No I haven't found religion, nor am I about to start preaching. But, with 1 month and 24 days to go to the big day I had to get on with my longest run this time around, 17 1/2 miles around Plymouth.
So when I woke this morning to the sound of gale force winds and driving rain on my bedroom window, I didn't want to even get up. However I had missed my training session on Thursday due to hosting a quiz night, so I had to get out today. As I got in my van and drove to my starting point at Sainsbury's I had my wipers on full blast. I parked up, popped into the shop to get a bottle of Lucozade Sport and when I came out the clouds had gone, the sky was blue and the sun was shining and it stayed like that for next 3 hours and 13 minutes.
The run was basically the Plymouth Half Marathon route (with all the hills) which I joined at Saltram house, running out of the back and up to Elburton before turning and heading back into Plymouth around the Hoe and then the extra bit that took the mileage up to 17 1/2 miles which was a loop out to devils point and back before rejoining the half marathon route back on the Hoe and running back through the Barbican and then back out over Laira bridge and up the climb back up to Saltram House through the park and then headed back to the van.
This week was another week of practicing fueling, I used 3 carbohydrate gels this week although the first seemed to have the best effect, giving me a real boost as I started my second hour heading into the Barbican. I struggled with the last stretch up the hill to Saltram house, I knew I had only just a couple of miles left so I didn't want to waste another gel.
Anyway another pay day has come and gone and as my training is getting tougher it would be great to start seeing my sponsorship going up. So if you have few spare quids please visit my Justgiving site and sponsor me, so we can help the smaller charities survive in these hard times.
Cheers
Snooky
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
Don't Panic..... I'm still here!
2 Months and 1 day to go....
Sorry I didn't blog on Sunday, but I had to write a quiz for Thursday and didn't get time to write my blog, but I am still training.
So Sunday, still ramping the miles and this week I had to run 15 miles, I had been around to Angie my Slimming World consultants house on Saturday and realised my training sessions are running exactly one week behind hers. She told me of a really good 15 mile route, so I went for it. This week was also the first week I trained using carbohydrate gels, last year I used glucose tablets.
So the run, I drove to Sainsburys at Marsh Mills and struck out straight up a steep hill to to Saltram house (all of a sudden I wasn't that impressed with the the route!!!), but once I reached the house I decided to run off the path for a bit, whatta mistaka to makea, I hit the grass and did a really good impression of Bambi on ice to the point as I tried to rejoin the path I nearly took out a whole family. Then I was on familiar territory (all be it in reverse) as I joined the route of the Plymouth Half Marathon down to Laira Bridge, around Cattedown, around the Barbican, up and over the Hoe and off down to Stonebridge passing the ferryport, around here I discovered the little messages in the pavement and they were all along my route as I ran along the South West Coast Path, this added to the enjoyment and intrigue of the route as I headed out to Devils Point the turnaround point and the point where I consumed my first ever carbohydrate gel, not knowing how it would effect me, well it was weird and amazing within a really short spell it was like I had had a leg transplant, which lasted about half way back. Enough to get me back up onto the Hoe again taking on the tourists, I even got competitive as I chased down another runner actually going the same way as me!! I caught him as we passed the infamous Capn Jaspers. I got back to Sainsburys in about 2 hours 50 minutes, which is dropping the pace to 11 minute miles.
So tonight, well I love Liz Yelling, how shocked was I when I checked the schedule to find out what run I was to do today and it was onlya 30 minute run, 10 mins easy run, 10 mins steady followed by 10 mins easy. There's not a great deal of difference between my easy run and steady run, especially when you know that you only have to run for 30 minutes. I just stretched out and went for it, so 30 minutes later I was back home having covered 3 miles and feeling great and very sweaty. I think the thought behind this session was boost your confidence and give a little recovery time. Because tonight I feel great and looking forward to 2 1/2 weeks time for the for the Silverstone half, followed the next Sunday with the Sports relief 6 mile which I am now running with my daughter!! I will have to go off and do another 12 miles or so afterwards as this should be the Sunday I do my longest run before starting the taper down to the marathon.
