Be glad to get back to the runs I know again.

Run no 65 - Wed 4th Aug 2010

5 miler today, ran into and thru Flookburgh as far as Hocker Hall, very hilly but beautiful scenery, cetainly beats the humdrum surroundings of Livvy.

Run no 64 - Tues 3rd Aug 2010

On holiday in a caravan in the Lake District but am determined to maintain the training.

Ran 1.5 miles, stopped and ran back.

:-)

Run no 63

Dragged myself out of bed and was pounding the road just after 6am. Weather was favourable with a fairly strong headwind on the more open roads. Run went well, breathing and stamina felt fine although I did feel like I was wearing spaceman boots for the last couple of miles!

Covered 16.22 miles in 2hrs 41 mins averaging just under 10 min/miles.

Given this was another 2.22 miles farther than I've ran in my life I'm quite happy with the progress. Reckon I could have battered out a couple more hard miles.

Just 10 more miles and I've met the required quota for Inverness.

:-)

Ah 20 miles in 2 weeks time!

Run no 62 -Sat 31/7/10

Been quite a while since I did this just over 3 miler and it's still tough. Happy with the time 28.08 averaging 8.38 min/miles.

:-)

Run no 61

Blimey, set out at 6am this morning and ran 7.42 miles in 1.07.41 some almost 6 minutes quicker than my last 3 attempts!

Averaged 9.07min/miles which I'm delighted with.

:-)

Run no 60

Another 4.65miler, following yesterdays good run I've managed to shave another 35 seconds off the time and get my minute/miles under 9 seconds (8.59) which I'm delighted about.

:-)

Run no 59

4.65miler.

Probably the best I've ran since starting out running again these last 10 weeks. Felt light footed and great and averaged 9.05 min/miles.

Very happy.

:-)

Run no 58

Set out for my just under 10 miler at 06.15am and even then cars were on the road. I've come to accept regardless of the time I set out there's always gonna be traffic around. Comes with the territory of living in a large residential town I guess.

Run went well, good pace all round and finished in a PB 1hr 35m.

Been a good 7 days running.

:-)

Run no 57

6.5 miler. Seem to have developed a bit of a sweat rash across my chest so I've stopped using the heart strap for a bit. Decided since I'm running a route I've done a few times ;-) I wouldn't time myself as I reckon sometimes you can put too much emphasis of this and that can affect how you run. TBH time isnt important to me stage this stage, just getting round in one piece is.

:-)

Run no 54, 55 & 56

Ran a 7.5 miler Tues, Wed and Thurs this week, nothing spectacular but another 22.5 miles under my belt.

Following my crap week just over a week ago I'm very happy to have ran a 14 and 3 x 7.5 milers in 4 days. Looking forward to my day off mind.

:-)

Run no 53

Set out just after 7am and despite it being an early Sunday morning there was unfortunately still a lot of traffic on the road. It was overcast but quite warm so fairly ideal conditions. My aim today was to just get around and put all the negativity of the past few runs behind me and try and get focussed and positive.

Made sure I had my lucozade strapped to my back.

Quickly got into my pace and aimed to get thru each mile in 10mins. Settled in well and got around all 14 miles in 2hrs and 16 mins averaging 9.47 mins per mile which I am very happy with.

TBH the biggest plus for me was completing it without any thoughts of wanting to stop. I felt pretty good the whole way round and finished feeling pretty fresh although the old legs were starting to feel a bit heavy at the end. Reckon I could have managed a couple of more miles so at least I'm now running over half the required distance which is I'm delighted with.

Run no 52

After a complete week derth of running since last Sunday my morale and expectation wasn't high. With this in mind I decided to do my 6.5miler and leave the Sat Nav thing in then house and just concentrate on getting round. Despite being very windy my feet felt light and my breathing good. Got around feeling comfortable all the way. Will do a 3m tomorrow then my 14 on Sun.

After the worse week since starting back running I'm feeling positive again and upbeat.

Circumstances beyond my control including both my and my wife's work has put paid to any run this week which has got me down no end. I know it's only been 4 days but it honestly feels like an entire age that I last ran. That coupled with the fact my last 2 runs were very poor has got me thinking very negative indeed which is silly I know. I'm intending to get a short run down tomorrow, have Sat off and get stuck in to my 14 miler on Sun.

