June 2014

[Charliecat5]

I biked the Moyleman on Saturday with a GoPro strapped to my handle bars taking a photo every second. The ride was harsh, particularly as I ran out of camera memory at one point and had to ring home for more... which resulted in a couple of extra miles to meet the courier at an agreed rendezvous point. 26 miles in 3.5 hours and 3,000ft of climbing (not including the extra 2 miles)... that's the Moyleman for you!

But that is nothing compared to the angst I have had since, trying to turn 14,000 photos into a timelaspe video. They are all transferred over into my video editing software... but do you know how long it takes to render 14,000 photos? ALL DAY... AND WITH ONE HOUR LEFT TO GO, MY LAPTOP RUNS OUT OF MEMORY; SO WHAT DOES IT DO... I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IT FLIPPIN' DOES... IT CLOSES DOWN THE VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE SO I HAVE TO START AGAIN!

So in a right grump I set out for a little constitutional this evening, hitting my routine 3 miler at quite a pace... I reet flew up Sweder's Hill, powered by a days worth of pent up frustrations. I should have gone further really, but was reluctant to leave my rendering for that long.

Anyway, I have now copied the photos to an external drive and will drop them into a professional (and good friend of the Moyleman) later in the week. Cheers James!

Onwards and upwards.

[Charliecat5]

I have just completed a 10 miler with Sweder... which finished nicely at a pub for some re-hydration. All I can say is: what's said on the trails, stays on the trails.

There are somethings that you just cannot repeat... or indeed remove from ones mind once they are embeded in there. The good news is that we made it to the pub in time.

[Charliecat5]

Pin him down, don't let him sleep and kick him in the head... and then, and only just then, can I beat the man up hill and along river.

I refer you to Sweder's post of last night for an explanation of how he got himself into this state... and beyond... but for me it was a bonus.

When he eventually turned up for the second time (having forgotten his shoes the first) we set off for a 10 miler over to Kingston, up the ridge, down the yellow brick road to Southease and back along the river. And it was a tremendous run. The sun shone, the birds sung, the frogs frolicked and I was out in front - flying up Kingston Ridge, cruising along the tops, dancing along the river and sprinting to a finish at the Swan. OK, he had only managed 2 hours sleep the night before, was running off a hangover, suffering from a dodgy knee and had certain issues with his bowels that I'd rather not go into here... or indeed ever again... ever.

But that's not the point... I was out in front.

Having said that, following my post run nutritional re-loading: 3 pints of ale, 2 packs of crisps and a mini pork pie, I went to bed. The Animal (aka Sweder) went out drinking with neighbours until the wee small hours.

I salute you, you mad f****r.

   

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

You have done well, Charlie. Sweder will run when most mortals would consider such an activity nothing short of complete insanity. He is the man of no excuses, and he seems to actually thrive on such mere adversity as hangovers, illness and major, debilitating injury ... damn him.

[Charliecat5]

Last night I went to see the Pixies live in London which involved quite a lot of beer and quite a lot of boppin', plus quite a late night.

The consequence of this was a run this evening which didn't really go to plan. The good news is that I made it to the mighty Blackcap and back, and also my pace up the steep bits was pretty good.

But I think I have pushed it too far this week... All that was good about Friday's run turned to mush this evening. It seems that everything that Sweder was suffering with on Friday came back and bit me on the arse tonight.

Now my legs ache, really ache and I still have stomach cramps. Having said that it was nice out there, I didn't get rained on and I made it back in time, if you know what I mean.

7 tough miles... Suck it up, as a great man once said.

Onwards and upwards.

[Charliecat5]

After Monday's nightmare run I was feeling a little despondent about this running lark. So it was with some trepidation that I set off this evening.

Having pulled my quads earlier in the week I started, unusually, with some stretches and then set off in the evenings haze for a three miler. I would like to tell you what the first half a mile was like, but with the dappled sun shining straight in my eyes, I have no idea.

Once out from underneath the trees I could see where I was going, along the farm track up Sweder's hill and back home along the railway. The tracks were perfect, still holding enough moisture to be slightly springy but firm enough to run at some speed.

Not my fastest run but not my slowest either and I am happy that my running spark is back again this week.

I am now starting to think about the weekends run... and whether I can manage a 13 miler... or dare I even say the words... a half marathon distance... we'll see...

3.2 miles run, 2 flies swallowed, and 1 bug the size of a people carrier embedded in the side of my head - all in all a good evenings workout.

[Sweder]

If this long run was to be on Sunday morning, reasonably early, I might be persuaded to join you. I've purchased a proper bionic knee brace and my stomach is back under control (promise).

I had thought about taking you up the Snake, as it were.
Your gaff, W, Castle Hill, Death Valley, turn right, Snake, back down t'other side of the Serpent, up onto Kingston Ridge via top of the YBR, home via Kingston or back down Juggs Lane. Not sure how far that is but should be close to 13. Ish.

[Charliecat5]

Isn't the Snake that long, long, relentless 2 mile climb that fools you into thinking that you at the top when in actual fact you are still along way from it? And you think this is a good idea because?

Well, I have purchased a new pair of running shoes this morning... so let's give it a whirl...

[Charliecat5]

This is getting to be a regular thing this running with Sweder and I am really enjoying it... BUT, and I believe this is quite deliberate, he is really starting to push my limits, not just in terms of distance – distance is just a number – but in terms of hill climbing and the mental challenge this involves.

I am starting to realise that as a newbie I have fallen for the oldest trick in the book… it appears that the rest of you have slunk off with wry smiles on your faces leaving me to the mercies of the Animal, safe in the knowledge that someone else is suffering the pain.

