May 2014

[Sweder]

It was part four of a five course meal.
Buuuurrrrrp.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

It was part four of a five course meal.
Buuuurrrrrp.

Move aside El Gordo, we have a new Big Cheese.

[marathondan]

"Mature, robust, with a thick skin, and popular at all occasions, from a simple rustic luncheon to a fine gourmet dinner. Frequently paired with all kinds of strong alcohol."

[Seafront Plodder]

Anyway ... bananas in backpacks in summer weather make for bad bed-fellows. I took four during the Connemarathon (along with peanut butter and jam bagels wrapped, ill-advisedly as it turned out - in tissue paper). The last one, reached for at around 40ks, had transformed into a foul, black liquid coating the insides of my rucksack.

I think you'll find it was my rucksack. Still trying to get the stuff out.

[Charliecat5]

I'm hoping last night's dive into l'Hotel de France's magnificent cheeseboard will have a positive effect ...

Blimey, I leave my diary for less than 24 hours and come back to find it full of cheese... Still, it could be worse...

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Blimey, I leave my diary for less than 24 hours and come back to find it full of cheese... Still, it could be worse...

It's a bit like that around these parts Charlie - a lot of thread hijacking goes on. But there's always beer and cheese to compensate.

[Charliecat5]

Blimey, I leave my diary for less than 24 hours and come back to find it full of cheese... Still, it could be worse...

It's a bit like that around these parts Charlie - a lot of thread hijacking goes on. But there's always beer and cheese to compensate.

So I got the cheese... lots of cheese... what happened to the beer?

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

So I got the cheese... lots of cheese... what happened to the beer?

Well, here's mine.

[Charliecat5]

Mine's just on its way...

   

[Sweder]

Anyway ... bananas in backpacks in summer weather make for bad bed-fellows. I took four during the Connemarathon (along with peanut butter and jam bagels wrapped, ill-advisedly as it turned out - in tissue paper). The last one, reached for at around 40ks, had transformed into a foul, black liquid coating the insides of my rucksack.

I think you'll find it was my rucksack. Still trying to get the stuff out.

I used my LA Fitness backpack. Yours got switched to bag-drop at the last minute. That LAF bag is still around, though no-one has been able to capture it ...

[Charliecat5]

I had been planning this run all week and was taking it quite seriously, watching what I was eating, carb loading last night and not drinking! I know! I haven’t had a drink (the alcoholic sort) since last Saturday night – although to be fair, I had enough grog last Saturday night to last most of the week.

So when I woke up this morning at 7:30 imagine my angst to look out the window to see the trees blown horizontal and torrential rain lashing against the window… it looked horrendous … FFS it’s May.

I stood and watch it for about 10 minutes and then checked the forecast only to find that this weather was set all day… but tomorrow morning looked better. So what to do? I could leave it today and go back to bed, but I am going out tonight for a fondue and running after a fondue cannot be a sensible plan (we’re back to cheese again). So after 20 minutes of deliberating and with the voices of Sweder, Askwith, Naylor and the borrowed memories of Moyleman in my head, I put on my running stuff and headed out the door.

It was fierce… the rain came in sideways and the wind swept the air away leaving my lungs gasping for oxygen. At one point I let a lump of snot fly, only to watch it go all the way round my back and hit me in the face, and at this point I hadn’t even made it to Kingston Ridge. The chalk track that takes you to the top of the Kingston Ridge and onto the SDW is actually sheltered from the wind so was relatively pleasant; well as pleasant as a soddin’ great hill can be (as an aside, I managed to run up this today for the first time without stopping). But OH BOY, when I got to the top it was as much as I could do to stay planted on the ground… it was brilliant!

I had a quick 30 second rest at the top, any more and exposure was a real threat, and then set off south along the SDW and down the yellow brick road. And then something amazing happened, the wind blew a tunnel through the cloud - suddenly it stopped raining and I could see along the Downs in all directions for miles… it was glorious. Never mind that the wind kept blowing my legs together, never mind every bit of me was completely soaked, never mind the aches, this was brilliant. And then it got even better.

I headed up Mill Hill and down Derek Bakers Hill and it was as I was running down the hill that I met the only other silly sods out this morning - four mountain bikers coming up the hill, and two of them were pushing their bikes! Ha! I’ve never pushed my bike up hill, ever… it’s cheating. I shouted a happy hello as I went past and all of them just gave me a look of complete despair… which did wonders for my mood.

