Here we go again...

A rest day as prescribed on Monday, although I did head to the gym to try and stretch out the sore muscles after Sunday's exertions. In the evening, acting class started again for the final term. I spent ten minutes of it pretending to cook a meal in a variety of situations. As you do.

It's only the second week of training and already real life has started it's infernal meddling. The car was in for it's MOT which it unsurprisingly failed. My reaction however showed how the running has begun to obsess me - not "how much is it going to cost?" but "how am I going to manage my mid-week long effort without running home from work?". The first world problems of average club runners eh?

Today was eight miles with ten sets of 100m strides thrown in for good measure. The hardest part was finding somewhere of suitable length were I could accelerate unimpeded. Thankfully I had a brainwave of using the asphalt pitch at Cannon Hill. It worked like a charm - and with no-one around to offer a helpful critique...

Tomorrow I'll try to get some form of longish run in before I have my indoctrination into the role of Club Communications Officer. Soon all the passwords will be mine and I will control everything!

(I am aware this makes me sound like some sort of low rent Bond villain)

Reflections

117 Days to Go

So the first week is safely out of the way. Consultation of 'The Plan' shows that completing the first one should be done without feeling too tired. I agree with this assessment, the legs are still slightly sore but that is probably due to this morning's attempt at the Shakespeare Half Marathon.

I had the race booked in before I decided on this ridiculous marathon based course of action, but seeing as the training called for 15 miles today I thought that doing 13.1 quickly would be about the same. It also helped psychologically - last year Stratford was my final tune-up race before the Liverpool Marathon so I reasoned it would be good to do it at the start of this training cycle to gauge whereabouts I stand in the scheme of things.

Pretty well as it turns out - a PB by 46 seconds was unexpected but very pleasing. Managing to roughly maintain the pace over the majority of the course (except for the ridiculous hill) shows that the stamina is heading in the right direction and passing fellow Harrier Jon Hammond - who is usually much quicker than me -  after 10 miles confirmed it. As it happens I was only passed once, and that was by the obligatory elderly marathoner with the leathery teak skin.

The only note of concern (there has to be one, it's in my nature) was how energy sapping the final three miles along the Greenway were. It was completely flat and a bit dusty, which will be similar to the final 10k at Reykjavik. I was struggling this morning so dread to think what it will be like in similar conditions after 20 miles and then twice the distance. I'll have to be in decent shape if I'm not going to fall at the last hurdle.

A job well done then. Tomorrow I'll be taking advantage of the complete lack of supervision at work to finish off the final Uni essay of the year. In the evening, acting class starts again for the final term with the terrifying prospect of an actual performance at the end of it.

I know nothing of what is planned - except that it is likely going to be a bit of Brecht. As a vaguely uncultured Northern type I also know next to nothing about his oeuvre, but as long as it can be performed in a Preston accent I should be ok...

So Far So Good...

121 Days to Go

Two days of running under my belt now. Tuesday went better than expected - Kangaroo Court wasn't in session and my day at work was again enlivened by the presence of 'The Shadow' in the office. The man absolutely fascinates me - he appears to have coasted through the last 28 years of his working life , producing absolutely nothing tangible but has still managed to work in some of the most interesting areas of business. It should make me angry, but it takes sheer effort to get away with it and such audacity must really be applauded.

Hellish traffic on the way home increased my journey by about an hour so it was through the door, quick change and out for the first run - a threshold session. I must admit to a shiver of excitement as my Garmin ticked towards the three mile mark and the four scheduled miles at pace began. I chose Cannon Hill park again, reasoning that it would allow me space to get up to speed without having to constantly stop at junctions. Oh, the travails of city living!

The miles were consistent which was a good omen for Stratford. Even better was the fact that I was only harangued by one member of The Youth. He ran with me for about ten yards before giving up - likely due to the danger of tripping over his ridiculously outsize pants. I can only put the lack of interest down to either looking like someone they don't want to mess with, or being too quick for them. Either is fine in my book.

Wednesday and 'The Plan' calls for a weekly medium-long run. I thought the most sensible approach was to run home from work. In the end it worked quite well, the route isn't particularly exciting but seems to be a similar gradient to the marathon course which will hopefully benefit me in a few months. Plus, the thought of dripping my sweat over the more affluent areas of the Midlands appeals to my inner left-wing firebrand...

