Tuesday, Week 4 of 15

Run: "1M jog, then 5 x 800m fast, with 200m jog recoveries, then 1M jog"
Actual Distance run: 4 miles (halved the warm up and down)
Time Taken: 29 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 95.5 miles

First trip to the running track this schedule. It was freezing.

Feel a slight sore throat coming on too, as I always do in the week before a race. I think my body likes to give me an excuse for underperforming.

Did OK with the repeats anyway as I hit 3m 00s, 3m 04s, 3m 09s, 3m 09s and 3m 09s. It was nice to keep at the same pace for the last three instead of my usual slow decline. The thought that I will have to keep somewhere close to that pace to hit my 10k target was a bit intimidating though.

Sunday, Week 3 of 15

Run: "12 Miles, Slow"
Time Taken: 105 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 91.5 miles

Week 3:
Total Weekly Mileage: 34.5 miles
Time running: 4 hrs 35 min

On my mp3 player this week:
Artic Monkeys
Blink-182

Up and out at 7:30am. It was more like my March/April Sunday mornings of the last two years than the throwback to the Ice Age that I'd been expecting after all the doom-mongering by the Met Office.

Took the Big Hill at 2-4 miles nice and slowly, and was just about awake by the time I got to my turn around point at 8 miles by the Abbey. It was then back along the canal (which was frozen - I wonder where the swans go) and home in a hour and three quarters just in time for the end of breakfast.

Got my number on Friday for the 10K next weekend. It's my first race since October, and I'm tragically excited about it. Just need an easyish week so that I turn up fit and ready to beat my target.

Sounds easy but both the boys have colds....

Friday, Week 3 of 15

Run: "4 Miles, Easy"
Actual Distance: 4.5 Miles
Time Taken: 33 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 79.5 miles

Usual Friday lunchtime recovery run. Usual rain and wind.

Ran it nice and steady and finished 1 second faster overall than last week - that's consistent anyway.

Rest day tomorrow spent with the in-laws then 12 mile run along the canal early Sunday.

Thursday, Week 3 of 15

Run: "7 Miles, Easy"
Time Taken: 58 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 75 miles

Ran as soon as I got back from work round my hilly circuit that doubles up as an 8 mile run. Couldn't believe how much more traffic there is at that time compared to an hour or two later. I had my mp player on, but it was so noisy on the ring road I couldn't tell my Robbie Williams from my Elbow. Slowed down at a few crossings too, but as I was trying for a slow pace that was fine. I'm getting back into the idea of taking it easy on these runs.

Took a bit of time to clarify my aims too.

Decided on my absolute minimum (obviously getting to the start line in one piece is the real mimimum, but...) as:

1. 10K race at the end of week 4 - Sub 43 mins
2. 10 Mile race at the end of week 7 - Sub 1hr 15 min
3. Half Marathon at the end of week 10 - Sub 1hr 37 min
4. London Marathon in sub 3hr 30min

I'll be disappointed if I don't get all these. I also worked out my stretch targets but don't feel brave enough to share those yet.

Wednesday, Week 3 of 15
Run: "4 Miles, Steady"
Time Taken: 29 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 68 miles

A tempo run from work again. Tried to keep to Half Marathon pace, but struggled after last night. Did 7:53 (for a mile and a sixth), then 6:51, 7:00 and 8:02 (mile and a sixth again), so not too bad.

That's all for speedier paces this week. I wonder how Paula's getting on with her training?

Tuesday, Week 3 of 15

Run: "1M jog, then 4 x 1M fast, with 400m jog recoveries, then 1M jog"
Time Taken: 50 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 64 miles

Not much to say.

Great session. Ran round the circuit outside the house and managed repeats of 6:20, 6:24, 6:27 and 6:34. Pity about the slowing down as I'd rather have done constant paces, but the first mile was particularly fast and I paid for it by the end.

Bearing in mind the hill, I'm now feeling more positive about a sub-40 min 10K a week on Sunday.

Sunday, Week 2 of 15

Run: "10 Miles, Slow"
Time Taken: 83 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 57 miles

Week 2:
Total Weekly Mileage: 32.5 miles
Time running: 4 hrs 14 min

On my mp3 player this week:
Elbow - Leaders Of The Free World
Hard-Fi - Stars Of CCTV

Yesterday was fantastic; cloudless blue skies, dry and windless. So it was a surprise to get up at 7:45am to thick fog and a thick frost. Don't know why I would be surprised.

