Kit List…

Well I’m in the taper…

The last long run didn’t go well… 

A kid freewheeling along a path on his bike had his feet sticking out, a scene of pure joy… Unfortunately, his foot bashed into my knee.

I just about managed not to teach the youngster some Anglo-Saxon… and shook the leg out and carried on.  The knee didn’t swell, but also didn’t feel right.  So discretion became the better part of valour and a planned 25 miler became a 14 miler. 

Until the knee, all felt good.

So a weekend of easy walking around town, and some dancing at a friend’s wedding, and the knee is feeling OK.  I’ll test it on Tuesday with a gentle run and a climb – but it feels OK.

Which is good, as it clear my mind to plan for the Ultra-marathon, 31 miles in one hit…  Being an off-road run it comes with a kit list –

Waterproof top – woo-hoo excuse to get a new very lightweight waterproof smock (thank you TK Maxx!)

Full length leg covering – that’ll be a pair of tracksters in the backpack

Full arm length top – I’ve a technical top or two that’ll fit the bill

Mobile phone – fully charged (sensible precaution)

Food & Water – to keep you going between the fuel stations.

Oh, and trainers… My red and lime shoes are now at their peak – they’re c150km old – old enough to be comfortable, new enough to still be bouncy and supportive.

So this week is gentle runs, and prep… Next week is carboloading…

Oh, and asking for your money – if you’ve enjoyed my blog, my tales of running, or are in somewhere connected with why I do what I do then please think about sponsoring me - http://www.justgiving.com/fallotsrunner

TTFN and thank you in advance

Paul

Goosebumps

I don’t often get goosebumps, mainly because I don’t often get cold… That clammy feeling when the hairs on your arms stand up is normally restricted for moments of mild terror or excitement.

Which nicely brings me to Sunday… When I got them three times!

Those readers in the UK who watch the BBC will have seen the wall to wall promotion, may have watched some of the runners or the highlights show.  It was the Great North Run – the biggest mass participation event in the UK.  An half marathon, known throughout the world for its fancy dress runners, charity fundraisers and recreational runners.

As frequent readers will have gathered I’m going through a purple patch with my running, which is nice as I used to go purple when I ran.  I wasn’t expecting Sunday though.

Goosebumps 1 – it was wet , windy and cold in the massed start… People were wrapping themselves in discarded foil blankets to keep dry.  I embraced the cold… I’ve been warmer in Finland in winter, but not being a warm weather runner I took the goosebumps as a good sign.  

And I ran, and ran easily… The 1^st mile mark threw me as I misread it as a kilometre sign, I regathered my thoughts and checked my progress.  I ran over the Tyne Bridge, legs and arms swinging lungs and heart working like a dream.

The 5km sign came up and I had to double-check my watch – just under 31 min!  My 5 km pb is 30min… I checked myself over and decided that I was fine and kept going, knowing that the first 15km of the GNR are the easier running. 

10km came up in about 63 min – against a pb of 62min.  I was flying, powerade was grabbed, fancy dress groups dodged around and still I felt fine.

I then came across a runner I’ve swapped tweets and tales with – Ivan and Nadine – the original Mr & Mrs Incredible who have been fundraising for 3 years since their son Seb was born with a CHD (they tweet as @seb4chuf) – follow them, their coast to coast events are awe inspiringly insane! So, as you do when you are running well I slowed down shook his hand – I should add that between the costumes and collecting buckets on the pushchair they were probably slower than normal…

Then it was back to it – past Tanni Grey-Thompson at her normal water station at 8 miles, and through the wall of sound at 10 miles and into the last 6 km in 1:36. The last 6 km, and a dream I’ve had for a decade was on – I’ve always wanted to be on the coast road as the Red Arrows did their thing.

The legs were feeling it know, but the brutalisers did their job – I’ve run in pain and this was ache not pain! So on I went, hitting the dreaded hills up to the sharp dip to the coast.  My KM spilts slowed, but never enough to make me really worry.  The sharp dip was gentle this year, compared to many on the trail and fell runs I’ve done and then I was on the front – 1 mile to go…

And there were the Red Arrows starting their display… Dream time – as I checked my watch to see if a sub 2:20 time was possible my bumps goosed for a second time – two hawker jets did the impossibly close fly-by the red arrows are famous for, parallel to where I was.  Head down, run for the line… Cross the line, try and remember to smile (there are cameras) and stop the watch…

2:19:58

16 minutes than last year, 10 minutes off last year’s GNR.

