Running the Flora London Marathon

It's two weeks since the Marathon and I still cannot stop smiling!

It's been a busy two weeks and I had been writing this update in bits and pieces and have only got to finishing and publishing it today.

April 23rd 2006 was one of the best days of my life.

The day before was pretty low-key and I enjoyed "conserving energy" - basically sitting around and not doing very much. My mind was pretty focussed and I ate a lot of pasta throughout the course of that day. Hopefully when I really needed some energy, the stores of carbs would come good for me. I went to be quite early, knowing I had to be up at 6am the next morning. I had a wee nap in the afternoon and was hoping for eight or nine hours of sleep. Everything in the run up was going smoothly until I went to bed - and then couldn't fall asleep! My mind was racing and I was a little bit paranoid about sleeping through my alarm the next morning. But the anxiety was evidently too high and I just couldn't sleep. I thought to myself this what it must be like for sportspeople on the eve of a big event/match. Did Solskjaer sleep properly on May 25th '99?!? It was after midnight by the time I eventually dozed off.


I got up and went through the routines I had been doing on the mornings of my long runs. I took a pre-ordered cab to Waterloo. I was running from Blackheath and the Red start. There were two other starts, one for the pros and one for (I think) the 'celebrities'. I had heard how busy it could get going to the actual start and how full trains could wizz past you and some people start to panic - so I decided to get out there nice and early. My first bit of luck that day came when I bumped into the Carmel, Francesca and Marion McWilliams, who were also with Carmel's boss, Bill, and Toby. We had a good laugh getting out there and formed a mini-team for the the couple of hours we had till we got going.

I was struck and how well - no, brilliantly - the Marathon was logistically organised. Extremely well-staffed and extremely efficient. Hats off to them and no wonder it was used as an example of how well Londoners can organise a big event in the 2012 Olympic bid.

One mistake I made, however, was to underestimate the length of queue for the port-a-loos. Even though there were loads, the queues were ridiculous. Unfortunately, I had to wait for ages and I was only ready to go 5 minutes before the start of the race. It panicked me a bit and I had my first mental battle to calm myself and get ready.

The atmosphere at the start line was fantastic. I unfortunatley heeded which group to stand with and so ended up setting off with the group where you were looking at doing 12-minute miles. My hope was to do consistent ten-minute miles and if I could stay under, try for a four and a half hour Marathon. Of course my prayers had to be met and my Achilles, ankle, knee (they were just the knocks that I knew of!) and my body as a whole didn't break down at any point. But I remembered from the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon how good it felt to be overtaking rather than be overtaken and so I was ready to work my way through the crowd.

5... 4... 3... 2... 1... and a big cheer as we were off - well, kinda. Once the clock started ticking, it took me about twelve minutes to actually cross it myself. I wasn't too stressed as the little chip was going to measure my time and I started off my watch. There was good atmosphere with lots of anxious but smiley faces all around. I couldn't get over how diverse the crowd was. Every shape and size of body was there. A tremendous amount of over-60s – hats off. A huge amount of people in fancy dress – I hope I beat most of them!

It was a nice feeling to cross the starting line and get running. It thinned out surprisingly quickly and it was nice to get going. I started working through the crowd and got to the Mile 1 marker in just over nine minutes. I didn’t want to push it too far too soon but it was a good steady pace that I was used to running. At Mile 1.5, I had a great feeling – I saw Priya, Preeth, Michael, Marianne and Alice. Conall was going to join them later too and they were fantastic to be out so early and gave a big, big cheer as I ran past them. Woo hoo! There was a bit of a crowd out and I got a few shouts ‘Come on Vinay’ or ‘Well Done Vinay’ given my name was emblazoned on my Shelter vest. It was light drizzling and I was glad to have a dri-fit top under the vest and my baseball cap. The cheers were fantastic and it was like a Carnival atmosphere frankly. Got to mile 3 at around 28 minutes and was enjoying going. I was running the London Marathon!

I saw the possee again who jumped up and down as I got past them at 3.5 miles. It felt great and I got to Mile 5 without too much stress, making my way through the crowd and keeping a steady pace. It turns out Priya & co were texting Devika and my parents to keep them updated. I felt good and had my first bit of lucozade sport which I enjoyed thoroughly. Amber nectar! The crowd kept you going and I realised I was in a solid rhythm and was running at 9 to 9.5 minute miles. My niggles were fine and overall felt ok.

