A Black Hole...

...or what happens when you lend your torch to your daughters when they go away on Duke of Edinburgh weekends!

My assigned chore tonight was to walk up to the local supermarket to get some provisions that had been left off the weekend list so decided the easiest way to and from the shop was via a woodland footpath...easy on the way there as it was light but on the way back it was a different matter so I took my torch with me.

So what happened when I switched it on? Very little actually as I was presented with a dull and murky light and so that is the next thing to be added to the ever growing GUCR check list......New batteries.

Sponsorship passes £600

I am really pleased to announce that sponsorship for the Prostate Cancer Charity has now passed the £600 mark and still rising with some off line pledges.

You still have time to donate by clicking the blue Just Giving Logo at the top right of my Blog.

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far

The last mile - Preparation begins

Yesterday's run is but a departed memory and I awoke this morning feeling brilliant almost to the point that I would like to go out for a run this evening just to settle the legs. I think in part this was because George and I took the run at a very sensible pace and to think I ran it with just a satsuma, half a chew bar and a carb gel (not really necessary but I took it on board in the mile 22)

The run now forgotten my mind is fixating on preparation and taking on board the discussions George and I have had in the last two weeks the spare room is being taken over for GUCR kit collection and prepping. With no long run this morning I did some chores and also popped out to the supermarket for a newspaper and whilst I was there bought a toothbrush for the princely 10 pence which I will have in my kit bag so I can freshen up in the evenings and morning then dispose of it when I do not need it; I have even purchased some antibacterial hand gel to clean up.

So this phase of the journey is all about kit preparation, map work and timing with George and I meeting up next week to discuss our goals and race needs

One for the trail

I just like this one, simple as that.....play it loud

Tick Tock

Not a race report as such as this event was never classed as a race in our heads, this was about pacing comfortably and getting to the end in one piece.

The Orpington Mara-Fun has never been billed as a race but more a charity event and people respect that there will be no timers and results are done on a "trust" basis where the finisher fills in their own time on a chart at the end. My day didn't start at all well as I had a terrible problem with "The drainage in the lower field" and took imodium near the start in case I had problems later.

As I mentioned in the previous blog entry we were running with a number of people from our club who wanted to run at about 4:30-5:00 pace and so we all went out at 10 min/mile pace and tried to remain at that average pace throughout. The weather was warm but there was threat of rain later on in the day which did not appear but in fact got warmer! This run is quite a toughy as it goes up some very long and gradual hills which are leg sapping. The run is a two looper and there is a bitch of a hill at the 12.5 and 25.7 mile mark which just eats away at your legs.

We got through the run very happily (although my tummy upset didn't help as I was hurting a little at 24 miles) and we were really happy to see the time on our Garmins:

4:21:25

Which is an almost perfect 10 minute per mile pace with 35 seconds to spare!!!!!

Well done to Tom, Clive and David who did very impressive times also, we apologise for leaving in the depths of the second half but the legs were settled in and pacing out.

Last Long Run

It is my last Long training run before the Grand Union Canal Run tomorrow and it is nice to know it is a local marathon whose start is a few miles away from where I live and by the end of the run I will be tantilisingly close to the 1000 mile mark for 2011.

It is promised to be a fun run as there is no pressure to get a personal best for either George or myself but we will be joined by Clive (The Chi Runner) , David, Tom and of course,George. We will all be running in our Orpington Road Runner shirts as a group and will be joined by Valerie as our guest who wants to beat 4:30 hours for a marathon, we hope to not disappoint her.

Whatever happens it promises to be a great day of running as it is not every day we all get a chance to meet up and have a good chat together.

Baby face or shock

I had to laugh to myself last night when I decided to pop out for a very slow and methodical run, the main reason was I wanted to get a couple of bottles of cider and some snacks so took my backpack.

