Meon Valley Plod 2011

What a race. This was my fifth running of this race and one I always look forward to; it is my favourite. It all started so well. It had rained on the Saturday so the course would be wet but not too bad. It was nice and sunny which looked great and the forecast was for run after 5pm so I had on shorts, my compression top and a running top along with my sunglasses (these would look ridiculous by the end).

The first 7 miles were fine with good weather, good conditions and a decent pace (9 minute miles unless it was a big hill or blockage like a stile). Then, we hit the mud. This was nasty, sticky, evil stuff that tried to suck your foot down on every step and collect all over your shoe. I spent a good proportion going sideways, trying to stay on my feet and generally acting like a drunk on my way home from the pub. It sucked all the energy from your legs. Then, it started to rain and kept going for the last 8 miles.

The mud just never ended and I started to get very cross with it, calling it lots of names and using abusive language. It turns out mud can take a lot of insults.

I ran strong over the last couple of miles to make sure I was well inside the 4 hour mark and would have been 5 minutes quicker if I hadn't tripped up and gashed my knee but that is cross country. With all that, I love this event.  I didn't enjoy it this time as much as other years but it is still my favourite and I will be back next year.

Race Report: Meon Valley Plod

After waking at 7 to the sound of heavy rain, I checked the race website to see if there was any "cancelled due to severe rain" notices but nothing.  I was going to have to run.

I arrived at the Sustainability Centre in Meon, south of Petersfield at around 9:15, plenty of time before the 10:30 start. It was still raining but not as hard as before.  The main car-park was closed due to mud which was an indication of the conditions to come.

We walked down to the start of the race and after the briefing we were off.  It starts in a field, up a hill and I was quickly out of breath.  It took me ages to feel comfortable, probably not until after the first big hill at mile 3.  I had the sniffles so that might have been it.  It might have also been the 8:40 minute mile pace we were doing.

The conditions were as bad as I expected.  The mud was deep in places, there were large puddles of freezing water that you couldn't avoid and in the fields, you picked up huge amounts of soil that made you feel like you had anvils for shoes.

Having said all that, it was great fun.  The route is varied and great to look at, there was a real feeling of everyone in it together and the cake and jelly babies at the water stations were very welcome.

After getting into my pace, I felt fine and pootled along until mile 11.  My knee was ok which I was delighted with.  I did walk down one very steep hill as I remember it hurting my knee last year.  I began to feel tired and had to concentrate to keep going.

I got to mile 15 which was Butser hill, a giant lump that had to be walked up and then to the final water station at mile 16.  A cake and a Mars Bar piece gave me a boost and I sailed down the hill and on to mile 18.  The last three miles were so tough.  My legs were like jelly because of the mud and the track we were on was really rough.  It was a long straight path that seemed to go on and on.  I wasn't going quick but I refused to stop so I passed quite a few people.

I crossed the final junction and kept going the last half-a-mile to the finish.  I was reasonably pleased with my time based on the conditions.  I felt at least as strong as last year when I did 3:30.

Time: 3hrs 55mins
Place: 162nd (top half, just!)
Total Finishers: 332
First: 2hrs 34mins
Last: 6hrs 16mins

Its going to be an odd week this week as I'm working at the school and my wife is away on business so I pretty much can't do anything for 5 days.  I'll just have to have a big weekend.

Tour of London

My week had been very busy as I'm back at school on my placement. It was very hard work and I only managed to get out twice to play football on Tuesday and Friday. I worked hard when playing but it meant the weekly miles were low. I had to complete the weekend long run or it would be a terrible week.

I started in Battersea Park, doing a loop before heading up to Sloane Square, past Harvey Nichols and into Hyde Park at Wellington Arch. I did a full lap of Hyde Park before crossing at Wellington Arch again, down Constitution Hill and to Buckingham Palace.

London was looking stunning. It had poured down at football on Friday night so it was a pleasant surprise to see blue sky and a crisp morning when I woke on Saturday. London was also very full with lots of people in town for remembrance day.

After the Palace I went down The Mall, past Horse Guards Parade towards Westminster and the Embankment. There were times when the pavements were so full I had to walk for a few seconds or try to run in the road but it didn't bother me.

I was still feeling fine at this stage. I had stopped at 5 miles and 10 miles to take a gel (SiS) and my new camelbak (review later) was supplying me with water. I was loving London and I think it helped pass the time. Its very easy to overlook the place where you live but the run reminded me just how lucky I am.

