Stage 3 >> Portland Beard

Spot the Beard.

Cabbaged again.

It was quite a nice day, and Portland looked set to be a good race, a fantastic location overlooking the Olympic 2012 Sailing area, and a reasonably flat stage (or so I thought). I had noticed that bearded runners often have great success, so had even grown a beard for the occasion. I was hoping for a good time here and set about doing some warm ups before the race. After a few minutes I was knackered ! I was also getting quite a bit of stick from Katherine about my pre-race preparation (or lack of it). To be fair, she was spot on, I didn't have any energy gels, sport drink, and my rest before the race was non-existant really. I ran a 10-Mile road race on the Sunday before, AND did a hard hill sprint session at the running club 2 days earlier. I was feeling fairly laid back about the whole thing and now I was getting it in the ear about my ill-preparedness.

As I set off, I soon realised I felt pretty tired in the leg area. After only a couple of miles I really didn't feel like running another full marathon. As the miles wore on, I realised that I would have to do everything just to finish this one. The Challenge of Seven Marathons in Seven Months really hit home. The cumulative fatigue and relentless demand week after week was taking it's toll on me. How stupid I was to run that race last Sunday ! My legs were complaining and I hadn't even reached 10 miles !

Then something really bad happened.

The course markers took us over 2km of Deep Shingle beach. It was horrific, every step was a real effort and it took about 15 minutes to do the section, leading up to the half way point. I managed to run it all, but then the realisation that I would have to do it all over again on the SECOND LAP filled me with dread. I battled on and shortly after was chased by a pitbull terrier which bit my ankles and tried to pull my trousers down. This was turning into a bad race ! I hung in there, keeping up the pace as best as I could, but my body was failing me. Although truthfully, I had failed my body. I had done to much in the build up and not eased off in enough time to fully recover. Had I not raced 5 days ago, I wouldn't have lost my Mojo today.

I mulled this for some time, until, inevitably, the shingle beach appeared yet again. This time it was sadistic. A painful grind where I was reduced to a jog-walk as the extra speed was negligable. The final mile and a half of footpath was a joy after that experience. I crossed the line, disappointed with myself for not being more ready. I should have done better than this. When I got home, I shaved off my beard in a huff and promised to recover properly before Stage 4 >> South Devon in just FOUR WEEKS.

I recorded 4h29, 30th / 110.

Results Here

Blaythorne 10 Miler + Shower Surprise ! (In more ways than one)

With only a week to go before Marathon #3 (Portland) I decided I would enter the Blaythorne 10 mile road race (sponsored by Cornwall Double Glazing) with my local club, the Newquay Road Runners. Just to stretch my legs out on the road and see what my pace is like nowadays.

I had to wear the mandatory club running VEST which I was quite proud of, but also bloody freezing ! Especially as before the start, the heavens opened with the most almighty hailstorm, which pebble-dashed people with bean-sized hailstones and left the roads covered in an icy slush!

Marevellous. I opted for the VEST on top of T-Shirt, not quite the hardcore runner look, but I did brave the mandatory skimpy running keks, with the kind of integral built in underpanty mesh. What a man's sport this is, I couldn't help thinking to myself, as I performed some warm-up skipping on the footpaths, nearly skidding arse over t*t in the process. The agony was extended further as the race was delayed 15mins due to Lightning in the vicinity; I was however willing to take my chances as I was starting to lose feeling in some of the more loose and dangly parts of my body.

After being told about the how the Race was sponsored by Cornwall Double Glazing by the marshals, we were off ! My heart rate monitor was doing it's job, and I tried to keep it at a sensible limit - so as not to 'BONK' (see earlier posts). I settled into what I thought I could maintain, a balance between heart rate, breathing, and gonad temperature and tried to hold it best I could for the first 5 miles. After that I let it go a bit, and in the last mile I just went for it, with my legs seemingly unhindered - thanks to my scientific skimpy shorts, blasting through the finish line (sponsored by Cornwall Double Glazing).

I collected a great goody bag with a Mug and a Cornwall Double Glazing Cleaning Cloth, then went to shower myself in an attempt to get the contents of my shorts back to some normal (well for me) size/length. Just as I was applying the Radox, I was greeted by a voice which certainly wasn't very manly. Because he was a woman. Or she was. Anyway, there she was having a good lather with all the blokes completely bollok naked. Not that she had any - but I wasn't looking anyway - honest! I wasn't exactly looking my best either, as the showers weren't very hot and my willy was still looking embarrassingly small.

Anyway. After tea and cakes, there were a few presentations (there were a lot of prizes) and somehow Newquay Runners came second in the team event, which apparently included me as I was among the first 6 Newquay Runners home. So I now have a nice plastic trophy. All in all it was a grand day out, and I managed 24th / 400ish in 1:03:42 (or 6:22mins/mile). Just goes to show how much faster road running is than trogging up and down coastal paths !

Right, must dash. I really need to enquire about some Double Glazing.

Family Day Out on Bodmin Moor !

What better way to start the New Year than with a yomp up some yonder fell. Starting near the Jamaica Inn, we climbed up a nearby hillock and to our surprise the children managed the whole thing without any whingeing ! In fact they were as good as gold and thoroughly enjoyed it. Hurrah ! Hiking children - just what we always wanted.

We then rounded the day off with a drink in the Jamaica Inn, in front of a humongous log fire - with whole logs on! Toasty warm....

King of the World !

Egg sandwiches at the top !

The summit party

Lauren and Nairn in front of the conquered peak.

New Year - New Methods

So this is it, Earth 2009. Dates really are starting to sound very sci-fi. And although I'm not wearing a skin tight suit (only when running), or flying to work in my own personal hovercraft, some things really have moved on. I now have a highly complex heart rate monitor to give me a scientific approach to my running (Thanks secret santa !).

I will now be training in "zones" where I will set a target heart rate for each training session, so that I can make sure I am putting in enough (or not too much) effort. In this way, a lot of my training will be at a relatively low level, to improve my bodies fat buring metabolism, and some will be shorter and sharper, to increase my speed. After each session I can download the results to my computer.

Before I could embark on this training I had to determine my maximum Heart Rate, so I could work out my "zones", each zone being a percentage of Max Hr !

So I ran for 30 minutes then ramped up steadily to a fairly high pace. I then sprinted up a pretty steep cornish hill in faster and longer bursts until I was physically at my limit. Legs burning, breathing almost uncontrolled after stopping. Unable to continue running afterwards for some time. A maximal effort. My 'MaxHr' was 180bpm.

I shall be doing lots of training at 60-75% of that.

Oh and I've got a Gym ball, for core stability exercises. Although the exercises look like I'm preparing to have a baby. Hmm.

3 weeks to Portland !