Found myself being extremely grateful for two out of the three purchases I made for my birthday to help my training be less painful - the long sleeved base layer which is about a molecule thick but somehow keeps me warm on below-zero days like this, and the dayglo gloves which allow me to actually think about something other than how numb my hands are.

Once I got down onto the canal though, it was suddenly all OK. The fog was the heavy kind that leaves icy drips on your eyelashes and the visibility was about 50 yards which made my run feel like...
a) (Geek simile)... a computer game with the draw distance turned down.
b) (Non-geek simile)... a Caspar David Friedrich landscape.

As I ran along, swans with their dirty cygnets, buzzing electricity pylons, occasional runners and the sewage works reared up out of the mist until I got to the turning point of the railway bridge at 41 mins and turned and ran back. Apart from a bit of cramp on the outside of my left foot, I felt better as the run went on, probably because it took so long to warm up.

I was using the third of my birthday items for the first time - an 'O' shaped running bottle, and found it hard to get any liquid out of it, until I remembered my dad's advice for drinking a yard of ale - something to do with the angle of tilt to allow it to flow properly. I'm not convinced he knew I would use the knowledge 25 years later when training for a marathon, but it seemed to work.

Completed the whole thing in just under 8:30 min/miles, which I try to tell myself is a good pace for a slow run.

Rest day tomorrow - back with another killer interval session on Tuesday.

Friday, Week 2 of 15

Run: "4 Miles, Easy"
Actual Distance: 4.5 Miles
Time Taken: 33 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 47 miles

Car horns hooted at me to date: 1

Run at lunchtime with a work colleague. He dragged me down the hill between 2 and 3 miles which kept up the overall mins per mile to 7:30 which is too fast, but I felt comfortable so it was fine. Wind and rain in our faces on the way back up hill in the last half.

Got the first hoot from a car of the schedule. 3 lads in a Peugeot; it may have been for my running partner who was wearing a Leeds United shirt. No abuse though - perhaps if I wore my Ipswich shirt?

Rest day tomorrow then up early Sunday.

Thursday, Week 2 of 15

Run: "6M, Slow"
Time Taken: 47 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 42.5 miles

A 6 mile circuit from home. Very windy.

I was determined to take it nice and slowly after the last two days. Then, after a couple of miles, two runners overtook me on a downhill stretch. I kept on at the same pace thinking "MUST STAY SLOW". But they didn't disppear into the distance. And they took the same route as me. So irritatingly I found myself tracking them, although I was still quite comfortable. As we got back into the village at about 5 and a half miles they slowed right down and I went past them. Finished in 47 mins 54 secs which, as I was aiming for 8 minute miles, worked out great. Perhaps I'll learn to switch off from other runners.

There were loads of runners around last night including a running club who I met once running uphill and once running down. I stayed on the opposite side of the road to stop myself being wound up by them not giving way or not thanking me for running in the middle of the road so that they could run three abreast. Not that I'm being unreasonable.

The twinges and aches I've felt in my knee, upper legs, ankles and chest this week all disappeared last night anyway so feeling positive for my next couple of easy runs, including the Sunday morning one along the canal for 10 miles.

Wednesday, Week 2 of 15

Run: "1M jog, then 2M brisk, then 1M jog"
Time Taken: 32 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 36.5 miles

A tempo run from work, as I've worked out a new mile circuit round some of the quieter safer roads nearby.

I swapped this run with tomorrow's to fit it in and though I tried to hit my half marathon pace for the 2 brisk miles, after yesterday my legs wouldn't quite manage it. Did 6:57 then 7:10, so slowed down a bit, which I'll write off as tiredness. At least it's another 6 days now until the next speed session....

Tuesday, Week 2 of 15

Run: "1M jog, then 3 x 1.5M fast, with 800m jog recoveries, then 1M jog"
Time Taken: 59 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 32.5 miles

Runs like this one make me want to compare the training to childbirth. Yes...I know..not really, but if I remembered about these hard interval sessions I'd probably not want to do it again. It's all forgotten once the bouncing, gurgling marathon comes along. Probably taken that metaphor far enough now.

