First race of the season under my belt

Sunday was the first race of the season and what a great race it was. 

The Feel the Burns race goes from Selkirk up to the Southern Upland Way and back to Selkirk. The climbs are hard and the descents are fast and in between the countryside is amazing. 

It's amazing to see how fast people can go down and up hill. I don't think that I'm either a climber or a descender. I'm an on the flat kind of guy. 

The weather on the day was ok but before there was lots of rain so some of the downhills were slippery as hell. There were also huge puddles and some pretty deep mud. 

I thought my time was decent for the conditions and at 2.10 for 13 miles + I wasn't the last Moorfoot and in the top half of the field. 

Rested on Monday as per my schedule. Did an outside run in the dark on Tuesday morning. It's amazing how slow you go when you can't see where you are going. 

Back in the gym today but couldn't get the speed going so went for going the distance. Had to push through hard to make it though. 

Now signed up for the Carnethy 5 on the 16th Feb. Need to be careful this time and not get injured. 

New Year New Running Season

So here we are in 2014 with a whole year of running ahead. 

Current highlights of the year are the Boston Marathon in April and the Great North Run in September. 

In between that are a number of usual races. Feel the Burns hill race in January, the Carnethy 5 in February and the Alloa (aka Hawaiian) Half Marathon. Then at the end of the year is the possibility of the Berlin of New York marathon if I can get a place. 

Ok so that's all of the boring plans out of the way what about training plans. 

Last year worked really well with a mix of indoor speed work in the gym from Tuesday to Thursday and outdoor work from Friday to Sunday. Monday will be a day off which is new for me but as I get older I need to rest. 

As well as the speed work outdoors I have incorporated hill work and not just running up and down hills. Proper hill work running in the hills which is going to be good for my balance and my ankles and I figure if I can run distance in the hills then the road should be easier. 

So how are things going just now. Well the Christmas excesses have added a few Kg which means I am off the pace. 

My indoor goals are 4:30 per Km and outdoor goals are sub 7 per mile. The only reason I have Km indoors and miles outdoors is that the running machine is calibrated in Km and I can'd be bothered to do the translation. Also outdoors are lot more difficult because of the wind and rain and terrain.

I'll keep you posted on how I get on. 

Dancing on ice

There is something about snow, me and running. I love to run in the snow. Not sure if it's the cold or feeling the crunch beneath my feet but it gives me a kick.

I remember a couple of years ago when there was huge snow running through Glentress Forest up to me knees in snow with a big smile on my face.

It was with this in mind I went out on Saturday morning in my Inov8's round the 13.5 mile course. The only problem with Inov8's is they have no support and when running on bits of the road without snow can jar the joints. However all in all it was a good run and manager 105 minutes for 13.5 miles which is satisfactory under the weather conditions.

Today I went out with my regular not so grippy shoes on for 6.2 miles. All was well including a couple of slippery paths along the Tweed and the Cuddy. I was surprised that the average time was only 7.40 because it felt faster. I need to download the info for analysis to get some insights.

More snow planned this week so insight work until Friday when I am going to go for 15 miles long run.

Achievements

In the world of marathon running there is what as know as the Big 5. These are the races which are recognised as the top 5 races in the world. This doesn't take into account the highest, coldest, hottest they are just regular big races which as a consequence are difficult to get into and some more than others.

There are 3 in the USA ~ Boston, New York and Chicago and 2 in Europe ~ Berlin and London.

All of them except Boston have an opportunity to go into a ballot system albeit it is quite small in some cases. Boston is the only race which requires a qualifying time. The great news is that this qualifying time is 3.30 which puts it within reach if I can get a good time in London.

New York is a difficult one but after not get into the ballot for 4 years there is a place available. Alternatively sub 90 minutes in a half marathon also qualifies. This is infinitely more achievable than the 3.10 qualifying time for marathon.

Berlin is impossible this year because it is the 40th running so maybe next year.

Having completed Chicago and London in 2010 and 2012 respectively it could be London 2013, Boston 2014 and New York 2014 which would give me a lovely set of 5.

