Say hello to Wortel

This evening I was looking forward to my last very, very sedate run with my running club before GUCR and such I left the house early to jog (not run) to the club meeting up with Robert along the way. The ground along the river was hardening nicely and moist a good omen for the weekend. 

Gathering together in the park awaiting the group calls I was surprised to hear people calling to me "Jerry, JERRY, Richard wants you!" my usual reaction is to bemoan "What have I done NOW?" but looking over I saw Richard had a big smile on his face and as I went over to him I was passed a carrot and a cheery good luck from the pack for my antics at the weekend. The carrot was obviously to help me see in the dark!

I can only say I was chuffed, such a simple gesture but one that means a lot to me as it is a form of recognition such that the carrot has been "named" and will now be my mascot for the GUCR.

So what name?

Asking the other runners in my new pack I got the usual "Fred, Craig or plain old Carrot" that is until someone suggest Wortel which transpires is Afrikaan for carrot......perfect he was named and tonight whilst my ciders cooled in the fridge a club vest was made (to comply with UKA and TRA requirements)

Watch this space...Wortel is going to have the journey of a lifetime this weekend!

GUCR Banter begins

What I LOVE about the ultra-fraternity is the build up to races and the inherent banter that takes place up to and leading to the race, this is no different this week.

Suddenly we are all on a taper and therefore more time on our hands it seems, photographs of kit being laid out, plans of one spectator/supporter navigating his boat down the Grand Union Canal to the 120 mile point to cook bacon sandwiches. Bad advice being thrown into the air for any mug to catch it or ignore it. Tales of duct taped knees to skin peeling off feet does not quell the fun and excitement. Pictures of a kettle in a race pack (assuming I hope for the runner's support team) has made me laugh today.

Even today runners are celebrating 10 Marathons in 10 Days which has spurred me into thinking positive about the GUCR again and such my planning is up a gear and kit is being sifted. I am pleased to say that comparing it to last year it is almost exactly the same to a point of ridiculous apart from a  different coloured shirt.

I have been unwell over the past few days but hopefully a short run on Tuesday evening with the club will draw a line under the training ready for some more banter in the coming days

"How are you getting back from London?"

To more positive thoughts and to next weekend...the great Grand Union Canal Race. This race has got right under my skin and this year I am very positive about completing, I have had more consistent, steady training. Had the tough runs, the fun runs even taken my running back to basics with minimalist running and with it I feel happier and more content.

Plans afoot

Over the past few days a small pile has been getting bigger, sifted and sorted then made bigger, this is the great GUCR pile. Every time I see something I may need I place it on the pile, my union flag buff or I buy a disposable toothbrush, a pot of Vaseline or some socks even a sachet of suncream ....it just collects, out of the way so that if visitors arrive they cannot see it immediately.

I know that soon it will avalanche, refined and laid out  ready to be packed but most important are the bigger items, the railway ticket (First Class), the hotel reservation, the time to meet in the pub to share a pint with the competitors, timetables, hats, waterproofs all important items and thoughts all piled together. There is even a thought of putting in my Monkey Feet if I have foot problems just in case!!!

Distraction?

Absolutely Dear Reader, this takes my mind off the training, gives me positive reassurance and a little peace of mind. I am even enjoying the question from the Delightful Mrs S "How are you getting back from London?" That bit I haven't planned...that bit is for another day!

Taper starts

Thursday night is normally Monkey Feet Night and there were plans to go to the track this evening for a very gentle run but this time with running shoes.

I sat at my desk tapping away dully at the keyboard thinking the office was hot and I felt a bead of sweat on my brow...Spring at last I thought until I walked off to the station and the weirdest feeling came over me. Although I was walking in a straight line I felt I was actually traveling at an angle, almost drunk. I fell asleep on the train and then as I walked home I felt quite dizzy and have since then slept for about 1 hour this evening, I have a feeling I am going down with something.

The decision not go to the track was confirmed when my ankle started to hurt which is strange as this is the site of the bruise caused by me tripping over a traffic cone at the Hanover Marathon.

So dizziness, bruised ankle, still a bit miserable about my beloved Arthur and now the tapering has sent me slightly over the edge now. Let's get to the weekend and see how things are but putting it into perspective, the runs are not for training, they are just a run for fun and maintenance....he adds to the end trying to sound positive!