Sun had better go well or else I can see trying to getback into a decent frame of mind being an uphill struggle.

Bit down about it all to be honest.

:-(

Just home after a 300 mile drive from Huddersfiled, T aint home yet so definatley no run tonight.

Run no 51

5.32 miles - 54.29

Not sure what went wrong today. Ran and quickly felt bloated which was no surprise since I'd eaten 3 tuna sandwiches and a big bowl of home-made soup. Struggled round and as I approached the 4.5 m mark I got stopped and asked for directions. Never really got going again proper and end up walking for about 30 seconds which I'm diasppointed in, all the more since Fri was my best run yet.

Glad Mon is a rest day. Need to re-group and focus.

Run no 50 10/07/10

3.8 miles, very warm and tough.

I stupidly decided to wear waterproof top and bottoms due to it being a bit rainy. Thats fine except no air passes thru and midway round I felt like I was simply overheating.

:-(

Run no 49

PB for my 6.5 miler tonight - coming home in 59.16, over a minute and a half quicker.

Great run, legs felt great and bouncy, breathing was easy, really happy.

Reckon it's down to one of 3 things.....

1. Had my socks pulled right over my calfs which gave me added suppport
2. Had a half bar of chocolate 15 minutes before I set out.
3. I had a 2 day lay-off.

Whatever the reason colour me happy.

:-)

Run no 48

4.75 miler- quite tough as the last mile is a steady uphill climb.

Run no 47

5 miler tonight, felt a bit lethargic for the first couple of miles, nothing spectacular but another 5 under my belt.

Run no 46

Nice steady paced 6.5miler in the pissing rain. The great thing about longer runs now means 6milers feel like short ones. Never though 8 weeks ago I'd be thinking like this.

:-)

Run no 45 - Sun 4/7/10

Set out at 07.15am hoping for a traffic free run. Within 1 mile it was heavy rain. Quickly settled into a 10min/mile pace. The run felt very comfortable bar a few bits where I was running into a strong head wind in torrential rain. The thing about long run is you have plenty of opportunity to adjust your speed and make yourself comfortable. The Ipod battery died round mile 8 so I had to run accompanied with nothing more than my heavy breathing. Got home in 2hrs 5mins which for 12.62 miles I'm very pleased about. My average heart rate was 145 which I'm delighted about.

What was also encouraging was after I finished I felt not too bad and probably could have banged out another 2-3 miles at the same pace. I've just completed 7 weeks of training with another 13 left to go. Things are going to plan.

:-)

Run no 44 - Sat 3/7/10

Did a leisurely 3.15m, nothing too taxing in preperation of my 12 miler tomorrow.

Run no 43 - Thursday 30th June

Did my 6.5miler, although it was overcast it was still very warm. Just took my time and had a nice relaxed run. No world records but another 6 miles under my belt.

:-)

Run no 42

T was out tonight so never set out until about 10.45pm, the benefits being it was lovely and cool and the roads were quiet.

Decided for the first time since starting back running to not bother with any watch or GPS watch and just go out and enjoy the run.

And thats what I did. It felt quite liberating not having to worry about times or ought although I am curious as to how to the time as it felt quick.

Run no 41

Tues 29th June 2010

Usual 3 miler and dammed it was hard going!

Did I tell you I hate running in the heat?

Run no 40

5miler was scheduled tonight but decided to do my 6m course. Very, very warm and the first 2 felt slow. Got home just short of a PB.

:-)

Lovely 12 miler next Sunday to look forward to.

Run no 39

Well decided I need to try the 'early bird' approach which should hopefully mean I'm not bloated with food and there's less traffic on the road. Set out just after 7am and just meandered for 5.12 miles. Speed nothing spectacular but a nice 147bpm so all in all happy. Means I've got the rest of the day too now.

:-)

Run no 38 - Thurs 24th June

Note to self - dont run a 10k after eating a fish supper.

Somehow got around the course tho after mile 1 I felt there was no way I was going to manage it. I've noticed when I've been running these last few weeks I eel listless and running on empty which I realise is down to poor timing on my part with meals etc. Reckon I'm going to have to start running in the mornings first thing.

Run no 37

4.26m tonight, never got out until after 9 due to be fixated with that tennis marathon on earlier. Run was ok with a plus being the roads were nice and quiet.

