Week of Sunday 26/04/09 to 02/05/09

Saturday 2/5/09
Four miles on slow but heavy bike. 5 miles and 93 shots of golf off white tees in afternoon. Just Can't play golf, it has to be said! Am considering going a run tomorrow morning. Plenty of blisters still but if don't get back in the saddle (so to speak) I'll not get running again.

Friday 1/5/09
Really tired this morning, it seems to be catching up on me now. Did three miles on slow but comfy bike to fetch the paper. Did loads of weights last night and some again this morning. Am going to do my best to get into gym before the day's out. Have got a second wind of motivation. Weight was 15st 8lbs yesterday which is 1st 3lbs above my bottom weight in 2007, I want to get all that back before 2010 Marathon which is only 11months and 24 days away!!

Ebay purchase - some entrepreneur has pressed red button on BBC and recorded the finishing line on the London Marathon for four hours and is then selling an hours worth on DVD for £6.50 on Ebay. Seeing as buying pics from the official photography partner for London Marathon involves selling a kidney I reckon £6.50 for video of me pounding the last 385 yards and over the finish lines got to be worth every penny!

Thursday 30/4/09
4 miles on bike in morning so far.

The only pic my missus got and it's the back of me (she's always been happy to see the back of me)! Am in this shot running with my Marathon Guru Kathryn, not going to tell you exactly where but am in it. Look for the Slimming World logo!



Wednesday 29/04/09
Five miles on the bike this morning. Gradually creeping up again. Hoping to be running again at the weekend! We'll see.

Back in the Gym - 4 reps of bicep curls, vertical bench press, horizontal mid-row, triceps pushdowns etc.etc. 20 mins on rower no probs!

Tuesday 28/04/09
Not much to report today - been showing medal off at work as you'd expect. Did four miles on slow but comfy bike in the morning. Nothing more. Have signed up for the 2010 London Marathon ballot - will see what happens.

Monday 27/04/09
Recuperating a bit - lot of folks in the hotel looked far worse than me so that was reassuring for someone carrying a stone too much weight after his first marathon. Visited science museum and natural history then made our way back to Derbyshire in the afternoon.

Sunday 26/04/09
Sunday was the big run of course - 26.2 miles in 5hrs 1min 21secs. A good start to marathon running I like to think and a grand day out. I must write up everything I can remember about it at some point as my memory's like a sieve at the moment.

More Marathon Madness

Kathryn said it'd happen, but there's more to it than it being a simple addiction. Have signed up for the 2010 London Marathon by entering the ballot this morning. Sounds like madness but I want to have a four hours something time for the 26 miles, need to lose some more weight, enjoy the running while listening to the mighty pink floyd so why not?

Steady Eddie running


Was pleased with my pacing throughout the marathon, set off with Kathryn aiming for about 11 min miles, the heat put paid to that and we were doing 11:30min/mile for the most part and dropping as low as 12:08/mile at the 35km point, that said, I finished strong with the last mile plus at 10:28 (which was when I though I could break 5hrs).

Mission Accomplished - Impossible is Nothing

Job done - completed Flora 2009 London Marathon yesterday in 5:01:21 which was 1:22 seconds slower than I hoped for, bit like losing weight 15st 13.5lbs is so much better than 16 stone. But putting it in perspective I told folks I'd run it in about 5 hours so not far wrong at all really. Kept with Kathryn for much of the race but lost her at about fifteen miles I think and if I'm honest apart from the last mile and a half I can hardly remember any of the last ten miles. I know it was a grind, toes are blistered up, quads killing, I do stairs about as well as a dalek but still happy. What makes it so different from any other run is the high fives of the kids, the "come on Paul, nearly there" (which some youngster said at about six miles which was rather sweet, bless him) and the fact that it's either finish or die!!

I saw the timing at 25 miles and thought if I could do the last mile in 11 minutes then I'd get in under 5 hours but wasn't to be, the good thing was that even overweight as I am I was still running the last mile and a half in good pace when all the fit looking young uns were walking, ha ha! Well pleased at the minute when I get the official pics I'll be banging em on!

