Michael the reluctant runner

The BUPA London 10k

2009-05-25T20:29:00.027+01:00

After a beautiful weekend, the forecast for Monday was not so good. Last year, by all accounts, the race took place in virtual monsoon conditions. Hmmm! Luke and I stayed with Eve and Greg in London so that we would get to Green Park in plenty of time and we would be fully rested after a lazy barbecue, courtesy of Eve and Greg.
The birds woke me at 4 am, Luke's air bed deflated mid slumber and Greg couldn't sleep either.
We arranged to meet Harry and Ros at Victoria station. While we waited, we were watching all the honed athletes making their way to Green Park when Harry and Ros appeared, looking rather sleepy. This was the pre-race photo. Actually, we all look a bit sleepy.
We made our way to Green Park and left Eve to go to her strategic photo opportunity location at Westminster and then Harry and Ros transformed themselves into tutued athletes, at which point we three donned ours'. "Hey, they look cool", we said. "I reckon all these other guys are probably suffering from acute tutu envy". "Yeah"!
We made our way to the Green 'B' pen, the eighth out of nine pens. I was meant to be in pen C but snuck in with the others. safety in numbers, eh? We eventually found ourselves standing next to a gorilla and accompanying banana, Fred Flintstone and Wilma and another guy wearing a tutu (all the rage this year m'dears) plus sundry other interesting outfits. It started to rain just before 10 am. Great! The first wave was off at 10am sharp. Lots of commentary, punchy music and stuff. We were off!
Blimey, what a job to get going, with everyone in the way. I tried to find some space and ended up running rather faster at the start than I had really intended, leaving the others behind somewhere. Greg soon passed me however and sped off into the distance.
Down to Westminster and along the embankment. I didn't really have time to look at the views. Then, along the Embankment where the wind was very strong and there was a lot of blossom and pollen blowing with the rain and I breathed some in, which had me coughing for the next 30 minutes. Then the wind subsided and the rain stopped. Hundreds of people cheering us on, all along the route. That was great. But my legs started feeling really tired at about 7k and I was beginning to wonder if I could keep running to the end. By this time, Luke, Harry and Ros had caught up, said "Hi, how's it going?" and loped off effortlessly.
My plan was for a sub 60 minute with a sprint (OK, running a bit faster) for the final 1k. This seemed to work OK when training. That didn't happen. The last 1k was hard and when I saw the 'Only 400 metres to go' sign, I was thinking, "How far is 400 metres? Can I run 400 metres?"
My time was 60:43. About 2 minutes behind Luke, Harry and Ros and about 4 mins behind Greg, all of whom were waiting for me at the finish line.
After our initial "We're not doing that again!" we all said that we might do it again next year. After all, the hardest part really was getting the sponsorship!
At the time of writing this (Tuesday), Luke has just suggested another run. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJyw4WCi_bE Take a moment to watch to get the idea!
For full set of photos, go to http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/michaelandteresaseall/Bupa10_09

So, it's tutus all round then?

2009-05-18T19:51:00.016+01:00

Six days left until the London BUPA 10k. I've started ramping up my training this week. Luke just did one 10k run as a kind of warm up, 10 days ahead of the race and that's it!. I have to keep at it because if I don't get out there almost every other day, everything seems to fall apart. Just shows what a 30 odd year age difference makes, hey?
Speaking to Greg at the weekend, he believes Luke has a tutu for him. Luke confirmed this yesterday and also told me that he's got one for me as well. This is probably just as well because I made a bit of a blunder with my race entry.
When I filled out the online entry form, it asked how long I was expecting to take to complete the race. This was back in January, before I had actually started running. Not having any idea, and not thinking that the answer would have any significance, I put 2 hours. Some weeks later when talking to John, I happened to mention this. He advised me to call them and get it changed. He said that the starting position was determined by this time and this would put me right at the back.
For various reasons, I didn't get through to them until last week, by which time it was too late. The stuff arrived on Friday confirming that I would be starting with the last wave. My number is in the 13,000s and there are 15,000 runners. So, I should be in good company with all the comedy chicken outfits and polar bear suits.
I also need to start ramping up my fund raising. so friends, beware. Sorry in advance folks, but it is for a good cause.
I will try to get enough photos on the day to do a MapVivo.com trip. If you haven't tried it, do have a look.

Sofa Legs

2009-05-15T09:15:00.003+01:00

Ok, I've been really sloppy since my Easter Saturday race. And, it was apparently a quarter marathon, not a 10k. I understand a QM is slightly longer than 10k.
Although I went running on a couple of occasions the week after the race, we were away for about a week after that, and then another week went by with stuff getting in the way and suddenly, sofa legs!
With less determination than I would really like to have had, I went out about 10 days ago. The weather wasn't very nice, no sun, bit breezy. It didn't go well. After about 2k I was exhausted and had to walk. Felt rather depressed. The next one a couple of days later was only marginally better.
Monday this week, I had to do it and do it properly. I aimed for about 4k. It was very windy but the wind was behind me on the outward stretch. I reached the 2k mark and thought, "What the hell"! So, I ran to the 3k mark. I knew it would be tough running against the wind on the return and by god, it was. Sand blowing in my face, mouth, everywhere but I made it without stopping and felt suitably knackered.
Went again on Wednesday and did the same run without any wind. That was good. Planning to go this evening (Friday) but it is pouring with rain so might no make it.
Have to get a 10k in before the BUPA 10k on Monday 25th so the pressure is going to be on next week.

