24 - Season 2 (Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 24 Hour Track Race, 19/20 September 2015, Tooting Bec)

Say what you see.

Psychology's a fascinating subject to talk over with friends.  But sooner or later someone will put a dampener on proceedings by getting out a piece of paper with a Rorschach ink blot on and shoving it under your nose.  'What can you see there?', they will cry.  You don't really want to get involved, but you feel obliged, so you mumble something about Kendo Nagasaki's wrestling mask, two ghosts sorting through a rubbish tip and Basil Brush not speaking to his brother.  Then there'll be a bit of a free-for-all and it's only a matter of time before one of the group asks you those two classic psychology questions, debated by students of the subject for decades:

1)  If a tree falls in an uninhabited forest, does it make a noise?

and 2)  Isn't running round a track for 24 hours just really boring?

You answer 'No' to both.  Most people will agree with you on the first question, but not the second.  It's counter-intuitive to them, they can't have it - it must be boring!  There's only one way you're going to persuade these poor, piteous souls of the truth of the matter.  Yes, it's time to wheel out your big gun - anecdotal evidence.

Here's mine.....

Yay, it was back to the Bec for the 24 hour track race!  I'd been looking forward to this all year and now it had rolled around, get in!  I'd had an unusual preparation, not competing at all at any distance since last year's race, more by accident than design, yet I was feeling optimistic.  The LVSD (Long VERY Slow Distance - patent pending!) training had gone pretty well, I felt a bit stronger than 12 months ago after 14 weeks of Plodville, Arizona high mileage, exclusively on the roads, and I was in the right place mentally for the fray ahead.

My plan was a simple one, to repeat what worked for me last year, when I managed 122 miles for 5th place on my debut at the format - no hard targets, apart from somewhere around 35/36 miles at 6 hours in, let them all go early and relax, think flow and minimal effort, no getting at it at any stage in the first 12 hours, remember there are big changes late on, stay positive, hold my nerve, believe and come back strong.  I hoped to improve my total by sticking to 2 minute (or less) walk breaks each half hour for the whole thing, and was only planning to stop for the loo or to stick extra Vaseline on my feet, apart from that, Relentless Forward Motion was going to be the order of the day! 

My brother Matt was my So Solid Crew and we had a game plan of how we were going to roll with drinks etc., so we set up our table (I'd decided against the ironing board this year!) on the backstraight outfield on Saturday morning, in a happy, relaxed and positive mood.  The weather was mild, no rain was forecast, we were set fair.  Game on! 

Roz Glover arrived and started setting up close by, waiting for her support crew, Mimi Anderson, no less - class!  Next to us was Gyula Sarosi from Hungary - one of 16 countries represented in the 45-strong field.  On our other side was Barry Bradley, who I first met in a double marathon in Kent last year, and who very kindly got me a chair at the end of last year's 24 hours, when I was feeling mucho fainty!


Shankara giving us all the gen. (Photo: Runandbecome)

Race Director Shankara gave us the briefing at 11.15am, and then we met our first lap counters (I'd have 4 during the course of the event), mine was Balavan, just like last year.  I was feeling quite relaxed, but there was an air of anticipation around and, as time ticked down towards the 12-noon start time and I lined up well towards the back, I fancied there might be a burn-up from some parties early on.  I may be distantly related to Nostradamus, or at least Doris Stokes.  There was!



Burn-up about to commence - and they're off!  (Photo: Runandbecome)

Straight away Jonathon Errington reprised his fast start from last year, and Damo Taylor was also tanking along.  I found myself being lapped by these and plenty of others more or less straight away, but I was content sticking roughly to 10 minute miles on the outer edge of lane 1, and watching them all steam past on the inside!  I ensured I fell a bit further behind when I made myself walk for 90 seconds on the half hour, start as you mean to go on!  After an hour, when Shankara updated the leaderboard, I was 16th on 6 miles.  Considering I was 17th at the halfway point last year, I'd started plenty fast enough, just needed to forget about pace for a while and run easily on feel.

