the day it all went wrong

In the words of the song by Nazareth ... "woke up this morning ... "

Yes, that's how I'm feeling right now - just waiting for shit to happen [sorry about that].

Let's start at the beginning:  woke up this morning ... and their was no warmth in the house.  The heaters have stopped working.  Not sure why, no matter what I try nothing seems to help in the slightest.  Guess I'll have to call an engineer - but it's Sunday tomorrow.

At least the cooker works and when I'm using that it does provide some heat in the kitchen.  So ... I set to and began chopping onions, tomatoes, garlic, herbs, etc to make a large quantity of tomato sauce - but - accidentally sliced my left thumb whilst chopping an onion [ouch].  As I was doing the onions first it made everything else more difficult than necessary.

So .. I'll be in the kitchen for 100 minutes instead of 60, at least it's warm, sort of.

All the prep done and then start the actual cooking.  Onions softened, garlic and tomato puree added and cooked, white wine, tomatoes and tomato juice added, herbs and spices added.  All going well so far, but then, instead of 30g sugar ... I added 30g salt.

Why, I hear you ask.  Don't ask me, how should I know.  A simple lapse of concentration.  But I've never ever done that before.

It's not finished cooking yet but at the moment it seems to taste OK.  Rest assured it won't be wasted.  And neither was the remainder of the wine ...

And the left over whisky is welcome too.  Forgot to mention that I also made a large Tipsy Laird !!!  No, don't titter, ... it's a Scottish trifle.  There's a recipe on the BBC website, here.  Keir's girlfriend first brought it to my attention although I expect one or two of my Scottish followers/readers could suggest improvements.

At the moment I'm well aware there are still many hours to go before the day is through and many other things could go wrong ...  I could fall down the stairs, the washing machine could fail [got to go for a while ... need to put another load in], England could lose at rugby, I could spill that whisky ...

What was that - you want to know about training.  Why ?  Well, since the last post running has gone very well indeed.  I'm now up to three hill reps and the pace was much quicker but the effort felt the same.  The tempo run is now up to 4k at the same pace - but the very windy conditions meant I had improved a bit.  Long runs are now up to 14 or 15k and although they seem good at the time (event the fartlek one) they do leave my calves a bit sore - I'm sure that will improve as time goes by though.

First few day's training

Well, after the first week [and a bit ...] of training I can report that I feel fitter and healthier than at any time since early September 2012.

Let me briefly run through my recent running exploits -

MONDAY 13 JANUARY - in late afternoon it was 13 km fartlek,
TUESDAY 14 JANUARY - left home at 7.00am for a steady 14 km

as expected my calf muscles were a bit sore for a few days after this.  Nothing major so I took things easy on

WEDNESDAY 15 JANUARY - ran 3 km slowly but followed this with some core and upper body strength work.
THURSDAY 16 JANUARY - my first tempo run.  I had absolutely no idea what time I should be aiming for so I simply used the times from 6 months ago as a guide (but I was prepared to slow down if necessary).  So, I planned for 3 km at about 4:15 per km.  The splits turned out to 4:09, 4:11 and 4:14 which I was pleased with although it was very hard work and I did slow down as the run progressed.  Glad to have a running free day after this.
FRIDAY 17 JANUARY - only cycling and strength work.  The training week ended on
SATURDAY 18 JANUARY - hill reps.  Only two but a good start.  I use Farnley Lane in my home town of Otley and hill is just over 700m long and climbs 35m.  The climbs took 4:19 and 3:56.  Not very consistent but again I had no idea what to expect.  Enjoyed that and the added bonus was that my legs were no longer aching at all.

Many of you know that I designate every fourth week as an 'easy week' and aim to do only about 50% of my usual training.  Working back from the Tooting Bec 24 hr race shows that my first easy week began on

SUNDAY 19 JANUARY - planned to cycle and lift weights but skipped the cycling after I felt nauseous and light headed whilst doing some minor plumbing repairs.  Felt fine after laying down for a couple of hours ... very strange.
MONDAY 20 JANUARY - my first very long run (by my standards anyway).  During these easy weeks I increase the length of my long run by 50% and only do one instead of the usual two.  So, early this morning I went out and ran 22 km.  It was exceptionally cold and icy in places but again I enjoyed the experience of just running for 2 whole hours.

Apart from the running listed above I also did a fair amount of cycling, strength work and stretching and - as mentioned earlier - I feel good.

