Perkins Great Eastern Run, Peterborough

So this Autumn rather than trying to chip away on the marathon PB I decided that I was going to have a ‘rest’ from marathons and instead turn my attentions to a hard and fast half marathon. I have not focused exclusively on a half marathon before rather I have done them as part of my marathon training, either as sub maximal efforts on tired legs or attempted marathon pace sessions in a long run. My previous PB was set earlier this year at Paddock Wood when I did 72:01. Although that was not all out, I don’t think there was much more to give either perhaps one minute at absolute best. That obviously left me tempted to aim towards breaking 70 minutes for the half this autumn.

The build-up to this race had been at best OK but nowhere near where I wanted it to be. I struggled through the summer with a few niggles that for once actually stopped me from running and then life seemed to get in the way a couple of times which meant a few missed runs. I had also struggled a little getting to race weight and was probably about 4lbs over where I would like to be when at my best racing weight. As the race approached though, I had managed to get some decent sessions in (such as this one) that gave me confidence that I could give it a good stab.

Running under 70 minutes means covering each of the 13.1 miles in about 5:20 per mile. I had run a 10k PB two weeks before the race with a 32:41 which is 5:16 per mile so I needed to maintain a slightly slower pace for over twice the distance on the day! A daunting task indeed but one that I was prepared to give a go. I was also aware that the Great Eastern run generally has a reasonably competitive field so there should  be folks to run with who had a similar target to mine.

Hania, Mia and I travelled up the night before so we didn’t have a longish drive in the morning and I was pleased we did. I even managed to have over eight hours sleep and awoke feeling ready for action. Four slices of white bread with raspberry jam and a large cup of coffee later and it was off to the start.

I bumped into a few guys from Kent AC who were gunning for the team prize (they won incidentally) and saw Chris Greenwood who I learned from Stuart Beaney was also going for a sub 70 time. Good stuff. The gun went or was it a hooter? And I am all of a sudden boxed in behind the elite ladies. Did some jinking and quickly get through and tag onto a nice little group which included Chris, Paul Marchant and James Rodgers amongst a few others. The pace was good from the off and we were quickly into our stride with a 5:17.6 opening mile. The group started to settle with both Chris and I at the front and everyone else tucking in behind. At the time, this annoyed me a little as although there wasn’t much wind to speak of nobody other than us really wanted to do any of the work of pulling the group along. I gradually gained more confidence to drop back a few strides and let others take it on occasionally, but Chris remained stoic out in front. The next few miles ticked by in 5:16.6, 5:20.6, 5:18.6. It was at this point that I started to assess how I was actually feeling. Despite being on pace, only five miles (5:18.8) in there was still a very long way to go. But it felt OK so on we go. I remember looking at my watch halfway through the sixth mile and I don’t know if there was any gradient at all but the pace had slipped so I had to work hard to pull the group along back to the tempo we had before. This slight slowing resulted in a slower mile of 5:26.9 but it was OK. Next target was to get to halfway - we went through the halfway point in 34:57 – 3 seconds in the bank! Everything still felt bearable. Just. The seventh mile was back on track with a 5:19.8. As we hit the seven mile marker and started our turn for home Chris suddenly put in an injection of pace and I tried to stick with it for a bit but I was conscious that I was really starting to work very hard to keep hold of him. So he Paul and one other gradually started to pull away. It’s at these critical points in a race where you can look back after the event either with regret or pride at the decision you took. Hand on heart I can say I am happy I didn’t try to hold on as it probably wouldn’t have turned out the way it did in the end had I tried to stick with the pace. Mile 8 was a 5:17.5 so despite the fact that It was the second quickest of the race the others had still put on about another 10-15 metres on me.

The plan now is to really hold the concentration together and just keep focusing. Positive mental attitude. You can do it, you can break 70. So what if it hurts, it won’t for too much longer. This is what those 5am training sessions were for! Get to nine miles, get to ten, just 5k left, etc, etc. I was really starting to hurt but the ninth mile slipped by with a 5:18.7. Good. That’s another mile closer to the target. Through to 10 with a 5:16.1 and I pass one of the chaps who has dropped off Chris’ breakaway group. Went through 10 miles in 53:11. There’s less than 17 minutes of pain left now. Just keep those guys in your sights and keep working. Do it. Ignore your legs. Relax your breathing, try to keep good form. It’s slipping. Through 11 with a 5:23.6. Still fine, there is a bit of time in the bank. Although I’m really struggling with the calculations at this point, the Garmin tells me it’s all OK! How can 2.1 miles seem so far? It does. Keep driving. Focus, focus. I can see another guy in front who is wilting. Pull him in. Hit twelve miles with a 5:20.4 and fly past the guy who went off too quick. It gives me confidence to push on. I finally complete the thirteenth mile with a 5:18.5 and now it’s all about a sprint finish. Why can one always muster a little more when they see those magical letters FINISH emblazoned loud and proud on an inflatable arch? I did and completed the last 0.1mile in 33 seconds (4:52 pace) with fist pumps and “get-in theres” galore. Cross the line in 8^th place and now a proud owner of a PB of 69:46 covering the second half in 34:49 so a marginal negative split. One very happy runner here. Full details below. Check out the heart rate over those last few miles to see how hard I was working.

It was then off to meet Hania and Mia who had proudly cheered me over the finish line. Mia couldn’t wait to take my medal off me though.

Edinburgh Marathon 2012

...

S  26.2 miles in 2:29:33 (5:42mm avge)

Total  BIG SMILEY FACE

I flew up to Edinburgh on Saturday evening and was staying with a friend, Fraser who was also running the race. We managed to get in a sneaky drive of the course as well which is great for seeing all the quirks, and helping you to visualise getting through each stage. It also reminds you of how bloody far 26.2 miles is!

Got to bed in pretty good time, and I had a good four and a half hours sleep before I woke up needing the loo. As soon as I was awake there was no going back to sleep, no matter how much I tried. So I just lay there waiting until it was ready to get the kit on! Needless to say I felt pretty knackered when I got up, but I knew once the day and race got going I wouldn't be able to feel it.

The concern for the past few days has been the weather with the UK enjoying beautiful summery weather. Fortunately it looked like it wasn't going to be too bad on Sunday and I just had to hope it didn't heat up too much. I also told myself that it wouldn't be too hot to negatively impact my race. I only really started to feel uncomfortable because of the heat at about 22 miles.

Anyway, to the start area Fraser's wife dropped us very close to the start and then we had a little mooch down to check out the whole area, Fraser dropped his bag off and I made my way to the 'Elite' start. I spotted Peter Tucker who is a local athlete that runs for Blackheath and Bromley and someone I rate very highly. Unfortunately he has struggled with injuries this year and so was racing on a very compromised build up. We shared what our intentions with each other and agreed that we may run together. As it turned out we did but not until long into the race.

As the start time approached I could feel my excitement building as I focused the mind on the task ahead. Steady there, though. Rmember you need to feel like you're driving with the handbrake on. 

Soon enough we were on our way and I set off very steadily indeed. The first couple of miles are very down hill so I expected to be roughly on pace by this point but having not expended much energy getting there. There were already hoards of folk that had shot off into the distance and I think I was in about 25th position after the first mile (although I missed the first mile marker hence the double tap at 2 miles). I let them go, I was running this my way and I was so committed to running to how I felt. I usually race marathons with my heart rate showing on my Garmin but this time decided to run without it for once and just go completely to effort and not let the heart rate reading have any influence whatsoever I am glad I did as the looking at the data there was a serious spike in the first mile which must have been to do with a very poor contact and had I seen the reading I would probably have been worried!

The race went on and I felt like I was running really well, I was relaxed but running with purpose. I was running at my Marathon Pace. We hit the sea front and there was a definite breeze but it was reasonably refreshing as opposed to particularly draining. Just before half way I started to eat into the gap where I could see Stuart Kerr and another guy up ahead to try and get on terms with them. I manged to catch them just as we went over the timing mats. I split in 1:14:13 unofficially. That was basically exactly as I had planned. Not too fast but not too slow. Just right. I then ran with Stuart and Mr X (who was clearly working way too hard - I assume he ended up having a bit of a blow up!) for a while and then about 15.5 miles I started to open up some ground on them. I then focused on the next two guys up front, one of which was Pete Tucker and an Italian guy called Marco Verado. They were still some way into the distance, perhaps 150 metres but a target nonetheless.

The course at Edinburgh basically turns at 17.5 miles and then you run back to Musselburgh which we had passed about 9 miles into the race. Just before I caught up with Pete and Marco they had gone past Stephen Dawes and I quickly went past him. I got level with Pete and Marco at just after 30k (18.75 miles ish). At this stage I still felt incredibly strong and even felt like I could possibly push on a bit more. But I was glad I still kept it all pretty controlled. Marco and I suddenly had a few yards on Pete and we began to pull away. Marco's Garmin had broken just before the race so he was constantly asking for splits, how long to go and although I wouldn't ordinarily mind, it was getting to the business part of the race where I prefer to just focus on putting one foot in front of the other. It was great running back along the road we had just come as you see all the other runners coming the other way shouting their support. I got to 22 and then I started to feel pretty hot but by this time it was not long to go. Just ticking off the miles. But the legs were definitely starting to hurt and I was conscious that I may be starting to cramp a little so really had to concentrate on my stride.

