May 2014

[Charliecat5]

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.

This for me is the real benefit of being a member of RC - the great advice I get for free.

The distance of 10 miles I have done before (last weekend being my first 10 mile +) but this run will be pushing my boundaries in terms of hill climbing. Your suggestion about the three recovery stops makes very good sense to me so I will aim for one on Blackcap, one once I have attacked Heart Attack Hill and one at the top of Castle Hill - although I have a feeling that there may be a couple of unplanned stops on the way up Loose Bottom.

[Charliecat5]

I'm completely buggered... 10.9 miles; 9.5min/mi pace.

   

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Well done Charlie, a great effort! That half marathon will be a piece of cake for you very soon.

On the technique front, the other thing I meant say about the arms is to try swinging them in parallel to the ground rather than across your body. It can make a heck of a difference.

[Charliecat5]

On the technique front, the other thing I meant say about the arms is to try swinging them in parallel to the ground rather than across your body. It can make a heck of a difference.

The only swinging my arms are going to do in the near future, is swinging a pint from the bar to my mouth.

[Charliecat5]

It is my intention to do one long run at the weekends and a couple of shorter and faster runs during the week. But this weekend I have no time for running, so rather than let the long run slip by I decided to go out yesterday for an evening run.

As I keep pushing my distances I have to think of new runs to do around the Downs… there are lots of options but it becomes increasingly difficult to avoid the hills. So during the course of yesterday I formulated a plan to run from home to Blackcap, then south along the SDW, up Heart Attack Hill and down to Housedean Farm… and THEN up the infamous Loose Bottom (aka the Relentless Bastard) to the top of Castle Hill before heading home via Kingston Ridge and Juggs Lane.

The real challenge on this route, is that the top of the track that takes you down to Heart Attack Hill (at about 5.5 miles in) is the last chance to bail out and take an easier way home – once past this point I was committed to completing the whole route.

The run to Blackcap was ok, it was hot and I did start to worry about how much water I was carrying, but it was relatively easy, and I managed to get there without stopping for a breather which is a first for me. At the top, on the instructions of Glaconman, I stopped for a drink and a bit of a stretch. I would have to say that having stretched I had more aches when I started up again than I had prior to the stretch!

The next stop was to be the top of Heart Attack Hill – I didn’t quite make it, as I decided to stop in the wood itself where it was a little cooler and also I wanted to have a gel at least 15 minutes ahead of the Relentless Bastard. It wasn’t until I got the gel out of my bag that I realised it contained caffeine. Now for most of you this wouldn’t be a problem, but you have to understand that I haven’t had caffeine now for about 5 years… so what to do… I needed the energy… so down it went.

By the time I go to the top of Heart Attach Hill, I was tripping… my legs had detached themselves from the rest of me and I was floating about a foot of the ground as I headed down to the A27. Not an unpleasant feeling it has to be said, but very weird. Fortunately, by the time I had crossed the A27 and was heading to the bottom of the Relentless Bastard, my feet were starting to re-attach themselves to the rest of me and I started to descend from my high, sadly just in time for the biggest climb of my running career to date.

But you know what… the Relentless Bastard was alright. I mentally split the hill into three stages and decided that I would probably walk the second. But as it happens, I ran the first two (at a fairly moderate pace it has to be said) and then walked the first 20 yards of the third stage before realising that running was less painful than walking. But as I approached the gate at the top, a soddin’ mountain biker stopped to hold the gate open for me… Noooooooooo, that’s just removed my excuse to stop… the bastard. It is just the sort of evil trick I do to runners when I’m out on my bike.

From there I turned east for the last 2 miles home – this was really, really tough. I was a knackered and although most of the remaining steps were downhill it was hard to keep my head up and maintain a reasonable pace. But I did it… I made it home and was pleasantly surprised that I had managed to run 11 miles, climb 1,300ft and maintain a sub 10 minute/mile pace.

Running is really a game of extremes. How can it be that 200 yards before the finish I was in agony and seriously thinking about hanging up my boots for ever and yet, 200 yards later, at the finish, I was hit by a wave of euphoria and all I could think about was the next run… how can I go from one extreme to the other in such a short space of time – the joys of running eh!

[Sweder]

Ha ha, you have been bitten quite badly, haven't you? Well done.

The Relentless Bastard (Loose Bottom) is a killer. Shorter than the Snake (a full 2 ks from tail-tip to dripping fangs) yet about the same elevation, the hill is not only steeper but you can see how far you have to go from the start. A genuine mind-f*ck when your legs are screaming.

What you don't yet know is how much good you're banking for the future. Come the long runs, the 16, 18, 20 milers, you'll have met the dispair and numbing fatigue before, and know what you need to do to overcome it.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

More than bitten, I think Charlie has been swallowed up holus-bolus by the sounds of it. Sweder's right, of course. These hard runs in the hills will make those longer distances so much easier when the time comes. Excellent work, CC!

[Charliecat5]

I am enjoying this running lark and it is a little addictive - but then as people have often pointed out to me... I do have an obsessive personality (aka deranged personality). But I don't think my running has started from first base as I have been mountain biking over these hills for a number of years, so psychologically, I already know what bastards they are. In fact, running up 'em is (in theory) easier than biking up 'em, as I don't have the bike to carry up 'em when I'm running - if you follow.

