Swimming lesson #4

Week 4 and we were thrown into the deep end... the theory of treading water is a world away from practice as several mouthfuls of water prove. The ol' front crawl is coming along... slowly! Last lesson next week, must start looking for another course; a not a beginner but not quite a swimmer course.

On the running front I haven't been out all week, I need to give these blisters a chance to heal. Next outing will be the weekend long run; 14 miles.

Walking in slow motion...

The first thing i did this morning was weight myself... still 84KG. Not bad, could be better but hey ho.

The plan was to run 18 miles but due to my rubbish map reading skills I accidentally planned a route of 20.4 miles. I suspected that I had made an error when my legs decided to stop working after 2.5 hours. I knew what there were doing and completely understood but I was a long way from home. What followed was a very, very, very long and uncomfortable walk home, stopping on several occasions to rest and stretch. My legs we incredible tired and stiff, and my arches were just unbelievably painful. My biggest fear was getting blisters, they can take quite some time to heal.

I was walking as fast as I could because the only place I wanted to be was home, sometimes the really is no place like home. I eventually made it, walking up my street was an incredible feeling after such a hard slog for over 5 miles.

Once home the first thing I did was sit down, I just had to take the weight off those exhausted and very sore legs. The phone rang a couple of times and after 30 mins or so I took my trainers and socks off to realise my greatest fear... blisters. Not just ordinary blisters, these were monsters. They may have started out as several blisters earlier in my run but over time they decided to pool resources and band together to form a union. They were big, one on each arch, and they explained a lot!

I was in really in a lot of pain, in fact climbing the stairs was a serious ordeal and I had to make sure I did it as little as possible. While upstairs I weighed myself and to my surprise I was 83KG, a whole 1KG down since this morning. I wasn't sure but I may have discovered something incredible, the weight of something previously though not measurable; I may have discovered the weight of the will to live! You see the only thing that I'm sure that I lost during my 20 miles of hell this morning was my will to live, could that account for the missing KG??

After a couple of hours of rest I had to do a little shopping for blister related stuff. I drove to the shopping mall and parked in the usual way. Walking to the shopping area was a little strange, like walking in slow motion. My legs were operating on work to rule basis.

With the marathon so close (5 weeks time) I'm a little worried that I may not be able to train this week. We've got a 5-9-5 and a 14 mile run at the weekend. I think I'll be OK by the weekend but the mid-week runs look doubtful.

Early morning dash...

A late night made sure it was a struggle to get out of my comfy bed but after many failed attempts I finally crawled out at 6am. It turned out to be a pretty good run; 5 miles in bang on 45 mins., that's a pace of bang on 09:00, another first! I'm sure the 18 mile run planned for Sunday will see a return to a more familiar pace...

Swimming lesson #3

Swimming lesson number 3 last night. Like most things; I get the theory, it's the putting it into practise bit that I sink on. This week was pretty much the same as last week, we're obviously not getting it right!

A 2008 triathlon could be a little adventurous, and quite possibly my last unless I get one of those wetsuits with a emergency ripcord that inflates the suit into a balloon; with the right wind direction I could do a pretty good time... the wrong wind direction and I could end up several miles upstream... what if its blowing a gale; I could be last seen heading out toward the Isle of Man... let's stick with swimming.

Not even a little twinge...

I gave the 4 mile run yesterday (Tuesday) a miss, I felt that me knee could do with a rest. This morning I added being geographically challenged to my long list of challenges and didn't quite make the 9 miles, instead clocking up 8.2 miles; close enough! The good news is that we ran the 8.2 miles in 1.14, that's a pace of 9:04 and an all time best! The other good news is that it looks like my new insoles are doing the trick; no sign of any knee pain at all, not even a little twinge!! A couple of blisters but it's a bargain price to pay!

Long way round...

Sunday afternoon is not the best time for the longest run of the week and we proved that fact this afternoon as we dragged ourselves around the 12 mile route; it was a killer, a drag, a shoot me now kinda run but we still managed to run the full 12 miles. Not only did we finish but we did it in record time: 12 miles in 1.51. That is a time not to be sniffed at...well, maybe proper runners like Monica have the right to sniff... but not for long, at this rate we may find ourselves in the proper runner category someday soon!

I'm into the final few weeks of preparation for the Cork marathon, and the distances will getting into the really long category. 18 miles next weekend and in 3 weeks it'll be the dreaded 20 miler; that 20 mile run will make or break the marathon!

Last short run of the week...

Another early start, I'm getting used to these! 5 miles later we were surprising relaxed when rounding the last corner, finishing in a mere 46 minutes. It looks like this training is starting to pay off! Looking forward to the 12 mile run this weekend, it should be a walk in the park... oh, let's not tempt fate again.

Swimming lesson #2

Just back from swimming lesson number 2 and I finally managed to breathe with my head out of the water. Towards the end of the lesson I managed to get 1 relatively calm breath in followed a few seconds later by a familiar panicked breath which, combined with a very impressive front crawl, got me half down the length of the pool; a new record! Tonight's new skill was the back stroke; the trick is the look up and kick like hell.

Mid week run

Another early start and 8 miles without any sign of injury, looks like the shoe advice worked!

Early morning & first run of the week...