We reached 24 and I knew that by this time I should come in under 2:30 unless something drastic happened. I don't know if this psychologically made me back off, or if I was truly knackered but I really struggled to get my legs turning over and so the pace was gradually slowing despite aerobically still feeling OK. The legs were just starting to say 'no'! Just keep them going. Marco gradually pulled away. Although my calculations were pretty sound I got to 25.5 and thought it was going to be bloody tight and you're never 100% sure whether your mental arithmetic is that accurate after that long. I still didn't know that I was going to do it until I turned into the final straight and saw the clock at 2:29:10 and had a short matter of 100m 'sprint'. There wasn't much of a sprint but the relief of knowing I had achieved something I'd dreamt of for so long is so incredibly satisfying. I can now move on and focus on the shorter stuff for a period of time. I will come back to the marathon, possibly next spring but more likely in Autumn 2013.

I thought I had finished 9th but the results show me in 8th for some reason. I think it may be because a pacemaker decided to go on and finish the race so his name is not showing in the results just yet. Even so very pleased with 3rd Brit and a whoppingly satisfying PB.
 

21st - 26th May 2012

M  6.07 miles recovery (7:09mm avge)
T  7.19 miles general aerobic (6:22mm avge)
W  8.11 miles, including 2.04 miles @ 5:38 (6:15mm avge)
T  6.21 miles recovery, including 6X100m strides (7:05mm avge)
F  Rest
S  2.36 miles recovery (7:13mm avge)
S  Watch this space......

Total  29.94 miles (6:43mm avge)

Finally here! This week has gone as well as possible given the lack of running and how that plays with your mind in the taper. I have touch wood managed to escape any further lurgies and my carb loading has gone absolutely fantastically well. The menu has been pretty similar for each day and will be for the rest of today although I'll eat my last big meal about 3:30 this afternoon.

For those interested my diet on Thursday and Friday has been

Breakfast
1pint of banana, raspberry, passion fruit and pineapple smoothie
Large bowl of cornflakes
Two crumpets

Morning snacks
1 litre of fresh apple juice
two toasted white bagels with lashings of raspberry jam (a tip from Steve Way (yes, I did plagiarise the format of his blog in creating mine ;-) ))

Lunch
Two large ham sandwiches on Thursday and large sushi & tub of chargrilled chicken pasta on Friday
Yoghurt
Large fruit salad

Afternoon snack
1 toasted bagel with raspberry jam

Dinner
c175g of pasta with a tomato sauce

Lots of water throughout the whole period, and a few salt tablets to get myself as hydrated as possible.

Training wise, I have done very little, and I even decided to give myself a complete rest day on Friday, just to really help freshen the legs up nicely.

I had a good little marathon pace test on Wednesday morning which left me feeling very comfortable of the pace I need to run tomorrow.

So this is it, I will be hitting the start line in the morning, hopefully in peak shape. I feel great, I really do and I'm glad I decided to pull out of London as in hindsight if I had run round I know I would not be feeling how I am today. My confidence is sky high of how the race will pan out. My training has been first class for me and I am  ready to move up a level. The weather looks like it wont be perfect but hopefully it will not be too bad and wont impact the run too much. All I can do is control the controllables and run my race. I wont win the race as there are too many top athletes running, I may not even come in the top 20 but I don't care where I come. This is about running a great race for me. I want to run like I have never run before; stronger, lighter, faster and being brave to hold back when it would be easy to push on and push on when it starts to get tough, but most of all I want to look back on the race and be proud of what I have achieved. This is the next step in my journey, and I truly believe it will be a giant leap forward.

To be continued.....

14th - 20th May 2012

M 6.07 miles recovery (7:18mm avge) AM, 4.16 miles recovery (7:03mm avge) PM

T  10.13 miles general aerobic, including 10x100m strides (6:22mm avge)

W  Rest

T 12.23, including 4.51 miles @ 5:16mm (6:00 mm avge)

F 10.07 miles general aerobic (6:26mm avge)

S  6.39 miles recovery (7:13mm avge)

S  13.18 miles progressive (6:16mm avge)

Total 62.23 miles (6:31mm avge)

So first week of taper and I even decided to put in a rest day! Only reason was I was absolutely shattered from the first day of a two day conference with work and when the alarm went off at 5:00am I figured some days are just meant to be rest days. If there’s a time to take them, it’s in the taper too. It was nice that this coincided with my wife Hania’s birthday as well so it meant I could spend some time with her and the baby before getting up and going to day two of the conference.

Thursday I got up and set off for my last session before Edinburgh and knew within the first 500 yards that it was going to be a good run. Usually after a rest day my legs are somewhat jaded but this time they felt light and springy and really up for a bit of an effort. So after 5 miles of general aerobic running, I started a lactate threshold effort. I was very pleasantly surprised to see the pace under 5:20 per mile and not only was this quicker than I generally do them but the effort did feel very comfortable. I would say that it felt as if I was running with the handbrake on for all the way too. The session ended up averaging 5:16 per mile at an effort which I would suggest was somewhere around half marathon pace effort. This gives me great confidence for the Autumn where my main focus will be to break 70 minutes for the half marathon. I may be in sub 69 shape by that time too judging by this run. I then did a short run home.

Friday and Saturday was just a bit more filler running and then Sunday where I did a progressive 13 miler keeping the effort nice and controlled. I felt like a coiled spring and the legs were eager to get going which is a really positive sign seven days out.

Overall this week has gone really well, I have been conscious not to push the efforts too hard and general and slow mileage has been very disciplined so I have hopefully avoided pushing the envelope a little too far. This week the mileage will drop by another 50% before the big day with only 2 miles at MP and a few strides planned as faster running.

My number arrived this week and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised when this little number dropped through the letterbox.

So far I  have managed to avoid (touch wood will continue to do so) the lurgy although I am ever more conscious of folk sniffling around me. There was a lady who had a streaming cold who decided to sit next to me on the train during the week and then she tried to ask me a question about getting to the tube station on exiting the train. Poor woman must have wondered what on earth I was doing when I suddenly took about three steps back to stop her breathing on me!

7th - 13th May 2012

M  6.23 miles recovery (7:15mm avge) AM, 4.19 miles recovery (7:09mm avge) PM

T  10.15miles, including 5X600m VO2Max Intervals (6:18mm avge)

W  15.11 miles progressive (6:27mm avge) AM, 4.16 miles recovery (7:10mm avge) PM

T 9.04 miles general aerobic, including 8 X100m strides (6:27mm avge)

F 7.18 miles recovery (7:09mm avge)

S 9.56 miles, including Dulwich Parkrun in @ 5:02mm (6:04mm avge)

S 20.11 miles mildly progressive (6:31mm avge)

Total 85.74 miles (6:36mm avge)

Another good week where if anything the focus was really a bit of maintenance before I start to taper down (again!). Tuesday’s intervals session was pleasing so shortly after Sunday’s mammoth 22 miler with MP sections. I tried to keep the pace nice and controlled on these and was pleased to see a decent return for less effort than last time I did these. The legs were however quite tired on the warm down.

Wednesday was pretty much exactly the same as last week with a rather mild progressive run into work. It was a fraction quicker than last week for a similar effort so perhaps I have gained a couple of seconds per mile of fitness (they all count!).

An then Thursday and Friday were slightly easier runs as I tried to freshen the legs up a bit ahead of a Parkrun blast on Saturday morning. I chose to do this at Dulwich which is a relatively new Parkrun venue and I know it to be pretty flat and therefore likely to be fairly fast as I have done some decent long Marathon pace tempo runs there in the build-up. I was pleased to see Richard Ward on the start line as it meant I would get a hard run. As an under 20 Richard was ranked higher than Mo Farah, Scott Overall and Andy Baddeley in the 1,500m rankings so if I could beat him he would be a great scalp for me. He had also done a 15:10 5k earlier in the year. Off we went and I planned to stick close to him as possible, after about 600m I noticed that we were running at 2:55 per k pace which is ridiculous! It slowed down quite a bit after that though and the first k was ticked off in 3:02.7, the second k where we were still fighting for position was a 3:05.1 and then the third marginally slower at 3:06.9. By this point I knew I had the beating of him and now it was about coasting to the finish. My Dad had also sent me a text earlier in the week reminding me not to overtrain so with that clicking over in my mind I didn't have the desire to really push on and try for a PB. The 4th k which was all marginally uphill was a 3:16.4 and then the last k in 3:07.3. I then measured it another 9 seconds long but Garmins are never 100% accurate. I broke the course record with 15:48 (it's only been going five weeks) and was very pleased with the run and actually rate it as a better performance than my 15:34 PB at Hackney marshes. Dulwich is a slightly tougher course and I didn't really go to the well in this one like I did at Hackney (and my Garmin measured it a touch long ;-) ) so all in all I think I am in a better position than I was two weeks before London. This is especially encouraging considering the lack of VO2 Max stuff I have been doing recently which is absolutely essential to fulfil your potential at 5k.

