Sick again, football and running

I spent the last few days being sick again. Not a cold this time but a stomach bug. Both my kids had been ill and the house still smelt of vomit when I got it. It was nasty. I missed a really good trip with the school on Tuesday which was a shame.

By Tuesday night I was feeling better so I play 5-a-side football for the first time in over 12 months. My mates were short of players so I volunteered. I used to play regularly but quit after rupturing my groin a few years back. I tried to come back after it was healed but it would flare up after each match. I'm not sure what made me play this time - a bit risky given I have a marathon in 10 weeks.

I was worried I would be more terrible that I usually am but I held my own and managed not to embarrass myself. Fitness is my strength so I spent most of the match chasing down the ball. If and when I won it I tried to make a simple pass to someone on my team and retreat to defence. It seemed to work some of the time.

Today I ran home from school. 5.2 miles at a medium pace. My knee was a little sore from football but my groin/aductor was fine - touch wood.

Long run done

Well, after missing my long run at the weekend due to a cold, I planned to do it on Tuesday night if I felt better.

By Monday I was feeling much better so I did my usual 5 miles while my daughter was at her swimming club which went ok. I wasn't the quickest but everything felt fine.

I was going to do the long run on Tuesday evening but Wednesday's lectures didn't start until one so I worked on Tuesday and ran in the daylight today.

The first 5 miles were terrible. My calves were so tight that I had to stop and stretch twice. Once they loosened up my feet started to hurt. I really wasn't enjoying it.

When I got to Wimbledon, I got up the hill to the village and switched my ipod from podcasts to music. I had downloaded Pearl Jams new album and I listened to that. It was superb and really got me going. I think the hill had stretched my feet out and with the music, I started to enjoy it. I ran easier, faster and looser. The miles felt better and before I knew it, I was in Wandsworth.

Then it was off to Clapham Common and home. Over 12 miles run which was good. I didn't time it as I'm not concerned with time at present, just distance. My feet and calves are fine but my right knee is sore so I need to monitor that closely.

Sick

I've had a stinking cold for three days now. I missed my runs on Friday and today but I have to go out tomorrow. I can't miss my 13 mile long run.

So unless it has gone to my chest, I'll be out running at 7am in the morning, coughing and spluttering as I go.

New races

I've entered two more races in preparation for the Gower marathon. A 15 mile run in October and a 10 mile run in November. Both are interesting and not like the usual road runs. I chose them specifically to get more cross country/trail running under my belt and because I like the more unusual races.

Quicksand 15 - 10th October
"At 15 mile multistage beach race. Can you beat the tide? A race on Sand, Pebble, Rock, Chalk, Grass, Road, and Concrete... and possibly other terrains as well."

Saab Salomon Turbo X 10 mile trail run. 22nd November.
"The maddest, muddiest run of the Saab Salomon Trail Running Series and will not disappoint with 10 miles of the gnarliest mix of mud, sweat and trail! Hidden within a natural assault course of water, sand, marsh and muck lurks the SAAB X ZONE.... A 1- 2 mile section of the craziest trail terrain to push your stamina, agility and perseverance to the limit! You'll wade through watery wildness, clamber through mud, sand and bog, charging your way through the roughest off road track you can imagine."

Should I ride in Wales?

I have the Autumn Epic planned for the first weekend in October but I'm really unsure whether to do it or not. It was my first Sportive and I was really looking forward to it until recently. I am now less than 50/50.

I have done one cycle since the Etape so I'm undercooked. I don't have the use of the car so will have to take the train to Worcester and catch a lift with Ed who is borrowing his mums car. This will mean a late return home on Sunday.

Cycling is just not on my radar at the moment. It seems I can't love running and cycling at the same time. Especially now that I am fully committed to my teacher training course which is taking a lot of my energy and time.

Another excuse is that my training for the marathon is well underway and with less than 13 weeks to go, I do need all the long weekend runs I can get. Really not sure what to do.

Tonight's recovery run went well. The 4.9 gentle miles felt good.

Mixed Weekend running

I had planned to run one of the free Park Run 5K races but after a busy week, I couldn't get moving on Saturday morning and missed the start. Instead, I did a loop around Clapham taking in the Commons (Clapham and Wandsworth) and finished up doing 6.4 miles.

On Sunday, I had my long run. It said 10 miles in the schedule so I planned out a route and set off. It was similar to Saturday's running from Common to Common and then to Battersea Park. The first few miles were hard and I just couldn't get into a rhythm. Saturday's run felt good and my legs moved easily but today was the opposite. I had lead weights in my shoes and an imaginary headwind.

It didn't get any better. I just concentrated on getting to the next turn or to the top of the next hill. I promised myself a breather in Battersea Park at mile 8 where I would stretch. This kept me going but only just. Nothing was hurting or sore, its just I couldn't get going.

I finally made it home after 10.4 miles in a slow time. Just a bad run I guess but its good to have the miles in the bank.

I've got to try and find a race or two between now and the marathon. An off road half marathon would be perfect but when?

New Training Plan

I've been looking at my training over the next 12 weeks to see what I need to do to get me over the 26 miles in Wales. I took a 16 week program and tailored it to do what I think is enough. I'm up to 10 miles now so it should be fine.

I won't have time to do the usual 5 x 20 milers I usually try and do. I think I'll manage two 20s and an 18 as my longest runs. If I do much more I run the risk of shin splints and bad knees due to excessive mileage.

I also have the problem with trying to fit all these runs in. At the moment I'm at college from 9 until 4 and then I do some reading or work afterwards. I also take Yvette to and from school and all the usual family stuff. As I really hate running in the morning (unless I have at least an hour awake), I have to do most of my runs in the evening.