Up and out early! I'm back in my old Asics and they feel pretty good. No knee trouble until the last 100m when I felt a twinge followed by a sharp pain and had to stop, but I'm putting it down to agitation and swelling from the long run on Sunday. 8 miles tomorrow morning, should be another early start, then week 2 of swimming lessons.

Finally some good news...

After expert self-diagnosis I decided to give the experts a go, it turns out that the problem is not with my IT band after all! My right foot it the root of the problem, specifically the arch or lack of it... After much prodding, poking, twisting and pulling my Physio deduced that the arch support in my trainers is nowhere near adequate. It makes perfect sense; the arch on my right foot begins to ache a mile or so before my left knee begins to ache. It's a huge relief that I haven't damaged my knee or IT band. Looks like we're back on track for Cork!!

Limp, stretch, Hitler and extra miles, but not necessarily in that order...

After resting all week to give my IT band a chance to heal I joined Joe for our long weekend run; 16 miles was on the list this week. After our 15 mile run last week, this week's 16 miles should be a walk in the park! That's what you might call tempting fate!

It started very well; good pace and a lovely route through the Kildare countryside. We agreed to stop every 4 miles to briefly rest and take on water. The first stop was pretty uneventful but somewhere between mile 4 and 8 I started to feel an ache in the arch of my right foot. This was followed by a dull pain in my left knee. We stopped, as scheduled, at 8 miles as I was starting to feel a lot of pressure on my left knee. After much stretching we carried on and almost immediately I knew I was in trouble; the pain was getting worse, I could feel pressure in my left hip and I was developing a limp. We carried on and I gradually fell behind.

The 12 mile stop was breaking point; I was limping and in considerable pain. I hated to do it but I had to throw the towel in and Joe took off to complete the run alone. I cut a rather pathetic figure as I dragged myself up the hill towards Naas, it reminded me of my 3 week stint in the Gaeltacht when I much younger.

The Gaeltacht is an area where only Irish is spoken and during the summer months there are organised residential Irish language courses. There are several Gaeltachts in Ireland; most are located in the western counties (Donegal, Mayo, Galway and Kerry). It wasn't a particularly pleasant or uplifting experience for me; we had to walk everywhere and for a city boy that had less than a mile walk to school walking almost 4 miles to our Gaeltacht College was quite a novelty on the first day. On the second day it was considered a joke and on the 3rd day it was beyond a joke. We had to walk to the college in the morning, walk back home that afternoon, walk back to the college for our evening ceili, and walk back home that night. If you add it up I think you'll find that's a lot of walking. We often hitched to college and met some interesting characters; my heart skips a beat when I think about what could have happened had we been unlucky with a lift.

The priest who appeared to manage the college was a cross between Hitler, my worst nightmare and Hitler. It was clear that he disliked his job, himself and people in general. There was one pivotal event that confirmed his close friendship with the devil. It was a weekday morning and as usual we were faced with a long march to the college with one significant difference; the weather was foul - the wind was blowing a gale and the rainfall was heavy and horizontal. We were unhappy walking several miles to college in fair weather, and we decided that in this foul weather we'd had enough and we were not moving. You could say we were on strike, our house keeper (or Bean an tí) couldn't move us. We were united, dry and wanted to stay that way. Unknown to us we had been betrayed.

The priest had been informed of our strike and was speeding towards our remote house. We heard to screech of tyres outside, we all knew Jim the postman drove at 2 1/2 miles an hour so it couldn't be him. Peering out the window we saw it was the college minibus, we could scarcely believe it... we were saved. The evil priest had a heart after all. He stormed into the house and angrily ordered us outside; we reckoned he must keep up the act of Satins' right hand man to keep us in line so we happily marched outside ready to board the bus. Only when he had us all outside did the terrible truth revel itself as he ordered us to march to the college, into the howling wind and driving rain. As the last boy joined the march of the damned he climbed into the dry, roomy mini-bus and drove slowly behind us... all the way to the college. Happy days!

As Joe ran into the distance I struggled up the hill, I wasn't entirely sure where I was but it turned out to be 3 miles back to town; 3 long, lonely miles with a limp. The funny thing is that I made it back before Joe, we should have travelled the same route and I didn't notice a pair of trainers poking out of a ditch. 10 minutes later he arrives, exhausted. It turns out the planned route would only reach 15 miles, and the plan was to run 16 so he took a slight detour to add a miles. Several wrong turns later he finds a familiar road and in the way home after adding an unexpected few miles. That'll hurt tomorrow!

Meanwhile I'm slowly ceasing up and by the time I get home I can bearly walk on the flat, walking up or down stairs was unbearable and to be avoided at all costs. About an hour later I had decided to hunt down and kill the lunitics that designed my house... all the toilets are upstairs, what were they thinking??

Swimming lesson #1

It's been on my to-do list for many years, and I'm finally taking swimming lessons starting tonight. I really didn't know what to expect, I hadn't been in a pool for many, many years apart from sea survival courses but they don't count (you're wearing a life jacket).

