No scheduled run today so I whiled away Coronation Street and University Challenge on the exercise bike instead. There’s been a bit of correspondence today on the running newsgroups about the fat, panting newbies like me who lined up at the start too near the front, thereby depriving people further behind of a winning chance. Or at least, forcing them to overtake too many runners in a congested opening mile.… READ MORE.... …
Month: March 2002
Well, I didn’t win… but it was close. Had I shaved around 60% off my time, my name would be up there in lights in Reading this evening. Instead, the luminary in question, and the 2nd and 3rd finishers, are all Kenyans – two of whom didn’t turn up to receive their prizes at the post-race presentation. I happened to be limping past the makeshift stage at the time, and stopped for a minute to see them not be there.… READ MORE.... …
As hinted yesterday, decided to implement a mini-taper for Sunday’s Reading Half by swapping the scheduled 5 mile run for 40 minutes on an exercise bike. Also helped to preserve what remains of my lower extremities. That’s it for now…… READ MORE.... …
9 miles before breakfast. The first morning run I’ve managed without early retirement through injury or profound misery. It was still tough going. Like all crack-of-dawn runs there was something raw and bleak and high-resolution monochrome about it. Creaking out of bed in the cold half-light, pulling on shivering synthetics and finding yourself on the streets. Deeply unnatural. How you long for the warmth of the womb.… READ MORE.... …
A lunchtime run today of just over 4 miles, at 11.02 a mile. I said some time ago that I’d take more notice of times and speed once the race was within 6 weeks. That’s now. It can’t hurt to be more conscious of pace, but I don’t think it’s a wise move to translate this into a target time for the race itself.… READ MORE.... …
No run today. Instead I’m enjoying the warmth of belated satisfaction about getting through 18 miles yesterday. For some inexplicable reason it seemed to pass me by yesterday. I’m getting confused about carbo-loading. I read Hal Higdon’s Ultimate Marathon Training Guide last week in which he is pretty strict about the need to wolf down 400 grams of carbohydrate every day in the run-up to the marathon.… READ MORE.... …
Awoke this morning and prodded a few sensitive areas. Initial impression encouraging. Got up and feasted on bagel and banana and toast and tea. There followed a farcically disorganised few hours in which I drove round the countryside planting refreshment in ditches – like little prizes in a kiddies’ treasure hunt. Portable oases awaiting the thirsty traveller. After this act of selfish benevolence, I drove round, trying to work out a route of precisely 18 miles.… READ MORE.... …
I sometimes read other London Marathon internet journals. One of them, Mike Henry (www.reluctantrunner.com) hasn’t written anything in the past 10 days or so. The reason is revealed in today’s message: The past week has been a very long week for me. Last Thursday a tumour, that I didn’t know I had, burst in my brain and I began a journey into the inner sanctums of the medical kingdom.… READ MORE.... …
Sometimes all the bits slot together, giving rise to a strong sense that “I am a runner”. It’s an awkward thing to say, and to see, in black and white. But it’s true, and it’s a beautiful place to be. This roller-coaster week has brought me back up again to admire the lovely view from up here. After a pretty rotten few days, this evening I had one of those wonderful runs that remind me what this is all about.… READ MORE.... …