Striding Out

A few quiet weeks after the disappointment of having to pull out of the London Marathon, so training has been low key, although I have managed to put in a couple of 4 milers in the lighter evenings and 2 runs to work and home (15 miles each), but, with the left leg still causing a few problems, it’s obvious that I made the right decision – so the bike has been getting a good outing and I am getting a some good mileage in the legs, in anticipation of some triathlons and duathlons (and hopefully an Ironman, if I can get a place). Running will hopefully increase as things progress and with the Halsted Marathon still 4 weeks away, I have yet to make a decision on whether to run or not – I will, however need to increase the Sunday morning runs, if I want to finish in a reasonable time.

Looking further ahead, I would love to do the South Downs Marathon in June, and will hopefully be joining Alex Flynn on the first stage of his run across Europe, although I will need to be a lot fitter than I am now. Further on I am still eyeing the Grimsthorpe 105 Ultra and Shotley Challenge 55 mile ultra, in August & September respectively, before ending the year doing the Beachy Head marathon in October – but as I have found, so far this year, best laid plans ……………. etc. etc.

But, as promised, here is my review of the new Polaroid Strider Sunglasses. When I received these I was surprised at how light and supple they were, almost to the degree of feeling too flimsy, but it was quickly apparent that these were a lot sturdier than appeared. These glasses have been used whilst both running and cycling and I have found that they suit both admirably. The rubber nose grips are a good size (without being over generous), meaning that the glasses sit very comfortably, and the arms grip well, without squeezing, and being cushioned on the inside feel very stable.

Perfectly polarized lenses, that didn’t fog up, on either bike or run, filtered out a lot of sunlight, yet didn’t seem too dark on the odd cloudy runs I had, meaning could keep them on. All supplied in a very snazzy Silver and black check design and coming in a sturdy carry-case, ideal for sticking in your pack, should you not need them later.

All in all a very good product that can be used for more than just running and riding and sports, and looking just as cool being worn out and about in the park etc (cool if worn by someone better looking than me that is).

Given the choice on the current market I would definitely recommend these to anyone looking for a good, light, yet strong pair of sunglasses – top marks from me!!!

Hopefully in my next update I will have a clearer picture of my expectations in the Halstead Marathon and the year ahead and hopefully news of an Ironman place too.

Enjoy your running!!

Out and definitely Down

Another weekend has passed and with it the Fleet ½ Marathon, the 3rd race this year I have missed, and not the last, due to a re-occurring left calf strain that won’t go away, which means I have missed a fair bit of training and therefore have had to make the very hard decision to pull out of the London Marathon (deferring my entry for another year). Although the calf issue is only a minor one and I could have probably done the marathon in 5ish hours the annoying niggle seems only happy when I am cycling, and with other races ahead (Halstead Marathon could also be a victim of this) it was common-sense to say “forget it” and save myself for another day. To say that I was disappointed is an understatement!!!!

However this also made me realize how much this is all costing me, as race entry fees are still rising, which, with the increasing costs of petrol or train fares, hotel bills and restaurant bills to consider for both me and my wife (in the case of London Marathon) it make racing extremely expensive, and that’s only basic road races! Once you start getting into Ultras (most are £40 entry) as well as Triathlons/Duathlons and even further then you can quite easily spend over £500 just doing a handful of races each year.

With new trainers being required once you get past doing 350 miles in a pair and kit wearing out (luckily I have great Compression gear from CompresSport – which is lasting well), the cost of racing rises quicker than a politian’s expenses sheet and surely this must all start to impact on race organizers soon, as turn out starts to dwindle.

However I am lucky in that I am doing the Shotley Challenge in September – 55 miles of countryside, woods, fields and estuary bank in “Constable Country”. It comes with 10 Check-points, all stocking cakes, tea, coffee, biscuits, rice pudding and hot food (at half-way) and all for only £11 – why, because it is organized by the Long Distance Walking Association!! OK there are no shiny medals or t-shirts at the finish (badge and certificate available), and it doesn’t have the razz-a-ma-tazz of big road races, but having done it 2½ years ago, and enjoying the whole thing (even after 50 miles), being able to be alone in the middle of the night in moon-lit stunning countryside makes being a runner a hobby worth doing.

As with all sports there are always highs and lows and yes! I am currently experiencing an extreme low (hence the grumble) and looking forward things hopefully will get easier (robbing a bank isn’t the solution I have been told), but with the greatest show on earth coming to London next year surely race organizers and sports councils could take note of how the LDWA can do their events so cheaply and so well and learn from them!!

Oh well lets be positive - spring is here so the old push-bike will get plenty of use so I can keep fit that way, and with petrol prices still rising there won’t be as many cars on the road – Happy days!!!