Along the farm track took me to Southease and the Southease Bridge, at which point I left the Moyleman and turned north to head back along the river. It started to rain again, sideways, so it was one foot in front of the other, head down, focused on keeping a reasonable pace going for the 4 miles or so back along the river. The tide was high and even through the howling wind I could hear the birds singing and the river bubbling along which kept my spirits up and my feet moving.

As I went under the A27 Bridge I turned left past the dump to head back into Lewes. This was tough, back onto tarmac and a steady climb along Southover. It’s not steep you understand, but by this stage I was wiped, so it took a real last effort to keep the pace up to reach home again, 1 hour 47 minutes after I had left it.

I achieved a goal this morning that back at the beginning of April, when I really started to take this running lark seriously, I thought was completely beyond me. I ran 10.25 miles at an average moving pace of 9.36 min/mi, and to be honest I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself. And those who have supported and encouraged me over recent months should also feel pretty pleased with themselves as well – you know who you are.

I may have a drink tonight, and if I do, I will be raising a glass to Moyleman, the man I didn’t have the fortune to meet, but the man who is always there, in my head, encouraging me to keep going.

Track de jour: The Skylarks and the whistling wind.

[Sweder]

Bloody marvellous mate.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Nice one Charlie, that's a well-earned erm, fondue.

Bloody hell though - if you have that sort of weather this time next year, it could well see a couple (or more?) of us struggling through the Three Forts ... Christ!

[Sweder]

Nice one Charlie, that's a well-earned erm, fondue.

Bloody hell though - if you have that sort of weather this time next year, it could well see a couple (or more?) of us struggling through the Three Forts ... Christ!

We can only hope. It'll be like the 2007 Stinger all over again.
Muddy hell.

[Charliecat5]

I was persuaded by a very nice guy at the Brighton food fest this avo to purchase a jar of salsita de chiles ahumados – a rare chilli paste hand made in Mexico using the pasilla Oaxaca chilli which is, apparently, twice as smoky as a chipotle and goes brilliantly with scrambled eggs

Bugger, I forgot to try my new Salsita de chilies ahumados on my post run, muscle building, scrambled eggs this morning.

Mind you, I forget to have the scrambled eggs too.

[Charliecat5]

Since 6am yesterday morning I have spent over 14 hours with a train strapped to my arse… and worse, since my euphoric run on Saturday I have done nothing but eat cheese, drink wine and sit in meetings. I arrived in Carlisle at 21:00 last night and left again at noon today … by 17:30 I was back in Lewes.

It was very frustrating to be within spitting distance of the Lakeland fells but without the time to visit; so on my return this evening it had to be done… a hop and a skip out of the door for a relatively quick 5 miler down to the stables, across the main road and up around the race course. The weather was beautiful with lovely blue skies, but Lewes has clearly been subject to a deluge this afternoon as the tracks were ankle deep in mud, making it pretty hard going… and as an aside, I can’t thank the horse fraternity enough for the damage they have done to the paths this last week – it drives me up the wall that they can get away with it.

However, it was good to be out… and although the first couple of miles were particularly tough, it was great to clear the cobwebs and run a sub 9 min/mi pace. In fact my moving pace was 8:36 min/mi this evening. I’m definitely getting fitter!

I discovered something else as well this evening – and please don’t laugh – but the more I swing my arms, the more my stride increases. It’s weird, but it works!

Onwards, faster and upwards…

[glaconman]

That is frustrating. The spiritual home of fell running. And yes, swing your arms and your legs will follow. Useful when you're starting to fatigue.

[Charliecat5]

That is frustrating. The spiritual home of fell running. And yes, swing your arms and your legs will follow. Useful when you're starting to fatigue.

I just couldn't believe how much it improved my pace, particularly when heading up hill.

[Charliecat5]

Good grief, this working lark really does get in the way of running. Back home this evening after a long day working in Peterborough, but find myself left in charge of the kids... then on Saturday I am going to Go Ape all day for the Boy's birthday before flying out to Amsterdam on Sunday morning for a few days (work again).

This only leaves tomorrow evening for my weekly longer run... so the plan is to knock off at 5pm tomorrow and head out for something around 10 miles, give or take. I have Blackcap in mind and then perhaps over the way and up the infamous Loose Bottom before heading home via Kingston Ridge. Ambitious perhaps... but let's give it a go.

I can always take a taxi to the pub afterwards...

[glaconman]

As long as it's not a big step up (remember the 10% rule) you can afford to be be quite ambitious on the long runs. Go for the hard 10.

Just give yourself enough time to have some recovery during the run. Split it up into 4 sections and plan on having 3 recovery stops. A drink. A snack. A bit of a stretch. When you're doing it this way it's suprising what you can achieve. Good luck.