Friday & Sunday Training (Short lunchtime run / 10 miles at marathon pace)

Wey hey, it appears spring has finally hit the South East.

The plan this week was to run a short little run on Friday lunchtime, give myself Saturday to recover and then do my last run of any significance before Paris, 10 miles at marathon pace.

All went to plan...

Friday

Just a leisurely bimble. 3 and bit miles at easy pace and HR. Just to keep the legs ticking over with minimal effort involved. I'd dressed incorrectly by putting on a thermal coldgear base layer rather than going for warmgear and I was overheating and thus the HR was a little higher than it should have been as a result but it was a good session. No twinges in the knees or hamstrings. 

Sunday

Dressed appropriately, it was warm. Pretty much bang on marathon pace, HR exactly where it should have been, very happy with that. Absolutely no twinges in the knees or hamstrings although my achilles felt a little tight in the first couple of miles but nothing to worry about. No music, just my breathing for company and although I went out a little faster than I should, I was bang on pace after mile two.

Bring on Paris. Full of beans and full of confidence. I just need to avoid any last minute disasters and anyone looking as though they're carrying the manflu virus, especially on the trains.

A 4 day week in the office this week. We leave for Paris on Friday morning. A little 30 min tempo run tomorrow evening then a gentle easy 30 min run on Thursday then I'm done, barring the little stretch of the legs I'll have on Saturday morning in Paris. I'm getting excited now :)

Wednesday Training (Gym)

No usual Wednesday Night run with the Plums this week.  I thought after running Tuesday night, I would be asking for trouble running again on the road so soon after, so off to the Gym I went.

Warm Up

• Hamstring stretches as requested by Nelson the physio.  5 on each leg
• 2.5km treadmill.  11:57.  Av HR 152bpm, Av Pace 7:42 min/mile

TRX

• Crucifix (3sets x 10reps) 
• Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps)
• One Armed Press Ups (6sets x 10reps)
• Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps) 
• Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

• 10 sets (20 SB sit ups + 20 SB sit twists with 6kg bar)

Leg Weights

• Leg Ext: 6 reps x 40/50/50/50/55kg

Cool Down

• 2.5km treadmill.  13:47.  Av HR 147bpm, Av Pace 8:49 min/mile
• Hamstring stretches again.

Interestingly, the initial warm up on the treadmill was the quickest I've ever run 2.5km in the Gym by some 17 seconds.  I do like ramping up the speed up every 0.5km.  I started at 12kmh, then to 12.5kmh, then got bored and dialed it up to 13.2kmh then just ramped it up and up and sprinted the last 0.2km at 17kmh.

It was a really good session.  The usual TRX routine is becoming second nature pretty much now.  Its good to know the upper body is still ticking along nicely along with my lower body and most importantly, my cardiovascular system.  Looking at myself in the mirror now, my body has changed shape now.  It certainly has a little more definition that it used to.  It will be good to get back on the weights soon to build some muscle but I dont want to build too much as I want to be a runner/cyclist rather than a body builder.

Thursday will be a rest day, which I'll gladly use to tidy my house up before Izzy comes back to me on Friday night.  The plan now is that I will run on Friday lunchtime.  Nothing quick, nothing too far, just to keep things ticking over.

Tuesday Training (1hr @ MP road run)

After seeing the Physio last night, I was keen to get out and try the knee out tonight.  So after a quick detour via Tesco on the way home, I got changed and headed out.

Some very gentle stretching on my calves and hamstrings before I left, nothing heavy.

Then I set off with the intention of running for 1hr at marathon pace, around 9:25-9:30 min/mile pace, so would be totalling around 6.3-6.5 miles or so. 

Done. Happy with that.

Pace, spot on.  HR, exactly where it should be.  Both knees felt reasonably good despite a couple of twinges here and there.  My right hamstring felt rather tight but the Physio said that would be the case until the regular stretching he showed me eventually kicks in.

Am feeling mightly more positive today after that showing.  Ok, I ran for an hour, nothing significant but that was enough to give me another kick up the backside and put a smile on my face.

No doubt taking it easy for the last week and a half has played a major part in the body recovering from all the miles and aches and pains are all part of the taper.  So lets see how the knees and hamstring react in the morning as thats when I'm likely to feel it more.

Ranscombe Challenge (potential first Ultra Marathon)

Today, I've signed up for the Ranscombe Challenge.  A trail run of a 3.8m lap, with an 8hr time timit, so you can basically run as far as you want.

Those running 7 laps classisfy as a Marathon, those running 8 get classed as an Ultra.

The thought of running 26.2 miles at the moment terrifies me as I've not yet passed that distance but the Ultra was the target for 2015.  I've just brought it forward by about a year.  Nothing like a challenge.

More information here.

The Physio Report

On Monday evening, I left work early to go and meet the Physiotherapist recommended to me by fellow Plums Les and Robin.  Nelson, a lovely retired Chinese man, lived just around the corner from me in Welling Way, so was only a 5 min walk away from home, if that.

