Marathon II

Ok, well I've signed up for another marathon, this time it's only 5 months until I toe the line in the Medibank Melbourne Marathon. I'm hoping that the foundation of a couple of years of running will make the start of my training not quite as slow and difficult as it was the first time around.

Overall the Melbourne marathon will be more challenging than the VLM in 2011. Firstly, I'll be doing it alone. Last time I had the support of Jess running along side me the whole way, helping to distract me from my own thoughts and entertain with conversation. The nutritional side of things will not be easy either, because as it stands my organisation in matters of food preparation and forward thinking are slack at best. Finally, my body is always waiting to deliver little surprises like calf injuries, and I will need to manage this closely otherwise the marathon thing may just be finished before it begins.

These challenges are precisely why I've chosen to do it though. My nutrition needs to improve, I need a goal to motivate my running and I want to test my own mental resilience whe it comes to sticking with the training for the next 16 weeks or so. I will be looking to better my time from the VLM because I need to feel like I'm moving the challenge forward, but at the same time, it's not my focus. The course is a lot more difficult too. A long stint along the esplanade past St Kilda and Elwood which generally delivers a tasty head wind and is quite exposed to the weather. Then if that isn't bad enough, at the 30km mark I'll need to run up hill towards the finish line. The finish line will be inside the MCG which will be cool but it's highlymprobable that by that stage I won't care too much where the finish line is.

So, the journey has begun and I'm prepared to bore everyone with my running anecdotes. Luckily for everyone, there's no fundraising, no £2000 targets. So, happy days!

http://www.melbournemarathon.com.au/
B

Sri Chinmoy 15K

The preparation for this race was less than ideal for both Jess and I. Inconsistent and a few niggles here and there. Plus, the motivation (as mentioned in previous entries) has been less than inspiring. Nonetheless, we were looking forward to a competitive run, or at least a run where we would be chip timed and with other runners. We rocked up to Princes Park at about 7:30 on a Sunday, which was an effort to begin with, and as usual measured up our competition. This wasn't such a good idea as it didn't take long for us to realise that our company were considerably fitter looking than us. While the aim for this race was never about time or where we placed, it's still bit of a psych out before the starters gun knowing there is every chance you will be at the tail end of the field.

A modified course of 16K was always going to be a challenging distance as both of us haven't run that far since the Marathon a year ago, so we planned to adopt a run/walk strategy to ensure we didn't collapse in a heap at the end of the run. 5 Laps of the 3km and a bit course and a pancake breakfast as an incentive to finish were the order of the day and it began, at 8:00am on the money.

Starting 3/4 of the way down the pack and no sooner did we set off, we were promptly overtaken by the majority of the field. Still, we started at a nice pace and weren't in any hurry, so we were happy. Lap 1 of 5 was not bad and we moved through the starting gate and on to the first 5km in 30:58. Jess was starting to get a little uncomfortable with lethargic legs and it was about time to walk for a bit. The run/walk approach was helping us to cope with the distance and because Jess' frame of mind was a little impaired by her discomfort, it made for a more pleasant experience - and I didn't even get shitty because we were walking!

1:05:17 for the 10K mark and the sunny morning was making it a nice return to running in a competition. The other runners were getting fewer and further between and our pace was slowing slightly. The two supporters/ course marshals were still standing there clapping away. One of the ladies had a particularly high pitched clap, which was marginally annoying, but she was there where no one else was, so good on her.

The finish line was nearly in sight and one the last lap we certainly felt as though we were the last runners from the race on the course. There were families out and about and personal trainers running through their exercises in the park and with each passing of the race registration area, the crowd was getting thinner and thinner. They had obviously had their pancakes and pissed off home. We eventually completed the course of 15.93km in 1:46:33, grabbed our half cooked pancake and banana and drove back home. The race was run well before we trotted across the line, but our run was satisfying and we had accomplished what we set out to do. Run a long run with the incentive of a race atmosphere. I think we'll do that again, but with a field that is perhaps more suited to our ability.

B

Right, lets try that again...

After a good solid couple of months of running through January and February my running has slipped considerably. I could think of a number of excuses such as hot weather, family visits to Melbourne, social events and busy work; but at the end of the day, I've been lazy, and now it's time to change the attitude. Today marks the end of this lazy behaviour and from now on, the running is going to be more frequent and more consistent. I don't necessarily have any distance targets at this stage as it's more about re-establishing better habits and a routine that I can maintain. So here are my targets for the next month...

1. Run at least 3 times a week
2. Try early morning runs to school
3. Cut unnecessary sugar from my diet

These are three things that should be manageable while at the same time, provide an adequate challenge for me, because at the moment my motivation and consistency is poor at best.

There will of course be an additional target for me to maintain, and that's a training diary ie. this blog. I need to publish my results on the blog as a way of monitoring my performance as well as being accountable for my targets. They may not be interesting or long notes but they will show me (on reflection) how my training is progressing and identify the obstacles and problems that crop up along the way.

B

Jantastic, Febulous Running Longer and Harder

With a new place to run and a new found energy, the running routine is slowly kicking back into gear. The is largely due to Marathon Talk's Spring Motivation - Jantastic. I've set my goal as being a minimum 3 runs per week, and at present I've stayed true to that commitment; with my longest runs being 10km.

