Photos

9 Miles

20 Miles

Finish

Sunday, Week 15

Race day!

Woke up sleeping on the floor of the sitting room as usual for marathon day, and sneaked out of the house at 6:15am into a cool rainy day.

After switching cars and a quick speed over the Pennines, we arrived in good time, got ourselves organised, and were nicely lined up close to the front by 9am.

And then we were off.

Unlike Wilmslow, it was straight up to pace. Surrounded by runners I kept swivelling round to see who was running the half and who the full marathon as the two races shared the first 10 miles or so. After a run past the Tower for the first time, the course dipped down onto the promenade for a short 2 mile circuit.

I went past the first mile marker and checked my watch - 6:45! Much too quick. The person running next to me said the same, but when I looked I realised he was doing the half. He was a nice guy called Shaun from Ilkley, and I unfortunately started running with him and chatting. We were heading out along the Golden Mile at the 4 miles marker before I finally told him I thought I should slow down. I'd got there in 27min 36sec, and was already wondering how this would feel later on.

The rain was steady now, and everyone was soaked through. It was not cold though, and as far as I could tell, there wasn't any wind. Absolutely perfect conditions.

Past the Big One, and up to the Southern turning point of the first circuit, and I'd settled into 7:10 miles - still faster than my fastest planned split, but it felt quite comfortable. This was where the leading half and marathon runners were coming back the other way. With a course like this I saw everyone else in the race several times.

Shouted to Matt (doing the half) coming back. He looked soaked.

Got to 8 miles in 56min 14sec. Still much too quick.

A slight rise going back past the Tower and then down onto the lower promenade for the first trudge along the concrete energy sapper.

Slowly out of the mist, the beached ship appeared - something to take my mind off the tedious running. Then there was a shock of a very long mile bewteen 11 and 12 miles - reached 12 miles in 1hr 26min 47sec, which was still under the fastest end of my pacing, but the mile took 8:25 and the mind games started. Had I run too quickly and was losing pace already? The next 'mile' took 6:10 and I was back under control!

At 13 miles we rejoined the half runners who were at the 11 miles mark, and I said hello again to Matt as he made his way up a short but nasty hill that I tried to forget I would be going up in an hour and a half, and then it was a left turn to leave the half marathon runners to their finish, and out on the second circuit.

Out to the Big One again and I was still OK, but gradually, as I turned and headed back up the Golden Mile towards the promenade again, I started feeling less strong, and on dropping onto the concrete the 'Wall' was obviously nearing.

I started feeling sick at this point, and tried stuffing in a few Lucozade Sport tablets. By 20 miles however, alone on the bleak seawall path, my mind had gone, and I was slowly heading out towards 8 minute miles.

A couple of twinges started up, first in my left hip, then the left knee then the right knee. My legs got heavier and the beached ship seemed to be receding rather than getting closer. My time felt less important - and the euphoria of 16 miles when I thought I could go well under 3hr 10min was a long way away.

The turning point both literally and in my mind was at 23 miles. It took 8:21(the longest true split of the race), but I grabbed some water for the first time, having relied on my handheld bottle until then, and ran through the cramp that suddenly spasmed in my left thigh. I knew I was going under 3hr 15min at this point and suddenly it all seemed fine.

Coming back along the cliff top felt good and I upped the pace back to sub 8 minutes miles.

Hitting 25 miles and then 26 miles felt great, and I managed a bit of speed though the finish. With no-one else around me, I got a lot of support over the last 200 metres or so, and went over the line in 3hr 12min and 2sec.

Felt euphoric, and happy that I couldn't have really gone much faster. At last everything had gone right and I'd got the time that I thought I could do.

What next?

Thursday, Week 15

4 Miles, Easy

I decided this would be the last run before Sunday, and that I'd skip the scheduled 2 mile Saturday run, which is traditionally skipped as I don't fancy the Holloway Road, but this time because it's a waste of time.

So, last leg stretcher, in sunny warmish weather. Tried to jog along easily but quickly, and got back to the office after 7:26 pacing. I'll take that as an omen as that is exactly 3:14:59 pace.

Just a nervous couple of days left. Like a Karate Kid trying to break a brick, I'm just focusing beyond at the trip to Rome on Monday, but feel like I will reach the Hilton on Sunday morning with no excuses.

Bring it on!