Nelson took me into his living room and sat me down on the sofa and he proceeded to ask me the usual questions.  When did the pain start?  where do I feel it?  how long has it been going on for?  what aggravates it? etc etc.

Once the questionnaire was completed, he took me into his examination room.

He gave my legs a full and thorough examiniation.

No swelling.  To touch, the knees were of normal temperature, to prove no swelling.

After a few bends of the knee in the squat position and then kneeling on the floor, I got on to the examination couch.

As Nelson looked at me, he said that one thigh looked slightly bigger than the other.  He measured and marked my thigh from the knee cap upwards and true enough, when he measured the same spot on the different legs, there was a significant difference.  At the top of my thighs, my right thigh is 3cm thicker than my left.  He asked if I was significantly right footed when I used to play football and I confirmed.

With a few gentle twists and bends, he was able to confirm there was no damage to the meniscus, the cartilage and the ligaments.  (I didnt think there was but thank god!)

Once he'd checked all that, he was then able to give me a proper diagnosis.

I've got Runners Knee...

Runners Knee occurs when the outside quad muscle (Vastus Lateralis [VL]) is overpoweringly stronger than the inner quad (Vastus Medialis Obliquus [VMO]) and it pulls the Patella tendon slightly out of line, towards the outside of the knee, causing friction on the knee joint and behind the knee cap.  That friction has led to the Patella being sore, this why I've got the discomfort known as Tendonitis, which my all accounts, although I can still feel is not painful as such, just uncomfortable if that makes sense.

A stronger VMO will prevent the VL pulling the Patella out of line.

Nelson showed me two great exercises to do to strengthen the VMO.  Having looked on the web this morning, there's plenty of exercises here too.

The second exercise Nelson showed me is demonstrated in this You Tube clip...

However, this all sounds quite downbeat and negative.

The major positive is that Nelson has given me the all clear to continue running and the discomfort will reduce as the VMO gets stronger.  Nelson reassured me I can do no long term damage so I hope to be running again on Tuesday evening.  Lets see how I get on.

Nelson also said by hamstrings were really tight and asked me how I stretch them.  When I said I generally keep my legs straight and try and touch my toes, he tutted and said thats probably the worst thing you could do as the back would always compensate.

Like so:



I dont think my hamstrings have ever been stretched like that before.  Nelson recommended the stretching twice a day up until Paris and he said within a week or so, I should be able to fully extend my leg.  At the moment, I cant which goes to show how tight my hamstrings are.

Nelson was very good with me.  He told me I'd done all my long runs now so I should be taking it easy in the taper.  No runs longer than 10k.  He advised doing some swimming too and told me to phone him with an update at the end of the week after I'd run twice, done some exercises on the VMO and done some stretching and to reduce the Ibuprofen to two doses of 400mg a day as long as my stomach can cope.

So all in all, I feel so much more positive now.  My mind has certainly been put at rest and I know that although the knees may feel sore running, the fact that I'm not doing no longer term damage to them is reassuring.

I need to get back into Marathon mode :)

Sunday Race Day (The Sport Relief Mile at Danson Park)

I picked Izzy up from her School Disco on Friday at 8:45pm.  On our way back from Higham to Bexleyheath on the A2, she asked me if my knees were feeling better?  No, was the answer.  Friday was the sorest day I'd had for a while and explained I was off to see the Physio on Monday.

Other than the walk to and from work and the little bit of walking we had to do on Saturday, I had two days to recover for Izzy's big day.  The Sport Relief Mile.  I signed her up a few months ago as something for us to do together and as it was my belated birthday weekend, it would top if off brilliantly.

Saturday we went to the O2 to see the X Factor Live.  Not a bad concert, Izzy loved it, I was fairly meh to it but it was up with the last one we went to a couple of years ago.  Afterwards, we jumped on the bus back to Bexleyheath and we went for a chinese.  Lovely.  That was the carb loading taken care of ;)

Sunday morning came.  We was up pretty early, both of us had some breakfast and we changed into our kit.  Izzy just so wanted to get her Sport Relief T Shirt on but I told her she'd be better off wrapping up and keeping her jumper and coat on until the last minute to keep warm as it was a particularly cold March morning.

So off we went to Danson Park.  Just in time for the 9am marshall/staff briefing from Race Director Mary.  We told Mary that we'd help out after we'd done our run and she very nicely gave Izzy the job of handing out the medals to the finishers.

I cant begin to tell you how cold it was on Sunday morning.  Both Izzy and I were shivering big time, despite numerous layers.  We stripped off just before the race...

I think our faces were frozen in that pic.

Anyhow, we decided on a quick warm up.  Izzy was desperate to get running by that point, so we went off on a gentle jog around the start line area.  Only a couple of minutes, just to get the blood pumping and to generally warm up.

We all got called to the start line, the official photographer wanted to take some pics with the Mayor of Bexley at the start line then eventually, we were off.

