December 2012

[Sweder]

Seasonal tales of jolly japery will appear here.
Let the festival of rampant commercialism commence!

Two gentle outings to welcome a new month.
Saturday sprayed the landscape in sparkling frost, bejewelled hills calling me out under a blazing sun. Just about warm enough for shorts I still opted for a thermal vest for my five miler. The vistas at Blackcap were breathtaking.

Today I tumbled out of bed some time after ten. My family had a birthday treat in store. An in-house movie session (Young Adult and Ted), a leisurely lunch at the Pelham Arms washed down with Fawlty Towers, Strictly and a Forbrydelsen catch-up, all in front of the wood burner. I sneaked out for a swift two miles before lunch, just enough time to work up a sweat and an appetite before heading pubward.

This is step-up month. Time, after a bit of a relapse in Amsterdam, to re-focus on dietary restraint and intensive training sessions.

On, on!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Not much tarmac up Blackcap I seem to recall, but good that you're getting out there. To be perfectly honest Sweder, you might be better off just doing the runs you enjoy most. You'll still have plenty of fitness to tackle 3:45 at Brighton if you feel so inclined, and you can just be a man about the post-race pain.

Your race and mine are on the same day ... it will be interesting to see how our training compares. I suspect mine will include rather more treadmill somehow.

Rip into it!

[Sweder]

Indeed, but as per previous posts in this organ, I have to be careful. I certainly won't be swapping my daily hill runs for the road. That would just suck, and the dogs would seriously kick off.

Something I will consider is what I had planned to do last year - run with the gang on a Sunday, be it to the Wire, the Snake or whatever, then add extra miles along the rock-hard seafront. That way I get the maximum punishment over minimum distance, kind of a bonus in my twisted mind.

Of more import this morning is a fitness regime re-boot. I've fallen off everything this weekend, wagons, training schedules and diets. Back on it today and on, on into a world of lightness and joy. The scales blared the ugly truth from the half-light this morning, a gain of just over a kilo in the last week. Holy hell, that's monstrous. It's enough to make a man run to the hills.

[glaconman]

Have faith Sweder. The Winter Chill will help you burn plenty of that unwanted fat more easily.

BTW did you ever read 'Run Wild'. I'm not after a proper review; just wondered if you'd enjoyed it.

[Sweder]

BTW did you ever read 'Run Wild'. I'm not after a proper review; just wondered if you'd enjoyed it.

I have it on my iPad lined up for a winter's night's read in front of the wood burner. Will keep you posted.

[Sweder]

Missed my first run of the new month this morning thanks to an unfeasibly early JDRF meeting in the Big City. We're cooking up all sorts of fund raising treats for 2013, including pouching much-vaunted places (and an official charity slot) in the brand new RideLondon 100 event next summer. One item on today's agenda was the location of supporter zones. I suggested one out in the boonies (the route will take in Box Hill and parts of the Olympic Road Race route). Our chairman added that we might take over a pub along the route, make it our HQ. You have to admire that kind of thinking.

This week it's been mostly frosty morning four or five milers, with scheduled work-outs at the end of each day. As a result I've shed that Dutch kilo and another besides, dipping below the mystical 90 kgs mark for the first time in, ooh, about a hundred years. This morning's reading was 88.9 (yesterday's 89.3). I'm aware this will fluctuate, yet can't totally suppress a feeling of deep joy. IF I can keep this up there's every chance I might line up in Almeria in some kind of fighting shape.

On, on.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

The all new Leaner Sweder. Excellent!

[Sweder]

A range of hill runs to report, culminating in a nightfall dash to Blackcap. The trails are at their stickiest just now, thick mud sucking at your soles, feet sliding across slippery flint.

Timing is everything on these dusk raids. With no head torch and heavy cloud cover hastening daylight's departure I set off into a cutting headwind. In the relatively dry grasslands Ripley & Murphy flew escort to my heavy Lancaster, rushing up behind, criss-crossing, zooming past left and right, bodies low to the ground, streaking ahead before sweeping left across the open field. I made good time but the last mile, including the section in the picture below (taken as I set off) proved a real challenge in the gathering gloom. The usually helpful homeward tailwind seemed intent on shoving me face first into the gloop.

   

A good running week with over thirty miles banked. I plan to push on this week, run every day and finally hook up with the South Coast mob next Sunday to start hitting some serious hills.

[Antonio247]

It must be really hard to run on muddy surfaces at dusk.

Well done on the amount of miles banked as well, S.

[marathondan]

30 miles is serious bananas, considering you haven't even hit the long stuff yet. This season looks laden with potential for you.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

As our American friends might say, F*ck yeah!.