Is it all worth it. You bet it is.

Awesome training run

I decided to start extending the distance for my long runs on Friday to see how I got on speed wise.

I stepped up to 13.1 miles and did a new route which is mainly flat but had a couple of interesting climbs.

I managed it in 100.5 minutes which is only 3.5 minutes off my personal best which was in the Glasgow half marathon last Sept. The thing to remember is a race is adrenaline fuelled and inevitably results in a faster time.

I am now more than convinced that I can now do my training runs at race pace and will test this again in my training run tomorrow.

Here we are again

So here we are again looking forward to the New Year and planning for the London Marathon again.

The difference this time is the weight difference. I have managed to slim down from 85Kg (13 St 5 lbs) to 75 Kg (11 St 11 lbs) with a goal of 70 Kg (11 St).

What this actually means is a difference in speed (pace). Imagine running or nor running as is now the case without 10 bags of sugar on your back or around your waist.

At the age of 50 I am proud to say that I ran a PB at the Glasgow Half Marathon (1.38.19) . Who would have thought it possible. I am now keen to run faster at the half marathon distance which seems to be my optimal distance. I am also keen to try and do something impressive at the marathon distance but only time will tell.

My plan is to train at race pace which is 8 min miles. This will be the first time that I have done this as in the past I have been over optimistic with being able to run faster than I have trained.

My objective is to run all of my training runs, regardless of distance, at sub 8 min mile pace. That is both the average pace for the complete run and every mile as well.

Currently managing 7.40 for longer distance up to 9 miles and 7.20 for shorter distances.

Have thought about training plans and have decided to focus on speed at distance and tempo runs.

Watch this space for how that works out.

Where has all the time gone

In the midst of marathon training now. At times I didn't think that I would get here. Thanks to Mark my leg is a lot better and I'm managing sub 50 minute 10K times in the gym which is really great and giving me a lot of confidence.

Long runs have been sore but that's because I ran around Glentress. Going to do a flat 12 mile run this Sunday to get a good feel of how things are doing.

New Year's Resolution

So the New Year is with us and with that comes resolutions.

I have decided to give up alcohol until the race with 1 exception which is my 50th in January. I also need to lose a couple of stone so trying to cut out the sweets and crisps as well. This is a bit of a toughy because these are normally a reward for me after a long run.

My race programme starts on Tuesday (Monday is a rest day. Hurrah) and in my usual analytical way I have been cutting the spreadsheets with all of the data. I'm really excited and raring to go.

On the road again

It's been good to get on the road again even though I probably overdid it on Sunday.

Running on the snow is amazing. There is something about being the first person to run on snowy ground. It's almost like being an explorer going where no one has gone before. Although clearly this isn't the case.

After my run was a physio session with Mark who gave me a clean bill of health with the focus being on strengthening my legs. After physio on Saturday morning I aborted my morning run because my ankle felt a bit sore.

On Sunday things were a bit better so I went on a mad ice run wearing my innov8's for grip. The only way to run on icy paths is very fast ~ well as fast as is possible. I work on the theory that if you do that there is less risk of falling and breaking something. Don't care if this is rubbish cos it works for me.

However this is mucho ankle movement so yesterday in the gym was a bit tame and today was on the spin bike.

Lesson learned is behave yourself and don't show off when you are trying to recover from an injury.

Plan for this weekend coming is to step up to 8 miles and wear sensible shoes (Innov8's have no support).

There was an interesting blog reply suggest that rather than spending £3K+ I should run 26.2 miles on the same date as the NY marathon and use the money to have a massive party. I like this idea and will consider it but I'm going to have to get the atmosphere and the landscape somehow. Suggestion please. The dafter the better.

Signing off now and going to do some one legged balancing.

Getting Better

The great news is that I managed 30 minutes (5.5K) on the treadmill today and managed 10 minutes at 13kph with no apparent ill effects.

I'll do the same again tomorrow and then hit the road on Friday and Saturday hoping to get 6 mile plus done.

