July 2011

[Charliecat5]

And on the subject of beauty and tranquillity (!), I have decided to sort myself out a bit now... so it's off the grog until the end of the month and a bit of effort to eat more healthily.

Well this week has gone very well. Pissed on Monday night; merry on Tuesday; a couple of beers on Wednesday and beers, wine and gin last night...

Well at least the effort to eat more healthily has been more productive... if you call rib eye steak, Nandos, cheese boards, bacon scarnies and a box of chocolates healthy.

As for running this week... erm... I had to run to catch a train at one point... that counts doesn't it?

[Charliecat5]

So look, Mr Le Chat, I've gone and dug myself a bit of a hole on here in recent times. I'm in serious need of a hare-brained loon to train/ share the most ridiculous running adventure with on a trail that makes the Moyleman seem like ParkRun. The good news is it's in Northern Spain, so not too far away/ expensive to get to. Even better news is we have a spy in the camp. Not only that but he's written detailed accounts of the race, his training for the race and split this up into stages. It's all on here in BB's diary under 'Aquilianos' but you don't need to read any of that yet.

Just say 'yes'.
We're talking spring of 2016.

You dug the hole... you find your own way out. It's dog eat dog in this world. All I can say, is that I'll train with you and we'll see how it goes...

[Charliecat5]

Holy mother of all things hot...

After a hot day in the office dealing with things I'd rather not have to deal with I was, for the first time in a while, looking forward to a run this evening. Just a short one before I head to the pub for tea. And with all this talk about running in Spain, I thought a run in these conditions would be ideal training for what may or may not happen in the spring of 2016.

It is absolutely gorgeous out there on them hills... not that I went that far. Beautiful little warm eddies of wind blew around my body as I ran through the long grass past the nearly ripe wheat fields. Just like those little eddies you get when running behind Sweder, but without the agricultural smells or strange noises.

It was a pretty quick run, along the railway, over the road, up Sweder's Hill and back again at a reasonably hot pace of 8.38 mi/min. But it's warm... I've been back for over 30 minutes now, and even following a cold shower I am still sweating buckets...

Time to get dressed and up to the pub for some serious rehydration

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

... so it's off the grog until the end of the month...

...Time to get dressed and up to the pub for some serious rehydration

Erm, right. So what sort of pub-based re-hydration strategy was that exactly??

[Charliecat5]

... so it's off the grog until the end of the month...

...Time to get dressed and up to the pub for some serious rehydration

Erm, right. So what sort of pub-based re-hydration strategy was that exactly??

You have to be flexible in this life... what seemed like a good plan earlier in the month was clearly not working some 24 hours later, so I had to adapt and adopt a new strategy that met my requirements at that particular point in time - I was thirsty and fancied a beer or two.

I'VE NOT GOT A PROBLEM, OK!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

No no, I really like your strategy. It's very ... pragmatic.

[Charliecat5]

I didn't go running this evening... which is as news worthy as if I had gone running, because it was a very deliberate decision. A few weeks ago I pulled muscle a in my back which isn't serious and a deep tissue massage on Saturday morning seems to have done the trick. However, this evening, whilst I had the time and inclination to go for a run, I decided to rest up and prepare myself for a big one at the weekend.

MLCMM will be pleased to know that I did have a large G&T this evening in preparation for the BIG ONE... it's all about strategy

[Charliecat5]

A week last Friday I went for a short run, 3 miles round a usual circuit in pretty quick time and it was good. However, I have had a niggling muscle in my back for a few weeks so on the Saturday booked myself in for a deep tissue massage which as always was an out of body experience, but one that did the job.

Following this, and given I had a heavy week at work ahead, plus its bloody hot, I decided to have a break from running for a week and build up for a big one this weekend. This would be helped, I thought, by the fact that I have been abandoned by the rest of the family so have the weekend alone.

Best laid plans eh!

Now work has been busy over the last month; long hours and lots and lots of travel which is starting to take its toll… then on Friday evening I was invited out for tea and a few beers with my oldest and best friend. I got to bed at 1am, drunk and disorderly… but this was fine as I had no need to get up. The alarm wasn’t on and I could sleep until I woke naturally – which in my case is when I had to get up to pee.

Trouble is, when I did wake up it was with a rather large hangover and a thumping headache. The result… well I spent a very decadent day lying in bed reading. Just what the doctor ordered to be honest.

So cometh the big run… last night I was in bed by 10:30 (I know); I had consumed no alcohol (I KNOW) and had set the alarm for 7am (I KNOW!!!!). And at 7am this morning I leapt out of bed with a cunning plan… porridge for breakfast and out of the door by 8am full of carby goodness.

So at 8am, I had my shoes on, shorts on, was loaded with water and ready to go… except… my Garmin had no charge. Does this matter? It shouldn’t do. But I had in mind that I might achieve a PB this morning and so I wanted it… and it’s part of my running ritual. No worries, I can do an hours work while it charges (told you work was busy).