:-)

Run no 36

Another scorcher so decided to leave the run till later when it'd be cooler. Wasn't looking forward to the run at all. Decided to try out my Father's Day present a water bottle thing that straps onto your back. Took it nice and easy and found after about 4 miles I settled into my rythym. Beginning to get get a bit of a technique climbing hills now letting my legs and arms do the work. Comfortable 10.21 miles and in a PB pf 1.40.52

Rest day tomorrow!

;-)

Run no 35

Scorching here today. Since T was working at 3pm I'd have to go out before then so opted for for a 4m today and run the 10m tomorrow late on after the sun has gone down. Even 4 miles in this heat is hard going, just pleased to get to the end!

I've come to discover no matter how far you run even on a shorter distance you're still relieved to get to the end.

Run no 34

Off camping with the Ava to the seaside today so headed out early this morning. Ran my 3.27m run in a PB of 28.13, averaging 8.37mins per mile with an average speed of 7mph.

Nice to see things are moving along nice.

Run no 33

Cirumstances prevented a decent run yesterday so a 2.1m was all I managed. Still the rest can only help.

:-)

Run no 32

With a 2 day rest there was no excuse for a poor run tonight. A 3miler was scheduled but decided to do my 6.5 due to no run yesterday. Set out nice and quick and soon found my rhythm. Felt comfortable for the entire run and finished in a PB of 1.00.45. 30 secs of which was spent waiting at junctions for cars to turn.

Feel like I'm back on track again after a poor week last night, fingers crossed.

I see pink pigs

No run last night (Tues) as T was down in Newcastle amd I had to pick her up from the station in Edinburgh. Probably just as well as earlier I was attemping to unblock my kitchen sink and inadvertedly took a couple of huge gulps of the plug unblocker stuff fumes I'd poured down it minutes earlier. Could taste it all night and felt kinda lightheaded!

Twat!

Run no 31

Due to a busy day I wasn't going to get out till very late. I set out about 8pm with probably the least enthusiasm for a run than I've felt so far. Not the ideal state of mind before a 10miler. I set out intending to take it nice and easy to hopefully get around the course. First 2 miles were ok, beginning to hate the 3rd mile of this run though. It's on a busy, busy road and more times than not I have to jump onto the grass verge to avoid ongoing traffic some of whom are going waay faster than the limit. The 3rd and 4th miles are tough though, its a straight, long uphill climb with a lot of traffic weaving required. The odd thing was I found by time I got passed mile 4 I felt more comfortable than I had for a while. Took it nice and easy and even found the huge climb from mile 8.5 to 9.5 easier than last week. Even managed to stick on the little loop of my street to finish, total distance 10.12miles in a time of 1.46, certainly not fast by any means but given the stuggle this week has been I was delighted just to get around it.

The great thing tho the average heart rate was 147bpm which is good.

Turned the corner hopefully.

Run no 30

3.3miler today, weather was warm and the run was tough.

Going thru a bit of a tough time mentallly with the running. The last 4 runs have felt hard probably down to the fact that I'm running harder but reckon in order I'm able to crack this I need to drop the speed and just concentrate in covering distance.

Run no 29

With Tracy heading out tonight I had to do a shortened run. I set out with the intent of just seeing where my legs too me. I ended up running thru a Lidl's supply depot and probably getting some odd looks from the drivers. It was dammed hot and pretty tiring but I felt like my energy levels are starting to get back to what they should be. Ended up with a 3.14 miler.

Run no 28

After yesterday's terrible run I set out somewhat pensive with no idea how it would turn out. Did my 3.2m run and went ok. No fast time or ought but happy enough.

Here's hoping yesterday was a temporary blip.

Run no 27

4.27 miles and hard at that.

I felt bloated, knackered and thoroughly not up for it. Perhaps the fact I had my dinner 2 hours before and possibly because I gave blood yesterday I just felt lethargic and like I was starting from scratch.

Still best put it behind me and realise tomorrow is another day.

Run no 26

Longest run so far - 9.79 miles. First 2.5 were fairly flat until I hit the long incline up Cousland Road. As I approached Craigswood it flattened. Heading down thru Pumpherston brought a welcome long downhill. Only problem being the steep climb back up towards Mid Calder. Fairly flat thru the bottom of Howden then hit the long climb back up to Alderstone Rd. At that point I was running so slow I felt I was almost grinding to a halt. Relieved to get to the top which left the last mile to home.