Izzy ran brilliantly. Not sure what went on with the route but we ended up running 1.6 miles. Ha. Bring it on.  I ran at her pace, so every time she slowed, I did and we went down to just walking pace for a few seconds here and there but I really couldnt have been prouder of her.

I dont think I've ever seen her with redder cheeks.

We made it round in 17:54.  Pretty much 11:00 min/mile pace.  None of that matters, just getting over the finish line was an achievement.  To be honest, I dont think she would have made it to the finish had she been on her own as it took some gentle encouragement of "come on, there's only 200 meters to go!", when it was more like 4 times that but she wasnt to know.

So after she picked up her medal, we switched to staffing duties...

The Plums hosted the Sport Relief Mile at Danson Park, with some help from Bexley Athletics Club

I'm really proud of Izzy.  Got only did she complete the mile, she also got her 200m swimming badge last week.  Yeah, 200m.  Thats like 8 consecutive lengths of the pool without stopping.  Yes, without stopping.  Holy sh*t.  I'm only just capable of that now.  Absolutely brilliant.  Tell you what, chuck in her number one sport of Gymnastics, we've really got a cracking little Sportswoman on our hands here.  The world literally could be her Oyster.

Of course, the fact I ran leads on to the obvious question.  How are the knees?  Erm, if I'm honest, not too bad.  They're nowhere near 100% but I made it round the 1.6 mile course.  99% of it was on grass.  Whether I'm capable of running 26.2 miles on tarmac, cobbles and concrete in less than 2 weeks, thats another kettle of fish entirely.

A huge thanks to everyone at Plumstead Runners for hosting a great event.  Izzy and I loved it.  I think Izzy enjoyed handing out the medals more than she did the run itself but hey, what 8 year old in their right mind would enjoy running?

Thursday Training

On Thursday, I was a very naughty boy.

I ran to and from the Gym.  4 miles.  Plus 1km on the treadmill.  A grand total of 4.6 miles.  I could feel the knees...and the hamstrings.  Not good but bearable.  But could I run 26.2 miles with my legs feeling like this?  Thats another matter entirely.

Warm Up

• 2 mile road run.  Av HR 149bpm, Av Pace 9:35 min/mile (so slow)
• 1km treadmill.  5:00.  Av HR 148bpm, Av Pace 8:00 min/mile (quicker)

TRX

• Crucifix (3sets x 10reps) 
• Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps)
• One Armed Press Ups (6sets x 10reps)
• Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps) 
• Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

• 10 sets (20 SB sit ups + 20 SB sit twists with 6kg bar)

Leg Weights

• Leg Press:  6 reps x 80/90/100/110/120/130/140/150kg
• Leg Ext: 6 reps x 40/50/50/50/55kg

Cool Down

• 2 mile road run.  Av HR 148bpm, Av Pace 9:24 min/mile (quicker than marathon pace)

It was a good workout but there's no doubt I could feel the legs.

I could definitely feel them on Friday morning.  So much so that I was back on the phone to the physio to tell him I could still feel the legs so I have now got an appointment with him on Monday evening at 5:30pm.  I should then hopefully have some answers.  Whether 12 days will be enough recovery time before Paris, who knows?

I managed only 15 miles and 6 miles in the last two weeks.  Not exactly in the training plan, beginning the taper two weeks early.

Tuesday/Wednesday Training (Swimming/Gym)

A quick recap of the Tuesday & Wednesday Training this week with absolutely no running involved...

Tuesday (am) - swimming

• Swam 80 lengths of the 25m pool at Crook Log (in around 1hr 15 mins)

Tuesday (pm) - Gym session (legs and core only)

Warm Up

• Row - 2000m (in 09:03).  Av HR 130bpm, Max HR 162 bpm.

Leg Weights

• Leg Press:  6 reps x 80/90/100/110/120/130/140/150kg
• Leg Ext: 6 reps x 40/50/50/50/55kg

Abs

• 10 sets (20 SB sit ups + 20 SB sit twists with 6kg bar)

Cool Down

A gentle 1.5 mile walk back to my parents house after a quick shower...

Wednesday Eve

My normal home work out in my living room...

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.
• 30 sec on/off/on/off/on see-saw shredder with 9kg dumbbells.

Considering, the knees feel reasonably ok.  I seem to be feeling a lot of aches and tightness at the moment, especially in the left hand side of my groin following the swimming exertions on Tuesday.

I'm still religiously taking 400mg of Ibuprofen to treat any inflammation in the knees.  I'll take this until the weekend when the Physio asked me to call him back to let him know how I was getting on.

Happy Birthday me...but not quite the present I wanted from the Physio...

Happy Birthday me.  38 years young today.  Physically I feel it but definitely not mentally.

The knees were a little sore still yesterday after Sunday's cross country, so I took fellow Plums Robin and Les' advice about speaking to their Physio, Nelson Gan.

A quick phone call and diagnosis over the telephone.

