Zero week!

It happened. The worst possible scenario (in a way). With a combination of illness, a busy schedule and more illness I recorded an amazing week on Strava:

Rest... rest my bum!

Now this hasn't come as a great time, I'm running in the St Davids run on the weekend (Sunday 5th March) and I was hoping to do a decent time on what should be a pretty flat course around Cardiff.

Not so hopeful now... still think I can do ok but we'll see.

Luckily as it was illness, no loss of interest on my part I believe it's actually made me a slight bit more keen to get on with it and get back on the proverbial horse. Not a real horse, I can't ride them. So, today I put on my XXXXL shorts and ventured back into the gym. Nose still running as I went. Quick (lol) mile warm up and a bit of time on the weights to work on my massive muscle...

It was ok, I did what I tried and it didn't kill me.

I may be backish. I'll run tomorrow lunch time if the weather is ok, it's not going to be is it...

On a side note... Great Welsh Marathon has my attention... may do that

Gadgets and Kit

Now as well as being an international standard athlete eater, I also consider myself to be a little bit of a geek. Nothing weird just the usual sci-fi, video games, computers, and gadgets.

Well that makes me a lucky boy, as running and the like is one of the most gadget-ed and stat-ed up recreational actives you can manage I think! Everything has it's little variations, numbers, graphs and tech which catches my interest. It's not like I chose the sport for it, it kind of crept up all around me. So what do we have.

Well...

I currently own and use a GPS watch, in particular a Polar M400.

Aint it pretty?

This took over from my old faithful Garmin Forerunner 15 at the start of the year, something which I picked over a Forerunner 10 as it was 8 hours battery vs 5 hours and I was worried the battery in the 10 would go before I could get round a marathon!

This then links up to an app, which links up to Strava, which analyses all my stuff and tells me how slow I went, along with maps, splits...  All very stat-tastic.

But it doesn't stop there, I have variations in trainer depending on the surface (or I should I only have the 2... trail and road), my clothing is all designed to be warm, or cool, or resist water, or erflect light so I can be seen in the dark. My shorts have other shorts under them which help support my hamstrings so prevent injury, I can wear tights (yeah I don't care) which also support lower leg and help prevent shin splints, or I have supports that do that on their own.

I even have a top which must have been designed to make me look like a whale. No, before you say it, that's not all of my tops, just 80%.

I honestly can't think of too many situations where there wasn't some consideration about what my things will do for me.

So many reasons to love running, and the gadgety side of things is another!

Equally however, every run could be done with a vest a pair of shorts and a sense of direction. But would it engage me as much? Probably not.

Man Down

The absolute worst time, in my opinion, when you're used to be being up and about regularly (as I kind of am) is being ill. I'm sick. I'm not going to die, it's a cold/flu but it's enough to knock the stuffing out of me enough to (among other things:

• Keep me off work and;
• Keep me from exercise.

This is frustrating. Highly frustrating, especially after being particularly happy with my long run Sunday. However, shortly after the run I started feeling a little... funky... and I spent Monday in work coughing and staring at my screen blankly with a headache.

Come Tuesday morning and... man down. I was of little use to anyone. Throat was sore, head hurt and the usual. I also swung between feeling sick and starving randomly, to the point where a trip to get cold n flu tablets ended up with me buying a wheelbarrow full of rubbish food, because I quite fancied it!

Today is Wednesday and well, it's more of the same. My throat still feels like it's being pincered from both sides, my head still is far from clever and I'm sat on my charming red settee typing this not out in work, or running, or in the gym...

No running club tonight either. I'd be found 10 minutes into the session, dead against the side of the road. It's not the future.

Can't help thinking the entire time though, I'm losing a bit of fitness, a bit of strength (I'll leave you do the jokes here). But ill running will probably make me worse. So I'll just sit here, getting even fatter until I can swallow properly again, then try and catch up.

I rock the pajamas look anyway.

Getting out on a long one

A long run, the perfect shut off and relax situation!

This fair evening (assuming I get this published tonight) I took the opportunity of getting some decent mileage in, getting some trainer on tarmac. Downside was I didn't really know where to go, so I spotted a path/trail going under a bridge close to where I started and away I went! The trail was marked 47 and I now know it to be called:

I picked up this trail in Trelewis and followed it for 9 and a bit miles to Sirhowy Valley Country Park, which until today I was unaware of the existence of, via Parc Penallta! Quite a pretty route, little hilly 19 miles got me 1100ft in elevation, mainly in a few consecutive uphill miles at the turning point. Took in a viaduct, many trees, a few small waterfalls and a collection of McDonalds cups left by the side of the path.


