Its been a while...

...since my last post. Due partly to a problem with the blog when I last tried to post, but also because I've been off doing my "warm weather training" (ha!) in North Devon. To be honest, with the hols and other family commitments I've not been able to fully adhere to the training programme, mixing things up a little and keeping it going as best possible though. I've probably lost about three or four runs over the last couple of weeks, and I expect a few more to drift away from me in the month to come, but hopefully I'm getting enough done to keep at a decent level as we move into the final period. At least I got plenty of hill running practice when off camping, as the landscape fitted with the name of "Hidden Valley" and dictated that whichever way I went from the site I was faced with a pretty steep climb. The road I ended up taking several times was about a 1 in 4, consistently, for the best part of a mile - a real grueller to pull up, and too steep to run down comfortably, but different, and quite satisfying. The "highlight" though was an 18 mile run last Friday - a good 4 to 5 miles further than I've ever run in one go. Ever, ever, ever. To reduce impact on the family holiday I timed it to coincide with a cycling trip down the tarka trail. A friend came up for the day and we hired bikes for everyone (except me), S enjoying her first trip on a tag along and C doing ever so well by cycling himself. We all headed off together for the first four and a half miles, then while I carried on over the Taw Bridge and down towards Bideford, the others carried on into Barnstaple to a park and cafe for lunch, meeting up with me again as I returned after 13.5 miles and sticking with me for the final push. It was tough, not helped by a torrential downpour, but that was perhaps to be expected and having some company and support for part of it really helped. But most importantly, what I did find is that I could just about keep going for the duration, and although I was very tired, it makes me think that I am capable of doing the full distance - particularly if I can get in a few more runs of this sort of length. So overall a positive. Since that time I've only done two runs, a short 3+ recovery run and a steady five and a half miler last night - a very listless affair. Joints are a bit sore and one or two muscles could do with a massage, but I'm still trugging along. Tomorrow's another day, another run. Total mileage to date: 704.48, which has now had me running for over 100 hours at an average of 8 mins 32 secs per mile. It all counts.

Choice

Carl Beeston last night. It was never going to be spectacular, but I got out there and did a job. I would have preferred to have rested up, particularly as the knee seems to have got worse with all the attention I've been giving it (stop rubbing the darn thing and it probably won't be so sore) but the training programme called for 6 miles, starting slow and getting quicker if not too tired. The element of choice provided by that "if" was enough for me and I took advantage by starting slow and staying steady. At the end of the day a little over five and a half miles at an eight thirty average was fine and I have to just put it down as miles banked. Knee very sore overnight though, so may contemplate a longer break to give it time to recover. Looking back on Sturminster Newton now it doesn't seem such an awful performance. Lining up amongst all the Dorset Doddlers, Littlehampton Harriers, Micklethrumpton Muckle Trucklers and the like it was never going to be easy and I was only about a minute and a half off my Malvern PB. Not too disheartening. An encouraging start to the sponsorship collection yesterday too. There are some extremely generous people around and I've no intention of letting them down...... whether the knee holds out or not. Total mileage to date: 613-ish. Weight: generally around 12st 12.

Fade to grey

Zola Budd. A bright start but faded away to nothingness. Blimey Sturminster was tough, the hardest run I've done since Stoke. In all honesty I wasn't feeling on top form before the race, but throughout the first 6/7 miles I was tidily ticking off the miles in just under an 8 min average. Weather was kind, if a little on the warm side, and the course has to be called "rolling" in the kindest parlance. By eight I was starting to fade a little but decided to give it a go at 9 and put in a 7:40 mile. Come 11 I'd set myself up for a chance of a PB and was jollied along by the two clowns at the final water station (and I mean that literally), belly-laughing at all the runners as they went past. What I didn't know was the reason why as the next mile and a half was a steady incline - a real killer which put paid to any chance of a good time. I really fell away at this stage, struggling lke crazy as the people I'd gone past at 9-10 all passed me. Cramp set into the right calf half way through that hill (not steep, but never-ending) and I was so thankful to see the finish line, hobbling over in 1:46:39 and finishing 194 out of 416. Not my Guy Garvey finest hour, but a decent enough run over a tough course in a race mainly involving club runners - top half going down as a reasonable achievement. Need a rest now though. Total mileage to date: 608.25.

Here we go again

Sturminster Newton tomorrow. 595 miles on the clock. Knee a concern. PB unlikely. Weather forecast okay. Bring it on.

All about my mother

Friday - Pedro Almodovar - a fast start, but became hard work with the continuous hills. Bright spots though and plodded back feeling satisfied.

QI

Thursday was Stephen Fry, the run-swim-run combination making it Quite Intersting, but with a lumbering, thoughtful feel.