Marathon training pics and stuff from Monday 23rd Feb

Was pleased with yesterday took about 4 hours or so to do 20 miles which was okay. Motionbased says something ridiculous like 5 hours but it didn't take that long. There's tons of hills involved so I'm pleased to average 5mph/12minute miles. There were patches that you couldn't run in any case like the climb over the other side of Bradbourne Ford towards Knivetonwood. Anyway, I'm happy. Need to lose some weight before the big day but can do that if I apply myself. Had some top tunes when running yesterday (bought myself a 12GB Fuze mp3 player which is bloomin great and was just £50 from Play.com) - anyway, started with Anberlin's Cities album, next on to both discs of Pink Floyd's Delicate sound of thunder which seems to be right sort of pace for my marathon running, slow bluesy sorta stuff in the main, then finished with some live Simple Minds stuff which was a bit of a blast from the past. All good.



This is another pic of Bradbourne Ford - my mum stalled my dad's car when she was learning to drive - it's never been forgotten but begs the question as to why he thought driving through a ford was a good idea for a learner driver?? Maybe a rites of passage thing for Vauxhall Viva drivers!


This is a pretty little valley running alongside the road to Fenny Bentley.

This is a picture of Minninglow in the distance taken from up above Bradbourne Ford towards Tissington.

This is the screen from motionbased - I'm sure it did not take 5 hours plus - was more like 4.5hrs including stops to take pics, change mp3 player etc.

First pic I took was from Mappleton looking towards Thorpe Cloud.

This pic was taken from up the hill from Bradbourne Ford looking towards Fenny Bentley I think.

This pic of village of Thorpe with Thorpe Cloud in background was taken from the killer hill out of Mappleton that I've taken to walking up!

This pic of a cheap tractor (according to Phil, apologies if it's your tractor!) going through Bradbourne Ford (we used to know it as Tissington Ford but Tissington's a couple of miles further on really).

This is me at top of hill before you drop down to the ford, yes I know I'm carrying too much weight but by gad, am happy with things at the moment.

This is a pic of Minninglow in the distance taken from the lane between Knivetonwood and Kniveton.

This pic has Thorpe Cloud in the distance as was taken about a mile from finishing the run. It's taken from the hill between Snelston and Clifton.

This picture is of Osmaston Village Hall, when I got married a million years ago we had the night do here! Cool eh!

Between Moorend and the Osmaston junction on the A52 is JCB's proving ground. I do like what they've called it - the Proving Ground, says all you need to know about JCBs, shame they're struggling at the moment.

In the background is a tractor which a chap I used to drink with up at the Cock Inn is driving: Les Bull. Top man.

Moorend - I always though this place was called Hole-in-the-Wall cause of where that car is, but I was wrong!!).

Week from Sunday 22nd to Saturday 28th Feb 09

Saturday 28th Feb
Missus' birthday today bless her - me and Lucy surrepticiously visited Denby Pottery and got her a load of coffee cups and stuff - can't believe they were in financial difficulty - there product is definitely premium stuff.

Anyroad - ran up town in the morning and golf in the afternoon. We beat Doug and Harry. Harry is a serious big hitter so it was good to beat them convincingly. We played for a pound and ten pence for birdies and John and me netted £1.30 so it's all good. They'll probably whoop us next week though so not putting my retirement plan together just yet...

Friday 27th Feb
Taking Lucy to Alton Towers Splash Landings today, we were supposed to be going to Trentham Monkey Forest but after checking online it's not actually open so this is the fallback! Will report back later.

Thursday 26th Feb
Walked up town and back - am definitely getting back to running tomorrow! Did a solid nine holes of golf as well. Have listed a load of stuff for sale on Ebay towards the marathon pledge for the NSPCC/SMILES fund rasining. I included a Mactec NVG driver which I regripped on Wednesday so I thought I'd take it out for one last round on the course - it went miles, definitely longer that the Taylormade R7 I normally use so I've pulled it off Ebay and put it back in my bag - will see how it goes on Saturday! Did a ton of weights at home as well.

Wednesday 25th Feb
Played about 11 holes of golf yesterday was alright - steady sort of stuff. This morning still feeling the after effects of Monday's run so walked up town and back. Then took Lucy to get JAS's birthday present and then we went to the maze that is Westfields Shopping Centre to take in the new 3d animated film Bolt. Which surprisingly was quite good. Enjoyed it. Then back to drop missus and number one son off again to watch Shrovetide. Listed a few items on Ebay to hopefully raise some more cash for the NSPCC marathon campaign.