Sunday was a 20 miler at a fairly easy pace. I had wondered whether I needed to do a 20 two weeks out and although I am sure I could have got away with only doing an 18 I really feel I cope better off a shorter taper. And as I said in the past couple of weeks, I had a short time to build my training up before reducing it again for Edinburgh given that I had the benefits of a full and long taper for London which didn’t happen so I have been trying to strike a balance between doing enough but not too much. As we know I didn’t manage to finish at London and this could well have been because I pushed the training a little bit too hard which made me susceptible to bugs – but the reality is we will never know. I have to commute to London every day meaning I have the pleasure of sharing a train carriage with 70 odd people who always tend to be coughing and spluttering so it’s no doubt that I will pick up stuff from time to time! The run went well anyway but the legs were certainly tired after Saturday's 5k exploits.

So this coming week looks quite nice with a c30% reduction in the miles of this week and only one hard run to think of. The cake is mixed, baking and about to come out of the oven, I just need the timer to ping and it’ll be full steam ahead at Edinburgh two weeks today.

30th April - 6th May 2012

M 8.05 miles recovery (7:07mm avge)

T  8.48 miles general aerobic (6:22mm avge)

W 12.48 miles, including 2X3.5 miles @5:20mm (5:55mm avge)

T 15.07 progressive (6:32mm avge) am, 4.16 miles recovery (7:22mm avge)pm

F 8.27 miles general aerobic, including 8X100m Strides (6:27mm avge)

S  6.62 miles recovery (7:!2mm avge)

S 22.26 miles including 3X5M @ 5:36mm avge (5:55mm avge)

Total:85.36 miles (6:25mm avge)

This was the first week of two of normal training that I'm trying to squeeze in before reducing down again for Edinburgh in three weeks time. And I have to say it went rather well. It could be because I'm relatively fresh because of my taper for London but it is always nice to have some confidence boosting sessions.

Tuesday was the first session for a while and it felt great to be running quickly again. I think I mentioned last week that I wanted to focus a bit more on tempo/lactate threshold type running in this mini build up to Edinburgh than VO2max stuff which I had been doing a reasonable amount of prior to London as I need to ‘re-bake the cake’ a bit. I have to say I was a little scared about this session and was relieved on the first 3.5 mile interval that the pace felt very manageable, indeed I had been expecting closer to 5:25s than 5:20s. What would the second interval hold? Well as you can see from above it was virtually identical, in fact a whole 3 seconds quicker and although the heart rate was rising it was definitely at the right effort level across the session. So that was nice.

Wednesday was a progressive run into work which I took a little easier averaging 6:32 per mile as I wanted to ensure I didn’t push into the realms of overreaching which may have been to blame for me picking up the colds back in March and prior to London.

And then to today's run which was a mighty session of 22 miles with three 5 mile efforts at Marathon Pace with a mile easy between the efforts. The plan with this was simply to get a lot of MP miles into the legs but without the stress of doing them all in one go. Having seen some friends' results at London it is clear that 2:30 will not be an easy mark to break and so if anything it gave me a bit of a wake up call to try to run more on the comfortable side with a view to hopefully picking up the pace towards the end of the second half at Edinburgh and perhaps sneaking under 2:29 if everything goes well and I race well. Anyway, today's run was another great confidence booster; the first effort felt very good indeed as did the second, it was only in the third that the legs were tiring a little bit but aerobically I was well in control and it was nice to see the pace increase a little throughout the workbouts. Full details are below.

All in all, this week couldn't have gone much better but I do need to get back to regular stretching and core work as I felt this was really starting to help a few weeks ago.

23rd - 29th April 2012

M  Rest
T  5.99 miles recovery (7:20mm avge)
W  Rest
T  8.36 miles general aerobic (6:22mm avge)
F  24.16 miles progressive (6:31mm avge)
S 9.8 miles, including Harrogate Parkrun at 5:19mm avge (6:28mm avge)
S  Hungover!

Total  48.31 miles (6:35mm avge)

This week was all about ensuring I had fully got rid of the virus that hampered everything last week so I decided on a couple of rest days, Monday and Wednesday. When I went out on Thursday I felt great, legs were really keen to get moving and I felt aerobically very strong. A good sign that the bug had finally shifted, hopefully it has and I can now crack on with a short build back up to Edinburgh.

I needed to get back to long runs and so managed to squeeze one in on Friday morning as I knew it would be difficult to get it done over the weekend as I was to be best man at my best friend Ian's wedding. The run went really well and I did feel strong, but my heart rate was high relative to what I would expect. I put this down to the fact that it was a tapered long run and so my heart rate was happy to work at a relatively high level. Indeed when I'm tapered for a marathon I see that I can maintain a higher heart rate than I would be able to if I was in full heavy training. I guess when the body is in heavy training, it suppresses the heart rate a bit to stop it from working too hard. I'm not 100% sure on the physiology but know anecdotally of other runners who experience the same thing, so it's a good enough explanation for me.

On Saturday there was the opportunity for a Parkrun in Harrogate, and I couldn't resist. My legs were very very tired on Saturday and I wouldn't normally do a tempo effort (or possibly even a bit harder!) so soon after a long run, but felt it was unlikely that I would be going for a run on the Sunday because of the inevitable hangover, and this turned out to be the case. On showing up at the Stray, (also a little fuzzy from a few beers with Ian the night before) I saw a a few familiar faces, John and Dawn Broom and Steve Darby who are all strong runners and regular Parkrun tourists. I had also been notified by John of a very strong runner Mike Burrett who had decided to show up. Mike and I had a great race with him pulling away and me grabbing hold of his heels then forging ahead, then running side by side as he got back on terms. We put in a 3:09 final km which was rather quick but he still had the sprint on me and ended up 5 seconds ahead as I had little to respond with on tired legs. It was pleasing as the conditions were not ideal and although I felt aerobically comfortable for most of it my legs were hammered after Friday's long run.

It is now four weeks to Edinburgh and I have two weeks of big mileage to get in with some tasty looking sessions included, cant wait.

Race Week: 16th - 22nd April 2012

M  6.00 miles recovery (7:19mm avge)

T  7.17 miles general aerobic (6:28mm avge)

W 8.06 miles, including 2 miles @ 5:35mm (6:27mm avge)

T  4.09 miles recovery (7:15mm avge)

F  Rest

S  2.15 miles recovery (7:23mm avge)

S  11.95 miles , including 11.48 miles at 5:48mm (5:52mm avge)

Total 39.42 miles (6:31mm avge)

After 119 days, 132 sessions, 1262 miles and a couple of breakthrough races the final 7 days were here. The chance to execute the race plan and deliver what I know I am capable of.

The week involved no sessions to speak of as I really tapered my running down to try to bring myself to a peak for marathon day. As I mentioned last week I was a little concerned that I might have been getting ill but I tried to ignore it in the hope that it would just go but as race week progressed it soon became clear that I was indeed ill. Thursday's recovery run was cut short to 4 miles from 6 as I just felt awful. As Thursday progressed I got worse and worse and I was starting to wake up to the fact that the race probably wasn't going to happen. On waking on Friday I had horrendous flu like symptoms, lethargy, headache, itchy throat, cough and a very tight chest that I called in sick as I was in no shape to go to work, I didn’t even get out of bed until midday! By Friday evening though I started to perk up a little but was certain by this time that I wasn't going to start the race and had told Hania as such. I mean how can someone ill enough to take a day off work on the Friday really be in a position to race a marathon on the Sunday?!?! Maybe I'm just soft!

As the decision not to race had been made, I stopped carb loading and got an early night on Friday. Saturday morning came and although still bunged up and a little bit 'fuzzy' I felt a lot better but still not in a position to race. As the day wore on I continued to improve and decided that I would go for a test jog to see how I felt. Strangely I felt OK. But it was only a two mile jog and  if I was to run on Sunday it would be a different kettle of fish. 26.2 hard racing miles always finds you out if you have a weakness. Anyway, I was coming round to the idea that I would at least start the race but drop out if it really wasn't going as it should. Like I said before racing a marathon is HARD and will find you out, if you're not healthy you simply shouldn't run. Luckily I had Edinburgh marathon booked as a back-up in five weeks time but would make a final decision about racing on race day morning.

I woke at 5:30 had breakfast and decided I would go to Blackheath to start the race. It is an honour to run in the London marathon, so many 10,000s would love to but never get the opportunity and even if I expected not to finish it would be silly not to take the opportunity to have a fun training run. :-)

Lining up just a row behind the elites is incredible, they really are different beings. Awesome to see and an absolute privilege to be in the same race as them. The plan was simple then. Go out, get to race pace as soon as I could and see how it felt and make a decision from there. Within the first quarter of a mile I was conscious that it felt quite hard. Not a good sign!

Anyway crack on.... After a mile and a half I had categorically decided that I would be dropping out of the race. I caught up with my mate Ben Shearer who was gunning for sub 2:30 (we had been planning to run together) and told him that I was going to drop out and wished him well. He nailed the time by the way with a 2:29:40. So now the decision was that I would run to Bermondsey (11.5miles) where Hania, Mia, my Dad and Step-Mum Anne would be. No pressure now, just enjoy it. So I did, I had a fantastic time. Anthony Jackson, a guy from a Kent club caught up with me who wanted to be paced at 5:45 per mile so I did this for a couple of miles before telling him that I wanted to back off. Looks like he managed to keep that pace to the end so I got him in a good rhythm. :-)

I had great fun, high-fiving the kids at the side of the road, showboating to the crowd at the Cutty Sark and even stopping for a bit of a chat with a friend of mine who was out to watch the race.