Definitely a Trial

As you all know the tag line for my blog is "The trials and tribulations of a long distance runner living in deepest, darkest Kent." and today was very much one of those trials.

Many of my Dearest Readers will know that apart from the Delight Mrs S and our Jezzarettes I have two great loves in my life, the first my cats and the second obviously my running. Sometimes the two loves interweave with a few pictures of my cats appearing in my blog getting involved with my running world.

At the weekend our beloved young cat, Arthur, returned home with a horrific injury to his tail after being run down by a car which we found today was inoperable and we made the very hard decision to have him put down. A young cat in the prime of his life cut off in such a horrible way. 

The Delightful Mrs S has been fantastic and despite her own grieving cut me loose for a run at the club to allow me to clear my head but I was only willing to run just 10km tonight, in a slow group of people I did not know very well just so I could be lost in my own thoughts, all passion for my beloved sport gone running just for its therapeutic rewards.

Indeed, it was a great release for 50 minutes, allowing me to get my mind off our beloved Arthur, visions of his horrific injury, the last kiss goodbye and his untimely burial in our garden under his favourite apple tree. My run held no real joy and at the end I realised that for most of the time we were running in torrential rain which had not phased me, the whinges and groans of the newer runners met with disinterest.

Tonight my run was a trial

Interloper

The venue, the Orpington Marafun, a mixture of runs and walks of varying distance that is run in my local area on behalf of charity and has become a regular meet for so many people in the running fraternity.

This video was linked in various places (and I have remorselessly published it here) to show members of my running club hammering up a hill until a certain character you may know appears out of nowhere at 2:24 mins and then again at 3:22 mins.....who could it be Dear Reader, who could it be?

Enjoy

PS Thanks Brian for letting me steal the link :-)

A run of two halves

So with the marathon plans scuppered I chose to run the half marathon in Orpington, Kent instead but with some clever negotiation with the Delightful Mrs S I was given a bigger window of opportunity so that I could run there and back making it a 34 km run instead of a 21km one....a nice compromise.

Planning to run in my Monkey Feet again I was a little worried that I might get a blister (from last weeks marathon) again as there was promise of heavy rain today but as if by chance I was just getting ready to leave home when the postman arrived and dropped a letter through the door from the Ultramarathon Running Store which contained my new Injinji Performance Liner socks, so ripping off my shoes I put them on with my Monkey Shoes over the top....perfect as they fitted much better beneath them than my Trail 2 Injinjis which are much better for trail shoes.

The Half Marathon

Not much to write home about my half marathon as it is around my local area on well trodden roads but it was fun to socialise and catch up on some news from my running friends. What was nice was friends from the running club were cruising the route in cars and popping up here or there or peeping their car horns or shout encouragement as they zoomed past.

By the end of the day I was to have 108 kilometres in my legs in 7 days and so had no intention (even if I was capable with tired legs) to race especially as GUCR is in two weeks but trotted off at a steady pace enjoying my own company but stopping to chat and share a joke when I saw friends until about the 15 kilometre mark when I heard someone cough behind me (apparently she had inhaled a blossom  petal!) and after asking if she was OK we struck up a conversation and I promised her we would get her into the Finish under 2 hours, I then felt our pace pick up as we attacked the field with new energy...we arrived in 1:56 hours, not great by my normal standards but pleasing with all the recent distances.

So, after a quick drink and a catch up with friends I left to run ~7km home feeling tired and very, very hungry, time for a little rest methinks.

The glass is always full

The plan was to run 3 marathons in 3 weeks but the Delightful Mrs S has other ideas as I have had my fair share of running fun recently. It transpires the Delightful Mrs S is working tomorrow so I have to drop her off, get a few items from the shop and such will miss the start of the local marathon. Needs must when the Devil Drives as they say so have been "allowed" to run the half marathon with the distinct promise I pick her up after...that focuses the mind so there will be no hanging around tomorrow!

As for the promised marathon, not a big deal as I can make the miles up on Sunday as it was only a "Nice to have." It may be only a half marathon but it is still exercise and a chance to get the last few miles in before GUCR.

Hanover Marathon - A celebration

I first met Christian Hottas nearly 2 years ago to the day in Birmingham, a quiet and unassuming man that held a secret that he was a record holder for the most marathons and ultramarathons. Christian has so many friends though running I was honoured to receive an invitation to  run with him and other runners from all over the world in Hanover to celebrate and run his 2,000th marathon.