Was dark coming back and I can hand on heart say that Parc Penallta is a little spooky in the pitch black. I also had to briefly halt a few times to get my bearings in the somewhat lack of light. Especially when I just caught sight of a gate just before impact in the last couple of miles. Am very much looking forward to lighter nights!

Route is good, challenging, but achievable, I will be using it again at some point no doubt.

My main positive from today has been my pace, I was really not focusing on speed, I was out to enjoy the run, but I did make an extra effort to push up the hilly section, as why not! It appears the not stressing and checking my watch technique makes me go faster, or at least at a more consistent pace.

While I was predictably tired when I got back to the car/child I didn't feel awful at all. I think I could hold that pace for a little while longer. Next race for me is the St Davids Day 10k in Cardiff, suppose this and my Lliswerry pace bodes well. Have to be looking to go under 50 minutes for the 3rd time in my existence (PB 48:11).

Kind of makes me wish I was training for a long un, but only the (apparently simplified) Merthyr Half could be considered 'long'.

Only issue I can see is since returning home I have began feeling very flu'y (is that a word?). Which I can only assume is unrelated and about to make me sneeze for several days! Oh and:

I can be such an amateur on times!

Entry fees!

Money! Get away

There's nothing quite like the buzz of a race day. Thousands of people all together at the start, each ready to beat me comfortably. You get a well marshaled course, generally a new t-shirt and a medal. Could happily do it every week.

2016 Bling!

I can't however, as... whoa these things cost. Well the big ones do anyway. I have skipped an early year marathon this year as I have not the disposable income to throw £50 or £60 at a race event, plus then travel and hotel in Manchester or Liverpool or wherever. Without throwing in the 56 gels, 14 Lucozade Sport and a wheelchair for the finish.

I've entered a few near to me (St David's Day 10k, Merthyr Half Marathon...) which has still gone a way to clearing me out, but no big one this half of the year (I'm doing 16 or 17 miles this weekend though, for free, on my own...).

I understand the events can be very expensive to put on, but I do wonder what the kind of profit margins are like... road closures cost, registration costs, course verification costs, stations on the course cost etc but (For Manchester)  a full price entry is £60 and there's thousands of runners. You should have been the bog queue in the cricket ground before the race last year!

There's got to be some money in it! From my perspective, my alternatives are to either gain a massive pay rise somehow (lol) or continue to pick off races when I have spare cash. It's going to be option B.

What to do with an hour

It so happens, in roughly the middle of the day I tend to have an hour to myself. I believe the intention is to eat or something, but there are far better things you can do with it.

In all practicality, my lunch hour is generally speaking a good opportunity to be active. In the evenings a very busy pair of kids uses up much of the time, so I don't always get much chance to get out. As a result lunch times are spent having a jog, or in the conveniently placed gym next door. Even though there's still not so much as a muscle on me.

Today was a day I wanted to get out and get a couple of miles in, so I did:



The Bay was quite pleasant today! I enjoyed, I got a few miles in and I was back in work to time! Everyone is a winner!

The moral of the story is, no time is too short to bother, take every opportunity you can to be active as it will all help in the end. Apart from me in the gym, that seems to make little difference.

No parkrun tomorrow, going to save myself for a solo Sunday long run while taking one of the aforementioned kids to a rehearsal. Going to be a dark one by the time I get back!

Mainly because it's a challenge, a challenge for me and a challenge for the coracle

No coracles were used in the writing of this post...

A fairly easy thing to do while running would be too slip into a rut. There's some argument that I'm most the way there. I tend to run the same routes, participate in the same races... this kind of does my head in.

Back when I first started running, one of my driving factors (we well as the health benefits etc, see I said there were more) was the challenge. The first, injury strewn, fat(ter) boy half marathon was torturous at times (more for the guy running with me - Hi Brad), but I achieved something I never had. I  got a slight buzz out of it and a large box of Ibuprofen following it.

Look at the size of that thing!

I also learned what not to do to train for something, which was everything I did.

 

Last year, I fulfilled a long long held desire and completed a full marathon on the streets of Manchester. Another new achievement, another goal ticked off.

Smug... worry about time next one...

But the question is... where now? I see some of the challenges people set themselves and I'm part thinking, wow, now that's a challenge, but I'm also part thinking (at least some of the time), I'd love a go at something like that. Borderline jealousy.