Early days, leaving space on the inside for the burn-up merchants! (Photo: Matt Smith)

Over the next couple of hours, I chatted with Dave Richards, a fellow 2014 competitor, Andrew Saville, who was in the same Kent race as Barry, and Jon Fielden, who I'd been told to look out for by a mutual friend.  Each of us were steady starters and we were all feeling quite chipper at this early stage.

First 4 hours, everyone's feeling chipper!  (Photo: Runandbecome)

4 hours in we had our first change of direction, clockwise now for the next 4, which was a relief to me.  My right hip (an overuse niggle which had started 3 weeks earlier) had been bothering me for a couple of hours, but stopped as soon as we turned, result!  Luckily, it wasn't to return for the rest of the race!  I had 24 miles on the board at this point, happy days, even pace, more or less where I wanted to be, Jon was right behind me, we were both already 6 miles behind Damo, who was flying!

Matt was doing a great job with the crewing.  We'd got a good little system going, I would tell him what I wanted apart from squash (gels, cheddars, malt loaf, yoghurt bars or salt tablets) a lap or two before my walk break, then he'd pass it to me as I started walking.  After 5 hours Matt told me I'd drunk 5 litres to that point.  That was good news, I was eating and drinking plenty early on, which I needed to - I knew I'd get less able to stomach things in the last quarter, but it wouldn't matter so much if I'd kept on top of the fuelling up to there.

In 2014 I broke the race down in my mind into 4 6 hour blocks, and I'd gone with that again.  6 hours came around and I was 12th on 36 miles, feeling pretty good, so all hunky dory, one quarter down, no dramas, still positive, still rolling.  Damo remained out front on 42 miles, but Graham O'Loughlin wasn't far behind him now in 2nd, followed by last year's first man Michal Masnik, Gyula Sarosi, Ali Young, Beth Pascall and Val Glavin.



Balavan, third left, me, furthest right - I may have just used my catchphrase!  (Photo: Runandbecome)

I got a new lap counter somewhere around this point, Dave, and I'm sure Balavan was relieved!  You can get a bit paranoid they haven't seen you and marked you down as you go past sometimes, and my catchphrase for the event could well have been 'Did you get me, (insert name of lap counter here!)?'  I hold my hands up to that one!  The lap counters do a great job.

Shankara updating the leaderboard after 7 hours.  (Photo: Runandbecome)

Not long after Shankara revised the 7 hour order, Graham was first through 50 miles in 7.15, a minute clear of Damo, who had run into trouble and would soon retire.  I was more than an hour behind them, but still plodding away ok.  Nathan Taylor and Chris Finill, both looking good earlier, would also encounter difficulty and withdraw before too long.  The race was beginning to change. 

Here are some things that happened over the next few hours.  I stopped for 4 minutes to recoat my feet in Vaseline, time well spent (no trying to chase it back, now!).  I had a chat on-track with the great William Sichel and the highly amusing Johnny Hallneby from Sweden, who both looked to be going ok.  I slightly alarmed the spectating James Adams, who I'd never met before, by blurting out as I ran past him, that his Twitter post about crapping outdoors was the funniest thing I'd read in ages.  The temperature dropped.  The floodlights came on.  I changed into a long-sleeved top and gloves.  And I slowed down.

I was sticking to the 90 second walk breaks, but could feel my run pace had eased and that was confirmed when the halfway mark arrived at midnight.  I was now on 69 miles, but was still making ground through the field, and had moved into 8th place.  At this point I was 6 miles ahead of my race last year, when I went 63/59 (funnily enough, 59 miles was the 4th highest back half total last year, which shows that for ordinary runners like myself, speed is immaterial, but strength over the second half is huge).  So I was happy with the way things were going and I thought I could hang on to the run/walk pattern for a while yet, and hopefully come back at least as strongly this year.  But it was still a long way home from here, so I knew I had to keep taking an hour at a time and stay in the present!

