May as well ... 2014

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

"Running Free" - Richard Askwith
"Run Wild" - Boff Whalley

To my way of thinking there are two basic types of running: running for fitness, and/or running for pleasure. I say "and/or" because obviously running for pleasure also has a spin-off benefit of fitness as well. It is this second form of running - running for its own sake, for the sheer pleasure of it, that Askwith and Whalley are both trying to sell in their books. Both decry the recent rampant commcercialisation of the sport, and long to get runners up into the mountains and across the green fields of old England, free of lycra, devoid of GPS and without a sponsor's name in sight, all of which they feel add layers of separation from the runner and the environment in which they run. Which is all well and good, and both writers do a fair job of promoting their version of the sport. However, both also suffer from excessive negativity in lambasting what for most of us is going to be the form of running we most often undertake - the pounding of pavements in the cities and suburbs where we live, and the treading of mills in gleaming gyms. They particularly foist vitriol on the big city marathon, the very thing which is the goal; the very motivation of many an urban-dwelling runner. Whalley puts it rather bluntly:

"City marathon running is an expression of our fear of the unknown and our willingess to collaborate in our own confinement. Marathon running celebrates the thrill of mass participation, but at a cost of losing our sense of our place in the world."

This is a view which fails to properly understand that goal-driven running can and generally is a pleasurable and immensely worthwhile undertaking. Askwith and Whalley's rejection of the commercialisation of running is at best confused and misguided, as if major brands are somehow responsible for what they perceive as the misery of runners and their injuries, a view which is both very wrong and rather cruel in its delivery. Askwith's and Whalley's motivation is genuine enough - they sincerely want runners to cast aside the materialism of "Big Running" (as Askwith calls it) and to really connect with the landscape and thus experience running at an exhilarating new level, rather than just perservere through a training session for the end goal alone. Unfortunately, in doing so they rather clumsily attack the very thing that most of us are stuck with, and with which we do the best we can, finding sufficient joy and genuine pleasure from it to make Askwith and Whalley's assertions seem, well, rather foolish. Despite their claims to mediocrity as runners, both men are clearly excellent runners. Both have completed the Bob Graham Round, putting them in a very exclusive club of elite fell runners. As such, their claims to understand what makes us lesser mortals tick must be treated with a degree of skepticism.

At the end of the day, Askwith and Whalley, who appear to be something of a mutual admiration society, have essentially written the same book. Askwith writes rather better, but Whalley is the more interesting character, and so both books are therefore still worth a read, but neither book holds a candle to Askwith's first mighty effort, "Feet In The Clouds", or Christopher McDougall's famous "Born To Run" to which they both pay homage.

Worth a read, but treat with caution.

[Sweder]

I agree with you in some respects but, for me, these are two very different books, albeit sharing strands of wild- running DNA.

Whalley is a zealot, an anarchic crusader with a double-edged political/ socio-economic axe to grind. Askwith is a more considered, gentle soul. I subscribe to his 'ages of running' view and agree that each age is equally valid in it's own right. Unlike Boff I have no problem with the Tough Mudder crowd raking in a not-so-small fortune. Fools and their money are easily parted and there are plenty of less healthy ways to spend your hard-earned. I do see the value, to me, in side-stepping mass-participation events. There is something of the rat-race in running nose-to-tail amidst an endless ribbon of similar runners. That feeling has grown as I've racked up the road races, hence my 'So Long And Thanks For All The Fish' post last year. I love to read about local races for local people in BB's and Glaconman's diaries. I want to take part in them, even though I fear I would trail way back, snorting and spluttering like an old carthorse. It's the unique atmosphere, the less-contrived experience that I crave.

Where I whole-heartedly agree with you is in recognising the standard at which these men run and how that sharpens their angles. The BGR is BIG potatoes. To slip a mischievous grain of sand into Mr Whalley's Walshes, these boys are the free-running equivalent of sub 3 marathoners. This in no way invalidates their views; a lot of what they have to say resonates with me. But I do feel they see the city marathon as a bit Old Hat, whereas for many - most? - mere mortals the 26.2 remains the pinnacle of running ambition. Perhaps unintentionally, they have each in their way belittled the earnest endeavours of club runners the world over.