I hit mile ten and would loudly exclaim ‘yiess!’ every time I crossed a marker. Up towards half-way & Tower Bridge and I spotted a couple of celbs – Colin Jackson and Sophie Anderton. Thankfully Jade Goody was nowhere to be seen – surely I had to beat her!! I saw the possee again and got to the half-way mark feeling a bit tired but mentally strong. The crowds were fantastic, giving up their free time to cheer on 33,000 runners, all pushing their body to their own limit. I crossed halfway at 2h 05m and was very pleased as I was moving around the course at a steady pace.

It started to get a bit tougher from miles 14-18 and where the crowds thinned, you almost missed them. It was a wet day but I was quite pleased as I didn’t want fabulous sunshine, which we had on the Saturday. London was looking fantastic and it was nice to pass through a lot of great sites such as round the Cutty Sark. Canary Wharf was surprisingly packed with spectators and my fanastic possee found a brilliant position and gave me a massive cheer. I loved it!

Looking back, the biggest pain came between miles 19 to 22. It was pain as such, more a desire to walk a little bit and rest the tired legs. I knew it was a mental game though and whilst there is no shame at all in walking part of the Marathon, it is best to delay or avoid it if at all possible in my view. I had taken two energy gels and I wasn’t sure how effective they were but, looking back, were excellent. I was drinking water at virtually every marker and grabbing the Lucozade sport every time and holding on to it for a mile or two to take my time consuming it. Thankfully I didn’t succumb to my desire to walk and made it through that pain.

I was worried about the ‘Wall’ – running out glycogen reserves and when hypoglycaemia ensues. Check me out!! Amazingly though, I still felt strong and would let out a whoop on crossing every mile marker. I was actually feeling strong. I actually really enjoyed the last 3.2 miles of the Marathon. I saw my brilliant possee again as well as a few surprise friends and colleagues. It was great to get into the City and then run along the Embankment. I was tired for sure but I was loving it – I am a Marathoner, I thought! I tried not to, but couldn’t stop myself looking at my watch. I was on for a sub 4h 30m Marathon if I could just sustain my pace. I shouldn’t have been thinking that way but I couldn’t help myself. I was still overtaking way more than being overtaken which helped the psychology of it all, especially when you are competing against a few Spidermen, Wonder Women and Wombles!

Mile 24 felt good and crossing the Mile 25 barrier and turning right at Westminster was when I started smiling (the smile that I still have!). I felt OK but pushed it – I may never do this again and so I attempted a bit of a sprint-finish! I was running past people who were exhausted, but even though I was, I went for it. Yes!! You can do it… big signs – 800m to go… 400m… 200m. Finish Line in sight. GO FOR IT, VINAY!! Lots of happy thoughts flooded my head as I approached and crossed the finish line. The finsih line. WOO HOO!! I DID IT!! I congratulated those around me and was cheering loudly to everyone – we all did it! Getting the medal made me proud and I got my photo taken.

My legs really felt sore now, especially my hamstrings and glutes. I met my brilliant family and friends who had so kindly followed me around. I called Devika, my mum and dad who were all so happy. 4h 15m 18s. I couldn’t get over it. And I couldn’t stop smiling!

I went to the Shelter tent where I got a sensational massage, which they had kindly organised. The Shelter team were fantastic and as things stand today, I have raised for them over £7,380. They are such nice people and they are very happy.

The last two weeks have been very hectic – I was in Heathrow Airport eight times! – but it has been nice to get so many people’s goodwill. I went for my first run again yesterday. 3 miles. I enjoyed it. I am not rushing to do another Marathon but the thrill of crossing the Finishing Line, that feeling, that joy… maybe I’ll have to set up another blog, ‘Vinay’s Marathon Adventure – Part Two…’

I DID IT!!!! 4h 15m 18s !!!! WOO HOO!!!!

Week 16 - it's now T minus 24 hours! Getting ready for the Flora London Marathon 2006

It has been hard to think of anything other than the Marathon this week. A number of friends and colleagues are running it and that has been the chat all week. Everyone has worked hard at it and we are all hoping for some good weather (cool, not hot, and dry) and some good luck.

