A year in numbers

It appears that the tradition is now that runners post their annual mileage either on their blogs or Facebook, who am I to disappoint :-)

Here are my numbers at at glance which average out at 6.2 miles, 10km a day:

Highest Month	269 miles
Lowest Month	100 miles
Highest Week	94.5 miles	May (Week of GUCR)
Mileage Total	2,263.3 miles

In the year I have missed just one week of running caused by a chest infection. I have done my mathematics and got it slightly screwy as the mileage above shows I have done 6.2 miles a day on average which is 10km in my books.

What's more I have only run 2 marathons..."What?" I hear you shout, yes because the other 14 events were  ultra ranging from 50km to 91 miles

Close to the line

Wow, it is getting close to the line for me!

A small goal I had for 2012 that I set myself in November was to see if I could run 3650 km (2263 miles) which calculates to about 10km (6.2 miles) per day on average. So getting an Excel sheet out and using Goal Seek it works out I have to run just 19 km (11.8 miles) today...talk about close.

Hearing that Bhundu is back in town a quick phone call was made and it appears he is up for a run between 6 and 15 miles...good old Bhundu, I just love his layed back look on life

Not the Parkrun

I have heard so many people talk about this craze called Parkrun and have yet to venture out on one. It is not really my cup of tea to be frank mainly because Saturday in my only lie in for the week and it just seems to be (in my limited) opinion people chasing personal bests.

I saw the local Parkrun park in a different light last night when I used it as a shortcut to get to the track for some pace training. As I stumbled and bounced over the puddles that were a gravel path I assumed that I was now on the well trodden path of hundreds of Parkrunners....but oh boy, at night it is feral!

Running home along the outer edge I could smell a really potent scent of cannabis and then a bunch of about 8 youths, with dogs sitting, in the dark puffing away. Each to their own as I say, just leave me alone but as I approached one of the idiots stood up and got in my way "Easy Bro' what's your problem?" his voice deeply clouded by the effects of cannabis, I replied "What is your problem?" he then responded "What do you mean I ain't got a problem Bro'!" and so I said back "Good, we don't have a problem then, see ya" side stepped him and trundled off leaving the idiot in a befuddled and confused state such that I was about 50 yards before I heard a shout and the rest of his mates laughing.

Even before I left the park I counted 2 cars cruising around the car park and another couple of young lads walking their growling dog both heavy with the scent of cannabis.

So whilst Saturday morning is sweetness and light, the night time definitely is NOT the Parkrun

Like a Metronome (part deux)

I reported back in August 2011 of my joy of running consistant laps down at the running track. Tonight I had similar plans to get out on the lanes and get some proper pacing and control back into my running. Members of my running club were attending to do some speed work around the track which I was not too interested in doing preferring my well rehearsed routine but to enjoy their company.

The general plan was to run the 5km to and from the track as a warm up/down process and once their he plan was to do 6,400 metres comprising 8 laps anti-clockwise and then turn around to do 8 laps in the opposite directionand do it in 34 minutes

Distance	Duration
400 m	02:10
400 m	02:09
400 m	02:08
400 m	02:07
400 m	02:06
400 m	02:06
400 m	02:06
400 m	02:08
400 m	02:07
400 m	02:07
400 m	02:07
400 m	02:08
400 m	02:07
400 m	02:08
400 m	02:07
400 m	02:06
Total	33:57

The lovely thing about this is I was not looking at my watch at any time during the run and apart from the first 2 laps my time varies ± 2 seconds and I managed to pace to 3 seconds under my chosen time for the run. BTW I was barracked and "informed" that I was going the wrong way around the track on the last 8 laps...indeed I was but I was in the outer lane and so was not breaking etiquette. As to why....I am not training to run on a track so was evening up the load on my IT Bands....simples :-)

Welcome to the World

Hello babies.....welcome to the world!

What's that? You want to go for a run?...then let me oblige.

My new Mizuno Waverider 14 shoes arrived safe and well today at 15:45 weighing in at 10.5 ounces (each), gender unknown. Dad and babies doing well....will be out getting to know each other for about an hour.

