Thanks to all of you that read this blog over the last few years.
The webmasters over at Centurion Running have moved this blog including all old posts over to a new location. Click here for the new blog. All new posts will go straight on there and that way I don't keep having to write everything twice. Thanks for watching and please check in now and again at the new address.
James
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Weekly Summary: Dec 5-11
Monday: zippo
Tuesday: 3.5 miles 0h33
Wednesday: 14.3 miles 2h27
Thursday: 14.3 miles 2h23
Friday: 14.3 miles 1h59
Saturday: zippo
Sunday: 13.1 miles 1h46
Total: 59 miles 9h09
Not sure what to make of that week really. I was convinced on Tuesday that I wasn't going to be able to run for another few days at least due to a chest infection lingering on for a couple of weeks. Then I went to see the doc and his diagnosis of asthma (??!!!) meant I could resume training straight away albeit with the aid of inhalers. I always intended for base training through December in time for the usual early season main event, Country to Capital 'if you're not there, you're nowhere'. So as per the last post, I selected my route and then put in three days of grafting. The incredible difficulty I had in breathing on Wednesday and Thursday scared me somewhat and I was left feeling like I was in trouble even running 10 minute miles on fairly moderate trails.
Anyway, Fridays effort was better and didn't feel too difficult. Saturday I rested up and Sunday I paced a friend at the Bedford Half Marathon. His aim was to run 8:20 miles for a 1h50 effort and stayed nicely on pace until the final three mile stretch where he stepped it up to 7:30s. I felt ok, easy enough to make conversation at that pace but any climb and I coughed and spluttered my way up the hill. I tried to pull him along a little bit quicker than 7s at the end and felt fine doing that. My legs were great, absolutely no grumbling whatsoever but my lungs are really a big issue. Whatever the case I am absolutely miles off where I need to be at this stage but I am ready for a lot of hard work and long slow miles on the trails over Christmas to get the base fitness I need going in to the new year and a bit more tempo/ hill stuff.
Staying fit and healthy is the number one priority and shaking this asthmatic chest is more than important.
This past week saw three of the four major US 100 mile lotteries drawn - and I was ofer three as they say over there. Hardrock had 720 applicants (some with up to 7 tickets each) for 100 places. Western States had 1960 applicants (some with up to 3 tickets each) for 273 slots. Massanutten had around 400 for 200 places. So I am on to plan B for the first 7 months of the year and I am equally excited about what I have lined up. For once I am not trying to over-reach and run a crazy early season race. The only time I built up slowly was in 2010 and I had my best season ever so that's exciting. My 'a' races are the Thames Trot 50 in Feb and then Comrades and the WHW race in June. What comes after will be down to the UTMB lottery. It will either be that or Sparta. Either way I am excited about the potential of all of those races.
Tuesday: 3.5 miles 0h33
Wednesday: 14.3 miles 2h27
Thursday: 14.3 miles 2h23
Friday: 14.3 miles 1h59
Saturday: zippo
Sunday: 13.1 miles 1h46
Total: 59 miles 9h09
Not sure what to make of that week really. I was convinced on Tuesday that I wasn't going to be able to run for another few days at least due to a chest infection lingering on for a couple of weeks. Then I went to see the doc and his diagnosis of asthma (??!!!) meant I could resume training straight away albeit with the aid of inhalers. I always intended for base training through December in time for the usual early season main event, Country to Capital 'if you're not there, you're nowhere'. So as per the last post, I selected my route and then put in three days of grafting. The incredible difficulty I had in breathing on Wednesday and Thursday scared me somewhat and I was left feeling like I was in trouble even running 10 minute miles on fairly moderate trails.
Anyway, Fridays effort was better and didn't feel too difficult. Saturday I rested up and Sunday I paced a friend at the Bedford Half Marathon. His aim was to run 8:20 miles for a 1h50 effort and stayed nicely on pace until the final three mile stretch where he stepped it up to 7:30s. I felt ok, easy enough to make conversation at that pace but any climb and I coughed and spluttered my way up the hill. I tried to pull him along a little bit quicker than 7s at the end and felt fine doing that. My legs were great, absolutely no grumbling whatsoever but my lungs are really a big issue. Whatever the case I am absolutely miles off where I need to be at this stage but I am ready for a lot of hard work and long slow miles on the trails over Christmas to get the base fitness I need going in to the new year and a bit more tempo/ hill stuff.
Staying fit and healthy is the number one priority and shaking this asthmatic chest is more than important.
This past week saw three of the four major US 100 mile lotteries drawn - and I was ofer three as they say over there. Hardrock had 720 applicants (some with up to 7 tickets each) for 100 places. Western States had 1960 applicants (some with up to 3 tickets each) for 273 slots. Massanutten had around 400 for 200 places. So I am on to plan B for the first 7 months of the year and I am equally excited about what I have lined up. For once I am not trying to over-reach and run a crazy early season race. The only time I built up slowly was in 2010 and I had my best season ever so that's exciting. My 'a' races are the Thames Trot 50 in Feb and then Comrades and the WHW race in June. What comes after will be down to the UTMB lottery. It will either be that or Sparta. Either way I am excited about the potential of all of those races.
Friday, 9 December 2011
Base Training
I am trying to put together a string of consistent daily training runs. My chest infection has cleared but it has left a case of pretty bad asthma behind for which I am on prednisone and two inhalers. First time I've suffered with asthma since I was a kid and it is debilitating to say the least.
I really didn't expect to be back running this soon. I called our fatass 100 off just recently because almost all of our signees dropped out but also because I figured I wouldn't be able to even get out and mark out the circa 16 mile loop. So I am delighted that for now the worst of my problems is a coughing fit every time I crest a hill....