As I approached Bermondsey I was a little saddened that I was to drop out because London Marathon is such an amazing experience and dropping out where I planned to arguably missed out the most iconic bit of the course, Tower Bridge. I told myself that I could run around to the end and still do a reasonable time in the region of 2:35-2:40 but at what cost? What would be the point? I know I can run that fast as I've done it before and I still wasn't completely better. I wasn't in full health. No, stopping was the bravest but most sensible thing to do. So I did. I stepped off the road and gave my daughter a big hug. She didn’t seem too happy at all the commotion!

So onwards and upwards and now to focus on Edinburgh Marathon on 27th May. I have been thinking about how best to shape my training ahead of Edinburgh given I have already tapered and have come to the conclusion that the best thing to do is to gradually increase the mileage this week and ensure I am completely better before embarking on a couple of big mileage weeks again followed by a c10 day taper. I will do less VO2 Max stuff in this period compared to the weeks preceding London as I feel I need to go back and re-bake the cake a bit more rather than continue to add icing.

I said some weeks ago that training and running a marathon is hardly ever straightforward. And so it proved! I have no regrets that I started the race, and no disappointments that I didn’t finish. I am a very lucky man in all aspects of my life so I will not be beaten by a minor set-back along the way - I will come back stronger and ready for the challenge again. My only sadness from this year's London Marathon is that a young lady went to race on Sunday and tragically didn’t go home, dying just a few hundred metres from the finish. Stories like this really puts everything in perspective and I only hope that her family can take comfort that she died doing something that she loved. Her legacy will be that her story has resulted in her posthumously raising £100,000s of money for her chosen charity, The Samaritans.

Week 17: 9th - 15th April 2012

M AM 6.19 miles recovery (7:02mm avge)
T 8.11 miles general aerobic, including 8X100m strides (6:16mm avge)
W 6.01 miles recovery (7:19mm avge)
T 9.14 miles, including 3X1Mile VO2Max Intervals (6:07mm avge)
F 5.11 miles recovery (7:11mm avge)
S 4.1 miles general aerobic (6:27mm avge)
S 13.65 miles, with 6.28 miles @ 5:38mm avge (6:07mm avge)

Total 52.31 miles (6:31mm avge)

Just a very short round-up in this the second week of tapering and I am really starting to feel it; doubts creeping in, phantom niggles, possible lurgy re-emergence!
 
Runs of note though to start with Thursday's run which was 3X1Mile intervals averaging a fraction under 5:00mm. The last one was very tough indeed and I had to dig quite deep to get it close to 5:00! But close enough to the pace I averaged at the Parkrun last week.

Friday and Saturday were very strange runs in that I just felt rubbish, especially Saturday's which was supposed to be 7miles with 8X100m strides. I decided to cut it short as I just felt very below par and my heart rate was quite high and thought that my body would be pleased with the extra rest. I was very worried that I may be getting the lurgy again as my daughter Mia has had a cold this week since our visit up North.

Then to Sunday which was supposed to be a13 mile progressive run, but I decided to include the Darent Valley 10k into the run and keep a lid on things. This race was part of the Kent Grand Prix and as it was on my doorstep for a change and wouldn't impact on family life too much it would be a good opportunity to get some good points for the club. I did a good six and a half mile warm up which included quite large parts of the course to get a feel for what was to come, jumped on the start line and off we go. I settled into a gentle rhythm and the kilometres drifted by. I was around 10th or 11th by half way and then decided to up the effort. I gradually started picking off runners feeling very comfortable and I decided that I would really put a bit of effort in the last 3k to see if I could get close to the podium. As it turned out I hit the 7km marker in 5th position and then pulled another spot back to 4th. I could see another guy about 70 metres in front but with only a mile and a quarter to go it was unlikely I would reel him in unless I really put the foot on the gas, so I did. I put in a 5:00 dead mile to catch him and fly past him, he couldn't respond and seemed quite shocked that I had seemingly glided past him so effortlessly. It wasn't effortless but I tried my hardest to make it look like it was! After another 200 metres I knew I had enough on him to really pull back the pace and walked over the line for 3rd place. I then did another mile warm down to bring me to just over 13.5 for the day. Another nice confidence booster with one week to go. I then rushed back to get a sports massage from Mike Abousselam at Orpington Sports Massage to iron out any creases and make sure the legs are in good order for next week.I have been suffering a little from a sore glute/tight hip but the massage thankfully seems to have done the trick.

Now to the last week which will be horrible. I will tear my hair out, getting by on little runs all week like a junkie without a fix. My next post will probably be the race report and will probably follow at some point during next week when I've had the time for a few reflections. In the mean time, to whomever reads this I hope you have enjoyed the journey with me; I have had a brilliant time, I have pushed myself harder in training and in races than before, and started to get the sorts of results that I knew I was capable of. I have had a minor set back with an illness but all in all I feel ready. Now I just have to keep a cool head, put the brain into cruise control on the big day and deliver what I know I am capable of.

Target 2:27:59.

Week 16: 2nd - 8th April 2012

M AM 6.06 miles recovery (7:06mm avge)
T 9.03 miles, including 5X600m VO2Max Intervals (6:13mm avge)
W 15.1 miles progressive (6:21mm avge)
T 7.1 miles recovery, including 6X100m strides (7:06mm avge)
F 6.23 miles recovery (7:06mm avge)
S 8.59 miles, including Hackney Marshes 5k Parkrun @ 5:01mm (6:05mm avge)
S 18.19 miles progressive (6:19mm avge)

Total 70.29 miles (6:31mm avge)

So this week was the first week of tapering and all has gone well. I had an encouraging VO2Max session on Tuesday although there wasn't much volume, with only five reps of 600metres. They were at least very consistent at 1:48 (4:50 per mile pace) for each of the 600 metres. These were I would suggest closer to 3k pace than 5k pace.

The run of note for last week was always going to the result of Saturdays tune up race. It was only a 5k Parkrun but I'd decided I really wanted to push myself and see how quick I could go. Given my VO2 work I had thought that in the right conditions I would be able to do something in the region of 15:30 which would be a big PB (it had stood at 16:22). Luckily conditions were perfect but unfortunately it came clear after the first 50 metres or so that there wasn't going to be anyone to race so it was going to be a solo time trial. I didn't mind though and was prepared for such an event. What can I say other than ouch, ouch, ouch. When you feel your strongest distance is the marathon like me, 5ks don't half hurt. Even within a quarter of a mile, you start thinking that there's no way you can keep this up. The first k ticked by in 3:04.5, and then the second one I ran in 3:03.1. By this time I was really starting to hurt and as I approached the turn around point (you literally have to do a 180 and run around a marshall at 2.5k and run back the way you've come) I did start to lose focus with a 3:12.2 k. By this time I wasn't looking at the watch, there was no point anyway, it was just about digging in. Then the fourth k came and again I struggled, with a 3:13.1 but now it was head down, I could literally smell the finish! I did notice probably halfway through that last k that my form had gone a little and I was slumped a touch forward. I told myself to stand up and as I did I felt my strength come back and it really helped me pull back my pace finishing with a 3:01.5! So I finished with 15:34 and with slightly more sensible pacing, and a stronger mind I should have gone under 15:30 but I am not disappointed as it was such a huge PB and I have not focused on these shorter distances whatsoever so I wonder what I might be able to do with a period of specific focus on them....

Then on to Sunday where I did my last longish run before London. An 18 miler around Harrogate as I was back 'oop North' for Easter visiting my Mum and her Partner and then to my Dad and Step-Mum's who were celebrating their silver wedding anniversary. It was a brilliant weekend and great to see everyone and I promise I tried my hardest not to indulge too much....

Week 15: 26th March - 1st April 2012

M AM 6.18 miles recovery (7:15mm avge), PM 4 miles recovery (7:24mm avge)
T 8.02 miles general aerobic (6:14mm avge)
W 10.9 miles, including 5X1,200m VO2Max Intervals (6:05mm avge)
T AM 15.09 miles progressive (6:13mm avge), PM 4.2 miles recovery (7:04mm avge)
F 8.11 miles general aerobic, including 8X100m strides (6:19mm avge)
S 6.21 miles recovery (7:11mm avge)
S 22.52 miles including 13.1 miles @ 5:30mm (5:55mm avge)

Total 85.23 miles (6:22mm avge)

This week was the last big week before reducing the mileage over the next three weeks to really freshen the legs up in time for the BIG ONE!

After last week's bug I was keen to ensure I hadn't lost too much and was over the illness. In reality I think it's not completely shifted as I am a touch chesty and my heart rate is higher than normal on my runs but it's not been horrendous so I am on the mend. By the time the marathon comes round I should feel brand new. I hope.