At the Airport

 I had all intention of keeping costs down for this trip and soon regretted it when I found myself on the 5.00am coach from London to Stansted Airport and had not taken into account that we probably took every back street in the capital to get there so felt decidedly unwell by the end.

At the airport I was expecting to meet my dear friend Pam and as I waited at the Gate I saw her walking up accompanied by two people who transpired were also running Christian's escort, Elaine and Paul. Paul is visually impaired and by coincidence was staying at my hotel....Paul was my new traveling buddy.

The Party starts

After arriving at our hotel there was no rest as we met up for lunch and then later at the Pasta Party where we received our wonderful running shirts and then queued for our pasta meal and our race numbers. So after many photographs, laughs and running talk it appeared that the long day was getting to us so in the early evening Paul and I returned to our hotel but then had a cunning plan of seeking out a beer from a local hostelry and as we passed by saw our new found friends Torben Sørensen and his son Morten tucking into a pile of sushi both with beers in hand, we joined them for a chat and laughs before we called it a day and tracked off to the hotel for a very early night.

The day of the race

After a lovely breakfast with Christian Hottas we made our way to the meeting point just 50 metres from the start, here we met Elaine and Pam so after a brief discussion Paul agreed that Pam and Elaine would guide him for the first few miles and then I would take over as and when. So at just before 10.00am 85 runners from 11 countries led by the wonderful Christian tucked behind the main marathon field and started a very slow but steady marathon. I have a feeling that my new found running friends, so thoughtful, quiet and respectful were not quite ready for a Union Flag short clad, Monkey Foot wearing extrovert Brit and were taken aback with my noisy antics but were soon joining in with jokes and talking in so many languages.

My run with Paul

So at around 6 miles in I asked Paul if he wanted to run with me which he was happy to do as I had hinted there should be beer somewhere along the way. From that point on I quietened down a bit so we could concentrate on the route together but ever so often we would chat about some funny story or talk about the people we could see and here. More often than not we would be laughing at something silly.

The run was on a hot day and the organisers knew what we needed, slices of watermelon, apples and bananas accompanied all the carb gels you would want but it was only in the last 2-3 miles we were offered what we had been looking for....beer so with 2 x 500mls blagged from spectators the two of us had a short walk whilst we knocked back our beers in about 3 gulps to move onto the next crowd to be handed another bottle each!

The run finished quicker than I wanted it to, maybe because of the slower pace or the fact I was enjoying it so much but at the finish line a guard of honour was formed and Christian Hottas crossed the line to complete his 2,000th marathon/ultra and amazing feat for a human but more amazingly, he is still going to run more and as Christian says:

"Every run is a gift"

GUCR - 2013

Here we go again and less than 3 weeks to go.

It is only until you get the Grand Union Canal Race maps, numbers and instructions through the post do you come to realise it is very, very real.

I have decided that it is probably best to be under-trained rather than over for this one and so it is just one more marathon next week and then some easier weeks before I taken on the monster that is known as the GUCR.

Monkey Marathon

Before I write a much longer post about my amazing weekend away with over 80 runners from 11 countries

who had met up to celebrate Christian Hottas's 2000th marathon I wanted to post a little milestone for myself and my Monkey Feet.

I have had a little secret target of my own for this year and it was to run a marathon in my Monkey Feet and I have and I am very happy I have done so. I knew Hanover was going to be at a slower pace than I am used to so I thought it would be the perfect choice even if it was on tarmac.

 I had the misfortune of tripping over a bollard (how is a different story) which bashed my ankle quite badly at about 10km but with the immediate attention of a fellow runner I dabbed some Vaseline on and I was off again to complete the run with a belly full of beer and laughter.

As I said this was just a very small part of an amazing adventure but wanted to share it separately as there is more of the Hanover Marathon to come.

Pasta and Pints

A nagging thought in my mind kept surfacing all day telling me I must have forgotten something; that is until I passed Rob's house (a club running neighbour) who jumped from his front door bedecked in club colours. It dawned on me it was the four way inter-club race tonight which required my attendance, this was a run I was NOT going to race but enjoy the evening with the company of 230 other runners, socialise and possibly share a cider.