Tuesday, Week 15

1 mile jog, then 8 X 400m fast, then 1 mile jog

Sunday, Week 14

12 Miles Steady

Up early, despite having guests who were still up drinking with Liz 2 hours after I went to bed.

Ran up the hill to Cookridge, then tried to hit my ideal marathon pace (7min 15sec miles) for the next 9 miles.

The first section was much too fast, the second section was too fast, and by the time I got to the canal my legs were pretty tired. I felt I was going at a slightly uncomfortable speed, and got to the ring road at Rodley having done slightly over my goal pace for the last section.

It was then a long slog up the ring road and beyond, before I hit a 6min 15sec final mile.

So in the end, my pacing was all over the place, but at least I've given myself more of an idea for next week. Also, overall my pace was 7min 25sec. This would bring me in just under 3hr 15min - I wouldn't complain.

So, into the last week of training for the fifth year in a row. Just got to stay fit and positive and it'll all be good by this time next week.

Friday, Week 14

4.5 Miles, Easy

Ran this really quickly at work (sub 7 minute miles), in order to get home to take 3 10 year olds to the cinema. What was I thinking?

Thursday, Week 14

1 mile jog, then 3 miles brisk, 1 mile jog

Wednesday, Week 14

6 Miles, Easy

Tuesday, Week 14

1M jog, then 12 x 200m hill with slow jog/walk down, then 1M jog

Monday, Week 14

4 Miles, Easy

Not rain this time. Hail

Sunday, Week 13

18 Miles, Easy

Woke up, got changed then started wondering what the hammering noise I could hear was. And guess what? - it was the rain.

Trying to feel positive, I took off my mp3 player and got out into the wet morning.Actually felt pretty good, and ran well all the way to the Baildon checkpoint in 56 mins - I used to be pleased to go under an hour.

Still raining.

Once on the canal tow path at Shipley though, thing started to slow down a bit. Still felt strong, but I had to run all over the place to avoid the widening puddles. Ended up doing a lot of running on the spipperly wet grass next to the canal, or zig-zagging from side to side.

Still raining.

Beyond Apperley Bridge on the way to Rodley it got even worse and I was just running through mud and puddles with no opportunity to even try to miss them. At Rodley I thought I'd cleverly avoid the cycle trap by swinging round the fence by the canal, not realising that my hands had ceased to be able to grip. Just avoided a dip.

Still raining.

Got to Newlay and by now was back down to the time that I did last year's run in (mind you, I was delighted with it last year). At about the point that the gun was going in the London Marathon 200 miles south, I was stopping to do up my shoelaces, and doing a double take when I saw how black my legs were from the mud.

Back up the hill, and home in a time 30 seconds slower than last year and I'd done the section from Apperly Bridge to Newlay about 3 minutes slower.

Still raining.After 3 sweeps to scrub my legs clean, I managed to make my way downstairs to watch the FLM.

Only 2 weeks to go, and still feeling good.


Friday, Week 13

4.5 Miles, Easy

Soaking wet run AGAIN.

I'm sure it hasn't been this wet in the last 4 years.

All I can say is, after all these wet, cold runs, it had better not be hot on race day.


Thursday, Week 13

10 Miles, Steady

Soaking wet long tempo run back home from work.

Nearly run over 2 miles from home by an idiot ignoring a pedestrian crossing red light. The jog rage kept me going up the hill to Rawdon.

Finished feeling pretty exhausted. I'm still getting a sore throat some evenings, 4 weeks after my cold started. It doesn't seem to be affecting my speed or stamina as far as I can tell, but I hope I'm feeling fully recovered by the 27th.


Wednesday, Week 13

6 Miles, Slow

Tuesday, Week 13

1M jog, then 7 x 800m fast, with 100m jog recoveries, then 1M jog

After a long running teleconference, I decided to do my last set of Yasoo 800's round the Beeston streets, whcih ahd the advantage of giving me more time to do them , but the disadvantage of not being able to compare to the previous years when I've been to the track.

The first two or three repeats were done in sleet, which bounced off my shoulders, laughing at my attempts to get under 3m15s for each circuit.

Felt like I was pushing hard, but it is hard to compare with a track time, as I had to slow down at each corner to ensure I didn't bang into a local, and also had to negotiate litter, pedestrians and worse as I ran.

Finished feeling like I'd pushed quite hard - the repeats were all between 3m11s and 3m19s, but it's hard to tell what that means.

