Week 14 - Carbo Load and Paris marathon

Quick post before jumping on the Eurostar and heading off to Paris. Been a great week - couple of chilled runs, still off the booze and now off the coffees. Feel a different man! Just starting the tough task of carbo loading - someone has to eat those cakes! Now just a matter of staying hydrated and not stubbing my toe or walking into anything. Still aiming for a relatively steady 3hr 30min pace on Sunday ahead of the big test in London the week after. The whole family in Paris as well as mum and dads neighbour Vicky who is also running. My sister and I's better halves out on support and cheering duties.  Wish me luck, sponsor me if you have the time and will let you know how it all goes next week!

http://www.justgiving.com/Mikes-30th-Marathon-Run

Week 12 and 13: Tapering

And finally the tapering period has begun – the longest run has been ran and from now on the frequency, distance and intensity of training decreases. Luckily this coincided with my 30^th birthday allowing me a couple of nights of celebrations unhindered by the need to pound the streets. Not only has my running decreased but my blogging updates have been tapering as well! Its been fun writing about the training and hopefully you’ve got a rough idea of what’s involved in training for a couple of marathons but there’s only a few different ways of writing about the long slog of running to make it sound that interesting!

For the record, week 12 I managed a grand total of two runs: a rather stonking 29k run after work with some particularly strong speed work for the last 10k. The following day I limped around a 12k with sore legs. On the weekend I celebrated turning 30 and enjoyed my last few drinks before the marathon. By Monday I wasn’t ‘enjoying’ them so much and a slow start to the week culminated in a couple of light runs by the end of the week to clock another 44k. However the clocks have changed, the sun is out and the evenings are light – running is wonderful again! Shame the change in temperature and clocks has brought out all the fair weather runners and groups of school children – the south bank becoming particularly congested. I find the best solution is to drop the shoulder and lean in – amazing the distance you can get with a gangly exchange student.

In between the running have become a bit of a yoga fiend – a couple of bikram sessions at the weekend and the odd ashtanga class (which I have only discovered recently and is brilliant). The reduced training, increased yoga and lack of alcohol all helping me feel fantastic (although it took a few days for the previous weekends hangover to wear off). Hopefully that continues for the next few days – off to Paris with the family on Friday and marathon on the Sunday.  Wish me luck!

KM Ran
Week 12  Ran  41k  (plan 60)
Week 13 Ran  44k (plan 40)
Week 14 Plan 25k (excluding paris marathon!)

Week 11 cont: Winning, duh.

Boom – the tiger blood started pumping this week! Post the weeks skiing it took a few days to get back into exercising without big planks strapped to my foot but by the end of the week we were flying. And the secret weapon? Off the booze for the week and lots of shut eye. Obviously my training is coming to a peak and the weeks ‘rest’ while on the slopes has left me rejuvenated but is amazing how fresh I feel after a week with no alcohol. The only thing I’m addicted to now is winning.

On Friday I was an F-18 bro, but on a treadmill! I deployed my ordinance as I hammered a sprint session – 3 mins at full tilt and 2 mins rest for 40 mins with a warm up before and after. Hit a top speed of 20.5 on the treadmill (that’s 20.5 kmh – or 3 min per km for those of you without a warlock brain.) which is impressive although sadly that’s roughly the pace that the marathon world record was run in.  

At the weekend I was at home with the aged rels for a pre-emptive birthday celebration. As a special treat the whole family had entered a 15mile race in Banbury on Sunday (I’m spoilt aren’t I…). The race started off tough but I managed to tailgate someone for the majority of the course. We made steady work overtaking people from about half way onwards – he dropped me on a big hill three miles from the end. Despite only having one gear, one speed, go, I managed to pick up the pace and steamed past him and with the wind in my sails (or the afterburners enagaged on the old F-18)  had a storming final 3km picking up a few more places including beating the first lady – winning, duh! Jogged back along the course to add a few more KM to my overall total and to see in aged rels, their running buddy Vicki and my little sis. Gnarly day had by all!

Overall for the week a nice tidy 86km including a nice run out along the river to Battersea park – pic of Battersea bridge included. Also managed my usual hour long gym session with Ian where I worked out like a rock god from mars. Week ahead scattered with plans to celebrate my birthday but aiming to clock a respectable 60km – after that it’s the easy bit – tapering! Exercise less, sleep more, eat well. Can’t wait.

P.S. If you didn’t get the topical quotes in this weeks entry then congratulate yourself that you don’t waste your time reading vacuous quotes by overhyped celebrities. If you want to catch up with the rest of the world check out the following link, or just google Mr Sheen and see what turns up. Winning, duh!