Again, it was a good consistent pace and the route means that I can add extra loops of Moseley and surrounding environs as the mileage demands increase. Overall then, an encouraging start.

Tomorrow we are having a rare visit at work from Management to give us the lowdown on the Brave New World we will shortly be embarking on. Like most of their proclamations, it doesn't fill me with much confidence. Then in the evening it's back down the club with a steady run in the schedule. I just hope that with the London Marathon on the horizon, someone will be there to run with me!

- As an aside, I saw this yesterday. I could get used to being above average at something!

"Nothing Important Happened Today..."

Week One - 123 Days to Go

So it begins - somewhat underwhelmingly it must be said. I wasn't expecting a fanfare, but it is slightly dispiriting to open the the Big Book of Marathon Training only to be told that the first order of business is  "Rest Day or Cross Training".

Nevertheless, if I am to succeed then the plan must be followed. So, after work it was straight down the gym for an hour. Nothing else to say really except that, sadly, my favourite gym regular - the chap who looks like an Asian Danny Glover wearing the world's shiniest tracksuit and whose entire workout consists of an hour of sit-ups - wasn't in attendance.

After that it was the Bournville Harriers AGM and then home. 'The Plan' promises actual running tomorrow, just have to survive work and the likelihood of an appearance at Kangaroo Court. I expect that in a few weeks I'll be praying for any sort of rest day so I should really enjoy them while I can.

Not the most inspiring beginning but, as the Chinese philosopher Lao Tsu said: "the longest journey begins with a single step". 

I'm not sure if he ever ran a 'Good for Age' time though...

Confidence Building

A surprisingly productive weekend on a number of fronts. It was of course the last one before marathon training begins properly (Monday 20th is D-Day) and hit a couple of milestones. 

I decided to head down to Parkrun for this first time in almost a year. Officially my last visit was three  years ago, however I did make an incognito appearance last July as part of a somewhat unconventional date (that didn't go anywhere either, this seems to be a recurring pattern). In the end it went well and my time of 19:33 was only six seconds off my 5k PB - although on my Garmin it was actually 19:28. I could probably have been a bit quicker as well if I hadn't a) rolled out of bed about 45 minutes before the start and b) not started too far back in the ridiculously big crowd of participants.

My main reason for going was psychological. More than most, as any race approaches,  I suffer from doubts about my ability to maintain a pace over the distance. So with the Stratford half next week, a quick 5k at about 25 seconds a mile faster than my target for then allows me to think that a decent time and consistent running is possible. Silencing those nagging doubts will be crucial as the miles stack up over the next few months.

Today I did my usual 10 miles circuit down the Rea Valley. It wasn't the quickest, but crucially I felt pretty fresh both during and afterwards. We'll see how I feel next week after the first week of proper training has taken it's toll.

On a non-running matter, I also made a big dent in my final University essay of the year. This was particularly pleasing, I've struggled and procrastinated over it for the past few weeks - but in my defence I think most people would struggle to sum up any aspect of the Arab-Israeli conflict in only 3000 words...

More Hills...

The weekend's festivities caught up with me quite severely after Monday's run so the next day any thoughts of running were ditched for an early night. The joys of growing old!

So tonight run was my first one out for a couple of days. It wasn't the greatest turnout, most of the Thursday regulars were deep into tapering for marathons over the next few weeks (good luck to everyone running Manchester this Sunday) so mostly I was on my own.

The session was continuous hills and, in a pleasant sign that summer is on the way, was held at Cotteridge Park. A short course, but consistent running up and down the hills. It was also a pleasant boost after recent weeks to overtake everyone (some more than once!) - in fact I was sufficiently emboldened to contemplate a trip to Cannon Hill on Saturday morning to try my hand at Parkrun.

Of course, they say that running helps to relieve stress. If this is true then my increased performance is probably due to recent events at work. The way things are going, I could be looking at a world record time at Reykjavik...

Basics...

A great weekend in Liverpool, good to catch up with people but a sad reminder of the inevitable march of time. Not long ago I wouldn't have thought twice about two days drinking. Now however, I still feel a bit cherished two days on. 

So with the only PBs this weekend being the amount of booze consumed in a single twelve hour period, it was good to get out to the club for a run. Even better the longer nights are making canal runs a viable option. 