When I got out to the pool area the instructor asked what level I was, I answered honestly "complete beginner". He wanted clarification... "You’ve never been in the water?", I answered "the last time I was in the water I was being dragged out by a life guard" which sent me straight to the bottom of the beginners line. It's a true story, I was on holiday in Spain, near Barcelona, and my sister (Marie), brother-in-law (Alain) and some friends were pottering in the beach; a beach packed with bronzed gorgeous Latin types. And then there was the Irish contingent; lashing on plenty of factor 30 to preserve our bluey white complexion.

I was feeling very confident; I had my snorkel, goggles and a firm seabed within reach. I was having a great time peering into the colourful Mediterranean, every so often my snorkel would fill with water and I'd have to stand up to empty it out. however, there came a point when my luck ran out, I tried to stand up and found to my horror that the sea bed has fallen out of reach, either that or I had shrunk and that was a real possibility considering the amount of time I had been in the sea but it didn't really matter, the fact that I couldn't stand was the critical issue. It took a fraction of a millisecond to appreciate the gravity of the situation, and at that moment gravity was my nemesis. I had a couple of options: relax, lie on my back and float; make for the shore as the sea bed could not be that far away. I did what any sensible non-swimmer would do and panicked. Luckily Alain spotted me as I went under for the 2nd time and sprang into action. The next thing I remember was being dragged from the water like a drowned rat, I knew the chances of me scoring that afternoon were reduced from virtually zero to a definite zero.

Back in the swimming pool I was surprised that I could swim a little, but as soon as the instructor I was promoted to the "can swim a bit" line. It was a great class and learnt the basics of the crawl, or is it the breast stroke. Breathing was a bit of a challenge, it turns out it's better to do it with your head out of the water. Next week is the back stroke! Triathlon here we come...

Iliotibial Band...

...is not one of the more obscure groups in my music collection but, according to my mate Marie, the cause of my recent knee injury. It's a band that runs from the hip to the knee and it's a common injury for professional runners, and I can testify that quite a few rubbish runners get it too. The solution, according to my mate Kerry, is rest for 3 days (I like that), ice (good in a G&T but we can share), and ibuprofen. This is day two of resting; I'll rest it again tomorrow and get back to training on Thursday.

God calling...

Here's another handy hint but it only applies to bikers in Ireland: If you've got a radio built into your motorcycle helmet (which I do) which is not easily controllable with your gloves on (which mine isn't) and your radio station of choice is RTE Radio 1 (which mine is) and you tend to set the volume quite high (which I do) then avoid at all costs travelling anywhere near 6pm because you will instantly have one thing in common with Quasimodo: The Bells... THE BELLS!!

You see in Ireland, RTE (the national broadcaster) transmits the Angelus every evening at 6pm. For those outside the catholic circle, the Angelus is a minute long sound of the Angelus bell, a church bell. I admit, a minute doesn’t sound like a long time but let me assure you that your mind will be quickly changed, challenged and probably crushed if you find yourself hurtling down the M7 at breathtaking speed happily listening to the latest in world affairs when suddenly your crash helmet is replaced by a huge church bell that is rung with gusto for a full minute!! And there's NOTHING you can do about it... ARRRGGGGGGGG.......

This happens to me with alarming frequency... it may explain a lot...

GIR 2008: A long walk back...

Morning broke and, while my knee was not 100%, in my wisdom I decided that I should run the GIR this afternoon. I went through my usual pre-race routine; a monster bowl of porridge, a couple of bananas, lots of water, a frantic search for the car keys (I can never find them when I really need them) and off to the race. My knee felt pretty good in so far as I couldn't feel it which I guessed was a good thing.

I parked in the Phoenix park some 3K from the start line (I thought it was more like 1K but ask anyone that knows me and they'll tell you that I have no concept of distance, I'm one of these "it's just around the corner" or "down the road" people) where I met a steady stream of fellow participants jogging and looking a little worried. I asked one which way to the start line and was inform that it was 3K this way... with 15 mins to the start time. I wasn't overly concerned, I have run this race of a few years now and it has never started on time. But it crossed my mind t hat this year could be different and I adopted the worried look and jogged to the start line.

By the time I got there I was exhausted and a little creaky in the knee dept. Not a good start, but I should have trusted my instincts as the start was delayed by 20 mins. On the plus side I had time to catch my breath and stretch. When the race finally started I found myself a the back of the crowd, I could see a few chickens, batman and a couple of very large, bearded women (I made the assumption that there were men dressed in drag but since the collapse of the iron curtain you never know, they did all kinds of weird experiments on athletes behind that curtain...) so I knew I'd be stuck behind quite a few walkers.

When I crossed the start line I set my watch and sprinted to a halt as I hit a walking wall of middle-aged women, why they have to walk side by side I'll never know. Getting past them I had another half a kilometer of walking walls to scale. I felt a little like Steve McQueen in one of the closing scenes of the Great Escape, although I didn't have half the German army out to kill me.

Anyway, as soon as I started running I felt the pain in my knee and it got progressively worse, hitting a peak at around the 5K mark where my pace plummeted. The last 5K was a painful stretch and it was a real effort to keep going. I crossed the line in a little over 1 hour 3 mins. Not my best but glad to have finished. However once I had crossed the line and had stopped running the pain really hit home. It was a long, long walk back to the car.

Just when I knee-ed you...