About 100 metres uo the road I recognised a guy from my running club walking along with his wife and so I stopped and had a chat. Of course the conversation went straight onto running and he mentioned to his wife some of my long distance adventures to which she exclaimed "Oh this is the man!" (I had obviously been discussed before!). Then the Grand Union Canal Run was mentioned and there were more incredulous looks and I mentioned that as I was going to be 46 years old next month was then met with "WOW, nnoooo?" and an open jawed look of amazement.

This was the bit where I laugh to myself as I am unsure what they were amazed about:

1. It is amazing that a 45 year old can do this.
2. When I mentioned my age they were surprised and amazed as they thought I was younger.
3. When I mentioned my age they were surprised and amazed as they thought I was older.
   

Magic Forest Blog Returns

I am pleased to inform my dear readers that it is business as usual here in the Magic Forest Blog.

It appears Blogger has been down for a couple of days and some of my most recent posts have been deleted but I am assured they will return...somehow.

Come back soon as I have lots of updates

More work

I have always stood by the belief that when an opportunity presents itself then grab and run with it or you will rue the day that you didn't.

Such an opportunity has presented itself today and after a brief chat with the delightful Mrs S I will be filling in an application form for some really exciting contract work. I don't want to say too much at the moment but I am very excited with the prospect of this endeavour and relish the challenge!

A little pedal TLC

I was lecturing tonight and was having yet another long day on my feet, not that I am complaining. However I noted that my feet were grumbling with a few aches and pains in the heel region and so when I got home tonight I chose to investigated.

On investigation I have realised that as usual I have neglected my feet a little and so have had a totally satisfying ten minutes sanding down the hard skin, craggy old nails and rubbed some cream into my damaged nail beds with the posh cream my Mother bought me for Christmas.

This cream is called Crabtree & Evelyn Extreme Foot Therapy somehow the word "Extreme" makes me feel a little better but the description of smelling like sea air is frankly wrong. Saying that, it is amazing how my feet feel a little better and less likely to crack in the promised wet weather we are expecting.

Restless

After a great 28 mile run with Michael and George on Sunday I rested until Tuesday when I initially planned to run about 12 miles but there was a change in plans when I realised that the club runs were starting earlier this week due to the club AGM.

Due to these changes I decided to drive to the club and then just go for a 6-7 mile Easy run. However on finishing the run, attending the AGM and returning home my legs have done nothing but twitch especially in the outer calves and the quads which is driving me nuts.

I know I am tapering now and I have a marathon on Saturday coming but this is going to drive me crazy, my legs just feel like they are running...weird feeling!

No car...

...Oh well, I'll run to the start!

It appears that Saturday is a very busy time for the family as I have my daughter's birthday party in the evening and the ever lovely Mrs S is working during the day...and I have a marathon which is my local event fun run; the problem is I will have no means of getting there!

There is only one thing I can do then and that is to run to the start, so if I take the cross country route it appears the start is 3 miles from my house.

Me thinks I will walk home afterwards :-/

Penultimate Run

What a great run today and being that it was one of the final long runs before the Grand Union we wanted to take in a reasonable long run but not to the point where we tired ourselves out. George gave the run requirements that "It must be longer than a marathon" and I was happy to oblige and as is usual these days there was no set route but the only plan was to run from our normal meeting point at 6.00 am and run to Michael's house to be there for 645 am.

After meeting Michael we were off into the countryside with the promise that at 10.00 am we would visit the cake shop in Downe, Kent for a cup of tea and a slice of cake. The run was full of conversation and banter as per usual with us running over familiar ground and at one point I realised we were running the almost exact route of the night run we did in January and was amazed how different it was after 2 months of no rain.

So at 9.45 am we arrived in Downe and although we were a bit early the lovely owner let us in and we were allowed to order our cake, George and I, Lemon Drizzle and Michael a massive chunk of Coffee cake. They chose tea and I coffee, sitting down outside we had a civilised few moments as we stuffed the gorgeous food into our mouths.

Refuelled we completed our run saying our farewells to Michael as we passed the bottom of his raod as George and I made our weary way home both very happy that we are nearing the end of this phase of training and feeling strong but confident.