Weight loss this week by the way was another 1 1/2 lb, that's 2st 2lb so far.
Anyway it's getting late, gotta go.
Cheers
Snooky
Sorry I didn't blog on Sunday, but I had to write a quiz for Thursday and didn't get time to write my blog, but I am still training.
So Sunday, still ramping the miles and this week I had to run 15 miles, I had been around to Angie my Slimming World consultants house on Saturday and realised my training sessions are running exactly one week behind hers. She told me of a really good 15 mile route, so I went for it. This week was also the first week I trained using carbohydrate gels, last year I used glucose tablets.
So the run, I drove to Sainsburys at Marsh Mills and struck out straight up a steep hill to to Saltram house (all of a sudden I wasn't that impressed with the the route!!!), but once I reached the house I decided to run off the path for a bit, whatta mistaka to makea, I hit the grass and did a really good impression of Bambi on ice to the point as I tried to rejoin the path I nearly took out a whole family. Then I was on familiar territory (all be it in reverse) as I joined the route of the Plymouth Half Marathon down to Laira Bridge, around Cattedown, around the Barbican, up and over the Hoe and off down to Stonebridge passing the ferryport, around here I discovered the little messages in the pavement and they were all along my route as I ran along the South West Coast Path, this added to the enjoyment and intrigue of the route as I headed out to Devils Point the turnaround point and the point where I consumed my first ever carbohydrate gel, not knowing how it would effect me, well it was weird and amazing within a really short spell it was like I had had a leg transplant, which lasted about half way back. Enough to get me back up onto the Hoe again taking on the tourists, I even got competitive as I chased down another runner actually going the same way as me!! I caught him as we passed the infamous Capn Jaspers. I got back to Sainsburys in about 2 hours 50 minutes, which is dropping the pace to 11 minute miles.
So tonight, well I love Liz Yelling, how shocked was I when I checked the schedule to find out what run I was to do today and it was onlya 30 minute run, 10 mins easy run, 10 mins steady followed by 10 mins easy. There's not a great deal of difference between my easy run and steady run, especially when you know that you only have to run for 30 minutes. I just stretched out and went for it, so 30 minutes later I was back home having covered 3 miles and feeling great and very sweaty. I think the thought behind this session was boost your confidence and give a little recovery time. Because tonight I feel great and looking forward to 2 1/2 weeks time for the for the Silverstone half, followed the next Sunday with the Sports relief 6 mile which I am now running with my daughter!! I will have to go off and do another 12 miles or so afterwards as this should be the Sunday I do my longest run before starting the taper down to the marathon.
Weight loss this week by the way was another 1 1/2 lb, that's 2st 2lb so far.
Anyway it's getting late, gotta go.
Cheers
Snooky
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Is Motivation mental or physical?
2 Months 6 Days to go... I wasn't at work today, I spent the day taking my son around the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth and got back home about 4ish and the sensible thing then would be to get changed and go out for run. Not me, I made a coffee and sat down and caught up on the Brits from Tuesday. So when you sit down ans chill does your body go into shut down, because when I did lift myself off the sofa and get ready to go out my legs were not impressed.
I went out about 6.30, and although I knew I was only going to run 4 1/2 miles and my mind wanted me to beat the time on Tuesday, my legs thought otherwise, I just couldn't get them moving at any sort of pace. I passed the stick insect swarms nest just as they were starting out on their runs, as usual I was going in the opposite direction. It was good to see there was equality and diversity in their nest as the last pack to leave were of the larger slower variety of the yellow coated blob insects (the particular breed I belong to).
Later I followed a ghost pack, I was gaining on them and thought I was going to overtake them when all of a sudden they just disappeared, I thought they had gone around the corner, but as I went round they were nowhere to be seen, bizarre!
As I have said in the past running are moments of freedom, freedom from phones, email and other people, just one man, his mind and tarmac. I often think about what to write here, but tonight my head was all over the place, I spotted some tailors dummy's in a front room and my mind spun of to thinking about whether we are going through another Industrial revolution or devolution. I have worked in welfare to work for just over 2 years and we have helped loads of people get in self employment. I think we are heading back to a stage of cottage industry as the large businesses go bust and more and more people set up their own small businesses.