My ankles, Achilles and body overall have held up reasonably well this week. I have still got a bit of a cold, which is better but has certainly not gone away. Hopefully it is virtually gone by tomorrow.

My tapering exercises went fine this week. Got 2 x 3 mile runs in, around the same route, the first one with Marianne, the second with Michael (together, the McMufetts!). It was taken at a steady pace and both were completed in around half an hour. Running with friends is definitely encouraging and I enjoyed these runs as I have enjoyed all previous runs with good company. I walked for 3 miles as my final bit of exercise last night (Friday nt.) and the plan for today is to rest well. With a lot of footie on the box, that shouldn't prove too difficult!

I have been focussed on eating lots of carbs this week. Happily I'm not yet sick of the sight of pasta but if I kept this up for much longer, I'm sure I would be. Have eaten lots of carbs as recommended and hopefully my body will remember that on Sunday morning.

My weight hasn't changed a jot since I started training for the Marathon. The good thing, however, is that I have lost most of my belly which I had sadly cultivated over the last couple of years. Whilst I have not fallen in love with running per se, I have really enjoyed being fit, excercising a lot and getting those endorphins flowing! Hopefully that's something I will keep up post-Marathon.

One of the most excting aspects of this last week has been the phenomenal response to my Charity appeal for Shelter. I was hoping to raise £3,000 and have been gob-smacked by the response; as I type, the amount stands at £6,362.44! (www.justgiving.com/vinay). I have received unbelievable generousity in terms of both money and goodwill from family, friends, colleagues... you name 'em! That is something that will give me energy tomorrow.

Counting down the hours. Next blog update will be post-Marathon.

So I started at nought and am on the eve of a full Marathon. I've certainly done the training, the hard work has been put in. I've had some bad luck with injuries but I'm feeling better going into tomorrow. Postive Mental Attitude! With good wishes, some good weather and a lot of good luck, I hope I have extremely good news to post tomorrow.

Let's go!

Week 15 - Less than one week to try to put the pieces together

It's hard to believe it is less than a week to the Flora London Marathon. It certainly has been an Adventure. Many highs and an unfortunate amount of lows.

This week has been tough again. I wasn't able to run during the week as my Achilles remained swollen. I did get to the gym three times though and did some cross-training and cycling each time. I guess it was good to do some cardio work. I have to confess to feeling very jealous whenever I saw random people running on the road though - that should be me! After a bit of trepidation, I went for my first run today, exactly two week since my last and one week to the Real Thing. I am extremely pleased to say it went OK - I got 7.5 miles done, almost half of it accompanied by Priya. We are in Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire, for Easter weekend. It is always nice to run with company and it is something I'd recommend to those thinking about training. Both my feet/legs are a bit sore but not that bad.

The plan for this week, according to my book ('The Non-runner's Marathon Trainer' (Whitsett, Dolgener, Kole)) is 2 x 3-mile jogs and 1 x 3-mile walk. Then rest, lots of carbs and mental preparation for positive mental attitude. I have to confess that I was struggling with the latter but after today's run I am feeling a bit more positive going into next Sunday.

So, I can count down in days and not weeks or months now. 7 days to go. It almost feels like an exam, I just want to get on with it... bring on Sunday, April 23rd '06 - I'm just about ready to go.

Week 14 - It's getting closer - just praying for all the niggles to clear up...

Another tough week. I must say the start of this whole 'Adventure' has been a whole lot easier than the more recent weeks. I seem to be cursed to pick up injuries and I am just praying that they all clear up in time for the Marathon.

The Achilles heel continues to be a big problem. I had Physio a couple of times this week and the swelling is still pretty severe although it has started to come down. I am still advised against running as the thud-thud impact will do more harm than good. Uh oh!

The first few weeks was spent just icing it and resting it. Trying to eat somewhat healthily and have stayed off the booze for quite a while now. Neither are easy though, that's for sure! The physio gave me a number of stretches to do on it and did a bit of ultra-sound on it too. Helped but my impatience wanted to see more immediate results. Time is the one thing I am expected to give it and is the one thing I don't have. It should be time to somewhat start tapering my runs so I guess it's not the worst result in the world. However, having missed out on a good bit of training a few weeks' back, I feel I could have done with one more 'big' run. Hopefully the long runs I have done will hold me in good stead and their will be enough adrenalin on the day to take me round. The weeks have now become a matter of days, Sunday the 23rd of April 2006 is looming large.