This was the first of many long runs myself and my mate Joe are planning in preparation for the Cork marathon; 15 miles in a little over 2 hours 34mins. A really good time for that distance and our pace was pretty constant throughout. I felt pretty good for the entire run but half way I became aware of a dull pain just behind my knee cap. The pain persisted, perhaps increasing slightly but not enough to make consider stopping although there were a few occasions towards the end that I'm sure I would have stopped had I been running on my own.

The last few miles were the hardest but it was a question of mind over matter as it usually is; it never will cease to amaze me how much more you can find in yourself when you're sure your energy is spent. I felt pretty good for an hour or so after the run but then it hit me as I tried to climb the stairs at home. So I did what I knew to be the right thing; ice and rest and the pain slowly ebbed away. Tomorrow is the Great Ireland Run; here’s hoping my knee has recovered by the morning!

Pre-lunch dash

Another pre-lunch run from the office, a little over 4 miles in a little under 39. It felt like an easier run compared to Tuesday's run, looks like it's coming together... Feeling good!!

7 miles in Naas

I'm sticking to the program... 7 miles in 1:07, pretty good pace and felt really good afterwards. 4 miles tomorrow.

Munchies

Just back from a pre-lunchtime run with my mate Joe: 3.59 miles in 33 mins; a respectable pace. One of the obvious downsides of running when you're hungry is how much hungrier you are after the run... I could have eaten a horse and considering I work in Clondalkin it could have been a sticky end to one of the preferred domestic pets in this part of the world!

Luckily we got back to the office before the mega munchies kicked in. The mega munchies are the munchies you get after a night a much beer and little or no food... you'll eat everything in the fridge regardless of what or how old it is.

It was during one of these attacks that I discovered how sensitive the digestive system can be... it was very, very late and I was very, very drunk. I opened the fridge door and there was nothing there... empty, except for 7 onions... "hmmm... I do like fried onions" I thought to myself, but if my brain cells were functioning properly rather than swimming in a bath of alcohol I would have finished that sentence with something like "on a burger" or "with lots of other things..." but eating 7 fried onions is a bad, bad idea. Eating 7 fried onions with a burger or lots of other things would be bad enough, but on their own is beyond a bad idea. When you're inebriated things like bad ideas rarely get in the way and I proceeded to fry up the last residents of my fridge. I'm not going to go into detail but the next few days were not pleasant, I cannot even find the words to describe how unpleasant they were but experience will be forever etched on my brain.

Happy days!

Quadrophenia

Didn't make the 10 mile weekend run, in my defense my quads were killing me... I can't understand it; I thought I had stretched enough after the 4 mile run on Friday morning. Oh well, next on the list is a 3 mile lunchtime run tomorrow from the office.

...yawn...

After a lengthy absence I'm back on track. An early start this morning, up at 6am and out by 6.30. Managed a little over 7 miles in 1.09, a respectable pace. Short 4 mile run tomorrow morning and a long 10 mile run planned for the weekend.

goo goo g'joob...

I'm Just back from another trip to the US and I'm sorry to say that I managed only 1 run during my week over there, consequently I'm feeling very unfit...

The flight over was pretty uneventful, there were plenty of empty seats and critically the one next to me was empty giving me that all important inch of extra leg room. I started reading "Jupiter’s Travels" and the flight (forgive the pun) flew by, it's a great read if you're interested in motorcycles or travel or both.

On my first day I woke very early, just after 4am, but my hotel gym didn't open until 6am. I tried to sleep a little longer but once I'm awake it's virtually impossible to get back to sleep so I checked out early morning TV, checked my mail and did a little work. Finally 6am arrived and I was first through the gym door. I use the word "gym" in its broadest possible context; it was tiny room with a treadmill and bench.

My second day mirrored day one; wide awake at 4am. This time I was beaten to the "gym" but a large man in obvious need of exercise; if you can imagine a walrus struggling to keep up with the treadmill you've got the image that greeted me. Since there was only one treadmill I was out of luck that morning.

On my third day the walrus was back... but I was off to start my vacation; I picked up a car from the airport and headed north towards Pennsylvania and eventually Harrisburg. From there I headed east to Philadelphia and then back to DC for the last 2 days.

The flight home was again uneventful but it could have been different... I was one the last passengers to board and when I arrived at my seat there was a very, very large man sitting next to me. Well, he was half the height of a normal man but three times the width, not ideal dimensions for flight neighbour. He reminded me my nemesis; the treadmill hogging walrus! Not the kindest description but the one that sprang to mind. Lucky for me the flight was not full and there were plenty of empty seats. My neighbour suggested that he move to an empty row before the plane takes off, a suggestion I fully endorsed and actively encouraged, and we're back with that all important inch of extra leg room.

Cock-A-Doodle-OH MY GOD, what and I Doing!!

I just couldn't stay awake last night and finally gave in at 9pm. Had a great sleep and woke up at 4am this morning and decided to get up and get out for a run. I had planned on a 5 mile run (as per schedule) but felt good at 2.5 miles so I kept going to the 3 mile mark before turning around.

I have to say it's a great time to be out running, especially if you're running in a town or city; there are no cars or pedestrians to worry about. I'm going to turn this jetlag into a good thing and try to make getting up REALLY early a routine.

"Hey, where's Lois, Superman?"