Now I've begun the search for a warm up race in May, June or July to help get my ultra racing head in gear and try out the nutrition and other plans.

last week ... next week

Not posted for a while mainly because it's been a bit hectic here recently.  Keir, home from university until September, invited his girlfriend to stay for a fortnight.  She arrived from Belfast at lunchtime on Tuesday but he didn't tell us she was would be staying until two days before that ...

So Monday was spent shopping, cleaning, organising, baking, washing ... and training.  Since then we've spent quite a lot of time out and about as Rachel has never been to Yorkshire ... and there a lot to see (it's a big place).  On Monday they're going to London for a few days to leave us in peace again for a while.

Tuesday morning's run was unusual because amongst all the hot, dry weather we've had this month along came a thunderstorm.  Which began just as I set out to run 15.1 km.  To say I returned rather wet is a bit of an understatement.

My second tempo run of the year was on Thursday morning - 4 k this time.  The kilometre splits were 4:05, 4:09, 4:15 and 4:24 and the target was somewhere between 4:13 and 4:16.  Need to get the get the pacing more even but I know that will come in time and it's all over the place at the moment because it's been too long since I did any tempo running.

Friday was my first session of hill reps.  The length was 709m and the climb 35m.  Much better than expected but I only did two, a good start though.  Eventually that will increase to a dozen or more.

Today is the start of an 'easy week'.  I like to have every fourth week easier than usual to help with recovery and recharge the mental batteries a bit.  During such a week I do about two thirds of my normal workload and have one long run instead of two (50% longer than usual though).  So, tomorrow I'll be running about 25 km.  I know that's not far but it's my longest training run since 12 August last year when I ran more than 48 km.  Reading again the what I wrote about that makes me a bit sad (see here) that I'm not up to that yet ... to be honest I'm not sure about 25 km.  I'm sure it'll be fine though.

Also in the next few days I have a blood test as part of the new National Health Service free health check program for all 40 - 74 year olds.  Apparently, every five years, everyone of that age in England will be screened for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease.  It will come as no surprise to learn that I'm not worried at all about this except that I don't like needles.  Overall I think screening is good though.  So long as I'm healthy !!!

pacing

Two days ago, on Thursday, I ran with Otley AC for the first time since ... last August probably.  It's been a long time and there was a few new faces but it was good to be back with old friends.

The following day I decided to run 3.2 km at tempo pace.  Not knowing what that would be at the moment I looked at all my race times over the past twelve months and putting the figures into various online forms such as this one from Runner's World I came up with 4:18 to 4:21 per km.

I haven't done any type of paced running in 10 months so I didn't know what 4:20 per km feels like.  I did know that I could adjust my pace as necessary every kilometre and that wouldn't be too bad.  Also, I vaguely remembered how my body felt running at tempo pace (breathing, tiredness, etc) so that's what I aimed for.

The first k passed in an amazing 3:59.  Couldn't believe that, I then expected to blow up or not even complete the whole distance.  So, I slowed down a bit and the second k took 4:04.  Something wasn't right, I thought, I shouldn't be feeling so good running so quickly ... I'm not fit enough for this.  Slowing down even more, the third kilometre took 4:12 and the final 200m took 50s.

So my overall target was to run 3.2 km between 13:51 and 14:00.  I managed 13:09 and felt OK doing so.  Next time I think I'll have to up the distance to 4k perhaps (or maybe more).  And the temperature at the local weather station was over 26 degrees C whilst I was out running.

Pleased with how this week has gone.

Other pace calculators can be found at Running for Fitness, HillRunner.com, Runworks, Attackpoint, Santa Clarita Runners and many others.  Almost all of them are based Jack Daniels Running Formula and the idea of the vdot.

a few bits and pieces

First of all an apology.  To all my race organiser friends, I know I've been pestering you for a couple of weeks now about when your races are likely to be held next year.

I hope you all understand that it's only because I'm feeling fit, healthy and ready to go after a lengthy absence.  All the more so now that we have some good weather.

Next up ... there may be a few guest posts in the future.  Not too many but if anyone reading this is interested let me know.  But please be aware that I will still retain full editorial control.

Training.  Week one finished and the introduction of my usual two longer runs (the first one as a fartlek session) has been successful.  Next week I'll be introducing tempo runs and I'm looking forward to that on Friday.

Finally it appears that my morning heart rate is now, on average, 47.1 which is the lowest since 19 September last year.  And my weight has now fallen to 60.3 kg which is the lowest it's been since 15 November last year (until 17 June this year my weight had been over 61.5 kg for at least six months).

