2008 - a bit late

[marathondan]

My previous thread was over a year old, so I thought I’d open a new one. But my rate of output will be closer to one post per month than the one thread per month that is customary around these parts.

I’ve at least achieved some consistency in my running recently – consistently not doing any. Har har.

That’s a slight exaggeration. I’ve put in the occasional 6am session, although the promised 3 sessions a week didn’t materialise, as the lack of sleep (that’s a 6am run after driving 25 miles to work) was killing me. So there’s been the odd suburban foray into the balmy evenings as well.

I’ve resolved my running plan down to a simple formula: run every other day. Of course, for me that’s unachievable, but it makes the internal procrastination discussions much simpler:

Did I run yesterday?

Yes – have a rest
No – strap on the Asics

The result tends to be 1-2 sessions a week, rather than the theoretical 3-4, and so I’m covering closer to 20 miles a month rather than the 20 miles a week of my fantasy life in which I’m a "serious" runner.

The recent raft of holidays, weekends away, and generally Taking On a Bit Much, are hopefully about to give way to a time of bijou barbeques, gentle weeding of the garden, and getting baby things out of the loft in time for August. So I’m hoping to ramp up the mileage for the remaining two months of my running season, with an eye on the Thame 10K at the end of June and the Wycombe half a month later. Would be nice to get a couple of races bagged before leisure activities are once again put on hold for the foreseeable future. I see that Down Tow Up Flow is full, so that’s one for the future.

The long-term goal is still Robin Hood '09. It may seem ridiculously far off, but I know from experience that there’s no point making unachievable plans. I’ll watch the progress of the Great One with interest.

I finally seem to be joining the iPlod generation, although spoken word and music discussion is my current taste. The BBC is of course a rich source: Indie Weekly and Punk Show on 1 (their Rock Show is NOT recommended), Paul Jones on 2, Jazz Library on 3, World Football on 5 (there’s a ton of stuff in there I could listen to if I had the time), Tom Robinson on 6, and on 4 anything from the Now Show to Thought for the Day.

[El Gordo]

Hey Dan -- thanks for checking in: great to hear from you. Keep us updated with news of the new addition to the family. I seem to remember Naomi's appearance being a bit of a drama, so let's hope for something more sedate this time.

Things are sounding pretty hectic for you at the moment. It's ironic that the times we need to run most (to grab a bit of space and 'me time') are the times we seem least able to grasp that opportunity -- if that makes sense. If you can get out the door for half an hour every couple of days, it would do you a lot of good, though you don't need me to tell you that.

Thanks for the race updates. I'd had the "Down Flow...." pencilled in, so am disappointed to hear that's full. As usual, I have Burnham Beeches in August down as a possible. The Oracle 10K in early September is a good one, and not far from you.

Good luck -- Andy

[Sweder]

Good to hear from you MD - glad all's well with the peeps. Sympathies on the 'time to run' thing - I'm lucky in that my barren patches are, er . . . patchy. But keeping your hand (foot) in is key. Hopefully things will ease up a bit for you - that 'me' time is hard to find with a young family, but all the more important for that.

Races are filling faster than oil prices are rising - and that's fast. I won't go into my theories (mostly grumpy old man stuff) but suffice to say if you're thinking about doing a race and haven't entered you probably won't get in. Happily still places available for the Jog Shop Jog though

[marathondan]

Thanks boys. I'm not soliciting for sympathy on my lack of time to run: the time is mine to prioritise as I wish, and there just ain't enough time in the day to do everything.

But good prompt Sweder, I'd better get those entry forms in...

Races are filling faster than oil prices are rising - and that's fast. I won't go into my theories (mostly grumpy old man stuff)

I'm shocked and stunned that there are any old or grumpy people of either gender around here. Are you hinting at johnny-come-lately boom-surfing bandwagoneer fairweather iPod-toting jog-walkers, stealing the places of the real runners?

[Sweder]

I'm shocked and stunned that there are any old or grumpy people of either gender around here. Are you hinting at johnny-come-lately boom-surfing bandwagoneer fairweather iPod-toting jog-walkers, stealing the places of the real runners?