Don't Panic

Don't Panic Mr Mainwaring

I have been waiting by the front door all day like a love struck teenager waiting for her latest billet doux to arrive but for me it was not a love letter but my new running shoes which are apparently in transit. My current shoes are just knackered and not supporting my poor toe and ball of the foot at all well.

There I sat suddenly remembering that I had to send off my application form for the Winter Tanners on 15th January 2012, looking it up on the interweb it soon dawned on me my application had to be in by 2nd January 2012..AAAAHHHH. So all peace was shattered as I zoomed around the house looking for an envelope, pen, stamp and then to have a tense 10 minutes as the old printer sparked into life and spurted out the application form. All looked good until I realised I needed the cheque book....CHEQUE BOOK? Panic setting in I ran around, the Delicate Mrs S very suspicious her Running RADAR now pinging wildly, cheque written I decamped from my house to post the letter getting there in sufficient time before the collection.

Let's hope it gets there in time....oh the trials of a long distance runner.

Budgie smugglers

The biggest non-secret in my house was that I was getting a pair of Skins A200 compression tights for my Christmas present, however you will be surprised to know the benefactor was in fact the Delightful Mrs S! I have been itching to have a go but I was in no state on Sunday evening but I desperate to get out this evening for a short (and very slow) recovery run to test them out.

On returning from yet another hearty meal with the Sprightly Mrs & Mrs S (Senior) and fighting the post-prandial somnolence I was seen to busy myself collecting my running kit and the little box containing my new Skins, unpacking them I was seen with dropped jaw at the size of them! They were minute and look as if they were built for one of Santa's Elves...then it occurred to me, they were compression tights so had to be small. The next bit of fun was to get the damn things on and had I been a woman who are experienced in pulling on tights or stockings it would have been a doddle. So after a load of fuss and bother I had them squeezed, yanked and decreased until I stood resplendent in my tights ready to run, that is until I looked at the front "Little Jerry" area and I am sure I had a little budgie smuggled down the front of them such that a pair of shorts were needed to prevent small children and old ladies being upset.

The run

Nothing exciting to report about a 10km run but I have to say that the running with compression tights is the strangest experience as they support you in the areas you least expect them. They supported me around the hamstrings and my IT Bands were supported but by far the most unexpected thing was the amount of heat they produced...time will tell but I am so far very impressed.

New Running Watch

The requirement as per my Christmas List:

1. A running watch that has:
• A stop watch
• Has an alarm
• Has NO GPS functionality
• Batteries that last longer than 24 hours
• AND CHEAP
2. Other Running apparel that will be discussed later

Imagine my thorough delight when I was handed a little box this morning that once unwrappedshowed to contain a wonderfully cheap digital running watch, without GPS functionality and batteries that are "guaranteed" to last more than a year. I have since discovered my new Constant Men's Black Digital Multi Function Watch cost £4.99, perfect for those long runs over 12 hours :-)

The strange story of a drugs cheat

Who was Thomas Hicks?

Thomas John Hicks was born on 7th January 1875 in England having migrated to North America to become a brass worker in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Thomas was an accomplished runner and in 1904 won the Boston Marathon and later that year the Summer Olympics in St Louis, Missouri.

Who won the 1904 Olympic Marathon

Well this is where the fun begins as the races in those days were not the sterile conditions we have now with tarmacced roads and rubberised track surfaces. In fact the cousre was a dirt track which produced clouds of dust and dirt created by the entourage of official race vehicles. The race continued at a very slower pace pace than normal and a runner called Fred Lorz, a bricklayer from New York crossed the line to win the race in a reasonable time of 2 hours 38 minutes and 25 seconds followed by Thomas Hicks 85 seconds later in 2 hours 39 minutes and 50 seconds.

Later a claim was made that Fred Lorz had cheated having jumped into a car at 9 miles rejoining the race at mile 21 to only run 14 miles. It just shows how confusing the race had been if no one had actually seen him leave and rejoin even with Thomas Hicks so close behind.

