Running by numbers.....

I read somewhere that Paula Radcliffe repeatedly counts too 100 while running during which time she has covered about a mile, the theory is that the counting takes your mind of the fact that your legs hurt, so while struggling during my Lee Valley Ultra training run (or another marathon to me and you) i thought i would give it a go, after all counting too 100 can't be that difficult, now maybe the cold had got to my head or that I'm just plain stupid but i found it incredibly difficult, the first problem was the need to count out loud and not just in your head, the second is the simple task of the counting to 100 without missing any numbers out!!.

Now i'm sure practise will make perfect but i was quite alarmed that such a simple task was so hard!!

My theory is that Paula head doesn't bob because she is working hard but because she is trying to successfully count to 100!

So if you see me out running and counting out loudly please don't think that i am mad (probably not too far from the truth) it's just that i have run a long way and things are getting tough!

Blisters don't hurt when you feet are numb with cold!!

Out on the bike today to give my feet a bit of a rest, it was very wet, windy and very cold, did Loughton to Ware and back along the tow path at the side of the river lea, had a nice bacon sandwich at Dobbs Weir and feed the ducks......

The alarming creaking noise from the pedals just disappeared, and a trip out on the bike would not be complete without a puncture which duly came at the halfway point....I've had the bike 6 months and had at least 6 punctures, today i tried the compressed air sealant puncture repair kit and it worked a treat with the number of punctures i seem to get i better order a case of the stuff.....

Anyway it was a round trip of 38 miles, it was quite hard work and my feet haven't been that cold well since the weekend!!!, all good training for the arctic....

Rotherham - Lovely this time of year - NOT

Even some of the regulars had to admit that was a tough day, 50 miles round Rotherham in the driving rain and gusting wind all in the name of fun, the day started at 06:00am with a chilly but dry start but soon the rain came, the round Rotherham is 30% trail, 20% road and 50% farmers fields, and we all now what farmers fields and rain means - yep MUD, this made it particularly tough going underfoot, not that it stopped the winner who completed 50 miles in just over 6hrs!!
In the end i ran/walked the 50 miles in 11hrs 55mins, In my mind i thought i had run big enough chunks to be quicker than that, but i suspect the conditions had a big hand in the overall time.

The positives - after 50 my legs were fine, my mind was still functioning, in fact i felt quite fresh.

The negatives - blisters, two quite large blisters on each heel, now i thought i had finally found a shoe/sock combination that worked, again maybe the underfoot conditions played a part

Gear:-
Jacket:- New Marmot jacket worked a treat in the driving wind/rain, only issue was the rucksac i was carrying caused the jacked to ride up at the back.
Trainers:- worked well until the mud/rain just got to much, the bootie design meant that at the finish once i took them off i could not get them back on again!! due to plan of blisters and the swelling of my feet - this is a serious problem....

Not quite Dean Karnazes but still 4 marathons in 1 week

Well that week didn't exactly go to plan, but i still managed effectively 4 marathons, 2 sub 4hr marathons (one with a full rucksac), and 2 walks one of 30 miles and the other of 25.8 miles (so we will call it a marathon!), the 25.8 miler included some running so that i wasn't too late for the pub!!

This weeks plan is a couple of easy 10 miler's on Monday and Tuesday and then a rest because it's the Round Rotherham next Saturday and thats 50 miles!

Unfinished business

Cloudy and dry thats what the weather forecaster said.

So it came as little surprise that at 06:30am this morning at Avebury (near Swindon) when it was absolutely tipping it down and visibility was no more that 20 yards.

The plan was to deal with a little bit of unfinished business, during the summer i took part in the none stop 85 miles Ridgeway challenge, only to be defeated at the 55 mile mark by the heat! (which was a bit of a surprise to me considering that only a couple of months previous i had run across the Sahara desert!!!)


So the only (sensible) option was to get the cabbie to take me back to Swindow station, i got the train back to Paddington station and then ran from Paddington past Hyde Park, along Oxford Street, through Holborn, the City, Whitechapel, Mile End turned up the River Lea, cut through Chingford, a quick loop of Buckhurst Hill and that was another 26 miles done.

So the 85 mile Ridgeway still eludes me, one day i'll crack you....

Good training for the Arctic

Lea Valley Ultra, well it should have been a proper race but turned into a training run, which was a shame as i won the marathon!! (OK only 4 people did the marathon distance, the rest doing the longer 32 mile distance) but a win is a win!!!

The temp was hovering around the -4 mark which was a good test for the Arctic, my thermal Helly Hanson tee shirt worked well, as did my 2 layers of Smartwool socks....

Injury what injury!!!

All summer i have been struggling with strained groin muscles, dodgy hamstrings...I've tried everything stretching, heat therapy, ultrasound, complete rest nothing seemed to work, i spent hours on the bike in an attempt to keep the fitness up but avoid the putting too much strain of the various bit that hurt.

Now while i was out walking i got chatting to a bloke training for a triathlon his background was cycling, along the way the conversation turned to injuries and i explained my various problems, instantly he said 'your bike seat is to high, and its actually the cycling that is causing your problem!' surly it couldn't be that simple.....

Anyway the bike has been in the shed for about 6 weeks, and I'm back running sub 4hr marathons all my pain has gone away and I'm back running freely (if not a little slowly) (edit 24/11/07 - this was also confirmed by a guy at the Lee Vally Ultra, he also instantly said 'seat too high' when the various symptoms where listed.)

Anyway is will get back on the bike soon, but will make sure the seat is adjusted down a little....

Thank you Triathlon man who ever you were....