My weekend run with my brother has been cancelled this weekend as I have taken a late booking for Saturday night and so can't make it up to Kent this weekend after all. I will still get out here and step up again for a 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Anyway best wrap up for now, speak to you Sunday.
Cheers
Snooky
I went out about 6.30, and although I knew I was only going to run 4 1/2 miles and my mind wanted me to beat the time on Tuesday, my legs thought otherwise, I just couldn't get them moving at any sort of pace. I passed the stick insect swarms nest just as they were starting out on their runs, as usual I was going in the opposite direction. It was good to see there was equality and diversity in their nest as the last pack to leave were of the larger slower variety of the yellow coated blob insects (the particular breed I belong to).
Later I followed a ghost pack, I was gaining on them and thought I was going to overtake them when all of a sudden they just disappeared, I thought they had gone around the corner, but as I went round they were nowhere to be seen, bizarre!
As I have said in the past running are moments of freedom, freedom from phones, email and other people, just one man, his mind and tarmac. I often think about what to write here, but tonight my head was all over the place, I spotted some tailors dummy's in a front room and my mind spun of to thinking about whether we are going through another Industrial revolution or devolution. I have worked in welfare to work for just over 2 years and we have helped loads of people get in self employment. I think we are heading back to a stage of cottage industry as the large businesses go bust and more and more people set up their own small businesses.
My weekend run with my brother has been cancelled this weekend as I have taken a late booking for Saturday night and so can't make it up to Kent this weekend after all. I will still get out here and step up again for a 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Anyway best wrap up for now, speak to you Sunday.
Cheers
Snooky
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Swarms of stick insects out tonight
2 Months 8 Days to go.... another damp night in Saltash, another 4 1/2 miles clocked up. My brother the other day accused me of being slow, so today I pushed myself harder than ever and really tried to stretch my stride out and pushed my lungs to bursting.
My enthusiasm was further driven by crossing paths with swarms of the now infamous yellow coated stick insects, you have to be seen to be making an effort, that's the competitive side of me. The run was uneventful but I was driven by the thought that this Sunday I could be running with my brother as I make a brief visit to Kent for the weekend.
Great music on the Ipod again finishing with Bonnie Tyler's holding out for a hero, what a tune leading to a sprint finish and edging closer to breaking the 10 minute barrier over 5 miles.
Oh yes, lost another 1 1/2 lb this week, that's 2 stone now since I started at slimming world. I'm hoping to lose another stone and half if possible by the Marathon so there will be a lot less to carry around than last year.
Anyway, better go.
Cheers
Snooky
My enthusiasm was further driven by crossing paths with swarms of the now infamous yellow coated stick insects, you have to be seen to be making an effort, that's the competitive side of me. The run was uneventful but I was driven by the thought that this Sunday I could be running with my brother as I make a brief visit to Kent for the weekend.
Great music on the Ipod again finishing with Bonnie Tyler's holding out for a hero, what a tune leading to a sprint finish and edging closer to breaking the 10 minute barrier over 5 miles.
Oh yes, lost another 1 1/2 lb this week, that's 2 stone now since I started at slimming world. I'm hoping to lose another stone and half if possible by the Marathon so there will be a lot less to carry around than last year.
Anyway, better go.
Cheers
Snooky
Sunday, 14 February 2010
A Hill Too Far....
2 Months and 10 Days to go... 13.1 miles today in 2 hours 20 mins (10.6 minute miles), a personal best, however it was tough, really tough, unfortunately when you increase the miles around Saltash and Plymouth, you cannot avoid the hills.
Today's run took me into Plymouth and a lap of Central Park and then down into town and up onto the Hoe and running along the front and into the Barbican around Bretonside and then back up the hills to Saltash. I struggled with the crowds around the Hoe and some people were polite and moved over and some were really ignorant and just walked at me and forced me onto the road.
