Another landmark

After a week off, back to Greenwich yesterday morning for three laps of the park. A beautiful, calm day for running - cool autumn sunshine. But it's maybe the end of the shorts-wearing year and time to dig out the tracksters and long-sleeved shirts - the forecast is for much colder weather for next week including snow in Scotland.

My right leg, the one which cramped at the end of the Royal Parks, was still a little stiff and sore so it was quite a gentle run. Similarly today at Dulwich where I did four laps of the outside of the park and a little extra for 4 miles.

Yesterday's run took my total for 2011 so far past my total for all of 2010. It's quite satisfying to look back on how my mileage has built up since I started running (and keeping count) back in autumn 2007. Hard to imagine that back then even completing a one mile circuit of Dulwich was a struggle !

I've also been trying a few alternative fundraising tactics and last weekend emailed a bunch of CEOs and politicians asking for sponsorship. I wasn't expecting much of a response but I figured it was worth a try. So far, a few polite refusals, but no donations. Since I'm well on target to complete the running part of my challenge, it would be good to fulfil the fundraising target I set too, without having to fall back on pestering my long-suffering friends, family and colleagues again.

Having completed all of my planned runs for the year, I'm going to scale back the weekly mileage a bit but still hope to run 4 times a week - Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday/Sunday - and do 18-20 miles each week to keep me ahead of schedule. It will be more relaxing not having a training plan to keep to for a while.

My total for the year now stands at 833.72 miles.

Royal Parks Half

So - my last race of the year is over.

I completed the Royal Parks Half Marathon yesterday in a time of 2 hours 9 minutes 16 seconds. Six seconds slower than my time at the New Forest. So consistent if nothing else.

While I was again disappointed with my time, it was a really enjoyable day. Not only did I have the support of Sophie, her sister and brother-in-law, but the team from Practical Action were there cheering all 15 of their runners on the course and handing out goody bags at the end. Thank you to all of you for your support !

Wearing the charity's orange shirt with my name on it made a real difference as I made away around the course. I was quite startled the first time someone shouted my name a few metres after the start -  "you talkin' to me?" and it continued all the way round the course and even the woman on the PA gave me a mention as I shuffled across the finish line.

My race didn't start particularly well as I was actually sitting on the toilet some way from the start line when the elites and celebs started at 0930. Unfortunately I'd fallen victim to the dreaded toilet queues. I'd arrived in plenty of time but instead of just staying in the first queue I could find I foolishly swapped for another one. It seldom works in the supermarket and it didn't work for me.

However a quick sprint to the start got me there in time to join the back of the green wave of starters (my allotted group) and being a little late actually worked in my favour, as the rest of the group shot off at breakneck speed and I was left with a nice slow, free run for the first mile.

I deliberately avoided going off too fast and my pace for the first 10km was pretty ideal.  I completed the first section of the race (down Constitution Hill, past Westminster, along Embankment to Temple, then a U-turn followed by a trip up Whitehall and the Mall to pass Buckingham Palace) and arrived back in Hyde Park in good shape, passing the half way mark in just over 1 hour. I'd been drinking a full bottle of water at each water stop and eating my jaffa cakes and jelly babies at the allotted rate and at this stage things were looking good.

However I reached just beyond the 8 mile mark passing back alongside the Serpentine and felt a sudden twinge of cramp in my right leg. I stopped to give it a stretch and walked for a short distance. It felt ok so I started running again and made it to the corner at the 9 mile mark, passing the Practical Action team and Sophie, Sally and Phil, and right up the hill to Marble Arch, feeling in good shape.

However at around the 10 mile mark I started to run out of gas, legs felt heavy and lactic. I walked for a while but when I saw the British Military Fitness 2 hour pacemaker go past with his group of runners, I thought I would try to keep up with them. I managed it for a while but ended up slowing to a walk again at around 11.5 miles. A mixture of running and walking took me to the 12 mile mark, passing several runners being treated by St John's ambulance staff (hope they were all OK).

I managed to summon up some energy from somewhere and jogged much of the last mile, although on the final (slightly) uphill stretch to the finish my hamstring locked up entirely and I had to hobble while trying to stretch it. I passed Sophie and team for a final time, doing my best to smile, and finally made it across the finish line.

Initial impressions at the finish:

- a great race, well organised, and a beautiful course;

- disappointed at my time;

- a few lessons to be learned about nutrition and training. For whatever reason I wasn't as fit for the race as I thought. Maybe I need to look at using energy gels or drinks instead of my homemade approach. I seem particularly prone to getting cramps during and after races so maybe I'm finishing (or starting) races a bit deficient in something or other.