[Sweder]

Good base. In fact I'm bound to say this is the longest I've gone without ramping up the distance, ever. If that doesn't tease out a horrible injury, nothing will.

Nipped out for four miles this morning, MAN ALIVE was that westerly wind biting. Really will have to look out the leggings soon. Chucked in 8 x 30 second sprints, a sort of controlled Fartlek. This ticks a box on my fat loss spreadsheet ... sorry, almost dozed off then. It counts as a Furnace workout, short bursts of maximum effort being effective fat burners. Apparently. Not sure how that's going, but I'm still under 90 kilos (after a bit of a lax weekend) and my blubber ring is receding.

On, on.

[Sweder]

Blackcap Blackcap Blackcap Blackcap ...
Sounds terribly dull, doesn't it?
Not a bit of it.

Every day I see something new. Every turn for home offers one the finest views on the running planet. Hills, fields, a sleeping town, looming cliffs, distant peaks and, beyond, a hazy sea. Clouds conspire to paint portraits in the sky, their occasional absence allowing the sun to shine down on this little piece of heaven.

   

This week I've been chill-blasted and 'papped'. With minus six on the dial this morning I braved my Lewes FC shorts, long socks and a vest. A hint of frozen mizzle hung in the air so the old VLM 'no thanks' wind cheater got an airing. Yesterday the sun shone alone in a clear blue sky. A billion tiny flashbulbs popped as I scaled the frosted green carpet. Today, as I crested Mount Harry on the way home, Lewes lay under a veil of mist, reminding me of the egg chamber in Alien. I was Kane, ill-fated explorer, descending to meet my sticky destiny.

Running well, solid, and feeling good. I weighed in at 88.2 kilos this morning, my fifth consecutive day under 90 kilos and perilously close to dipping below 14 stone. Track du jour: Need Your Love So Bad, Fleetwood Mac.
On, on.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Great running. Great TdJ! And a great result on the scales too, my man. Well done!

Couldn't resist posting this:

[glaconman]

I totally dig your pleasure running the same route. Once you find a good route it's got the ability to suprise you every time.

Get yourself one of these for the dusky stuff:

http://www.alpkit.com/gamma

Or if you want your own peice of daylight 24/7:

http://www.hopetech.com/page.aspx?itemID=SPG32

Keep bagging those Caps.

[Sweder]

It's a great pity that my letter to Santa was posted a few days ago. I could easily have swapped dinner with Sarah Lund for one of those lovely head torches. Damn.

[marathondan]

Sweder, that must rate as one of the all time great pics posted on here. Hmm, RC gallery anyone...? RC flickr stream...?

[Sweder]

Five hilly miles in a muddy maelstrom. Loved it.
Track du jour, Talking Heads, Once In A Lifetime

On, on

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Five hilly miles in a muddy maelstrom. Loved it.

Weirdo.

[Sweder]

Weirdo.

It's a fair cop

Anyone seen my mojo? Seems to have sneaked off this week, possibly hopped on a cheap flight in search of warmer climes. I was tempted to join Antonio for the mad Pechina dash but the flights didnt work out - at least, 164 quid just for the outbound on Saturday seemed a little steep. There's something about the on-rushing Yuletide that fills me with dread. That cussed Black Dog takes up residence at my slippered feet of an evening and I silently wish it would all be done with in the blink of a dispassionate eye.

Running-wise I'm still getting out there every day, Sunday aside when I singularly failed by means of a series of prevarications and distractions. Yesterday saw a truncated effort that included 8 x 30 second sprints with 30 second recoveries. The first four are OK, it's the last four that kick your arse. My weight has stayed steadfastly below 90 kilos - 88.4 this morning - that in spite of a definite lapse in careful eating, if not a full-blown return to gluttony. I had a beer yesterday. Out to lunch with a customer at Fifteen, Jamie Oliver's celebrated London eatery where scoundrels and reprobates are given a chance to shine, my eye was snared by their 'beer of the week', an impossibly dark rum porter. It tasted divine and I was sorely tempted to try another in case I'd just got lucky. Somewhere way down inside an alarm sounded, so I went onto sparkling water with a saucy slice of lime.

About to head out now. The sun is doing its best to cheer up the winter landscape, jousting with hesitant cloud for pole position. I've woken up in Eeyore mode, my own personal raincloud hovering like a soggy sword of Damocles. Here's hoping it is, as MLCMMan says, the gloom before a good 'un. I somehow doubt it, yet out I shall go. Just as soon as I've stopped tapping away at this.

Oh.