Might be. Not telling :p

[Bierzo Baggie]

Good to hear you're still in action Dan-man. It sounds as if you're a fellow with a good level of "natural" fitness so those 1 or 2 runs a week will hold you in good stead. The thing is not to abandon it completely.
Good stuff!

[marathondan]

It sounds as if you're a fellow with a good level of "natural" fitness

First time anyone's said that about me!

[marathondan]

Best running week this year. (That's not saying much, mind.)

Sunday - 5-ish in the afternoon (birthday treat me-time). The first mile felt as though my lungs had shrunk after a 10-day layoff. It was pretty warm though; happy to be home in under 45 minutes.

Tuesday - 6.30 am 3-ish, fuelled by a couple of great radio interviews, first with Jazz drummer Chico Hamilton, and then blues / gospel singer Jimmy Carter of the Blind Boys of Alabama. Apparently Carter, in his 80s and blind from birth, stage dives at every gig. He was pretty matter-of-fact about it. TdJ: Many Miles of Blues, Philadelphia Jerry Ricks (for the subject matter).

Thursday - a late night 8+, my longest run since my last half marathon back in October. Really pleased with this, felt in control all the way - the drivetrain took a bit of a pounding as expected, but the engine remained well in the comfort zone. On the mp3, the warblings of presenters Alyn Shipton and Paul Jones, and the respective tweets and squawks of Ken Colyer and Muddy Waters, provided a soothing and undemanding soundtrack. A lovely night to be out on the streets in a singlet. (Not a phrase you often hear from a heterosexual male.)

Cheque for the Wycombe half in 6 weeks has been posted - my usual Luddite protest against the £2 surcharge for online booking. Fingers crossed.

Next week: crank up the long run slightly; take the short runs as and when.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Nice work Dan!

Great TdJ!

[El Gordo]

Aye, good stuff Dan -- well done, and a belated happy birthday. Good listening, too. I'm a big jazz and blues fan myself.

Am impressed that the same guy who hassled me about the need for RSS feeds, turns out to be one of the last men on earth to prefer writing out cheques, penning covering letters, hunting for envelopes and stamps, and walking down the road to a post box, over spending a minute filing an online application. You'd get on really well with my 85-year old father.

[Sweder]

I'm with the Dan-man on this one. Surcharge??? For online booking ???
Er, shurely shome mishtake . . .

I was wondering recently about the legacy of the great Bluesmen of the southern USA. Who stands ready to carry the traditions forward? I spent many happy hours in the bars of New Orleans serenaded by Brian 'blind genius of the Blues' Lee, Miss Maggie and the Jump Street Five. I used to get along to Professor Longhairs' house, Tipitina's, whenever I could. Saw Fats Domino on Decatur Street; what a night! Ancient overhead fans beating air heavy with sweat and humidity over a sardine-packed audience; the great man looking like a boxers' Second, soaked towel wrapped around his vast neck. Wonder-fuel.

Brian's still working the Louisiana bars but age and illness will surely claim him before long. There must be any number of these mighty prophets nearing the end of their rermarkable careers, grazing in the dwindling pastures of the gin joints and dusky bars of Bsckstreet USA. I really must get back.

Good work fella - sounds like you'll be flying at full throttle pretty soon.

[El Gordo]

Agree about surcharges, but hate the hassle of 'manual entry'.

I hope, and expect, that the blues tradition will continue in the southern states. When we were there in around 96, we saw some great music being pumped out by younger guys as well as the crusties. We were in New Orleans for only a couple of days, and never really found 'the scene' there but later on, in Mississippi, around Clarksdale and in Memphis, we found a lot happening, inlcuding one of the best gigs I ever went to, in a grocery store in a remote village. Guy called Robert "Bilbo" Walker. I wrote about it here:

http://www.runningcommentary.net/2004/2004jun.htm (15th June)

He was getting on a bit but there were plenty of kids playing around the place. I like to think they'll carry it all on.

[marathondan]

I'm with the Dan-man on this one. Surcharge??? For online booking ???
Er, shurely shome mishtake . . .

Let's be fair, someone has to build and maintain the website.

Although I understand that the going rate is a case of vintage wine and a bucket of fish...