So was there only one cheat in the race?

Technically no, but had the race been run with the today's strict anti-doping rules, Thomas Hicks would have been disqualified also as it transpires that during the race he had been given a dose of 1/60 of a grain (1 mg) of strychnine and some brandy by his assistants as he was slowing down and looking tired. What makes it more amazing that he was not given just one dose of this well known rat poison but two! 

Strychnine causes muscular convulsions, causes asphyxia and the imbiber normally dies from shear exhaustion, it also transpires Thomas Hicks collapsed after crossing the finish line and had he taken another dose he would have  most certainly died.

What is so interesting about this story is how the people of the Victorian era treated what we now think of drugs or poisons as they would be seen to openly take arsenic or mercury based medication in the belief they were a tonic...but strychnine that just takes the biscuit

Don't tell the Delightful Mrs S

The problem with going to work on the Friday before a Christmas weekend and an eleven day break is that the mind does wander away from business decisions. This is the time that the wife/husband/partner of a long distance runner should be most vigilant, this is the time all long distance runner's credit and debit cards should be confiscated.

The Delicious Mrs S is well aware of the tell tale signs of my late night clandestine movements when it comes to purchases of all things running from entering races or purchasing new shoes and is normally at my side moaning and groaning about my actions. However I have been limping around in the past two weeks with a sore toe and a bruised ball of the foot from my latest road shoes that have travelled 720 miles and desperate for new ones as I embark on the next part of my mileage increase as I approach the Thames Path 100 miler in March 2012.

Imagine my delight when I happened upon my favourite running emporium's website and discovered that my normal pair of shoes had been reduced by  £31.00 and imagine my excitement when I found I still had my credit card in my wallet. They state that there is a 2 day delivery which I find hard to believe what with the extended holiday but I know they will be on my doorstep next week...now I have to work out how to get them in the house without her seeing them.

Lights, Camera and Action

When running the Gatliff 50km (call it 56km) our good ultra buddy Rob kept pulling out a little camera and took several action shots of us running along. 

He is the first to admit whether it was recording or not as it only had one button but the results were this.Remember what I said in my Gatliff Race report:

"...The merry band of four continued on in good humour, Bazza probably taken aback by the amount of noise that Rob and I were making as we teased each other remorselessly ..."

and this footage bares witness to the level of noise, swearing and mickey that occurs on these runs this time  caused by our reaction to an obnoxious walker who had irritated us with his comments but it kept us stoked up for a few miles.

Please visit Rob's excellent blog which contains his musings and take on his running life and from which I remorselessly pinched this video :-)

Crash and Burn

A day of mixed emotions, one where I told my health check was all clear and one where I had one of those runs that just needs to be forgotten, if it was not one thing, it was another thing.

I was feeling pretty good this evening before I set off for the club, I had plans to pop into the pub after our run for a quick pint and have a little Christmas cheer having placed a few coins of the realm into my running jacket. As I arrived in to woods I got halfway along the path when I had a terrible stomach cramp but I was only about 1 kilometre from the clubhouse so preferred to get to a proper toilet and on arriving found the door locked....that is until I hunted down the keyholder Richard who knows that when I need to go I need to go so he was good enough to get the door open without a problem.

So surfacing from my "distraction" I decided to go with a medium paced group as the route was going near my house and I would be able to duck out if my stomach upset resurfaced and so we ran out for a nice steady run, that is until we reached a steady downward hill and as I plodded down I felt my hamstring and buttock muscle sieze causing my leg to stiffen. As we continued I then became aware that my toe was hurting, I actually think it was the fact my toe hurt that I changed my gait and that caused the muscle problem. So on reaching the next summit I bid my farewells and grumbled off down the road but now I was at my own pace was able to adjust gait to allow me to comfortably run on finding verges and paths to soften my landing.

An extended run timewise but still finding me with a stomach upset when I got home, a sore foot and toe (as well as a bruise the nail is coming off), a sore buttock and hamstring...I am not a happy runner

I have a heart...