Another view is that we're talking about several very different sports. It's all a question of viewpoint and degree. Glaconman's buddies might chuckle at what we Sussex men call hills, whereas the Moyleman and the Stinger are beyond many Sunday shufflers' reach.

So long as what gets us all out there continues to do so, long may it bring us pleasure.

[Charliecat5]

As a newbie, I find this conversation fascinating as I am currently trying to get to grips with what it is that motivates me to run, and I am yet to reach a conclusion. This isn't a problem as I am quite enjoying the journey, even though I don't know where it is taking me.

I found 'Feet in the Clouds' a hugely inspiring and a book I know I will read again and again, but I would have to say that I am struggling with 'Run Free'. I am currently about a third of the way through and find it somewhat up its own ... ...

Having said that, I do get the idea of free running as this is a prime motivator for me (but I do like my stats as well). It's just that I find the book a little patronising... It's easy for Askwith to have his views when he has already achieved so much and has experienced, with some passion, most of the ages of running, and of course, having achieved what he has achieved, he is entitled to have the views he does... but for those of us like me, we need to find our own way and do it our own way.

Ultimately, I'm with Sweder... It doesn't really matter why we run (or bike for that matter) as long as we are getting out there with a smile on our faces.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Urgh, an awful run today. The body just didn't want to get into this one, but better today than on race day, so I'm not letting it bother me.

5.3km and it even needed a (very brief) walk break up a previously unencountered hill... and yep, that does mean I've taken Whalley and Askwith to heart and just went "exploring" on today's outing. Apart from the bastard hill which made me walk a little, I did find a short but beautiful bush track which was a welcome relief from the suburban streets.

Four days to race day, and then ... [big gulp] serious marathon training begins.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Ultimately, I'm with Sweder... It doesn't really matter why we run (or bike for that matter) as long as we are getting out there with a smile on our faces.

And isn't that the truth of it? Run on, comrades.

[Sweder]

Urgh, an awful run today. The body just didn't want to get into this one, but better today than on race day, so I'm not letting it bother me.

Glad I didn't read this before heading out else I might have blamed you for my own Runnus Horribilus this morning. Stop-start, all so much hard work for such a modest outing. C'est la vie.

[glaconman]

I think the thing that resonates with people about FITC and BTR are the fact that they both have a strong dramatic narrative. The're film-scripts waiting for a cinematic release. This narrative is also woven very well with reference and historical material. That makes them more complete and satisfying books certainly.

Ultimately the later BW/RA books are more personal accounts of running. Like dna or finger-prints. We would all write very different books given the time and publishing deal. So to that extent I relish BW's position without necessarily agreeing wholesale with it all. His struggle to come to terms with big city marathons is a keen anthropological insight for me.

I suppose this another example of what Freud referred to as 'the vanity of small differences'. We could celebrate our unity as runners; but people are more motivated to differentiate.

Young people will often congregate around fashion, 2-wheeled motorised transport and intentional sound made by small groups of their peers. You would think this would unite them. But instead they created mods and rockers and fought. Personally I wondered from tribe to tribe as a youngster. I suppose that's what I'm doing as a runner.

It might be worth pointing out that the BGR is completed by a wide variety of people. Some are elite fell runners (B Bland 13:53!). Some are long-distance walkers who have upped their training. Some are back-of-the-pack runners in shorter races.

But they understand how to cover long distances economically. And they have tremendous stamina and will-power. It's an extraordinary achievement. But not everybody's idea of a measure of elite running.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Just a gentle twenty minute outing today as the final run of my mini-taper prior to Sunday's half marathon. The weather forecast is for mild, even warmish and fine weather.

I'm rather looking forward to it!

[Sweder]

Best of British for today's battle, Old Man.
Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of war.
Time to get in amongst it!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Best of British for today's battle, Old Man.
Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of war.
Time to get in amongst it!