Graham remained in the lead at halfway on 77 miles, but was starting to come under pressure and would retire, leaving Michal as the third leader of the race, shortly after 2am.

Matt had played a blinder crewing and he filled up my drinks bottles on our table at 3am and went off for a well-earned kip.  Miranda took over my lap-counting duties from Dave.  Jon and Roz's crews were keeping us competitors entertained with trivia questions as we circled, both ones I could answer (Where was Martin Luther King assassinated?  Memphis, Tennessee.  Slamdunk!), and ones I couldn't (What is the capital of Croatia?  Errrrrmmm.  Don't dream!).

Matt made a quick return to trackside an hour later, he couldn't sleep!  I'd kept rolling ok, although my overall pace had dropped again to around 5 miles an hour.  The main thing was I was still in a good place up top.

Drama lay ahead as the leaders closed in on 100 miles.  Michal hit the milestone first in 16.26, with Ali and Beth now in 2nd and 3rd, within 12 minutes of him.  Val Glavin was 4th to the ton in 17.10, but she hit big trouble soon after and collapsed on the track.  An ambulance was called, but happily we heard later she was ok.

I passed 100 miles in 5th in 17.54, an hour and three quarters faster than 12 months earlier.  When Matt saw that, he started getting excited about 130 miles being possible for me.  I agreed it might be on if I could stick to the pace I was on all the way home and not cave. 

When they'd updated the 18 hour positions I was 4th, as Val was out, and we had another new race leader; Ali was now 1st, Beth 2nd and Michal had slipped to 3rd.  I could see Michal had started walking and he left the track for treatment a few minutes later.  The scores on the board said he was on 106 miles, with me on 100 and Gyula on 98.  I figured I could take back the 6 miles if Michal had to walk it in from here - first man might still be on!  Gyula had returned to the track after a break and must have done a similar calculation, as he soon started making ground on me, running strongly.

The sun came up halfway through the next hour and I grabbed some porridge from the brilliant Sri Chinmoy volunteers. At that moment, in my state of deep fatigue, and quite unexpectedly, this was possibly the loveliest food I have ever eaten in my life! Words can't describe how good it tasted!

Dawn has just broken, coming up to 5 hours to go.  (Photo: Runandbecome)

Michal didn't return to the track so, with 5 hours to go, Beth had become the 5th overall leader of the race on 113 miles, with Ali just behind, I was 3rd on 105 miles, and Gyula next on 104.  The front two were out of reach, but 130 was still feasible.  First though, there was a bit of a battle coming from behind!

Over the next hour Gyula tried to close and I responded - we spent the whole 60 minutes surging against each other.  Of course, when I say surging, I mean it in the context of the 20th hour of a 24 hour race - what that translates to is two men running through treacle slightly less slowly than they did during the 19th hour.  Gyula would overtake me and go half a lap up, then I'd reel him in inch by inch and go clear myself, then he'd come chugging back past, then.....you get the picture! 

Are we suiciders?  (Photo: Runandbecome)

After we'd played the hour out doing this, I caught him up for the umpteenth time and thought I'd run with him for a bit.  We looked at each other and laughed.  'Are we suiciders?' Gyula asked me, 'We still have 4 hours left.'  'Yes', I said, 'it's going to be 4 hours of hell!'  We both laughed again.  The laughter of the mad by choice! 

Gyula then left the track to get changed and I gained a couple of laps - I kept tabs on him when he returned.  And gradually, the final few hours ticked down. 

Matt kept trying to get me to drink small amounts, though I was getting less keen to, particularly as I was feeling light-headed every time I stopped.  I was also getting a bit warm as the morning temperature rose, so we performed a moving t-shirt swap, which was a wonder of logistics!  At the sharp end, Beth had asserted and forged well clear, and Ali had changed into flip-flops to walk out her last couple of hours!  I'd run through a few scheduled walk breaks to establish a comfortable cushion over Gyula.  The first 4 positions looked settled with 60 minutes left.