Interestingly, I was discussing the difference between running and mountain biking in the pub with Rob on friday evening and I think we concluded (it's hard to remember by the 4th pint) that running was more about pushing the boundaries of body and mind; whereas, biking was really just about physical boundaries, but with a large dose of adrenaline thrown in... well at least the way I do it!

[Charliecat5]

I have a new theory... I know, I'm a genius.

When slogging my guts up Malling Hill this evening I suddenly had a flash of inspiration and came up with a new theory about running. It's called the "beer to mile ratio" or BMR for short; it is the number of pints of beer drunk during a fix period as a percentage of the miles run in the same period.

If the ratio is below 100% then you are running far enough to keep the evils of drink at bay... but if you go over the 100% then the running is going to suffer. I told you, it's genius.

Last Friday evening I ran 11 miles; by closing time on Friday evening I had drunk 4 pints which gives me a BMR of 36%. No worries.

Since then I have been working in Amsterdam, and although it is all a bit hazy, over two days I drank approximately 14 pints. Which takes my BMR to 164% - oh dear.

Which is why my run this evening - a quick 3 miler over Malling Down, wasn't very quick. The good news though is that I can now add those 3 miles to the calculation which reduces my BMR to 129%. And I only need to run another 4 miles this week to bring myself back to a perfect balance.

That's dooable...

[Sweder]

The BMR Index. I think this may have been touched on in these pages, but some time ago, possibly several years. I used to bag a skinful on a Friday before my Sunday long runs. Inevitably a good Friday night proceeded a decent Sunday run. This became known as 'hydration'.

In Connemara we sank an inprecisely recorded amount of Guinness before but especially after the race. This is known as 're-hydration'.

You may like to know that pre- and post-race beers are never counted on the BMR index.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

You are able to count your beers? My publican would suggest you aren't drinking enough.

[Charliecat5]

You are able to count your beers? My publican would suggest you aren't drinking enough.

I refer you to my Amsterdam estimate...

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Ah yes, but Amsterdam has other ... delights.

Actually, the BMR index makes me wonder if there's not another book in the offing for Richard Askwith ... 'Running Free, Drinking Freely'.

I'd buy that.

[Charliecat5]

You may like to know that pre- and post-race beers are never counted on the BMR index.

At risk of being controversial, I think that pre and post race beers should be counted on the BMR index as it is the overall balance that should drive miles run or beers consumed.

If I run 10 miles, I am allowed to have 10 post-run beers and if I had 5 beers before I ran 10 miles, then I adjust the BMR time period to start from beginning of the run so I can still have 10 post-run beers. It's a work of genius and a great motivator.

Obviously other forms of alcohol don't count.

[marathondan]

I agree that pre- and post-run beers should be counted in the BMR. If you run (and drink) frequently enough, every beer is either a pre- or post-run beer.

I think other forms of alcohol should be in as well. Beer is of course an excellent running fuel, full of malty goodness, but many an RC early morning run has been affected by a previous night on the vin rouge.

It should be noted that the number of calories in a pint of beer is quite similar to the number of calories consumed by running a mile. It depends on your weight and the strength of the beer, and I suspect that on average the beer slightly outweighs the run. So if you keep to a BMR of about 80% you are in fact balancing your calories. You seem to have stumbled on something quite scientifically accurate .

However of course, if you're doing 40 miles a week with a BMR of 80%, it's more your liver you need to be worried about.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I agree that pre- and post-run beers should be counted in the BMR. If you run (and drink) frequently enough, every beer is either a pre- or post-run beer.

Now that's what I call clever thinking. I don't need to hear anything more.

[glaconman]

Beer is liquid bread is good for you ..... I'm sure there's a song about this.

I love beer and running in equal measure. They are 2 of the cornerstones of my life. But it is a balancing act. Which is why the BMR index is so damn important.

Slightly sideways. But has anybody watched this video. Looks at the way carbs and sugars are processed. I found it very enlightening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

I know guys who can run well after a skinfull. Whereas I suspect most of us struggle if we drink even just a couple the night before a morning race or run.

Ah well. I have a day off tommorrow. With no intention of running for a couple of days. What to do this evening? Hahahahahaha.

[Sweder]

Well, that's not a two-minute skim, is it?
I'll digest that during Holby City tonight.

Yes, EVERY beer is effectively pre or post run. That's why I find it inconvenient to count pre or post-run beers in my BMR : )) I like Dan's equasion though. As I'm sort-of off the beer (but not on the wagon) and not running much my BMR is pretty much in balance

[Charliecat5]

I knew when I got up this morning that it wasn't going to happen. I had planned a 10+ miler today so had set the alarm for 8am. But upon waking to an alarm muffled by the hammering rain and discovering a twinge of a hangover from last nights wine shenanigans, I decided to postpone the run until later this afternoon.

Well the good news is that I went out. The bad news is that 1.5 miles in, and half way up Sweder's hill, I knew it just wasn't going to happen. My head and body simply weren't in the mood - an overly indulgent lunch was rapidly turning into lactic acid and my feet were starting to protest.

So after a rest, I crossed the race course, climbed over the fence at Jill's pond and headed home via Neville Estate.

3 miles bagged - almost enough to cover last nights alcoholic intake, leaving my BMR still well north of where it needs to be (which could of course be the problem!).

Monday morning is pencilled in to try again.

Onwards and upwards...

[Sweder]

Monday morning is pencilled in to try again.

Room for a small* one?



*lardy slow-coach