...a bum shouted as he caught sight of my bright blue Superman t-shirt while walking through what turned out to be a pretty dodgy part of downtown San Francisco. In that city dodgy can mean all kinds of things; fortunately they're usually friendly, laid back, a little odd but in a good way. I had a plan to run across the Golden Gate bridge but a quick look at the map threw up a proximity issue... our hotel was miles away.

My training did lapse somewhat but I did make fairly good use of the hotel gym; well, I was wide awake at 5.30am every morning which was far too early for Lori's full American breakfast, enough to feed the S-man himself, which explains why everything fits a little more snugly now that I'm back.

The most I could manage on the treadmill was a pretty rubbish 3 miles, but as Joe pointed out if you keep going you find a whole lot more just when you thought you were spent; tell that to my credit card people!

Breathless in Brussels (01:02:48)

28th HIVERNALES DU RACING CLUB DE BRUXELLES avec l’aide précieuse de INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BRUSSELS

How pathetic is this... it's February and I have only managed one single, solitary run this year!! Having said that I do have some pretty good excuses; the elbow episode, Christmas (although strictly speaking it happened last year the effects were felt well into the new year), and it's bloody freezing outside!

The first run of 2008 was a forest race in Boitsfort, Brussels (http://docs.google.com/View?docid=df4hv48w_12htbrn7), and my first European run (the GNR doesn’t count; perhaps when they ditch the pound we'll reconsider...).

It was bitterly cold but spirits were high, unfortunately so were the hills! I thought it was a tough race with a variety of surfaces, oh and those hills... but I thoroughly enjoyed it! I crossed the line in 01:02:48, and I'm very happy with that! Here's a map of the route, if it displayed contours there would be so many that they would merge into one... honestly!!

I was running with Alain... well, we started together as he is what you might call a proper runner! We patiently waited at the start line and then, when the starting gun fired, he was gone... leaving behind a cartoon-like trail of dust in his wake. We started at the enterence to the college, on the edge of the forest. The route took us through the village and looped around to bring us back to the college, up the first of many hills and into the forest. That first hill was a bit of a shock; it was steep, long and very close to the start but it gave me a taste for things to come.

Reasons to be cheerful...

Two creamy pints and a lift home!

Ryan's recovery station!

It wasn't my idea, but these tinkers had one of their own!

Mostly armless...

Training has taken a severe blow having recently experienced a senior moment leaving me with 7 stitches on my elbow (which I can no longer bend until it heals) and more bruises than you could shake a stick at... on the upside there are frequent comedy moments, usually when eating or dressing.

Not sure about the 5 mile run this weekend. The stitches are due to be removed this Friday, I guess all will be revealed then... well not not all I hope!!

New year, old legs...

Oscar Wilde once said "Good resolutions are simply cheques that men draw on a bank where they have no account". He has a point; so far this year I've managed to polish off a mid-week bottle of wine, exceeded the 5 latte daily allowance, get to day 8 without running once and not shave every day. On the up side I have... um... well, we have an entire year to get it right!!

I have to decide which marathon to run in the first part of this year; Belfast or Cork. A Corkonian I used to work with reckons Cork would be far better, for one it's a little later than Belfast (June rather than May) and (for another) it's a little flatter. It'll be training run for the Dublin marathon in October where I'd like to beat 4.30 so perhaps Cork would make more sense, we'll see!

I'm off to fetcheveryone to start planning!

Aware 10K

57.25... that's under an hour and that's all we need to know!

Jingle Bells 5K

First run since the marathon, including training, and it showed in my 27 minute time!! I had hoped to do a lot better but if you don't put in the time...

Proof of the pain!!

The photos are in and get a load of this look... a combination of pain, relief, disbelief & never again will I do something as stupid as this!!

What followed was a creamy pint, a healthy tuna sanger and thoughts turned to maybe I COULD do it again!!! ...SOOOO I've signed up for Dublin 2008! At least I've got an easy personal best to beat!!

Dublin City Marathon: 05:29:04

A marathon... it really is such a long way, much more that my legs were expecting!!

I felt really good at mile 14 which is hardly surprising as the longest I had ran during training was a 1/2 marathon. I was following my “take it easy and save it for later” strategy which seemed to be working (running an average of 11.5 minute miles).

BUT I had no idea what would happen after 14 miles and it wasn’t long before I realized that all was not well despite my carb loading diet leading up to the race and regular consumption of carb rich gel packs during the race; my legs were just not willing to do what they were told and as the miles went on they became less and less interested.

By mile 22 they had met with their union and were threatening to go on strike unless this ridiculous exercise ceased, I managed to keep them going for another mile or so but they finally had enough somewhere near mile 24 and we were walking for the next 2 miles.

It wasn’t until we got back into the city that their ego took over and responded the cheering crowds that lined the streets along the final stretch.

Crossing the line was an awesome experience, it somehow made up for the pain.

Great North Run: 02:26:52

Fantastic weekend, great day and a pretty good time of 02:26:52... I managed to run the entire length of the course although the last couple of miles were a real struggle, so much so that some walkers were passing me by. It really was a brilliant experience; the atmosphere was fantastic and the entire route was lined with cheering spectators which made the run so enjoyable.