Later in the week, I did manage a couple of small sessions in the gym on the cross-trainer and the stepper. They were only 20 mins and 40 mins in two sessions, but I need to keep up the cardio. Hopefully I will get to run a couple of times in Week 15.

Next entry will be in T minus one week to the Flora London Marathon. Typing that has made me even more nervous.. but excited too. I need some speedy healing cures!!

Week 13 - My Achilles heel - literally...

Into April and you can feel the Marathon looming.

I had (yet another) mixed week. I seem to be picking up knock after knock and I just can't seem to get the mileage in... 'You can't cheat your legs' - but the problem is my legs aint enjoying the continuous poudning.

I managed all of one and a half shorter runs this week but got around the long run. The first run was on Tuesday morning when I ran into work. It was actually class, although the 5.30am alarm clock wasn't ideal! Running with a bag is harder but I took the route that I would take when driving in, so that I didn't risk getting too lost along the way. Overall, it was pretty good and I was delighted to get to the gym to shower in just over an hour (61 mins).

I felt good going into my next run which was to run back home on Thursday evening. It started off reasonably promisingly, hammies tight as per usual but ok. But at around 75% into the journey, I kept getting sharp pains in my right Achilles heel. Ouch... I decided to jump on the tube for a couple of stops rather than risk a longer-term injury. It was disappointing to have yet another injury to add to the growing list.

Sunday morning, the plan was to take in 19 miles around London. I got up on time as I had scheduled to meet Carsten & Regina at 9.30am at Vauxhall Bridge. Ran down to Battersea Bridge and ran along the Thames to meet the other two... they're not even training for the Marathon, just super-fit runners! We ran up past Victoria to Saint James Park. We took a lap around that, headed up to Hyde Park and did a big loop of that. My left foot hurt a little but my right achilles ached quite a bit. Grin and bear it... We rounded Hyde Park and made our way up to Marleybone where I lost Regina and made my way back home. My hamstrings were tight and I stopped numerous times to stretch them (which felt great). I made it to Victoria and I knew I was on my route back home. Back to Battersea Bridge. The weather was mixed, some heat and some awful rain so mixed conditions, but I guess you get that in London over the course of 3.5 hours! The climb back up Battersea Bridge Road is steep and tough but once I got to the top, it felt good as I was nearly home. It's kind of weird to leave the house just after 9am for a run and then not come back till lunchtime! But I got back and I was very relieved. Again, I couldn't have imagined running another step. I tried stretching a lot but my right achilles was really playing at me. Lots of water and food and rest felt good but the pain was pretty acute. The plan is for more rest - whilst I think I should ideally fit one more long run in, I think realistically I am going to have to taper from here and hopefully be in a reasonable state to even get to the Starting Line in under three weeks' time....

Week 12 – Getting back out there and my longest run yet…

A funny ole week. When I got back from Madrid, my foot was a bit sore but I was getting rather nervous about all the time I was missing out on. As I stuck into the blog earlier this week, we are now less than a month away from the Marathon. I am a bit worried at having peaked too soon at the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon so I was keen to try and get back into the routine. My idea was for two shorter runs and then go for my first long run in about 3 weeks.

It almost went that way this week – one shorter run but I did get the long run in. The shorter run was quite a nice one, around the edge of Hyde Park on Wednesday night, before having dinner with P&P. I took a bit of a short cut home but the whole run was about five miles in total. Happily, my ankle/foot felt a bit better at the end of it and I was pretty upbeat. I was meant to go for my second shorter run on the Friday night in Newcastle, but by the time I got up there and ready etc etc, it was just too late. So all it left was to prepare for the Long Run.