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/charlie_sheen.html

Week 11 Total

Week 11 Km Ran   86km  (80km Target)

Week 12 Target      60km

Week 11: Back running

Back in London after an excellent weeks skiing – decent snow over most of the resort although had to trek a bit for the best of the off piste. Fortunately no damage to limbs and muscles although the liver took a bit of a beating. No running at all but we were up promptly to get first lifts and skied pretty hard all day (apart from Friday when body and soul needed a leisurely day, skiing gently with regular break to enjo gluhwein sat out in the wonderful spring sunshine). Just what I needed as a break from all the running. Pics below of the beautiful scenery and secondly  the Mooserwirt - apres ski bar for the discerning customer...

Back out on my usual running jaunts this week – lets hope the legs are feeling strong after the week off – aiming for a solid 80km this week.

Week 9 and 10

Week 9: I ran 65km. Whoop de whoop. What fun.

Week 10: currently in Austria skiing, drinking and singing amusing songs about eisbears whilst dancing on tables.

The dancing is very important as it is key to any serious and dedicated marathon training program.

Dancing on a table less important but allot of fun.

Will be back running next week. Bet you can't wait ...however I can.

Week 8 Cont: Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud



First Hill



Mud, mud, glorious mud
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood
So follow me follow, down to the hollow
And there let me wallow in glorious mud   

          

 

100km! Finally hit the magic ton after a number of years trying. Was a slog but worth it. Quick 8.5km on Friday and 14km on the treadmill Saturday then just a mere 20.2 miles ~ 32.5km on Sunday.

Early drive down to Petersfield on the sunday in the Eros (my car – it’s a VW Eos but renamed for obvious reasons). Beautiful weather to start but the course itself was v hilly (see the profile pic below) and muddy. Had a group of six of us all running out of a total field of almost 500 and also bumped into a girl at the start (hi emma!) who was at school with me and I haven’t seen for 11 years. Everything was waterlogged and muddy so managed one step forward and half a step back – a number of fallers on the way which only added to the entertainment. An excellent run with great refreshments – cake and mars bars bars as well as the more usual jelly babies and water at various points on the course – delicious! Also a well stocked cake table at the finish (see pic) to reward weary runners.  Only downside was the rain which kicked in with about 50mins to go which made things even slippier and muddy. Mud, mud, glorious mud.

I ran most of the way with a friend (hullo ted!) and finished in a respectable 3hrs 11min. In our group Dave ran a fantastic race coming in 13^th with a time of 2hrs 39.  I was also put to shame by Emma from my school days who kicked considerable ass to win the girls competition. Finished off with a warming pub lunch and then an anxious hour or so waiting for the final member of the party who was sick on the way round, v slow and then couldn’t get his car out of the car park due mud – bad day at the office that.

V satisfying week – legs feeling in good shape considering. Lets see how they do this coming week.  One more week of running then off to the Austria for some high altitude training (skiing for a week…)

KM Ran

Week 8 total 100km  (plan 100km)   Boom!
Week 8 Plan 70km

Cakes!

Muddy foot!

Ted Looking v relaxed!

Mud!



Hills!



Week 8: Mind over Matter

Channelling my best Uri Geller this week in a triumph of mind over matter – although to be honest spoon bending seems easier than running at the moment. It has been an unpleasant couple of days but we’re winning the war. After the (non exercise) exertions last week I have picked up some sort of illness – tight chest, headache etc. all v boring but making running a chore. Here’s what I’ve clocked up so far this week: 12km slog in the gym Monday, Training session with Ian on Tuesday, 12km stagger along the Thames Wednesday and then 21km river/gym session on Thursday. For the Thursday session I managed a few decent KM in the gym as although I was feeling terrible I managed to pick a treadmill next to a girl. Who was running fast. Now I’m sure you’re all aware of the gym rules: wipe down equipment, don’t swear, no petting etc. with the most important one being that if you are on the treadmill next to a girl you have to go faster than her. And not only run faster but to do so in a calm and collected manner with an easy, slightly bored look on your face as if you were wondering around Tescos on a relaxed Sunday afternoon. The looks are v important and obviously if you were not to float along the treadmill with the apparent easy of a galloping gazelle you would risk expulsion from the gym. So despite feeling faint and feeble, and with my lungs wheezing and my breath short I cranked the speed up to a decent level, chest high, eyes forward and put in a decent showing. My gym membership wasn’t revoked so can only imagine my internal pain and suffering was well hidden…

45km run so far this week – have a 32km race down in Portsmouth on Sunday so need to get 23 odd km in today and Saturday to hit the magic 100km – fingers crossed.

Have included a couple more pics of interesting buildings on my route home (this time the Gerkin and Lloyds of London). Taking these pics has made me realise how amazing London is – I often get wowed when I travel but forget to look all around at the structures I live amongst. Some exciting new buildings being built (Heron tower and the Shard) – will try and gets pics of both soon.