 ...kidneys, liver and a pancreas!

Some of my regular readers may have been aware that I had a little bit of a health scare the other day when I grumbled about a sharp pain in my chest after exertion sometimes, nothing painful just a sensation that I thought would get checked out "just in case" (See Zombie Runner). So with a series of blood tests, a chest X-Ray and an ECG later I returned to the Doctor's this morning armed with my ECG printout.

After taking a seat in his surgery he looked over the readout and informed me that my kidneys and liver were functioning correctly, I wasn't diabetic, thyroid was fine and blood count excellent which is great news such that I now feel a bit of a sham but happy that I have a clean bill of health.

However, he has organised a Treadmill Test for the New Year that will record how my heart reacts under strain and that I should carry on my healthy lifestyle.

Postscript

I had to laugh to myself after I left as I recalled him saying "You have a healthy diet and outlook carry on what you are doing" So that sounds like a diet that includes cider and an occasional Gin & Tonic is what the Doctor ordered ;-)

Ouch

It often amazes me when running that I don't get many injuries in the form of stresses and strains but I do get a few lumps, bumps and scratches from the trails today being no exception. Whilst out on the Mince Pie Run I was running along a reasonably level path with the remains of a few fallen branches from the recent high winds scattered here and there. Also remember that I have other runners around me obscuring my view of the trail surface when.........THWACK OOWWWWW.

An extended howl from my goodself when I have stubbed my toe on a stick just above the toe guard of my shoe, no problems I thought, my feet were cold and I could feel a little discomfort nothing I haven't handled before. However it did get worse as the run went on.

So tonight I have found myself limping about the house with a tender toe and a bruised nail bed which has slowly become a little more swollen than I would want....hence why it is iced and raised :-(

Mince Pie Run 2011

The morning started at 6.45am with my alarm beeping me awake and as my previous post (dimidium facti qui coepit habet) suggested, I needed to step out of bed immediately or the morning's run would have been in jeopardy. So with those words ringing in my ears I stepped forth into a very cold morning (-2 C) and drove to High Elms Visitor Centre where I was later to meet a bunch of friends to run the annual Mince Pie Run.

The first run

It turned out that the exquisite route plan in my head evaporated like the condensation in my breath as soon as I hit the first trail as my feet took me towards some old paths I knew and I ran for running sake, all I had to do is get back to the car park before 10.00am so I ran...walked a little, ran on, stopped at the top of a hill I had never climbed and just watched the icy morning below me and the shadows shorten. Lost in my thoughts for those early hours was soon back to reality when I realised I only had 30 minutes to get back to the car park so with my head down I pegged off through the woods, up the hill and over the stile then drop down into the, now full, car park where I saw familiar figures milling about laughing and chatting. It was an amazing turn out of about 50 people all bedecked in Santa hats, elfin and Bat Woman outfits, we even had a white rabbit

Total so far : 12 miles

The Mince Pie Run

Tradition dictates that there are two routes, one 5 miles the other about 8 miles but this year there was a group doing a 4 mile walk. So setting off together we were immediately sent in the wrong direction as we decided to follow Brian who was told off by the old guard and pointed in the right direction in howls of laughter. The wonderful thing about these runs is the continual laughing and joking from everyone, there is no racing, frequent stops and clambers as we all wait patiently to climb a stile or cross a muddy path. I was rather taken aback when I found myself being asked about my running this year and my various antics but was happy to tell a few stories and my plans for the next few months.

The run continued and the laughter reached a peak when we ran the final mile where the number of walkers increased, some with young children, and their looks as they were to see us being chased by a 6 foot white rabbit!

So on our return we found that the walkers had filled up a picnic table with mince pies, chocolate goodies and party food and 50 runners and walkers tucked in with gusty sipping mulled wine to await the Christmas carols.

Total for the day: 20 miles

dimidium facti qui coepit habet

...He who has begun has the work half done,

Sunday morning sees me with the challenge of getting up early for a solitary run of about 15 miles as George is unable to attend due to family commitments. This makes it all the more difficult for me as I am renowned for sleeping in when there is no peer pressure but I have promised myself a good run to explore a new path I have found on the map that links up two routes I know.