Discomfort in both knees indicates overtraining.  Where I've got the discomfort is patella tendonitis.  Exactly the same as last year.  So the Physio has advised no running for 7 days and rest the knees as much as possible in an attempt to get ready for Paris.  Swimming is allowed.  Some weight training may also help.

In his own words, the Physio said "look, I could take a look at you, give you a prod here and there and charge you for the priviliedge, or you can go and spend that money at the swimming pool and get your cardio done that way!"

So thats what I've done.  I'm on a flexi day so spent the morning at the pool.  I havent swam in months, so to swim 80 lengths (a new distance PB for me) before climbing back out of the pool, I'm content I've got a good session in.

By coincidence, I climbed out of the pool to bump into fellow Plum and Paris marthoner Robin.  He'd been on the phone to Nelson too and he'd been given the self same advice.  No running, just swimming for 7 days.  You couldnt make it up!

My first DNS and Sunday Race Day: KFL Cross Country - Swanley Park (the reverse course)

You'll be aware from the last few updates of last week that I've developed a bit of knee trouble over the last week.  Not ideal preparation for Paris obviously.

My last planned long run of 20 miles was the Surrey Spitfire 20.  Straight after Wednesday night's run with the Plums, my knees were really sore.  Thursday they were worse.  Despite ibuprofen and anti-inflamatory gel, I made the decision to pull out of the race on Sunday.  I'd already done two runs of 20 miles in my preparation so running with the knees at no where near 100% on hard tarmac was potentially risking all my hard work over the last three to four months.  So unfortunately, the decision was reluctantly made and I racked up my first ever Did Not Start (DNS).  Its a bloody shame as it was a nice blingy medal from what I've seen on Dave and Lee's Facebook updates!

Back at the Plums on Wednesday night, Robin and Les had suggested that if I didnt run the 20 on Sunday, it was the last KFL Cross Country Race.  One was cancelled with the bad weather in the winter months and had been rescheduled for Swanley Park, where the second race of the season had been held but would be run in the reverse direction.

By Saturday evening, the knees still didnt feel right but they felt well enough to give it a go on Sunday, as long as I stuck to the grass and mud and avoided the firm paths at all costs to give the knees a rest from any potential high impact.

Not ideal race preparation though.  I'd been to the pub with my brother Steve and caught up with my pals Dan and Kev who I hadnt seen in well over a year so we had a look of catching up to do.  Off to bed at about 1:30am and the alarm set for 7am.  After hitting snooze about 4 times, I got out of bed A single bowl of porridge and that was the race fueling done.  No need for anything more significant than that as I was determined to take it easy.  Got changed and was out of the door after I'd caught up with the F1 highlights.

I got to Swanley Park just before 10am.  Grabbed a cup of tea and caught up with the guys who had already arrived and steadily more Plums streamed in.  It was a good turn out today, despite a few of the guys doing races elsewhere...

I dont know why but I opted for no warm up today apart from a few light stretches.  The race plan was to start slowly then just finish the race at a manageable pace whilst protecting my knees as much as I could.

The Swanley Park race is a 3 lap 1.7m course.  Total distance 5m.  Not too far but enough to be a challenge.  Last time I ran it, I had no sense of pacing myself and I felt ruined by the time I'd completed the first lap, so I was even more determined to run a steady pace this time around.

So we all lined up on the start line and off we went.  It felt softer under foot than I imagined it would be, so that was a relief for the knees.

I was surprised how many Plums seemed to be in front of me. I was almost side by side with Julie in the first half a mile until the first climb but as I made my way up, I passed Lee and Vicky and then Robin as I came down the other side. Perhaps I need to start nearer the front next time. 

I caught Dawn as we completed lap 2. I thought she was going to kick on as she normally does and told her not to wait about on my part but I'd caught her again on the last climb and went past. I quick check over my shoulder on the finish straight and I could see she wasnt going to catch me and as I was too far away from the man in front to make any impression, I cantered in rather than waste any energy. 

I finished in 194th place. I was excited by the fact that I made it into the top 200 for the first time but when I realised there was only 243 runners this time around, that took the wind out of my sails very quickly. 

In terms of the pacing, it was pretty much spot on.  Not all out effort by any means but it was definitely quicker than last time around the course.

Last time around, by the end of lap 1, I could have easily have stopped to throw up my HR felt so high but not this time.  Perhaps the HR was a little higher than normal because of the rise in temperature yesterday but not significantly so.

The Strava report shows I ran the majority of the race at tempo pace...

I certainly ran within myself and had plenty left in the tanks so all in all, it was a good run.

I'm glad to say my knees have reacted better than I thought they would.  I did make the conscious effort to avoid as many of the gravel compacted paths as I could and on another day, running on them would have made my run quicker but it was just about finishing today rather than worrying about times and pace.

The body is in a great place at the moment and I'm feeling the benefits of the marathon training programme of the last 3-4 months although the knees are feeling the consequences.

Wed Training (Plumstead Runners session)

Wednesday night = Plums night.
 

