Late '14 - Lightly Limbering Up for London

[glaconman]

Hmm, maybe something for next winter. Do you have to be a member of a club and registered with EA to enter county XC?

I think for county and national XC you will need to have EA membership for insurance and be affiliated to a club.

Those requirements aside the National XC Champs is one of the last great 'Open' National championships left. In which other sport (apart from Fell running) do you toe the line with the National Champion regardless of your ability. There are no entry standards.

http://www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk/the...procedure/

http://www.forestrunners.org.uk/

[marathondan]

I brought back the mp3 player for this week's tempo run, in an attempt to keep my pace up, so here's a brief music quiz. It was a short run, the music only kicked in after the warmup, so I only got 5 tracks. Genres are very much my usual fare. Obscurity levels: medium; pun levels: high. One band appears twice.

1. I was in an apiary, doing some sewing. I hate it.
2. A guy in a white robe came along. I thought he was a beekeeper, but it turned out he was just wearing traditional arabic dress.
3. Then I was at the Oktoberfest. The beer was served with some bread, rather undercooked, and black, almost inky. Bizarrely, it was formed into the shape of a car.
4. Another guy in a white robe. This one looked like an angel. Man, that was one amazing vision.
5. I turned back to what I was reading - a poem about the writer of Ulysses.

[marathondan]

Week 0 of 18


Another week in the bag as planned, another early morning offroader with Marathontalk in the ears and the weak daylight slowly emerging.

But as the first week of training proper arrives, I suspect I will be slipping. Today the lurghie seems to have visited me, so I'll probably be looking at a few days off.

I came across a quote this week which I'm sure is quite hackneyed, but I hadn't encountered before:

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." - Abraham Lincoln

I like it, but maybe I spend too long looking at my plan...

   

[Charliecat5]

I came across a quote this week which I'm sure is quite hackneyed, but I hadn't encountered before:

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." - Abraham Lincoln

I think Abe went on to say "and in the fifth hour I'll go out and buy a chainsaw".

[marathondan]

Retrospective seasonal felicitations to all!


Week 1 of 18


The first proper week of the training plan. I skipped the interval session due to that little suggestion of flu coming on, but a couple of days' rest did the trick and I was feeling fine again by Christmas Eve, ready for a couple of beers. I made it out for a tempo session on Boxing Day morn in the flatlands of my youth (3.33 miles, 33ft climb). The frost had returned, and it was a joy to be out. 

To maintain my policy of never running on consecutive days, I finished the week a day late, this morning. Again, a beautiful crisp morning, the rising sun turning the frosty field pink as it rose in its own sweet time. In the lug 'oles was, as is becoming my custom again, the Marathontalk podcast. This was a mini version for Christmas, comprising nothing more than an interview with Simon Freeman of Like The Wind magazine, which I've mentioned before (although never actually purchased). There was much talk of running stories, authentic voices, quality prose, etc etc, which of course set off some wistful thoughts about how the fabulous body of work that is RC could somehow be shared with a wider audience. I've recently worked my way through the Serial podcast (which I highly recommend) which has beautiful production, and which momentarily inspired me to think about the old podcast idea again. But I think the bottom line is that we need a charismatic presenter, just to link it all together if nothing else, and we just don't have that. Anyway, the interview is worth a listen for anyone who still harbours any of those hankerings.

I noticed that I was progressing at a decent rate, 30 sec per mile faster than last week. Possible explanations:

- hard ground
- started 45 mins later in the morning - slightly more awake
- possibly coming down with something last week
- I'm actually getting fitter

Probably all four made a contribution. Anyway, I was bowling along nicely, and then the podcast was cut short on account of it being Christmas. All I had left on the player was some tempo tunes, so I put them on, and then of course I was forced to run at tempo pace for the last couple of miles, which I must say was good fun and I finished with plenty in the tank. In the end, I finished 6 minutes quicker than last week, which is quite a lot over 6 miles, and included a couple of minutes walking to fiddle with the player.

So, any winter infections allowing, I'm back on the trail, ready for the gentle ramp-up and ready to build some fitness.

   

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Looking good Dan, awesome in fact, at least infographically. As far as sharing the bulk of RC-goodness with a wider body, there are a couple of possibilities. I'm publishing my own running diaries this year (was supposed to be last year but it's only 90% finished ... definitely this year), and it occurs to me that whilst my own diaries will be of limited interest to those outside immediate friends and family, the compendium of race reports now so wonderfully indexed here could likewise be turned into a published book with relatively little difficulty and would appeal to a wider audience. An edited highlights would be sufficient given the mountain of material available. It just needs to be converted to MS Word or pdf format and can be published at no cost, with copies printed on demand through Amazon. It is such as easy task these days ... worth considering?

[marathondan]

I'm publishing my own running diaries this year 

WOWZAS! How exciting. Do tell more. You must have the best part of a decade's material...? Ebook and / or hard copy? How hard are you editing it? It would be interesting to hear how that process has gone.

As regards the RC compendium of which you speak... yes it would be a great project to take on. In my opinion it should be done properly, with some serious editing, maybe interweaving different voices and trying to find some overarching narratives. Maybe one day.

[marathondan]

Oh yeah, Last run of the year - 31st Dec, 7.30am. Intervals round the field in freezing fog. Lovely. Bye bye 2014.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I'm publishing my own running diaries this year 

WOWZAS! How exciting. Do tell more. You must have the best part of a decade's material...? Ebook and / or hard copy? How hard are you editing it? It would be interesting to hear how that process has gone.

As regards the RC compendium of which you speak... yes it would be a great project to take on. In my opinion it should be done properly, with some serious editing, maybe interweaving different voices and trying to find some overarching narratives. Maybe one day.

Yes well it's basically just my running diaries from here for - you guessed it - the last ten years, fairly heavily edited to be readable for a non-RC audience. Not difficult to do, but it does take a fair amount of time.

It will be published as a good old-fashioned but high quality paperback and available through Amazon. Details as soon as it's done. Still some weeks away yet.

And yep again, the RC compendium would be well worthwhile. I will put some thinking type thoughts into it and discuss with a few of you over the coming weeks and months, maybe after my own is published so we can see what works and what doesn't. It will happen, I feel sure. It's too easy to do to just let it pass!

[marathondan]

Not much traffic among many of the old guard at the moment (for understandable reasons). Wonder how long it will take them to spot that little bombshell! 

Exciting stuff.

[Sweder]

Late to the Boff Walley debate here. I enjoyed the book for it's unique, somewhat zealous perspective. There's an attraction in such conviction, even if at times it seems harsh on those less able to scarper off into God's country thanks to a nefarious vocation.

I broadly agree with Boff's views on Big Races, but feel it's easy to do so when you yourself are 'done' with them. City Marathons served their purpose in my running life and left me with some exceptional memories. Free Running was rekindling my affair with the sport, though. I'll return to the paths less trod once I have a base level of fitness. For me, the roads are lost to the automobile.

XC is big news in Sussex. The races are muddy as all hell but my mates who take part wouldn't miss them.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Well, yesterday I bought a brand spanking new pair of off-road runners. So, where does this end? Hmm.