Category Archives: Running

Running in wind, rain and hail

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What a fine start to 2012 – 3 good runs this week; 10 miles on Monday, 5.3 miles interval training on Wednesday and 12 miles today.

Good run on Monday at a good pace with loads and loads of people out in Bushy Park walking on the last day off for Christmas.  And yes some rather foolish people taking very close-up (i.e. getting physically close) photos of large stag with giant antlers – not a wise move.  Great run last night doing interval work – 1.5 mile warm-up, 6 sets of 1/4 fast and 1/4 back recovery and 1 mile cool down.  Today’s run not good though – changed the days around with the interval run and not enough recovery time between.  Legs heavy from the run last night but still got off to a good start.  Strong winds all over the UK right now (see BBC News) and they managed to be blowing against me for the full 12 miles – a pretty amazing feat given that I ran back along the same route.  Very very hard running into strong and cold wind.  Then to top it off it starting raining heavily and then came the hail stones – what fun.  Not big ones, but you could feel them.  About 5 solid minutes of them – not much fun.  Pace took a big hit with the wind and then once pace starts to drop off, I can’t pick it back up.  My good old Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS watch allows me to track average pace throughout the runs – and it’s amazing see it drop off like it did.  Today’s started at 7:45 per mile, then got up to about 7:52 per mile at 5 miles – so bang on my target pace.  Then the bad weather hit and dropped to 8:00 quickly and then 8:10 and then right down to 8:40 at one point – rubbish.  Managed to pick up again with the faster finishes I like doing.

Lessons learnt today…

  1. Don’t do an interval run the day before a long run.
  2. Leave at least one clear rest day between hard runs.
  3. Pray for a non-windy day (or move somewhere hot and sunny by the beach).

And yes a very good job I did decide – literally last minute – to take the waterproof running jacket with me today.

2012 – London’s year

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That’s 2011 finished and a week since Christmas.  Despite late starting with running last week – with Christmas Day and Christmas food getting in the way – I picked up and did 20 miles over 3 runs.  Last run just before lunch on New Years Eve – 4 miles at just better than 7 minutes 15 seconds per mile (a nice pace).  And a new last run of 2011.

The serious marathon training starts now with the mileage picking up fast.  25 miles planned over 4 runs this coming week.  Still need to think about 3 or 4 or even 5 runs a week and what the optimum number is.  A bit more research and thinking needed.

130 ish miles done in December.  And all at around the planned marathon pace – getting used to running at that pace, so the plan may be working!  Longer ones needed now to make sure I can hold it.

2012 promises to be an amazing year for London – the London Marathon in April, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in June and then the London 2012 Olympics over the summer.

The London New Year’s Eve fireworks set the bar last night showing what London can do and what the celebrations this year will be like.  An awesome display last night and absolutely now best in the world.  11 minutes long and costing a bargain £2 million – click here to see the full video on the BBC News web site – it’s very impressive.  Could be seen and heard all the way from Twickenham where we are.

A very Happy New Year to you and here’s to 2012 bringing everything you wish and hope for, and more.

Too many mince pies

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First run today for 6 days and didn’t feel good.  10 miles but very slow – 8 minutes slower than last 10 miler along the same route.  Pace almost 45 seconds per mile slower.

That would put me a mile behind me last week on the same route – rubbish really.

Things different today?

  • Early run – started at 7:40am (recent ones have been around 11am)
  • Not run for 6 days – normally max. 2 days between runs
  • Too many mince pies over Christmas (and turkey curry last night)
  • Slow starting pace

So are these excuses or genuine reasons why I was slower?  Good question.  The slower starting pace is the real killer – if you don’t feel good when you go and you naturally start off a bit slower, it’s very hard to pick up (as mentioned before).  Starting pace was about 8:02 but I then slowed down over the run – which is even worse!

The Christmas dinners and the usual excess of food and drink over the Christmas period may have affected the run – it does make a huge difference when running when full (or after a heavy meal the night before – or 5 nights before over Christmas) – but all worth it and we had a lovely Christmas.  Very much a family occasion for us and spent with grandparents and auntie and cousins.  And of course Father Christmas made his appearance on Christmas Eve and was caught on Noble CCTV coming down the chimney delivering presents.  Ho ho ho!

Taking it easy

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11 miles yesterday at a slowish pace.  Along the Thames again and over Richmond Bridge. Very chilly and wet, so even more layers on – could only just move the legs!

Have done a fair few 10 milers and 12 milers but not an 11 before.  Shouldn’t make any different but 11 sounds odd – ha ha.  8 minutes 30 seconds per mile pace – so slower than planned marathon pace and it now feels wrong to run at that pace.  Feels like the pace running is paying off.  Happy days.