My first 10km race

2009-04-12T17:55:00.008+01:00

Race day - Saturday 11th April. There is a first time for everything but how does it all work? I have only ever run alongside one other person and that was John who gamely tried to run slowly enough to match my speed. I went to the cheap sports shop last week and bought some shorts as I thought trackies would look a bit daft. Had my number through the post and had to find safety pins to attach to my t-shirt.
About 350 runners were congregating at Boscombe Pier when we arrived at about 10:20. The race was due to start at 11:00 am. Weather was fine with the sun peering out of the cloud every now and then. Temperature - pleasant and no wind.
We all gathered in a big crowd. I was somewhere in the middle. The klaxon went and everybody surged forward, slowly at first until the crowd gathered some momentum. Then, almost everybody streaked away from me. I was aware that there were people behind me but I was almost certain that about 340 of them were disappearing into the distance. One of the things John had said to me when suggesting that I enter this race was, " . . . you know you'll never be last . . ". Gulp, the prospect of such ignominy rushed into my head. I had visions of Teresa waiting at the finish line long after the last runners had crossed the line, wondering which hospital I might have been taken to, or whether I would arrive back before dark.
The course took us along the promenade towards Hengistbury Head where a slope took us up to the road at the top. It was only about 75 metres at most and I had no trouble running up. This was my first overtaking manoeuvre. Somebody was walking up! A steward was holding up traffic to allow us all to cross the road. As I crossed I heard him say to one of the patient motorists, "Only one more". Oh no, that confirmed it. There was just the one guy that I had passed, behind me!
We ran along the road and I ventured a glance behind me. Ah, perhaps there is a god. There were a number of stragglers back there. But, as I ran along, one by one they seemed to be passing me. At the 4 mile mark I checked my watch. I checked it again because I thought it said 11:36. That seemed impossible because my previous estimates were around 12 minutes per mile. I pounded along up a gentle gradient of about a mile or so. I did manage to pass three more walkers on this stretch. The 5 mile mark appeared. Not too far now, then the 6 mile mark, Oh goodness, how much further! Then the slope back down to the promenade and the finish line. Liz was shouting encouragement about 100 metres from the line (thanks Liz!), and then I tried to speed up along the final stretch. God that seemed a long way. Teresa and John were cheering me along which was great and apparently my time was under 64 minutes, which I find unbelievable.
A picnic on the beach followed and a snooze in the car on the way home just about finished the day for me. But, a great run and looking forward to the next in a masochistic kind of way.

Getting into the groove again

2009-03-31T21:39:00.008+01:00

OK, I haven't posted an entry for what, two or three weeks? I was getting along fine, gradually extending my distance until I was managing about 7km non stop. Pretty damned good I thought. In fact, things were going so well that I let myself be talked into signing up for a 10k on Easter Saturday. Yikes! That is now 5 days away!
So, 7km up, and looking good. And then, I went skiing with Mark and Luke in Switzerland, staying at Mark and Nadine's place in Zurich. The skiing was great, weather variable and hospitality second to none of course.
When I returned, I thought that it was time to start extending the 7km. First day out, was Tuesday 31st March. Oh my god, it was RUBBISH! I was gasping for breath, no stamina, completely out of the groove. I was despondent, I had forgotten how to do it.
Next day out was Thursday. RUBBISH again. Couldn't breathe, sweating, everywhere! Head swimming, disaster.
I decided to go out again on Friday even though I had set myself a rule to avoid two consecutive days. First thing I did was slow down again. Really slow this time. Breathing was OK, stamina, well not bad. Managed 6km non stop. Hallelujah! Got it back.
Nothing over the weekend but out again this evening (Monday). But, it was raining and I wasn't really very keen so just did 2 km. So out again Tuesday to start building the distance ready for the weekend. Eek!