Just the 10k tonight. Very unlike me, I turned down the longer 8-9 mile option and headed back for the shorter 10k. 

I felt pretty good in myself but the knees not so good.

I had a chat with Robin, Les and Jim at the end of the session over a Diet Coke in the bar.  Robin has run a few marathons, Les is a member of the 100 marathon club so he knows his stuff and Jim had run a few several years ago.

They've suggested I drop the Surrey Spitfire 20 on Sunday, do some low impact work to keep things ticking over (cycling/swimming) and just let the knees settle down.  Sadly, I think they're right.  As much as I'd like to do the race so I actually get to run 20 at marathon pace, I'm too close to Paris now to be taking any risks.  I could run the Spitfire, get another 20 in but then knacker the knees so badly, I could put Paris out of contention altogether.

Les and Robin both also recommended I go see the "chinese witch doctor", a sports massage therapist that they've been seeing for years.  £30 a session sounds ok to me.  If I need to spend the money to finish Paris in one piece, then its my only option.

I will now not be running until Sunday at the earliest.  Tonight is rest night, Friday and Saturday I will be reunited with my daughter after a long two weeks without her so Sunday will be the next chance.  Hopefully the ibuprofen I've been taking will kick in by then and give me some relief.

I'm not going to rule out the Spitfire just yet.  I think I'll make a late decision on that on Saturday evening.

Tuesday Training (3.1 mile run/Gym session/2 mile run)

After Monday's rest day, it was about getting back in the swing of things.

The plan was to head for the Gym within 10 mins of coming in through the front door from work, do my workout, run back for cool down and then chill out for the rest of the evening.

And thats what I did...

Warm Up

TRX

Crucifix (3sets x 10reps)
Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps)
One Armed Press Ups (6sets x 10reps)
Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps)
Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

10 sets (20 SB sit ups + 20 SB sit twists)

Legs

5 sets of 10 leg extensions (55kg)

Cool Down

Job done. Felt pretty good tonight.

However, prior to Sunday's long run and noticably tonight, I can feel both knees. Both are what I would say sensitive. Maybe sore would be the correct description.  This feels me with absolute dread.  I suffered from tendonitis for about 2 months last summer and this is not the time for a reoccurence less than a month before Paris.

A quick check of the mileage on the current Glycerin 11s suggest I've run just short of 500 miles in them so I think its a case of retiring them now and getting the new one's out of the box and chucking the old one's away in the recycling trainer bin in the local superstore car park.

I've started taking 400mg of Iburprofen and will do that 3 times daily for 7 days and then will reassess how the knees feel.  That was the advise my former brother-in-law Ally gave me last year.  Ally, if you remember, is on the physio team at Arsenal FC and he put me on the right road to recovery last time around.  I will be running tonight with the Plums and I've got my last long training run, the Surrey Spitfire 20 on Sunday which will now be a major test and no doubt I'll be feeling the knees all the way around the course but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Sunday Training (A "slow" 20 mile Thames Path road run)

The alarm went off at 6:30am.  Ridiculous as I was still awake at nearly 1am.  I felt like rubbish.  I didnt quite get out of bed then though and eventually made my way to the kitchen for breakfast just before 7am.  One bowl of porridge and a glass of water.  20 mins later, I still felt hungry, so I had another bowl.  Was tempted to only eat half of it but hunger got the better of me.

Now originally the plan was to meet my old cycling buddy Joanne at 7:30am as she's started running with Cambridge Harriers and they had a group going out on a 18 mile run that morning, so she asked if I'd like to tag along.  No problem, until I realised what I had in store on Saturday.

So I text Jo to say I wasnt coming but about 7:45, as I was slowly getting myself together (I was already changed by that point), she phoned to say they were running past my flat in about 10 mins, so I should get my skates (shoes) on and join them.

Without a second thought, I rushed around to visit the bathroom, fill my water bottles, open my packet of Jelly Babies and just as I was about to open my front door, she phoned to say they were at the foot of Shooters Hill.  It appeared they'd run straight past and were already 600 yards up the road.  No problem, I had a quick stretch and I started out after them.

Now bearing in mind I had to run a 400ft hill, I really didnt expect to catch them in around 2 miles.  It was great to see Jo again but I quickly realised the pace was going to be much slower than I was used to.  I'm a stickler for training at my pace and this wasnt going to be fun but at the end of the day, it was time to catch up with a mate.

The first 10 miles (just short of 10) flew by. Over Shooters Hill, out to Blackheath, through Greenwich Park and down to the Thames and then all along the Thames Path, past the Thames Barrier to the Woolwich Ferry. The pace was drastically slow. 10:07 min/mile, way under my 9:30 slowest marathon pace but hey, I felt damn good. I actually felt like I hadnt done anything. However, one thing had started to bug me. Stomach cramps. They were getting more and more frequent and the rumblings were getting stronger and stronger. I didnt want to cut the run short as I'd miss a valuable opportunity to get some miles in but I could end up in serious trouble.