It was also the first time since these training sessions started that I actually got warm from the sun, but only on the return home. Quite a few stick insects out today, they make me sick bouncing along the road with long skinny legs and no weight to carry on them. Then there's me dragging my 18 1/2 stone frame around the streets punishing my feet and legs, to be honest it is my feet that take the most of a hammering.
Anyway as I didn't get to bed until 4am this morning (awesome gig at the Senior Rates Mess at HMS Raliegh), I'm knackered, so we'll speak again on Tuesday.
Cheers
Snooky
Today's run took me into Plymouth and a lap of Central Park and then down into town and up onto the Hoe and running along the front and into the Barbican around Bretonside and then back up the hills to Saltash. I struggled with the crowds around the Hoe and some people were polite and moved over and some were really ignorant and just walked at me and forced me onto the road.
It was also the first time since these training sessions started that I actually got warm from the sun, but only on the return home. Quite a few stick insects out today, they make me sick bouncing along the road with long skinny legs and no weight to carry on them. Then there's me dragging my 18 1/2 stone frame around the streets punishing my feet and legs, to be honest it is my feet that take the most of a hammering.
Anyway as I didn't get to bed until 4am this morning (awesome gig at the Senior Rates Mess at HMS Raliegh), I'm knackered, so we'll speak again on Tuesday.
Cheers
Snooky
Thursday, 11 February 2010
The power of music
2 Months and 12 days to go.... Oh it was a cold moonlit night and the air was like breathing razor blades. Tonight's training run was a straight forward 50 minute steady run according to Liz Yellings training schedule. My definition of steady running is basically start running and then disengage brain, leaving the legs to just go into auto pilot and amazingly enough I completed my 41/2 mile circuit in exactly the same time as when I ran on Tuesday running intervals.
So brain disengaged from legs my mind went of wondering on its own, what to write in my blog, what was I going to have for tea etc.. Then "Turned to Stone" by ELO started playing on my Ipod all of sudden my mind had whizzed back to 1981 and I was 15 again. (only my mind unfortunately my legs remained 43!!), Isn't it funny how a song can place you at a place and time. In this case it was BFES Windsor School, Hamm, West Germany, school disco's 1981. In those days everyone sort of belonged to a group based on their taste in music, we had rockers into heavy metal etc, punks, two tone etc. Every school disco when the DJ put on turned to stone on we all got into circles of our peers and started spinning to the music deliberately bumping into each other on the dance floor. Not a place for the meek.
This got me to thinking about music and what memories it invokes, Bon Jovi, Bed of Roses places me in my first pub, and the whole pub singing to the chorus. Iron Maiden Run to the hills, to my girlfriend's (at the time!!) house playing pool, Beautiful South, Rotterdam was playing on the radio when we told my daughter was going to have to be delivered by emergency cesarean.
Anyway it's getting late, speak to you on Sunday.
Cheers
Snooky
So brain disengaged from legs my mind went of wondering on its own, what to write in my blog, what was I going to have for tea etc.. Then "Turned to Stone" by ELO started playing on my Ipod all of sudden my mind had whizzed back to 1981 and I was 15 again. (only my mind unfortunately my legs remained 43!!), Isn't it funny how a song can place you at a place and time. In this case it was BFES Windsor School, Hamm, West Germany, school disco's 1981. In those days everyone sort of belonged to a group based on their taste in music, we had rockers into heavy metal etc, punks, two tone etc. Every school disco when the DJ put on turned to stone on we all got into circles of our peers and started spinning to the music deliberately bumping into each other on the dance floor. Not a place for the meek.
This got me to thinking about music and what memories it invokes, Bon Jovi, Bed of Roses places me in my first pub, and the whole pub singing to the chorus. Iron Maiden Run to the hills, to my girlfriend's (at the time!!) house playing pool, Beautiful South, Rotterdam was playing on the radio when we told my daughter was going to have to be delivered by emergency cesarean.
Anyway it's getting late, speak to you on Sunday.
