Weeks 17 & 18 and the Marathon

Marathon

Left home just after 8 and entered the runners enclosures at about 9:15. Joined the toilet queue and survived them.

Set off at 10:32 and just plodded along at about 4:30 pace as I thought that would keep my foot injury at bay. At about 10 miles I spotted an Edinburgh runner from my other club and ran with him for a few miles. Got a few Eagles shouts. Thanks! Half way and I was on schedule and felt quite comfortable.

Mile 17 and my foot started to complain. At mile 18 it became angry and I had to stop and walk until the pain subsided. After that it became an 8 mile pain management exercises . Basically walk until the pain subsided and then run again until the pain became unbearable.

Weirdly enough the marathon went better than I had expected as I managed to get to the start line and finish. I wasn’t disappointed with the time as my expectations were quite low. I would hated to have to defer and wait another year.

Thanks for the opportunity and support along the way. Special thanks to Sarah with putting up with me.

I can now look forward to xc season.

That’s all folks!

Baljit

Week 18 Taper

No real issues. Tail ran club run and completed Gunnersbury parkrun slowly.

Week 17

This wasn’t a good start to the week I went for a slow 6 miler but packed up after 2 due to my right foot playing up. Wednesday club run was more successful. I went a bit faster than I planned but I decided that I needed to check whether I would survive EHM as I was pacing. The jog home was a bit painful though.

Saturday I decided to try Osterley parkrun just to give me a bit of confidence for the half. Managed that with no issues and also completed 8 laps of Lammas park as one of the lead bikes for the EHM mini miles. Kids are so fast.

EHM 2:15 pacing went fine so I decided I would attempt the marathon.

Weeks 15 & 16

Week 16

10 miler on the Tuesday. Slow and steady.

Mile race on Wednesday. Had it in my mind to take it easy but got a bit carried away in the 2nd half. Adrenaline rush!

Thursday and my right leg did not feel good.

Parkrun was a bit rubbish. Went for a cycle ride afterwards as I felt the need to make some effort.
Sunday and I kind of felt ok. Went for a 16 mile run along the canal. After 9 miles at a steady slow pace I managed to trip over. Scraped my knee a little. Pulled a couple of splinters out of my hand and thanked the people offering help. I then continued for another half mile and then my knee seized up. Looked down and I could see a nice trickle of blood going down my legs and the knee looked a bit on the gunky side. Walked for a bit and then tried to run again. No joy. Fortunately I ended up near a bridge and a bus stop.

Will test out my legs on Tuesday and then see what the reaction is on Wednesday morning. Hopefully I will make the start line for EHM and then see what my body says about London.

Week 15

Very slow 5 miler to start the week and then ease up until the weekend. Apart from that I have been doing a set of core exercises to strengthen my legs.

Parkrun and I decided to test out my legs. Pretty decent effort and I was beginning to feel confident again.
Sunday and the Bacchus half. Really enjoyed the terrain which I think suited my legs better. Pretty decent running between the wine stops. Full of beans after this run.

Weeks 11 to 14

Week 14

Easy recovery week. This involved lots of hill walking and lots of food. Back to Edinburgh for an easy 12 miler involving Cramond parkrun again.

Foot starting to show progress and might attempt some speed work next week.

Week 13

Calf raising week! Decided to start sorting out my foot.
Slow running by doing the tail on Monday and Wednesday followed by a slow run on Thursday.

Managed a not so pretty 20 miler to parkrun at Cramond and back. Spotted some seals on the journey. Foot was showing signs of recovery. Easy 6 miles on the Sunday around Holyrood. Started to feel a bit more comfortable.

WEEK 12

This was another injury management week that was meant to finish with an 18 miler. I kind of limped my mileage. My eventual plan was to run home after the Battersea 10k to complete the mileage. Unfortunately my foot seized up after the race so I only managed another 3. Abi and Jon escorted me as far as the tube. Very grateful to the pair of them. Bit of a downer and worrying if I will make the start line.

Week 11

This was an injury not trying to make it worse week. Track on Tuesday without really pushing it too hard. Track is a great bouncy thing so didn’t really feel it on the foot. Cycled there to avoid the hard pavement. Wednesday was long tail so I forced myself to run slow.

The weekend was running in Edinburgh. Long run involving Cramond. Managed a slow 16 miler plus my normal Holyrood Park 10 miler on the Sunday.

Not a bad week.

Weeks 9 &1 0

week 10

Decided to take it easy as it was a drop down week and I was carrying an injury. Also I was pacing the EE10k so didn’t particularly want to cancel that. Just ran enough to maintain fitness and complete the long run using the 10k. Despite the conditions I enjoyed the pacing and the Saturday long run meant I could get a bit wasted on the Saturday night, Sunday night and unintentionally on Monday night.

Week 9

This was a fairly routine week and just getting back on marathon track. I picked up a muscle injury but completed the runs.

