Saturday 25 February 2017

Head over heels again

2 days off... then fell over again Friday night.   Clumsy? Tired? Old? Unlucky?

Tuesday 21 February 2017

Carnage on the St Paul's Loop!




Concerned fans to make a candlelight vigil outside Pedro's flat in hope that he survives the night.   It's a tough gig this training-lark!

Friday 10 February 2017

Hello - are you still there?

Yes, I am back again!  Been running for about 10 weeks and, for the first time in about 3 years, I'm really enjoying it.  Gradually picking up fitness and completing regular long runs.   My secret formulae tells me I might be able to do a 10k in around 41 mins...  not that I'm in any hurry to find out.

Trying to concentrate on fitness and enjoyment, but it would be nice to break 40-mins for 10k come the Midweek League.    It's all about finding the balance between fun and obsessive training.  Can I do it?  Watch this space!


Saturday 27 June 2015

Time to start running again

After a fallow year following the Rotterdam Marathon (and 4 months of zero running latterly) both I and my body have decided that enough is enough!  I am not sure how seriously I am going to take it this time around, but fitness and enjoyment are the watchwords.

Apart from starting to feel out of shape and sluggish and missing the folks at NHRR, the main prompt for the timing of this 'comeback' were the antics of Club-legend Chris Stokes at our recent kids' school sports-day.  True to form, he cheated in the Dads' race and I vowed revenge, challenging him to a head-to-head at the Trent Park Midweek League race.

I am now wondering if this was wise, as with a week to go, I thought I'd better go for a few runs and found myself struggling to run anything like 5-6 miles distance, let alone at speed.  Never mind - at least it has got me out of the door again with my running gear on.

It now remains to be seen if my blind-confidence and extra pounds can compete with the man, the legend, the personality, the sheer human force that is ..  Chris Stokes ... ;o)

Tuesday 11 November 2014

The legend lives on!

NHRR - Male Long Course Champion 2014

Recognition for some of my 'heroic' efforts between Oct 2013 and April 2014.  Another pleasant surprise (and indicative of my 2013/2014 V50 performances overall)  was coming runner-up for the Best Male Runner award.  The worthy winner of this award was Mark Vaughan .

Apart from a short spell in August/September, I've done very little training or mileage since April.  Injury played a part, but for the last few months it's been simply a lack lack of inclination.  Just starting to pick things up again now, and with London 2015 in the diary, I need to not let my base fitness fall to far...

 

Thursday 18 September 2014

Yes, I'm still here!

A bit (well a lot) of a post-marathon lull, due to injury and jadedness

I went several months without managing a long run nor a training session - just barely ticking over really.  However, despite this,  I still picked up the 1st V50 prize in the Midweek League and avoided losing heart altogether.  Muscling through those severe calf-cramps at Rotterdam really did some damage.  My £20 three-in-one foam-roller set from Argos has been a fantastic buy!

I have no races planned soon, but I do have a guarunteed good-for-age place for the London Marathon next spring.  For now, I'm simply enjoying being able to run more frequently again without pain and do a few speed-sessions. 

Despite everything, I still think I'd be comfortably under 39 mins for 10k,  which is pretty good all things considered and not a bad place to build from.