Following an extended rest break due to catching the dreaded man flu (sniffly nose, no sleep etc – you know the one!) I went out for the first run of week 15 today.

Accompanied by Adam, Dan and Darren we set off for a five mile lunchtime jog around the block. I haven’t run with colleagues for a while now the last time was an evening run and to be honest today made a nice change. Whilst it’s not identical to routes we used to do there were familiar spots and it all seemed so much easier than the years past when we ran it.

No niggles today which was lovely, little bit chilly but out in shorts again so hopefully a good test for a weeks time. Average pace of 9min/mi which I was happy with have a tougher run tomorrow with some 8min/mi splits – should be interesting!

Till tomorrow.

N

Having agreed to run a gentle session with colleague Adam I was up early and heading to Holborn for 745. He wanted a 7mile session and at a 9:30-9:45 which seemed perfect to me as I knew that Tuesdays run was tough.

When I woke up I instantaneously felt some weakness in my right ankle I suspected today’s run was going to be a bit painful but as I knew it was to be quite gentle I went for it anyway. The run went quite well other than the pain in my ankle, was a bit wet but becoming used to that at the moment. It was nice to run down the river and with company, it’s been an odd couple of weeks as I have had someone to run with for all of my sessions – perfect!

I am now slightly concerned about my ankle, writing this blog 8 hours or so after running it’s still a bit achey, Sports Clinic Chris recommends it maybe worth seeing a physio which I will think about (I can claim if back on healthcare I guess!). This niggle follows a conversation over dinner where Laura talked about how I seem lucky to not get injuries….tempting fate!

May hold back on my Thursday run, may look at what I should have done this week and do one of those on a treadmill but if my ankle is still bad prob best to keep off it for another day or so.

Till next time.

N

Wednesday was to mark my first run with a combined work group for some while. It was nice to get out with the chaps as it provides a nice break from solo running, accompanying me on my run was Ad, Dan and Darren. The pace was to be quite slow which I was happy with there was chatter of 930 pace before leaving and I was down to run just short of 6M which was perfect for my schedule. Following a relatively slow start the pace soon crept up and I think by the end we were running a 9:10 ish average, which, following Tuesdays run felt quite refreshing

Thursday morning I met up with another colleague who wanted to do a Fartlek session as it turns out I think we only ended up doing a couple of sprints as he was complaining of calve issues so we slowed the pace to a 9:10 ish and ran the remaining mile or so slow. Possibly not the most helpful session to my training today but it was still some more leg miles in the bank. I did miss out on my hill session this week which isn’t ideal but nevermind – can’t have everything and to run with company is so much more enjoyable.

Rest day tomorrow I believe although may take some kit and do some core work in the gym…may

N

So yesterday was the first opportunity since starting training to meet up with another HavensRunner (Neil Dobson) and as he is a faster runner than me I was looking forward to doing a session at a slightly quicker pace. Before meeting up we had chatted about the pace I was looking to do and I’d asked to try run it at an 8:30 pace which should see me complete a sub 4 hour Mara.

He works about 2.5Miles from where I do so I opted to do a warmup on the run over to him and then follow it up with a faster run from Knightsbridge to Liv St where both of us would part, him back to Southend and me to Woodford.

From my watch it looks like the warmup was at the 830 pace I was after following that my intentions for a sub 830 were certainly achieved…

So pretty much straight away I realised this wasn’t going to be the run I’m used to, the weather was shocking the route was (in place) water logged so much so that my shoes are now out of service for today and also Neil is a lot quicker than me! Looking at the stats, we were a lot closer to 8min Miles than 830 which is incredible – that’s not to say I could maintain it as it was apparent in the final mile or so my speed was dropping but even during that mile it was an 8:20 which I cant grumble about.

My watch reported me as having covered 10M in 1h25 which includes waiting around at Knightsbridge to meet Neil. I was shattered as we got to the station but adrenaline was certainly up – ready for the next one now!
Mile Split
1 00:08:36
2 00:08:25
3 00:08:32
4 00:10:49
5 00:08:09
6 00:08:14
7 00:08:25
8 00:07:52
9 00:08:21
10 00:07:35

Slightly slower pace eve sesh with some colleagues today…

I’m glad I played with my running schedule now and did my long run on weds as it wasn’t poss on Sat/Sun to fit the 12M in. I did however manage 6 or so miles on the dreadmill which was fairly uneventful – as usual!

With that treadmill session in mind it means I ran about 30M last week with no issues which is good.

W6 takes me over to niketown again for a 7miler as well as (weather dependent) a run to work picking up a colleague on route to push me through the final few miles…busy week of running – let’s hope the predicted snow keeps away!

