Month: February 2010

Here we are again, another Saturday, another big run. So after the dehydration episode of last week I prepared well this time. Well, I say that, did have to watch Wales get beaten by France – so had half dozen beers, but, I also gulped down three pints of water before bed. This meant I was up half the night tho. Then this morning up at 6:30 and another three pints down my neck.

Well started the run and was off like a whippet, for the first 6 miles I had to stop at every lamppost for a wizz!… I also took two bottles of water which was a pain, but useful later – After 7 boring miles I pretended they were guns and shot a load of birds.

The run was hard, no question. I did think it would be that much easier this week, but it wasn’t, it was still so very very hard. Fifteen miles again, and over the first four or so I was shattered, but it got slightly better, but at around 9 miles in my feet started aching again. That’s not good. After 11 miles I have to turn away from home and my legs, and knees were very painful. Each steps actually physically hurts, it doesn’t really seem to be tiredness that is bad, its actually pain.

Managed to get round though, but the last two miles are a real struggle. Did it in about 2:45 but as I was doing the last bit I could not comprehend how I will be able to do *another* 11 miles. Still, got 60 days to go….

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Days left: 60

Confidence: 50%

Ability: 63%

Another day, another run, another bad leg. Had our daughters birthday yesterday, so celebrated with an absolutely massive pepperoni pizza and a hanking slice of cake. Also managed to sneak in a couple of beers, so as that mental punishment I was out in the pouring rain at 7:00 this morning.

Typically I had only mentioned the fact that I was so lucky not to have run in the rain much and it was very wet today. As my legs have been pretty bad since the 15, I figured take it slightly easier and did the 5.5 miler rather than the usual mile extra run. Went pretty well, legs are feeling ok tonight as well which is nice. The pain behind the legs is almost gone, so hopefully will be fighting fit for Sat.

Planning another 15 miles on Saturday, will try and be good tomorrow night, but its Wales vs. France so may have to have a beer or two. So here’s to  run free day tomorrow and the pain of the run on Saturday.

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Days left: 62

Confidence: 62%

Ability: 62%

Well, legs have been really sore since Sunday. I am actually very surprised that it has hurt so much – I know it was quite a long way but first time its been proper sore. It seems its mostly the back of my knee, don’t know if this is tendons or what but it hurts quite a lot when my leg is fully extended.

Anyway, real busy day today, and as it is our daughters birthday tomorrow and calls starting at 8 there will be no chance for a run, so grabbed a sandwich around 10:30 then ran over lunch, had calls all afternoon until just after 5, then took a quick time out to fix a friends computer which had been playing up..

Around 5.5 miles in the sleet today then, around 50 mins again, not too much pain on the actual run, but leg hurting quite a bit now – still feet up for the rest of the evening, with next run on Thurs morning – probably…..

Thanks to the first few folk who have made a donation – really appreciated…..

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Days left: 64

Confidence: 63%

Ability: 58.1%

In the immortal words of Jesus – “Holy shit”. I did think that 13 miles was a long way and really difficult, well, two miles further and its like another world, my goodness its sooooo hard…

Had a busy weekend, and managed to get out around 11:00 today,all ready and revved up for the biggest run yet. Figured that I had found last weeks pretty easy, so an extra 3miles should be easy – wrong. Maybe it was the prep, and a few beers and lots of junk was not the right prep I would guess, but it was not easy.

The first few miles were good, spring in the step and listening to the tunes on such a nice day was great, had to have a slight stop 4 miles in as some muppet wanted directions to the kennels, and then again just over 6 miles in when I had to make sure that son had gone to pick up daughter from the brownie hut, all was well – so continued on my way..

Got to about 10 miles in when my feet were really hurting, would have loved to have taken the short route and have only two miles left, but got to be tough, got to be strong and went on the extended route – that’s were it got really hard. I had about 4 miles to go and ran out of water, my legs and feet were really hurting at this point I then found that I started to get what might have been just a bad stitch, but felt like the worst case of stomach cramps in the world. I couldn’t breath and they didn’t seem to want to go away. I was so desperate for a drink that I was thinking of getting on my hands and knees and licking the puddles in the road, but my knees hurt so much that I couldn’t bend down.

