Mr Busy

Over the last few days been very busy with work and family and not had chance to update my Blog so here goes.

Tuesday had a fantastic 7 mile with the running club first time for a little while that I seemed to have fired up.

Wednesday was Tai Chi night and guess what we had 4 students and another who is interested but cannot start for a while so hopefully momentum  is picking up.

Planning a 18 mile run with Dave on Sunday, I will be interested to see how I get on as I have not done any training.

Also decided to sort out my ipod shuffle so that I can use it when I am running.

Nice little Run

On Sunday I got up early and did a nice 6 mile run over High Elms also bumped into a fellow ORR and had a nice little chat.

Free Flow Body Solutions

I have been learning Tai Chi for many years and most of that time I have been training with my friend Chris   and we have decided to start out own Tai Chi school so we have hired a hall in Turners Hill for 3 hours on a Wednesday night. The plan is to teach for the first hour or so then Chris and I will train for the remainder of the time. The hall is really fantastic with great facilities in a great energy spot.

Chris already has few people who are interested so we just have to see how it goes. We are going to concentrate on the energy aspects and will teach:

Microcosmic orbit

Chi Gung

Chi Circulation

Meditation and relaxation

The Form - Basic, moving the centre and Ying Yang

Pushing Hands

Sword and Broad sword.

Plus many other things we are thinking about.

We are going to concentrate on the health aspects but will also teach

Fighting applications

and Bagua

We are doing this because of our interest in Tai Chi and hope to build up a group of like minded individuals who are also interested.

My 10k Race Times

Nov 08   50.43
Dec 08   49.48
Feb 09   49.51
Mar 09  48.43
Nov 09  49.50
Dec 09  47.55
Dec 10  52.27
Jan 11   49.57
Feb 11  49.22

How do you deal with the heat?

With summer approaching and having just spend a day pottering around the garden in the glorious heat my thoughts are turning too how do you run when its so hot. I suppose the obvious answers are:

Void the times of the day when it is hot run early morning or later in the evening, but what if you have to run in the heat?

I suppose hydration and shade are key does anyone have any thoughts?

VLM Analysis

Well the dust has settled so thought I would post my analysis on VLM.

Five things spring to mind:

1. I need to sort out my energy, I basically lived on my normal diet in the build up to the race. I did not carbo load enough in the few days before the race - so will do this in future.

2. I think I did not hydrate myself enough so will drink more in the build up to race day.

3. I definitely did not like the gels so no more gels for me, when you look at what is the gels they are basically sugar so will sort out an alternative, although the Orange segments that were handed out were fantastic and really hit the spot.

4. It started to get hot, I think I am going to run in shorts.

5. Mentally I was not strong enough, the sight of runners in the St Johns Ambulance tent was off putting and I thought I do not want to end up pulling out so I really eased off. I have also noticed that all my best runs have been when I have a buddy, sound obvious but it can start to get very lonely on a long race.

VLM update

My god that was tough. I am not sure what happened but at 14 miles started to feel sick, it was fairly hot and the sights of fallen runners made me think I need to take it easy and get home. I finished in 5.27 no way near my PB. Not a great result but at the end of the day:

• I finished and got a medal that means I now have one Marathon medal (Beachy Head, New York and London) for each of my three children. It will not mean much to them but it does to me.
• I raise £1,700 for charity, which I thought was a fantastic achievement and  is a great feeling. A big thank you to all who sponsored me.
• I did not suffer any injuries and energy was not too bad- I just felt sick ( I need to find out why but I am sure I need to find an alternative for energy gels).
• I spent time with a great bunch of people and got some great messages of support from family and friends.
• One of my friends achieved a PB of 2.33 and came 84- What an achievement.
• I live to fight another day.
• Finally a big thank you to my wife Linda who has been a great support to me over the last three months of training. In her words if I spent as much energy on the house and garden as I do on training for all the things I do then we would have a perfect house. I was going to reply all this training makes me the perfect husband but I thought I should not go down that route....

All in all live is good who cares about the time and I am going to chill for a bit whilst I sort out the next challenge.

Race video and report to follow.

