March maundering.

[El Gordo]

I have no doubt you have a 42k in you; it'll be one hell of a long road, but I have not a shred of doubt in me that you'll get there.

I agree, with one or two caveats. I'm always wary of urging someone to aim for a marathon because I don't think it quite works that way. It has to be like the sudden opening of an eye. The desire has to come from the runner, not his mates. It may be different for younger, fitter guy, or those who've been running all their lives, for whom a marathon is just the next logical step. For the more mature athlete the decision is more complex, and it may never be the right thing to aim for. But you're right -- I've no doubt our man in Tasmania could get there if/when he decides the time is right.

[Sweder]

I agree, with one or two caveats. I'm always wary of urging someone to aim for a marathon because I don't think it quite works that way. It has to be like the sudden opening of an eye. The desire has to come from the runner, not his mates. It may be different for younger, fitter guy, or those who've been running all their lives, for whom a marathon is just the next logical step. For the more mature athlete the decision is more complex, and it may never be the right thing to aim for. But you're right -- I've no doubt our man in Tasmania could get there if/when he decides the time is right.

Point taken, although I wasn't urging MLCMan to sign up for one, merely pointing out that, as far as 'the right stuff' is concerned, he's got it in spades. Actually I think it's sometimes a braver (or at least a more difficult) decision not to take one on; there's plenty of running glory to be had outside the 26.2. Perhaps it's easier to conclude that when you have one under your belt; I sense a hunger in our antipodean friend that's likely to grow as he passes the more immediate milestones.

[El Gordo]

No worries old chap -- I didn't mean to sound like I was disagreeing with you. I was just sort of adding to it, but it might not have sounded as intended.

[Sweder]

Too late, arms folded, pout to match Ronaldo's . . . oh, what's that? I've still got some Guinness in my mini-fridge? Never mind all that - cheers!

[Sweder]

I thought I'd missed something but a search reveals no trace - City to Casino? Tell us more - this is coming up in May, right? More please

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I thought I'd missed something but a search reveals no trace - City to Casino? Tell us more - this is coming up in May, right? More please

It's a big deal in a small town, they don't have the 2007 web site up yet, and nor do they seem to understand much about Google ranking! But you'll find a taster here. Essentially it's an 11km fund-raiser for the Heart Foundation; fast, mainly flat road course through the heart of town. One hill I think. May 20th.

Re the marathon: I'm just going to take it a week at a time, and my training schedule reflects that - it doesn't extend further than two weeks into the future. If I get to the stage where my base mileage has extended to something around 35km per week, and I'm still largely injury-free, then I can start to seriously consider a marathon, but for the moment I dare not think about it too much.

The thing that motivates me more than a marathon at the moment is running the Point to Pinnacle in something closer to 2 hours than 3. I think for me it's possible, and more achieveable just at this stage...

...and about seven weeks after the Point to Pinnacle is the local marathon.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

A little bit fitter, a little bit faster. A good solid 5km this evening. In fact my best 5km since July of last year.

But I'm at a critical point in my training now. I've been at this point several times before, and been forced to stop through injury on each occasion. So I'm being almost paranoid about any twinges and niggles, which to date are thankfully minor. Even so, I've booked appointments with my torture therapist* and also my podiatrist** to give myself every chance of getting to wherever it is I'm going. And I won't know that until I get through this base-building phase, and can take stock...

News of a sort: I saw Sweder's legs photographed in an American running magazine yesterday. At least, I assume they were Sweder's, because they were covered in mud and sloshing through a significant lake. The photo was captioned "We Know You. Some people run to get OUT of the rain. You run to get OUT IN the rain." So it must have been Sweder.

I'm kind of jealous, but just for the moment I'll stick to the treadmill. Off-road will come later, when it's good and wintry.

*That is, the evil but lovely Rebecca, physiotherapist par excellance.
** The aptly named Dr Pain.

[Ana]

MLCM,
I would like to run at least the half of your distances, but I should take it easy. I believe that you runs really a lot Perhaps you just need knee exercises (as me), but I sure that you already knows it and you made it.

Right now there are too much medical technicals word at the forum (even Sweder !). But March is almost finish and April will be different. I am sure.

You know what? I will go almost Down Under! I will travel on April to Kuala Lumpur. I have already booked my plane-ticket yesterday and as I take a look at the map I have seen that it is at the end of the world, not so far away as your Island, but, anyway...
I am happy about it. I have old-mates meeting.
I am not sure that I could run there, but I will try Keept my training. At least, in that which concerns rehydratation

[Sweder]

KL is beautiful Ana, but beware the humidity.
You really do need to focus on hydration (no, not that kind). For post-run re-hydration I recommend the Hard Rock Cafe. In many cities HRCs are very boring, family restaurants. Not this one

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Another 5km safely negotiated tonight: so back-to-back midweek 5kms in the bag without drama. However I must confess all the current discussion on the forum about running injuries is making me nervous. The reality however, is that everything in the MLC Man bod is holding up pretty well.