A fine sentiment, Sweder, for which I thank ye.

However.

It is currently 03:52 as I write, with the race start a little under three hours away, and I've not slept, and will not do so until after the race. It was always going to be difficult backing up from a week of night shift, and by that I mean six of the buggers: ten hours through the night finishing at 06:15. Yesterday was my solitary day off prior to the race, meaning I awoke at three in the afternoon and remain fully nocturnal, with little chance of any sleep tonight, which is exactly how it turned out. At 03:15 I gave up staring into the dark and decided I may as well have a last-minute carb loading breakfast before the run.

So I will line up, somewhat groggily, and amble around the course with no intention at all of registering a fast time, as this will be difficult. A sane person wouldn't even attempt it. But I have completed the Point 2 Pinnacle four times, and compared to that, this will be a walk in the park, or more accurately, a gentle trot around Sydney's city streets.

So thanks mate, but this dog of war will be more of a scrawny stray sniffing at the detritus than any serious threat to the annals of running history. Still, it'll be great. I am still looking forward to it. Just a couple of hours to go now. See you on the other side.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

1h57:22, my third fastest ever half marathon. Given the conditions I am well pleased. Race report soon!

[Charliecat5]

1h57:22, my third fastest ever half marathon. Given the conditions I am well pleased. Race report soon!

So there's life in the scrawny stray after all! Well done, and I look forward to the full match report.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

2014 Sydney Half Marathon - race report.

Sometimes there's no explanation for a surprising performance other than "the training must have paid off".

By rights this should have been a modest race for me. Coming off the back of a string of night shifts I was in full nocturnal mode and completely unable to sleep at all the night before the race. Not ideal. My sleeplessness at least did allow me to have a decent breakfast around three hours before race start time, and I think that may have helped counteract the lack of sleep to a certain extent. At the end of the day however I can only think my consistent training over the last few weeks, including weekly twenty kilometre long runs paid off, for it was a good day out.

Race day began at 05:25 outside my brother-in-law's house. He was also racing today and I cadged a lift in to the city with him, mainly so as to catch up in general, for even though he lives just a few minutes down the road from me, we rarely have time just to natter about running or anything in general, so this was a good opportunity.

We parked in the cavernous Domain parking centre, a short walk from the race, and an ideal place to warm up, as being underground it was considerably warmer than up in the park. Not that it was a cold day, but the extra few degrees were welcome. We warmed up with about three laps of the car park interior, which equated to about a kilometre, and it loosened the legs nicely, got the heart pumping and actually made me feel pretty human again, despite the lack of sleep. It was probably the most positive outcome I've had yet from a pre-race warm up.

We then joined scores of other runners on the somewhat ironic travelator that ferried us a few hundred metres to Hyde Park, where the race starts and finishes. Arriving at the start about a half hour early, we found the carnival atmosphere in full swing and the race master of ceremonies already losing his voice as he cajoled us over the public address system to "use the facilities", drop our gear off at the baggage area and ensure we began the race from  the correct starting pen.

My brother-in-law is a much faster runner than me (he finished in 1h38m) and we were therefore in different starting groups, so we bade farewell and made our way to our respective areas.

After the inevitable delays that seem to afflict this event we finally heard our starting gun and I, with 12,000 other runners trudged over the starting line about twenty minutes later than scheduled, and we were on our way.

My only thought as to race plans was to run at a comfortable pace and see what happened. I had no desire to run a fast race, but it had to be said that conditions were ideal. Whilst it's not a fast course, being twisty, quite crowded and with a few hills here and there, the conditions seemed to dictate that we would set a decent tempo.

So it was that I found myself running the first kilometres at around fifty to sixty seconds per kilometre faster than training pace, and it felt very comfortable. Whilst I was breathing quite normally and feeling totally fine with it, quite a few around me were struggling with this tempo, so I figured I was doing quite well and just pushed on at the same pace.