Prior to the new year, the running had been slackening off considerably. Still managing to get out there for a run, I/we (Jess included) were only jogging when we felt like it or when circumstances allowed. This was due to the fact that we were moving, catching up with friends, trying to organise employment and driving head long into the festive season.

After coming back from the UK we focused on getting our lives in order rather than running; which is healthy I suppose, helps to feed the hunger again. Having said this, I was hoping that the resting period would be quicker, but I can't very well complain, the injuries have dried up for the moment.

So now I'm running more than I have for months and coupled with some regular situps, and occasional push ups, it should start to have a positive effect on my weight and general fitness. The next month - Febulous, will require me to run the minimum 3 runs per week but also nominate the distance of my longest run for the week. So for the four weeks in Feb, the plan will look like this.

Week 1: 7 miles
Week 2: 8 miles
Week 3: 9 miles
Week 4: 11 miles

Now with a bit of luck and management, I should be able to bank those long runs without injury or illness. My diet is improving and the nutrition of running is going to become more important. So onwards and upwards, and Febulous here I come!

B

Inspiration? Yes Please!

Following the brutal and punishing London Marathon, Jess and I were interviewed by Martin Yelling for Running Fitness Magazine UK. The luxury of answering Martin's questions via email was quite good as the idea that we were inspiring runners sounded a bit rich, considering we rely so heavily on inspiration ourselves to run. After all we are only hobbie runners, not seasoned running club fanatics (although there is a possibility in the future).

The previous blog gives a detailed description of the content of the interview but the real article is fantastic and it was great to see ourselves in a running magazine - ridiculous! Bertie our wonderful housemate agreed to be the inspired one and also featured in the article as she plans to run the Marathon next year for Oxfam as well, hopefully the response is positive and soon.

We've been running with her a couple of times and have enjoyed the extra person to push us along. The housemates at Museum St are all keen on a bit of fitness. We could easily start a running club of our own - see that potential fanatic is showing itself.

In other news, injuries are becoming a regular part of my training, nothing as debilitating as the calf strain that knocked me out for 4 weeks, but it's turned me into a regular bore with my fellow running friends at school. Having said that, they talk about it just as much as I do.

Injury Status

Knee - Frequent pain when running, probably needs another arthoscopy

Unspoken area - Chafe town

Miles 17- 26.2: Pain is Temporary, Glory is Forever

Bang! That would be a wall we just ran into at about the 19/ 20 mile mark. It didn’t hurt too much but it did mean that our pace dropped and we needed some walking breaks to keep as fresh as possible for our big finish along the embankment. The shade provided by the buildings of Canary Wharf were a welcome relief from the sun, but despite all this it was a struggle moving the body through this part of the course. Thankfully we had support from Marianne and Steve from the BBC and they provided some sweets for us, even though we were a bit shaky on the legs and looking a bit like death. This was also part of the course where the Marathon Talk presenters Tom Williams and Martin Yelling were with their motivation station. As a big fan of their podcasts, and a contributor to one of Martin’s podcasts for the marathon, I felt obligated to at least show my appreciation by giving Martin a high five as he shouted out our names to give us a bit of a boost. It worked.. For a mile or so. Even with short walking breaks scattered through the last 6 miles, it was tough, but quite amazing. The promise of a lively Embankment motivated us as we headed at last, in the right direction towards the finish line. Encouraged all the way and pushed along by the spirit of other runners and the spectators, it all began to get a little weird. The urge to be sick was now well and truly upon the both of us and suddenly the crowds began to provide more of a white noise, indiscriminate and distracting. It was hard to focus; at a time when we needed all the focus we could muster. Jess had long since put her headphones in to zone out as we had done on many long runs, but it was hard. I tried to use the crowd and the noise to motivate me, but we both found it increasingly difficult as our bodies screamed louder than the spectators. Ducking under the underpasses on Upper Thames Street was not helping either. Orange lights illuminated the runners, some lining up for urinals, some not bothering with such airs and graces (just urinating on the underpass walls – no one cared anymore. It was now about surviving the last leg of this epic run, even if it meant exposing yourself in public. To be honest, we couldn’t really see straight anyway, not a clue. Finally we emerged from another dimly lit underpass to the bright light and heat of day and we were on the embankment. A mental push was required and the embankment provided a great deal of colour and encouragement. With hip flexors aching, feet now sore, quads numb and tired, good running posture left somewhere in Canary Wharf, we pushed our bodies to the absolute limit to run the length of the Embankment. The trees, now with the new leaves of spring provided some respite from the sun and we tried hard to maintain forward movement. A burst of adrenaline came when we saw a group of people from Norwood Green, headed by Lisa Price on lookout, nearing the 25 mile marker. Jess and I managed to muster the strength to at least look good and give a celebratory high five as we passed – the truth was is that we were nearly spent. Now on the final stretch of our journey as we chucked a right hand turn onto Birdcage Walk at the big clock at Westminster. We were and relishing (and swearing at) the diminishing mile/ yard markers until we turned the corner onto the Mall. With every footstep we knew that we were getting closer to achieving the goal that we had set out to reach 12 months before. We had long forgotten about times, pacing and how we looked; it was all about getting to that finish line together. We began the training and months of preparation as a way of making our relationship stronger, boosting the quality of our time together as well as the quantity. Both of us made sacrifices in the process of this, and now the benefits of all that hard work, teamwork and mental strength and character were paying off. With a cheeky wave at Ma’am in her palace we dug deep for the last time. I’m not afraid to say that we were extremely proud of each other as we ran the last hundred meters to cross the line in 5hrs 15min. Making sure that we smiled for the finishing photo we made our way over the mini bridge where the volunteers remove the timing chip from the laces. Legs immediately stiffened and the both of us were walking like John Wayne. With a medal now around the neck, goodie bag in hand and a big fat smile on our faces, we walked to collect our kit bags and rest our now useless legs. A man with a sign caught our attention in the last 600 meters of the run that helped us find the energy for the final stretch, and I think it sums up what we did nicely. ‘Pain is temporary, Glory is forever’. We hurt, we staggered, but we achieved it and we did it together - couldn’t ask for more.