Inside the last hour  (Photo: Matt Smith)

In the last hour I hooked up with Johnny Hallneby - we were in good spirits, the end was in sight.  I told him about my battle with Gyula, and he said he was keeping a similar eye on Adriano Scaglione, who was duelling with him for 6th (eventually this would come down to a sprint finish, you couldn't make it up!).  With half an hour left, I checked my mileage with my final lap counter, Nandante, and she told me I was over 128 miles.  I was running very slowly, but the 130 was in the bag - beautiful!

I plodded out the remaining time, Matt joining me for my last couple of minutes.  The hooter went, Matt dropped my numbered marker for the part-lap measurement, and we were done.  I immediately felt a bit faint-tastic when I stopped, so had my traditional 10 minute sit-down, then I was ok.

The final standings  (Photo: Matt Smith)

Beth had won with an amazing 143 miles, all bar a few yards, Ali had run a great race in 2nd, ending on 135, and I'd come 3rd on 131.  I'd done 9 miles more than last year, improved in both halves of the race and learned a bit more about the event - happy days!

At the prizegiving with Devashishu  (Photo:Runandbecome)

There were 33 of us left on the track at the end and everyone got a trophy or memento at the prizegiving, which was a lovely way of rounding things off, and quite emotional.  The shared experience aspect of this event is difficult to convey, but it is more powerful than in any other race I've done since I started in cross-country as a kid.  Maybe it's because it all unfolds over that 400 metre space and you see everyone else's triumphs and disasters, or perhaps because you never get marooned alone during the rough patches in a way that can happen in other ultras.  Most likely it is due to the happy energy the volunteers give out to the runners, all the way through the 24 hours.  Whatever the reasons, that side of this event is a little bit magical.

I particularly liked the races run by Natasha Farid and Jon Fielden.  Neither of them came away with what they were looking for at the start, but both adapted to adversity early in their races and battled away in a good-humoured way for a long time, to bring home results that will hopefully pay them back in future.  Both very impressive.

Thanks from me to Matt, you were fantastic, bruv!  And a massive thank you to Shankara, Devashishu, Tarit, and all the lap counters and volunteers - the affection we competitors have for the event is testament to your enthusiasm and professionalism - you did us proud!

So no, not boring at all! 

45 people turn up to run round a track for 24 hours.  Admittedly, it doesn't sound a very attractive proposition.  But if you're thinking of having a go, I'd encourage you.  I don't think you'll find it boring.  You may well find it brutal but, if you play the cards you have patiently and well, you'll most likely find it joyful.  Either way, you'll remember it.

Finally, thanks to my fellow 2015 competitors - I salute you all!  What a blast it was!  We shared something which was greater than the sum of its parts - I'll treasure the memory.

Same time next year?



Official Results Page



 

 

Where's the hay?

 

Did my last long run yesterday afternoon, a 29.3 miler at the end of a 150 mile week, 7 laps with a couple of uphill drags each lap, 6 x 90 second walk/fuel breaks with the clock running, 4 hours 36 mins, 9.25 mpm average, hip playing up but not too bad, in control all the way, won't need to go that fast in a fortnight.

 

Since the beginning of June, weekly mileage totals:

 

85

92

80

114 1/2 

84

125 3/4

84

144

26 1/3 (hol)

145 1/2

26 3/4 (hol)

150

118 1/4

150

 

12 days taper now.

 

The hay is in the barn.



Looking forward to the tapir, sorry, taper.

 

Getting lots of niggles now, including a new and quite unpleasant hip one, which has slowed the Plodville, Arizona pace down to between 10:30 to 11:00 mpm.  Overload City, close to breaking point I think with all the miles, will have gone 150/118 and bits/150 last 3 weeks by Sunday night.  Just 3 days to go, including today, until the 12 day taper starts, and by God, I need it.  Almost grinding to a halt.  This morning, on my 10 miles to work, I actually fell over on tarmac, there was no reason for it, I just tripped over my own feet about 3 miles in, gave my shoulder quite a whack, but no lasting damage done - just very deeply fatigued.