Later I plan to meet up with my friends from my sister club for a festive run of about 7 miles in fancy dress with carol singing, a charity donation and some food after. So hopefully tomorrow I will get in about 20 miles with the chance to some early solitude I so greatly need at the moment

Funny Nativity

Probably the funniest nativity video clips I have seen (sorry nothing to do with running but too good to be true)

First of Winter?

I am very aware that my current running shoes have just passed the 700 miles (~1125km) mark and whilst in reasonably good condition they are as flat as a pancake such that I am running like a barefoot runner! Aware that the season of good will is soon to be upon us I just cannot afford (or seen to do so) buying a new pair running shoes so I have a cunning plan to run as many miles as possible tonight, and other nights, on woodland trail with a headtorch until they can be renewed.

The evening was cool so I chose to wear two skins and shorts but had gloves just so I was comfortable soon to choose a convoluted route via local golf course, woods and unlit paths. It is along the unlit paths I became aware of the occassional flurry of vapourous rain drops and then a darting of particles in my headtorch......sleet?

I was overjoyed for a moment with the thought of snow such that my pace picked up and I bounced along the paths in my favourite woods. Tonight I was in an ecstatic mood as I enjoyed my solitary meanderings through the all enveloping darkness. My legs grumbled, my ankles twanged as I clunked and slipped in unseen muddy patches. I shooed foxes who dared to stop and glance at me, their eyes shining in my light.

Tonight I was thankful that I had a chance to escape...

Wollowing Hippo

All I needed to do tonight was run, just run about 12 miles and feel comfortable to carry on my training after my week off. The weather in the South-East of England had been high winds and rain for the past 24 hours with a nice break during daylight hours being a city dweller by day I had not seen the trails after such a storm. So came the time for me to get ready and I donned a long-sleeved shirt, my windproof smock, a pair of shorts and then at the last moment my fluoro jacket as I didn't want to get told off yet again for wearing all black on a club run!

I hit the road with the intention of testing my newly acquired Silva Siju Compact LED headtorch (Brecon Beacons goody bag) along the woodland footpath having quickly pocketed my trusty Petzl. On hitting the woodland path I decided that I would never, ever wear the Silva Siju again unless as a last resort, it was not designed for night running, more for car maintenance or walking and map reading.

So now I was on the path and it occurred to me that only a few months ago I was reporting dragonflies along this section but tonight it was quite hazardous in my road shoes, mud, puddles, roots and fallen branches were just some of the obstacles to contend with.....perfect Jerry conditions.

After a run of the mill club run I returned the same way but realised that it seemed to be a little tougher on the way back causing me to step on the edge of most puddles, I cared not  jot.

The Delicious Mrs S welcomed me into the house with her usual air of disinterest and disdain after such a run ordering me to go to the shop for urgent supplies (read as milk) and not get mud on the carpet.....again  so attempting to keep the peace grabbed a dry t-shirt and car keys went to the shop immediately being aware that I was being stared at from the waist down.

UUURRGGHH what a sight I must have been for when entering the bright lights of the shop I could see I was covered from my toes to the base of my shorts in splatterings of mud and by the looks of the security guard I was not very welcome...I cared not a jot for I had a lovely run.

TP100 Training Starts

After a lovely seven days rest I will have to start the training for real for the Thames Path 100 which commences in 81 days from the day of this post which is 3rd March 2012 from Richmond Town Hall, Richmond London at 10.00am.

The first official announcement is I am cutting back on the cider to see if I can shed some of my weight and to get a healthier sleep pattern. The second is I am looking for anyone from my local running clubs who would like to be my pacer from 51 miles, preferably an experienced night runner and willing to run/walk with me during the hours of darkness from Henley to ensure that I keep the pace up and focus on getting to the end unscathed. 

So the training plan has been readjusted, the support and drop bag plans have been set just the logistics remain, I love this bit of the preparation :-)