Talking to the Cambridge Harriers ladies, their plan was to come off the Thames Path at Thamesmead then make their way to Brampton Road. I used this as my opportunity to break from them and run at least the last 7-8 miles at nearer my own pace. A quick phone call to check with Mum that I'd be ok for a lift home later, done, so I said my farewells and off I went towards Erith and then on to Bexleyheath.

The next 50 mins was fine. Pretty much dead on correct pace, sun was shining. A couple of stomach rumbles but all seemed to have settled down. As I meandered around the Thames, Erith came into view and bang, the stomach rumble of all tremmers. Jeez, I was going to be in serious trouble if I couldnt get to a toilet in super quick time. I had to stop. I had to stop, let the body settle down for a minute, a quick quiet prayer then off again. I had to stop again 200 yards up the road. This wasnt good. Where could I go? I had to go? Oh sh*t! Almost literally. Body settled down again so off I went. Thankfully I managed to held on for another mile and never have I been more relief to see the golden arches of McDonald's staring back at me.

Do you remember the scene in Dumb & Dumber?

Holy mother of God.  The relief.  The eyes were watering I can tell you.

Thank heavens for McDonalds.

I got going again and got the last 4 miles in to take me to just short of 21 miles.

Considering the stomach troubles I'd gone through, the legs felt absolutely fantastic by the time I got to my parents house.  As I explained to them, my knees felt a little tender but the leg muscles really didnt feel like I'd done that much.  Nothing more than a normal 10k run.  How good was that.

Thankfully, my brother lent me some clothes for the afternoon, I had a shower and Mum served me up some Roast Lamb.  Spent the afternoon chilling out with my brother watching the football and Mum gave me a lift back home around 6pm.  Nice way to spend a Sunday in the end.

I enjoyed the run but realistically, it was far too slow for me.  I'm capable of much more than that but on this occasion, I dont think it will hurt me too much in terms of preparation time as I'm running the Surrey Spitfire 20 next Sunday as my final long run before Paris.  Was nice to catch up with Jo again after so long.

Edit:  the stomach cramps are a common trait of distance runners, as some of my friends will confirm.  I have resorted to taking Imodium before running but it does make me feel very sicky and then I suffer with bloating for 48hrs afterwards.  However, I feel I've got no choice when I take on Paris in a few weeks.

I took one tablet before I left on Sunday so if my body will react like that with the medication, then its bound to be worse without.  I just have to make sure I eat plenty of time before running and not eating too late the night before to make sure I can get as much out of my system as possible.

Saturday Afternoon (Finally...catching up with my two besties)

On Saturday afternoon, I finally caught up with my two besties, Chandra and Yatin, in the same place at the same time.  The last time we were all together in one place was dinner at Chandra's, way back in September or October of last year.

I made my way to Chandra's at Abbey Wood to say hello to Chandra's wife Sophie and little Rhys.  Sadly, Rhys couldnt keep his eyes open long enough to see me, so I had to make do with Sophie lol.

Chandra and I headed for Canary Wharf.  Train to Charlton, bus to the O2 then one stop on the Jubilee Line to CW.  Even after all these years, I still dont know my way around CW very well and was glad Chandra was chief navigator.  We made our way to the Cat & Canary.  Met there at 4, Yatin walked in at 4:15 and we was there till about 8 I guess, before we made our way to the O2 and took up residence in the Slug & Lettuce.

Sadly, Spurs were beyond rubbish but it was good seeing the guys again.  I love them both to bits.

However, we didnt get around to eating when we were out.  So I was left stuffing my face around 11:30pm on Saturday evening, not ideal preparation for a 7:30am 20 mile run...

Saturday Training (Muscle Build - Session 32)

Sunshine?  in South East London?  Really?  Was I imagining it?

No.  It was glorious.  Had I not planned a long run for Sunday, I would have been out in it like a shot doing a long run or ride but settled for a short and gentle diversion on the way to the Gym...

Warm Up

5km warm up jog home > Gym via Danson Park...

TRX

Crucifix (3sets x 10reps)
Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps)
One Armed Press Ups (6sets x 10reps)
Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps)
Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

10 sets (20 SB sit ups + 20 SB sit twists)

No leg weights

Cool Down

A gentle bus ride back to Welling, a walk around Tesco do pick up some groceries then back on the bus again to home.

It was a good session and I felt in the zone.  I was conscious to take it easy as I really didnt want to cane myself ahead of the long 20 mile run planned for Sunday.

Friday Rest Day (...and the ex boss' 60th Birthday Party)

Friday was my rest day.

I wasnt going to be able to train today as it was my ex boss' 60th birthday party-come-30th anniversary of her working at QML (Queen Mary London).

Since the office restructure when I moved to Whitechapel from Mile End, I rarely spend time on the Mile End campus nowadays, so it was nice to go back and catch up with some old faces but the major topic of conversation with most people talking to me was along the lines of...

"OMG you've lost so much weight?..."

"John, have you been ill?..."

"Are you still riding your bike?"...