Two miles to go and I was barely shuffling, I had to take off my hat because I was boiling so I managed to get back – just. Did just over 15 miles – http://routebuilder.org/3qf – in around 2hr 40 mins, and my legs really, really hurt. For the first time I have muscle pains behind my legs – it was hard, fingers crossed it gets a little easier..

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Days left: 66

Confidence: 62%

Ability: 58%

69 days to go, so still got nearly half of the training to go – so with a good wind I might actually make it. Up at 6:30 this morning to get an early morning run in before work. So out at 7:00 in the dark and the rain, I went round the Thursday route for around 6.5 miles in about an hour. Had a real bad pain in the top of my knee before I had even got my kit on, but when running it wasn’t too bad.

In other news, I have created a just giving site – as I am doing this to prove to me that I can, but if anyone is interested then I thought it would be a good idea to have an option to donate a few pennies to a good cause. Page is at – http://justgiving.com/26andabit .

And finally – I have realised that when you have one of those running bottles with the hole in the middle, if you put the thick bit towards you its a lot easier than if you don’t. More tips next week…. ;o)

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Days left: 69

Confidence: 63%

Ability: 56%

Well had yesterday off, and today I was allowed to go on a day trip with work – very exciting as this is something they are really clamped down on, with good reason for most, but occasionally you cant beat being in the same room. So, up around 6:30, 5 hrs or so driving today, 4 hr meeting so got back at a respectable time but was pretty tired non-the-less.

Was umming and arring about going out, but when I got back I thought I should go, so did one of the “usual” routes of round 5 miles, started great but was really physically tired after about 4 miles. I don’t usually get this, but perhaps early morning and very little to eat had something to do with it. Still finished in just under 50 mins I think, so not too bad.

Will do an early one on Thurs, then half day in work on Friday – brilliant, and as it is the youngest’s birthday party on Saturday I will hopefully get out to do another 12 miler on Sunday. I will do the 15 miles soon!!!..

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Days left: 71

Confidence: 57.1%

Ability: 55.1%

Had to take an extra day off this week. Had a twinge in the “groin” area after the last run, and whilst showing off that my injuries were more severe that the Mrs’ seemed to make it worse. This meant that I couldn’t raise my right leg at all without some decent pain, I really am quite pathetic.. So anyway after some advice to make sure it was rested, and nothing at all to do with not feeling to hot on Sat, I decided to leave it until today to run.

Leg felt fine today, and as I was on a schedule due to being the only adult here and having to take the lad down to rugby, I was out at 7:30 pounding the new weekend route again. Thought it was a good idea to limit the run, so instead of the proposed 15 I decided due to the leg, and the time limit on getting back I just did the 12 today.

Run went pretty well to be honest, not much of a problem with anything  – normal pains but seemed pretty good. So anyway, got around 11 miles in then had a “nightmare scenario”!! ;o) Just as I got to the junction around a mile from base a young lady, dressed exactly as I was, had run across in front of me, touched the telegraph pole and turned to run back, the way I was going. You could not have set it up any better, so as I turn onto the main road I am step by step with her – arrggghhh, I’m shattered and don’t really want to be accelerating the run right now . So she says – “how long have you been running”, hmm, so I respond “About 2 months” – and she looks at me incredulously and says “Geez you must be really tired, I’ve only be running for 20 minutes” – well she was blond, with that I picked up speed and left her to it…

12 miles, 2hrs 5 mins. Off to watch the lads rugby now, then feet up and relax this afternoon…..

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Days left: 73

Confidence: 57%

Ability: 55%

Be warned, relaxed trumping whilst running can take you very quickly from Trumpton to Skidsville. Luckily my trip to Skidsville managed to detour via QuickSqueeze City and we were fine.

Anyway, out again today just after 7 this morning -pretty cold and dark and legs began to hurt before I was out of the driveway. Starting getting a pain at the top of my legs now – not sure what its called but its the bit that hurts when you try to do the splits. Also had a nice pain in my toe again today (but only around 5 miles in).

Around 6.5 miles this morning, just over an hour and all in all didn’t feel too bad. Got a day off tomorrow, and as I am staying here for the weekend, I guess a 15 mile run may be tried on Saturday, feels like a long way just typing 1 5 but I know I can do 13 so another couple of miles should be Ok – shouldn’t it??  Been thinking about doing the Llanelli half marathon at the beginning of March, and I probably should do  but we’ll see.