Things are looking good ... if I can find a few races.

so far ... so good

Four days into 'proper training' and everything seems to be going fine.

Sunday's run was nothing special except that I ran for distance instead of time.  That felt very unusual at first, being able to run as fast or as slow as I needed to and knowing that it would have an affect on how long I'd be outside.

Monday was my first 'long run' and my first fartlek session.  Felt good to run fast (at times) but it was hard work.  When I finished I thought it must have been the temperature making things hard ... it was over 24 degrees C when I was running.  Looking at the stats though it seems that it was hard because I was running fast [overall about 8 - 10 seconds per km quicker than fartlek sessions 15 months ago].

Tuesday morning was my second 'long run'.  I know 12.7 km it isn't long really but it was the furthest I've been since last September.  Just nice and relaxed after yesterday's hard run.

And today was another shorter run - identical to Sunday's.

A couple of accident's made thing a bit more interesting though.  Slicing my finger badly on a tin can lid on Monday was painful and running into a lamp post while trying to avoid a cyclist on Tuesday was even more so.  That has caused quite bad bruising to my left shoulder (and a few grazes too).

Why don't cyclists stay on the road ?

now what ?!

Everything's fine ... hunky dory ... A OK ... great ... now what ?

Well, for a start I can now begin to train properly after three months of no running (and minimal strength work) followed by six months of a strict rehab regime.

Although I've been given the all clear it doesn't mean I'm going to immediately include all the things I did twelve months ago.  That would be stupid.  So, over the next few weeks I'll be introducing - one at a time - hill reps, fartlek, speed work, tempo runs, long runs.  I finally feel as if I've been let off the leash ... a bit.

Cycling will continue much as before but weight training will shift from an emphasis exclusively on muscular strength (especially ankle) to a mixture of strength and endurance.

So the next few weeks will be a period of transition from rehab to training.  And during that time I'll be looking around for some long races to enter (especially as I'll be 50 years old in February) ... any ideas ?

I feel that in one unexpected way this rehab stuff has had a positive effect though.  It has taken a certain mental strength to adhere strictly to the regime when it would have been all too easy to, for example, enter a race or run further/harder than I should ... especially when the ankle has been feeling great for the past few weeks and I only live five minutes walk away from where Otley AC train.  I think that will stand me in good stead for the training and racing to follow.

Much to look forward to then, including running with my club (Otley AC) occasionally on training nights and in the odd race and handicap events (autumn relays perhaps).

Finally, the doctor told me that the medication for gout is working fine and there's no need to change or adjust the dose.  It's not affecting my running at all and everything's under control.

40 minutes ... and a UK team

On Friday, and today, I ran for 40 minutes.  Non stop.  I managed 7.6 km and 7.8 km respectively but the pace wasn't important in the slightest.

The important thing was that that 40 minutes was the longest time I've been able to run since last September. Although 24 hours is a bit longer than 40 minutes.

Feeling good at the moment though.  And next there's 50 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday and then 60 minutes on Saturday - which will incorporate a 5k race.

And now I can also begin strength training with the legs.  Very small weights at first though, but it is progress.

The UK team for the European Championships 100km has recently been announced and I was amazed to find that no men have been selected.  Four women but no men.  After thinking about this for a few days perhaps the reasons are:

- the Anglo Celtic Plate 100km is only weeks before the European Championships
- qualifying times are not easy to come by, especially as there are very few 100k races in this country
- few races partly because of the increased difficulty in staging road races (stringent licencing requirements, etc)
- few races also because ultra trail races seem to be ever more popular, more people enjoy those apparently
- many runners capable of achieving the required standard would rather run an enjoyable ultra trail race in the UK than a long road race abroad

I'm not sure what can be done to reverse this trend but I do believe we should be represented (men and women) in all championship events.  Congratulations to Emma Gooderham, Susan Harrison, Karen Rushton and Helen Taranowski.

recent happenings

Keir has now returned to University in Coleraine, Northern Ireland.  We were a bit worried about him travelling alone through Belfast when there is quite lot of trouble there at the moment.

He was due to arrive at about 9.00pm and we had asked him to text us when he arrived.  At 10.30pm we still hadn't had a message and we were, by now, starting to get concerned.  Half an hour later we sent him a text knowing that he almost always replies within a couple of minutes.  Another thirty minutes passed and we decided to not go to bed until we had heard from him ... or at least knew what had happened.

Within ten minutes of that decision he phoned to say that he had forgotten to send a text [teenager speak for 'stop worrying'].