 

Anyway, did the 5 and a bit lunchtime, hip twingeing, got to do 14 and a half home, then two fives tomorrow, then a final 29 long run Sunday, then I come down.

 

12 days on easy street should see me right.

 

I still have the faith.

 

Let's get to Sunday night.

 

Home straight to the taper.

Heheheheh

 

6 days to go before the taper.

 

Just had a 9 day block to yesterday of 5 long runs on alternate days with 2 x 5 milers on the easy days.  Have gone 29-5/5-23-5/5-29-5/5-23-5/5-29, the equivalent of 5 marathons in 9 days, all of it slow, bulk work but with the ebb and flow of the hard/easy pattern. 

 

Feeling strong.

 

Hard easy hard easy hard easy hard easy hard.

 

Heheheheh.

More than one way of looking at things.....

 

I keep thinking I'm getting a cold, feeling a bit clammy, hope it's nothing apart from nerves.  Nerves, hahahaha, 4 weeks plus to go and nerves! 

 

It's going ok this week, should have 80 miles on the board since Monday by tonight, knackered but bound to be.  On track for around 150 by Sunday night.

 

Anyway, I was thinking about training for ultras, and how there are a number of different ways of going about it.  A guy called Chris Finill will line up at Tooting, he is 55 and has a stellar running CV, with some amazing ultra performances, has gone over 150 miles in 24 hours!  He only runs 40 miles a week, but very high quality I think - that obviously works very well for him.  A lot of ultra advice online will emphasise quite high volume, but also talk about including tempo runs and some speedwork, and they go on about differentials, how it will be much easier at a slower pace etc. - I think most people sign up to this school of thought and it works great for a lot of them.

 

Then there's me.

 

I'm doing big mileage, all of it slow, I have rarely been under 9 minute miles in the last 12 weeks, maybe half a dozen times, and only then in the last mile or two of 29 mile road runs.  Most of the running I've done has been between 9.30 and 10 minute mile pace.  Occasionally I have been 10.30 to 11 minute pace if I have been doing a very long run and things haven't been going my way.  And the slowness doesn't faze me, I don't fret about it, indeed I think the 10.30 pace long runs where it's been a struggle are precisely the ones that will pay me back big time in the second 12 hours at Tooting.

 

I'm going my own way in training, doing the old experiment-of-one stuff, because I've been running long enough to know what suits me and what invites injury for me.  We're all different and off-the-peg schedules ignore that - some people thrive on speedwork, others get injured.  I'm not fast nowadays, I can do a parkrun in 21 and bits eyeballs out, but can maintain that pace for a half-marathon if I train for it, my strength is my strength, if you like.  We all know what our strengths are, if we've been running for a while.  I think, work on your strengths, not your weaknesses, and play to your strengths.  So, I can handle volume, but speedwork and high intensity I'm not totally comfortable with, if I add the two together and increase, at some point I will get injured - this much I know.

 

Ok.  So my aim is a 24 hour track race.  Last year, off the back of training for an off-road ultra where I peaked at 95 miles a week but averaged more like 60, I came 5th with 122 miles.  The winner did 144 miles.  I was 17th at 12 hours, on 63 miles.  I did 35 miles for the first 6 hours, with a 2 minute walk break every half hour, then switched down to a one lap walk break which I maintained for the rest of the time - a lap equated roughly to 4/5 minutes walking.

 

I thought about this a lot before I started my schedule at the beginning of June.  It's an event where nothing happens quickly.  An average pace of 10 minutes per mile won last year.  Strength in the back half gains you stacks of time and distance.  At first I thought I would have to start a fair bit faster to improve significantly but, when I looked at the splits, I decided I didn't need to speed up much, but instead train to be stronger from 6 hours to the end, to stick to 2 minute walk breaks for as long as possible, hopefully for the entire thing.  In short, I needed to condition my body to run slowly when deeply fatigued, and to keep doing that, and to mentally get to a place where I knew I could run again and again at a slow pace when completely knackered.  As that is exactly what I will need on the day.  To my way of thinking, 16 hours in, when my body is screaming at me to stop, the memory of numerous 30 minute tempo runs isn't really going to be of much use to me, but recalling plenty of 29 mile road runs whilst deeply fatigued might just be what will help me grind it out.  You have to go your own way in training, as in life - be true to yourself and do what is right for you.