No stopping now

2009-03-19T04:00:00.001Z

Beginning to see real progress! OK, it's modest, but for me it's awesome. On Monday, I ran from Overcombe to the King's Statue and today, (Wednesday), to the Pavilion and back of course, and non stop of course. These are landmarks that are known to those of you who know Weymouth. To those who don't, Overcombe to the Pavilion and back is about 6km/4 miles approx. This took me about 50 minutes which is pretty leisurely I guess. One of the regulars overtook me at eye watering speed. Something to aspire to.
OK, it is still a little way from the 10kms that I need to work up to for the London run, but I have it in my sights now. I know I can do it. This link takes you to the BUPA 10k http://www.london10000.co.uk/site/?pageID=3.
Once I start running, I don't want to stop because I am concerned that it will be too hard to start again. And, at my new slower speed, I have no reason to stop. OK, my legs started to feel a bit tired on the last half mile or so but I've sorted out the breathing and that was the whole problem to start with. It isn't any more. Hooray!
I did say that I ran non stop but there was a bit of an, err . . . involuntary hesitation. As I approached the pier on the return (about 2km from Overcombe), I looked up to see a small boy lying on the footpath with his scooter laying on the ground nearby. I watched him as I approached, willing him to get up. He remained motionless. Can I just run past and ignore him, I thought. Obviously not. I silently cursed as I drew level and stopped. "Are you OK"? I asked. If he's hurt or dead, it's going to ruin my run, I thought. Thankfully, his head popped up and he said, "Yeah, I'm OK". "Sure"? I checked. He nodded. I was off. No problem but maybe that's why runners don't speak or acknowledge each other. I tried Candice's approach, i.e. if you can make eye contact, just smile. It worked once but most of them seem to be a bit of a miserable bunch.
John, who was the original inspiration for this madness, is staying with us at the weekend, and suggested that we go out running together. That will be quite a novelty. I haven't actually run with anyone else yet. I'm not sure that John is going to be able to run slowly enough though. It will be interesting to see.

One small step - one giant leap

2009-03-12T09:11:00.000Z

Well, many small steps actually, but did achieve a giant leap forward. I can't quite believe this but I went out again last night using the slower running technique as explained the previous two or three posts. I decided I would run as far as possible before stopping to walk. I started at Overcombe as always, and ran towards the pier (1.25 miles). I thought, "I'll see if I can get to the pier without stopping."

I did get to the pier without stopping, amazingly. And, when I got there, I thought, "Why do I want to stop?" So, the Forest Gump thing kicked in and I ran around a flower border to face back the other way, and . . . just kept running. Half way back I even noticed that my breathing was entirely normal. I didn't feel puffed at all but I did feel a bit tired. When I reached Overcombe, I could easily have run further. I can't tell you what a sense of achievement I felt and I couldn't stop grinning as I walked back to the car. This is me when I arrived back at Overcombe.

And, now there is a new imperative. Boredom. I am going to need music. So, I called at Currys on the way home to pick up a Bluetooth adaptor so that I can get some music onto my phone.

I have plotted my run on http://mapness.net/journey/6778 and will update as I progress. Watch the Mapness space.

The tortoise and the hare . . . .

2009-03-11T09:03:00.000Z

Of course, I always look for advise, read the tips, listen to the voices of experience and seek the views of those who know about the topic in question. Do I heed the advise? Well, er . . not very often. One of the first tips mentioned on http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=815 is, be a tortoise, not a hare. I saw that and took note way back at the beginning.

So, when I started running, I thought that if I was going to make the effort of putting one foot in front of the other in a sort of energetic fashion, it makes sense to put that foot as far in front of the other as I can. Simple. I figured that this may require a teensy bit more energy but, you get to your destination in half the time. That makes good sense, doesn't it?

Well, no. I have got that completely wrong. As I have been explaining in the previous two posts, Luke suggested I try the slower approach. My excuse so far is that I didn't realise that I was actually trying to run too fast but yesterday evening I set out to run slowly. EUREKA! It works. I passed my usual slow down to a walk places with ease and was just about to pass the first 1km mark (1km!) when I was interrupted by the phone ringing. I pulled it out of my glove, (I know, this wounds weird, but I take it in my glove thinking that if I collapse, at least I can call an ambulance) and tried to press the answer button with my gloves still on. I could see that it was Teresa calling and wondered why on earth she would need to reach me. It stopped ringing, but I thought I had better call back, so I de-gloved and tried to call. The line was busy. Tried the other number, no reply. So, I gave up, walked a little further and then started my slow running again. This took me about another 1km or just under and I turned around and walked a little way. Teresa called back to tell me that the guy who is quoting for the new dining room floor had arrived to measure up as agreed and I had forgotten he was coming. Hey ho.

Started running again and miraculously ran about 1.5, maybe 2km all the way back without stopping, and feeling as if I could carry on if I wanted. Amazing!

So, thank you Luke for your words of wisdom. Apologies to everybody whose advise I probably ignored. And, my advise to any oldies out there is, take it v-e-r-y, v-e-r-y S-L-O-W-L-Y. This is echoed by Candice, another reluctant runner at http://www.reluctantrunner.net/2008/11/. Candice's story is an inspiration. I urge any wannabe runners out there to read it. Candice is running huge distances. Maybe it's easier in a huge country like South Africa.

Anyway, I think that, at last, I am on my way.

Bit of a breakthrough?

2009-03-10T16:27:00.000Z

Had a very tight schedule yesterday evening. By the time I reached Overcombe, I only had about 20 minutes to spare before I needed to get back home, in the shower and ready to go out. The only parking space was, of course, way up the hill. Marched down to the promenade taking big strides to loosen up. Saw an exhausted male runner hanging onto the gate. Wasn't sure whether he was stretching or, um . . . dying.