Running continues to progress, and slowly improve, which is pleasing.  Running non-stop for half an hour is quite tiring though !!!  Even at 8:30 per mile (5:17 per km).  I know that will soon get better though.

In the meantime Here's something I've recently found which addresses the issue of whether or not to eat/drink during training.  Over the past few years I've read lots of evidence and anecdotes which have been contradictory and seem to be inconclusive as to which is the better protocol.  For me this article by Andy DuBois clarifies everything nicely.

To finish this post I found something on the BBC news yesterday about a man who had recently received a hand transplant - the first in the UK.  And the hospital where the surgery was performed is only 10 miles (16 km) from here.  What caught my attention was that he needed a new hand because of complications arising from gout.  I'll make sure I take my medication and be a good patient.

more thoughts on planning for next year

Let me begin by thanking everyone who took the time to comment on my previous post - either on this blog or on Facebook or by email.  Anything which may be helpful is much appreciated ... especially if it can be backed up by experiences and/or evidence.

OK ... unfortunately I won't be taking in the club handicap race this month Richard.  If I'm allowed to run by that time it will only be alternating running with walking for a total of no more than 40 minutes.  You know what that's like from your own experience ...

Until the last few days it had never occurred to me that over the past 40 years (yes, I did begin my running career in 1972) I must have built up a massive amount of endurance/stamina.  So, when it comes to running long distances, my body knows how to do that now.  What I need to work more on are strength and maintaining my cruising speed.  In terms of running, the most recent training schedule - ending with September's race in Poland - was much better than the previous one which ended with the 2011 Commonwealth Championships.  I felt that after many years of tweaking things and trying new ideas I had finally found what works for me.

That is:  weekly back to back long runs up to 27 miles (43 km) in length three weeks out of four.  An extra long run (up to 41 miles/65 km) on the fourth week.  Hill reps, tempo runs, short races and short intervals ... the exact ratio of these depends upon how many weeks there are to my target race.  My weekly volume peaked at 100 miles per week (161 km).

Because I found this to work well the changes will be quite small:
- back to back long runs up to 25 miles (40 km)
- extra long run no longer than 38 miles (60 km)
- volume to peak at 90 miles per week (145 km)
- this will mean that recovery will be slightly better for the tempo, speed and hill work which will be very similar to what I have done recently.

I know that the weekly volume is slightly more than some other runners recommend (sorry Flyer) but I have to take account of my medical history - as a small child I was diagnosed with a recurrent papilloma on my larynx.  Dozens of operations later I was left with a narrower than usual windpipe.  Much later I had two bouts of cancer ending with the removal of half of my right lung.  One result of these illnesses is that my average resting heart-rate is probably higher than other elite runners (in Aug 2012 the average, on waking, was 44.9).  Another result - although I haven't been tested - will probably be a low VO2 max.

Strength work ... most of the stuff I've dropped were exercises that worked a single muscle group, and I've replaced them with compound exercises which work more than one muscle group.  As previously there will be three groups:  legs, core, arms and shoulders.  Core exercises will be little and often and I guess the others (mainly using dumbbells) will be three or four times a week on average for about 25 - 30 minutes at a time.

First of all though I need to fully recover from this ankle injury.  If it's no better by the end of next week I'll be having more tests to try and find out what's been missed.

training thoughts

On planning my training for next year's races there are a few things which influence the choices I make:

- what are my strengths and weaknesses ?
- what do I enjoy doing ?
- what training has worked in the past and what hasn't ?
- how much available time do I have ?
- what are the key races ?
- I may have to prove my fitness prior to selection for UK and/or England teams

My training is mainly of four types ... running, strength work, cycling and stretching.

STRETCHING
At the moment I spend about 20 minutes a day stretching and feel that, although my general flexibility isn't brilliant it is adequate.  To improve greatly would, I think, be too costly in terms of time spent. I will add a bit more specific stretching to address my recent ankle problem though.

CYCLING
I always feel that I'm not making the most of my time in the saddle.  I find it impossible to get my heart rate up to anywhere near what other runners report.  I do find it relaxing though and it does increase my aerobic fitness (but probably not by much) so I will keep the cycling.  Maybe I'll cycle less when other training takes up a lot of the available time.