I ran along the Embankment, past the Millennium Bridge and over Tower Bridge. The south of the river is the busy side so I had to pick my way through the crowds past Borough Market, Tate Modern and the London Eye. I had a packet of Clif Shots at 15 miles and tried to work out where I'd have to go to get over 20 miles in.

So it was back to the north side over Vauxhall Bridge and along the river to Chelsea Bridge and back into Battersea Park. I was tired by this stage and suffering. My left foot was hurting but everything else was ok and I knew I only had 2 miles to go. It was around the park and home to finish 20.5 miles in 3:12.

I am really pleased with the run. Not quick but that is really not an issue at the moment. Time will be irrelevant at the marathon so its just great to get the distance in my legs.

Not long enough

Post holiday + pre-work + rubbish weather = miserable Sunday.

I was supposed to do a long run. 15 minimum, 20 maximum. It was pouring down when I got up but I had to take my Dad to the station first thing so I was in no hurry to get out and run. I got back around 10:30 and had a little more breakfast as it was still foul outside. Then it was lunch and the weekly shop so more opportunities to procrastinate.

Finally it was 3pm and the last chance to get out so off I went. I kind of knew I wasn't doing 20 but thought I might make it to 15. I ran towards Wimbledon and was enjoying myself finding the miles were passing by easily. I didn't really think where I was going and passed over Wandsworth Common to Clapham Common and then down towards home. This was only 11 miles but it was dark and I was so close to home that I stopped.

I'm now annoyed that I didn't do more. My weekly mileage is good but my long runs just aren't long enough.

Big Weekend

Normally, after running a 15 mile race, I'd take the next day off. Not today. It was my wife's birthday and we were going to her sister's for lunch. My youngest daughter had a birthday party to go to first but my wife suggested she go to the party and I run to her sisters.

So the choice was to stay in bed for longer and run 13 miles or get up and go to a kids party. Even though my legs were like lead, I chose the run option.

I had to run with a rucksack as my wife didn't take my change of clothes which didn't make things easy. The weather was fine, too warm if anything. I walked up to the Common just to stretch my legs and then set off. Nothing really hurt and I didn't have any pain in the usual places but I just had no energy. I couldn't get any speed and just plodded along. I quickly realised I just had to get through it.

I thought I might get a few waves of energy and be able to pick up the pace but it never happened. Hills were the worst parts and climbing up to Crystal Palace was torture. I did have a couple of short walking breaks but eventually made it to Keston in around 2 hrs 15 mins.

So that was 28 miles in two days. I'm not sure I've ever run that far before in two days. I haven't run the day before or after any of my marathons and when I've run 20 mile training runs, I've not run more than 5 before or after. I new record I guess.

Quicksand 15

What a great race. Truly unique.

It started at 6:30 am with my alarm. Had my wife not nudged me, I would have switched it off, turned over and gone back to sleep. Thanks dear. I got up, had some toast, coffee and tried to eat my porridge but didn't finished it. I was feeling a little queasy. Nervous I guess.

The drive to Margate was easy enough. 90 minutes and I arrived before 9am. I sorted myself out and chatted to some people before walking down to the beach for 9:50. After a short briefing, we were off.

The first mile was along the beach and it was ok. Some pools of water and a little uneven but the sand was compacted and firm underfoot. This was going to be alright. It was then briefly onto the promenade before going back onto the sand. This time it was a little softer. The sand was looser and gave way underfoot, there was seaweed and stones you had to avoid. This lasted 3 more miles.

Up a sharp hill and onto the cliff top, the first water station and then back on the beach. This was a really hard section where the beach was completely covered in large flints and stones. It was very hard on the ankles.

It was then on sand until mile 7. Some of the sand was hard but there were many soft patches that really sapped your strength. It was then up a large flight of steps onto the cliff top and the turn around point.

The return journey was mostly the same and I was doing ok. I had a gel at mile 9 and kept my pace somewhere around the low 9 minute miles until mile 11 when we rounded the headland into the wind. The westerly wind was strong and it was all I could do to concentrate on each step and just keep going. I focused on the person in front and just tried not to lose ground.

It always feels like a race will never end and this was a prime example. The miles ticked by very slowly and with less that a mile to go, I could actually see the finish but it didn't seem to get any closer. I realised I was in with a shout of sub 2:20 so I had a 'sprint' finish and sneaked it.

I was really delighted with my effort. Its great to know I could run 15 a lot quicker or run 18-20 at the same speed and I've still got 8 weeks until the marathon. Happy days.

Time: 02:19:22
Distance: 15.00 miles
Pace: 9:17 minute miles
Elevation Gain: 162 m
Weather: Partly Sunny & Windy

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.