A dodgy foot this feet – apparently suffering from Plantar Fasciitis – inflammation of the plantar fascia in the foot (a band of tissue running from the heel to the middle foot bones).  And yes it hurts.  Funnily enough more when not running.

Advice from the doctor is rest – easy running hopefully along those lines – plus stretching and a nice info sheet printed off by the doctor.  A trip to the physio later this week for more help and to see if some new custom in-soles are needed.

Bought the current ones about 3 years back and they’ve been one of the best running investments there is.  Had a problem when training for the marathon in 2009 when at about 16 miles (on the longer runs) my knees would hurt.  Saw a physio and did some proper foot and running analysis and they fitted me with some in-soles for my shoes designed for my feet.  Worked a treat.  Suspect now they need replacing and shoes may do too.  Brooks GTS11 are my current shoes – had the GTS8 ones before and loved them.  GTS11 are the latest ones.

One more longish easy run planned this week – on the way to the physio – and then a fast 5km on Friday.  And more running next week – first one on Boxing Day morning.

 

2 minutes faster

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Another good running week last week.  10 miles on Monday, followed by 1/2 marathon on Wednesday (over 2 minutes faster than my last Royal Parks Foundation 1/2 time in October) and then an even quicker 10 miles on Friday (40 seconds faster than Monday).  Speed work is definitely paying off – though need to ease off for a bit now and increase mileage.  Still over 5 months to go until the big day in April.

Pace is king in my world now.  And it’s absolutely about setting your initial pace right.  Too slow and you’ll never pick it up.  Too fast and you’ll fatigue too early and slow down dramatically in the latter part of the run.  So yes, it’s a very fine balance.  It’s also what you mentally set as your planned pace.  I like setting it faster and then coming in just over that.  Last 10 miler this week was great.  Back from good old Tumble Tots – where little Mr. Noble had done some tumbling, rolling, climbing and jumping – and through Bushy Park (and back dodging some huge stag that look very mean).  Again managed to pick up my face in the last 1 mile or so, with a nice finish.

Talking of Bushy Park, the Parkruns there continue to amaze me – 840+ runners last weekend.  Unless you know about it, you’d never realise that there are over 800 people meeting up for a fun 5km run first thing on a Saturday.  Very cool.  And I’ve said before, definitely need to get back and do some more.  Definitely helps with speed.

But multi-layered?  Oh yes, it’s that time of the year – cold and frosty.  Running gloves and hat on and then a number of layers on me to keep warm.  Still in the shorts though!  Amazingly, however cold it is, as long as I’ve got gloves and hat on (to cover the exposed bits) within a few miles you’re nice and warm and the odd cold gust isn’t a problem.  If the weather forecasts are to be believed – minus a big number and arctic conditions – the layers will be going up even more.

And a great running week finished off with carols at the Royal Albert Hall in London – an official Noble Christmas tradition.  With some more carols helping raise money for Whizz-Kidz in the evening.  Now it feels even more like Christmas.

Thankfully no major downpour of snow this year, like last year when we almost didn’t get to the Royal Albert Hall and in actual fact about half the people were unable to get there due to bad weather.

3 easier runs this week with one long one and a trip to Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park.

A lot can happen in 4 seconds

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Having knocked a whole 40 seconds off my 5km times last week, I was raring to go this week and improve on other distances.  First up was 10 miles through Twickenham and along the Thames to Richmond Bridge (and back).  A lovely run and ground I’m familiar with – from almost 3 years of daily running commutes to and from work in Richmond.

The plan was to go for 7 minutes 30 seconds per mile – 30 seconds faster than the planned marathon pace.  I managed to do 8 miles at this pace last week, so 2 more couldn’t be hard, could it?  Got off to a slower start – about 7:45 per mile and kept it around that level, edging up to 7:56 at one point and then back down to 7:48 ish.

Having concentrated on pace runs recently, I’m convinced it’s all about getting your starting pace right.  If you start too slow, it’s very difficult to improve.  The so-called split run (where you do the second half faster) is actually very difficult to do.  The first 1/2 mile or so is critical and where you need to get the pace right.  With 35,000 other runners in the London Marathon this is even more challenging, as you’re not running at your ideal pace from the go.  This needs some thinking about – if I want to achieve my 8 minutes per mile pace.

Although I did set off slower than planned today, I finished a whole 4 seconds faster than 2 weeks back when I did the same run.  Not a lot – particularly over a longer distance – but it made me think what can you actually do in 4 seconds.  A lot according to a quick Google search (side note – Google still my favourite search engine by a long shot; you know they’ve got something right when your 5 year old understands the concept of “Googling” something)…

  1. Folding a shirt in 4 seconds – and yes someone’s filmed this being done
  2. Catch a piranha
  3. Form a lasting impression (4 Seconds)

It’s also the name of a marketing company that I have no connections with and until tonight hadn’t heard of.  But it’s a cool name and I like their site and what their aims are!