Week from Sunday 19/04/2008 - Sat 25/04/09

Saturday 25/04
No (well much less) worries today. No exercise either for that matter, just a three hour drive later to that London. Why no worries all of a sudden. Let me tell you, been looking around internet and come across a training guide for marathon beginners (i.e. me) and according to it
http://www.fitfaqs.co.uk/_media/beginers%20marathon%20training%20guide.pdf
I've done much more than that so am well ready for tomorrows ultimate test. Wahey. Changed plans a bit and now going direct to the Excel to get me race number (45300) then to the hotel.

Friday 24/04
Less panicy today. Had a chat with Kathryn yesterday which was reassuring - was worried that I'd be last I reckon and shouldn't have been. Been a bad day so far though - lost a document that I worked four hours on yesterday - no trace of it - no autosave to recovery, no temp files, nada?

Hey ho, no running today or tomorrow so just did a steady four miles on mountain bike. Quite enjoyed that will be back into biking soon!

Thursday 23/04
Am in full panic and self doubt mode now. I know why, have allowed weight to go up to top end of 15st and it's irritating me that I could fail. I've done enough training that I shouldn't be worrying but this tapering the training down as the big day approaches it making me feel sluggish and I don't like it. Am not going to do any carbo-loading until Saturday.

On Sunday I'm going to do the business and then it's done. On Tuesday of next week I'm getting my act together again and getting the cycling going again. Been too much madness in 2009. Far too much.

Wednesday 22/04
Just a short ride out on bike this morning. Did a load of weights last night but no running.

Tuesday 21/04
Am absolutely cream crackered after Asia last night and getting up a 5:50 for a bit of a run. Asia were stunning last night, sound was tremendous although there were problems with John Wetton's Bass several times during the evening. Carl Palmer was fantastic and after a five minute or more drum solo at the end of Heat of the Moment had a standing ovation from everyone in the place - stunning - total showman, superb technician. If I had a slight criticism it might be that he's a bit over-enthusiastic at times which gets in the way of some of the dynamics but he's just a great player. As were Steve Howe, Wetton and Geoff Downes. Great night.

This morning was jiggered but did three and half miles up Ashbourne and back. Will do something else later. Been asking folks about this carbo loading and am not convinced about it at all - need to do some more research I reckon.

Monday 20/04
Kathryn said to run Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday in the lead up to the marathon. So just went for a walk up town and back this morning - rubbish that is. Will do some weights later but am dead excited to be going to see the mighty Asia. A band that were massive in the eighties and make the mistake of referencing the eighties in their biggest selling single Heat of the Moment :-
"And now you find yourself in 82
The disco hotspots hold no charm for you"

Main thing is it'll be Carl Palmer live in a smallish venue (Buxton Opera House) can't wait. A hundred years ago I played in a band that once played at Buxton Opera House - Bad Reputation. so even the venue has memories attached!!


Carl Palmer - what a kit, yay!


ASIA - with original lineup what could be better!!



Sunday 19/04
Mentioned in yesterday's post the run of 16 miles being the last big training run before the Marathon. Also got a donation to my justgiving page from an unknown reader Stuart Marshall - thanks ever so much Stuart - out of the blue, total surprise but what a pleasant one! Many thanks again.

Sunday 19-04-2009 Last Big Training Run

Last Big Un before t' Big big Un.
Last big run before the Marathon (who knows might be ever) so set off about twenty to seven this morning bit nippy so was pleased I chose the Hearts of Midlothian long-sleeved affair. Usual sort of big route for much of it - up to Thorpe along to Tissington down to Bradbourne Ford/Mill (whatever you want to call it). Then up to Kniveton Wood down to the bit where I normally go down into the valley to climb up to Moorend but instead didn't turn off today but headed straight on for Ashbourne passing through Offcote and not far form where I came off the bike in Jan 07. Steady sort of a run at the end had sufficient oomph left to catch and overtake a woman running along watery lane. All looking good for next week. Wish I'd been good and got my weight in better order for it but am confident I'll do it none-the-less.

After my rubbishy golf yesterday was having a coffee in the clubhouse with Dave, Doug, Harry and John. Dave has done quite a few marathons before and he says monday, tuesday, wednesday I need protein and then thursday onwards I should be carbo-loading which basically sounds like eating the stuff I been trying to keep away from! Can't wait.