The First Half: Miles 1-17

There it was, the big red archway signifying the start of our last 26 miles in a year’s worth of preparation. Once past the start line, 25 minutes after the leaders set off, we set a steady pace in the 11 min/mile range which we had targeted as our comfortable and sustainable pace for the duration of the distance. We had managed to control our excitement as we passed the first of many punters lining the streets shouting their support. With the experts voices ringing in our ears, ‘don’t set off to quick, the first half is just transport for the second half’ we just enjoyed the atmosphere, knocking off the miles comfortably, looking eagerly for friends on the sidelines. The spectators were amazing and it took the first mile to get used to them calling our names. What was nice is that they called both our names together, as if recognising that we were running together – Ahhh how sweet! The course is slightly up and down but by no means hilly, infact most of it is downhill I’m sure. In this section of the course we passed perhaps one of the more insane runners. He was running with a washing machine on his back and was already breaking into a sweat with a beetroot red face. Poor bugger must have been regretting the decision/bet to carry that hunk of junk around the course already. We also ran past a number of pubs and lunatics with microphones. One place had decked itself out in a haunted house style with black bunting across the road and a big grey brick wall backdrop drapped over the building – fantastic. This 6 mile stretch was like the best long run we had ever done. The forecast was for a warm day of about 19 degrees but it soon felt like 25 as we made our way back towards Greenwich in the direct sunlight, water being consumed and discarded in equal measure. We still felt comfortable though and as we ran through Greenwich near the Cutty Sark (a boat) the crowds intensified and the goose bumps were occurring on a regular basis all the way to the 10 mile mark. With the anticipation of Tower Bridge only about 2 miles away and the thought of seeing familiar faces in the crowd, we were spurred on despite the continued sun exposure. Between miles 10 and 11 we were woken from our running haze by shouts from the sidelines that were just a bit louder than the aforementioned anonymous cheers. It was none other than Bertie and her friend Mel! They were vigorously waving their flags and shouting their support to all the runners that passed them by – but we got a particularly loud cheer, naturally... So far so good and it was now getting to the business end of the marathon. We knew that we had a lot of running to do and would need to conserve energy for the second half, and I was already beginning to feel a bit of fatigue in my hip flexors and a slight rub in my left shoe; but these weren’t too serious and we pressed on.

Mile 12 and as we rounded the right hander at this point we were met with the sight of Tower Bridge. The crowd was 3-4 deep on the side of the road and each charity had a dedicated section of the footpath to use as their cheering station. The atmosphere was electric and the colour was amazing. On this perfect spring day, London looked at its best and with the added excitement from the crowd, you just had to soak it all in because there would never be another opportunity for this sight again, absolutely magic. To this point we maintained a very steady pace and after waving to Jenny and Daniel Willets on the run off the bridge we were looking strong as we began running into the Isle of Dogs. Half way though and given the boost from the huge crowd and the festival atmosphere on Tower Bridge we drudged on into the Isle of Dogs. This is where the course doubles back on itself and we could see all the club runners making their way towards the Embankment. The crowds were big on both sides here too and with additional bands and music coming from the middle of the road as well as the sides, the atmosphere here was as intense as ever. More gels, water and lucozade consumed and wistfully thrown to the side the signs of fatigue were beginning to show themselves. The smell of bricks and mortar as we wound our way through the quieter streets between miles 14 and 16 was becoming more prominent and as the heat also stepped it up a level a walk break beckoned - and we obliged. Instantly, our legs felt like jelly. This was new territory for both of us, as this hadn’t happened on our long runs in training, so naturally we ignored it and pressed on, albeit slightly daunted of the task that lay ahead. The 16 mile mark was somewhat of a psychological breakthrough and barrier in that it was my longest run in training before my calf injury, so anything beyond this point was to be my longest run ever. Running through Millwall was, it has to be said, rather boring. Especially compared to what we had just witnessed only a few miles back. This was hot, hard and beginning to test the stamina. Still on the bright side, only 10 miles to go... What is that smell of brick I occasionally get a whiff of?