I started running but after a short distance, saw a woman ahead doing the shuffling thing (see previous post). The usual dilemma arose. Do I slow down and walk before I am really ready to, or do I power past her and then end up slowing down to a walk a short distance past. I decided on the latter and loped effortlessly (or at least, tried to make it look effortless) past her. There are a series of posts along the beach and I can sort of gauge how far I have run from these. I have done three posts on a good day but here was post number three looming and I was still going. So, I just kept running. I felt a bit like Forest Gump . . just kept going. Wow! By the time post number four appeared, I was beginning to falter and staggered on until I came level, at which point I slowed to a walk, gasping for air.

Shortly after, the shuffling woman shuffled past. I walked for a while while as she disappeared into the distance, and then, when she was about 30 metres ahead, decided to start running again. Now, I would look daft if I tried the same stunt again so I tried running slowly, attempting to keep her roughly 30 metres ahead. It is quite hard to run that slowly but I discovered that Luke was right, (see previous post). You don't wear out as fast.

She reached the end of the road section of the promenade and slowed to a walk. Due to my time constraint, I decided to turn around and run back, but slowly. It is not so easy when you don't have a shuffler to gauge your speed by but I think I ran almost the complete length of the promenade (about 1km) with only a very short walk in the middle. I was pretty damned pleased with that. So back out later to try again.

Constructive advice

2009-03-09T09:52:00.000Z

What a rubbish week! Managed to get out on Wednesday but we had heavy snow on Thursday (feeble excuse) and then something else on Friday (can't remember what that was) and Saturday, I intended to go Saturday, but didn't. Sunday was out because we went to Brighton to see Luke. So, here we are at Monday and I intend going out this evening after my piano lesson. Phew!

It was quite an interesting weekend however. On Saturday I was talking briefly to Geoff, whose daughter in law is a keen runner. Geoff said that he was never any good at running because he had a low lung capacity, which sounded like mine. I was beginning to think that it was only me that had lungs the size of a tea bag, whereas others appear to have capacity more in line with a hot air balloon. Although Geoff's words were of some comfort, they don't actually help me to run further, they just give me a better excuse.

On Sunday we visited Luke in Brighton and I asked him how his training schedule was progressing. Luke said that he and Harry, who is also running for Meningitis UK, were both becoming slightly concerned that the fund raising was beginning to stall. Luke said that they had decided to 'up the stakes a little'. Following Camilla's recent birthday party where everybody dressed as Camilla, Luke and Harry have decided to dress for the run in a similar costume. Ballerina tutus. Yep, that's what I said. Those frilly little girly things that don't even cover your bum. Well, it should be summer by 25th May, so they won't get too cold. You can sponsor Luke in his tutu at http://www.justgiving.com/lukeseall. (Photo coming soon). Sorry Harry, I don't have your site address but I will try to find it.

Luke also had some training comments. He was a little shocked to hear how pathetic my running duration actually was. He was telling me how Camilla went out running with him recently and explained that girls run much slower than boys. He said that although she seemed like a honed athlete by comparison to him, she ran really slowly. In fact, he reckoned that he could have covered more ground than her by simply power walking, something that Camilla hotly disputed. Camilla pointed out the length of Luke's legs by comparison to hers'. Point taken Camilla.

I was interested to hear this and told Luke that I recently saw some women out running and that their technique appeared to be more of a hurried shuffle with their bottoms swinging from side to side than a run. Luke said, "Yes, that's what I mean. It doesn't wear you out so quickly." "But," I pointed out, "it takes that much longer to cover the same amount of ground."

Luke said that perhaps I should try it and see. So, if you see me shuffling along, you'll know that I am taking Luke's advise.

Finding a rythm

2009-03-03T20:52:00.000Z

Well, it's been a while since my last post. Last week, I managed to develop a bit of a routine. I can't get out training on a weekend, it is too complicated, too many other things to deal with. So, Monday to Friday is my plan. Last week, I managed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. The weather was fine most of the week and it was very pleasant.
I am starting to run a little further and walk a little less. I reckon something like 0.25 mile running and 0.20 walking - something like that. By the time I have done a 20/25 minute stint however, I am close to collapse. My plan is to gradually increase the running distance and the total time and I hope that in about another 4 weeks, it will be something like 0.50 running and a bit less walking with a total time of 40-60 minutes. We shall see!
It is interesting to see some of the same people out running in the evenings. There seems to be a sort of code of silence though. The form seems to be head down, don't acknowledge any other runners, in fact, don't acknowledge anybody. It is serious stuff. I'm not sure if that is the correct etiquette or perhaps just the ones that I seem to meet. There are the usual dog walkers. They don't seem very friendly either, or perhaps they have learnt the code and understand that runners don't have time to say hello.
One young woman with two crazy dogs on a leash obviously didn't understand this last Tuesday though. As I ran (staggered) by, she cheerily called out to me with a friendly " . . aren't you doing well?" By way of reply, I managed no more than a grunt as I passed, partly from surprise and partly because that was about the only sound emission I was capable of. Ah, that's why nobody speaks. If they do, it would mean: a) wasting precious oxygen and, b) letting on that you are really gasping for breath.
I have to confess though, that it was rather nice to be given a little encouragement and I felt a bit guilty that I had not stopped to return the greeting. I'm not even sure that she would have heard my muffled grunt in acknowledgement. I think I'm going to have to be better prepared for any future offers of encouragement. As I ran on though, I started to think about why she might have said this. I was not wearing my hat for the first time as the weather had been warming up and I thought it best to let the steam out. "Perhaps," I thought, "she is so amazed to see such an old person running that she just felt compelled to say something."
This week has not been so good. It was my intention to go on Monday. Didn't happen. Too many things got in the way. Tuesday? Did you see the weathe? Not likely. That just leaves Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (you are supposed to do 3 runs a week). So, the pressure is on.

