And we are done, the 3 mile (round Bridge of Allan) and 2 mile (track) warm downs were taken care of without incident and I am ready to go. Hal, you promised me that if I did your programme then I would be able to finish this with something to spare, so time to show me the money.
Speaking of which - fundraising target of £500 has been met right on queue, so that is a nice fillip and the gear is all washed and ready. Myeloma UK have been excellent and I look forward to meeting the other runners. I also have sufficient self-interest to join them for their pre-race photo-call on Sunday morning.
I've elected to use the Asics shoes, as the New Balances have now done over 500 miles and will probably not give me the support I need.
The programme totalled 486 miles, but I was over 520 for the 18 week period by race day, so no one can say I haven't put in the miles and I have done all but one of the long runs, and certainly all the looooonnnnggg runs. The family have done well to tolerate all this nonsense, including the rather dull chat about it all, and I hope their day out is up to scratch too.
Expect a full report on the event itself. Bet you can't wait.
Monday, 5 May 2008
Week 17 - Don't push it, don't force it.
We are in full taper mode now, so did a sneaky 6 miles on Monday - golf course, quarry, Kersebonny - and I let the rest of the week take care of itself with a quick 3 miles while no. 1 son played footie and 4 miles in my lunch hour on the Wednesday round Bridge of Allan. The club session was a simple warm up and an easy run.
The weekend run was scheduled to be 8 miles. The fact that we were away camping with the kids had to be factored in, but given the 7am start on these trips and the fact that the we'ans were tucked up in their sleeping bags fast asleep, we were able to slip out for an hour along the cycle lanes of Dumfrieshire, around Hoddom, in the morning sun (the frost had gone by then!). It did involve some hills, but nothing too hard.
Of more concern is a niggling groin pull (not normally cause for complaint) that will need to be properly rested before race day, which is now upon us. A week of guzzling and stretching lies ahead. I still have half a birthday cake to eat.
The weekend run was scheduled to be 8 miles. The fact that we were away camping with the kids had to be factored in, but given the 7am start on these trips and the fact that the we'ans were tucked up in their sleeping bags fast asleep, we were able to slip out for an hour along the cycle lanes of Dumfrieshire, around Hoddom, in the morning sun (the frost had gone by then!). It did involve some hills, but nothing too hard.
Of more concern is a niggling groin pull (not normally cause for complaint) that will need to be properly rested before race day, which is now upon us. A week of guzzling and stretching lies ahead. I still have half a birthday cake to eat.
Week 16 - Groundhog Day
We are beginning to ease off now, though it doesn't feel like it. Monday was a wee session of strides at King's Park, just to annoy the golfers and a job back along Kersebonny.
Wednesday saw me jog over the Pendriech dam, to get some hill work in and finish in good order. This was also the day of the Dumyat Hill Race, an annual event for me. Not this year, I'm finely tuned for flat racing and a hill race this close to marathon day would be asking for trouble - would Shergar have been asked to jump fences? Exactly. I did miss not doing it, though, especially as I had promised to assist my friend in getting a good time and with all this training I might have beaten my own best. Next time....
Thursday saw an easy enough diagonals session at the club (while, somewhat bizarrely, running through every Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Steve Martin film we could name).
With the long, long runs now complete, the 12 miles over North Third with Lesley on Sunday seemed straight forward enough. It is certainly a bonus of the long mileage to be able to do 10, 12 or 14 miles with some ease. I'll need to find a way of maintaining that.
Wednesday saw me jog over the Pendriech dam, to get some hill work in and finish in good order. This was also the day of the Dumyat Hill Race, an annual event for me. Not this year, I'm finely tuned for flat racing and a hill race this close to marathon day would be asking for trouble - would Shergar have been asked to jump fences? Exactly. I did miss not doing it, though, especially as I had promised to assist my friend in getting a good time and with all this training I might have beaten my own best. Next time....
Thursday saw an easy enough diagonals session at the club (while, somewhat bizarrely, running through every Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Steve Martin film we could name).
With the long, long runs now complete, the 12 miles over North Third with Lesley on Sunday seemed straight forward enough. It is certainly a bonus of the long mileage to be able to do 10, 12 or 14 miles with some ease. I'll need to find a way of maintaining that.
Monday, 28 April 2008
Week 15 - Easy like Sunday morning.
20 miles on the marathon course was the weekend target and the build up was nice enough with a hour or so (8 miles) while the kids swam on Monday. I have become adept a squeezing in runs when it is least disruptive domestically, though my family may not agree.