Cheers
Snooky
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
It's getting serious now.....
2 Months 15 days to go, Good run out tonight, as I have said before Tuesdays are about building pace. I was doing interval training tonight, it's the first time I really got this intense in training. 10 minutes of easy running the 6 x 3minutes interval runs with 90 second breaks. The interval runs are pushing the limits, the first three intervals I really stretched out and got a good pace going, but by the time I got to intervals 5 and 6 I don't think there was a great difference between the breaks and intervals, but I think it was a case of the easy run pace picking up and the intervals slowing down and meeting in the middle. Although I managed to practice my sprint finish as a gritter chased me up Fore Street, I beat him to the top and avoided getting gritted as he took the left fork as I took the right.
I was out early enough to bump into two swarms of yellow coated stick insects, one swarm almost stopped me in my tracks as about 20 of them came at me head on. I spotted the three fools I mentioned previously and realised they were half as foolish as I thought because they were only joining my hill half way down.
I also had good week weight loss wise as well, another 1 1/2 lbs of making it 1 st 13 lb since I started with Slimming World, it would have been better than that if it hadn't been for December, I put 61/2 lbs back on over Dec. So another lb to the 2 stone off mark, and 2 lb to my 10% of my original body weight lost. hopefully get there this week.
Fundraising is a little slow at the moment, but looking to do an event at the end of Feb.
Gotta go now, speak to you Thursday.
Cheers
Snooky
I was out early enough to bump into two swarms of yellow coated stick insects, one swarm almost stopped me in my tracks as about 20 of them came at me head on. I spotted the three fools I mentioned previously and realised they were half as foolish as I thought because they were only joining my hill half way down.
I also had good week weight loss wise as well, another 1 1/2 lbs of making it 1 st 13 lb since I started with Slimming World, it would have been better than that if it hadn't been for December, I put 61/2 lbs back on over Dec. So another lb to the 2 stone off mark, and 2 lb to my 10% of my original body weight lost. hopefully get there this week.
Fundraising is a little slow at the moment, but looking to do an event at the end of Feb.
Gotta go now, speak to you Thursday.
Cheers
Snooky
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Rain stopped play
2 Months 17 days to go.... Unfortunately my run on Thursday was cancelled due to horizontal rain, the wind was so harsh it just wouldn't have been sensible to try and run. I thought I'd make it out on Friday, unfortunately (or not) a gig came in for Friday night so that put paid to running.
So today I ran just over 11 miles, a circuit of Saltash and then into Plymouth and out again to Marsh Mills Sainsburys, where I met my family for a quick shop.
The run was comfortable and a reasonable pace, the hills were still tough but I did run non stop, even up the hill by Plymouth railway station which is particularly tough. I completed the 11.05 miles in 2 hours which if I had continued at the same pace for another 2 miles would have been a personal best for a 1/2 marathon, So I think with a month to go before the silverstone 1/2 I am confident a PB is for the taking.
Not much happening on the run to be honest, music was from Scooter, Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix, Alice Cooper.... One track in particular was quite apt was by Matt Taylor and called The Open Road.
Anyway, bit tired so better go.
Cheers
Snooky
So today I ran just over 11 miles, a circuit of Saltash and then into Plymouth and out again to Marsh Mills Sainsburys, where I met my family for a quick shop.
The run was comfortable and a reasonable pace, the hills were still tough but I did run non stop, even up the hill by Plymouth railway station which is particularly tough. I completed the 11.05 miles in 2 hours which if I had continued at the same pace for another 2 miles would have been a personal best for a 1/2 marathon, So I think with a month to go before the silverstone 1/2 I am confident a PB is for the taking.
Not much happening on the run to be honest, music was from Scooter, Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix, Alice Cooper.... One track in particular was quite apt was by Matt Taylor and called The Open Road.
Anyway, bit tired so better go.
Cheers
Snooky
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Cure for the common cold...running
2 Months, 22 days and 10 hours... Another late run tonight again, I didn't hit the road until 8.20pm, by which time most of the yellow coated stick insects were tucked up in their beds. I got lucky though, because they were all out running in persistent drizzle bordering on proper rain. I managed to miss it all and ran in a mild pleasant evening.