Tuesday 24th Feb
Legs are absolutely cream crackered today - walked up town and back pretty slowly to fetch papers. Might go play some golf when JAS gets back from big shopping in Burton. Shrovetide football starts today and all the shopwindows in Ashbourne are boarded up - wierdest thing you ever saw - you'd think there was a hurricane coming or something if you lived in Kansas. Have got a load of pics from yesterday's run to put up sometime soon.

Monday 23rd Feb - didn't do much yesterday after stubbing my toe and didn't think I'd be up to my big run but managed to do a solid 21 miles according to motionbased but the time is a load of rubbish - it was 4hrs 30 ish definitely no more than that. Does my head in at times the Garmin but I know it's wrong so not going to shoot myself over it.

Sunday 15th to Saturday 21st

Saturday 11th Feb 09
Three mile run again, steady no need to do too much as playing golf at 9:30am. Yesterday, Janet the Consultant at the Head Office group wanted to now why I'd not been at the actual group - darned busy that's why so got another weigh-in and it was 15st 10lbs which meant the two gain from yesterday had been wiped out and it was now a maintain which is good!!

Finished off Winter League at the golf club with a win - me and John played good I had a lot of pars and two birdies which meant we were able to win 3 and 2 on the 17th which was grand. Derby are beating Forest 2-0 at the moment, still half an hour to go though! Come on you Rams!


Friday 10th Feb 09
Knackered this morning. Got up 2:30 set breadmakers off, got up 4:30 reloaded breadmakers - stupid really - am going to cut back to two loaves a day when am back at work (am off for Shrovetide next week). Did a very paltry 3.5 miles this morning which considering I was thinking about going back to bed at 5am this morning is perhaps better than I deserved. Put two pound back on this week which is not unexpected. Need to get it together mighty quick methinks.

Thursday 19th Feb 09
Derby 4 Blackpool 1 - blinkin flip! amazing how quickly Derby are recovering from 18 months of being BeJewelled. Good stuff.

Went out for a run this morning but only a little one - one of the best though as I had Phil on a mountain bike pushing me along so he got a bit of early morning exercise too. After last week's five pound loss I reckon there'll be a slight gain this week - still not properly back on the plan really so it's going to be like this for a while. Looking forward to the weekend when I'm gonna do a super cool run going up to Tissington in the usual fashion then instead of coming down the trail going to carry on to the ford at Bradbourne and then up a killer hill throught he fields and then onto Kniveton.


Wednesday 18th Feb 09
Haven't had to make any bread for the last couple of days which has meant that I've not had to get up in the small hours which has meant me not getting out on the road early enough. Did a steady four miles this morning which was okay in the time available - 45 mins including stopping to get newspapers up Compton. Didn't get to gym again but did a 100 press-ups at home which is something I suppose!

Tuesday 17th Feb 09
Never got to gym again - not beating myself up over it - am just darned busy. Went out on bike this morning and delivered some sponsorships up to Golf Club. Am going to get running again tomorrow but can still feel me calves from Sunday.

Monday 16th Feb 09
Back to work later, have been working over the weekend on some software for work. Think it's pretty much done so am going to leave it running while I walk up town this morning. Legs are too achy I think for running so a steady walk will do em good. Will have to do a gym session later but I need to get back into the habit of that.

Sunday 15th Feb 209 - Big Run Day
Did a steady 16.5 to 17 mile run this morning. Tons of hills - ran up to Tissington as normal then down into Fenny Bentley and then up into Ashbourne then along the top towards Kniveton and then down Green Lane, past where I fell off the bike then round about Ashbourne and back home. The damned Edge oplayed up again - I reckon after three hours it's battery gets a bit tired and then it starts guessing at numbers - it was definitely 16 miles plus but not sure whether it ever got to 17 miles this morning!

Sunday 8th Feb to Saturday 14th Feb

Saturday 14th Feb
Never got to gym. Rubbish week last week only one gym session which was a really good one that I oughta been repeating. This morning walked up to town and back first thing to get papers then played absolutely woeful golf - couldn't hit a cows ass with a shovel, it was that bad. Haven't played for a couple of weeks but still - very poor. Have been pottering about washing cars and doing jobs in afternoon. Need to get back into gear tomorrow - hoping to be up early doors and running long. Chap we played golf with today sponsored me five pounds - top man Andrew Dutton is, didn't ask him or anything just a naturally generous chap - wish I was more like that.