Sunday 12th April to Sturday 18th

Saturday 18th April
Well, Stoke have survived. Well done you Potters, much as it hurts to say it after our brief visit last season. Played some hideous golf - 93 I think it was - terrible putting, shanks aplenty, not much good to report at all. Such is life. Doug sponsored my Marathon run. Doug is the nicest bloke you will ever meet ever. I can't remember him ever losing his rag when playing golf - I lost it ever other shot and on most putts - great bloke and a long-standing Derby fan to boot - top fella.

Frank Kinlan on t'BBC. Have mentioned Frank a few times in my blog as an inspiration but it's not only me whose recognised his amazing achievements he's on the BBC website see:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7953197.stm


Friday 17th
Another solid five miler this morning. Nice pace again. Did loads of weights last night am ramping up the whole fitness thing all of a sudden now it's nearly too late!!!

Thursday 16th
Did the five miler this morning before picking up papers. Set off at 5:50 and got back for 6:45 so with a minute or three in the paper shop I reckon that's getting close to the 10min mile pace I used to do.

Wednesday 15th
Even worse today - hammering it down with rain so thought about going for run when got home. Man U v Porto on telly so watched that and did some weights. Rubbish!!!

Tuesday 14th
Not much done today - played 18 holes of golf and did some weights but that was it. Could do better.

Monday 13th
Started off with the five mile pick up the papers route while poxy edge charged up then added ten miles to it by running up Mayfield, down to Church Mayfield and along the river to Toad Hall Bridge (I think it's called) then along the road to Norbury along towards Ellaston and then along to Calwich Abbey before picking the river run up again. Very nice twas too. Pace was around 11 minute miles which will do.


Sunday 12th April
Just did a quick 7 mile whizz of a run round Mappleton and back - steady as anything and went much quicker for the last mile.

Sunday 5/4/09 to Monday 7/4/09

Friday 10th April
Five mile int he new shoes. Not bad although I'm feeling absolutely jiggered all the time at the moment. Saw Michael J Fox in the paper has jammed onstage with the Who. This guy's another of my inspirations - afflicted with parkinson's disease in his thirties but overcoming it through force of will. Top man.

Thursday 9th April
My dad has insisted I have some proper running shoes for the marathon even though I told him the Saucony Omni Pros rrp is £80 that's not good enough so now have a pair of Asics Flagship shoes the Gel Kayano 15s whose rrp is £135 - for a pair of shoes I ask you??? Got them for £85 which was best price I could find on the net and they came the next day even though I didn't pay extra for express delivery so a good result. Raining and my shins dictated a quick three mile walk up town and back.

Wednesday 8th April
Just a short three miler. Getting closer to marathon now and am cutting back a bit.

Tuesday 7th Apil
Legs still knackered but didn't stop me doing a slow five mile run in about 55 minutes. Bloomin rained on me for last two miles or so. Thought it didn't rain on the righteous! Am thinking about cycling home from work tomorrow and then to work on Thursday morning like I used to. Should be fun.

Monday 6th April
Bit of a recovery day, did three miles walking on weary legs, then a bit of skipping with Lucy and finished off with 120 bicep curls and some stretching.

Sunday 5th April
As already posted - 21.2 miles run through Derbyshire Countryside which is the best in the world and makes the challenge much more pallatable. Did nine holes of golf at night as well which was good as my legs were stiffening up something chronic.

Marathon Training Three Weeks to Go - 21.2 miles not enough.

Disappointed today. It was supposed to be the last big training run but it's not enough. Because the poxy Edge keeps breaking down I was guessing the mileage today but I thought it was more. Not, that I could have done many more miles as had to take Lucy off to rugby practice. I set off at 5:20am after getting everything ready last night and finished at 9:55 so a solid 4hrs 35mins on the road. Still disappointed that the mileage wasn't higher - looking at the gradient profile though there was plenty of hill climbing and about the only point I walked was that red bit which is going up out of Mappleton towards Thorpe.

Link to MapMyRun - http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/gb/derbyshire%2c%20england/813123893389278638