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Days left: 76

Confidence: 55%

Ability: 53%

Had my sandwich on Saturday after the run, and before I sat down got a really sharp pain in my left knee. Figured I had just twisted it, I stretched it and bent it a little only to get another pretty serious stabbing pain just on the side of it. Hmm – little worrying, but it meant I had a good excuse to sit with my feet up for the rest of the day. Was still pretty sore yesterday, but today I thought I would give it another go.

Had been sitting down on the phone nearly all day, call that work – 8:30 till 11:00, then 11:30 till 12:30, then 14:00 – 15:00, that’s no way to get anything done, so was quite happy to get out on the road. 5 Miles today along one of the normal routes, didn’t really time it but it was around “normal” time. Strapped up the knee slightly harder than usual, and it was fine all the way round, so hopefully, as long as I am a little more careful it won’t stop me continuing for now.

Not too tired afterwards, which is good, another 6ish run on Thurs, then looks like I will be here for the w/e now, so probably try the 15 miler then.

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Days left: 79

Confidence: 53%

Ability: 51.676543%

Here we are again then, another week over, can’t believe it, and another Saturday to run a big un. So, managed not to go down the pub last night, so no beers what so ever, a “normal” dinner, but I did get a magnum down my fat neck instead. Didn’t seem to get to sleep very easily last night, but was up at 6:30, so I waited a while got ready and was out on the streets at just gone 7:30.

Is it easier to run without a hangover? Well, I suppose it is a bit, but its still bloody tiring. Took a different route, and old bicycle route of mine of just over 12 miles, so although less than last week, there were waaaayyy more hills.  The route was – http://routebuilder.org/3os – and if I had James Camerons budget I could transfer it into crappy pretend 3D so you could ohh and arrr at the supposedly 3D effect of the massive hills I ran. But I don’t, so you’ll have to believe me, they were colossal – nah not really, but they are *alot* higher than flat.

So ran out of water again, and still got a pretty bad pain the knee after around 8 or 9 miles – I tried doing a really stupid looking move where I ran for a while bending my knee completely hoping that would help this time – it didn’t, but it did make look like a dick – swings and roundabouts eh?. Felt as if I had run faster this time, but average was less than 6 – but I blame the hills, the hills I tells ya. My schedule for the 12 mile is 2.5 hrs as defined by the Marathon organisers, so with a good wind I should romp that ;o)

Think that next week (although I might be back in Pembrokeshire then?) I could do the same run, but add the Redwick loop to give around a 15 mile run – woopy doo.

OK, time to relax now, nice big bacon sandwich i think, then gets some beers in for the Wales / England match @ 5. Feet up with some ice packs, n-ice….

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Days left: 81

Confidence: 51%

Ability: 51%

I forgot to write the blog yesterday – naughty me…

So, went out early on Thurs morning, it was cold, rainy and dark(ish). But I had my gear on, my tunes and was ready for it..

Went out and did a 6 mile run this morning, round Redwick again in around an hour. Was certainly running slightly quicker than usual but that was probably just because I wanted to get back and to the comfort of work!!! Went pretty well, still tired to start with, but to think that I am now doing 6 miles as a mid week easy run, compared to what was a “big” run only a few weeks back.

Anyway, off for another 12-13 miler on Sat, will run round to Caldicot but along the back roads, another of my old cycle routes. This one has a few hills in it, so should be a good workout. Going to try not to drink much tonight to see if the run is any easier – will probably find that without my half dozen pints energy reserve I’ll be knackered by mile 3…

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Days left: 83

Confidence: 53.76%

Ability: 50.2%

Woohoo – weekends over and back to work.. ;o)

Thankfully had yesterday off, was really tired still, and legs and knees pretty hurty.But although the knees still hurt going down the stairs I figure I have to get back to the standard daily run. So after work, got my kit on and some tunes and went out for a little jog.

Planned on a 5 mile route, and tried to keep up a decent pace. Easier said than done. Did find the run OK tonight though, not too much aching, and did at least move slightly quicker than normal – around 45 mins for 5 miles. Do feel pretty good now though which is encouraging. So day off tomorrow, then squash then another 6 miler on Thurs – gosh doesn’t time fly..

Happy birthday Becs for tomorrow….

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Days left: 86

Confidence: 53.75%

Ability: 50.1%