I could look at my split times and say I should have gone (even) slower in the first half to save energy for the second half. But I don't think it would have made much difference. I think my training this summer just didn't get me as fit as I was last summer. Too many flat midweek runs and not enough hill running.

Having said all of that, it was a huge pleasure to run and feel part of the Practical Action team, and running a marathon, two half marathons and two 10km races in a year, is not something many ordinary pedestrians do. So I'm quietly proud.

Of course, running for the year isn't over - I still have the rest of the 1000 miles to complete - and nor is fundraising. However I'll be taking a week off running to let my body recover.

But finally - a huge thank you to Michaela, Natasha and all at Practical Action - and to Sophie, Sally and Phil for their great support yesterday (and photographs !)

Pre-race nerves

The night before the Royal Parks Half Marathon.

Race number pinned on the T-shirt - check.
Name ironed on - check.
Pile of clothes for tomorrow - check.
Travel plans - check.
Garmin and heart rate monitor - check.
Pace plan - check.
Drinking water, eating carbs - check.
Timing chip attached to shoes - check.
Jaffa cakes and jelly babies - check.

All that remains is to get a good night's sleep.

Targets for tomorrow - if I can beat my New Forest time I'll be fairly happy, if I can beat 2 hours I'll be very happy, and if I can beat 9 minute mile pace (1:57:54) I'll be very happy indeed. Otherwise, just looking to enjoy the run. I just need to remember to go off slowly tomorrow and not make the New Forest mistake of peaking too soon.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is promising - cloudy and 13 degrees for the start, with the possibility of a rain shower. So hopefully comfortable running conditions.

My two lunchtime runs this week leave my total for the year at 813.81 miles. Soon to be 826.91, all being well !

Flaming October

After a warm dry spring and a cool wet summer we've finally had an outbreak of July weather - temperatures in the mid twenties Celsius just as October begins!

Not ideal for the final week of half-marathon training, but the forecast is for the warm spell to only last until midweek and after that we'll back to more more normal conditions.

Last week I had a couple of midweek runs lined up for Wednesday and Thursday, but the weather was so hot I cut one of them short. No point in killing myself ten days before a race.

However yesterday I got up early to avoid the worst of the heat and completed my planned 11 miles (nearly 5 laps) around Fairlands Valley Park in Stevenage. It was satisfying to do a decent long run after the disappointment at the New Forest, and hopefully it will stand me in good stead for this Sunday and the Royal Parks.

The forecast for Sunday is actually rain, but most importantly it's going to be cooler and, along with the flatter course, I'm hoping I'll have a better chance of a decent time.

This week the plan is a couple more midweek runs, and then rest until Sunday. And meanwhile, try to ramp up my fundraising.

My long run yesterday took me past 800 miles for the year and my total now stands at 806.23 miles

Schoolboy error

Back from the New Forest Half Marathon and a(nother) disappointing time: 2 hours 9 minutes 10 seconds. Ten minutes slower than last year and nearly fifteen minutes slower than my target.

What went wrong ? Well, a few things, but mainly I set off too fast, using up too much energy in the first half and not keeping enough in reserve for the way back, and in the end I had several spells of walking before I got to the finish.

Looking at my stats for the first 5 miles shows the problem:
mile 1: 9m17s, avg HR: 149 bpm
mile 2: 8m52s, avg HR: 162 bpm
mile 3: 8m44s, avg HR: 168 bpm
mile 4: 8m51s, avg HR: 169 bpm
mile 5: 9m11s, avg HR: 175 bpm

While the times don't look unreasonable, the heart rate gives it away. In a previous 11 mile training run around Greenwich I averaged 157 bpm, and a comfortable range for easy running for me is 160-165 bpm. That steady rise towards 175bpm was unsustainable given the conditions and terrain, and sure enough shortly after the 10k mark I was walking, and did so twice more before running the majority of the (downhill) last three miles to the finish.

Aside from going off too fast, I think was a bit dehydrated - it was a hotter day than last year, and while I drank at all of the early water stations it probably wasn't enough. And - I'm clearly not as fit as I was at the same time last year. While I might be running plenty of miles along the Thames at lunchtime, last year I was running more hilly routes midweek, and was doing long runs more consistently.

So a rather disappointing day from a time point of view - the slowest of my three half marathons in fact. But at least my average pace was quicker than 10 minute miles (9:51) and it was still an enjoyable day - very friendly and amiable runners, beautiful scenery, enthusiastic supporters and well organised and marshalled. And Sophie, Sally and Phil all successfully completed the race, Sally in a new PB.