STRENGTH WORK
My last training schedule included 12 different strength exercises for arms and shoulders, 17 for upper torso and core, 9 for legs.  Some of those I have found to show minimal or no strength gains at all so I will drop those and add a few others which I have found in various books recently.  I'm also going to add a few specifically to address my relative weak areas of shoulders and, now, ankle.  So I now have 9 strength exercises for arms and shoulders, 26 for upper core and torso, 19 for legs.  I do find strength work quite enjoyable and cost effective in terms of time spent.  Of course, for those exercises I'm keeping I'll be progressing by using heavier weights.

RUNNING
Overall this aspect of my training has gone very well over the past twelve months and I feel I have done the right amount of the right type at the right time.  The problem now is how to progress over the next twelve months.  One obvious answer is to increase the overall volume (distance run per week) but that comes with an increased risk of injury and tiredness which will impact on all my training.  I could progress by doing an extra rep or two when doing speedwork but also ... at my age if I can do the running at the same pace as last year that is an improvement in itself because I should be slowing due the effects of getting older.

OTHER STUFF
I am well aware that my other weaknesses are footcare and nutrition and I will be doing my best to address both of those over the coming months.  Need to cut down on the croissants ... found some wonderful ones in  Northern Ireland recently.

So, lots to work on then.  That'll keep me busy for a while.  At the moment it looks extremely likely that I'll venture out for my first run somewhere between 12 and 21 October.  Something to look forward to.

injury ... university ... stats

Let me begin by getting one thing straight ... for a few days after a 24 hour race my head is all over the place (always has been) and I'm prone to making silly mistakes and doing a few stupid things [please don't mention DIY to Fay].  This time the big error was in the last post and, just to correct any errors, it is my RIGHT foot and ankle that is injured, not my left.

Yesterday was the first day since arriving home that I've been able to walk unaided - still painful and slow though.  And painfully slow !!!  I'll keep using ibuprofen for at least another week but ice and rest won't be so easy to come by after tomorrow.  Three toes are still strapped up - including both big toes.

Tomorrow is the day Keir goes to university.  So Fay and I are going (with Keir) to Coleraine in Northern Ireland for a few days to help with accommodation, shopping, etc.  We'll be back (without him) on Wednesday and I'm not going to post anything until else then at the very earliest.  I'll probably be too busy anyway.

Training for my next race begins then.  Cycling, stretching and weight training ... not sure about running, we'll see how things progress whilst I'm in Northern Ireland.

Thanks to everyone for all the kind words on Facebook, this blog, by email and in person.  They're much appreciated and really have helped ease the disappointment of only 231 km.  Disappointed with 231 km - that sounds ridiculous but it is exactly how I felt.

At this moment in time I can't say whether they'll be a full race report.  They probably will be but it'll be a few weeks late as rehab and university are taking up all my spare time at the moment.

OK let me finish with a few stats of which I'm very proud.  I've now taken part in ten 24 hour races and what follows is a summary:

pb ... 238.286 km
average of best 2 performances ... 234.896 km
average of best 3 performances ... 233.711 km
average of best 4 performances ... 232.286 km
average of best 5 performances ... 230.381 km
average of best 6 performances ... 228.924 km
average of best 7 performances ... 227.752 km
average of best 8 performances ... 224.912 km
average of best 9 performances ... 222.439 km
average of all 10 performances ... 218.381 km

average of 2 most recent races ... 226.029 km
average of 3 most recent races ... 230.115 km
average of 4 most recent races ... 228.276 km
average of 5 most recent races ... 228.922 km
average of 6 most recent races ... 228.770 km
average of 7 most recent races ... 227.752 km
average of 8 most recent races ... 224.615 km
average of 9 most recent races ... 222.439 km

last post

Well, that's it for now.  A short while ago I completed my last training session before leaving for Poland tomorrow.  It was 7 x 200m in 42.7s each with a 200m jog recovery.  Except that my time was about 40s each.

This morning was my last session of strength work - core mainly but also a bit of work on the legs.  Right now I feel better prepared than for any of my previous 24 hr races.  I'm also very aware that in long ultra races fitness is not necessarily a good indicator of performance ... there are so many other factors to consider such as nutrition, hydration, weather, crew, blisters, electrolytes, etc.  I believe I've got them all covered but if I've missed anything I'm sure some other member of team GB will be able to help out.

Between the strength work early this morning and the running this afternoon I spent the time making sure everything had been packed ... especially kit and food.  And then I did some more baking.  Fay and Keir's favourite desserts for the weekend.  Elderflower cheesecake and rose flavoured ice cream.  Shame it'll be all gone by the time I return.