Till Tuesday…

N

Hey all. If there is any interest I will be doing a run on Tuesday after work (6pm) possibly with a colleague. Not too bothered about speed and will prob aim to do between 6-10miles depending on enthusiam.

If you fancy a session comment on this post and we can organise something.

Ta

Neil

It’s been some while since I updates this blog in a consistent manner, my running as well as other exercise has taken a sideline whilst I sorted out my new flat. However, sadly I can’t hide behind that excuse any more and last week the Runners World training schedule hit my inbox and I decided this year I would try my best to follow this as closely as possible. Hence, with running kit in my work bag and once again declining unhealthy lunches with colleagues, I find myself being unsociable on a treadmill…

Today’s jog wasn’t my first run of the new year, last week on the two Sundays over the Xmas break I tested my body to see whether I still had miles in my legs. I run an identical 13.5mile course with a sub 2hr half mara time which is a bit of a reassurance. Sure I have a long way to go still and I know this based on last year but I’ll be the first to admit I have been lazy since finding out I had a place and was concerned I may struggle a lot more.

The 13miler I found is a fun and interesting route, from my flat I head towards Stratford and then head around the perimeter of the 2012 Olympic Park, it’s amazing to see how far it’s come along and I suspect this route may crop up over the next few months (and years!) as I’m sure each time there will be something new! One day in the daylight I’ll take my camera over there and get some good photos, can’t wait to see the Olympics there as I think it will be amazing.
» Continue reading “Wk1 Training ‘Schedule’ Begins…”

This blog is way overdue and probably should have been put up a couple of months ago when I really was in my peak fitness, since then I have let it slide a bit. That said I am still fairly fit and if anyone ever fancy’s a 10k run or spinning session I’ll join you and hopefully keep up with you! Anyway this is a little post as I thought it rather appropriate during a time where another great story of a man who lost 15 stone through running is being released.

Whilst my achievement may be nowhere near that scale and Mike had to overcome far more hurdles than me I still have a sense of pride as to where I have got over the last few years in particular the last 12 months…

The picture on the right shows me at a work 2005 Xmas party . This was around the peak of my weight, I did nothing in regards to keeping fit and ate 2 ‘big’ meals a day. Weight gain was inevitable and a lazy lifestyle just speeded that up. At this time I reached a waist of 36inches and think (although can’t remember) these may have sometimes been tight. Unlike others I can’t blame alcohol, curries or late night kebabs it was just a case of snacking and ultimately eating poor food. During a sequence of events that saw my life change over the next few months I was given a reason for change, and slowly this started to happen.

Initially taking up squash with a colleague and occasionally hitting the gym I got a bit fitter but not much it wasn’t until a few of us started running at work and I got my Nike+ kit did I really start to really enjoy keeping fit. From March 08 I started running in a pretty big way. Having been the kid who was ready with the excuse as to why not to run cross country at school this came as a bit of a surprise to me and probably anyone who knew me back then. I genuinely enjoyed running and with the Nike technology I could be geeky with it too. Perfect!

As the months carried on and I was routinely doing a couple of runs a week at minimum I decided to get into a 10k, being the moneysaver that I am I entered a challenge with my Nike+ and after 30days of racking up the most miles I could (including runs in Florida!) I managed to blag a place in the 2008 Capital 10k. By this point I was already significantly fitter and had started to shed some weight. I was still enjoying running so it was perfect. I completed that run in a very respectable 53 minutes but deep down I wasn’t happy. Others around me had done better and I could be just as good as them!

For most people I know 10k would be the point they gave up, not me. I like a challenge, from a young age I have always been a trier and from that age I also got used to not winning and not being particularly good at anything but I would always give it my best. I think it is this competitive and never wanting to fail mentality that pushed me into my most extreme challenge of my life.

Now I can quite remember the sequence of events but around October 2008 I got the rejection marathon magazine but was also scheduled to run the Great South (another Nike+ competition!). I was upping my weekly mileage all the time and following the 10miler I had to decide whether 09 would be my first marathon year. Again by this point my fitness was still getting better, a gym membership for fitness first which resides quite literally across the road also kept me in shape with the option of quick lunch break sessions.

Following a sad family event with my girlfriend I was introduced to Fairhavens. This is a large hospice which is based in Southend, at the time I found out they had charity places and decided to sign one of those scary contracts confirming I’d raise the necessary funds in order to gain my place. Once I signed my contract I was in and running was now to consume my life for the next few months.