Sadly, I forgot to check my Garmin before heading out so upon reaching the Pavilion realised it was entirely out of battery. Another lesson in adequate planning.

I ran about 8 miles with Mike and Ian at a decent pace. You'll just have to take my word for it though won't you?

The Calm Before the Storm

Hit the club tonight (I must admit that I quite like the new beer garden set up at the Pavilion - not sure if it's very Bournville though) but chickened out of the rep session. It was a strength one, which usually involves shuttle runs interspersed with sit-ups. The last time I did them I ended up pulling something in my back, obviously this was my fault but it's still left me wary.

Instead I went out for a steady run with Stu and John, a nice pace and excellent timing down the canal to get to Bournville just as it was getting dark. To be honest, the long run was probably the better idea  as there won't be much activity this weekend due to heading to the Grand National for a Stag Do. The bets have been placed and the pink shirt is specially ironed.

I anticipate no more running until Monday. Just the the aftermath of a race, the recovery time from drinking is getting longer. 

A Walk in the Park

Pretty simple idea today - a three mile-ish threshold run (the ish being how far it is around Cannon Hill Park twice and then back out again). It went quite well, as I felt truly terrible by the end but didn't appear to slow down during it. I'm still running quicker than the half marathon pace that I should be doing, yet more evidence that I need to sort out my pacing pretty sharpish.

The main problem was that the unnaturally pleasant weather meant that the park was pretty much packed by the time I got there, turning the run into an obstacle course at times. Starve obsessives can attribute the slight drop in place to the points when I had to weave around oblivious walkers.

In other news, I've noticed that my increase in performance can be directly correlated to stress at work. This means that tomorrow's run with the club will probably be at a world record pace...

Family Business

Not much running this weekend, Easter and the end of the University term meant that a visit from the parents was in order. I don't think my constant excuses about being too busy writing essays and reading increasingly ridiculous screeds about international relations really washed so they popped down for the duration.

Running comprised of a quick five miles on Friday morning along the canal with the added incentive of making it back before they arrived. I needn't have bothered, a combination of Bank Holiday traffic and Dad's admirable refusal to pay for the toll road meant they arrived long after lunch. 

As they left on Sunday evening, I decided that Bank Holiday Monday morning would see a reasonably long running effort. In the end, several milestones were reached - not only did I manage 10 miles feeling in reasonable shape (which I wouldn't have expected after last week) but also went out in just a T-shirt for the first time this year. Spring has definitely arrived.

So overall, little running but much pleasantness. As a northerner, I am obliged to hide my feelings but there is something to be said for just sitting around and having a catch-up - even a long Sunday walk to Cannon Hill was nice. One of my great failings is not making enough time for friends and family - particularly as I owe my parents more than I could, or the above mentioned general northern taciturn nature would allow me to admit. Hopefully this weekend went some way to remedying this. 

Run to the Hills

A continuous hill rep session at the club tonight, again with a poor turnout. If I was a lesser man, I'd have developed a complex about people realising I was coming back...

One thing that it is very important to learn when running is that there is always someone quicker than you (with the possible exception of most Kenyan runners). A new chap came down tonight to try out the club. During he recovery after the first hill he mentioned that he was running the Stratford Marathon in a few weeks. After the second he told me that he ran the Birmingham Half in 1 hour 20. On the third he'd learnt the route to shot off.

I managed to just about hang on his coat tails for the final two. Admittedly he wasn't really trying, but I'll take it.

Parents tomorrow. Best get tidying.

Speed Work....

Better today. 

One of the things about the training program that I'll be following for the marathon (more on which later) is the number of lactate threshold workouts (or for layman like me - running until you blow out of your arse).

As one of life's natural pessimists, the thought of these fills me with dread. Obviously this is completely irrational as I've done them before both as club training sessions or as quick runs when I have foolishly attempted to impress girls. 

So to assuage my concerns, tonight's session was a couple of miles warm up down to Cannon Hill followed by a loop around the park and back to Cecil Road as quick as possible (passing some slightly bemused club mates en route). 

To be honest it was probably too quick, even after several years the art of adequate pacing still eludes me but I felt good afterwards. I was even full of enough bravado to go back home up the Cartland Road hill.

All in all, a good session - although I expect partly fuelled by the frustration of the constant farce that is my current employment.