Sunday, 26 March 2006 – 16.5 miles, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
As I type, I am still in bits… that was a long old run but I’m really glad I got round it. I am off booze more-or-less fully till after the Marathon (!) and I stayed dry during the week and during the weekend. I am also trying to eat a bit healthier and load up on carbs a bit more. It’s all easier said than done, but I am trying to keep it up. I set out a course, much of which was similar to the one I ran in Newcy a month or so ago. Only this time, the plan was to make it all the way to the Coast and then do a big loop back to eventually get back to Jesmond. I set off just after 1pm and a long afternoon was waiting in store. I read something in the book that I empathised with quite a lot and thought of about five minutes into my run. At the start of the run, I don’t get into my groove very quickly and often it feels like I’m never even been for a bloody run before in my life! I felt that way again today and the first two miles were quite a struggle. But it felt good after that and I got into much more of a groove and the Lucozade Sport was helping out big time. I reverted back to listening to music and set out a playlist of more upbeat music. It is the way forward, I really enjoyed listening to it. The first 7 or so miles were fine and then I started to ache a bit. My ankle was holding up OK and I’ve bought an ankle support which I guess helps. Reaching the Coast was a good feeling and it felt nice to run along it. The next six or seven miles were alright although I was definitely starting to tire. But the last two and a bit miles were tough. All the muscles in my legs were starting to tighten and there seemed to be little I could do to get going. My pace reduced dramatically. I struggled my way back to Devika’s place and got there after 3h02m. Not a great time but a great feeling to get back and to have run for three hours was fantastic. I couldn’t work out if my ankles were sore as my whole legs ached! After some good stretching and a big bowl of past, I felt a lot better. It is nice to be back running properly and hopefully I can now get some more regular sessions in as well as another long run next weekend.

One month to the Marathon!

Week 11 - Better news this week...

My foot was pretty sore again and I went to the Doctor near work, who recommended an x-ray in case there was a broken boken in my left foot.

I got the x-ray done and the great news was that all the bones were in tact! Woo hoo.. not a broken metarsal in sight. It was still quite sore but I was told to rest it and go to see a Physio. I travelled to Paris with work but got to the Physio on the Thursday. She thought that the capsule at the bottom of the ankle was damaged and some wear & tear on the tendon so the prognosis was to rest it but to slowly get back into the running routine, given I was training for the Marathon. The foot was getting a bit better and so it was very relieving news.

I went to Madrid for a long weekend with Rory & Daryl. Had a great time and Daryl and I decided on the Sunday morning, to clear our hangovers, we would go for a relatively easy run. It wasn't so easy in the end! We set off from Sol and went round the Palacio Real and Jardines de Sabitini a couple of times and struggled our way uphill all the way back! We reckoned it was about 4.5 or 5 miles and, although I was knackered at the end, it was a very enjoyable run. My foot feels a bit sore and occassionally twinges but it certainly feels a lot better. I am desperate to run quite a bit now and catch up for my two missed long runs but I know I need to be patient and work my way back into the routine and what the Book advises.

So the plan for next week is to get back into the habit of running and hopefully I will be on track to do my first Long Run in three weeks.

Week 10 - Starts so well but ends so badly...

An up and down week.

I managed to get only two runs in this week. The first was a good five miler round Clapham. It was a route I had done before and which was fine. I had a bit of a mare as I had to run during Man U's game so I missed most of it but managed to catch the end of it and didn't have the guilt of missing a run.

A colleague, Jeremy Rogers, whom I initially thanked for a generous sponsorship, embarrassed me by sending this blog round to his distribution list. I haven't been that embarrassed maybe ever... hopefully some of the punters who saw that I have this actually sponsor me now (in fact, if they're reading this and keeping up and still not sponsoring me, they should do it now!).

Wednesday night I managed to run all the way home - another first! I make it just under 8 miles. Ran with Crooky and Regina for the first part of it, on the south side of the Thames and then broke away about half-way through to split down to Clapham. Was fairly knackered by the end of it and the weather was pretty crap but was delighted to make it home in one piece! Managed to see Liverpool get knocked out of Europe too - capped a great old evening.

So while the week started so well, it ended pretty badly. I was walking home after work on Friday and felt a really sharp pain in my foot. Really weird but I couldn't put any pressure on it at all for a while. The pain then came & went. I put Deep Heat on it and hoped it would be ok for my scheduled long run on Saturday but unfortunately I woke up on Saturday morning with it feeling even worse. I had a great weekend with the lads doing a flying lesson in Warwickshire but, as I type on Sunday night, the pain remains intense, although it comes and goes. Hopefully the doctor/physio this week will be able to work some magic and get me running again.... Here's to a good Week 11....

Week 9 - Successful fundraising & Getting back into the groove of training

Week 9 has probably been one of my best weeks since beginning training.