"Are you still dating the entire membership of Match.com?..."

... I'd like to say that although I'm proud of what I've achieved, I'm modest about it but I try to make as little of possible of it.  I wont go up to someone and say "have a guess what I've been up to?"  If someone asks me about it then fine, otherwise its off topic.

However, I do get serious f*cked off when people sneer at my self-imposed booze ban, telling me that I'm "boring" and "oh FFS John, have a drink.  You can have one, surely?"  Well no I cant.  If I say I'm packing the booze up for nearly 4 months then I'm packing the booze up for 4 months.  Having one smashes all that in the face.  28-29 days away from the Marathon, not had a beer since 21st December, why the hell would I want to chuck all that away now?  It'll just make the beer at the end of the Marathon taste even nicer.

Anyhow, had a reasonably good time catching up with some very nice people, albeit that I was the only sober person in the bar by 9pm and I left with my mate Reuben at about 9:20pm in the end.  Got home about 10:40pm turned on the TV expecting to watch Graham Norton only to realise the series had ended and I watched the fill in film, The Proposal, starring the god damn attractive Sandra Bullock.  Another film for the film list.  A very cheesy rom-com but it was easy viewing for a Friday night.

Off to bed as Saturday was going to be a long day...

Thursday Training (Chest/Abs)

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.
• 30 sec on/off/on/off/on see-saw shredder with 9kg dumbbells.

Another Marathon? October? Pan flat? in Amsterdam? Oh go on then...

With exactly 1 month to go until Paris, I can announce that I will be running the 39th TCS Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday 19th October, 2014.

A lunchtime chat over Facebook with my former Plumstead Runners colleague Mel was all I needed for persuasion.  The words PAN and FLAT being those which sold it to me.  Hopefully it will be the course for me to set a sub 4:00 time.

No ballot and no faffing, just booked a place for €65 over the web in 5 minutes.  Doesnt get much better than that.  Will need to sort out flights and hotels but thats fairly easy.  Gatwick to 'Dam takes an hour by EasyJet to Schipol Airport then its a 15min train ride into Amsterdam Central station from there.  Easy peasy.

You can read more information about the Amsterdam Marathon here

Wednesday Training (Plumstead Runners session)

Despite Tuesday evening's quickish 10 miler, it was Plums night and it was also the monthly meeting so felt more than obliged to go.  It was in little doubt.  The legs felt a litte sore but nothing to stop me running at all.

Our esteemed chairman Richard Vero led us around a nice just over 10k route:

I have to say I did take it relatively easy. I had a nice chat with Lee and Ian on the way up to Bostall Heath and then got my head down for the second part. 

The Strava HR report looks spot on for the effort I put in... 

I have to say my right knee feels a little sore tonight.  Am now contemplating a couple of rest days before going again at the weekend.

Tuesday Training (10 mile road run)

Home from work with dry running kit on the washing airer, unlike the night before.  Happy Days.

A quick change into the kit, a quick realisation that I was out of High 5 4:1 so I had to dig down the two High 5 race packs I've got to find a sachet of some energy product, filled my bottle and off I went.

Originally was planning a short 10k tonight but opted to go for a longer 10 but at tempo pace, rather than a slow easy pace.

Excellent run. Having dug into the High 5 race pack before setting off, I nicked an energy gel and took it at 6 miles. Was fab knowing I'd averaged 8:48 min/mile pace for the 10. My Half Marathon PB of 1:56 was set at 8:53 min/mile pace so the fitness from this time last year is at another level now. Had I took some more gels on board, I probably could have run a damn site quicker too but was feeling a little empty by the end but I definitely could have run another 3 miles at that pace, thats for sure. Once Paris is out of the way, I think it will be time to run another Half Marathon to try and get that PB down a little more.

A quick check of the data on Strava told me exactly what I needed to, that my HR was pretty much spot on my tempo pace and not one jump into the red either...

I think the one thing that really did surprise me though was that I've actually run 10 miles quicker twice before back in 2013, today's effort is starred.

I'm not convinced that the quickest 10 miler was more hilly than todays course.  Thats the difference in GPS between the Forerunner 405 and Forerunner 620.  I would need to run exactly the same course for a complete comparison but I do get varying results on an exact course match.

You only have to look at the Garmin data of other people's Paris Marathon runs to see that the elevation data is different from each and every Garmin.

However, very pleased with tonight's effort.

Monday Training (Muscle Build - Session 31)

Ooops, I need shooting.  After Saturday evening's late run, I chucked my kit in the washing machine, along with the kit I used earlier in the day with Izzy.  When I went to run last night, I discovered my running kit was still in the bloody washing machine more than 24hrs later and the Ariel tab was still sitting at the bottom so I knew I hadnt switched it on.  Called myself a cockwomble (my new favourite word) and opted for the Gym instead as I really didnt fancy running outside in shorts.

I thought it would be an ideal opportunity to break in my new Brooks Glycerin 11s which had just been sitting in the corner staring at me and it was about time I gave my upper body and abs a good beasting.