Looked again at paying for a package for the New York marathon and it's north of £3K which I need to work out if I am willing to pay. But then again it is likely to be a once in a lifetime experience.

Is the recovery starting? No not the economy stupid!

Today I managed 30 minutes on the running machine without stopping and yesterday 20 minutes. The only reason that it was 20 minutes yesterday was because I forgot to set the machine up for 30 minutes.

I've been recovering on the PowerPlate which is working really well and I would recommend it.

The snow has hit the ground again in Peebles and it reminds me of how much I love running in the snow in my Innovates. Last year it was a case of the more slippy the better but this year I am going to have to be more careful.

Lets see what the weekend brings.

Extra Exercise

Last night I had the journey home from hell and and had to push the clutch that many times I now have RSI in my knee.

Thankfully no after effects this morning. Could be because I broke my "I'm not drinking in November" fast and had a few glasses of wine.

I have now run 3 x 1 miles on the running machine. I'm going to double my distance from tomorrow and I don't get many chances to say that.

Will be out on the bank tomorrow as long as it's not 80 mph winds and lashing rain. Oh that's the forecast :~(

Jim at the Gym

So yesterday I bit the bullet and made an appointment to get a weights programme set up.

I couldn't get one at my early morning gym time so had to skive off work early to go over at 4.30.

So I now have a weights plan which embraces the value of the Power plate and the inflatable ball.

Having done this I then me Kiwi Jon in the changing rooms who strongly advised not to go full on with machine weights.

So I can still use the Power plate which I recommend for stretching and the inflatable ball which I can use for abs and boy do I need some help with my abs. The only problem is I'm now going to have to hide from Jim in case he beats me up for wasting his time setting up a programme.

The good news is I ran my first mile on the running machine today and there appear to be no after effects. Lets see what tomorrow brings and then I can get back on the road.

Post Physio Update

I've now had my physio session with Mark.

Good because I now know what wrong and have a rehab plan.

Bad because that rehab plan only allows me to run one mile per day on grass. I can only move up to 2 miles if I get no pain the next day. If I do this properly I should have enough time to start my training programme properly on the 8th Jan.

So I need to keep my cardio up and the best way to do that when I'm at home is on the bike. I've just had the gears on my road bike so went out for a 25 mile ride on Saturday which takes in a big hill climb. The decent is superb with an amazing view over the Tweed Valley. About 100 yard from home I nearly took out a wee boy who decided to ride out right in front of me. No time to think I pulled on both brakes and didn't end up going over the handlebars but probably flat spotted the tyres. The boy learned some new words anyway. It's always an experience riding in cleats thinking how can I get my feet out of the pedals before the bike falls over.

So tomorrow it's back into the gym and on to the spin bike and get a weight programme.

The grand plan

I started thinking about training plans today and drew up my 13 week plan. However it doesn't start until the 8th January so I need to figure out what I should be doing before then. Rest seems a bad idea so does running with an injury.

I went out today and ran 6 miles slowly to see how the leg would stand up. Unfortunately it was quite sore at the end. The weird thing is that it ok when I am in my bare feet. Maybe I should think about barefoot running.

Luckily Mark the physio is back from his holidays so I am going to see him and will hopefully get a plan to get back to full strength.

In the mean time it looks like I am going to have to stick to the bike to get the cardio

Trainers

No not the things on your feet but the people who train you. Any Americans reading this I mean a coach.

I was looking around the gym today and thinking who would I be happy to have as a trainer. There's an old guy and a few young guys and girls and a couple of older young guys if that makes any sense at all. I need someone who get what I do and understand how hard I want / need to train to make a difference. What should I do. I might ask Jonathan who he would recommend. I would rather have him but he is not around.

Got flights and hotels booked so it's all becoming real now. What a nightmare trying to get a hotel in the centre of London without having to pay a fortune.

The West Highland Way Race is now open and I'm unsure about putting in an application. I should get a place because I have run it in the past and the race has never been oversubscribed but I need to be sure about the commitment as training for the race is a big deal for me.