Next post will have a review of the Polaroid Stride P7123C Sunglasses, which i have been given to test by Polaroid, and with limited running ahead will see how they perform on the bike - watch this space!

Out but not Down

Its been a frustrating few weeks, after seeming to be doing so well on the training front (only 6 weeks until London). With plans to do plenty of extra training during the school half-term break I managed to end up with an aching ankle after the long Sunday run, so I thought I would do shorter runs and swim and cross-train just to keep things moving. However a very long day in London on the Monday and then a few appointments later in the week put paid to anything happening until I fought my way round an 18 miler last Sunday (thankfully with no ankle pain).

So with all this in mind I decided that I would be better off abandoning the Dunmow Duathlon, in favour of a split-day training run on the Friday (19 miles) and a nice slow run on the Sunday. Friday mornings run (11.5 miles) was a bit of an ordeal, more due to a lack of food from the night before (I usually run to work and then have breakfast, that way I can start earlier and not wake the family up crashing about cooking porridge), once there a decent day of re-fuelling meant that I was fine for the run home (7.5 miles) and once showered made full use of my Compressport Full Legs to make sure I would be fine for Sunday. I did look at entering the Essex 20 miler, but with no entries on the day settled for a nice countryside amble, and feeling happier with the ankle and the fact that with only 6 weeks to go that I was making progress towards getting round the marathon in a reasonable time (aims for a PB are long gone now)!

Looking further ahead I am planning to sign up for South Downs Marathon in June for my 3rd time at this great race – very challenging and stunning scenery, as well as a well-organised race and top goodie bag. I want to do the Braintree Duathlon in May, now that I have pulled out of the Grand Union Canal Race, however time with family is very important, but with the race only 10 miles from my house, I’m sure I can get way for a few hours.

Big ones for this year now are the Grimsthorpe Ultra (either 70 or 105 miles) and Shotley Peninsula Challenge (55 Miles), in August and September respectively, although with other matters to consider training time may be an issue, but I will cross that bridge when I get there. Also i may be getting an entry into the Outlaw Ironman - but more on that when i know!!

Next up is the Fleet ½ Marathon on Sunday 20th, and report the next day, so until then enjoy the spring mornings!

50 by 50

Another few weeks training have come and gone and fitness is returning to where I need it to be to take on the next few months (Duathlon, ½ marathon and Marathon all by middle of April), and now that a large distraction, which would have seen me doing the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon, has been removed I have been able to throw more effort into my training and concentrate on the task in hand. I am still using a 3-day-a-week training programme, with a short (5 mile) effort session mid-week, a run to work and home “split day” on a Friday (anywhere between 13 and 18 miles in total), with pack and the standard 15 mile+ LSD run on a Sunday, which will see me right for the London Marathon. Once the Marathon is over I will then be adding an extra weekly run and pushing the Friday run up to 30 miles in preparation for the Grand Union Canal Race in late May, including running to, running in and running home from the Halstead Marathon in May.

Other plans for the year have changed slightly, now that the Loch Ness Marathon is off, and i have signed up for the Beachy Head Marathon in late October, to run with and support Zoe Orrin Mumford as she attempts to do 1000 miles in a year for Breast Cancer!!

I am also looking at doing the Rutland Marathon a month later, which will make 4 marathons for the year, starting me back on the way to hitting 50 by my 50th birthday (10 done so far and 6½ years until D-Day). This means I will need to average 6 marathons a year, which isn’t a great deal, but I am also now looking at doing the Marathon Des Sables again in 2013/2014 and hopefully the 6633 Ultra as well, finances pending of course. I last did the MdS in 2009 and still watch highlights of last year and hear of other doing this year’s race (and have a documentary interview to do with a local BBC reporter doing the race this year), with immense envy, but with entry fees now over £3500 it’s a lot to “stump up”, and justify, without getting some serious sponsorship (all offers accepted), so dates may change accordingly (saving £10 per month should see me there by my 70th).

Other races (all raising money for Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity) planned are Grimsthorpe Ultra in August (70 miles), Shotley Challenge in September (55 miles) and hopefully another Duathlon as well as some local Triathlons along the way too!

It’s going to get busy!!!

Until next time (After the Dunmow Duathlon) - Stay safe - stay seen!!!

Rear in Gear

Finally an update, after almost 3 weeks of little or nothing on the running front!! After trying to do some runs between Christmas and the new year it all dropped off with the return to work and on-set of an inconvenient heavy cold hat had me off work for 2 days and off running until last Monday (17th). I did return in typical fashion by running to work and the home again in the evening, making the whole day a 15 miler and did I suffer afterwards! My legs felt great (combination of using the Compressport socks and R2's for recovery), but core was a mess and sitting up straight on Tuesday was a workout in its self - new plan formulated to sort that bit out!!
After a few days to recover I repeated the Monday run on Friday and finally finished the week off with a 13 miler on Sunday - so 43 miles for the first week back, but with only 12 weeks to go until the London Marathon I need to get my "rear in gear"!!