Finished in 1hr 41m, not fast but just happy to get round.

Blister's getting worse!

Run no 25

3.1miler today. Got caught in the rain and got absolutely soaked, still when the rain did go off it tunred rather warm. Ran it as fast as I could and managed a improving 27.23 mins.

Bleedin blisters getting worse though.

9.7m tomorrow, oh joy!

Run no 24

Went for a quick 3.3m tonight and managed a PB of 29.06 averaging 8.46p/m which is the first sub 9m mile I've managed since starting out again. Very happy.

Down side though is I've a nasty blister on the inside of my left foot.

Run no 23

After such an enjoyable run last night I thought I'd do my 6.5m instead of the planned 5m. Maintained a nice, steady pace but as I was heading north towards Bathgate I prompty fell flat on my face. As I stood up I realised my foot had caught in a loop of wire. Luckily I was running on the grass at that point so I was able to pick myself up and carry on running. What was scary was I was literally a couple of feet from the road and just as I fell a car whizzed past. Kinda got me thinking about trying to run later when there's less traffic on the road. I've found most cars tend to slow up and give you a wide berth but theres still some who fly past as silly speeds a couple of feet from you.

Anyway, I pressed on and tried to run hard and was rewarded with a PB of 1.01.49 almost 3 minutes quicker.

:-)

Run no 22

Due to a fish supper being consumed for tea I decided to leave it until much later on before setting out. Went up to Tommy's and we did a 4.1miler. First 1.5 is a climb followed by a downhill section before flattening out. Tommy increased the pace with a 1.5 miles left and we got round in 38.35.

Its probably been the best I've felt since starting back out on this running lark, really happy with the way things are progressing.

Run no 21

Set out on what was to be the farthest distance I've ran in some 12 years. It was pefect running weather, slight breeze pleasantly warm but not too much. The first 2 miles were slight downhill letting me quickly find my pace. As I neared thwe river Almond I ran thru some long grass and was literally set upon by swarms of midgies to the point I had to keep my eyes and mouth pretty much closed till I ran thru them. As I got to Mid Calder I turned Noth and ran down the steep brae only to face a very steep climb which evened out to a slightly less but still daunting climb for about a mile. I leaned into the hill and felt the momentum of my arms helped pull me up. As I got to the 4 mile mark which coincided with the top of the hill I actually felt better than I had for the whole run. Seemed the first 4 miles had got the legs properly warmed up!

As I neared 6 miles I veered right then left and finished with the uphill bit of my normal 3miler. Although it was hard it never felt as difficutl as it does when I only run 3 miles. I reached home in 1 hr 19mins covering 7.67miles. Delighted with an average heart rate of 150.

Proper happy I am.

Run no 20

Did a new 3.2m circuit, 29.40m managing an average 9.15mms.

Coming down slowly.

:-)

Run no 19

Due to not getting home until 20.30 last night my 5 miler was knocked on the head. First run I've missed since starting so don't feel *t00* guilty.

Tonight I had a planned 3m but decided to do my 4.3 miler since I missed yesterday. It was a damp, cold night so stuck on a long sleeved top and a pair of light waterproof running bottoms. Must admit I was surprised at how much better it felt running with my body feeling nice and toasty. The run felt very, relaxed and I was delighted to see I ran a PB of 40.02, 38 seconds quicker than my fastest previously.

:-)

Run no 18 - Tues 26th May

Was stuck in a hotel in Sheffield and fully intended to do my 3m. It's fair to say the area was a touch rough looking so I chose to batter out a 3 miler on the tread mile in the hotel gym. Certainly made my 3 course Chinese meal taste all the nicer later!

Run no 17

Had a BBQ last night, ate waaay too much and squaffed probably a couple of beers too many. Never got to bed til almost 1am and was tempted to text Tommy to call today's planned 6.5 miler off. Tommy turned up about 08.15am so we headed off. The first mile wasn't too bad tho the legs were like lead from that dammed 3 miler yesterday. After the mile mark the sun broke thru the clouds and I felt like I was running in a furnace. Midway I started having doubts about getting round but the determination kept me going. To say I was relieved to reach the end was an understatement. Running in the heat just isn't fun.

Legs are feeling like lead now though.

Run no 16 - Sat 22nd May

Did I tell you I'm glad the marathon is in Oct?