 

And the way I decided to do that for Tooting was to run high volume at a similar pace to what I expected to run in the event.  So that's what I've been doing for the last 12 weeks, and here we are now churning out 150 miles of Plodville, Arizona in 7 days.

 

The theory is mine own!  I like it, it makes sense to me, it has a simple logic. 

 

We'll find out whether the theory works or not in 4 weeks' time!  

 

But, I have faith in it. It's a good job, at this stage!  I'm already committed to the plan, totally committed, committed like a pig.

Ham and eggs.  Ham and eggs.  The chicken's involved.  The pig is committed.

Salute the pig.

Counting Down

 

Well, 3 weeks heavy volume stuff to go, then a fortnight taper.  Since I last blogged here, rounded off that week at 144, then Amy's first holiday week at 26 and 1/3, then back up to 145 and 1/2, then the second hol week just gone at 26 and 3/4.  Have done 500 crunches a day during the hol weeks, all helps.

 

I'm more or less where I want to be, got the confirmed field for Tooting and had a butcher's at the contenders, it's a bit stacked at the sharp end, but I can only control what I can do, so I'm just concentrating on that.  I will most likely aim to go 150/85/150 from here, then come down for a fortnight before the race.  My bro Matt is going to be support crew, so that is a result, it will be a family affair.

 

It's about having faith in the training I've done and not buggering it up from here on in, 3 weeks of what I've done before, slow heavy volume work, imprinting the default setting of running slowly under the weight of deep fatigue, specificity coupled with positive thinking, build the confidence, rehearse the feelings, and the hay will be in the barn.  

 

21 days' more work.  

 

Finishing touches.

 

Nothing fancy, nothing new, no heroics.

 

Business as usual.

 

It's close, now.

 

Come on then.



Slow down, you're movin' too fast

 

Well, it's quite surprising what your body can adapt to in terms of volume, if you keep the intensity low.  Or, in plain English, you can do a lot of miles if you go slow!

 

Once I've run home tonight, I will have racked up slightly over 103 miles since Monday morning.  May end up with 140ish by Sunday night.  Then a mega easy week to follow, holly holly daaaaaayyy. 

 

The foundation will be down.  8 weeks of build:

 

85

92

80

114 ½

84

125 ¾

84

140 ish

 

I could go to sleep standing up at the moment, but it is definitely coming together. 

 

Deep joy in the eyebold.



Just like Oregon

 

Back on it today.  Ran in this morning, 10 miles slow, right knee a bit twingey, keep a weather eye on that bugger.  Lunchtime, did the usual 5 and a bit round Blackbird Leys - an eclectic mix of sights and sounds on the Leys today!

 

Passed by a couple of likely looking geezers on pushbikes, deep in conversation, ''E give me some decent skunk 'e 'ad', one said to the other, as they cruised by.  A red kite whistled overhead, a little lost maybe?  4 learner motorcyclists, looking proud as punch, gunned it down the road in a less-than-menacing cordon.

 

Running.  Banned substances.  Birds of prey on the hunt.  Easy riders on the highway.  Just like Oregon!

 

Anyway.....

 

Last heavy week before I come right down for a 30.  Might touch 130 with a bit of luck by Sunday. 

 

Be bold.

 

But manage the fatigue and the niggles!

 

But be bold!

 

Etc.!