I started the week by sending an email to family, friends and colleagues in an attempt to raise £3,000 for Shelter, the charity for whom I am running the Flora London Marathon. The response has been fantastic and, as things stand on Sunday night, I have hit £2,677.44. Many uber-generous donations and some super witty comments have taken me a long way towards the target. Not quite there yet, though, so hopefully a few more punters will dig deep and help me achieve the target.

The other reason I enjoyed Week 9 was that I got three high-quality runs in. I was meant to do four but I couldn't work it out logistically - but I am very pleased with the three that I did get in. Having picked up no additional injuries (the cold persists) has put the icing on the cake.

The first run was a 4-miler on a treadmill, run at a pace of 8.5, so pretty solid. I have got to a point where I just assume I can do that distance and it just shows what happens if you put the miles in, running 4 miles doesn't even seem that big a deal. The bigger tests would come later in the week.

On Wednesday night, I went for a run with a colleague from work, Regina, who has run sub 4hr marathons and wakes up at 5am every day to run. Good company indeed! We set off from 125 London Wall on our charted out route (on gmap) of 7 miles. We ran past St. Paul's and over the Millenium Bridge. We then ran along the river, on the South side, right the way to Vauxhall Bridge. Regina kept up a very consistent pace throughout and it was good to have someone to help me determine a consistent pace. As per usual, the first 3 miles or so were the toughest but after that I felt like was getting into a groove. It was a fairly nippy night as well but that helped offset the fact that I forgot my bottle of water that I have becomes used to running with.

Anyway, back to our run! We ran on the north side of the river till Westminster Bridge, crossed back over and then worked our way back to the Millenium Bridge and eventually back to our starting point. We managed to do it in under an hour; 58 minutes to be precise! We were pleased to have broken the hour mark and, after some stretching, I was pleased with the realisation of having run so much mid-week.

The third and final run of the week was on Saturday morning, when I set out and managed to complete 14.5 miles. Had a fairly early night on the Friday and, encouraged by Devika, set off at about 11am, gloves on and water-bottle in hand. I had been out on the Thursday and I think the first couple of miles from the house in Clapham were getting rid of those lingering cobwebs. I ran through to Battersea and crossed Battersea Bridge. I had enjoyed running along the Thames, the Palace of Westminster proving particularly striking and inspiring. I set off to see it again and ran along the north side of the river all the way to Westminster Bridge, where I crossed back Souf. That was around the half-way mark and I felt ok, a bit tired but generally pretty positive.

I had no iPod so it was more a scenery- and people-watching exercise. Lots of time to think as well, which is nice - except I kept thinking of all the things I still wanted to get done over the course of the weekend!! I pushed myself to keep going and ran all the way back to Battersea (with a quick dive into a shop to buy a bottle of Lucozade Sport, aka amber nectar!). Ran back up to Clapham Common and round it, just for good measure, given there were hundreds of runners out! It was at that point that my legs, particularly my groin and quads started feeling very tight. I was nearly back, though, and I kept going. My speed dropped off remarkably and I was fantasising about getting home and doing some stretches and drinking lots of water. But I had mapped out my course and ran along the long Bollingbroke Grove final road as I had pre-determined. I was sore at this stage and I was very slow but I kept going. I rounded Thurleigh Road, left onto Wroughton Road, no. 4, home! No sprint finish this time... just a lot of relief!

Time to stretch and Devika, through her dancing, knew loads of stretches to appease my muscles. I drank a lot of water and struggled for about an hour afterwards. We ate some pasta, chilled out and I did some more stretching while watching the footie before heading out for a well-deserved glass of red wine at Priya & Preeth's. I woke up on Sunday morning a bit sore but not too bad compared to how I felt waking up the day after the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon. I can do this! Looking forward to following the Book for the forthcoming week. I'd love to get the four runs in, including the 16 mile long one all while staying injury free. I'd love to cross the £3,000 mark on my www.justgiving.com/vinay charity page. Here's to a great Week 10!

Week 8 - Dealing with my first injury...

This has been a tough week. I woke up on Monday with all sorts of aches and pains - a bad headache, stiff all over, bunged up and fluey and worse of all, a pain on my left shin. I had taken a bath on the Sunday night and I think that helped but I still had all sorts of issues. And it wasn't me being a hypochondriac!