So off to the Gym I went...

Warm Up

3 x 1km treadmill (in the new Glycerin 11s)

1st km - 12.5km
2nd km - 0.5km at 12.5kmh, all out at 16kmh for as long as poss then back to 12.5kmh
3rd km - 12.5km


TRX

Crucifix (3sets x 10reps)
Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps)
One Armed Press Ups (5sets x 10reps)
Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps)
Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

10 sets (20 SB sit ups + 20 SB sit twists)

No leg weights

Cool Down

2.5km treadmill

Although it wasnt running, I enjoyed the session.  My enthusiasm for the Gym has died a bit recently, what with being pre-occupied with trying to get as many miles as possible in the legs before Paris.

Think that was only my second or third session since the beginning of February and my first on a Monday evening since pre-Christmas and I have to admit that I didnt recognise anyone in there at all, apart from Shane, one of the workers who said hello as we both left at the same time.

The Sunday spontaneous trip to WHL

What with my late run on Saturday evening, the plan was to have a lay in, get some housework done and then put the feet up and watch the football on the TV before meeting up with my mate Rich W later in the day for the Sunday 9 o'clock club.

Originally I was booked on a Leadership in Running Coach course in Sevenoaks but ended up having to swap to a course later in the year, more on that in the upcoming months.

So much for the lay in.  Wide awake at 7:30am.  Not good.

By 9:30am, I'd already had breakfast, showered, caught up with what I needed to admin-wise so made a start with the housework.  By 12 noon, I'd pretty much done my flat from top to bottom and it was looking good.  I hate housework but there's nothing quite like looking at your house/flat once the housework is done.  Such satisfaction.  Not like running a long run or anything like that but you know where I'm coming from.  You feel cleansed.  Tidy house, tidy mind and all that.

Anyhow, I put some soup on and made a sandwich.

As I was eating and watching the end of the Sunday Supplement on Sky Sports 1, my phone bleeped.  It was my mate Nav.

"Bored?  Missing Izzy?  Want to watch Spurs?  I've got a spare..."

Just at that point, Sky had just advertised the afternoon TV game.  Villa v Norwich.  Jeez, assuming all the games were kicking off at 4:30pm today because of the COC Final (Capital One Cup for those of you thinking I'm being rude!), I'd automatically assumed that it would be the Spurs game on.

There was no other thing for it.

Within 45 mins, I was on the train from Welling to Cannon St.  A quick walk to Liverpool St and jumped on the first train to Hertford East, stopping at Seven Sisters and White Hart Lane.  When I text Nav to say I was on my way back out of London, he said he'd met his friend in a pub called the "Elbow Room" at Bruce Grove, smack bang between Seven Sisters and WHL, on the Tottenham High Road.  Typically, the train wasnt going to stop at Bruce Grove, so I made my way up the High Road from Seven Sisters.

I think it would have made more sense for the pub to be called "Not even Elbow Room to move".  It was rammed.  As are most of the pubs around WHL on match day.  Met Nav and his mate, we watched the end of the COC Final then walked down to WHL.

We got in the ground just as we'd kicked off.  For some reason these days, which I wont go into here, the atmosphere at WHL is flat.  The expectation levels have increased in recent years, the pressure of top 4 qualification has increase, the Police/FA stance on the usage of the "Y-word" which I'm not going to go into here, all of which has had a major impact on the atmosphere.  Also, most importantly, the football has got a lot to do with it too.  Does Sherwood know his best side yet?  I'm not convinced nor is anyone else.  Ok, his hands are tied by the current injury list but this has to go down as one of the worst games of football I've seen at the Lane in well over a decade.  It really was that bad.  I can count on one hand the number of saves both keepers had to make.

Thankfully, the one effort that did count was from dear old Bobby Soldado, our mis-firing £26.5m centre-forward who hasnt been able to hit the back end of a donkey with a banjo in recent times.

He took his goal excellently in front of the adoring Park Lane end.  Adebayor played it into him, he took one touch to kill it and set himself then in the same movement, he flicked the ball beyond the reach of the 'keeper.

The look on his face said it all...

 

...the relief.  He'd finally scored a goal from open play in the league for the first time since Boxing Day.

Dear old Bobby.  His attitude speaks for itself and a lot of pro's can learn a lot from him in terms of attitude and application.  If anyone deserved a goal, it was him.  He's been working his socks off for the team and was getting little reward for his efforts.

He ran to the Park Lane to celebrate and the fans went pretty mental, the only occasion in the 90 mins where the atmosphere lived up a little.

Not a great performance but the 1-0 win keeps Spurs in touch with the top 4.  With Chelsea, Arsenal, Southampton and Liverpool to come in March, we're quickly reaching the business end of the season.  If we're still in touch after the next 4 league games then we could be in business again :)

Cheers for the ticket btw Nav!

After the game, we made our way back to Welling and I headed straight for the 9 o'clock club with Rich.  It was a good day.