I have a ½ marathon due on Feb 6th, and then nothing until March 5th (a Duathlon - so better get the bike out too), then another ½ followed by London - so quite a busy period over the next few months!

Hopefully this will get me ready for the Grand Union Canal Race in May, which I have been mentally running, during training and already planning food and kit and will soon start testing foods for the run, on my longer runs. Somewhere along the way I need to plan a night run, either at the local running track or point to point with another runner, preferable in early May - distance isn't an issue, but its time on my feet after a day’s work and creating a bit of sleep deprivation, and still keep going (my wife is going to love that!!!)

Finally I am now looking for a new shoe sponsor, after Adam Smith left Fitness Footwear, and they stopped supplying me with shoes to review for them. I am still looking to promote Compressport and Buff as much as possible, and stand out in the crowd with my new Rainbow Trust Children's Charity Buff, and once I can get out on my bike will be making full use of the Compressport Quads !!

Still onwards and upwards on the mileage front!!!

Richard

Then, Now, Tomorrow

End of the year (almost) so its time to say Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year to one and all and lets hope that 2011 is bigger and better than 2010 - not that 2010 was a bad year anyway!

2010 had its fair share of ups and downs on the running front, in more ways that one. After starting the year with the Country to Capital 45 mile Ultra I suffered a leg injury in the Thames Trot, that continued to cause issues for the next few races, and after many months of training I went to the Grand Union Canal Race in not the best frame of mind - needing a break - which I duly got, whether I liked it or not!!!

2010 saw me break into Triathlon (one to be precise), but started a spark and is something I hope to build on for 2011 (amongst other things). There are other familiar races planned, a re-visit to the GUCR and London Marathon, for the Rainbow Trust Children's Charity, and hopefully other new events including the Baxter's Loch Ness Marathon (for reasons which will become apparent).

I have to thank my sponsors for their support over 2010, namely Buff (I'm on their sponsored page), Compressport, Polaroid and Fitness Footwear, all who have supplied me with running bits, and all who have kept me going, through rain and shine (and plenty of snow too). Without them this last year would have been a whole lot tougher!

Last, but certainly not least of all, my best wishes go to Alex Flynn after a momentous year for him (see http://www.alexflynn.co.uk/ for all the details), running in not only the Grand Union Canal Race (reaching 119 miles), also doing the Europe 135 Ultra, Marathon Des Sables, London Triathlon (despite having a deep-set fear of water), Country to Capital and other races along the way, and pushing his body and commitment to raising £1M for Cure Parkinson's Trust to the max - deepest respect to the guy and I know 2011 is expected to be even bigger and better for him and the 10 Million Metre Campaign - Keep Moving Mate!!!

Update in a few weeks on a number of things in the pipeline, and how training is going, despite the um… festive traditions and here's to a good year of racing for all!!

CHEERS!!

Rich

Best Running Reads???

Just a brief word, in response to a request i received after my last blog!

I was contacted earlier this week by Larry Dignan, who works for Onlinecollegecourses.com, who have just published a list of what they describe as "40 Exhilarating Reads for Runners", which can be found here, and he asked me, due to the nature of our shared interest, if i could post this list and ask for your comments and what your favourite running books are??

As you will see from the list there is a good selection of running guides, novels, Biographies and different running cultures around the world. One of my favourites is listed (Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen), although the list was sadly missing the excellent "Just a Little Run Around the World: 5 Years, 3 Packs of Wolves and 53 Pairs of Shoes", by Rosie Swale-Pope!

Have a look at the list and drop me some feedback, and i will pass all your comments (keep it clean!!!) back to Larry

I thank you for reading this and please don't forget to sponsor me as i run for Rainbow Trust Children's Charity next year - http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Rich-Merry!!!

Let it snow!!!

Not a great deal of news for this update. Last week saw first snow of this winter in the UK, so a run to work and home last Friday was a must, and the pleasure of running along empty country lanes at 6am with the temperature at -5c (cold for UK) was immense (sad person that I am). Plenty of wild animal tacks around, some being very large too, along side my elephantine footprints!!!. The run was made more enjoyable with having a Buffwear Polar Buff on and the ever present R2's from Compressport - thanks to both companies for their support.

Additionally, following a call out of the blue from Atheer at Wildfire Word of Mouth, who had been reading my blog (i KNEW someone was) Adidas sent me a pair of Swoop 2's to try out and report back on, and I have to say that the grip and feel of the shoes in the snow was immense (I wonder if I can get car tyres with the same tread???). The "radioactive" colouring may not suit everyone, but the ride and comfort certainly will, and I can see myself putting in many miles across the trails over the winter period.














