Day 1, Back At It (Briefly)

Today was day 1 of my new training plan, so I put my kit on and rugged up with an extra layer, stepped out the front door into snow! I hadn’t realised it had snowed (although it was a sprinkling really), but as I was already dressed I went out anyway.

I was supposed to be going for 45 mins, but lasted 10 before I turned and ran back home, with freezing fingers. Perhaps some gloves are in order. And warmer layers. (A chance to buy more running stuff, perhaps?)

But my legs held up much better than I’d feared, so that’s something.

Best Laid Plans, etc

Fresh from my Brighton 10k and the huge success of actually running a lot (more than 20%) of it, this week I decided I was ready to stretch beyond the 10k and try my hand at something longer (that’s what she said…). So obviously, my mind turned to a marathon.

Whoa, steady on, said my boss, maybe be a little more gradual. Try a half at least, or perhaps a 10 miler.

So I have picked out a half-marathon in March, which will give me 12 weeks or so to train, although it’s the Steyning Stinger which is on the South Downs, very hilly and muddy and right up my street really.

So, before then I actually need to train and get some shorter-than-a-half runs in as additional training and goody-bag-grabbers under my belt before then. Boss is trying to get me to do an 8-or-so-miler in December. I think it’s the Duck Pond Waddle down in Worthing, but I’m put off because I can’t sign up online, and I don’t have a cheque book, and why won’t they let me sign up online? This is the internet age for goodness sake!

But the ultimate aim is for a marathon sometime after June. I have an 18-week training schedule to start with next week, although I’ll stretch it out a bit as we’re going to Australia for 3 weeks in March/April, during which I’ll probably do no training at all (let’s be honest), so June might be doable?

So that’s the plan at least.

Brooks Brighton 10k

We stayed over at friends last night, who luckily live just outside of Brighton at Upper Beeding, so we (wifey and I) were chauffeured to the starting line this morning, and I also had a small cheering group which was very nice.

This was my third 10k, and as I’d run the last in 1:20 over lumpy, grassy ground I thought I’d manage this – a flat run along the Brighton seafront – in at least 1:15. But as I’d done no training specifically for this, this morning I was having doubts.

Into the pen we all went 10 minutes before, and it was quite a squeeze. The nerves started coming in, and by the time the clock started and we began the slow slog to the start I wasn’t sure how things would go.

Once over the start, through the funnel, I was able to begin a slow jog, and I surprised myself that I was able to go for 1.68k before I had to slow down to a brisk walk. One thing I haven’t managed to control yet is my pacing, which affects then my breathing and so I end up having to take walking breaks. Could it be an endurance problem, or do I just need to train more and find a comfortable pace?

At 4k we began running up a slight incline, which felt like a bloody mountain and I really struggled. By this time to lead pack were passing us in the opposite direction on the way to the finish – fit fucking bastards.

Turning at 6.5k, and I was pleased to see there were still a handful of people behind me. I picked up the pace and bit and managed to pass a few people I’d been swapping position with back and forth, and left them behind me (he says, like he was actually moving faster than a pensioner (I wasn’t – two in their 70s beat me by at least 20 mins)).

At the 9k, I stopped walking and began running again, and next thing I know a guy with a backpack was beside me on the phone, running alongside. I looked at him, and lo’ it was my boss who was also running today (we hadn’t seen each other before hand). He’d run out – after finishing 30 mins before – to find me, and so we ran together for the last 1km, him offering me advice as we ran down the hill and spurring me on. I can’t believe I ran the full final kilometer. I finished feeling like I was about to vomit.

So – finishing time, 1hr 14 min. Lovely!

Brighton 10 – 2 days to go

I have no idea if anyone still reads this thing, since my post about the Hampton 10k drew no response and the one about next year’s London 10k only a couple, but anyway – it’s here for a reason and so I should update it.

On Sunday I’ll be running in the Brooks Brighton 10k, an event I was talked into by my boss, a 40-minute 10k-er. I am hoping to do it in 1hr15m, since the Hampton Court race was done in 1hr19 over bumpy, grassy ground. This is flat, on a road, and will be frighteningly cold so I’ll want to get it done quickly. I’m also 10lbs lighter than I was 6 weeks ago, which will no doubt give me a couple minutes benefit. We’ll see.

Anyone following my Twitter will get updates as it happens, as I will probably run with my phone (as I always do, so I can tell my missus when to expect me at the end, although last time I had to run past her waving my arms to get her out of her bored daydreaming).

I will admit, I’m nervous. I’ve been doing a lot of training, but it’s all been body weight exercises and HIIT cardio (on the stationary bike) to strip the fat off me (hence, the 10lbs loss). However, it will also be the first time I have more people on the sidelines cheering me on than friends running with me (even when they zoom ahead), which will be quite cool.

Wifey and I are going down to Brighton tomorrow night to stay with friends (aforementioned cheerleaders), and I will be ferried to the start line which will be nice. Afterwards, a piggy reward meal.

A friend mentioned this week how amazed she was at how I’ve turned my life around this year. You see, 18 months ago I weighed over 20 stone (20 stone 7lbs to be exact), very little of which was muscle. Now, although I have only lost 30lbs in weight, I’ve also gone from over 40% bodyfat to around 24-28% (my readings are inaccurate), so I’ve put on a shitload of muscle.

Running hasn’t done this, but it’s the reason behind it.

I’ll stop now before I get more melancholy and soppy.