There is no denying it, the training, even at my lowly level is enormously time consuming. Relentless planning and preparation, you become a slave to the programme, grumpy and irritable when behind and a crashing bore when ahead of schedule. And the washing, don't get me started...
A break on Tuesday and a quick lunchtime 5-miler on Wednesday, missed the session on Thursday (domestic commitments!) meant 5 miles was needed on Friday night, this took a bit of doing, but just about managed it (just round town and along Kersebonny) though, again, this was not popular at home.
So to Musselburgh first thing on Sunday (7:30 departure from home, running by 8:30) to try out the course itself. We did ten miles out to Longniddry and back again, completing 20 miles with a wee circuit of Queen Margaret University's new campus. It is nice and flat (the route, not the campus) with some diversions as you pass through the towns of Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton. It is still a struggle to get to the 20 mile mark, leaving that element of doubt about doing another 5 miles, but if it was easy it wouldn't be a challenge, right?
Eating and drinking en route is a problem, I can't carry water (just too annoying) so I'll be relying on water stations, but it means I have not been able to replicate this in training. I have experimented with gels such as the Honey Stinger range, but it is not clear to me when the best time to take these is, and they taste so foul that they will have to coincide with a water stop (and maybe some mouth wash). We'll see, large bowl of porridge and syrup remains the breakfast of champions.
There is no denying it, the training, even at my lowly level is enormously time consuming. Relentless planning and preparation, you become a slave to the programme, grumpy and irritable when behind and a crashing bore when ahead of schedule. And the washing, don't get me started...
A break on Tuesday and a quick lunchtime 5-miler on Wednesday, missed the session on Thursday (domestic commitments!) meant 5 miles was needed on Friday night, this took a bit of doing, but just about managed it (just round town and along Kersebonny) though, again, this was not popular at home.
So to Musselburgh first thing on Sunday (7:30 departure from home, running by 8:30) to try out the course itself. We did ten miles out to Longniddry and back again, completing 20 miles with a wee circuit of Queen Margaret University's new campus. It is nice and flat (the route, not the campus) with some diversions as you pass through the towns of Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton. It is still a struggle to get to the 20 mile mark, leaving that element of doubt about doing another 5 miles, but if it was easy it wouldn't be a challenge, right?
Eating and drinking en route is a problem, I can't carry water (just too annoying) so I'll be relying on water stations, but it means I have not been able to replicate this in training. I have experimented with gels such as the Honey Stinger range, but it is not clear to me when the best time to take these is, and they taste so foul that they will have to coincide with a water stop (and maybe some mouth wash). We'll see, large bowl of porridge and syrup remains the breakfast of champions.
Week 14 - Music was my first love.
In general, my weekly mileage is now upwards of 35 miles and this week topped 40. The knees are holding up and with only one more really long run to go, it looks like the whole adventure might have a successful outcome.
This week saw an easy Monday run, which has become something of a routine, despite the programme insisting on it being a rest day. I tend to use Tuesday as a rest day instead. Anyway, a wee run around Swanswater was followed by a late evening run through town (always fun to dodge the outpourings from the pubs) and Riverside to my folks place to collect the bike left there earlier. The rush to get to Forthbank for the last game for the mighty Binos caused a bit of chaos there. Skipped the session on Thursday in order to complete 8 miles and retrieve the week's running, meetings etc threatening the proceedings earlier in the week. I experimented with music on this run, just to see what the effect was. I've never run with tunes, always assumed it would mess with the rhythm of the run. And it does, your feet are compelled to keep time to the music (at least mine are - maybe I got the music in me?). It did make the run rather fun, and I did like coming through the woods to the strains of The Devil Came Down to Georgia, but I fear it may not be the way serious competitors do their thing.
The weekend run was a nice 14 miles around the town and Bridge of Allan with Lesley (for I am the running gigolo). Even though the mileage was well within what I am now capable of, it was still preety sore by the end. Look forward to the taper weeks ahead. 4 weeks to race day!