During the week, I'll be doing:
Mon: Recovery run (5 miles)
Tue: Threshold run (6 miles with 4 fast)
Wed: Middle distance run (8 - 12 miles)
Thu: Short, easy run (5 miles)
Fri: Rest Day
Sat: Short and fast. Maybe a 5K race
Sun: Long Runs

Long Runs
Week 1: 10 miles
Week 2: 13 miles
Week 3: 13 miles
Week 4: Maybe Autumn Epic Cycle
Week 5: 16 miles
Week 6: 18 miles
Week 7: 15 miles
Week 8: 20 miles
Week 9: 20 miles
Week 10: Brighton 10k
Week 11: 15 miles
Week 12: 9 miles
Week 13: Marathon

Gower Trail Marathon

With the disappointment of not being able to run the South Downs Marathon in October (because I'm doing the teach training course we had to move a weekend away), I decided to search for a different run.

After running both the North Devon and South Devon half marathons in the EnduranceLife Coastal Trail Series, I have decided to do one of their marathons. I've chosen the Gower Peninsular Trail Marathon in December.

I know it will be well organised and a stunning run. I'm fairly sure I can get the miles in between now and then although I know my time won't sent the world alight. From the half marathons I know that times were up to 50% longer than an equivalent road race because of the extreme terrain and hills so I figure I'll be closer to 5 hours than my PB of sub-4. The course record for the marathon at Gower is 3:21.

Its on a Saturday so I'm sure all the family will go down on the Friday night and we can make a weekend of it. I've now got to but together a solid training plan to get in miles and some good hill work. I'm already up to 10 mile runs so I'll push that up to half marathon distance over the next few weeks and then up to 15 or 16 in October. I'll then try and got two or three 20 miles in between the end of October and the end of November.

It couldn't feel any worse

I had a cold yesterday and felt like crap. I had planned to get up at 6 and do a run but was to tired and too miserable to get up. I felt rubbish all day and then had the delight of the dentist. My 4th of 4 fillings (a mere £600) and finally, the end of dental visits for 6 months. But he saved the best until last with an incredibly painful injection and a trainee assistant that has a long way to go. When the dentist says to his assistant "please try and get the suction in the right place to minimise splashing acid in the patients mouth" you know its not going well.

When I took my daughter to her swim club at 7, I couldn't have felt much worse. So I ran. I ran through the pain in my head, my numb face dribbling drool down my face and I ran through my hacking cough. Nice.

I need to get out on the bike again. I haven't done anything for ages other than commuting and the shops. I did get my hybrid serviced at the weekend. Other than a broken bottom bracket, it hasn't been looked at mechanically for 6 years. I had to have new chain, tyres, cassette and cables but the result is excellent. Its like having a new bike.

Moose on the Loose Race Report

I left Vermont at 6am to drive the 100 miles to Nashua in New Hampshire. I was 10 days into a 3 week holiday in the US and I was looking forward to taking part in a race. I had found it on Runners World back in May when we booked the holiday but had little idea of what to expect.

The sat-nav got me safely to Nashua but not to the Stellio stadium and the race start. It took several stops in petrol stations and diners to find it. I was greeted with the familiar site of many runners preparing for a race and I felt at home.

I signed in and got my race number and moose t-shirt and get myself sorted. I found out that the course was a 2.5 mile trail run that started and finished in a car park. Of course that meant repeating it 4 times for the 10 mile race which wasn't ideal. I'm not a fan of laps and 4 was going to be tough. It was also the farthest I'd run in a while as my cycling had taken over during the previous 6 months.

I left cold and wet weather in Vermont to find lovely warm weather at the race. In fact, it was more than warm, it was very hot, even at 9am. I'm not used to running in hot weather and I knew it would slow me a little.

The race started a little late as the toilet queue was still long but at 9:10 we got underway. There were about 250 runners in the 10 mile event and about 20 teams doing the relay. Despite the numbers, it never felt too busy and by the halfway point of the first lap, it had really thinned out. I settled into a comfortable pace with a bunch of other runners and finished the first lap without any problems. The 2.5 circuit was very pretty and thankfully partly shaded.

I tried to chat to people as I ran along but no one was in the mood. They all seemed very focused and serious about the event. I guess some people don't like to chat whilst running. I find it helps at times. I did feel the race had a slightly more serious edge that many UK runs. Its not a criticism, just a feeling I got. It was similar with the New York marathon compared to the London marathon. London has many more costumes and people being silly whilst completing the 26.2 miles where as in NY, I saw very few costumes and even the slowest runners seemed steely-eyed and serious. Just a different approach I guess.

By the end of lap 2 I was very warm. I made sure I had a drink at both water stops on each lap but I still felt a bit thirsty. I followed many people's example and poured a cup of water on my head. Thinking about water supplies I did ask the marshal if this was ok, but they said it was fine.

As often happens in races, I found myself with the same people for most of the race. This gave me a good target, first to keep up with them and second to try and pull away in the final lap. At the start of lap four I pushed on and dropped several people and aimed for a fit looking runner who was 100 meters ahead. I slowly reeled him in and passed him. I picked the next target and almost got to him until he kicked and I could not close the gap but didn't fall back, pushing until I crossed the line.

I had a goal of under 1:30 so I was delighted with 1:25. Picking my way through the runners in the last lap really helped. I am very glad I did the race. I got to talk to several people after the race who were all very surprised I had driven all the way from Vermont for the race and couldn't believe I was on holiday from London. Thanks to all the organisers for putting on such a fun event.

Time: 1:25:35
Pace: 8:34 minute miles
Position: 130th
Finishers: 238
1st Place: 0:57:20
Last Place: 2:04:45
Weather: 80 degrees and clear skies