Friday 13th Feb
Am bit naffed off at not having got to gym since Monday but will get there today all being well. Did a really fast for me three mile run to paper shop and back this morning. Am absolutely knackered at the moment but am drinking much less coffee and that seems to be having a very positive effect on the running, wierd as it sounds. It might well be all in the mind but who knows!!

Thursday 12th Feb
Slippy but at least runnable onable. Did a quick 3 miler as had to be in office for a meeting at 8:30am.

Weightloss - thank the lord!!! Got into such a bad place with my weight since Christmas it's unbelievable. Last week I got Janet to do me a weighin on Friday as I missed the new group time on Thursday. Again couldn't attend group proper today as am up to my neck in work so she did me a personal weighin. Week 1 weight loss is 5lbs which is good and takes me down to 15st 10lbs (how did I get so far off track???!) . Anyway it's a start and in the right direction - better than when I started in 2007 at 18st 11lbs!

Wednesday 11th Feb
Got togged up for running early doors, out on the road at 5:55, realised it was an ice rink at 5:56 and changed route and walked. Saw a lady out running at 6:50 coming back who asked me why I wasn't running - told her there was black ice everywhere but she still kept running bless her, hope she didn't come a cropper. Later on did a couple of miles in a loop but still a bit iffy. Bit of grief in right angle so wasn't going to push it. Watched Minder on Five with Rik Mayall on it - mildly entertaining it was.

Tuesday 10th Feb
Five miler early in morning - slow but it's the miles that counts!

Monday 9th Feb 09
Icy in morning so made right decision and did a three mile walk to fetch papers. Did an hour in gym before coming home from work - 20mins bike, 20mins rower, 20mins treadmill on hilly in that order - good workout for me that.

Sunday 8th Feb 09
Did nothing more than a 2 mile walk up town and back with Lucy to get some stuff from Sainsbobs. There was no rugby so thought a lil iddy biddy walk would do her good.

Is there anywhere better?

Went over to see my cousin Col and Karen, his wife. They've recently had twins bless em (double trouble!). The trip back brought back just why Derbyshire and possibly Blighty is so good to live in. Loads of snow and it's home. What more could anyone ask for...

Sunday 1st Feb 09 to Saturday 7th Feb 09

Saturday 7th Feb 09
Well, never made it to the gym yesterday. Was mega-busy for the whole day. Woke up at 4:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep so been out for a run. Only a slow 12 miles thought - went up town to fetch papers on a five mile loop then round Okeover Park and Mappleton to finish off. Really, really jiggered. Forgot to mention rejoined Janet's group at Head Office yesterday (even though it's normally on a Thursday these days). Am embarassed to say what the weight was but suffice it to say that it wasn't good! Will see where we are next week.

Friday 6th Feb 09
Back in the office. Watched sky news first thing and decided everything would be frozen solid outside so got togged up and walked into town to fetch papers 3miles I suppose better than nothing. Ran last night a bit which was different and so unusual that when I passed a runner coming the other way I said 'morning' which at 7:30pm might have given him the impression that I was a bit of a loon.

Thursday 5th Feb 09
Never got as far as work today -turned back before I got to Hulland - road was a nightmare. Consequently no gym and only did about three miles this evening. Never mind. Pleased about Derby turning over Forest after being 2-0 down inside fifteen minutes - great stuff!

Wednesday 4th Feb 09
Solid five miler - belted down with snow but it were ok!
Another 45 minutes in the gym like yesterday - solid stuff.

Tuesday 3rd February 09
Got bogged down in work so never got as far as gym yesterday will definitely get there today. Been out this morning and have walked/run about four miles - ran where it was well-lit and walked/slipped where it was not. I reckon if it stays as icy as this for a week I'll have replicated all of Todd Carty's dancing on ice moves, nearly been my ar*e three times this morning already!

Monday 2nd February 09
Snowy and cold so put a million layers on and walked up town and back after checking that PJs bike lights still worked. Tomorrow morning I'll be out running with me trainer! Am off to gym later all being well.

Sunday 1st February 09
Well, that was January not a good start, lost only three pounds. Anyway, nose to the grindstone now 16 miles yesterday was ok, not fast but got back okay. Took it easy today after yesterday's exertions did a few holes on the golf course (damned cold) then sorted out PJs mountain bike when got back. The plan is for PJ to cycle to round while I do the running training. Should get him a bit fitter and might improve my pace a bit too.