However, an hours work turned into a couple of hours work (as the Garmin took a while to charge), so it was gone 10am before I was back out the door fully charged – this is now a couple of hours post porridge (or 2.5PP as I like to call it) AND, the sun was out.

But I was off and as usual when on a longer run I was really watching my pace to keep it steady for the first couple of miles along the railway, past the stables and up Sweder’s Hill to Blackcap – which I achieved in a reasonable time without stopping. And as usual I then had a little break at the top to admire the fantastic views and to take on some water. At this point, I knew something wasn’t quite right… I was more knackered than normal and also the back of my right heel was starting to rub. But you have to ‘suck it up’ … keep going… keep running the trails… so I adjusted my sock and headed off again.

A couple of miles later, heading down towards Heart Attack Hill I had to stop to re-lace my shoes and again as I struggled to get back up I knew something wasn’t right. But I kept going… up HAH, down towards the A27 and across the other side. This time when I removed my shoe, the small niggle on my right heel had turned into quite a big blister. The problem is that there is no easy way back home from here, so with little choice I went on.

By the time I reached the bottom of the grass track that is the Relentless Bastard, I knew it was over. My blister was giving me real gip now, but also my legs were done in. So after 7 miles I quit and decided to walk home along the A27. First I had to do something about my blister, so I used the plastic wrapper from an energy bar to make a blister plaster and set off. Not being one to enjoy walking along the A27 I was delighted to find a footpath – one which I had never seen before – which looked as though it might run alongside the A27 back to Lewes. Obviously it didn’t. Eventually having taken a small, ahem, detour I arrived home feeling pretty deflated.

It was hot out there but I am not sure why running was so difficult this morning. Clearly the blister didn’t help, but this wasn’t the main reason for a difficult run. I don’t really know what to do... whether to ease back or push harder… probably the latter…

[Sweder]

As Van Morrison once sang, Mother told me there'd be days like this. Bad luck on the blister, mate. I've never had one from running in over ten years and I wouldn't want to start now. As for the fatigue, re-read your post. The first paragraph or so tells the story. Re-hydrate, re-load and go again. You'll be right, but get that blister gone (and find out what caused it).

[Charliecat5]

You'll be right, but get that blister gone (and find out what caused it).

I think the blister was already there in a small form before I went out today.

[Charliecat5]

As for the fatigue, re-read your post.

I think the following also tells a story. I need more time on my feet, less in the pub. Talking of which, we should have a beer soon

   

[Sweder]

As for the fatigue, re-read your post.

I think the following also tells a story. I need more time on my feet, less in the pub. Talking of which, we should have a beer soon

Yes, need a Moyleman catch-up with Rob, plan the next phase. Time's a-tickin'

[Charliecat5]

After a long day in the car I was looking forward to run this evening, but my flippin' blister was having none of it... so running shorts off and biking shorts on and a quick 7 miles up onto the Kingston Ridge followed by a sneaky race down a footpath back to the bottom again.

I was starting to forget how fantastic mountain biking is...

[Charliecat5]

This is the last post of July *ahem* 2011 and it ain't even about running... running is still off due to a very large blister on my right heal.

So it was back on the old bone shaker last night for a charge with my good friend Porter, over the Blackcap, along to Ditchling and then a rapid descent down through Stamner Park taking in some crazy jumps and a bit of tree shaving (it's a biking thing) before racing back up to Blackcap and home to the pub for some re-hydration. When I say racing, a cable issue meant that I lost all the rear gears which left me peddling like a cartoon character down the hills and sweating like a wildebeest on the uppers.

18 miles and 3 lovely pints of Harvey's Wild Hop... all in all a splendid evening.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

18 miles and 3 lovely pints of Harvey's Wild Hop... all in all a splendid evening.

Beats the more usual 3 miles and 18 pints seen in these parts.

[Sweder]

18 miles and 3 lovely pints of Harvey's Wild Hop... all in all a splendid evening.

Beats the more usual 3 miles and 18 pints seen in these parts.

Much closer to my ratio yesterday:
0 miles 12 pints of various delicious beers.
Sussexites, look out for Dark Star's immaculate Hylder Blonde, a summer ale made with hand-picked elderflowers. It is spectacular.

[Charliecat5]

So look, Mr Le Chat, I've gone and dug myself a bit of a hole on here in recent times. I'm in serious need of a hare-brained loon to train/ share the most ridiculous running adventure with on a trail that makes the Moyleman seem like ParkRun. The good news is it's in Northern Spain, so not too far away/ expensive to get to. Even better news is we have a spy in the camp. Not only that but he's written detailed accounts of the race, his training for the race and split this up into stages. It's all on here in BB's diary under 'Aquilianos' but you don't need to read any of that yet.

Just say 'yes'.
We're talking spring of 2016.

If I'm getting involved in this madness, I need a lovely pool to leap into at the end of the 40 miles as well as beer and chorizo. I can get use to leaping into pools at the end of runs...

[Bierzo Baggie]

No pools open at the beginning of June, you might find a bit of snow to roll about in .....