As you may have seen, I am suffering from a niggling injury to my quad at the moment which I needed to provide TLC so didn't want to do anything silly by putting it under pressure especially with the Hanover Marathon this weekend so chose to run along with some wonderful friends, Tricia and Sam  stop for a few moments to run back and chat with other people I hadn't seen for a while and then catch up and run with other people (secretly I wasn't taking the race at all seriously).

Then it happened, I got terrible stomach cramps and tightening my resolve I hurried my pace to jump into a service station to use the lavatory finding that I was quite unwell. Leaving the station I ran on hoping to catch up a few runners but cared not a jot as I passed the line.

From then on it was a very large plate of tuna pasta and scrumptious potato salad to find a lovely cold pint of cider placed in my hand! Let me just say running 5km with a belly full of cider and pasta is a very delicate thing..... a great evening out with great friends all made better with a little run in the middle of it all

à la mode

The latest in "à la mode" running attire....the groin to knee compression bandage, lets every quad strain feel:

• Warm,
• Compressed, and
• Supported

Still managed 12 miles of slow to medium paced running this evening with a new group wearing my  compression tights for support and my Monkey Feet, not the best tactic 4 days before a marathon but there is a lot of TLC going on here and the compression bandage is just part of it,

When the Cat's Away - Marathon #1 of 3

Sunday's run....what can I say? Tough, hot and hilarious after all it is a hobby isn't it?

I joked in an earlier post that Gemma (that's her on the right) was trying to organise David I but finding it hard to do as we had so many external pressures to cover but eventually her ever present patience paid off when we were all on the North Downs Way at the same time be it 20 miles apart! Fear not, we are accomplished runners and so had a cunning plan.

1. David and Gemma start at Ranmore Common and run East from 7.45 am
2. I start at Titsey Place 20 miles to the East at 9.15 am and run West until I join them.
3. When I meet them run as a pack to Knockholt
4. I turn around leaving them there  and run back to my car

As usual there was high spirits and banter with the three of us chatting merrily about this and that, food, films and the amazing views we were getting  that day due to the beautiful sunny weather. I was secretly pleased that they had about 9 miles more in their legs as it leveled the playing field a little but amazingly for a change I was full of beans but was a bit naughty as my calorie intake was a little low for such an aggressive run which left me a little twitchy at about 18 miles so after taking on about 400 calories over a 30 minute period involving a flapjack and a carb gel I was soon back in flight mode having waved goodbye to the guys at Knockholt, lesson learned I carried on taking small snacks ever so often to keep the energy flowing

The last 2 miles were probably the toughest I had done in a little while as the ascent was a long, sharp one that drained the energy from every sinew, bikes whizzed downwards but I kept trudging up with a passion until I reached my car tipping the Garmin at 28.4 miles, tired but pleased I had made it on will power and determination

Marathon 1 of 3 complete

Cat Herding

..or how to:

1. Get three very single-minded ultradistance runners on a training run together
2. On a 30 mile run
3. On a stretch  national trail
4. Starting at different times
5. From different places

I have to hand it to Gemma she is a Master of this dark art simply taking no for an answer, it almost seemed to be a personal challenge of hers to get David and I organised and herded to our particular starting points but I think she has got it cracked, we will see tomorrow.

They (Gemma and David) apparently start at 7.30am 20 miles from my starting position but I start at 9.15am. I run towards them, meet them somewhere along the way, turn and run with them to a place 10 miles from my original position. They finish, I run back to my car. They run 30 miles, I run whatever the Garmin tells me.....confused? I am sure Gemma can explain!  

Me? I will just run and hope to keep up with them

Ground Rush

The horrible moment when your jaw drops to your chest when you realise you have the run of your life in just 4 weeks and for some reason it has escaped you. Just like Ground rush, the race always looks like it is ages away until suddenly it rushes up on you by surprise even though you have known it was there all that time.

The next few weeks

27-28^th April

This weekend I was planning to do a long run along the North Downs Way with Gemma and David but that looks as though it is out of the window as I have had to pull out as the car is needed so I will try and get in a 4-5 hour solo run instead.