First priority was to shake the cold. I drank lots of water and had a series of early nights... that helped a lot, I guess it just had to work its way out of my system. The most worrying thing at the start of the week was the sore shin. I was scared about shin splints and so I tried to take it handy. It was still sore on Wednesday morning and I bought some deep heat and a deep heat pad to apply on it. It made all the difference.

By Friday, I was feeling a lot better and was ready to run. I felt guilty for not having run all week. I know it was a good achievement of having completed the Sussex Beacon but that was just one step on the way towards training for the Flora London. It meant I fell behind my training schedule as well, which the book doesn't really address. So despite the frustrations of not having trained, I am grateful that I had recovered from my cold and also that my leg feels a lot better.

Feeling better on Saturday morning, I got back into the groove and went for a run. I ran just under seven miles around Clapham, which I marked out on gmap pedometer. My legs felt fine and I was happy to be running again. I ran around the Common a few times. It was the first time I had run on the Common and I enjoyed it a lot. Loads of other runners out too. Everyone starting to get focussed on the Marathon, I'll bet! Good stuff. Looking forward to running more again in Week 9....

Week 7 - Susex Beacon Half-Marathon Week

Week 7 - Susex Beacon Half-Marathon Week

What a week it's been!

Coming back from India was a knackering journey as I flew at 5am local time (check in 3am- euch) and went straight into work on Tuesday lunchtime. My earlier stated plans for a run on Tuesday night evaporated when I arrived home, knackered. Weds early morning didn't materialise and a work dinner on Wednesday night meant it was Thursday, three days to the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon and I hadn't trained all week.

I headed home after work and got focussed again for my run on the Thursday. 6 miles was the aim.. it was kind of an amalgam of what the three different runs were meant to be that week. I plotted out a map on gmap and headed for the door. I felt pretty bad for not having run all week so, particularly for the first couple of miles, really went for it. I managed to get back in around 52 minutes and I felt ok, a bit stiff but not too bad. What a crazy place I've come to... running 10K and feeling guilty that it's not long enough! That was enought to bring a smile to my face but not enough to remove the lingering trepidation that lay ahead of the Big Day on Sunday...

The Sussex Beacon Half Marathon, 19 Feb. '06
It was a cold, wet, wind-swept Sunday morning... yup, it felt like a scene from some dreary poem. Pam & Andy and Devika headed down to the start line. Unfortunately Pam fell ill on a recent trip and her medical advice was not to run the race. She was about as gutted as I was fearful - i.e. loads! Devika (and Andy!) were full of encourging words. We met up with some good friends, Carmel & Marthena and Carmel's boss, Bill, who were running the Half Marathon too.
I kept my bottle of water with me, even though there were a couple of formal Water Stations set up. I have gotten used to running with it and thought it better not to change my routine. I was wearing my gloves coz it was SO cold. They're woollen gloves, so they were getting a bit soggy in the rain, but it was that cold that I kept them on.

To the line... the countdown.. five... four... three... two... one... the starting gun! What a great feeling as everyone counted down together. I was in the second batch and set off at my own pace. The first couple of miles were pretty crowded but the momentum of everyone running carried me. I saw Devika, Pam & Andy after about a mile, when they cheered for me - what a brilliant feeling. I then got into a rhythm which felt good. Amazingly, at 5 miles, I was feeling strong and the split on my time was something like 40 minutes. Wow! Just focus on getting through it, I thought. I saw the three again - it really does push you along, it was so good of them to stand in the rain to cheer all of us along. I felt OK working through the mileage.. and I started doing loads of Maths in my head - was it really that I was going to break the magical 2 hour mark?? No sooner than I started having such cocky thoughts in my head that I started feeling a bit of a twinge in my left hammy. Doh. I kept going though and until mile 9, I felt well. I was picking random people in the group and trying to keep up with them. It was a good tactic and was a good way to add a bit of personal competition, without the other person realising you're doing it! A bit of tiredness started creeping in and the weather was horrific - cold, wet and windy. They gave us a great bottle of lucozade type of drink at around the 10 mile point, which gave me a great lift. I don't know if it was psychological or physical, but it felt like the end was in sight and I kept going for it. Mile 12 was a great point as I realised that I was indeed going to break 2 hours if I was just sensible and ran the last 1.1 miles with a steady pace. Seeing the finish line in sight.. what a feeling.. a bit of energy from nowhere.. sprint finish.. a smile on my face. YIESSS! I made it, I had gone from never having run more than 5k to finishing an official half marathon. I checked the time as we had these cool electronic chips we attached to our laces and my time was officially 1:51.22 (http://www.sussexbeacon.org.uk/results.htm). That was half an hour quicker than I thought I'd do it in! I was feeling a bit stiff, a bit sore and quite tired but the objective was achieved - I had completed a Half Marathon. Carmel, Marthena and Bill were there too and we were all very happy and relieved to have done it. I could feel I was developping a bit of a cold but that was going to be a problem I'd address on Monday. Today, I could feel proud that I had taken a step towards running a Full Marathon. Still loads to do, must keep the focus.