Due to the rules of my challenge, I can't claim the full 13.1 miles towards my challenge total, but any continuous run more than 1 mile counts, so according to my Garmin that means 6.12 + 1.24 + 1.25 + 1.53 + 1.71 miles, a total of 11.85 miles, bringing my total for the year to 787 miles.

Next race stop: the Royal Parks. A flatter course, and hopefully more sensible pacing and a better time...

Tapering and targets

One week today I'll have completed the New Forest Half Marathon and will be looking forward to a day or two off running.

My "taper" towards the race started today with a shorter than usual three mile run around Dulwich at race pace. Well faster than race pace as it turned out - I'm aiming to run the New Forest at 8:50 per mile pace but stormed around the park in 8:32 pace today. Not sure I could keep that pace up for much longer but it felt good. One of these days I should sign up for a 5k race since my PB at that distance is rather pedestrian.

The tapering plan for the week involves a 4 mile run on Tuesday, 30 minute tempo run on Wedneday and a 2 mile run on Thursday, followed by rest until race day next Sunday.

Last weekend I was away for the weekend in Derbyshire but I managed to fit in a 12 mile run around Dulwich on the Friday, thinking I might not get much exercise over the weekend. As it turned out we went for a 15 mile walk on the Saturday, followed by a large alcoholic dinner, so I felt pretty sluggish at the beginning of the week, and in fact yesterday's 12 mile run around Greenwich didn't feel great. But hopefully by next weekend with less running, less alcohol and more rest I'll be in good shape to run well.

Targets for the New Forest ?
1. Finishing
2. Running all the way
3. Beat 2 hours
4. Beat last year's time (1:59:31)
5. Faster than 9 minute miles (1:57:48)
5. Faster than 1:55:0 (8:46 minute miles)

My total for the year now stands at a very healthy 768 miles.

Success at the Great Scottish Run

So... not quite a 10k personal best - but very close: 53 minutes 53 seconds.

Obviously it would have been nice to set a new PB, but even though the time was slightly slower than my Hong Kong run last year I think this was probably a better run. I paced myself really well, and the Glasgow course was more hilly than the Hong Kong one, especially at the start. And I managed a negative split and a "sprint finish" - when I got to the 5 mile mark I realised I'd have to really motor for a PB and I gave it a good shot, covering the last 1.2 miles at 8:02 minutes/mile pace. I should have maybe gone a little harder earlier on but it's easy to say that with hindsight.

Overall the race was a real pleasure - well organised, easy to park near the start; lots of toilets; four starting waves giving plenty of space to run, aside for one or two small areas; enthusiastic and friendly support, and, surprisingly for Glasgow, a perfect day - 14 degrees, cool breeze and some early autumn sunshine. Perhaps the only fault I could find was the lack of distance markers - I only spotted two: a sign at 1 mile and a couple of guys with "3" and "K" on their T-shirts.

The course started on George Square and after a short level section climbed for around half a mile up St Vincent Street. Having set off conservatively I was overtaken by loads of people but by the top of the hill I had caught up with many of them, and used the gradient on the other side to gain some of the lost time, completing the first mile in 9:12.

Having crossed the M8 and turned off Argyle Street the route continued downhill on Finnieston Street allowing me to speed up a little, although there was soon another small climb up onto the Kingston Bridge: 2nd mile at 8:47 pace. A great experience to be able to run over a motorway bridge which I've driven over (or been stationary on in traffic) so many times.

Down the other side of the bridge and past Scotland Street school and West Street underground station, the next mile was mostly downhill or level allowing me to speed up further to 8:24 pace. The next couple of miles around the suburban streets of the south side were mostly level but with one short uphill stretch at around mile 4, and I reached the 5 mile point in 43:53.



By my calculations at this point I reckoned a PB of faster than 53:33 was beyond me, but I gave it my best shot, lengthened my stride and with the help of the gradient down through the Gorbals I crossed the river and turned towards Glasgow Green still with some hope.



However the line was just a little too far away and I crossed in 53:53.

My brother had beaten me to the finish but unfortunately not in the way he would have wanted - he walked there having dropped out at around half way with painful calves. I think he'd just been unable to do enough training in the last few weeks. A shame since he's capable of running sub 55 minutes.



We then walked back towards George Square and arrived there just in time to see the start of the Half Marathon at 11am - an impressive sight watching more than 11 000 runners setting off up St Vincent's Street.

So, overall I'm very happy with my run and I think it sets me up well for a good half marathon at the New Forest in 3 weeks' time.