Talking of trail running - I am returning to the Colchester Harriers fold and will be running in my first X-country race in 5 years on Sunday week at Halstead, and will be heading out in the Swoop 2's, as spikes wont be suitable for the whole race - will be a true test of my fitness and stamina (5.5 mile course), and will be good to get back to training and running with others ahead of next years big races. One of the Harriers runners (Sean Ketteridge) is also running the Grand Union Canal Race, so hopefully I can meet up with him and get some training done (if he can slow down enough). I intend to race the GUCR un-supported next year, so need to spend long days out running alone, providing I can find the time to get the mileage in.

In my last ramble I said that triathlons were off next year, but I have been offered a possible place at the Harwich Olympic distance Triathlon in July, so (with my planning hat on) I have looked at a swimming training schedule and will use the recovery time after the GUCR to swim and cycle, rather than run and train that way - active recovery!!!

Enough ramblings for now!!

Don’t forget I can be sponsored for both the 2011 London Marathon and the GUCR at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Rich-Merry, monies to go to the Rainbow Trust Children's Charity and Cure Parkinson's Trust!!

Stay warm, stay safe, stay seen!!!

Compressport Impress again!!

A headline that has been adapted, due to the arrival of 2 new products from Compressport. The Full Socks  and Full Leg compression clothing from Compressport, isn't just up with the best, it has to be one of the best!

The first time I used these was on Monday last week after a few weeks lay off from running and I did a 7 mile run to work and then the same home again that evening. The energy I still had in my legs was staggering, due to the support, and even though I was flagging towards the end, my legs felt like they could carry on for hours!!

 

The feeling once they are on is instant graduated pressure, rather than complete "squeeze it all together" pressure of other products. The Full Leg offers the combined benefits of the R2 and Quad products from Compressport by reducing the build up of lactic acid in the muscles and helping blood flow, and thus getting more oxygen to the muscles, helping them to not only work hard, but recover quicker (also ideal to wear after exercise to help aid recovery). They are ideal for those hard evening runs, worn under running legging and with the very cold mornings adds extra warmth, without over heating to the whole leg.

The Full socks are without question the best I have ever used. Again the pressure supports the calf, and reduces muscle vibration, which in turn reduces the energy used and keeps the calves feeling fresh and full of go!! Funky little 3D.Dots on the soles are there to keep the feet cool, by allowing air in and the arch support is compressed enough to help the blood flow to keep the calves working, without feeling restrictive.

These items are now a permanent fixture in my kit bag, and when Compressport extend their range into clothing for the upper body next year, you can guarantee that those products will be just as good and push the other compression companies into second place.

Cant wait for my next training session later today!!

On The Road Again

Well its been a while since I updated my blog as the 2 months since the 7Oaks triathlon have been mixed and quite difficult. Work has been busy, busy, busy culminating in a visit from the Queen (all good, but energy sapping), and hours at work have changed, causing a change of routine and restrictions on running. Add to that a bit of illness and I have decided not to do the Salomon Turbo X on November 21st, and concentrate on base-building for the next 6 weeks before I start training for the London Marathon (Running for Rainbow Trust Childrens Charity)


My goals for next year have also changed, mainly due to the work hours changing for both my wife and myself, which means that family time is premium and therefore swimming has taken a hit, so no triathlons next year (nuts!!). However I intend to cycle to work once a week, adding a X-training element to my training, and allowing me to do Duathlons next year (first one is Dunmow on March 6th), but it looks like a 3 day running week, so I will be using the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training (FIRST) marathon training program. This training program has produced good results with runners doing three key workouts in any order throughout the week (Interval session, Tempo run and LSD run), leaving at least one day between the key workouts and either cross-train or complete easy runs on other days of the week - sounds perfect!!

After the London Marathon training will be ramped up, as I have just gained a place in the Grand Union Canal Race in May 2011. This is the race that I had problems in this year (blood-diversion caused issues at 70 miles forcing me to retire), but my approach to training and to the race will be different this time and food intake will be better, as last time I felt I wasn’t burning enough off and didn’t replace as I should have - stupid!! Training plans have been drawn up, to accommodate the extra training (days off work, early starts etc) after the marathon, and in fact the marathon itself will almost be a training run, with 33,000 team-mates!!

Other races next year are currently planned as follows, but subject to change as sees fit!

Gt Bentley ½ Marathon - Feb
Dunmow Duathlon - March
Halstead Marathon - May (GUCR Training run)
Grimsthorpe 70 Mile Ultra - Aug
Shotley 55 Mile Challenge - Sept

I am hoping to add a new post next week, as I am expecting some new CompresSport goodies, and will be getting out and reviewing them for all to benefit. If they are as good as previous items (R2's & Quad's) then I'm in for a treat!!

Until then
Be safe - be seen