I had a big session on Wednesday morning which was supposed to be 12 miles with 6x1,200m at 5k pace. Unfortunately I had to cut the session short to 5 intervals as the clocks going forward has played havoc with my own personal body clock and meant that I suffered 'tummy troubles from the end of the second rep. The less said about that the better. But there was no way I could have done another interval without having an accident. It made for a rather uncomfortable and comical (for the casual observer!) run home, and then when I got home I found my wife Hania in the loo! Still the session was OK, if a little tougher than I would like. The reps averaged I think about 4:57mm pace so not too bad but my form was really going on the last one for the reasons previously mentioned!

Thursday was a run to work which felt OK if again a little harder than normal.

And so to Sunday which was scheduled to be 22 miles progressive but after missing some vital training and a race last week with the bug I decided to do an extended marathon pace session within a long run again and picked Paddock Wood half to do it in. So I got there nice and early, picked up the number and then proceeded to do a good 7 mile warm up at a fair old clip, including 1.3 miles at around 5:33 pace. Jumped on the start line and ready to go. I had been aware during my warm up miles that my tummy was yet again 'gurggling' but I didn't have time to use the bathroom so just hoped for the best. The plan had been to try and get 73ish dead in the 'race' and feel comfortable but in the end I ended up going quicker than I had planned as I was feeling very easy in the early miles. As the race wore on my tummy was getting worse though and I had to hold back a bit to get things back in control. The last 4/5 miles were a bit of a grind and the effort levels by this stage were definitely moving above marathon effort but still somewhat below an all out effort. This is to be expected after a long warm up, the high miles for the week, tummy troubles and the fact that I think I'm still getting over the lurgy. Anyway, I finished in 72:01 which is an official PB - had I been keeping a closer eye on the clock I would have pushed for sub 72, but then I still think I am capable of a lot quicker if I focus specifically on a half marathon. I think that could be the plan for the Autumn. I then did a couple more miles to warm down after a hasty visit to one of the portaloos! I did this race last year in 73:27 exactly three weeks out from London again as part of a long run and although my heart rate was higher this time, it definitely felt easier, perhaps a sign of my improved lactate threshold and VO2max. This can only be a good thing for the big race.

So a strong week's training and some hard miles included there, especially today. Now I need to let it all soak in and over the next three weeks and I need to ensure I get back to doing lots of stretching during my taper to make sure I hit the start line on 22nd April in prime condition.

March 2012 Stats

Miles  327.33
Avge Pace  6:30 per mile
Runs  35
Rest Days  3
Races 1
Podiums  1 Win
PB 1 at 10 miles 52:58
Time Running 35hrs 27mins
Time Core, Flex, Strength 3hrs 07mins
Long Runs 18, 24, 20, 20
Med Long Runs 14, 15, 12, 12, 15, 12, 15

So this month has been a little bit mixed. I don't really feel I have moved forward but then I haven;t really moved backwards either. I lost about 35 miles of decent training and a couldn't run in an important build up race due to the lurgy. I did however smash my 10 mile PB with a 52:58 which was so very gratifying and I also won that race. Nice that my last run of March took me over 1000 miles for the year too. Now it is all about reducing the mileage and freshening up for London. I feel physically ready, now it's time to get the brain in gear.....

Week 14: 19th - 25th March 2012

M AM 6.19 miles recovery (7:16mm avge), PM 4 miles recovery (7:12mm avge)
T 6.99 miles general aerobic (6:49mm avge)
W Rest
T Rest
F 5.99 miles general aerobic (6:47mm avge)
S Rest
S 20.04 miles progressive (6:28mm avge)

Total 43.2 miles (6:45mm avge)

So a bit of a nightmare this week to be honest. After last weeks great marathon pace session on Sunday I was looking forward to a good week with a strong race on Saturday morning. Unfortunately it wasn't to be.

I woke up on Monday very tired and felt a bit ropey but thought that it could just be a result of the hard training last weekend and so I plodded out my recovery run. I then did the same at lunchtime on Monday and I started to come round to the fact that things were not alright! Normally by the second recovery run on a Monday my heart rate has returned to normal levels and I feel good but I still felt pretty ropey so I prepared that a cold was on it's way. Monday evening it hit and I had very achy muscles as well as generally just not feeling fantastic. Perhaps that's why Sunday's run had been so relatively comfortable as the virus had already got in and my body was full of white blood cells trying to fight off the bug which gave me an unrealistic lift.

I went out regardless on Tuesday morning to do an interval session but I knew when I tried a few 50m strides in the warm up that effort wise it was just not going to be on so I decided to keep it to an easy run although it felt far from easy.

I decided that I needed some proper rest to get better but was hopeful that I would be OK for some decent training come the weekend but knew that it wouldn't be worth doing the 10k race I had planned as I wouldn't do myself justice and a really hard effort could set me back further. So it was a case of playing it by ear. Despite feeling OK in myself, and indeed if I wasn't into running in a big way I really wouldn't be too fussed but everything just felt so tough when I tried to run. I decided that I would test the water on Friday and went out with the intention to do about 10 miles fairly easily but my chest felt pretty heavy and my asthma was really impacted so decided to cut it short to a 6 miler. More rest needed.

Saturday I jumped out of bed ready to go for my run but for one reason or other didn't actually get round to it for a change which perhaps was a blessing in disguise as it would allow my body yet more time to recover.

And then to Sunday where I just didn't know what was going to happen.... I told my wife Hania that I could be out for anything from 40 mins to 2hrs 20!

I ended up doing a 20 miler which was not too bad. In fact, the fact that I managed a 20 miler is encouraging that I'm over the worst of it. But I was definitely working harder for the resultant pace than I have done recently and my lungs weren't too happy about things if I'm brutally honest. I just hope my chest fully clears up over the next couple of days as I still need to get a big week's training in before tapering. I have decided that I want to do another Marathon Paced session in a long run as a result of missing a couple of key sessions this week as I feel it'll give me the confidence boost I need. I have entered the Paddock Wood half next Sunday for this reason. I'll do a good 7 mile warm up, jump on the start line and then churn out another run at hopefully c5:35mm feeling comfortable. I just hope the virus really is on it's way out as I could do without another week's interrupted training.... Although if I'm honest training couldn't have gone any better up until last Sunday and a marathon campaign is rarely plain sailing!

Week 13: 12th - 18th March 2012

M AM 6.24 miles recovery (7:09mm avge), PM 4.09 miles recovery (7:09mm avge)
T 12.2 miles, including 6X1000m VO2Max Intervals (6:07mm avge)
W 15.17 miles progressive (6:12mm avge)
T AM 6.01 miles recovery (7:14mm avge), PM 4 miles recovery (7:00mm avge)
F 12.22 miles progressive (6:04mm avge)
S 7.15 miles recovery (7:04mm avge)
S 20.8 miles including 14 miles @ 5:33mm (5:54mm avge)

Total 87.88 miles (6:23mm avge)

So this week was all about the miles again whilst incorporating a couple of tasty looking sessions.

I had started the week feeling fairly tired after last weeks big 24 miler so it was a nice surprise to have a very successful session on Tuesday morning. I did a few miles to warm up  and then did 6X1000m intervals with 2:00 jog recoveries. I started off a little slower as I have been guilty of hitting the first interval a little too hard and then struggling through the session a bit. So it was pleasing that the splits for the reps came out at 3:06, 3:03, 3:03, 3:01, 3:01, 3:02 which is an average of 4:52 per mile, an indication of my theoretical 5k pace. It really would be nice to hit a 5k in around 15:10 but I am somewhat sceptical about whether I could keep that intensity up for that long. I am after all a bit of a diesel engine. Maybe I'll see if I can do one before London!

Wednesday was a run into work and although I felt like I was taking it relatively easy I hit a nice average pace of 6:12 per mile although the legs were certainly tired after the previous days intervals.

I had Friday off work as we have had my brother-in-law to stay so I had to take him back to the airport for his trip back to Poland. It was nice when we got back to see that the Postman had a nice delivery for me, my new racing shoes for London! Naturally I went out for my 12 miler in them and I have to say the trainers were brilliant. I had a really good run and towards the end was hitting around 2:30 marathon pace with ease and my heart rate way below marathon effort.

It was then all about the mammoth Sunday long run 20 miles with 14 at marathon pace. Like last time I did this session at Dulwich Park as it's nice and flat. The weather today was perfect for it, nice and cool lovely sunny day with only a bit of breeze. I guess I wont be that lucky on marathon day but I would be more than happy with the pace I managed to hit for the marathon pace section. After a 5 and a bit mile warm up I met up with Chris Minns and we planned to head off together at 5:40s. After a fast first mile with both of us running side by side, selfishly I struggled to slow down and gradually pulled away from Chris. So then it was a long lonely run but thankfully it went brilliantly with all miles being ticked off very comfortably. I went through the 'half' distance in 72:40 so another unofficial PB and all splits were between 5:36 and 5:29. Heart rate stayed relatively low and didn't even trouble the average of 180 beats per minute I managed at London last year, averaging just 173bpm in this session. I was tempted to go up to 15 but sometimes it's best just to bag what has been asked for on the schedule and avoid risking over reaching. I want to get to London fresh as a daisy with my legs ready to run hard for just under two and a half hours, this session gives me every confidence I can.