Did my 3 miler, running in blistering heat, no fun at all. Run was as dammed difficult as it usually was and I was just relieved to get another 3m under my belt.

Ah 6.5 on Sun, the joys.

Run no 15

After yesterday's killer 3 miler I was all set for a rest today. Got home and felt up for a run. Set out on my planned 4 miler and ran a very, relaxed 4 miler. The weather was great and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Funny abou the old enthusiasm for this things always hinges on how your last run went.

Quite pleased with myself.

Oh and I recorded my lowest average heart rate to date - 150.

Run no 14

Set out on my usual 3 miler, half way round the legs felt like ton weights and I felt I was running slower than I've ever ran since starting out running again. Overall time was about a minute slower tho my average heart rate had fallen.

Feel like I need a couple of days layoff to rest the legs tho the schedule wont allow it.

Hopefully tomorrow will go better.

Run no 13

Decided to have dinner (lovely salad) and leave it an hour and a half before venturing out. Mistake. Although I felt fine before going out it wasn't long before I felt bagged up whilst running. I perservered and got around even managing a sprint effort the last 200m.

A PB only by 6 seconds mind.

:-)

Run no 12

Ater a particularly hard 3 miler yesterday I wasn't exactly looking forward to the 6.5 miler today. It was a pleasant, warm evening with a slight breeze so at least I couldn't blame the weather. Had another good, steady paced run even managing to throw in a couple of short sprints to get me passed some road junctions and up a couple of short hills. Haven't plugged the Garmin in to confirm the time but from what I can see I reckon it was perhaps only 20-30 secs slower than last week when I ran with Tommy so overall very happy again.

Update - just uploaded the data, I was 19 secs slower but my average heart rate fell from 158 to 154 so rather happy.

Run no 11

Well dang dindly doo, just when I thought today would be a nice easy 3miler, it into a stinking, hard slog. I hate wind and I hate hills. Put them both together and you've got a recipe for a lovely hard run.

Despite it being a short run there's 3 long gradual climbs only offset with a steep last 1/4 mile.

Turns out the time was a PB for this run but it feels like I've gone backwards a tad. Thoughts of needing the loo half way round never helped.

Did I tell you I hate wind?

Bugger!

With T working late tonight there will be no run, I could have did it first thing this morning but it just looked too darned cold and wet.

Oh well, thats a run on the cards the next 3 days.

Run no 10

Had a early rise this morning with a trip to just south of Newcastle. Tiring drive back up but I was determined to get out tonight more so since I missed a run on Monday. I knew it was gonna be tough as I ran yesterday so hadn't had a rest day since Monday. Did a nice steady 4 miler tho had to stop twice at junctions due to traffic which always annoys me. Put in a bit of uhm....sprint for the last 200 metres.

Looking forward to a nice hot bath though.

:-)

Run no 9

Due to my wife's late shift I wasn't able to get out last night as planned. Tonight should have been a day off but I donned my shorts, shoes and ipod and did my 4 miler. It was the most relaxed 4 miler to date and that was reflected in a PB tho I know I have to try and keep the pace down.

Morale - Very positive.

Run no 8 - 6.5 miles

The plan was a 5 miler, I had a route planned in my head but after sticking it into MapMyRun it turned out it was a 6.5m some 1.5 more than my scheduled. It was a lovely night and I was going to have company so though 'Hell, why not'.

Have to say it's probably been the most relaxing, enjoyable run to date tho the last 1.5 were probably ran too quick. Absolutely delighted that after only 2 weeks in, I've managed to crack out a >10k run.

Colour me satisfied and happy.

:-)

Run no7 - 3.3 miles

Lovely sunny evening but quite a strong, cooling wind. First 2 miles were fairly comfortable though running into the strong wind made things a tad tough. Realised 3/4 of the way round I'd probably ran it a bit too fast. Got home in 31 mins exactly which was almost 30 secs faster per mile. Averaging 9.17 mins per mile which after under 2 weeks I'm happy with. Got a 5 miler on Sat which should be fun. Running with Tommy so that'll be a nice bit of company.

Run no 6 - 4 miles

Set out on the 4 miler again tonight. Lovely cool evening and ideal running weather. Very pleasant first 2 miles, mile 3 which is on an incline was made easier with 'You're the Best' from the 'Karate Kid' films, seems to give you that extra gear when you need it most. The last half mile was probably ran a touch on the quick side but overall pleased again of how well it went.