[marathondan]

After a great week, the wheels came off. I left it a day or so too long to get back in the saddle (of my wheeled horse, obviously), and then drifted into several days of work-related depression*. Then I again missed the window of opportunity to get back out there, and fell prey to a couple of days of sickness. And here we are, nearly a fortnight lost.

Never fear, I made it out last night for another evening 8-plus, and all was fine. Completed the same route 30 sec faster than a fortnight ago, but time is unimportant (although the consistency is satisfying). I need to do this once a week, getting the distance up to 10 - Wycombe half is in 4 weeks. Although my cheque hasn't cleared, so I'm not certain that I'm in. You don't get this level of excitement with online booking.

[SIZE="1"]----------
* Probably an exaggeration, but this handy self-diagnosis gives me a mental sick note to avoid doing anything that I can't be arsed to do. I suppose work-depression could be defined as feeling bad enough to contemplate career suicide.[/SIZE]

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Although my cheque hasn't cleared, so I'm not certain that I'm in. You don't get this level of excitement with online booking.

You're right m'dan - I paid for my last race entry by cheque - it's much more exciting than punching in the 16 credit card digits online.

Or are we just a bit sad?

[marathondan]

Or are we just a bit sad?

I'm looking forward to the start of the 21st Century, when all this new technology will become available.

It's sometime in a few years from now, isn't it?

[marathondan]

Only 4 weeks to the Wycombe half, so only 3 long runs left - gotta make them count. Left hammy was feeling a bit stiff after last week's long run, so I nipped out for a relaxed-pace 3-ish at the end of normal time of Spain vs Italy. The mp3 background was a Radio 4 discussion about the Dalai Lama - even a bunch of middle-class intellectuals talking about the Buddhist leader was somehow... transcendental.

Completed the circuit a minute slower than normal - objective accomplished - and got back in time for the dying minutes of extra time, and then the pens. Unsurprisingly, I hadn't missed much. A Turkey-Russia final would be great, but having seen how much of a reserve side the Turks will have to field, I think that's unlikely.

Football viewing schedule dictates that this week's long run will be Tuesday night - 8 miles again this week I think, then up it to 10 for the next (and last) two.

[marathondan]

Took another minute or so off my 8+ mile circuit time last night. A warm night, with the sun fully tucked up in bed by the time I got home at 10.30. This is only a transient training programme, but it's great to feel the long runs becoming less daunting, and a little bit of steel returning to the legs. Time to move things forward - 10 miles next week.

Pumping soundtrack from the Radio 1 Punk Show, and then a strange Radio 4 discussion about research into the conversations people have in cars. Interesting enough, but I wonder if the person who approved the funding for that research really feels it's a worthwhile contribution to society.

BTW, I see that once again, RW has picked up on a favourite RC discussion topic.

[marathondan]

Out for a suburban "nearly 10" last night. Hard work, no doubt compounded by the lack of any running action since my last long one a week ago. At 10pm it was still warm, and maybe carrying a bottle would have been advisable as well. I took a walk break - something I once considered sacrilege; these days I'm wiser - around mile 6, and that pretty much saw me right for the homeward journey. A chilled slice of Thelonious Monk ensured that I kept to a suitably sedate pace.

Only one more long one before Wycombe half on the 20th. After last night's performance, I'll be glad to see the back of it. Hopefully though, with a short loosener or two in the meantime, and a marginal improvement in conditioning (mental if not physical) it won't be quite so tough as this week's.

[marathondan]

A corking 10 miler in continuous rain last night. One of those runs when it all comes together. Notes to self for the future:

• No iPlod (just felt like a change)

• Carry a water bottle (I necked over a litre; considering the weather has been a lot sweatier than this recently, that's something that's been missing from my training)

• Small handful of raisins every 3 miles or so

• Weekend 5 miler between long runs was surely of benefit

• Buckets of rain!

I finished strongly, sodden to the core, grinning like a Lewesian, at 11pm, 2 minutes faster than last week. Wycombe half is in 10 days - I almost feel prepared.

Shame you can't order this kind of run - then again, we all know that the reason they're great is that you can't order them.