This week saw an easy Monday run, which has become something of a routine, despite the programme insisting on it being a rest day. I tend to use Tuesday as a rest day instead. Anyway, a wee run around Swanswater was followed by a late evening run through town (always fun to dodge the outpourings from the pubs) and Riverside to my folks place to collect the bike left there earlier. The rush to get to Forthbank for the last game for the mighty Binos caused a bit of chaos there. Skipped the session on Thursday in order to complete 8 miles and retrieve the week's running, meetings etc threatening the proceedings earlier in the week. I experimented with music on this run, just to see what the effect was. I've never run with tunes, always assumed it would mess with the rhythm of the run. And it does, your feet are compelled to keep time to the music (at least mine are - maybe I got the music in me?). It did make the run rather fun, and I did like coming through the woods to the strains of The Devil Came Down to Georgia, but I fear it may not be the way serious competitors do their thing.
The weekend run was a nice 14 miles around the town and Bridge of Allan with Lesley (for I am the running gigolo). Even though the mileage was well within what I am now capable of, it was still preety sore by the end. Look forward to the taper weeks ahead. 4 weeks to race day!
Week 13 - On and on and on.
This week was a build up to the mammoth effort required to master the 19+ mileage expected at this stage in proceedings and it was done in Aberdeen on holiday at the in-laws.
A bad start as I left the running shoes at home, turned out to be something of a result as I picked up a pair of Asics trainers for a tenner in a clearance store, should have those nicely run in by race day. Anyway, 5 miles along the beach and 7 miles around my old city haunts (interrupted by helping an old lady who'd fallen, I'm such a good citizen) and things are looking good.
The club session was shuttles, which I quite like and I ensured mileage was up to the mark by running home from the session.
So to the weekend and a bus trip to Callendar and the long run home via the back road to Deanston and Gargunnock the farm roads to the Raploch. 20 miles up! I did enjoy it overall, though the slog along the farm roads into the wind wasn't much fun. I managed to work out a way of carrying food (in the form of fruit energy bars) in a waist belt. Normally don't like anything being in the way, but this was OK and I planned to buy water en route. Garage at Doune was shut and ended up scoofing water from the tap in a nearby caravan park. It was like Ray Mears, surviving in the wilds of the Trossachs. Great to see so many cyclists out at that time too, there is a whole Sunday morning underworld of runners and cyclists.
A bad start as I left the running shoes at home, turned out to be something of a result as I picked up a pair of Asics trainers for a tenner in a clearance store, should have those nicely run in by race day. Anyway, 5 miles along the beach and 7 miles around my old city haunts (interrupted by helping an old lady who'd fallen, I'm such a good citizen) and things are looking good.
The club session was shuttles, which I quite like and I ensured mileage was up to the mark by running home from the session.
So to the weekend and a bus trip to Callendar and the long run home via the back road to Deanston and Gargunnock the farm roads to the Raploch. 20 miles up! I did enjoy it overall, though the slog along the farm roads into the wind wasn't much fun. I managed to work out a way of carrying food (in the form of fruit energy bars) in a waist belt. Normally don't like anything being in the way, but this was OK and I planned to buy water en route. Garage at Doune was shut and ended up scoofing water from the tap in a nearby caravan park. It was like Ray Mears, surviving in the wilds of the Trossachs. Great to see so many cyclists out at that time too, there is a whole Sunday morning underworld of runners and cyclists.
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Week 12 - Oh, what a beautiful morning.
A step-back week this week, with things a little easier. 5 quick miles round town on the Monday was followed by a storming 8 mile session at first light on Wednesday.
Around the Carse of Lecropt on farm roads in the perfect morning quiet, with a cloudless sky above and yellowhammer, pheasant, blue tit, great tit, dunnock, curlew, skylark all twittering their lungs out. Throw in rabbits and squirrels bounding away as you pass and you start to feel like Bambi gamboling through the forest. Sort of. It was truly glorious and reignited my enthusiasm for the whole affair.
Around the Carse of Lecropt on farm roads in the perfect morning quiet, with a cloudless sky above and yellowhammer, pheasant, blue tit, great tit, dunnock, curlew, skylark all twittering their lungs out. Throw in rabbits and squirrels bounding away as you pass and you start to feel like Bambi gamboling through the forest. Sort of. It was truly glorious and reignited my enthusiasm for the whole affair.
This week's long run was a loop round the town followed by the North Third route. I was joined by part of it by an erstwhile running compadre who first showed me this route some years ago. She is in half-marathon training, so it was good to get a long run in. We were not attacked, as some have been on this route, by nesting buzzards. They don't put that in the running books.
Myeloma UK, (http://www.myelomaonline.org.uk/) the primary beneficiaries of all this effort, have been great throughout the training providing support, encouragement, advice and, this week, a skyrie orange running vest. You'll not miss me come race day.
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