Roll on the Dublin city marathon in 3 weeks!!!!!

Dublin 1/2 Marathon: 02:22:34

It was a real worry... I wasn't sure if I could run the course as I hadn't been training for the last few weeks through injury and sheer laziness... but as soon as I started I realised that it would be fine. The first 9 miles went well; I managed to keep a good pace and enjoyed the run. After mile 9 it quickly turned, by mile 11 I was ready to drop and had to walk for the first time but it did the trick and I was back running well into mile 12, crossing the line in a fantastic (in my opinion) time of 02:22:34.

It's seems obvious now...

...but try to avoid sneezing when riding home on your motorcycle, especially if the visor's down. Enough said?

GNR thought...

I’m really looking forward to the Great North Run in Newcastle, even if my training schedule doesn’t reflect my enthusiasm… I’m not going to push it too hard during the Dublin ½ marathon (the previous week), I’ll be sticking to my 3 mile run, short walk, 3 mile run (ditto until the finish line) strategy, what can go wrong… just thought of one thing that could go wrong but what are the chances of a grand piano falling from a high rise?

Washout weekend...

OK, pretty rubbish weekend of running, in a word... none! Tuesday AM is the next on the list: 4 miles, then 8 and another 4 before a 10 miler at the weekend!

Ouchious Maximious

A little disappointing this morning... got out early (good start) but started to feel a little achy in my left foot early on. I thought I could run through it but got worse. After almost 3 miles I had to stop and walk the rest of the way. Will ice and rest tomorrow, see how we go. Can't afford to get injured now, especially as time is ticking away for the marathon... less than 7 weeks to go!!

5.6 miles later... feeling good

I was supposed to run 4 miles this morning, but due to my amazingly retarded navigation skills I managed to clock up 5.6 miles. A pleasant surprise and, considering I was out at 6am (that's long before dawn) I felt pretty good afterwards.

OK, back on track

It's been a while but we're back on track... Ran my 4 mile last night in a reasonable 42mins. 7 miles tonight...

OMG

Took the ol' legs out for a run last night after a lengthy rest... now officially worried! Only 2 weeks to the 10 mile adidas run, that's gonna hurt!

Adidas 5 mile

50:57... really happy with this time, and it's looking good for the 10 mile run in 3 weeks.

Achill 1/2 Marathon!!

2:39:45! A respectable time... seriously, it is! My first 1/2 marathon and what an event!! We started and finished on the sandy beach of Keel. It was a glorious day... looking forward to doing it again next year!

Shinsplints... my achilles heel

Went for my scheduled 7K run last night and was forced to stop after only 20 minutes... my lower legs were killing me! Later on I learn that I've got shin splints, not uncommon but bloody sore. I need to take it easy for a while, this means no running until my sports therapist gives the all clear. Normally I say "yeah! TV and beer all 'round" but now that I'm really quite serious about getting into marathon distance shape I'm a little gutted. Never mind, I can cycle to continue building my fitness levels. Other than that all's well!

Consistancy in a world gone mad...

Good new is that I finally got my ass into gear and ran tonight... bad news is that I'm not getting any faster... consistancy is not something I need right now. That damn pensioner passed my twice again tonight. Tonights tally: 8.60km in 00:56:18. Golf tomorrow, I've put that down as cross training. Then another 8.6K on Thursday.

"Good things come to those who wait"...

...is relevant in most cases but not here I'm afraid. Familiar story... missed a day here and there, & there and here, unfortunately they were in series adding up to 4 days sans running. But I did get out this morning (very early) and managed 5.79K in 00:36:43, not completely rubbish but I'm getting there.

I've planned a recovery week ahead: Slow running all week; 6.5K Monday, then 3K Tuesday, 6.5K Wednesday, and finally 6.5 K Thursday. Cycle Friday, rest on Saturday and then a 5K race on Sunday. If I can do the 5K race in under 30mins I'll be happy, really happy!!

I did pass the same pensioner twice during my run, overtook would be more accurate... he over took me would be even more accurate. I have convinced myself that he was running a totally different route; a much shorter, less hilly route and he probably used his bus pass to cheat.

Stick to the program!!

It's been four days since I last ran but I'm back and I can feel it... Managed 3.75 miles (about 6K) but it was a real struggle, I had to walk a little at the middle bit... to the end bit. Yes it was another valient effort but nature did bite back and said "NO... you're just not fit enough to sprint around the park, we'll stop you here and you can walk the rest of the way" as my legs felt as if they had picked up a couple of hitchikers. It's a weird feeling, you've got to ignore the temptation to stop (and it's really tempting) because you will pass through a barrier & there it is... your second wind!

Oh, did I mention that my time was 42 mins.? And yes, that is crap... and yes I am getting slower...

The lesson today is: Stick to the program!! Don't misss a run, if you do then make up for it the VERY NEXT DAY!! Otherwise it's hitchiker time, and those guys hang on!

60 Days to go...

Just arrived into work and I have just realised that my running gear is still in my kitchen... many, many miles away. That may sound like a pathetic excuse but I assure you it was completely accidental...

UPDATE: Crap... didn't get out, that's 4 days in a row!!

Holiday Monday... do I have to??