Have I arrived?

2009-02-17T20:15:00.000Z

To begin with, I felt very self conscious. I wasn't a runner. I was a bit of fraud, pretending to be a runner. As I passed young athletes pounding along the promenade I thought, "what am I doing here?". But now, I'm beginning to feel a bit more relaxed about it. I've started to feel almost as if I have as much right to be there as the rest of them. In fact, I'm beginning to almost fell at home on the promenade between 5 and 6 pm.
So, it was my intention to get out there on Saturday. That didn't quite materialise. Sunday? That one didn't ether. But, Monday, 5.15 I was striding down Bowleaze hill where I park the car, limbering up for my run/walk.
I decided to extend the 60 second run/90 second walk a little. I tried 70 second run / 90 second walk, (OK, I know that is a bit a a feeble increment, but let's not get too carried away). The aching muscles have subsided to the extent that I hardly notice now. But, after 70 seconds, I'm absolutely gasping for breath. It isn't so bad while I'm actually running but when I count to 70, and slow down to a brisk walk, I'm exhausted. I'm sure it will get better as I progress. I'm going to start upping it gradually and hope to get to 2 mins running / 1 min walking by the middle of next week.
I finished up with a walk to the top of Bowleaze hill and ran back down to the car. That was easy.

Snow go this week

2009-02-10T20:08:00.000Z

What a week for weather, eh? It has played havoc with my training schedule. I only managed Thursday last week and it was Tuesday (this evening) when I finally managed to get out again. Needless to say, I was not perfectly toned. I stuck to the 60 second run/90 second walk X 8 regime. That is - run 60 seconds, walk 90 seconds and repeat eight times. I can't believe how breathless I am after just 60 seconds of running. Well, it's OK the 1st and maybe 2nd 60 second spells but by the time I'm on the 7th and 8th, I'm pretty knackered..
There must have been 20 other people running on my race track this evening. They have all presumably been in the same situation weatherwise and have chosen the first reasonable evening to get out there and burn some rubber. I'm hoping to get Wednesday and Thursday in as well. Won't get back from Swansea until 8pm on Thursday. So, hoping for some reasonable weather.

A new start

2009-02-01T15:06:00.000Z

After the lower leg injury of last weekend, plus taking on board John's and Greg's advice, I decided that I needed to be a little less impatient and develop a sensible strategy. The leg was starting to feel better on Monday morning so I decided that I would take a long (ish) brisk walk on Monday evening and then try to alternate running and walking days. My plan was that the walking would stop my muscles from going back to sleep while giving everything a bit of a rest at the same time. I also decided to take some of the advice from Runner's World http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=29
It says that you should comfortably be able to build from nothing to running continuously for 30 minutes in the space of eight weeks. It suggests that you follow this plan:

Week 1 Run one min, walk 90 seconds. Repeat eight times. Do three times a week.
Week 2 Run two mins, walk one min. Repeat seven times. Do three times a week.
Week 3 Run three mins walk one mins. Repeat six times. Do three times a week.
Week 4 Run five mins, walk two mins. Repeat four times. Do times a week.
Week 5 Run eight mins, walk two mins. Repeat three times. Do three times a week.
Week 6 Run 12 mins, walk one min. Repeat three times. Do three times a week.
Week 7 Run 15 mins, walk one min, Run fifteen mins. Do three times a week
Week 8 Run 30 mins continuously.

It does also say that if you are over 40, you should start by doing lots of walking for about 4 weeks before starting the above. But, I have decided to start by with a brisk walk for a couple of minutes followed by alternate 30 second runs/50-60 second walks for about 2.5 miles which takes about 30 minutes. This is from the Oasis cafe at Overcombe to the Pier Bandstand in Weymouth and back again.

We were away in Amsterdam for Tuesday and Wednesday but on Thursday evening, I started my new training plan. I also decided to cut down to T-shirt and sweatshirt plus hat and gloves and to try to stick to my beach front promenade running track.