This week is a slight reduction in miles as I taper slightly for a 10k race next Saturday. This will be a close to all out attempt too and I'm hopeful if the weather is kind and all goes well I may trouble sub 32. Then there is only one more big week before tapering down gradually over three weeks to race day. I'm getting excited.

Week 12: 5th - 11th March 2012

M AM 6.18 miles recovery (7:20mm avge), PM 4 miles recovery (7:08mm avge)
T 8.02 miles general aerobic (6:21mm avge)
W 15.19 miles progressive (6:19mm avge)
T AM 6.16 miles recovery (7:13mm avge), PM 4.1 miles recovery (7:06mm avge)
F 12.11 miles, including 7 miles @ 5:22mm (5:56mm avge)
S 8.27 miles general aerobic (6:14mm avge)
S 24.21 miles progressive (6:15 mm avge)

 Total 88.24 miles (6:27mm avge)

This week started as I expected, painfully! Monday and Tuesday were spent getting over the exertions of Saturday's race which had been backed up with the shorter long run on Sunday.

On Wednesday I'd spent the day in Belfast so there was no run to work which meant I had to do it when I got home which was a little hard to motivate myself for. Nevertheless my legs were a bit happier but I still found it quite difficult to get in a rhythm so was pleased when the run was over. Not sure why I found it so tough but it was probably something to do with the long day.

Thursday was a couple of recovery jogs which loosened the legs up ahead of what I was expecting to be the hardest session of the whole campaign - 12 miles with 7 miles at lactate threshold. Although I knew the pace was going to be marginally slower than the pace I had kept at the race last week it is so much more difficult to do similar pace in a training run on your own when you don't have the benefit of a number pinned to your vest and people to run away from! It was also done at 5:30 in the morning without the benefit of breakfast. Anyway, the run went pretty well and I hit the pace I was expecting although my heart rate was a touch elevated towards the end but this probably just reflects the fact that I was working very hard and general fatigue is starting to kick in as I get towards the end of the big training blocks.

Then to Sunday which was my longest run I will do this whole campaign. 24.2 miles in a fairly zippy 6:15mm average pace. I felt really strong in this run as I gradually picked up the pace through the run and averaged the second half in just over 6:00mm. I completed the run in 2:31 and bits meaning had I continued to do a full distance 26.2 I would have done a time somewhere in the region of 2:43. This is not bad at all as it was not a flat route that I took and my heart rate behaved all the way round. I do feel like I have a slightly niggly glute though which I will have to keep a watch on and make sure I stretch it out as much as possible.

I now enter the final mesocycle (race sharpening phase) before I start to taper down the training before the big day. This weeks training looks exciting and will culminate with a big marathon pace session next Sunday.

Week 11: 27th Feb - 4th Mar 2012

M AM 6.21 miles recovery (7:06mm avge), PM 4 miles recovery (7:02mm avge)
T 9.1 miles, including 5X600m VO2Max Intervals (6:15mm avge)
W 15.12 miles progressive (6:14mm avge)
T 7.18 miles recovery, including 6X100m strides (7:05mm avge)
F 6.07 miles recovery (7:11mm avge)
S 13.86 miles, including Battersea Park 10 Mile race @ 5:18mm (5:59mm avge)
S 18.19 miles mildly progressive (6:31mm avge)

Total 79.73 miles (6:30mm avge)

This week has been a real breakthrough week for me. I mentioned last week that I was going to do a 10 mile race on Saturday morning and was going to give it my all to see where I am fitness wise. It went as well, if not better than I could ever have hoped for. I'll get on to that in a bit but first....

Tuesday I had a slightly lighter interval session than the previous week of 5 X 600m with 1min 10secs jog recovery within a 9 miler. It was lighter in volume than normal due to the race in Saturday but as ever the intensity was brutal! I was pleased with the result though as they all averaged around 1:49 which is c4:51 per mile pace. Wednesday I took my run to work a little bit gentler as I didn't want to be over fatuged leading into the weekend.

And then Thursday and Friday were just very light jogs to taper into the race.....

I had set myself a target of running under 53 minutes at the 10 mile race and I knew that this would be a real stretch. Having said that I had done some good tempo runs earlier in the campaign where I have been holding c5:22 per mile for 5 miles so I knew that if I'd had the right tempo effort then sub 53 wouldn't be out of the question, but what it meant was to average 5:18 per mile for 10 miles! I kept telling myself that I could do it and went in to the race very very positively. I also knew that it was unlikely that there would be too many people running at that pace as it was a fairly low key race so it would all be on my own which makes things even more tricky. That said, the conditions were near perferct; despite the wind gusting a little it was nice and cool and an incredibly flat road course which was made up of a few laps of Battersea Park.

I had seen that a 2:25 marathon runner was on the start line.... and I had also had a brief chat with Pat Wright who nearly caught me in the dying stages of Liverpool Marathon last year but I just managed to hold him off! Anyway, I had done a couple of miles to warm up and included a few strides just to get the legs turn over a little quicker and then we were sent on our way. One guy shot off at a great pace and he quickly opened up a 20 metre lead then a 30 metre lead.... I didnt want to go with him though as my plan was to try and be sensible and get as close to my target as possible. The pace in a 10 miler almost immediately feels tough and even approaching mile one I was thinking, this is going to be a hard run but that's what I'd signed up for so it was cool. I hit the first mile in 5:09 (although I think the mile marker was placed a little too soon) and the guy up front was still a good 30 metres in front but starting to slow I think ocne he had checked his split time which must have been around 5:03! I was already isolated in second place with a big group trailing me another 30 metres back (I found out after the race that the 2:25 runner was just pacing some club mates to 55 minutes which is about his marathon pace). As I approached a mile and a half, I overtook the guy who had shot off and from this point on it was about digging in and concentrating so intently on the job in hand. The miles ticked by but by 3 I was thinking good grief I've got another 7 at this pace! So what, I was prepared for it to go wrong. Sometimes you have to push yourself to see what you're made of. I carried on relentlessly and hit 5 miles in 26:22 which would be a PB by 58 seconds! I then kept focus thinking that I could afford to slow but only marginally and the sub 53 would still be mine. I hit 10k in 32:53 which would also be a PB by 55 seconds so at least I knew I was in good shape (I have a 10k race planned in 3 weeks time so will be very tempted to see if I can go under 32 minutes...). At this point it was really starting to hurt but I was still on target so I kept telling myself just get to the next mile marker, keep driving. I got to seven and I really didn't know how I was going to manage another three. Once I got to eight miles psychologically it was a bit easier as I knew I had one more hard mile and then it would be a case of digging in for the finish. So I got to 9 miles and knew that as long as I kept pace I should be ok..... As I hit the home straight I could see the clock ticking up and it was getting agonizingly close as I tried to muster a sprint... 52:43, 52:48, 52:53, 52:56 dig in, dig in. This mile measured slightly longer on the Garmin (which might have countered the short first mile) but I managed to dip over the line with a 52:58 in first place. I cant explain how happy I was and how chuffed I felt with myself for really setting a challenging target and just going for it. For it to come off perfectly was so sweet.

I then did an 18 miler this morning at a slightly more relaxed pace than normal and the legs didnt complain too much until a bit later in the run. I do however expect to be in pieces tomorrow. :-)

February 2012 Stats

Miles  337.83
Avge Pace  6:33 per mile
Runs  34
Rest Days  0
Races 1
Podiums  0
Time Running 36hrs 52mins
Time Core, Flex, Strength 4hrs 30mins
Long Runs 20, 22, 20, 16
Med Long Runs 15, 13, 15, 15, 13, 15

All going in the right direction although I have neglected my core and stretching this month. I could pretend that I have plentiful excuses but I don't. The fact is one can always make time if they want to. So bad me! Still it's 4hrs 30 mins more of core and stretching than last February. Now to March where things get a little more serious. The next monthly report I will be about to start winding down....

Week 10: 20th - 26th Feb 2012

M AM 6.18 miles recovery (7:13mm avge), PM 4 miles recovery (7:05mm avge)
T 9.04 miles general aerobic (6:26mm avge)
W 9.66 miles, including 6X800m VO2Max Intervals (6:12mm avge)
T 7.17 miles recovery (7:15mm avge)
F AM 11.20 miles progressive (6:14mm avge), PM 4 miles recovery (7:04mm avge)
S 8.21 miles general, including 10X100m strides (6:21mm avge)
S 16.1 miles progressive (6:08mm avge)

Total 75.56 miles (6:31mm avge)

So this week was billed as a bit of a cut back week and to be honest I was quite pleased it was. After last Sunday's mammoth 13.1 miles at marathon pace at the end of a long run my body was sure to need a bit of a breather. It also rounded off a nice four week block of decent miles.

There's not much to report this week really apart from Wednesdays first VO2 Max interval session. These always tend to make my eyes water at the effort I need to put into them. Anyway, I did them on the road - I really think for the specificity of marathon running you have to be doing sessions on the road. I had scouted out a reasonable flat loop in Orpington that I would use which would be just the ticket. Off I went on the first rep and naturally overcooked it a little bit with a 2:21.7(4:45mm avge). P&D say you should recover between 50-90% of the time of the interval and so I had pre-programmed my watch for a 1m45s (about 70%) jog recovery and could always press lap should I want to start the next interval sooner. Unlikely! The next few were much more consistent 2:28.7(4:59), 2:26.1(4:54), 2:26.3(4:54), 2:27.7(4:57), 2:24.4(4:51). Although I was pleased when the efforts were over, I could certainly have done a few more if I'd needed to. So all in all quite promising to be running at this pace (avge of 4:53 per mile pace)  on what was a pretty blustery and windy morning. This is an indication of my theoretical 5k pace although I wouldn't fancy putting six of them back to back and then a bit more...