You know, I really wanted to get out and run today but spent the entire day gardening instead. On the plus side the garden looks great!! It's been 3 days since I ran, must get act together tomorrow... Oh! There's that word again!! Annie, eat your heart out!!

Good thing about tommorow...

How pathetic is this.... missed my "tomorrow" run yet again, but the good this about tomorrow is that there's one just around the corner!!

Sad but true...

Missed my run today... supposed to be a massive 6K, let's try again tomorrow...

OOOUUUUUUCCCCHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Managed 2.5 miles, but boy was it sore when I finished... Turns out it was to do with the orientation of my foot; for some reason I was running with my foot leaning slightly inward which was putting a little strain on one of my lower leg muscles. 6K tomorrow, hopefully sans ouch!!

Ouch!

Managed 6K tonight, tough going! Really had to work hard to complete the last 3K. I'm putting it down to the fact that I had 2 rest days in a row. 3K tomorrow night and 6K on Saturday, then a massive 8K on Sunday!!

...need to massage my schedule... again...

Missed my run tonight, I had a 2hr. motorbike lesson and I was in no fit state to run after that terrifying experience. So once again my schedule has to be pushed ahead by a day, no big deal.

...amazing what you find when you look!!

Having utilised the measurement tool from map24.com, it turns out that my earlier distances were a little... emmm... optimistic. What I thought was 3K was in fact 2.7K, not a huge difference so I'm not beating myself up about it.

Tonight was a long run... 4.24 miles or almost 8K. I was REALLY tired after 6K and sooooo wanted to stop but I had to stick to the plan. It's amazing what you can find when you really want to go a little further. My time was 42mins. My pace was a little slower than previous, shorter runs but I'm really working on distance right now; time can wait a little longer!!

My mate Kerry wondered if I got an email invitation to the 2008 London Marathon from fetcheveryone.com... I didn't get one!! I reckon she's on a special list... whereas I'm just listed as special...

Day off tomorrow... then running on Wed, Thurs and Fri . Off on Saturday and a big run on Sunday!! Only 67 days to the Achill 1/2 Marathon!! Yikes!

I wonder when I will feel less like a waddling walrus and more like a sprinting athlete... I'm still getting sympathy looks from passers by! You know that type... "Ah.. bless, keep going, you'll get there..."

Damn that sun...

OK, plans have temporally changed... unfortunately this weekend was so sunny & warm & nice that I just couldn't muster up the energy or desire to run around the Curragh for 8K! So, as I cracked open another beer, I decided to postpone my Sunday long run to Monday; to many that may sound like an excuse but to me it's a sensible solution to a difficult situation. While everything has been pushed forward by one day this week I'm not skipping any sessions, back to normal next week!!

Finish line

Having a well deserted pint.

I have to admit it's getting better...

Just ran 6K in the same time (33 minutes) as last night but with much less pain... now that is progress. Day off tomorrow, cross training on Saturday (probably an hour cycle) and then a massive 8K run on Sunday to complete my first week of training!!

It starts NOW!!

OK, I've got it all worked out! 11 weeks of training ahead, culminating with the Achill 1/2 marathon in July... I'm aiming for a time of no more than 2 hrs.

Tonight I ran an impressive 6K in 33 minutes! Well I'm impressed. Same again tomorrow night.

These used to work...

Started my Achill 1/2 marathon training plan tonight! I had planned to run 6K but my legs had other ideas, after 3K they decided they'd had enough and as I'm an accomodating kind of guy I let them take the rest of the evening off.

GIR 2007...

Finished in a little over 1.08... DAMN & BLAST IT!! I wanted to break the hour but it wasn't to be... 'till next time!!

Andrew

Work

Rougher than a badgers arse...

The person who introduced me to the term "rougher than a badgers arse" has just talked me into entering the GNR 2007 ballot. If I win I'll be very, very upset... especially now that I've heard the marathon horror story, it's too grim to repeat here but let me assure you that it's put me right off running a marathon. I must ask her how she knows how rough a badgers arse is...

This is the first of many entries, I'm on a mission! The Great Ireland Run and the Achill Half Marathon, both in April this year. And, if luck fails, the GNR in October. I plan to transform myself from an aging tub of lard to and aging tub of low-fat marg.

Dublin Port Tunnel Run 2006

Finished in (an unofficial) 1.05!! Almost ran all the way, just couldn't manage the last uphill K. Strange running in a tunnel; loud & no weather, and nowhere to go if you're caught short!!

...now that I think about it...

Just had a moment of clarity... forget my previous posting, it's just not going to happen!

...just checkin' in

Been very lazy... but tomorrow is the start of next challange, actually set of challanges, 3 runs coming up in July, August and September: 5 miles, 10 miles and half marathon respectively.

...getting back on track

After all my GREAT intensions I haven't put on a pair of trainers, let alone ran, since the GIR in April.

GIR 2006

Finished in 1:12:19!!! And yes, it hurts!

Has it been that long??

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last went running... and I was crap then, can you imagine how I'd fair now?? At least it'll give passers by something to giggle at and tell the folks back home.All joking aside, it's about 3 weeks to the big event and I'm getting worried. I spent last week in Madrid, eating, drinking, sightseeing, drinking, eating and drinking; in that order, several times a day. I've also put on a little weight, I'm up to 91KG but that could be down to my new weighing scales and the well-known increases in gravity at this time of year.'Till next time!!