5.30pm Thursday. Dusk, dry with brisk icy east wind blowing straight off the sea, brrrrrr! Promenade more or less deserted. Off I go. It seemed to go well. I was warming up (as in - no longer freezing cold) by the time I was into the last half mile and by the time I clambered back into the car, I felt as if I had stretched and exercised everything and needed to turn down the heating.

Friday was piano lesson so didn't do anything but Saturday morning at 11am, was back to running 30 secs/walking 50 secs. This seems to work well. Don't think I'm going to do anything today (Sunday) but will be doing either run/walk or walk only tomorrow (Monday).

Uh, oh! A bit of a setback

2009-01-25T19:30:00.001Z

Friday was a day off. Piano lesson etc. No time for running. But planned to run on Saturday.

Saturday dawned and we decided that as Teresa needed to do some shopping in Dorchester, I would run around the West Walks, Bowling Alley Lane and the gardens area and meet her back at the car in the Waitrose car park. She also found out my trackies. They were in the drawer that I had only looked in once. Can't imagine how I missed them.

So, revised attire: Tshirt, sweatshirt, trackies, hat and gloves. She dropped me off at the corner and I started off with a brisk walk warm up. After a minute or two, I started running. A bit painful, particularly just above my left heel. Each time that I landed on my left foot, pain shot up my leg and the further I went, the more my left leg began to feel stiff and painful.

I continued with the run a little, walk a little routine. Round the gardens twice, back down towards West Walks, around the back of wherever, and finally a bit of a limp across the road and into the car park. Now, all I had to do was find the car. It was of course on the lowest level and I collapsed into the driver's seat and steamed.

Teresa's shopping expedition took a lot longer than I had anticipated. I could probably have driven home, had a shower, read the paper and driven back to fetch. However, I started to peer out around the numerous pillars to see if I could spot her, thinking that it would be helpful to drive the car out of the space to make it easier and quicker for her to get in, because the spaces in the Waitrose car park are very tight. I spotted a woman limping towards the car, but realised immediately that it wasn't Teresa. Shortly after, another limper, but no, she was a waddler, in the way that fat women walk. After a short while I realised that most of the women wandering around the car park were either limping or waddling. Even a relatively young slender woman who got out her car opposite to mine. I thought, "She won't limp." But, incredibly, as if reading my thoughts, she walked off, limping. What is it with females in Dorchester? They all seem to limp or waddle. I only saw two women in 40 minutes who walked normally.

By the time we arrived home, an hour after completing my 20 minutes of exertion, my leg was quite painful and very stiff. After lunch, I checked out the Runner's World http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=197 site to see what I might have done. I wasn't really much the wiser but I do plan to spend some more time researching.

We were invited to a Burns' Night at Fiona and Geoff's for Saturday night where I caught up with Brother in Law John, the London Marathon runner and experienced marathon and half marathon competitor. John gave me lots of good advice and encouragement. He also made me realise that I need to organise my routine a bit better and start building up my strength in other ways. He suggested doing some press ups. I have tried this before but usually collapsed, exhausted after about . . one.

I also spoke to Greg, www.justgiving.com/gregrosssampson who has been running for some time. He gave me more tips and introduced me to this great website http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?locale=en_gb which I need to spend time investigating.

Having just read yesterday's (Saturday's) Daily Telegraph, I see that the BUPA 10k is featured in their 'Top 10ks' feature. You can read the article at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/4290685/Running-Top-10k-races.html

Day 3 / 4

2009-01-24T04:30:00.000Z

My approach to my training regime has been consistent with most things I do. Construction of flat pack furniture, for example:
1) Begin assembly
2) Scratch head
3) Read instructions
4) Attempt adaptation
5) Dismantle
6) Re-assemble . . . according to instructions
7) Puzzle over surplus components

The training plan (plan?) has been thus:
1) Day 1 - go running
2) Day 2 - go hobbling
3) Day 3 - Research tips for beginners
4) Day 3 - Ignore advice and go running/hobbling again
5) Day 4 - Take advice and take a day off!

So, I'm not going out running this evening. I did go yesterday evening however and (contrary to above) did take some advice, but not much.

Some of the beginner's tips, for the benefit of any other wannabes out there are summarised as follows:

1) Do your warm-up by brisk walking
2) Do take it easy Either do a run/walk programme or run at a pace at which you can chat with a friend without being out of breath.
3) Do run by time, not distance Measure your run by time spent running, not by miles covered. That is, try to run for 30 minutes rather than for three miles.

You can find all this on http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=815

So, I did the brisk walk bit to begin with and then ran. GOD, that hurt! But, gradually, it felt better. I took a couple of walking breaks and then I made a huge mistake. When I reached the end of the first stretch, the end of the promenade, I sat down on one of the convenient seats for a short rest. When I stood up again, OUCH! New lesson - slow down to walking pace but don't stop.

I ditched the ski jacket this time but as it was a bit cold, opted for the alternative of two fleeces. Not good. I was steaming well before the end. Luke suggested that I should wear trackies rather than jeans, something I had already considered and, I know I have a pair somewhere but can't find them. So, jeans it had to be. Can't quite contemplate shorts in the current arctic conditions.