Easy Street

 

Did a 29 last Sunday at the end of the 125 and 3/4 - since then have gone (Mon) two 5's, (Tue) 23, (Wed) two 5's, (Thur) 29, (today) a lunchtime 5, with the fractions 79 on the week so far.  Got Amy this afternoon until Sunday, so no run until Sunday night now for 84 on the week.  Pleased to have 3 easy days, need it a bit now, yesterday's 29 was 18 minutes slower than Sunday's and much harder! 

 

But we have got to 7 weeks down with no dramas.  Monday back on it for one more heavy volume week before I come right down for a recovery week.  If I get to the end of next week on plan, the 8 week foundation for Tooting will be in place.

 

Ay.  Caramba.



On track

 

Six weeks down, on track.  Was looking back at the weekly mileage for the period last night (follows a fluctuating pattern, depending on whether I have Amy with me for the alternate weekend), reads ok - 85, 92, 80, 114 and a half, 84, 125 and three quarters.  Count those fractions!!!  Yesterday I did a 29 in 4.32, under 9 and a half average, rounded off with 8.50, 8.36, 8.22, pretty strong all the way, within the comfort zone, had already done nearly a ton on the week prior, getting into my stride now, starting to eat up the work.  All good.  Need to repeat, avoid injury, keep the intensity low, listen to my body and keep pushin' on!

 

Got another two weeks of this, planning an 80ish this week, then 130 plus next, then I will come down for a week to 30ish with Amy for a week's holiday, then back up to 130ish, then another holiday week of 30ish, then 3 more heavy weeks, then 2 weeks taper, then game on.  I'm thinking the holiday weeks will work now, will allow the training effect to take place and give some ebb and flow.

 

I'm starting to have faith in the training I've devised and I can feel it working. 

 

Just need to keep on track for the next fortnight, and the strong 8 week block foundation for Tooting will be there.

 

Beautiful!





 

 



Big Rocks

 

As the classic on-line wisdom says, put your big rocks in first, or you may not get them in at all.  What are the big rocks in your life?  Mine is my beautiful daughter, Amy, 11 years old and full of fun.  The other day she said to me, 'Dad, I've got two new rules in life!'  This sounds interesting, I thought, 'What are they, darling?'  'Well' she said, 'the first is, always try new things.'  'That's a good one', I said, 'and the second rule?'  'Think before you do things', Amy replied.  Then we looked at each other for a couple of seconds.  Then we both laughed for a very long time.

 

Coming in a long way second in the big rock list is running.  That big rock is also going ok at the mo.  I should be on 86 miles since Monday morning by tonight, then the plan is two 5's tomorrow, followed by a 29 Sunday for the 125. 

 

It's all very slow.

 

And everything aches.

 

But so long as nothing breaks.....

 

It all counts.

 

Keep pushin' on.

Keep pushin'

 



Compoooter did say yes, but the 29 was one to remember.  Lower back started hurting 8 and a half miles in on a downhill bit, halfway round 2nd lap of 5 - fairly painful, thought about canning it, but backed right off instead and tried to manage the situation and nurse it home over the remaining 20 miles plus.  The pace was snail-like to minimise the impact, but I was able to grind it out in over 5 hours at an average pace, including drink and stretch breaks, of about 10 and a halves.  Was quite pleased in the end, will be one to call on at Tooting; I'm firmly of the opinion those are the ones that make you in ultras, the training runs that feel fairly dreadful but somehow you battle through, rather than the ones that flow easily.  The ones where you turn a negative into a positive and just deal with it.  2nd July, 29 BAAAAADAAAAASS miles, mark it down!

 

3 easy days since, a 5, rest, and another 5 last night, happy recovery time with my beautiful daughter!  I'm back on it today, dropped car off this morning at garage to see if they can figure out what the noise is(!), then 3 miles to work, 5 at lunchtime, nice and slow, got to plod the 10 miles home in a couple of hours, start the week with 18 in the bin.  Start as you mean to go on!  This week I'll be racking up 120 plus, but I'm going with plenty of runs of 10 miles or less every day to Sunday, when I'll be reprising the 29.  The next 3 weeks are crucial, got to carry on getting the plod miles in, and keep my foot on the gas.  Although speed is not what we're after, just RFM.  Relentless Forward Motion.  Think bulldozer, rather than porsche.