Happy running!

Over 30 miles this week

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3 great runs this week.  Nice 8 miles on Monday faster than marathon pace.  A long 16 miler on Wednesday – about 30 seconds per minute slower than marathon pace.  And then a fast 5km – knocking 40+ seconds off my last time (on the same route) – and a mile and a bit cool down on Friday.  The speed work and interval training is working – and more needed.  The 16 miles felt hard – I had planned to do a split and pick up the pace on the 2nd half but it didn’t happen.  Great route as well – up past Hampton Court Bridge and along the footpath by the Thames – more awesome scenery.  Longest run I did that way back in 2009 was around 22 miles – so another 3 miles up the path still to explore (assuming I do similar distances for the long runs this time).  I am a fan of long runs where you go out a certain distance along a route and then back the same way.

Average pace picking up as well which is good.  The 5km at the end of the week was great – 40 seconds off the last time and felt very good.  Need to get back and do the Bushy Park parkrun one Saturday morning soon – they really help pick up your pace.

Week finished off with an early Christmas dinner at mum and dad’s in Bedford with Auntie Anne and Uncle Lol – all the trimmings plus mum’s brunch the morning after.  Perfect!

1/2 marathon distance planned this week and at a good pace.

8 miles an hour and parkruns

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So close – an 8 mile run yesterday at 25 seconds per mile faster than planned marathon pace (should have been 30 seconds but slowed down after first 5 miles).  Great run into Bushy Park and some huge stags around – with massive antlers on them.  Very impressive to see.  It’s fantastic running through Bushy Park – much bigger than you realise and great natural scenery in the middle of West London.

And home to what must be the biggest parkrun of all – 9am every Saturday morning throughout the year, 750+ runners (plus volunteers) doing a 5km run fun.  Some in under 15 minutes as well – awesome to see and great fun to run as well (a fine way to start a weekend).  Haven’t done now for a good few months, on the to list for the New Year.  See the Bushy Park page on the Park Run website for more info.

 

 

Can’t feel my fingers

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It’s getting to that time of year again when running gloves are a must-have accessory, if you like to be able to use your hands after running!  Starting a run and then after 2 miles having completely numb hands (plus the rest) is not fun.  I’ve managed to collect a nice all-weather set of running clothes over the last few years – for sun, rain, wind and snow (all thicknesses and all lengths).  And got a nice pair of Nike running gloves from my little sister for Christmas last year.  Running hats also very important – particularly when running into wind.  Cold wind on your forehead also not fun.

3 good runs this week, with interval training yesterday over 5 miles.  6 sets of 400 metres at 80-90 seconds faster than planned marathon pace, with 6 sets of 400 metres 80-90 seconds slower (plus 1.5 mile warm-up and the same cool down at the end).  Great run – really enjoying the speed work.

The next piece of running kit that comes out soon is the high-visibility jacket – bright luminous yellow, for late runs in the day.

The vast majority of my running kit over the last few years has come care of the guys at Sweatshop in Teddington.  And no doubt a few more visits coming over the next few months – new shoes next on the list (and some more decent multi-layered running socks).

Weekend resting from running – with karate for the cross training tomorrow.  Calf now back in order (and not hurting) after last Sunday’s training session!

Not the best run and old friends

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We’re all going to get days when we’re not feeling 100% for any reason and it’s bound to affect running performance when we do.  Ran today instead of yesterday, normally mid-morning time and a planned 12 miler along by the river towards Hampton Court.

My pace for the first 6 miles was good – slightly faster than 8 minutes per mile.  But it then crept up and finished a slower second half, with overall average 8 minutes and 5 seconds per mile.  Not much more but frustrating.  But it was just faster than my pace for the last Royal Parks Foundation 1/2 Marathon back in September.

And still managed to pick up pace for the last 1 mile or so – which always feels good. Trying to do that after 26 miles is a bit more of a challenge!

10 miles at marathon pace last week was very do-able but not today, only 2 miles more but much harder run.

If you’re genuinely not feeling well, depending on the symptoms, common sense advice is not to run (or do other exercise) and let your body recover.  Some good advice found at Examiner.com

Morning run followed a lunchtime coffee or 2 – good old Caffe Nero of course – with an old primary school (year 2) friend I’ve not seen since aged 7 – 35 years ago!  Fantastic, great to catch-up and amazing due to the wonders of Facebook how much you already know or think you know about old friends you’ve not seen for a long time!  Lots of reminiscing about days in good old Hong Kong and school days back at Kowloon Junior School.