...tired... so tired...

The title says it all, my poor legs decided that they'd had enough... I managed to cover almost 3K before I had to turn around, my legs were tired and I became incredible hungry?? I felt like I hadn't eaten in weeks! I had skipped lunch so I guess my body had decided to teach me a lesson... I turned around and tried a few sprints but it hurt, really hurt.... walking through the town I passed by several fast-food outlets, thanks god I didn't have any money!!

Friday Night... 75mins

I managed to shake off my two hitchikers early on tonight, no improvemnt on time, 'till next time...

Sunday Night... 75mins

As I have to shave off a huge 35 minutes I decided to start running sooner rather than walking the first Kilometre, BIG MISTAKE!! I quickly felt like two kids were hanging onto my legs, and they were getting heavier and heavier... after about 1K I had to stop running, and after walking for another .5K I had to stop, feeling rather pathetic I sat on a garden wall while my legs came back to life. After a couple of minutes I had shaken off my two hitchhikers and started briskly walking again, this is what I should have done in the first place.Feeling pretty good after another Kilometre or so I started running and it felt pretty good, tiring but good. The more I ran the harder it got but at one stage I hit the pain barrier and got through it!! So that was me for the next Kilometre or so when I had to walk, it wasn't long before reached the 5K mark and time to turn around for the return journey. 40 minutes had passed which meant the a similar effort would get me in at 80 mins.

The return journey was much easier, running most of the way and making up 5 minutes on route. The final lap time was 75 minutes, outstanding (by my standards) but a whopping 25 minutes over my target time.Next outing is on Tuesday night! Here's looking at another timely shave!!

Tuesday Night... 85mins

Just back from my run, well walk with some runny bits. At any rate I'm doing 10K in 85 minutes, I know that's a whopping 35 minutes over my target but it's my best yet!

I'm back on track...

Yes, I have finally dragged myself off the couch, Wednesday night marked the first day of my comeback! I'm easing myself back into the swing of things. Some might say an athlete of my standard needn't worry about pushing it too early, they are lying of course! An athlete of my standard needs to be pushed before it's too late...

Indian, Chinese or jog...

OK, you can rule out the third option! This is my week of post Christmas recovery, it's not just an excuse... it's a poor excuse but it's all I've got.

...easy does it!

I've decided that rushing into training so soon after Christmas would be a mistake, the prudent approach is to really think hard about it this week and start next week.

03/01: ...post-Christmas pre-Schedule present-Optimism...

...that about sums it up! Well, it's the beginning of a new year and there's a little over 3 months to the 10K run in Dublin!! Where has the time gone, only 3 months!! BUT, I have plans! Number one can't fail, it's a 6 week plan that we have me running 5K non-stop. Assuming I succeed, I'll move onto plan #2, another 6 week plan that will have me running 10K (hopefully non-stop). First instalment is tonight!

The rocky road ahead... just gets rockier

Getting there was never in doubt, is not in doubt, however my timetable has had to be modified somewhat, some might say stretched. Yes you've guessed, I've had a serious relaplse, I haven't ventured out to run for, oh, 3 weeks and it's coming up to Christmas! That is significant, Christmas that is, for this is a time of induldgence and excess. Now, I don't make the rules, they say rules are made to be broken but until I find out who "they" are I can't possibly that it seriously, can I?

... a touch of deja vous

I'm beginning to sound like a broken record... yes, you've guessed it, something came up and... you know the rest. BUT, tonight is the night! the night! the night! scratch!!!

...it was worth it at the time!

Tragedy last night! After my 5th creamy pint of Guinness I realised I had no chance of running anywhere other than back to the bar. Yet again, tonight is the night!

I'm not one for excuses but...

Well, it's almost 11pm and I've just finished working out how little money I have, is it too late to go out for a run? My heart says yes, and every other organ agrees, and as a supporter of democracy I feel compelled to bow to the wishes of the majority. OK, a pretty pathetic excuse, but it is very late don't you think?

That was a particularly cold winters night...

Well, I didn't manage to go for a run last night, it was Monday after all and I felt that I had achieved so much that day (i.e. getting up and going to work) that I deserved a little rest. However, tonight will be a different story let me assure you, 10K here I come!!

It all began on a cold winters night...

This is the first day of my Marathon training!! Now, we are looking at a seriously long term plan here, let's not deny it! I've broken it down into achievable goals, starting with tying my own shoe laces (done) and moving onto getting out into the cold winter evening... (almost done).

Seriously though, I have just committed to running a 10K mini-mini marathon in Dublin next year (April 10th I think), and looking forward I plan to participate in the Great North Run in Newcastle next October, that's 20K, significantly more that I can walk right now, luckily I have almost a year to prepare, unluckily I tend to procrastinate and will probably start training the night before. I may need help!Here's my plan: I've got a 10K circuit around my town that I both walk and jog, initially jogging was literally painful, but it's getting better, slowly but surely...

I'm up to jogging 5K and walking 5K, that's about 1hr 15 to complete, my target is 50mins, that may be a little optimistic but I do have until April next year.'Till next time!