Having mentioned that I might be going out this weekend for a ‘long-one’, Sweder kindly suggested he join me and that he already had a route in mind.

It went like this: my pad, up the W (Kingston Ridge), Castle Hill, the Snake and Heartbreak Ridge, before heading north back to home. I ran the furthest I have ever run this morning – we clocked 12.25 miles on the old GPS; but to be honest I am not that bothered about distance… what I am more interested in – and my legs are particularly interested in – is that we climbed 1,621 feet this morning. This is a far more satisfying record for me.

Interestingly, I am now finding my ability to run up steep slopes really improving. Running up the W was relatively easy (when I say 'easy' I mean less hard than some of the other bits), and Heartbreak Ridge was almost enjoyable. But hills like the Snake are really difficult. There are, I believe, two reasons for this. When I run up steep hills my running style changes, I run on my toes pushing hard with the muscles I have built up over many years biking these hills. On a lesser slope I run it as though I am on the flat which is challenging. He tells me that this will improve.

I think the second reason is more psychological; at the point we set off up the Snake I was geographically speaking in unknown territory – I wasn’t sure where we were going and more importantly, how far we were going. Out of the whole run, the few miles up and over the Snake to the bottom of Heartbreak Ridge were the most difficult.

Having said that, by the time we got back down to Kingston Village he had broken me… I walked the last quarter of the last mile home arriving buggered, but happy.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Well done Charlie, you're properly hooked now, I can tell. But enjoy it, it's a great life.

[Charliecat5]

3 miles this evening... fast... slow... fast up Sweder's hill... slow (by necessity)... followed by a badly timed sprint to the finish (I set off a bit too soon).

3M * R = 3B

So it's off to the pub then, hopefully for a pint (or three) of Wild Hop

[Charliecat5]

I set the alarm for 8am this morning, but when the hour approached, my head still thumped and my mouth felt as though I had eaten my pillow during the night.

At 9am, I was feeling a little better; my wife was no longer in bed, replaced by a small boy who was fast asleep.

At 9.45am the boy had gone so I swung my legs out of bed and got up. Sod the run I thought as I did an impressive impression of a sloth across the bedroom floor and into the bathroom.

9.50am I have checked twitter to discover that Rachel has just completed a fantastic 8.2km distance, Brook is out there training for some new mental long distance run and I know Ferg is out there hammering the Friston trails on his bike. Bugger.

10.00am and I have my running gear on, heading out the door.

5 miles this morning at a sub 9min/mi pace and by the time I got to mile 3 the hangover was a thing of the past (well almost). I ran along flint tracks, up through woods, along race courses, past ripening fields of grain swaying in the wind, along paths overgrown with grasses and nettles.

It's hot! Damn hot! Real hot! Hottest thing is my shorts...

[Charliecat5]

For a while now, since I have started running further and faster I have had a pain around my ankle mainly on my left foot. When I'm running I don't really notice it that much (other bits of me hurt more) but when I stop and rest for a while it starts to hurt, particularly when I put weight on it.

I am planning to go and get it seen to, but wondered if any of you have experienced this sort of thing before or know what the cause might be?

The photo shows where it is hurting.

   

[Charliecat5]

Work has been hellish busy over the last few weeks and the diary is not looking much better for the next few either. Not only has it been busy but it has also involved quite a few dinners, boozy late nights and travel overseas.

This is all good, as busy means income and I am always up for good food and nice beer, but it hasn't left a great deal of time for running, in fact in the last two weeks I have only managed to get out twice totalling 7.5 miles - much less than normal.

Earlier this week I had arranged to go running this morning with Rob (aka OutAlongTheRiver) and we had sort of planned to limit the run to a maximum of 9 miles (15 km in Rob's language) as he hasn't been out for a while.

Trouble is, as I approached the end of two long days in France yesterday I started on the beer... and continued on the beer through two station bars (Arras and Lille) and then discovered more beer on the Eurostar arriving home at 23:30 last night a little tipsy.

So this morning I wasn't that excited about running, but as I had a date I made the effort. We decided to run from my gaff up to Blackcap and then pause to see how we felt. For a man who hasn't run much of late, he's bloody quick - I beat him up the first hill, but he soon found his pace and that was that... I was in second place.

So how did I feel at the top of Blackcap? Hot and hungover that's how I felt - the sweat running down my face tasted a little metallic just like the last few dregs of a Duvel for instance. I suggested that it might be better to take it easy this morning (thinking of, ahem, Rob, because he hasn't been out much of late) so we headed over Mount Harry back towards Lewes.

As it happened, Rob received a phone call at the top of Mount Harry to say that there had been a problem at Pells Pool, so we needed to head home anyway. By the time we arrived it was all sorted which meant we had nothing to do but cool the old muscles down in what Rob calls a perfect temperature, but what I call a bloody ice bath.

6.7 miles at an average moving pace of 9.5min/mi

I must get out more this week... and perhaps drink a little less... perhaps

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Drink less? Drink less?? During a World Cup campaign?!

What is the world coming to?

[Charliecat5]

Drink less? Drink less?? During a World Cup campaign?!

What is the world coming to?

I said "perhaps" and I'm drinking beer now... and going to the pub later.

Cracking game this evening.

[Sweder]

Good work fella. I'm a little* jealous of your meagre milage, having not run since our epic 12 miler two weeks ago. My knee is borked. I've pounded it across the concrete of Excel all week, now it's off to Florida to stalk the halls of the CWD conference for another seven days. Looks like an MRI scan is required as things ain't what they should be. Ah well.


*lot

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

My knee is borked... Looks like an MRI scan is required as things ain't what they should be. Ah well.

Fark.

Bad news indeed. Take care and have fun at CWD.