A couple of longer runs now, then 18 miles at the weekend, then I'm only 2 weeks away.

Wilmslow Photos

Saturday, Week 12

22 Miles, Slow

Slept downstairs and set the alarm for 6:40am so I could be out and back by a reasonable time.
Debated whether I shoudl just wear a T-shirt on top, but in the end decided I should wear the base layer too. A good decision.

Out at 7am then and feeling really good for the first time in ages. Up the hill to Cookridge and then across to Otley Road and down to Headingley feeling almost eurphoric.

At Hyde Park the drizzle started, but I was still feeling really good, striding along, and I ran through the centre of the city, arriving at the 8 mile point at the canal after exactly an hour.
By now though, the rain was getting heavy, and it was close to freezing. As I ran to join the canal I hit a patch of black ice and just stayed on my feet.

A couple of miles later, I was completely soaked to the skin. the rain turned to heavy snow and I got a headache that stopped coherent thought. For 30 minutes or so I retreated into my head and just kept running. My mp3 headphones started making crackling noises so I switched it off and didn't even have The Jam to take my mind off things.

Just beyond Rodley I stopped to try to tuck my headphones into my pockets, but had no feeling whatsoever in my fingers and just kept pulling them back out of the pocket.

By the time I left the canal though, things were looking up. I was still soaked through, but the rain had stopped and I felt strong running up the big hill; probably the best I've felt of all the times going up there on my long runs this year. The feeling continued all the way home, and I got back in 2 hrs 54 mins - a quicker pace than my first marathon.

So after a long three weeks or so of negative, tough training I feel like I've turned the corner and started the downhill to the finishing line (where I can see the light at the end of the tunnel).
Two rest days now to start off the taper.

Friday, Week 12

4.5 miles, Easy

Thursday, Week 12

1 mile jog, then 4 miles brisk, 1 mile jog

After a bad night's sleep with a lumpy throat, I was disappointed to see that my tem,po run was a mile longer than I thought.

Went Ok though, and kept it comfortable at about 6:45 minute miles.

Wednesday, Week 12

1 mile jog, 6 miles Fartleks, 1 mile jog.

After a relapse of the sore throat, I dropped this week's 7 mile slow run, and moved my Fartleks to today so I could do them on the way home from work.

My legs felt really, really heavy, and the sprints were more like heavy lumbers culminating in a breathless collapse and a long jog to recover.

Was just about getting into the swing of it when I finished. Yet another negative experience, but it's that time in my schedule.

Monday, Week 12

4 Miles, Easy

Sunday, Week 11

Race, Wilmslow Half Marathon

Prepared perfectly for race day by having a beer and half a bottle of wine on Friday night, and thus poking the embers of my cold back to life, so that I woke on Sunday morning with a lumpy sore throat.

Added to the facts that I slept on the living room floor to avoid waking the house, and that I lost an hour due to the beginning of British Summer Time, and it was amazing that I felt as good as I did when I lined up at the start, still ready to make an attempt on my half marathon pb.

I stood by the 1hr 20min sign, looking around me at the surprisingly unathletic looking elite runners, and sure enough as the race started I spent the first mile threading through people unlikely to crack 2 hours, let alone 90 minutes. Resorted to elbows once.

The first few miles went by well, once I'd calmed down, and was almost on target at 6 miles at 40 mins 22 secs.

Then it started falling apart just as it did 2 years ago. I put the slow 7th mile down to an incorrect measurement, but when the 8th was similarly slow, I lost my togetherness. By the time I reached 9 miles I has lost a minute and a half, and then there was the long hill past the church.

By now it was getting hot too. I managed to pull myself together enough to remind myself that:

a) This isn't the important race
b) I had felt at 6am that it wasn't even worth getting out of bed
c) I could still beat my record for Wilmslow

Picked it up a bit for the last couple of miles, and finished feeling Ok to be handed a heavy piece of glass, a classy T-shirt, and more importantly a Mars Bar.

Official time (which includes the 30 seconds getting to the line from the elite start) was 1hr 31min 31secs.

My watch time was 1:31:07 which apparently equates to a 3:09:58 marathon. That would be spot on.

Next race - 4 weeks time on Blackpool seafront.


Friday, Week 11

3 Miles, Slow

Thursday, Week 11

6 Miles, Slow