Motivation quote for VLM

“Stay calm and divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head,

 the middle part with your personality

…and the last part with your heart”

I'm Coming Home

I just love this song to me it is a great running song- why?

I am coming is a great mantra for miles 18+

Tell the world I am coming - is how I will feel at mile 25

My kingdom awaits - is home

I have never felt so strong- is how I feel

Ain't no stopping us now- is great mantra for 18+

Lots of fights lots of scars-The training

Lots of up and lots of downs-The training

All make you a better man- The Running makes you a better man

Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday- is the training

Cruising through Harlem - was running New York Marathon

The song also have a fantastic beat for running

VLM Race Number

Final Run

Well I did my final run last night just over 5 miles at a very relaxed pace (just over an hour with several stops). I ran with the slower group and it is interesting to note how easy the people doing VLM can run up the hills when the others are out of breathe. It just shows the level of fitness.

Thoughts now turn to making sure I have all the right equipment ready for race day and must make sure I do not get too excited and start too fast. Also keeping an eye on the weather, it was hot for Brighton Marathon last weekend  and a lot of people crashed.

Overall I feel great, such a good feeling to know that all that training is behind you.

Can you run a marathon in under two hours

Very interesting article

Can you run a marathon in under two hours

The Maypole Project

http://www.themaypoleproject.co.uk/

I have been raising money for The Maypole Project and hope to raise over £1,500. I am very close to my target so please dig deep and sponsor me for running London Marathon.

my virginmoneygiving page

Many thanks

The Final Week

On Saturday I went out for a 6 mile run with Dave. We both thought how good it was just to go out for 6 mile run which after all the long runs is just like a walk in the park.

We saw Jason C on one of his tapering runs, looking very cool in his green trainers plus sun glasses, he is a really good runner and great to see. I hope he gets his 2.30 at VLM. We then saw Chris who was running to work in Bromley. It is really great when you go out for a run and meet fellow runners, even if it just to high five them as they go past.

Mentally I am feeling good and I am looking forward to next Sunday although I am a little apprehensive.

Erle Montaigue Start of the form

A nice little 5 miler

Tuesday night I ran with the running club, went with one of the slower groups and we did a very nice 5 miler. Really nice just to chill out and have a chat. Even though it was the slower group there were a few people running London who really just wanted to have a nice easy run.

The mind leads the body

One thing that was nagging at me after my 22 mile run is after 18 miles I started to run out of energy and this hit my motivation. My body was telling my mind why you doing this I am tired and my body was in control, when in fact my mind should be leading my body, telling my body to dig in and get on with it.

In summary body wins I give up, mind wins I dig in and continue.

I find this relationship very interesting it is easy to think about these things after the run but when you are in the situation it is hard to think clearly and I suppose that is why people develop a mantra that focuses the mind.

The final long run

Saturday morning I got up early to do my final long run before I start tapering. The route was the same I ran with Dave for the 18 miler but went from my house which worked out at 22 miles. 22 miles is a long way to run by yourself so I took my new digital radio, which worked fairly well but think I will sort out an ipod, any way back to the running.

I got to 18 miles in 3 hrs 7 minutes which was slower than when I ran with Dave, but I was very tired, basically no energy but I had to push on for 4 more miles and finished the run in just under 4 hours. I was not very happy with the last four miles but I did not have any aches or pains which was good just no energy, but when I look back at this week I had run 45 miles in 7 days which will have taken its toll.

Mentally I was also feeling a bit deflated and this did not help, but I am sure on the day the crowds and the adrenalin will kick in and motivate me.

Interesting I have ran the first 18 miles in just under 3 hours and had plenty of energy at the end but my lower leg hurt.

I was tired after the run but no aches and pains and on the Sunday after I was fine, in fact I could have gone for another run.

In the last three months I have ran 300 miles which is 30 more than I did for New York and also I had a 3 week break. I reckon I must be on for a Personal Best probably around 4hr 30min which I would be very pleased with.

Plan now is to do a couple of 6 mile runs this week then final week take it very easy with a couple of 3 mile run. I will build up my energy supplies, drink plenty of Vitamin C, meditate,  have a couple of massages and hit the fund raising hard.