The return leg required a walking spell about half way and then I started running again. The startling thing was that it started to seem easier. Yes, my legs were killing me, but I found that I was not running out of breath so easily and it seemed easier to keep going. And, I was really enjoying it.

Had to take off one of the fleeces though. And the the hat, and the gloves. I'm going to have to sort out the right clothing.

Back home and the legs, arrghhh!. As soon as you rest, they seize up. But, after a quick meal, I went out to play table tennis for a couple of hours, not continuously I should add, and the legs didn't seem so bad.

This morning I felt like a cripple for the first half hour but it has eased through the day and I'm feeling pretty good now (8pm).

Tomorrow (Saturday), I'm going to get the bike out. God, I'm beginning to sound like some kind of fitness freak, and those who know me will appreciate how weird this is beginning to sound.

There will now be three of us running in London. Well, probably quite a few more, but I mean Luke, Greg and me. So, don't forget, you can donate at www.justgiving.com/michaelseall and www.justgiving.com/lukeseall and www.justgiving.com/gregrosssampson

Training when it's raining

2009-01-22T08:43:00.000Z

. . . . and blowing a gale. Well, I couldn't wimp out on the second day, could I? Especially as Teresa said, ". . . you're not going to let a spot of rain stop you, are you?"
I ventured out at 5.45pm and drove to my allotted running strip, the Preston beach wall promenade at Overcombe. Stepping out of the car, I was immediately assailed by gale force winds and lashing rain. The top part of my new running shoes is made of a sort of nylon mesh, intended to keep your feet cool. The wind was blowing through this mesh and across my feet in a weird kind of way. I decided to retain the ski jacket, woolly hat and added gloves to the athletic ensemble. I had (foolishly?) discarded the second pair of socks before leaving home though.
Still, I thought, there won't be many others around this evening.
Now, for anyone who may be interested, there are several good reasons for not training when it's raining (and blowing a gale). First, you get seriously wet. Second, it's not so bad when the wind is behind you, because you get blown along, but when you are running into it, the effect is quite dramatic. And, third, the benches are all wet so you can't sit down for a rest without getting your bottom wet.
I set off into the head wind. I didn't realise that it made such a difference but before long, I was gasping for breath. I slowed to a walk just before reaching the edge of delirium. I also noticed that my legs were complaining from not being given a proper recuperation period from the previous 25 minutes of abuse, just 24 hours earlier.
Two brief walking spells later and I reached the end of the promenade, 0.7 miles. So far, I had seen not a soul. I turned around and started the run back. The same two guys that I saw on the first night were effortlessly loping towards me, dressed in shorts and running tops, chattering away to each other, oblivious to the monsoon conditions.
The change was dramatic with the wind behind me. I almost had to stop myself from being blown along too fast. Just one brief walking spell on this stretch. I've worked out roughly where the halfway mark is now, and so I pushed myself to get there before giving in to the rapidly approaching blackout. I could see the lights of Overcombe corner and pounded onwards, rain dripping from, well, just about everywhere. 20 minutes in total. That is probably pretty rubbish for about 1.4 miles. Still, every journey begins with the first step.
I had to walk up the gradient to the car this time, legs feeling pretty shaky. I stripped off the saturated ski jacket, hat and gloves in pouring rain and scrambled back into the car to set off for home, warmth, comfort and food.
Mark warned me about the pain. After the first run, I thought, "it's not that bad." This morning, every muscle screamed from the thighs downward. I am hobbling around like some old man. OK, I am an old man, but there's a juvenile trying to get out!

The inauguration

2009-01-21T09:13:00.000Z

Well, not exactly. My inaugural run began as Barack Obama was 5 minutes into his inauguration speech. I listened to him fluff his swearing in and the first couple of minutes and then I was off.

Doing your first run is not as simple as it sounds. There are pre planning issues such as, what is the dress code, and where will you 'do it'. As the temperature was about 3C, I discarded any ideas of shorts and T shirt. In the end, I decided to just go in what I had on: jeans sweatshirt and of course, my new running shoes. I also added a woolly hat and ski jacket, just for luck. Decided against gloves though.

Next, where to run? I had already thought about this and decided that I would start on the beach wall promenade at Preston. This runs alongside the road for 0.7 of a mile. It is completely flat, has no roads or other obstacles other than a few people and is a fairly anonymous sort of place. There are two other advantages to this track. 1) It has a nice view of the bay and something to look at as you run, and 2) It has a series of nice wooden seats every 25 metres meaning that you can have a little rest if the going gets too tough.

So, I parked the car and got out. Now, what is the etiquette here? Do you start to run immediately or do you saunter nonchalantly to your starting point and then break into a run? Well, I chose the latter, feeling a bit of a fraud but hoping that as it was dusk, I wouldn't meet anyone.