The remainder of the week just seemed to be fairly toned down running effort wise so nothing hugely taxing. I did have a good run out on Sunday morning doing a 16 miler in 6:08 pace finishing with some very strong miles towards the end at effort well below marathon effort.

And so to next week where I have basically swapped next week's scheduled week with the one after. So in effect I am doing P&D's week 12 next week and P&D's week 11 in week 13 if that makes sense. I did this so I could accommodate a race next Saturday morning. This is a 10 mile race in Battersea Park and I will be giving it a fairly close to all out attempt. I'm not entirely sure what I'll be capable of but this run will give me a very good idea of what should be reasonable to expect at London in eight weeks time.

After this Hania, Mia and I went to watch the runners at the five mile point at the Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon. The first guy was absolutely flying and must have been running around 4:45s (if my maths is correct which I doubt!) which is about a 62:30 half. I must be wrong though.... cant wait to see the results although they did still have the harder miles to come.

Week 9:13th - 19th February 2012

M AM 6.19 miles recovery (7:28mm avge), PM 4 miles recovery (7:15mm avge)
T 8.99 miles general aerobic (6:40mm avge)
W 15.14 miles progressive (6:12mm avge)
T 8.18 miles recovery (7:20mm avge)
F 13.20 miles progressive (6:22mm avge)
S 7.09 miles recovery, including 6X100m strides (7:03mm avge)
S 19.88 miles including 13.1 miles @ 5:36mm (6:03mm avge)

Total 82.67 miles (6:34mm avge)

So after last week's cross country 'tempo' that ended up being a bit more of a race than I'd planned and then a solid and not slow 22 miler on Sunday I wasn't surprised to get out of bet on Monday morning a little stiff. I decided I would set off on my run and if it was too much I would call it a day and shorten it. Being such a stubborn fellow I got the run done and by the end of it my legs seemed to be loosening up a bit but it was still markedly slower than other recovery runs for the same effort. I went out for a short run at lunch time too to see if I could further loosen the legs up and they were starting to come round but still a little 'groaney'.

Tuesday I had a 9 mile general run which was OK and my legs were definitely getting back to normal but it was still a little slower for the effort level than normal but I knew by Wednesday the residual tiredness would be cleared. Unfortunately on Wednesday I had a bit of a hangover to deal with - my company had been involved in a High Court legal battle in which I had given evidence last July and the judgement was handed down on Tuesday afternoon which we won hands down. A massive relief but needless to say, I'm a bit of a lightweight these days and 4 pints of strong German Bier was enough to ensure Wednesday's run to work was a bit fuzzy. I'm pretty sure the 3 McDonald's double cheeseburgers didn't help either! That said the run was good and pretty much the same pace and heart rate wise as the previous week which considering there was a definite headwind was certainly very positive.

Friday asked for another half marathon which was fine and completed on my usual route at a reasonable clip on an undulating course.

Then to Sunday which was the real only session of the week. I was really looking forward to this. The schedule called for 18 with 12 miles at Marathon Pace (embedded link below). Myself along with Chris Minns, Jim Addison, Steve Thackeray of Beckenham and Andy Rayner of Blackheath & Bromley had agreed to meet at Dulwich park to do the workout. Jim and Steve had planned to run together and will be shooting for sub 2:40 at London this year. Chris who is running his debut this year and myself are aiming for sub 2:30 and Andy who is also debuting is hopeful of something under 2:25 - he certainly has great pedigree and I wouldn't be surprised to see him run very close to 2:20 if not a touch under.

After a few miles warm up off we went and unfortunately Chris couldn't keep with Andy & I as he's been struggling with a bad cold and so cut his session short but made sure he still got some good miles in.

The miles kept flying by and it was pretty comfortable right until the last mile really. In a marathon pace run there are always 'dull spots' but these I think are more to do with momentary lapses in concentration rather that your body actually not wanting to carry on. We actually picked up the pace in the second half quite considerably too which is encouraging. As we went through 11 miles I had noticed that I could carry on to 13.1 miles and would actually have a good chance of going quicker than my half marathon PB, so that's what we did. I did find the last mile hard, perhaps my form was going a bit and I was starting to just go over marathon effort at this point but I was thrilled to run through 13.1 in 73:23 which is quicker than my PB by a massive 2 seconds - shame it doesn't count really! Then did another mile and a bit to cool down. A very satisfying session indeed.

So there's only nine weeks to go, I'm exactly half way through the schedule. I do feel fitter and stronger than I've ever been. Lets hope I continue to get stronger as the weeks go by.

I have been a little slack with my stretching and core this week so I hope to get that back on track. Running wise, this coming week looks quite an interesting one, there is a cut back in miles but there is going to be my first VO2 max workout which I expect will be pretty tough but fun. Can't wait. :-)

Week 8: 6th - 12th February 2012

M AM 6.08 miles recovery (7:14mm avge), PM 4 miles recovery (6:55mm avge)
T 10.09 miles general aerobic including 10X100m strides (6:26mm avge)
W 15.13 miles progressive (6:11mm avge)
T 7.15 miles recovery (7:06mm avge)
F 9.00 miles general aerobic (6:38mm avge)
S 10.02 miles, including 5.3 miles @ 5:53mm avge XC (6:59mm avge)
S 22.12 miles progressive (6:23mm avge)

Total 83.59 miles (6:36mm avge)

I'm pleased to say training is still going in the right direction although I have felt quite tired this week but I suppose Sunday's run was my 56th day of running on the trot - I think my longest 'streak' ever. I guess also now is the time when I should be feeling my most tired as the training the schedule is calling for is both plentiful and being P&D fairly nippy! I shall however take a rest day if I feel I really need one but just now think I'm ok.

The schedule did call for me to do a 6 mile lactate threshold session on Friday within a 12 but I had the last Kent League cross-country race on Saturday so thought I would use that as my tempo run instead. This meant doing a bit of a swapsy with the schedule but I still got the miles in and got the right sorts of sessions in so all good. I also squeezed the strides that I missed last Saturday into Tuesday's run.

The cross country race was supposed to be roughly 10k, but when I arrived it said the course was 5.73 miles but then on the start they said they had had to shorten it yet further so that we didn't plough through the remaining women finishing their race! The intention had been not to go all out as it was again just a training run. I stuck to the task for all of about 1.5 miles when my competitive spirit kicked in and I started picking off runners. I moved from about 30th after the first lap of three up to finish 15th. I also managed to beat the V50 that beat me in the County Cross Country Champs at the beginning of January. I'm pretty sure it was him that made me run it harder than I was supposed to but knowing his devastating kick I had to make sure I dropped him about a mile out from home. Although the pace looks relatively poor the conditions underfoot were quite honestly atrocious with snow still on the ground in most places above a permafrost of deeply rutted tracks, fields and trails. I wore trail shoes rather than spikes which in hindsight was definitely the right decision and ensured I didn't end up with chewed up feet like last time. I know I could have gone a bit faster had I started a little more aggressively but all things considered I'm pleased with how it went. This was a little picture race and provided a slightly tougher workout than a lactate threshold run on my own and I have to keep my eye on the ultimate goal of going sub 2:30 in ten weeks time.

And so to Sunday's run which was scheduled to be a 22 miler run progressively. I was expecting to have to take it fairly easy given Saturday's tough run but things just seemed to go very well. Despite being caught in a hail storm and it being rather slippery (maybe I was ice skating?) I felt really quite strong from the off and indeed all the way, with my legs a bit tired but not too bad. Aerobically it was comfortable with my heart rate averaging not much over that magical 1000 beats per mile showing it was rather efficient.

I'm really looking forward to next week where there is yet more challenging runs in store but the highlight (depending on how it goes!) will be on Sunday when I'm running with a few local guys who are all shooting for a similar sort of time at London. The plan is 18 miles with 12 at marathon pace. And then it will be a cut back week to let my body absorb the hard work of recent weeks.

Week 7: 30th Jan - 5th Feb 2012

M  AM 6.05 miles recovery (7:14mm avge), PM 4 miles recovery (6:57mm avge)
T  11.13 miles including 5 miles @ 5:23mm (6:06mm avge)
W  15.21 miles progressive (6:16mm avge)
T  6.89 miles recovery (6:53mm avge)
F  13.18 miles progressive (6:23mm avge)
S  6.19 miles recovery (7:11mm avge)
S  20.11 miles sort of progressive! (6:28mm avge)

Total  82.76 miles (6:32mm avge)

Interesting this week this week in that it was the first week that I was to do over 80 miles and also because it's the first time I've really deviated from the plan; once from not reading my schedule correctly and the second time because the snow made running truly progressively very difficult indeed!