Weeks 7 & 8

Week 8

Recovered by Wednesday and did a couple of easy runs as my body was still cramping from Sunday.
Saturday and parkrun returned. Loved it.
Sunday and I paced another Eagle at a summer league 10k in Regents Park.

Week 7

This started well.
First track session in 2 years followed by hills on Thursday.
Completed my hopefully last (not) parkrun.
Sunday was a bit of a disaster for my long run.
After 10 miles I began to feel a bit groggy in the heat. Kind of stumbled home after another 4. Skipped my normal rehydration and collapsed due to heat exhaustion.
Fortunately help was close by. Crappy end to an otherwise good week of running.

Weeks 5 & 6

Week 6

Rest week.

Completed my longest miles mid week as I was heading to Dorset for the weekend.
Longest run completed after one of Mad Mike’s hill sessions. Fortunately, our great Dorset hosts were able to take us on some short undulating runs followed by a lengthy walk. Great country for practicing the EHM bumps.

Week 5

Trying to get back to a normal running week after the hills of Edinburgh.

Managed to start running on Wednesday on sore muscles. Continued on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Finally paid the price on the Sunday with bad cramp after 10 miles in the humid conditions.

Weeks 3 & 4

Week 4

Just hills in my sessions as I had to fit running around the Euros. On Sunday, I participated in the 7 hills of Edinburgh. This is much like the Green Belt where you have to find your own way round and ensuring that you punch your bib at the top of each hill. I think the shortest route is 14.3 miles but I managed a mile more. You had to scramble to get to the top of some of the hills with a few hairy downhills. Looking forward to doing it again next year. My first race since March 2020. Great fun with a couple of falls.

Week 3

This was a fairly standard week of running. Intervals and hills to get some fitness and introduce speed into my body.

2021 Restart: Week 1 & 2

Week 2

Interval and hills coached sessions. Feels good to be having coached sessions after a year of running at the same pace. Completed my long run on Saturday as I saw the temperature forecast for Sunday.

Good start to the resumed campaign. I would like to thank the club for keeping me motivated with the various virtual challenges over the past year. Great to be running with other club members again. Special thanks to Robert Kipling and David Bone for the Sunday runs and Rachel Job for organising the monthly 5k where I get to practice my pacing. Hopefully, Rhiannon will not be required to purchase a third cactus for me next year.

Thanks to everybody. It has been a difficult year and look forward to eventually running with you all again.

Week 1

Restarted VLM 2020 training on the hottest week of the year. Managed my first coached hills session and then crawled through my Sunday long run. Despite the heat, I am pleased to have covered the mileage. Also started a new job so grateful for the return of coached sessions to get me out running in the evenings.

Weeks 11 & 12

Week 11

This was a cut back week. Reasonably fine with track and hills and then a weekend in Bath. I can recommend the parkrun but not too sure I can recommend the run to get there as it requires a bit of a climb.

Week 12

This would hopefully lead to my second 20 miler.
A very tough track session being chased by Colin and his new shoes.
Wednesday club run was preceded by running with the beginners.
Friday night whilst flying to Edinburgh I had to digest the cancellation news as I saw all my planned runs being cancelled. Although the news wasn’t unexpected it still came as a bit of a shock.
I abandoned the 20 miler on the Saturday and made do with an 11 miler circuit involving Portobello parkrun just in case this would be the final parkrun for a while.
Sunday I ran an easy 8 around Holyrood Park and up Calton Hill. Running is quite enjoyable when the pressure of mileage is off.

Sadly the news means I will have to postpone the blog and bore you from scratch at a later date.

I have now resumed the Dhanda training plan :

Weeks 9 & 10

Week 9

This was a good running week. Did clubs runs and hills. Managed a decent 12 on the Saturday incorporating parkrun. Did 19 on the Sunday using the Richmond Park half as the base. Halfway in the training and all was looking good.

Week 10

This was literally a bit of a crap week.

Tuesday was feeling a bit iffy so skipped track. Decided to run 5 miles before work on Wednesday but only managed 3. My stomach decided to play up so had to cut the run short. Didn't even contemplate doing club run. Thursday evening had planned a 10 mile run but I think I managed about 0.25 before having to turn back. Did plan to do the parkrun at Denbies followed by the Leith Hill half to do 20 miles but could not trust my stomach. Instead I ran Gunnersbury parkrun. First half was gentle to test the body followed by a much faster 2nd half. Managed to do 10 miles on Sunday with no issues.

On the negative side only managed 18 of my planned 50 miles. On the plus side managed to complete 400 parkruns but not quite where I planned it. Plus I lost a bit of weight unintentionally. Plus didn't lose any miles due to a running injury.

Shit not fit week!

Weeks 7 & 8

Week 7

This was a fairly routine running week. Made a few storm switches and completed the long run on Saturday.

Week 8

Managed to start the week with a cold.

By Thursday felt a bit better and decided to run home from work. First mile, the body and legs didn't quite respond how I expected. Second to 8 miles the body seemed like it was beginning to warm to the idea. Even enjoyed the run through Osterley Park as the light vanished. Mile 8 - 11 and I was getting slower and slower. That was a truly disappointing run.

