Best tune of the week: I’ve Got a Feeling – Black Eyed Peas

Dirty running shoes – 80 pounds.  Fluorescent vest – 10 pounds.   Running 12 pain free marathon paced miles – Priceless.  Donating to NSPCC – amazing.

First, thanks to all my wonderful sponsors.  I’m genuinely overwhelmed by your support so far – THANK YOU.

Week three of the running program – things start to get quite serious now.  Those pesky tempo runs involve running 2.5 miles at high intensity and suddenly the long run is 12 miles.  That is a long way – further than my nearest post office.  However week 3 is is also great because the virtuous curve of improvement is probably at its steepest in week three.  Things get easier and feel better quickly at this stage.  Running and training are still fresh and fun.  So getting kit on is not a struggle and the runs just fly by.

Two highlights:

1) Racing down the Chelsea Embankment at sub-8 minute miles, feeling like I was on wings, eyes to the horizon, mind clear.

2) Finding my long running groove (9m 15sec miles) on the 12 miler.  Feeling no pain, staying mentally tough.  Lovely.

These are the moments that make all the hard work and dragging yourself through the snow worth it.  I’m already excited for the week ahead!!

Cheers,

Phil

Best tune on running soundtrack: New Order – Blue Monday

Stone the crows, sacre bleu, jeepers, yikes, crumbs, great scott, woah, wow and woohoo.  The sun had got his hat on – hip hop hooray.  A fully confirmed sighting of the golden orb in London, in January.  Time to strap on the trusty Brooks Beasts and bust out this weeks long training run.  I had a nice little 10 mile circuit of South West London planned, taking in Battersea Park, running along the Thames and over two bridges, Clapham and Wandsworth Commons and beautiful Balham ™.  The objective was to try and run at race pace (about 9m 30s per mile).

Spurred on by the first warmth to permeate my chilled bones since August, I may have set out a little fast.  Overall the run went well, although I did suffer an attack of “jelly legs” after 6 miles.  I think I need to keep practicing my nutrition and hydration strategy to overcome this one (anyone got tips?).  However overall I felt pretty strong throughout.  Ended up running the miles in 90 minutes, which is actually a bit faster than planned.  Not sure that is a good thing, but I’ll take it.

The strangest thing for me in marathon training is how the mind can play games with you.  One minute I’ll think that running ten miles is a great achievement and shows I’m on track and doing well.  The next I’ll look at the same run and worry that I actually have to do that run 2 and a half times to finish a marathon.  Learning to keep the right mindset is vital to success.

So, week 3 of formal training beckons!  Onwards and upwards!

Depth of snow on Wednesday’s run: 3 inches

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It seems that I have inadvertently relocated to Siberia.  There is arctic tundra developing on the Common and I’m pretty certain I spotted a Polar Bear in the bushes (well there was a commotion in there).  My run on Wednesday was through several inches of fresh snow, made a little spicier because I had to run at tempo pace (an 8 out of 10 for effort) for 15 minutes.  The only way was to run in the fresh stuff, which had the unexpected benefit of cleaning my running shoes quite nicely.  It was actually very enjoyable and made even more so by the best of classical mix on my ipod!

Today, I was supposed to do a “recovery run”.  The idea is to take it easy and let the muscles recover after all the exertion of the week.  I think this may prove my biggest challenge as I ended up running a five miler at the same old pace I always run.  I really need to slow down to marathon pace, otherwise I’m going to struggle.  Still it was great to get out in the fresh air.  After the thaw, I only counted 37 rather sad and rapidly shrinking snowmen left on the Common.

The weekend is set for a 10 miler – next step up on the long runs.  I’m feeling a little nervous about it, but should be ok.

Well, the SNOW CHAOS in England shows no sign of abating.  There is still some miserable icy stuff lurking about out there.  As my friend commented yesterday, “I saw some runners out on Clapham Common, and I thought – must be running the London Marathon”.  Who else indeed would bother to brave sub-zero temperatures and frozen ground.

Having said that, I love it!!  Two more training runs since the last post.  A 3.3 mile cruise of the locality where I just ran like Forrest Gump with no plan or direction.  All I wanted to do was run for 30 minutes at a steady pace and get back in time for the darts.  Both missions accomplished – and boy did Wolfie Adams deserve his title.

Today was a 5-miler with added Fartlek.  Fartleks sound nasty and they are too.  The training plan called for 10 minutes slow, 3 minutes fast, 2 minutes slow, 3 minutes fast, 2 minutes slow etc.  So I followed the Ipod for one song fast, one song slow.  A good plan except the first song was 6 minutes long.  I was puffing like Thomas the Tank Engine after that.  Still it kept me focussed on the music and the run ended up being really fun.

So things are progressing nicely.  10 miler is next up for me this week – a good tester!

Stay warm – Phil

Well the beautiful snow has now turned into pesky ice here in Clapham.  The pavements are filled with mums sliding around with their Bugaboos and hesitant commuters cursing their leather soled shoes.  Despite the cold, there are a few foolhardy runners out in the subzero temperatures and egged on by their bravery I joined in.