The race winds its way around the city streets, taking in some famous landmarks, although not crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This is a serious race with many of the runners being professionals and top amateur and club runners, all of whom were of course far, far ahead of where I was. It was about the seven kilometre mark when we first saw the leaders who ran past on the first out-and-back section, and they were flying. The eventual winner finished in 63 minutes, not a record for this event, but given the nature of the course quite an astonishing time.

I reached the half way point in 58:20, still feeling very good, and whilst this was way faster than I had expected or intended, I kept going, and as it became a little tougher, still felt strong enough to push on and maintain that pace or very near to it. The only real problem was the crowd of runners - it became quite a nuisance at times, particularly on the hills trying to get through the mob, especially (and unusually) in the second half of the race where the road was more often in "out and back" mode and so we only had half the road to run on.

Despite this I still ran a solid second half in 59:01, only a little slower than the first half, to finish in 1h57:22, very surprisingly well inside the two hours that I thought wouldn't happen this time, and overall my third-fastest ever half marathon.

I can only put it down to fairly disciplined training, and have to think that given better circumstances (i.e. actually getting some sleep) and perhaps a little more speed work, a PB would have been a distinct possibility.

So, a good race for me, and a good platform to now launch my marathon training, the next one being the Sydney Marathon in  September, and so plenty of time to work a potential marathon PB into my training legs.

On we go.

[Sweder]

Very nice work, MLCMMan. As you say, a ripper platform from which to launch an assault on that Mara PB.
No question, those 20k+ outings came into play. It backs up the adage about always completing your long runs.
Bonza.

[marathondan]

Well done MLCMM! It's great when expectations are low but things turn out better than you expect! Personally I think the sleep level might not be such a big thing (although I have great respect that you're able to put your body through those phase shifts every few weeks). It's not unusual to be sleep-deprived on the night before a big race due to nerves; I think the adrenaline tends to power you through. Did you sleep well after the race? Maybe you should do a HM at the end of every week of night shifts!

[glaconman]

Nice work MLCMM. And a really good sign for the upcoming marathon training.

If you felt you could have run faster that's a good strategy if this is not your main goal. Running flat out can take a while to recover from, particularly for us Vets. Whilst a slightly sub-optimal effort is more like 'money in the bank', so to speak. That's my understanding anyhow.

It's always a real bonus when we perform much better then expected.

[suzieq]

Well done MLCMM! I am impressed and envious. Getting around under 2 hours is something I still can't do. And it didn't sound like you had any problems with the pace; more with the crowd of runners. You've got a solid base to build on for your marathon training. Way to go!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Thanks for all the comments folks, much appreciated as always.

A combination of some serious insomnia (for which I have resorted to professional therapy) and a heavy workload resulted in a little over a week without a post-race run, which wasn't good, but I was back into it this morning with a pleasing pre-dawn jaunt around the streets for a half hour of playing tag with the garbage trucks before catching the pre-dawn train to my pre-dawn work start time. Ah, but then the run got me through the day. It really is worth the effort, garbage trucks or not.

So that's about all I have to relate of the MLCM running world - precious little, but as always, a step-back week (more of a step-off week really) is often... helpful.

Meanwhile the weather here is worth reporting about - the warmest May ever recorded here, with daily temperatures in the mid 20s. The birds are nesting already, spring bulbs are popping up, and the local hardware store's special display of winter heating options stands bereft of customers. This would all be quite normal if it were the northern hemisphere, but of course down here it is very nearly officially winter, yet we're still getting about in shorts and singlets. The real shock however comes at 5 p.m. when quite suddenly it gets dark, because it feels as if we should have another three hours of daylight to go. Most weird. Everyone is commenting on it and no-one can recall an autumn like this ... ever.

Global warming? Oh, yes.

[Antonio247]

Congratulations, MLCMM! How good it is to finish a race better than you'd expected.

Good luck withyour training for Sydney marathon in September!

Get better from your insomnia!


Saludos desde Almería

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Gracias Antonio ... the sleep has been a little better over the last couple of nights. Another decent sleep tonight and I'll hit the streets for a long run in the morning!