Last Mile

I keep having to remind myself we only have three weeks to go and the mileage can drop off, training has been so intense in recent times that I have this horrible nagging that I am not doing enough which is totally irrational. You will have read between the lines and noted that I am feeling tired now and motivation is really hard so we are having to push ourselves out of the front door to run.

The last two Long runs are coming up and I am really looking forward to them, George and I will be meeting up with our buddy Michael, whom we ran with in the London to Brighton race in 2009 (57 miles) and then next week we have entered a local marathon (~26 miles) when we will be running with our good friends Clive, David and a lady called Valerie. Valerie wants to run a 4:30 race and I agreed to pace her and I hope that I don't disappoint her. The marathon will promise to be a great time as it is not every day that we run a long event with such a big group...that will be fun

Buzz Buzz

Since the arrival of the GUCR maps and instructions there is a real buzz in the air, the Facebook page put aside to the Grand Union Canal Race has lit up and everyone is chatting and joking. I still find the group of ultra and endurance runners such a wonderfully friendly lot of people who are all mutually respectful of each other.

With friendly comments and helpful advice there are emails between competitors and Twitter feeds seems to be awash with comments about people last Long runs and plans for the next few weeks....and then the second favourite subject about food is now surfacing with sweets, lamb soup and pasta being favourites.

Buzz Buzzzzzzz

Grand Union Canal Run

...it is getting real! I have just got back from work and found my GUCR race pack has come through and I am race number 74.

I am going for a run tonight and meeting up with George to discuss some various details about the race and couldn't have come at a better time. There are laminated maps of the route, return slips for all our emergency contact details and instructions to support teams as to where to go and meet.

The run is amazingly well organised and I am now secretly getting very excited about the whole thing with spreadsheets of lists of items I have to take and not forget...I love this part :-)

Cravings

It has been another busy week of running and it has had its up and downs physically. I have been eating and drinking well but there are times when I seem to have these bizarre cravings by far the weirdest one tonightwas when I looked in the fridge for a snack and saw Coleslaw and peanut butter, it is from that point forward I was fixated on the two ingredients.

So at 11.00pm tonight I wandered into the kitchen and prepared the most unlikely sandwich on brown bread, a coleslaw and peanut butter sandwich which tasted a little strange but I now feel satiated.

Is it only me that gets these urges to eat weird foods but it is obvious my body needed something from those two food items.

Are sandals the answer?

Today was a scheduled rest day from training and I was put on various household chores and garden duties.

After lunch I was asked to drive the family to the Bluewater shopping centre and was happy to oblige as I am not a great lover of gardening unless it involves power tools so I happily jumped into the car with them all. I have to admit I did have an ulterior motive to buy a couple of small pieces of kit for the Grand Union Canal Run ;-)

Whilst standing outside a clothes shop for my daughter to finish purchasing a skirt Mrs S came out and pointed to my feet and told me that my feet were "disgusting!" Looking down I realised that I was still wearing my open toed sandals from the garden and was displaying my battered and blackened toenails. My big toenail finally came off (with a little help) on Friday night and still looks a little manky. Whilst she was pointing at them a lady passed, looked in the direction of my feet and made a grimace of disgust!!!

So it looks like from now on I will have to wear shoes in fear that I will scare young children with my unsightly toes.

North Downs Way...

...on Labour Day.

It was with great trepidation today that we ventured out for our Sunday morning run with our worries about injury but we were pleasantly surprised.

It felt like coming back to an old friend when we plumped for the North Downs Way and ran from Knockholt Pound to Titsey Hill and back a beautiful 20 mile run in the warmth of a lovely Spring day. Yes, dear reader, 20 miles a few more than we had planned but the injuries seemed to melt away and we were able to plod out a consistent pace.

We are feeling really pleased now, very confident and ready for action on 28th May 2011 in Birmingham

One for the trail

"There is no dark side of the Moon, really. As a matter of fact, it's all dark"

Play it LOUD...and enjoy