Month: June 2016

Back to it this week, and popped out for an extra run this week, on the Tuesday with a deliberate attempt at some hills. Only eight miles, over the back of Bowdens lane and around Parc Seymour – felt pretty much like it was all uphill. Quite a slog.

Wednesday saw an eight mile Redwick loop, at a slight tempo – kept it under 9 min miles for the duration, and then back to a normal 11 miler to take stock of the referendum!

Folks were up on the weekend, so out for supper on Friday, and a day out in St Fagens and Cowbridge on the Sat, meant a slight walk was all that was managed on Sat. Sunday however was another “big one”.

Initially planned to get around 36 miles in, but in the end was happy with 32. Set off at 07:00 (till not sure why Strava is putting an extra hour on my start times, as Movescount has is correct) and took the pretend coastal path out from Magor and over then under the Severn Bridge to Caldicot. Really nice morning for it, if a little hot, but the weather man had said it was raining at around 13:00, so I didn’t want to get wet.

Its quite an odd feeling doing a training run of over 30 miles, you know that you won’t or can’t run fast for the whole thing, and you also know you are going to be running for six plus hours, which when you sit and think is a really long time, but when you run it doesn’t really seem to be so long. My big concern on these runs is to ensure I have enough liquid, the first section is always “easy” and the water lasts fine, even up to the 15 or so miles I did this time, but after that it hits me harder.

Decided to stick a few hills in the return journey for the first section, and got back to the house at around 2hrs 30, got a pasty down my neck and a fair bit of water. Only in the house for about 10 mins or so, but the time just goes so fast. Filled both my bottles and took and extra one down my back, just in case. A bit of a stretch and off again – quite depressing ;o)

After stopping I find that the tops of my legs are very uncomfortable, luckily it smooths out after a mile or so, but it still a bit unpleasant. I figured that depending on water I would either get to a marathon distance or thirty miles on this section, so with that thought in mind it was plod plod plod on the reverse of the normal Llanevaud route.

At the beginning it seemed I had plenty of water, and the running was okay, slower than  the first section, but okay – the worst thing at this point for me is boredom. I like running and thinking, and prefer it to the podcasts I used to use, as they really grated after a while, but once you have been running over three hours, you (or I) tend to think more about pain and darkness than good stuff – so I spent an hour thinking about what goodies I would buy for the real run!!

Walked up the Llanevaud hill as usual and had a snack bar, and most of the water – also discovered that I hadn’t been really sweating on the right side, but my bottle had a tiny hole in it – will have to write to them. “Mostly” downhill on the way back to the distribution center, and I had a choice of an extra four miles or back to the house for a fill up – fill up won..

Had to run around the block to get to 26.2 miles, and including the stop I think I was at about 4:45 for the marathon, so around the time running I did when I did it for real. Another 10 minutes spent re-fueling, although I didn’t really want to eat anything at this point, stretch, change of shoes and then out yet again!

Last hour to go, and it was a painful start, but actually I wasn’t felling too bad – a loop of approx six miles was all that was left, and although the speed was slowing, it was okay. Was very thankful to finish though, and at 32 miles it was inconceivable that I could run the entire thing again. But I thought I could have perhaps got to 40 today, then just almost a marathon extra and we’ll be done – very scary…

Cold bath and a lie down all afternoon – felt it quite a bit today, not just legs, but arms, shoulders and back. And sore feet “to boot”..

Miles: 58

Beers: Dozen or so

Down to sunny Pembs this week as it was my  father in laws 80th party.

Left lateish on Friday evening as the traffic was awful until about 8, had a couple of Stella bottles then bed a little later than usual for an 8:00 start on the Sat. Ran a similar route to the last time I was in Pembs, which was out to the Rhos and back – although not raining this time, I was once again surprised at the hills ;o)

We had a late drive back on the Sunday, as we went out for Father Day lunch, so no run on Sun. Only did a five and a ten in the week, so a slightly less 30 mile week give or take.

Miles: 30

Beers: a few…

Well, I thought this week I would run 30 miles. So I did.

I must admit I may have had a little hangover on Saturday morning, but as the weather was supposed to be rubbish on Sunday, I thought “This will be good training”, and headed off around 8 to do the big loop.

Had a few pringles and a cold sausage before I left and filled one 500ml with water and one with half a Hi5 Zero tablet. Orange sweatband in place, off I trotted into the overcast morning.

Took a similar run to last week, out along the “coastal” road to Caldicot, under the second Severn crossing, then continued along the path to Sudbury and the Black Rock picnic site. After here though it got a little rough.

The track took me though fields with waist high flowers and nettles, it was soaking wet, so within a couple of strides I was a little damp to say the least. This was tough going, I was pretty much walking at this point. After the wet field was a couple of other very uneven fields, then more high grass and then back onto the road at Mathern. I was pretty knackered by this point, and only about 9 miles in!!!

After crossing a couple of other fields, I finally got to the industrial estate, then up the long drag to the Chepstow roundabout and down the hill to the garden center at Pwllmeyric. I met the support team here, at 2hrs 45min for the half marathon, the slowest ever. After a change of socks and shoes, loads of water, two pieces of toast and a couple of ‘brufen it was time for the second half. Although I wasn’t hurting physically, I felt shot – and still had 17 miles to go…

I really wanted to give up here, but on I plodded across to Crick and through Caerwent – the longest uphill I have every seen (well it felt like it), I was thirsty already, and only started with just over a litre, I had drunk half of it by here, and was plodding at about 11.5 min miles, when someone caught me up and ran with me for a couple of miles – it was hard work.

Up the hill past the tip I had to stop for a walk, and try to drink as much as possible but keep enough for later, I was at 18 miles – dash. Bit of a downhill here, so I knew I was going to walk the steep bit towards Llandevaud – and that was my next drink, it was really hard going now – frustrating as a couple of weeks back I flew around a marathon distance and felt great, so I blame it on the preparation from he night before..

At just over 20 miles I walked the hill, as expected, and drank the last of my second 500ml bottle. I had a small bottle in reserve, but after decanting it I realised there wasn’t even 500ml in it, and I still had 9 miles to go. If I’d had any moisture in me I would have cried.

Run down to Bishton is okay, walked the steep little hill just before Underwood, and then had to walk again at the turning back toward Magor, finishing off the last drops of my live giving water. As I got to the distribution center I could go right and two miles to home, or left and the four+ miles to manage the 30, mind over matter, I went left.

A miles down the road, and about half a mile from Redwick my wife came past – THANK THE GODS! I was delighted, I had dreamed about her turning up with a bath full of water, but as I panted into her face I realised  she had none. Arrrgggghhhhhhhhhhh. However, she did have money so I arranged to see her in the Rose in ten minutes.

Fifteen minutes later, I finally got to the Rose – O.M.G was I delighted. I necked a pint of blackcurrant squash, and a bottle of water and demolished a bag of crisps. I had had enough. After a ten minute pause I plodded off again, at a 12 min / mile pace, for the last 2.5 miles. Turned off at the track, and saw Dave, who was out for a walk, but kindly jogged slowly with me along the last mile of the run, once onto the road and at 30.4 miles I switched the watch off, and walked home.

It was very tough, and to think I would have to run the entire thing again is beyond words. I know I wasn’t prepared, after having no dinner, too many pints and no real breakfast – but it was so hard to keep any sort of pace up – soul destroying. The only hope for the real thing, is that at least every 10K or so I will be able to re-hydrate and eat a bit.

Did a nine and an eight in the week.

Miles: 47

Beers: 11 (six too many on Friday ;o)