My training plan calls for a “tempo run” this week – a new one on me.  Apparently this is what makes the Kenyans dominate long distance running, so if it it good enough for them….  The run involves 10 minutes of moderate paced running, 10 at a very high tempo, and another ten to warm down.  Given the limited places to run without breaking my neck, I ended up going round and round my neighbourhood, running on the road.

The end result was actually pretty fun.  I got well acquainted with a few delivery drivers and the postman, who must have thought I was mad.  However the fast bit felt good (afterwards – I was breathing hard at the time!).  So that’s my first tempo run done.  I suspect as the SNOW CHAOS continues I may get very familiar with my hood – but nevermind at least I can get out and run!

Stay warm – Phil!

Sitting watching beautiful snow fall in early January, the training for the marathon begins in earnest.  I’ve already run in snow, hail, rain, wind, sunshine and cloud in preparation for April.  The last month or so have seen a ridiculous combination of highs and lows – recovering from various colds and a calf sprain, training in France (at altitude) with my brother in law, learning to love the fartlek.  A few weeks ago, three miles seemed like a struggle and I was seriously worried, but now I’m back on track and fired up.

There are now 16 weeks until race day!  I started my training plan this week and completed an 8 miler yesterday around Battersea Park and Wandsworth Common.  It was truly brass monkeys territory out there and I was grateful for my new (sexy) running tights.  The run felt pretty good at a chippy 9 minute mile pace.  Highlight musicwise was a bit of New Order (Blue Monday) that busted me through mile 6!

On the sponsorship front, I’ve had some hugely generous support so far and raised over 400 pounds.  I’m giving away advertising space on my shirt to the first 26 sponsors, and there are some interesting messages I’ll be wearing on the day.

More soon – the forecast for the next 5 days is light snow, light snow, snow shower, light snow, heavy snow, so expect a picture of me in my full arctic survival gear (including tights) soon!

Sense of relief at recovery from injury – priceless

Hallelujah and praise be!  The niggling hamstring injury is nearly a thing of the past.  If you’ve been stalking me over the last few days, you’ll know that not running for a week was making me a very grumpy piece of work.  I was starting to get a serious bout of cabin fever at being stuck inside.  Fortunately for everyone, this ended on Sunday with a gentle once around the park.  There was a dull ache in my leg and on top of that, the end of my bout of man flu was still evident.  It was 80% of peak performance (whatever that means!). Monday was the same gentle loop – this time at 82%.  Can you guess what percentage today’s run was at??

Its funny to be running two or three miles at 80% as it makes me realise that the next 5 months will be a long journey to get up to running 10 times as far!  There were certainly a few moments of anxiety in these runs.  As the champion marathoner Alberto Salazar said – “On the starting line we are all cowards”.  That is true for me, any way!

Musically, I’ve been listening to some pretty old school Primal Scream – Screamadelica.  Worth it for the ten minute glory of Loaded and Come Together.  A great way to pass a mile or two!  I need to start compiling a track listing for the marathon playlist soon and they may be in contention.

Keep on running!  Phil

Me, yesterday

Last running tune: U2 – Zoo Station

Injury strikes shocker!  After a pretty stonking run around Clapham Common, with some retro U2 to fire me up, everything looked great.  However, my parents came to visit and challenged me to a game of tennis.  One thing about being a running fanatic is that you often become one-dimensionally fit.  I’m pretty good at running in a straight line at about 7 miles an hour and those muscles are great.  Try anything else (including tennis with your parents) and it can end badly.  After an hour of exertion, I leapt for a smash, felt my hamstring go twang and collapsed in a heap.  It was painful in many ways.  I had to limp home and am currently a member of the ministry of silly walks as I hobble around.  I’m certain that this is a short term injury as 36 hours later, it is feeling much better, but a good warning none-the-less.  Time to get some yoga going to create a better balance and avoid further embarrassment.  Any way, keeping up spirits and hope to be out pounding pavement again soon.

I am the champion of avoiding joining things (not sure why).  However this monday I took the unusual step of joining the Clapham Chasers Running Club.  It was a bit scary and intimidating, but I had a great time.  Everyone meets at a gym in Battersea and mils around.  Lots of people knew each other and although I tried to join in, the chat didn’t last too long before I was ignored again.  Luckily there were three other newbies there and we self-identified and bonded.  One of the other ones is doing London and another Paris next year.  So we’d all felt the fear and joined.  We ran a nice 5 mile loop together slightly behind everyone else in the moderate group (running 8 minute miles!!) .  It was nice to meet some interesting people and I’m planning to head back next week.  If you’re running the London Marathon, and based near Clapham, do think about coming along and drop me an email (phil@lessordinaryliving.com) before so we can build out a support group!

This week I also enlisted the support of Henry Barratt – a great personal trainer and former professional rugby player.  He is a real gentleman and is going to put me through my paces in a couple of sessions.  He promised not to “beast me” whatever that might mean!  So stay tuned for that excitement.

I also knocked out a nice 4 miler around the Park today in some lovely early autumn sunshine.  Great to see the sun shining and the beautiful leaves on the ground so late in the year.