This will be my last post before the race but you will be able to follow the action at www.run24.eu and at www.iau-ultramarthon.org

Thanks to everyone for wishing me well.  I'll write again next week.

last long run

This morning I set out on my last long run before Poland.  A few days ago I decided to make it a bit more enjoyable by catching a bus somewhere and running back home through some of the fantastic Yorkshire countryside that we have around here.

Limited only by where buses from the small town of Otley actually go to, I decided on Leeds.  And from there I chose a 30.3 mile route (48.8 km) which would take me through Seacroft, Thorner, Collingham, Wetherby, Sicklinghall, Kirkby Overblow, Weeton, Castley and Pool.

Obviously I had a decent cup of coffee in Leeds before running but the only places I found open at 9.00am were Costa, Nero and Starbucks.  I chose Costa.

The weather was lovely when I started running at 9.45am and it remained good all day.  Mainly cloudy but dry with temperatures peaking at 19.8 C (67.6 F).

The running went well although the first 50 minutes or so were spent leaving Leeds to the east, after that though the route was almost entirely on country lanes and it was a joy to be out and enjoying the day.  Passed through Thorner in 1h 10 mins and Collingham in 1h 45 before reaching Wetherby in 2 hours exactly.  That's 13.8 miles (22.2 km) at, what I felt was a fairly slow pace ... so I ran a bit faster for the remaining 16.5 miles (26.6 km).

Between Sickinghall and Kirkby Overblow the 360 degree views were awe inspiring and in the distance I could see Otley even though I still had over 10 miles to run (16 km).  The time from Wetherby to Otley was just under 2h 20 and the very last mile took just 7:54.  Overall that was very pleasing because it seemed so easy.  The times weren't spectacular but I did stop for a bit of food every hour which meant that the 'official' time of 4h 19:56 should probably be reduced by about 6 minutes.  So that's quite easily under 8:30 per mile (5:17 per km) which is always a benchmark for me on long runs.

Feel very good at the moment - long may it continue.

training and Olympic news

Training this week has been very enjoyable indeed - mainly because of the sunshine (at last) but also because I decided that the three final long runs would be done plain and not fartlek.  Perhaps running 25 to 27 miles (40 to 43 km) with 12 x 7 to 8 minutes at 10k pace is a bit too much for my old body.

Especially as there are a couple of bits missing.

For those reasons I am seriously considering not doing the week of crash training which has characterised my build up to major races over the past few years.

So, yesterday I rose early and was out of the house at about 6.30am for a long run of about 26.5 miles (42.6 km).  I only ran up the valley to Addingham and then over the hill and down into Airedale before turning for home via Menston.  A wonderful early morning run which was made all the more pleasurable by being able to run on the roads BEFORE the early morning rush hour.

Today - another long run.  This time it was 29.3 miles (47.1 km) which used a long section of the Leeds Liverpool Canal between Kirkstall and Hirst Lock.  The trek up Hollins Hill after 3.5 hours of running wasn't much fun ... but was greatly rewarding.

As an aside, the Royal Mail are painting some of their pillar boxes gold in honour of the UK Olympic gold medallists.  They will be in the winners' home towns.  By coincidence I happened to run past one in Horsforth (near Leeds) this morning.  The paint was still wet and the workman had just finished the job and was putting his tools away.  I know Yorkshire has a few gold medallists but I wasn't aware of any that came from Horsforth ... and then I remembered, I know Alistair Brownlee lives in Bramhope but he was born in Horsforth.

Olympics and World Championships

Fantastic few hours for UK last night at the London Olympics.  Gold for Jess Ennis in the heptathlon.  Gold for Greg Rutherford in the long jump.  Gold for Mo Farah in the 10000m.  Great Stuff ... especially when added to more gold medals in cycling and rowing.

Shame about the men's football though.

As I type this the women's marathon has just started in a rain soaked London.  I don't think we'll get a medal in this event though.  Especially now that Paula Radcliffe has withdrawn because of injury.

Planning for the World 24 hour Championships goes ahead unabated.  Flights have been booked for the runners, team managers, physio and helpers.  Accommodation will be booked shortly.  Then there's kit to sort out.  Fay reckons we'll be wearing the same kit as the Olympic runners (minus the 5 rings logo) but I'm not so sure ... we'll have to wait and see.  I guess UK Athletics are a bit busy at the moment.

It would be good to get the stuff as soon as possible though so that it can worn, washed and worn again in training to make sure it fits perfectly and won't chaff or rub anywhere.  Twenty four hours is a long time to wear running gear ... it NEEDS to fit properly.