Of course, I had hardly run 30 paces when an female jogger came from the opposite direction. She had proper jogging clothes on, making feel a little foolish in a ski jacket. Hey ho!

Things went well to start with. Those shoes - they are fantastic. They sort of propel you along. Half way along though, and I was starting to feel a bit knackered. Time for a sit down and a bit of gasping. Three or four minutes, and I was up again but before I reached the end I had to stagger to the nearest seat for another rest.

It seemed like no time at all when I reached the end so I checked my watch and started on the way back. I was determined not to sit down again until half way when I was feeling pretty exhausted (see picture). Another 3 or 4 minutes and off I went until the last seat, which is about 25 metres from the end. Phew!

Checked my watch and it had taken about 12 minutes, including the rest. Sounded OK to me. And then, I actually ran to the car which was about 100 metres away.

I felt a bit warm and just a tiny bit sweaty but when I got back into the car, the windows all immediately steamed up and I suddenly felt very hot. When I took my hat off, I think you could have boiled a kettle on my head! Otherwise, perfectly OK. That was, until I got out of the car again when my legs felt a little wobbly and started to ache.

Next morning? Not bad. Minor aches at the back of the thighs but otherwise OK. So, I'm going to try the same run again this evening with a slight change of attire. No ski jacket and I think I will reduce the foot covering to just one pair of socks and think about the hat.

If you would like to donate, go to http://www.justgiving.com/michaelseall

I've got the shoes

2009-01-20T13:47:00.003Z

After much searching on the internet to find out what sort of shoe I need, I finally bought them. There is much more to this than I thought. I used this web site which was very helpful http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=481.

You have to get your foot wet, put it on the floor and see what shape it is to determine the kind of shoe you need. Then you have to go through a whole load of questions and then it gives you a selection of possible models to choose from.

I decided to write them all down and go to a shop to try some on. I went to JJB Sports in Dorchester and was immediately mesmerised by the huge display of shoes and no indication of what they are designed to do. Fortunately, there was a very helpful young lady who asked me lots of questions and then suggested I try on a pair which were in the sale. They fitted like a glove and felt great. I had to try on some more to see what the difference would be but the first ones were best (and cheapest!).

So now I have to go and do some actual, um, running. I haven't actually broken into anything remotely like a trot yet. I have sort of gone up the stairs quite quickly a couple of times but not actually, ah, run anywhere. I thought about it last night, but there was this big black cloud and so I thought, 'Let's not be hasty. Plenty of time, hey?'

So, maybe this evening. We'll see.

I'm going to be a runner!

2009-01-18T16:44:00.001Z

Luke was intending to run for the Meningitis charity as his friend Charlie contracted this disease a year or so ago. Charlie survived and, I am told, is making progress but it has apparently been a long hard road for him.
Luke had to wait to be accepted by the Meningitis charity but was finally given the go-ahead last week and he signed up for the run on Saturday (yesterday). You can donate to Luke at http://www.justgiving.com/lukeseall

So, I have now signed up as well and I will be running as well. It can't be that hard can it?

I spent an hour or so trying to find out what sort of shoes I need to do this properly. Several people have now advised me that I need the right shoes and as far as I can see, they are going to cost £40 plus! Ouch!
I guess you need the right tools for the job so tomorrow or the next day, I will go to the horrible discount sports wear shop in Weymouth to see what I can find.
I haven't done any actual running yet. For one thing, I hurt my foot a couple of weeks ago and it is still very tender. Hopefully, it will heal up soon. I've been trying to work out how I'm going to fit some regular training slots into my already crowded week. At the moment I'm thinking that around 5pm most evenings in the week would be good.

Will I run?

2008-12-29T19:10:00.003Z

It happened over the Christmas holidays. My son Luke asked me if I would be up for the 10k BUPA run in London next May (2009). Of course, I said 'Yes! No problem!'

It all started when Teresa and I went to London to cheer on our Brother in law, John, who was running in the London Marathon (all 26 miles (?) of it). I was telling Luke about it and saying that it was a great day. Luke said, 'We should do that.' And, I, naturally, said, 'Yes, of course (gulp!).'

Now, just to get this straight, the furthest and fastest that I have ever run, was probably to catch a bus, when I was about 15. I am now 59 and by the time this event happens on 25th May 2009, I will be 60. I have not participated in any exercise for months, although I do swim a little in the summer.

So, if I am to do this, I must start some sort of training regime pretty soon. I am told by my daughter, Eve, whose partner, Greg runs most days and has also stated his intention of taking part, that I will need proper running shoes. Now, the first and last pair of trainers that I bought were from Lidl. They cost me about £8, and I assumed that they would be just fine.

I am waiting for Luke to sign up for the run before I do because I don't want to find that I am the only one doing it. If and when I do sign up, I will collect sponsorship for the Weldmar Hospice in Dorchester, Dorset. My Mum spent her last days there and all of our family were grateful for their kindness and sensitivity. You will see some advertisements on the site and all (any!) proceeds will also be donated to them. Every penny is needed.

So, next installment. Will I or won't I?