As a reader of runners world I knew how important it was to follow a schedule but what they suggested seemed to involve at the min 5 days of running a week. I could fit it 3/4 but to be honest I enjoyed spinning to much to take up another night with running so I proceeded to ignore all schedules and go it alone. I ensured, pretty much without fail, that every weekend I would do one long run ranging from 10 up-to 20 miles during the peak. I was dedicated, over the next few months I could probably count on one hand the amount of miss runs I did due to the typical feeble excuses.

Around Xmas Laura introduces me to Jon Robson, a personal trainer. Forking out a fair amount of money I was to add a fairly intense gym session on top of my already hectic running schedule. It was from October – March I really felt my weight come off but still amazingly I was having fun. Obviously marathon training is tough and eats away your time you need to factor in long runs which ontop of you have to remember how much it will take to recover.

In April, on a stupidly hot day (for England) I put on my running shoes and pounded the 26.2 miles of London streets. Perhaps my ignoring of the running schedule came back too haunt me but I was not in anyway prepared for the heat and 4:34 later I crossed the finish line. Slower than I hoped but more incredibly more than a stone lighter than when I started!! (obviously that weight went back on quickly).

So by April 09 I was down to around 12stone 8, a weight I have maintained till today. No doubt I could be lighter if someone assessed my diet. Whilst I have cut out a lot of rubbish from what I eat, I still enjoy bad foods too much to cut them completely. I have found what I think is a healthy balance between being a super fit 6 pack mens health guy and enjoying my life enough and being healthy enough not to care!

Recently a few of my mates went out and did a 10k, it was this event that really reinforced that I was probably quite fit. Completing a couple of minutes faster than my closest friend and also not far of 45mins I was almost at that next level of running! Foolishly after that run I stopped for a bit, but my shoes are back out and I have ideas as to where my next runs will be…

Anyway, I think what is probably due is a “then and now” photo to compare side by side and here you go, hopefully the difference is noticeable…

A few years ago I dusted off my squash racket and got back into the game – having not played it since school. A colleague and I would hit the court almost routinely on a Tuesday morning before work for a (mostly) friendly knockabout. We did this for some while and I think we got a little better and every so often I’d also head down with a school mate who would proceed to whip my arse as he was a in a whole different league to myself but he was also fairly happy to coach me in my ways. However, during my marathon training I put a stop to playing squash, as sports go it’s fairly intense on the ankles and also the body so thought it was probably best to put this alongside the other “high risk activities” and stop doing it!

Anyway Ad and I did get a sneaky game in early on in my training but today was a time for a rematch, he beat me last time (3 games to 2 I think) but we were both at a very similar level so thought it should be quite fun to play again, plus I have been promising it for months now!

Rocking up to London Bridge Fitness First at 830 I was already hot and bothered, the central line stopped at Stratford so had to change route and ultimately arrived late even though I had given myself a good 15/20 min extra time. Quick change and we were on the court…

I guess it should be fairly obvious that an enclosed room was going to be hot given the temperature outside but I don’t think either of us were totally prepared for the heat in there which was obvious from the start! I was already warmed up following a brisk walk from the station so let Ad hit about whilst I sorted out some fluid for during the game. Got back to the court and did a bit of racket / hand-eye calibration, I was shockingly bad and I am sure Ad must have been thinking that this morning was going to be a walkover (I was thinking the exact opposite)!

I won the racket-spin and elected to serve, lost the first game but I think it was a close one (I can’t believe I genuinely can’t remember – worrying!). However, after game one I managed to win 3 games in a row (again with very close scoring). At 3-1(best of 5) Adam suggested to play another game, not really sure why – I’m pretty sure he was as shattered and as hot as I was! He won this bringing the score to 3:2 to me and a reverse of last time. That brings the match score to 1:1 meaning a rematch is definitely on the cards!

Oddly whilst playing yesterday I felt a lot quicker around the court, managing to get to drop shots I don’t think I would have got to before. I can only put this down to my improved fitness. Also today was the first time I have ever really realised how little support squash shoes give. There were shots where I didn’t feel particularly comfortable when running to get the ball. I don’t really want to spend more money on a sport i barely do but I may have to look to see if they sell indoor shoes with feet that pronate in mind…?

Another cool thing about squash is as it’s high intensity my heart rate went through the roof reaching peaks of 184 (see graph below). To give some useful comparison when I go spinning even on the fastest sprints and biggest hills getting my heart rate above 170 is an almost impossible challenge, and during my runs I normally sit around a constant 175. I can’t really remember the last time I broke the 180 mark but apparently I was training in ‘zone 5′. Not really too sure what that means but all I do know was that the morning was tough and knackering so that must be good right??