Training today is 6 x 1 mile (1.6km) and tomorrow is just cycling and strength work.  Long runs on Tuesday and Wednesday but on the former I need to leave home early so that I'm back in time for the men's triathlon in which the Brownlee brothers are competing for Wharfedale.  Start time 11.00am

Must go now ... the flapjack needs to come out of the oven and then I'll start on the bread.  The smell of fresh bread ...

the week so far

After last weeks good training I was brought down to earth with a bump yesterday afternoon.  As usual on a Monday afternoon I had a long run planned - fartlek.  In this case it was just over 26 miles (42 km) [coincidence] and after a 30 minute warm up the plan was to alternate 7.5 minutes at 10k pace with 4 minutes recovery.

The route was quite hilly and the wind a little strong but I ran well to the end, finishing in under 3 hours 20.  But then the problem started.  It just seemed to take ages to recover and no amount of rest, milk, ice baths or bananas could make me feel like completing the scheduled 28.8 mile (46.4 km) run this morning.

So I went for a slow run this afternoon - 10 miles (16 km) in about 1h 20.

Complete rest tomorrow.

Good Olympic news for my home town though.  At one point Otley (population about 15000) was number twelve in the medal table.  Lizzie Armitstead rode magnificently in a very exciting cycle race on Sunday afternoon to finish with a silver medal.

Watching it on TV was most inspiring and I dare say I ran a bit too hard yesterday.  Surprising to come across Ian Fisher shopping in Shipley though.  I had run about 20 miles (32 km) at that point and was looking forward to a long haul up Hollings Hill about 2 miles (3 km) further along.  Stopped to chat about Lizzie's achievement for a couple of minutes ...

The last few days

Yesterday's long run went without hitch.  I decided to run two separate 18 mile (29 km) routes with no rest between them - mainly to avoid carrying lots of refreshments.  It could have been a bit boring but by choosing the routes wisely that was avoided.

So, overall I ran 36.4 miles (58.6 km) in five hours exactly.  Very pleased with that as the weather has decided to give us something resembling summer ... at last.  Very warm and sunny towards the end (23.8 C/74.8 F).

Only strength work today but tomorrow it's an 8 mile (13 km) tempo run and on Thursday it's the club's annual 1 mile track race over in Keighley.  Looking forward to that.

And congratulations to Simon Anderson on joining the Bob Graham club at the weekend.  His time of 22 hours 33 was fantastic and well deserved.

Also well done to all the runners at the Anglo Celtic Plate who successfully proved their fitness to the selectors for the World 24 hr Championships.  Especially the English women who retained the team title.

The next few weeks

Since my last post my training has been:

FRIDAY 13 JULY ... 8.5 miles (13.7 km) tempo.  The plan was to run at about 6:52 per mile (4:16 per km) but I can't say I was looking forward to it because of the strong winds.  Half way through I felt very good - and the wind was proving to be no problem at all - so I just continued at the same pace and finished in 57:23 (6:45 per mile/4:12 per km).  Really pleased with that.

SATURDAY 14 JULY ... just an 8 mile (13 km) recovery run.

SUNDAY 15 JULY ... hill reps up (and down) Newall Carr Bank just to the north of Otley.  Fourteen times, not excessive but that will increase to twenty by the middle of August.

Today also marks the beginning of proper training again after three weeks recovery from the ULTRArace 100.  If you haven't read it yet, my report is here.  Only eight weeks now to the World Championships which will be five weeks training and three weeks tapering.  The next five weeks (running) training will be:

MONDAY 16 JULY ... long run fartlek (25 miles/41 km)
TUESDAY 17 JULY
WEDNESDAY 17 JULY ... long run (28 miles/45 km)
THURSDAY 19 JULY ... steady (9 miles/15 km)
FRIDAY 20 JULY ... tempo (9 miles/14 km)
SATURDAY 21 JULY ... steady (9 miles/15 km)
SUNDAY 22 JULY
MONDAY 23 JULY ... long run (39 miles/63 km)
TUESDAY 24 JULY
WEDNESDAY 25 JULY
THURSDAY 26 JULY ... tempo (8 miles/13 km)
FRIDAY 27 JULY
SATURDAY 28 JULY ... 200m reps
SUNDAY 29 JULY ... steady (6 miles/10 km)
MONDAY 30 JULY ... long run fartlek (26 miles/42 km)
TUESDAY 31 JULY ... long run (29 miles/46 km)
WEDNESDAY 1 AUGUST
THURSDAY 2 AUGUST ... hill reps
FRIDAY 3 AUGUST ... tempo (7 miles/11 km)
SATURDAY 4 AUGUST ... steady (6 miles/10 km)
SUNDAY 5 AUGUST ... 1 mile/1.6 km reps
MONDAY 6 AUGUST
TUESDAY 7 AUGUST ... long run fartlek (27 miles/43 km)
WEDNESDAY 8 AUGUST ... long run (29 miles/47 km)
THURSDAY 9 AUGUST ... steady (6 miles/9 km)
FRIDAY 10 AUGUST ... hill reps
SATURDAY 11 AUGUST
SUNDAY 12 AUGUST ... steady (5 miles/9 km)
MONDAY 13 AUGUST ... long run fartlek (27 miles/43 km)
TUESDAY 14 AUGUST ... long run (30 miles/48 km)
WEDNESDAY 15 AUGUST
THURSDAY 16 AUGUST ... hill reps
FRIDAY 17 AUGUST ... tempo (6 miles/10 km)
SATURDAY 18 AUGUST

I'll also try to fit in a few of the upcoming club events:

2.9 mile (4.7 km) handicap on Thursday 19 July
Golden Acre Relay on Wednesday 25 July
1 mile (1.6 km) track race on Thursday 26 July
3000m track race on Thursday 16 August

On to other stuff now.

There's a great new e mag put together by Paul Ali called Ultra Tales and the second edition has just been released.  See here for all the details and a great read.  And then there's the new book from Tim Noakes (Waterlogged) who argues that the human body is quite capable or regulating it's own hydration and electrolyte status - so long as we don't interfere by doing things such as drinking to excess or ignoring thirst.  That book is a fascinating read - see what the fuss is all about here.


Finally let me tell about something which happened on today's training run when four cyclists passed by ...


the first cyclist turned to me and said "100 miles today, Chris ?"
"Not today" I replied.
The second cyclist looked at us both in surprise then said "we are"
the third cyclist then piped up "but we're on bikes, you fool"
the fourth cyclist just laughed as they sped off into the distance.

a very good week (updated) ...

Training has gone exceptionally well so far this week.  My training week starts on Sunday (yes, I know that's a bit unusual but it just fits better with everything else in my life) and apart from strength work it was just a steady 6 miles (10 km).

Monday afternoon was a long fartlek of just over 19 miles (31 km) which basically comprised alternating 6:50 at 10k pace with 4:00 easy.  That went very well indeed on an undulating route and the following morning I did another long run - more than 22 miles (36 km) this time.  Again I couldn't believe how easy it all seemed [8:11 per mile/5:05 per km].  I seem to be flying at the moment and I'm not sure why.  Feels good though.

Wednesday afternoon was to be the most difficult session of the week ... 5 x 1 mile (1.6 km) in 6:16.2 each.  Made even more difficult by the strong westerly winds in Wharfedale.  As I hadn't done any similar training for about 12 months, and I'm still in recovery mode (just about), I wasn't sure how I would fare.  I used the Otley 10 mile markers along Pool Road which meant reps 1, 3 and 5 were with a tail wind while reps 2 and 4 had a head wind.  The times were 5:58.2, 6:29.2, 6:16.2, 6:23.2 and 6:16.5.  The mean was 6:16.7 and considering the strong winds I very pleased with that.

Rest day today.

Yesterday I also received an email from UK Athletics confirming my selection for the World 24 hr Championships in September.  Very relieved after everything that happened in June.  I know that a few other runners have still to prove their fitness so I don't really understand why this confirmation email has been sent.  To everyone I presume.

Planning can now go ahead - pacing and nutrition mainly but also training for the next eight weeks can now be finalised.  For the nutrition plan I will use the ULTRArace 100 as the starting point as, in general, that worked very well indeed.  Just needs tweaking.  For pacing I'll probably use ... well, I know what my targets are.  And what I'm capable of.

Right, got to go, no more time.  More later.

OK I'm back now, sorry about that.  Worries regarding Fay, work, health sometimes take priority over this blog.  I'm sure you understand.

After editing some of the above I'm not sure I should be blogging about selection just yet as it doesn't seem to have been officially announced just yet.  Anyway congratulations to JP, PR, SH, DMC, EG, KH, MD and JS.

A couple of things I've just noticed:  (1) I'm the oldest person in the team and (2) the youngest man is a couple of years older than the oldest woman.  Hmmmm