Week 6 - Finding time still remains of the essence...

Week 6 - Finding time still remains of the essence...

Another hectic week, this one more than any other!

Short Runs
My three runs during the week again proved hard to squeeze in. Fortunately, I managed to squeeze in three runs. However, I 'only' managed to squeeze in 3 miles into each run. Two were on the treadmill and I was in such a rush, I really pushed myself! I now feel good running at an 8.0-8.5 on the treadmill, which means I can finish 3 miles in around 22 or 23 minutes. Nice one. I ran my third run around da streets of Clapham again. Managed it in around 25 minutes. Steady as she goes... but the problem really is, this was a week, according to my book, that I was meant to run 15 miles in my three runs. Falling behind.

But that was nothing compared to what my long run was going to entail...

Date: Sunday, 12th February 2006
Distance covered: 8.5 miles
Time taken: 1h 25mins
Venue: Juhu Beach, Mumbai, India!

Where to begin... with my first steps taken on my road to being a property magnate (sic.), I found myself, accompanied by my parents, in Mumbai. It was a fantastic long weekend but one of the key things we knew I was going to have to find time - and a place - for was my 'long run'. After all, with the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon exactly a week away, I need to get the practice in.

And what an unforgettable experience it was! I dragged myself out of bed at around 7am and after a quick bowl of cereal, my Dad showed me the beach and suggested a route. We both underestimated just how long 11 miles was.. I reckon the beach strip that I had at my disposal was about 2.5 to 3 miles long. So the plan was to run it a couple of times and be completed before the sun really hit.

There were so many unique aspects to the run it’s hard to know where to begin. Running on sand was tough – I don’t know how the Marathon de Sablers do it.. I tried to find the firmer parts of each part of the beach, given running with your foot sinking on each step wasn’t exactly ideal! Running with the sun rising over water was pretty special. The sights, sounds and smells were phenomenal. I must have been some (poncy) sight, running in my shorts and shoes and baseball cap, water bottle in hand. At a couple of stages, a couple of street children, whose families had shacks along parts of the beach ran along with me. They may have been looking for money at first but then probably ran along for the novelty of running with, let’s be honest, a bit of a freak!! :) I had to combat a few dogs as well… my first experience of having to fend them off. Not fun. I saw meditators, walkers, kids playing cricket and football (one with a Man Utd. jersey – get in!), martial artists… you name it, the beach was a happenng place. And all this before 8am!

The run itself was pretty hard work. As is customary for me now, the first two or three miles were a struggle. But the distractions proved a welcome relief; after the initial strain, I was too busy soaking it all in. I was aiming for twelve miles and the six mile mark came and went without too much stress. But then a bit of a problem struck. The sun was emerging and it was starting to get hot. Really hot. I underestimated this and, given I started consuming more water, I ran out after about 8 miles. Given I didn’t know any of the locals (and have virtually no Hindi!), I couldn’t work out how to say “please give me a bottle of water and I’ll pay you back later” so I decided to call it quits about half a mile after that. I got back to the flat, did my stretches and recounted my tales to my folks, which they found as fascinating as I did.

From the outside looking in, Week 6 may appear bit of a disaster – I didn’t run enough for my three shorter runs, and I was 2.5miles short for my long run. However, I am actually pleased with how it went. Given how busy I was, I am pleased I got out for three short runs. The long run was a mystery of whether I would find the place and time to run in India. But that I managed to run as much as 8.5miles and gain such an unforgettable experience, meant that I end Week 6 feeling positive.

Well, I did, until I realised that Week 7’s Long Run is the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon on Sunday morning………