Tomorrow I'm off to see the lovely, but evil Rebecca, who will assuredly have much to say about said MLC Man bod, and will doubtless devise devilish execise programs for me to remain fit and healthy.

I may need to visit the pub afterwards.

I shall report back from the grave.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I may need to visit the pub afterwards.

It's true I am having a couple of drinks following my visit to the lovely, but evil Rebecca. And very nice beers they are too. My "Zurich Sub-5 Special Bitter" has aged into a beauty: clean and unusually refreshing for a bitter, I am very pleased with this brew. Rather special, in fact.

Anyway, I digress. But then alcohol does that. The other thing alcohol does...

But I digress a second time... This afternoon the lovely, but evil Rebecca was reasonably pleased with the state of things, other than my illotibials, patellas, quadriceps femoris, gastrocnemius's and the way I kept screaming as she tore ligament and flesh from my bones as the lights dimmed, the air chilled and thunder crashed in a vaguely demonic way. I really should find a more up-market physio...

She then obligingly wrote down a list of impossible stretches to torture myself with three times daily and said she was only letting me off this lightly because I was a member of the Running Commentary community, and had therefore suffered enough... her words, not mine. Honest! (Or it could be the beer).

No, no, to be seriously boring for a moment: she identified two main areas that needed work - my illotibials, which still need more strengthening to ensure my patellas track properly, and therefore minimise knee deterioration, and my anterior tibialis, which, whilst sufficiently strong, need much more stretching to reduce the likelihood of shin splints. So she neatly identified my problem areas and prescribed a series of stretches to mitigate the problem. Clever lady. Demonic, but clever.

So now I'm having a few drinks to recover. And tomorrow, my stretching program begins in earnest...

Honestly.

[Ana]

It's true I am having a couple of drinks following my visit to the lovely, but evil Rebecca.
She then obligingly write down a list of impossible stretches to torture myself with three times daily and said she was only letting me off this lightly because I was a member of the Running Commentary community, and had therefore suffered enough... her words, not mine. Honest! (Or it could be the beer).

Dear MLCM,
you are enyoing your treatment with Rebeca tooo much, are you sure that she is a certified phisiotherapist?
be careful, how many Guinness does she drinks?

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Dear MLCM,
you are enyoing your treatment with Rebeca tooo much?

I've been rumbled. Why do women read us fellas so darn well?

[Sweder]

and the way I kept screaming as she tore ligament and flesh from my bones

Oh God, I feel your pain. Literally.
But it's worth it, and apparently it gets better the more you go
Which reminds me . . . must go and streeeeeetch . . .

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Another 5km tonight to bring the running month to a close (tomorrow being a rest day). Unusually, tonight's run caused a blister on my heel. Closer inspection revealed a tear in the fabric at the back of the shoe, probably where it's caught on the orthotic, and the resulting mangulation* birthed the blister. Rather annoying, but nothing that can't be remedied.

Tonight's 5km brought my total for the month to 98km, with barely a twinge to mention, certainly no genuine injury as such. Making it, all things considered, perhaps my best ever month of running. And I followed it with a decent stretching session, which was actually tougher than the run. Feels bloody good now though. I think the difference being that I'm now using stretches that target the troublesome areas, and so can feel them doing some good. Or maybe that's the post-run whisky**?

Whatever, it's been a good month. Now to tackle April, which begins on Sunday with a 13km longie.

But first, a rest day.


*Not a genuine English word, I hasten to add for Ana's benefit.
** Knockando 12 y.o.

[Ana]

and the resulting mangulation* birthed the blister.
*Not a genuine English word, I hasten to add for Ana's benefit.
** Knockando 12 y.o.

Dear MLCM, I really appreciate, but, unfortunately, I didn't understand the word mangulation, and it is even worst, because "mangulation" doesn't exist in any dictionnary
Anyway, I will drink a Knockando 12 in order to forget my faiblesses


For the rest! Good job in your training dear Antipode, (even better because you are injured).

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

According to the dictionary of Mid Life Crisis Running Terms:

Mangulation = Shoe damage likely to result in blisters, especially among runners.

[El Gordo]

I thought "birth" as a verb was the bigger crime, but there you are....

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I thought "birth" as a verb was the bigger crime, but there you are....

I was rather proud of the way I put both words together.

They call me... The Mangulator.

[Sweder]

'Mangulation' . . . according to the Dictionary of the Bizarre and Uncommon this is what Johnnie Foreigners do when they take unspeakable liberties with the English language

Crikey, this could start a war . . .

. . . speaking of which, where's all this Iranian Gunboat diplomacy going then, eh? I see the Yanks have been (mercifully) quiet to date, except to say 'No Deal, Noel' on a proposed hostage swap. Perhaps we're only now seeing the real benefits of sticking our necks out to support the Monkey-Puppet Bush :mad: The UN have offered to whack the artists formerly known as Persia with a stick of wet celerey and the EU have threatened to call upon the 'combined economic might' of the Union to smite the perps.

As Ricky Tomlinson would no doubt growl,
Special relationship my arrrse!