Run to the beat ~ or not

I was listening to my favourite drive time radio show ~ Get It On on BBC Radio Scotland where the theme was "music to work out to".

I texted in to say play nothing for me as I hate to run to mucsic. Whatever the beat it is usually wrong for the speed that I want to run at so I don't bother. To be honest I would prefer to listen to an audio book to pass the time.

I was reminded of Beautiful Day by U2 which was played at the start of the Chicago Marathon on Oct 2010 (10.10.10 to be precise) It was an amazing start but the Beautiful Day turned into a roasting hot day with a max of 30 degrees. There was just enough water to keep everyone going. I finished in 4.10 but was glad to finish and it was a great experience.

This is where I miss my running buddy Richard. We haven't run together for a long time because one or both of us have been injured. The chat was always good ranging from management advice to the latest recipe.  It really helps pass the time.

I'll stick to listening to the music on the way to the race.

It all starts today

Or does it? Did it ever finish from last time.

When you look at training plans they always assume that you are starting from scratch even the ones to get you to an Elite time. So where do you start when you are always running. That of course begs the question should you stop and if so for how long. I'm going to find out and when I do I'll let you know. I am going to ask my friend Jonathan who is super fast at all distances and may end up running London also.

Today's session in the gym was on the spin bike. This is great exercise because it enables a great burn and no impact. For me this counts as a rest ~ well on my ankle at least.

Mucked up on the way home as I had to buy some comfort food due to it being cold and dark. Need to restrict input.

Will ask at the gym tomorrow about a weights session.

How far should you go to get a good time

And I don't mean getting on a bus like that eejit at the Keilder Marathon.

I'm thinking about giving up the drink, losing some weight (probably 10Kg in my case) and eating sensibly.

As someone who has used running as an excuse to eat and drink what I like this will be a toughie. So November is going to be drink free in the house. Drinking is allowed when going out which doesn't mean going out every other night :)

The losing the weight thing has always been difficult for me. After the initial weight loss I've plateaud around 85Kg which is probably due to stuffing my face after races.

So what I need to do is get a programme. Running I am ok with but weight loss not so and I believe I am going to have to start doing some weights which is going to involve pain on my part because I have not done any weight for so long.

Watch this space to see what happens.

Here we go again ~ another big race build up

The running thing started 7 years ago. I'd had a back operation and the surgeon told me that I should not run.

Three years of not doing anything made me overweight and extremely unhappy. Ironically being overweight is also bad for your back so I wasn't doing myself any favours.

one day I was so fed up I put on an old pair of running shoes and ran (slowly) around a 2 mile circuit without stopping. I was badly out of breath but had made it. i was also very sore the next day but managed to keep it up and with some support from good friends became a runner.

Of course 2 miles leads to 4 then 6 then 10K then a half marathon and then a full marathon. Of course once you get started it is impossible to stop (quite literally as I have never pulled out of a race) and that is where the mad runner comes in. Perhaps obsessive might be a better term but my wife says I am mad.

Well where do you go after a marathon ~ an ultra marathon of course. I'm proud to say that I have completed the 53 mile Highland Fling over the bottom half of the West Highland Way, the 43 mile Devil of the Highlands over the top half of the West Highland Way and the 96 Mile West Highland Way race.

So what now and why the blog. This year has been a relatively quiet year race wise because of injury but next year is my 50th birthday and I want to do something special.

Plans are for the London Marathon in April, the New York Marathon in November and the WHW Race in between in June. Usually I would try and throw some other random race in there but have been thinking that I train for too many races and even the professionals find it difficult to peak that many times in a year so will stick with 3 (for now).

Having missed the ballot for the London Marathon I managed to get a place through my club the Moorfoot Runners from Peebles which completes the picture of madpeeblesrunner.

My plan is to get a good for age time at London (sub 3.30) to qualify for New York. If I don't I'll probably try and get a charity place bur right now my focus is on sub 3.30. This will be challenging as my best time so far is 3.52.

So watch this space and see how I get on.