Saturday and it seemed that my cold had returned. Decided against doing my long run and opted for a lazy jog to parkrun and maybe get the bus back if I felt a bit sick. Easy-ish 2 miles there and then Parkrun began. First mile at Portobello is a bit like Gunnersbury if you start near the back except the paths are narrower. The final 2 miles and my legs started to function again. After parkrun I ran the long way home.

A pleasing 13 miles in the end. Not quite the long run on my plan but a confidence booster after Thursday.

Sunday and no chance I was going to run in that storm. I am not quite as hardy as the other runners I saw that morning!

Weeks 5 & 6

Week 5
Track and hills followed by a half marathon in Seville.

Seville was meant to be an enjoyable run in the warmth of Southern Spain.
Friday and Saturday were pretty wet and a bit cool.
Probably had a bit too much to drink on the Friday night and walked too much on the Saturday.
My plan was to find the 1:50 pacer and just run with them. Never saw them.
The start was quite misty and cold so I settled into an easy pace. Saw the pacing balloon near the half way point but soon
realised that it was the sub 2 pacer. After that I decided to concentrate on sight seeing with my fellow runner David and chatting
with various British runners who would pass us from time to time.

Best bit of the race was the "optional" inner lap of Plaza de Espana towards the end.

Enjoyable weekend with drinking, great food and company

Week 6

This was my first cut back week so took it very easily.
No track or hills and just easy 10 milers on Saturday and Sunday including a nice run with club ballot winner Lisa Snell.

Hopefully the cut back means my legs will be ready for the heavy mileage to come!

Weeks 3 & 4

Week 3

I decided to attend track and hills this week and run there and back for the extra mileage.

On Saturday I ran to Osterley parkrun via the canal. I misread the plan and managed to run 15 rather than the planned 12.

Fortunately thanks to Angela's christmas cake I had the energy for the extra miles. The 2 lapper is an excellent course.

Sunday I ran Cassiobury xc in Watford. Worth it for even more of Angels's cake and some of Stuart's cake.

Thanks to both of them.

Week 4

This was a bit more complicated due to the lack of evenings for running. No time for hills or track.

Tuesday I ran home from work so I could attend my big sis's post Buckingham Palace MBE party.

So even more cake at the afternoon tea.

Wednesday I helped out at beginners and tailed club run.

I ran with Stuart on club run with the hope he was running with a cake tin.

Thursday I was travelling so switched my run to Friday. This was just a straight up and down of Calton Hill in Edinburgh.

Saturday I felt quite tired but went ahead with my long run with an out and back to Portobello parkrun.

First 2 of the 13 miles were bitterly cold until I reached the innocent railway.

After that it was fairly easy running.

Sunday was a quick 7 miler around Holyrood Park. Felt much more energetic.

Apart from running I have managed to get back on my bicycle for the work commute on week 3.

Didn't do much on week 4 due to my schedule.

Need to do a bit more strength training and will get back into swimming next week.

My weekly mileage is now getting close to what Sonja managed in one day.

In terms of injury I am down to one last rib giving me a bit of grief. Seems to be improving so hoping this will be the last week.

Really enjoying my running at the moment. I hope it lasts!

2 weeks completed

First two weeks of VLM training have been completed.

I opted for an 18 week plan which started on Christmas Eve.

The run home on Christmas Eve started nicely as we were let off early from work.
I decided to run through Osterley Park and made my way to Elthorne Park via the path that went around Trumpers Field.
Bit of a quagmire this time of year and definitely to be avoided in normal running shoes.

Christmas Day was slightly less shocking for my shoes as I could follow the canal and run through
Bunny Park on my way to Northala parkrun. Spotted some Woodpeckers and a Rigg on the journey.
A few Eagles, Dinosaurs and scrummy dumplings at parkrun. Very nice start to Christmas Day.

Next big run was in Edinburgh as I ran to Portobello parkrun via Holyrood Park and the Innocent railway.
A balmy 14 degrees.

Sunday was a short run to the top of Calton Hill.

Second week included my normal pairing of parkrun and Serpentine 10k on New Years Day. Always a great
combination following New Years Eve celebrations. Not quite the zombie state I was in last year.

Rest of the week was pretty routine except for the parkrun and Wormwoods Scrubs xc double on Saturday.
Definitely felt tired on the third lap.

Fairly pleased with the start of training as I had come off my bicycle earlier in the month. The first
few weeks had been a bit of a non starter as far as running. I managed to do some tail running but had
 a few bruised ribs to remind me to take it slowly.
 

Wormwood Scrubs, Middlesex XC Championship

First Post

The odds were promising this time. 4 places for 8 entrants. I was so happy when they called my name out. After that the night was a bit of a blur and the next morning was a bit of a headache.

Monday was spent creating a plan which starts on Christmas week. That will be a challenging!

Baljit