:-)

Run no 5 - 3.3 miles

Decided to get out early and thought I'd have a crack at a 3 miler rather than the planned 2. First mile and a half were fine tho midway thru the second you hit a bit of a long incline. Once I'd ascended that it was a turn left followed by a lovely long run downhill finish. JUst over a week into training I'm pretty satisfied with my progress.

Still a long, long to way to go though.

Run no 4 - 4 miles

I set out somewhat apprehensively what with this being twice as far as I've ran in probably 12 years. As I stretched I couldn't quite believe the difference there was in terms of technology. 12 years ago it was shorts, shoes, vest and a watch. Here I was tooled up to the hilt with a device that'll record my satellite whereabouts, heartbeat, calories burned, speed and plot my every move. Also tucked on to my shorts was about 3 hours worth of crystal clear music; mental.

It was a cool, crisp morning and ideal for running. I set out, quickly trying to find my pace. The first 2 miles were fine. As I neared the roundabout heading towards Livingston Village I turned sharply left onto Cousland Road and made my way east towards Ladywell. It's about a straight mile but a gradual climb. About half way along I could feel the hill biting and started to question whether taking this thing on was a good idea. I dug in and finally reached the turn off for Ladywell. Miles 3 and 4 finishing with a circuit round my street were easier than I expected. All in all very satisfied and happy. Just need to do this another 5 and a hlaf time and I'm there.

;-)

Run no 3 - 2 miles

Lovely evening and plenty of fantastic 80's cheese to keep me going; 'Heart on Fire' and 'Burning Heart', superb.

Mile 1 was absolutely fine although trying to keep the pace down is hard. The return mile was fine on the breathing tho the legs quickly felt like lead. Sincerely hoping as my fitness improves the legs start to feel lighter.

My Garmin heart, monitor thing arrived today so I shall test it out on my double distancer on Sunday.

Told my work colleague Gordon about my Loch Ness shindig and he's now contemplating joining me. Be great to have someone of similar unfitness joining me.

:-)

Run no 2 - 2 miles

It's been very windy and rainy up here all day so wasn't looking forward to heading out. By time I set out this evening though, the rain had cleared and the wind had all but gone, in fact it had turned into a rather pleasant evening. Took along my Nano for company which completely took my mind off the exercise in hand. Breathing wise there were no problems though the legs felt they had 5kg weights strapped on. All in all it was a good run tho I need to omit the silly thoughts about how can I possibly run this distance another 12 times in one go.

Lashed out on a Garmin GPS, heart monitor thing which should help me pace myself better. Realised my training shoes are the ones I first bought about 12 years ago so reckon I'll have to look at picking up a new pair over the weekend.

Run no 1 - 2 miles

It's been a rather pleasant day weather wise so I decided I would dust off the shorts and t-shirt. My mate Dave recommended due to the sheer distance involved in a marathon it's important you get used to running at a slower than normal pace. With this in mind I set out on a little 2 miler which rather conveniently is exactly the distance from the rounabout from my street to another and back again. I took my time and ran it at a fairly leisurely and comfortable pace.

It's a start, next run Wed.

The seed is planted

Since my early teens I've always been an active, fairly fit individual. The main exercise was running, completing a lot of 10ks and half a dozen 1/2 marathons. At the turn of the new millenium I decided to park the running career and apply myself to lifting weights. Over the next 7 years I got myself to a respectable standard, something I was extremely proud off. Sadly a combination of work commitments and my gym partner moving away put paid to regular training and about a year ago after numerous cancelling and rejoining I decided to knock the gym on the head. These last 12 months have seen my exercise schedule deplete to virtually nothing bar the very, very occasional 2 mile run.

Sat on my lazy behind on Sun watching the London Marathon got me thinking about reigniting the running and attempting the famous 26 miler. A bit of research later on the net made it pretty clear getting accepted for the London one was a very much a lottery. My mate Dave (a keen runner) yesterday asked why don't I stick my name down for the Loch Ness Marathon in Oct which give me all the incentive I need to get in a suitable shape. Sadly a futher incentive is to raise a bit of cash in memory of a close colleague Big Dave who passed away suddenly last Monday.

So, as from today, the training begins........................................