On the whole it was a good week and I am most definitely feeling fit, in fact I think I am probably feeling fitter than I ever have before. Tuesday's run was an 11 miler with 5 miles at lactate threshold and doing this in sub zero temperatures at 5:30 in the morning was always going to be a bit of a struggle, but once you're on your way it's fine. I was really chuffed in that I actually beat my 5 mile PB despite only running at my lactate threshold. I hit 5 miles in 26:57 so in a race at a kinder time of day and with a number pinned to my vest, I may be able to go about a minute quicker than that. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a 5 mile race in before London but it'd be interesting to see how I would do.

Wednesday was another very strong run to work and I was hitting some really good paces with the corresponding heart rate showing again I am in good shape. This was especially pleasing considering I had done the hard tempo run the day before.

By Friday I had to do another progressive half marathon which was OK and quicker than last time for roughly the same effort but I was definitely tired which I put down to a late night at a work do on the Wednesday. Luckily I was to have a recovery day on Saturday...... or at least I did have a recovery day on Saturday despite the schedule calling for 8 miles general aerobic with 10 strides. I didn't read my schedule until I got back and saw the error of my ways. I was tempted to go back out and do some strides but felt that the crumpets and massive bowl of cereal I'd just eaten wouldn't have been too keen. Oh well, I'm sure Pfitzinger & Douglas wont mind if I deviate from the schedule on a couple of runs!

The snow had been forecast for Sunday pretty much since Thursday. A part of me was hopeful that it wouldn't arrive. Now, I appreciate it's very pretty but it makes everything so much more difficult. Getting around, going to work, shopping but most importantly RUNNING all become tasks that are a great deal harder! But snow it did and I went to bed on Saturday night a little grumpy about how tough the long run was going to be....

Normally I like to get the long run done and dusted by 9:30am, so I have the rest of the day to spend with my wife and daughter but today I went out at about 9:30 with an ETA of 'I don't know'. I just didn't know how I was going to fair in the conditions. I had been hoping to run fairly progressively and I suppose I did if you look at the embedded link below but it wasn't as planned. Truth be told, despite feeling incredibly strong aerobically the legs didn't like the snow at all and when I tried to pick it up in the last 6 miles or so there wasn't a great deal of pace there. The route I took was fairly clear but I probably still ran about 40% of the route on snow. All that said, it ended up being a good run averaging 6:28 per mile which I think is the quickest I've ever done that course with or without snow! It was a minute and a half quicker than when I did the run 3 weeks ago and my heart rate averaged 4 beats per minute less this time showing the improvements coming through in aerobic fitness.

So to sum up, very happy with the way things are going but I really hope the snow doesn't hang around for long!

January 2012 Stats

The scores on the door are....

Miles  335.23
Avge Pace  6:42 per mile
Runs  33
Rest Days  0
Races 1
Podiums  0
Time Running 37hrs 24mins
Time Core, Flex, Strength 10hrs 20mins
Monstrous blood blisters  1

A very pleasing first month of the year. The miles are a little lower than last January but they have had a lot more quality in this time so that's good. All in all feeling very fit and healthy and building nicely for London.

Week 6: 23rd - 29th January

M  7.18 miles recovery (7:27mm avge)
T  10.08 miles general aerobic, including 10X100m strides (6:35mm avge)
W  13.21 progressive (6:25mm avge)
T  6.04 miles recovery (7:15mm avge)
F  10.05 miles general aerobic (6:35mm avge)
S  6.00 miles recovery (7:15mm avge)
S  16.09 miles progressive (6:18mm avge)

Total 68.65 miles (6:42 mm avge)

Well this week was billed as a cut back week and indeed it was from the perspective of total miles and the pace and effort of the runs. With the exception of the strides in Tuesday's run there was nothing at a pace quicker than marathon effort. Having said all this, strangely this was the week where I had three fairly uncomfortable runs!

The schedule that I am following is from Pfitzinger & Douglas' Advanced Marathoning second addition. It's the 70 - 85 miles per week one in case you were wondering. Now as I have mentioned in previous blogs the book calls for lots of flexibility and core training which I am doing quite consistently and feel like I'm starting to reap the rewards from this tedium. You may recall that last week I said I was going to try the strength work out, well this week I did with the intention of doing one session on Wednesday and then a second on Friday. Now let me tell you, I was looking at the exercises in the book thinking oh this'll be easy, cant even see myself building up a sweat. Especially the fact that I only need to have 4.5kgs on the dumbbells! How wrong could I be? I spent Thursday (I had a trip to Edinburgh with work so it meant an evening run), and Friday walking around feeling like I'd been hit by a bus!

The exercises consisted of squats, lunges, push ups, and all sorts of other things but I really thought I had a good understanding of the muscles in my body, but I definitely learnt of a few new ones that I didn't know existed until Thursday! I can guarantee that they will be of some use but I will stick to only one session per week until my body adapts to it. I wouldn't say the session affected my runs too much on Thursday, Friday and even Saturday but I certainly didn't feel as smooth as I had done in my running of late. Still, none of this is supposed to be easy. It wouldn't be worth doing otherwise.

A brief comment on Sunday's run which was lovely and felt nice to be running very smoothly again after the beasting the strength session had given my body. It was nice to increase the effort throughout the duration of the run finishing with some surprisingly nippy miles for the effort. This run turned out to average 1008 beats per mile which tells me it was aerobically very efficient. I couldn't bring myself to log it as a long run though because it was only 16 miles but that's fine because the point of this week was to let the legs recover a bit after the previous few weeks harder training. Job done. :-)

Now it's time to crack on with the next phase of training, which looks the most challenging. 84 miles in store for me this coming week, with some nice testing looking sessions.

Week 5: 16th - 22nd January

M  AM 6.03 miles recovery (7:21mm avge), PM 4.1 miles recovery (7:08mm avge)
T  10.06 miles including 4 miles @ 5:23mm (6:11mm avge)
W  15.16 miles progressive (6:33mm avge)
T  6.09 miles recovery (7:17mm avge)
F  13.20 miles progressive (6:28mm avge)
S  6.19 miles recovery (7:10mm avge)
S  18.05 miles, including 10 miles @5:41mm (6:11mm avge)

Total 78.88 miles (6:36mm avge)

This week has been the first week that I looked at the schedule and thought WOW that looks like it's going to be a bit of a stretch. Not only did it have a 4 miles at lactate threshold within a 10, but it also had the standard midweek 15 miler, a half marathon and then to round the week off the schedule asked for a long run of 18 miles which in itself is not too hard, but when you are supposed to run 10 of those miles at marathon pace/effort it does seem like a big week indeed. Luckily next week is a cut back and I will end up doing a touch under 70 miles. Most of which will be at a very easy pace.


Tuesday was a Lactate Threshold session. Lactate threshold is supposed to be the pace/effort at which you can race for one hour - it's great for building speed endurance which is very very important during the marathon, in fact it's nearly as important as the endurance you get from the long, easy miles. For me at this stage of fitness, on a good day is I think just over 11 miles per hour or lets say 5:25 per mile. It was an early start for this session and I was pleased to hit some decent mile splits (averaged 5:23mm) for a constant effort level. My Heart Rate gradually rose to 90% of max throughout the workout without increasing off the scale which shows that the effort was correct and my body was effectively getting rid of the lactic acid being generated in the muscles. It was nice to see that from an aerobic efficiency perspective this was my best run so far with my heart beating on average 966 beats per mile. I know if I start to see my heart rate going below 1000 beats per mile then I am running very efficiently and in good shape. So hopefully I'll see this a lot more over the coming weeks. I was lucky though that it was great conditions for the session, just above 0 degrees with no breeze to speak of.

The 15 miler the day after didn't feel fantastic but the pace and heart rate was where it should be so it didn't bother me too much but it just goes to show that you will always have a day when you just don't feel like you're having a good run. The trick here is to just get the run done, and move on. I may have still had some tiredness in the system from the previous days tempo run which may explain feeling a little lacklustre.

Friday by contrast was excellent, everything just clicked into place and I felt like I was running strongly, moving through the gears and despite it being a challenging route and it being really rather windy, the pace was very pleasing for the effort and heart rate level.

And so to Sunday, I set off to do 7 miles before I got to the 10 miles @ marathon pace/effort section. These runs are always funny because you know how tough it's going to be at the end of the effort section. So your early miles tend to be a bit slower than normal. Perhaps it's psychological but the body does seem to have a way of holding back when it knows what's coming. Anyway, I didn't feel too great in those early miles and I felt like I was working a little harder than the pace suggested I should be. It was a very windy day with 35mph gusts and it was again blowing in the 'wrong' direction from the south west like the the time I did 8 miles at MP at the end of a long run on New Year's Day.

The embedded link below shows that it was a strong run though and I was only really hitting true marathon effort levels for the last four miles or so. This resulted in an average pace of 5:41 per mile (56:52 for the 10 miles) which is very very encouraging given the weather conditions, where I am in the schedule, and that I also didn't feel like I was 'on fire' today. I would take that as an average pace on the 22nd April as it'll get me home in around 2:29. All going well.

I have again continued with the flexibility and core sessions - which I feel are really starting to play dividends in feeling fresher day after day. I've also bought some dumbbells so am now going to start doing a couple of strength sessions per week if time permits.