You don’t get much better than that:-D

And then to the Max Appeal / Children’s Heart Federation gang in the tents, the other runners and me swapping tales of chaffing and odd sights seen on the course whilst eating butties and replenishing our fluids levels with water and powerade. The first timers bubbling with excitement, the old lags reflecting on what makes the magic magical.

Then it was time for me to watch my mate Gilly to finish her first GNR – she, like I did all those years, was walking her first one. 

Watching her come down the last 400 metres, chatting to her new friend grinning from ear to ear as she did bought on that third bout of goosebumps.  The Great North Run is great for many reasons, for me the greatness is most about how it is accessible to most people – and not just grudgingly accessible, but genuinely welcoming.

I’ll put up my usual collection of biometrics when I get to the correct set of IT…

Now it’s a couple of days to recover, then Friday is a 25 miler – the last LSR of the Ultra training…

TTFN

Paul

That was something magical...

This post was always going to be about how tough running 3 2h repeats in 1 day was...

How I'd run & walk 46km in a day, and how I hurt but how I knew it would help in 3 and a bit weeks when I do the 50 in run...

All of which is true... However, the last run, a gentle 11.5km in 1:45... very slow, yes... At night in an area I don't know - Yes!

The run started surreally, in the middle of the woods, at dusk a battle of the bands raged so I set off to a reasonable version of Ace of Spades puncturing the night sky.

As dusk turned to dark, my headtorch became an attractive proposition to the local insect life... Moths flew at me, chased by bats, close enough I could feel the wind off their wings.  Eyes glinted at me (science tangent - tapeta lucida is a specialised membrane some animals have that reflects light - and helps with their night vision), and suddenly I was jogging in a pack of horses... as they scattered, as surprised as I was, the big dipper started shining through the tree tops.

On I plodded, now immersed in breathing, foot placement, breathing, time... when more eyes glinted and skittered across my beam... Deer, not hanging around so I can't say what sort, but deer bouncing and bounding through the night...

And then it was turn around point, more moths being chased like X-wings through the Death Star's canyons by the tie-fighter bats; if there were deer then they hid in the woods... and another trot with the horses.

And then I stopped, not for breath but to look... and turned the head torch off... and let my eyes adjust.  The big dipper (aka the Plough), my constant companion glowed brightly, like a glow in the dark dot-to-dot,  was still there, but as night vision took over thousands upon millions of stars appeared, and wishful thinking it may be, but here and there it looked like the Milky Way was coming out... And I stopped and loved it... And relished the silence, the views and the sheer magic of the evening.

Running takes me places I've never been before, not many of them are as naturally wonderful as the New Forest at night.  Running back the music started intruding again - a rendition of Happy Birthday to you, followed by a Take That medley - well the real world had to intrude some time;-)

So that was the magic, an unexpected bonus on what was, as my legs are reminding me, a brutaliser!

TTFN

Paul

The Hospital Run...

Same course...

Same kit (close enough anyway)...

Same hydration...

Same fuelling strategy...

Same result - 13 miles run...

After being nervous as hell, it was a bit of an anticlimax - I went out and ran a good time yesterday (it was my 7th fastest 13 miler then)... 2:41...

It's now my 8th fastest, as my run today (2:34) is my third fastest:-D

The main thing I'm pleased about is I can move - I pottered around town this afternoon, I freely admit stairs weren't an easy option, but were done.  Yes, I'm wearing a full length pair of skins, but there's only tightness and no pain:-)

My new trainers are working well, the slight niggling pain in my ankle is fading nicely, they soak up the impact of my thumping the miles out well and do seem to glide well over the various terrains I deliberately have thrown at them (paths, tarmac, loose stones, slidely mossy tarmac... One of the reasons I did this route).

For those who like symbolism (and possibly irony) the route is my Heart Hospital special - Alder Hey Children's followed by The Liverpool Chest and Heart... Neither have an A&E (well Alder Hey's is for kids only) so if I has busted an ankle it wouldn't have helped - but it does bring a smile to my face:-)

Part I



Part II

So that's the latest brutaliser done... This week is a little bit of recovery, the paralympics, a trip to the New Forest... and an essay to write for my OU course.

TTFN

Paul