This has been my first proper chance to see where I am compared to the start of the last two years of training; I managed the intervals in 10:04, 10:24 and 10:40, which compares quite well with the same session last year and the year before. That's given me a real boost because I'd run a half marathon just before starting them, so there's plenty to work on this time.

In 2004 and 2005, however, I don't remember the bursting chest, tiring legs and incipient stitch coming round the mile circuit and up the hill for the last time - that'll be the memory blank again.

Based on my run here though, I'm not sure my time target is achievable for the 10K in 2 and a bit weeks, but there's a bit of time before then to build up my endurance.

Saturday, Week 1 of 15

Run: "8 Miles, Slow"
Time Taken: 66 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 24.5 miles

Week 1:
Total Weekly Mileage: 24.5 miles (Obviously)
Time spent running: 3 hours 7 minutes

On my mp3 player this week:
Foo Fighters - In Your Honour
Robbie Williams - Intensive Care
Something else I am too embarrassed to mention that rhymes with Aims Hunt.

Up at 8 am and out into the damp morning for my first long run. Not too long yet - I run this on weekday evenings usually, but tried do everything right. Had a drink and a quick piece of toast before setting out, and ran nice and slowly. Every time I felt like going a bit quicker, I reminded myself of how many more miles I will be running.

Finished feeling fine, although the last long hill up into the village was a bit painful.

Two rest days to follow now, and back with a nasty speed session on Tuesday.

Friday, Week 1 of 15

Run: "4 Miles, Easy"
Actual Distance: 4.5 Miles
Time Taken: 32 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 16.5 miles

Another lunchtime run from work. Tried a new route which is basically my 5 miles run in reverse with a bit taken out, and for some reason I don't understand, there seems to be more downhill than uphill compared to running it the other way round.

Took it nice and easy , but still did it much too fast (probably due to the long downhill). I'm sure I'll slow down as the miles add up.

First long run tomorrow morning instead of Sunday to avoid waking up guests.

Thursday, Week 1 of 15

Run: "3 Miles, Steady"
Time Taken:20 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 12 miles

My hardest run this week. Three fast mile laps from home in between putting the boys to bed and watching the last episode of Lost on video. Managed to cruise at just slightly faster than my half marathon pace, and kept it constant.

Also had my first instance of Jog Rage when someone getting out of their car to go into the Conservative Club opened their door right in front of me. The little injection of anger speeded me up nicely for the last 100m of my run, so thank you, Tory Woman.

Wednesday, Week 1 of 15

Run: "5 Miles, Slow"
Time Taken:37 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 9 miles

Lunchtime run from the office today. I have a loop which splits into thirds based on pubs. 12 mins downhill to the first one, 12 mins uphill to the second, past my company's head offices (chest out, stomach in, just in case anyone is looking out of the windows), then a killer hill up to the last pub. It's good to look forward to the next waft of stale beer at the end of each stage, and in summer you can also look forward to the admiring comments of lunching office workers (hard to tell excatly what they're saying, but I'm sure it's all good).

Finished feeling good as I didn't push it up the hills like I usually do, but still need to slow down a bit on these slow runs.

Monday, Week 1 of 15

Run: "4 Miles, Slow"
Time Taken:32 mins
Total Mileage So Far: 4 miles!

Finally, the first run is out of the way. All the imagined twinges and aches disappeared after the first mile or so, but that may have been down to the extreme cold and gusting winds. I'd tried to create a new route round the village in the style of that puzzle where drunk Russians try not to cross the same bridge twice , as I've a lot of "4 Mile, Easy" and " 4 Mile, Slow" runs ahead, and did well not to get lost. Arrived home feeling like I'd just got into my stride.

Tomorrow....rest day.

5 days and counting - my 15 week training program for the 2006 London Marathon starts next Monday with a slow 4 mile run, but that's not the point - the fact it's on my carefully formatted training log gives it new meaning.

To give me something to remember the whole experience, and for anyone who feels that for their donation they deserve some tedious updates on my struggle for mileage, I'm polluting the internet with my diary.

Expect emotions like despair, elation and surprise, sounds like laughter, crying and panting, and bodily fluids like tears, sweat, blood and dribble.

The fun starts on January 9th.