I wasn't even sure if I was going to run tonight, I've got a stinking head cold, my nose was running faster than my legs ever will. But I remembered an old adage, above the neck keep training, below the neck...rest. So off I went, within 5 minutes my head was clear and since I've got back apart from the odd sneeze and sniffle I feel great.
I met couple of stick insects on the way round but not too many, 3 fools ran out of the bottom of my road. I don't know what the exact gradient my road is but it's a 2nd gear one in a car and 1st gear in a loaded van!! Running down it is more foolish than running up, running up is good stamina building and if you can run up my hill you can run up any, but running down is dangerous on the knees. It was running down a hill that seems to have ended my next door neighbour's running (and he was serious!!) career during the Saltash Half Marathon last year. My training was almost brought to halt last year by running down a hill as well last year, luckily with the aid if a knee support and a packet of Ibuprofen I battled on!!
Today's run was Fartlek night again (it's Swedish for changing pace or something like that) anyway it's my favourite session as I took a leaf out Heather Mills book, well they weren't my legs because I was proper running, bouncing along the street at one helluva (Cornish term!!) pace. I had to be out for 50 minutes (I'm on week 5 of Liz Yellings Plan 2 training programme) I thought as I was Fartleking I would run my 1 hour route and hope to come in at 50 mins... I had to add an extra bit as I took 20 mins of my 1 hour route!!
Great music on the play list tonight, starting with Don't stop believing, into Don't stop me now and so on. I also found the ultimate Fartlek tune......Freebird by Lynyrd Skynrd that came on as I was on the bridge, I reckon that's the fastest I've crossed the bridge. Favourite track of the night though was Fairies wear boots by Black Sabbath, I put this one on because I love the track, but I wasn't sure it should be a great running track, but in a weird way it worked it's got a really bouncy bass line and if you run to the snare drum it does keep up your pace.
Anyway it's midnight and I had better get some rest, speak to you Thursday.
Cheers
Snooky
I wasn't even sure if I was going to run tonight, I've got a stinking head cold, my nose was running faster than my legs ever will. But I remembered an old adage, above the neck keep training, below the neck...rest. So off I went, within 5 minutes my head was clear and since I've got back apart from the odd sneeze and sniffle I feel great.
I met couple of stick insects on the way round but not too many, 3 fools ran out of the bottom of my road. I don't know what the exact gradient my road is but it's a 2nd gear one in a car and 1st gear in a loaded van!! Running down it is more foolish than running up, running up is good stamina building and if you can run up my hill you can run up any, but running down is dangerous on the knees. It was running down a hill that seems to have ended my next door neighbour's running (and he was serious!!) career during the Saltash Half Marathon last year. My training was almost brought to halt last year by running down a hill as well last year, luckily with the aid if a knee support and a packet of Ibuprofen I battled on!!
Today's run was Fartlek night again (it's Swedish for changing pace or something like that) anyway it's my favourite session as I took a leaf out Heather Mills book, well they weren't my legs because I was proper running, bouncing along the street at one helluva (Cornish term!!) pace. I had to be out for 50 minutes (I'm on week 5 of Liz Yellings Plan 2 training programme) I thought as I was Fartleking I would run my 1 hour route and hope to come in at 50 mins... I had to add an extra bit as I took 20 mins of my 1 hour route!!
Great music on the play list tonight, starting with Don't stop believing, into Don't stop me now and so on. I also found the ultimate Fartlek tune......Freebird by Lynyrd Skynrd that came on as I was on the bridge, I reckon that's the fastest I've crossed the bridge. Favourite track of the night though was Fairies wear boots by Black Sabbath, I put this one on because I love the track, but I wasn't sure it should be a great running track, but in a weird way it worked it's got a really bouncy bass line and if you run to the snare drum it does keep up your pace.
Anyway it's midnight and I had better get some rest, speak to you Thursday.
Cheers
Snooky
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
