Whilst I may not have done any LONG runs this weekend has been very running based!

On Friday evening I made my way to Oxford Circus on foot via the longer diverted route. My watch again seems to have played up, however it appears to have logged at 6.4m and I reckon there is a chance of 1/2 mile extra. I got a little bit ‘lost’ once again, failing take the correct left turn I ended up at Fleet St before doubling back on myself. It was a good run, respectable pace and all felt good.

Saturday morning was to be one of those hard runs. After about 6 miles my brain started to tell me to give in, call it a day. Niggles appeared in my right knee, left knee in fact there seemed to be pain wherever I thought about, I got slower and slower and just wasn’t enjoying the run. At 8m I decided to throw in the towel and head back home for the final mile. 9miles eyes bloodshot, I didn’t look or feel good but at least I got a jog in!

A few months back I put my name down to be involved in one of the drinks stations at Nottingham Robin Hood Marathon. Organised by Tom Williams and Martin Yelling of Marathon Talk we were to take the mile 19.5 drink station and turn it into ‘The Motivation Station’.

We left for Nottingham Saturday lunchtime, the chaps had organised a BBQ at the campsite that night, this was a good laugh and great to meet some other marathon talk’ers! There was to be a morning jog on the Sunday and as it was promised to be a slow one I joined. At 7 we left the campsite to start a new route. Heading along the River Trent and into Nottingham we passed the Notts Forest ground before heading up and crossing the finish line. We then plodded back and ended up doing a 7mile jog at av 9min/mi, hardly a recovery run but hey it was enjoyable to be somewhere new with different company!!

After we packed up the tent we made our way over to the National Water Sports Center and started unpacking crates of Lucozade and Water, our volunteer work was beginning and about 2 hours after arriving the first of the runners would start trickling through before the peloton finally arrived, at this point the runners came through thick and fast. The point of the station was not just to supply fluid it was also to help push people through the hardest miles of the marathon and I think we may have done that, as people came through the station they left with a huge smile, impressive especially so far into the run!

I had a cracking day, it was good to be able to give something back as I’m normally the one taking the bottles off of people. It once again made me think how much organisation and preparation goes into something like this! Fortunately the weather was kind for us for both days which made the camping experience all the better. Sometimes it’s nice not to be the runner and be the spectator

Till the next time!!

Neil

Ok so I have been away for a week on a cruise. Some people may think I’m a little young for this but this ship wasn’t targeted for the oldies, so Laura and I made the most of her last week off before starting her new job to cruise the med.

For anyone who hasn’t been on a cruise before there seems to be this common theme of ’24 hour dining’ or otherwise known as eat till you explode, being healthy does not seem to be an option. Judging by their size for a vast number of people this cruise wasn’t their first as there were some real biggies on that boat (Mike – if only I had your book, I’m sure I could have offloaded a number of copies!). Anyway, not wanting to feel like I had paid for something and not used it I indeed proceeded to eat and, baring one short 5k run on day two, do no form of physical exercise for a week. Sure there was a lot of walking and across the week we must have covered in excess of 25k but that was about it…

After coming back I allowed myself one day off before hitting the gym in style with an afternoon spinning session, wow it was hard, harder than I remember for a long period of time. I also thought I’d hit the sauna after and it appears a combination of the two which left me coming out to get changed fealing sick and very week. I can only remember one other gym session like this and once again I headed for the lucozade. This time it seemed to make no difference and 2hours later, whilst I write this blog I still feel fairly quesy and to be honest this is keeping my mind off it.

What does this mean? Can my fitness really change in the course of a week? If so what will it take to get back to where I was before? Another oddity is I am aware my stomach capacity is growing again meaning the lunch which whilst marathon training would fill me, now leaves me hungry, what can I do to reduce this again?

Think I’m going to have to put myself down for another run to work towards again because at the moment I don’t feel particularly motivated to keep fit and go for runs, naughty Neil! So on that note watch this space for information of my next run.