Anyway so the loop I have set out as a daily run is a 14.3 mile excursion which takes me in an almost perfect loop out from our house. 95% of it is on trail which is at times pretty muddy but it has enough of everything to keep me honest including some small rollers but no significant climbs unfortunately. The 14ish miles has about 1200 feet of climbing, not really enough but as good as I am going to get around northern Hertfordshire.
Having seen the doc on Tuesday afternoon, he gave me the go ahead to resume training, advising me to take an inhaler on route. On Wednesday I head out for the first time in almost 2 weeks and purposefully didn't look at my watch, walked every hill and just enjoyed being out in the fresh air. I have vowed to myself that this period of base training is about time on my feet, not as much about the watch, I am just grateful to be on my feet right now. I got back to the house in 2:27, the slowest I've done that route in by over 15 minutes in 10 plus goes. Yesterday I got around in 2:23 and felt totally out of puff on the hills, to me they were un-runnable. The good news was that my legs felt great, no sign of aches, pains of muscle stiffness. Tonight I did decide to got out and push a tempo effort. I took the ventolin before I went out and ran all but one of the climbs, with only minor bouts of coughing fits. I got back to the house in a somewhat forced 1:59:53 as I blasted the last bit of track to get in under 2 hours. It's not perfect but I'll take it.
So I am looking to continue this streak. Sure it's not going to be possible to get out of the house for 2 plus hours every day but whenever I can I plan to bank the same miles and build it in consistently. Most of the sessions will be at 10 minute mile pace, walking plenty and getting everything used to being out again, trying to avoid picking up injuries. If I can throw in the odd 2 hour tempo effort I will. Incidentally 14.3 miles x 7 happens to be.... insignificant really but intriguing nonetheless.
I have been listening to the ultrarunner podcasts while I've been out each time and they are fantastic. If you get the chance to download them and take them out, do it. In particular the interviews with Sunny Blende on nutrition are massively helpful for ultrarunners of all abilities and experience. My own personal favourite is the Frank Bozanich interview but I've been over that before.....
Happy running.
PS Good luck to everyone in the WS lottery tomorrow afternoon. I am in there too....
I really didn't expect to be back running this soon. I called our fatass 100 off just recently because almost all of our signees dropped out but also because I figured I wouldn't be able to even get out and mark out the circa 16 mile loop. So I am delighted that for now the worst of my problems is a coughing fit every time I crest a hill....
Anyway so the loop I have set out as a daily run is a 14.3 mile excursion which takes me in an almost perfect loop out from our house. 95% of it is on trail which is at times pretty muddy but it has enough of everything to keep me honest including some small rollers but no significant climbs unfortunately. The 14ish miles has about 1200 feet of climbing, not really enough but as good as I am going to get around northern Hertfordshire.
Having seen the doc on Tuesday afternoon, he gave me the go ahead to resume training, advising me to take an inhaler on route. On Wednesday I head out for the first time in almost 2 weeks and purposefully didn't look at my watch, walked every hill and just enjoyed being out in the fresh air. I have vowed to myself that this period of base training is about time on my feet, not as much about the watch, I am just grateful to be on my feet right now. I got back to the house in 2:27, the slowest I've done that route in by over 15 minutes in 10 plus goes. Yesterday I got around in 2:23 and felt totally out of puff on the hills, to me they were un-runnable. The good news was that my legs felt great, no sign of aches, pains of muscle stiffness. Tonight I did decide to got out and push a tempo effort. I took the ventolin before I went out and ran all but one of the climbs, with only minor bouts of coughing fits. I got back to the house in a somewhat forced 1:59:53 as I blasted the last bit of track to get in under 2 hours. It's not perfect but I'll take it.
So I am looking to continue this streak. Sure it's not going to be possible to get out of the house for 2 plus hours every day but whenever I can I plan to bank the same miles and build it in consistently. Most of the sessions will be at 10 minute mile pace, walking plenty and getting everything used to being out again, trying to avoid picking up injuries. If I can throw in the odd 2 hour tempo effort I will. Incidentally 14.3 miles x 7 happens to be.... insignificant really but intriguing nonetheless.
I have been listening to the ultrarunner podcasts while I've been out each time and they are fantastic. If you get the chance to download them and take them out, do it. In particular the interviews with Sunny Blende on nutrition are massively helpful for ultrarunners of all abilities and experience. My own personal favourite is the Frank Bozanich interview but I've been over that before.....
Happy running.
PS Good luck to everyone in the WS lottery tomorrow afternoon. I am in there too....
Sunday, 4 December 2011
721
That's the number of people in the Hardrock lottery today - for 104 slots. That represents (according to somebody else) a 9% of chance for those with one ticket, getting in. I need something to brighten my week as I have been totally wiped out by a chest infection which seems to be doing the rounds. It seems that when it rains it pours! When I shake it off it will be back to heavy base training until the end of the month.
The Thames Path aid station list is now up over on the website. There is also a special edition one for volunteers with more information that will go out a little nearer race date.It feels good to have the locations officially sanctioned and permitted, it is a lot of work finding the right spot at the right mileage on the course, then finding the contact details and asking them to let us use their land/ hall/ boat house all night one weekend in March - but we're just about there!
The Thames Path aid station list is now up over on the website. There is also a special edition one for volunteers with more information that will go out a little nearer race date.It feels good to have the locations officially sanctioned and permitted, it is a lot of work finding the right spot at the right mileage on the course, then finding the contact details and asking them to let us use their land/ hall/ boat house all night one weekend in March - but we're just about there!
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