4-5^th May

This weekend is already turning into epic organisation as I have the Hannover Marathon in Germany and am fighting issues with hotel bookings, flights and getting to the Expo on Saturday, more of this over the course of the week but I am very excited as I have a pasta party, a fantastic city marathon and then a personal invite to a special reception with the Lord Mayor of Hannover but then have a rush to get to my flight on time. The most important thing is I have decided to run the marathon in my Monkey Feet

11-12^th May

I plan, but have entered, the local marathon to run/walk/jog the course to loosen up

18-19^th May

Rest

25-26^th May

GUCR

Looks straight forward enough but there is over 250 miles to run in that time!

In company of stoics

A word that often comes to my mind when talking about long distance runners is stoical* , I laughed one day when I heard someone say after a race "That lot are from strong stock" as though the runners were some sort of horse bred for the job.

I received a message from my frighteningly good runner friend Gemma asking me if I wanted to run ~30 miles along the North Downs Way on Sunday, I obviously said yes, if only a little perturbed that a mustang such as her would want to run with a carthorse like me. I then hear that we are to be met by David, another frighteningly good runner or bloodstock.....and I was supposed to keep up with them, these guys are awesome and can run marathons 30-40 minutes faster than me!

Then I called to my books and the philosophy of the stoics looking to Epicteus

"The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best."

Yes, they are the thoroughbreds to this backyard donkey but, boy, are they great company, I just hope I can keep up with their skill so I better man up and become a little stoical.

*stoic 
Noun
A person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining.Adjective
Of or belonging to the Stoics or their school of philosophy.

Tomorrow is another day

Arriving home thoroughly fed up with my work life, nothing, absolutely nothing was going to stop me going for a run tonight.

The evening was warm so I decided I was going totally minimal with just shorts, shirts and of course, my trusty Monkey Feet who have gone unnoticed in recent days but what with my achy quads I found they were the best option and funnily enough, the most comfortable.

Tonight at the club members who had run the London  Marathon at the weekend had the night off to show their fantastic medal and t-shirt ensemble with the promise of meeting everyone in the local bar for a few drinks. I had already run through the woods and then joined in a group which whilst a little below my pace was perfect for a rehabilitating runner who just wanted the miles in to loosen a few muscles.

However, I was still in a prickly mood from early that day so with all intention of a jovial run, I soon retracted into a "Speak No, See No, Hear No" mode finding that the run was more important and then found myself powering up some hills leaving the pack behind.....and that is what I did, I left, head torch on and out back into my beloved woods to my house.

Tonight was for the run, not company but I am glad I had it when I did but I was just not ready to go to a bar and mix with people.

Give it the Monkey Finger

Uuurrgghh Self-Doubt, I am used to having self-doubt in my running training but never in the history of my recent athletic life have I had it so badly. As the calendar turns I see I have just 33 days to go before the Grand Union Canal Race and by now I would have normally thrown in many more 20-22 mile long runs and some 50-60 mile weeks. This year what with work pressure, a foot injury and extreme tiredness I often just can't face running.

Take this evening for example, I had noted a griping set of quads which feel tight went bending and what I ever I do to try and loosen them they stay the same...tight. I jump out of the door for an Easy/Recovery run hoping to do about 10 miles and get 200 yards, pull up and go home...body tells me that an injury is about to happen if I continue.

What to do about it?

Well there just needs to be some quality runs to get in to show I can do it, so here is  a plan

• Offer of ~30 mile run across the North Downs with my Gemma on Saturday (27/4/2013)
• Marathon in Hanover, Germany (5/5/2013)
• Local Marathon (11/5/2013)

Then rest to do just gentle running/recovery until the GUCR 

But oooooh God 3 marathons in 15 days, I have to be mad!

To Reminisce

There are times when you are in the midst of your training plan and you ask yourself the simple question "Why am I doing this?" or maybe in a semi-jocular fashion shout to your club mates "Running is stupid and bad for your knees!" whilst your inner self calls for you to hang up your shoes.

Then, in the quietness of your study one night, you find a picture taken two years ago of you running at 2.00am when you have just covered 30 miles of London streets with a goal of 52.4 miles and it tells you a story that in fact running is not always stupid and not necessarily bad for your knees.

In this picture I was supporting my awesome ultrarunning pal David Hegarty accomplish his dream of 4 London Marathons in 24 hours, I just had to get him through 2 of them during the night section... The eyes say it all, I am alive and loving it.

Great memories