 

Have faith.

 

Hold your nerve.

 

Keep pushin'.

 



Redlining

 

 

Yesterday afternoon (2 days after the 29, and two easy 5 milers Monday), I did a 23 miler.  Felt pretty good from the off, it was 28 degrees or so, but a bit of a breeze, so heat wasn't a major issue.  First 3 laps of 4 were fine, last one was suddenly grim in the extreme, feet very sore, ankles painful and a bit bruised at the end, lower back hurting a bit, just very uncomfortable for the last 6 miles.  Caught up with me a bit.

The time was 3.44ish, similar time to the last 23 I did, 9.37 miling, but struggled much more late on.  Still ground it out, but a timely reminder to keep an eye on the load - I am redlining it a bit in terms of volume, just relentlessly ramping it up and going long again two days later.

Lunchtime today did an easy 5 and a bit, first couple of miles not great but better than expected after.  See how I go tonight, then have a think about tomorrow, whether to do another long one.  Plan says yes.

What does compoooter say?

Movin' On Up

 

29 miles yesterday, 5 laps of 5.8 miles, stuck to about 10 minute miles for the first 4 laps, kicked it down a bit last one, last 3 miles 9.08, 8.45, 8.21.  114 and a half on the week.  Don't forget the half a mile.  Everything counts in large amounts.  Getting strong.  Finished it about 7pm last night.  Managed to walk out of the stable sound this morning, hobbletastic for the first couple of miles of a 5 miler at about 13 minute pace at 7.45am, Creakville, Arizona, but eased a bit after, no lasting ill effects. 

 

Repeat.

 

Absorb.

 

Come on down.

 

And smell my roses.  

Getting there

 

Tuesday night's run - the average pace is a bit misleading, included 3 stops at the house for drinks, letting the clock run, a couple of delays for trains at the level crossing and 4 fairly steep hills, about a quarter of a mile plus each time, pace was nearer 9.15's, all within the comfort zone.  Third one of this length or longer in 10 day period.  Last 3 weeks, 85, 92, 80 (including weekend I had my daughter Amy so only 10 miles in last 3 days of week) - beginning to absorb it, very tired but no injury issues, just niggles. 

 

First week over the ton this week, then the next 4 weeks are crucial before I have Amy for a week's hol, and then another one a fortnight later.  Need 5 weeks of consistent high mileage before that hard week/easy week period, with at least one run a week of this kind of length or more, preferably two.  If I can achieve that, game on for Tooting.

 

The two crucial things are to keep batting away at it and to stay positive.  Things are beginning to come together. 

 

I likee.  I likee a lot.



Two weeks down

Apropos of nothing, one of Maggi Hambling's stunning wave paintings, just because I love them.  No one paints the sea like she does.  She is a great artist, her paintings convey emotion, they speak to me, they move me.  Lovely stuff.

Now, running!  Two weeks into the Tooting schedule, an 85 week and a 92 week.  Learning to love the long run again, did 23.4 on the road yesterday, was ok, slow but consistent pace.  Two 17.6's in the fortnight too, similar coming up this week, 17.6 tomorrow, 23.4 Thursday.  Everything else is filler, the long runs are the key.

Early days, but on track.

Pollocks

 

Erm, well, I wasn't really expecting the 2015 canvas to end up like a load of Pollocks.

 

But there is some clarity emerging from the chaos.  And a little peace of mind.  It's regularly trotted out that forgiveness sets you free - the surprising thing is that the cliche is true!

 

And, as always, there is redemption to be found in running.  My running mojo has returned!  I have begun the Tooting schedule, one and a half weeks in, kicked off with an 85, aiming for 100 this week, all very slow, but I am enjoying every step of the training.  Getting stronger, feeling calmer.

 

Who knows, we may just be able to replace the Pollocks with a sunny Rothko!