I'll always have time goals to push myself on in the more traditional races (I'd like a sub 4 marathon (best is 4:09), a sub 1:50 half (best is 1:50)... not necessarily in the same event). But new is probably more exciting.

There's the writer/runner running the length of Wales, there's people running back to back daily marathons, there are Ultra Marathons (Although I'm a pretty poor trail runner) which would push my distance much further, there's cross country map reading n the dark races (many of which are also Ultras), I've always wanted to do the 24 hour three peaks challenge... alas, this year I've not even booked a marathon til Snowdon. Damn things are so expensive, I've not got the cash!!

Oh and the Crystal maze, always wanted to go on that.

 

Oh and there was the crazy idea I had about completing a triathlon, just a super sprint one, just to see if I could do it. I even bought a bike! That's been put onto the back burner though as, I'm a lousy swimmer... and a lousy cyclist... and not the worlds greatest runner to be honest! Maybe next year.

 

However, the plan is to continue to try and go faster and longer (once again not necessarily in the same event).

 

On a side point I'm considering getting a domain for the blog so the address isn't somename.somewebsite.somethingelse.googlestuff.blah, catchy as that is. I'm thinking:

 

ItsThatRunningGuy.<whateverICanGet/Afford>

or

ThatRunningGuy.<same> but I'm pretty sure the.com is gone there.

 

Any thoughts?

Proud Dad

Ahhh kids, can't kill 'em, can't leave them in the garage to form a new civilisation and leave you alone. However, when they start showing interest in a hobby you can (sort of) help them with it makes that interest massively more rewarding.

My oldest sproglet does have an occasional passable interest in running as I've said before as she likes medals and participation medals are still medals. However, she is also starting to want to do better, which has opened up the opportunity of late for me to push her a little further.

A couple of weeks ago she ran the furthest she's ever been, over 2 miles and she was fine. Probably could have gone a little faster even. So I thought it was time to see if she'd be up for one of her own milestones.. her first 5k (distance, not a race, I'm not going to torture her in public).

So on a cold Saturday afternoon, Brynbach parkrun already behind me, Gracie and I were stood behind Merthyr leisure center, her clad in a brand new (almost bribery) bright pink running jacket, geared up with my old Garmin Forerunner 15 watch, unprepared for the distance ahead (as I hadn't told her)!

My hat... my head was cold...

We set off using roughly the proposed Merthyr Parkrun route, we started off well, no complaints for... 300 yards. But all manageable, correct a bit of posture, balance her pace a bit, fine.  Then we complete the first section and I drop the 5k bombshell... minor tantrum, but after some reassurances she could do it... we're away. After that, a couple of brief walks, a bit more reassurance, she was golden!

The increase in determination when she could see the finish (bench) was borderline heartwarming (any warming was welcome at the time) and the despair when I stopped a further 20 yards passed (rounding distance) as she thought we were going on further was... I felt bad.

Proud of my girl today. I'm very confident she can now do herself proud in the junior races coming up!

Why?

Why?

One of the most commonly question I'm asked about running (closely followed by 'Can't you go any faster?' and 'Can you get out of the way fatty?').

Motivation is of course an individual thing, for some people it's health related for others it's to achieve goals etc. Well this is my take on it:

• Health: 

OK, before we start I'm pretty much a wreck health wise. If I were a horse I'd be put down, if I were a dog, injection please, if I were a... you get the picture. Not counting my too-short-for-my-leg-so-gets-tight hamstrings, my excessive body weight or my history of knee injuries, I have type 1 diabetes and Asthma.

As a result of these ailments, an inactive me would be a pretty (more) messed up me. The physical activity, along side medication of course, helps me regulate both things to the degree where I still generally function as a person.

• Fun

This is the one that confuses people. It's fun, I'm usually pretty happy when running, in a group, on my own, in a race situation (as let's face it even in a race, I'm not in the race!) it's just a relaxing experience. This may just be me... but I'm confident it's not. If it were I suppose the taff trail would be a damn site quieter on a Sunday morning!

Ok, that's PenyFan... you find a better photo.

• Kids

The one thing I was always worried about, I never wanted to be the heffer of a dad picking his kids up that can't even run/waddle after them. I wanted to be at least normal looking so the other kids don't point out to the sprongs their dad has indeed eaten the majority, if not all, of the pies.

I think I look at least roughly normal now...

Of course if the kids ever looked up my race times... whole other thing to mock about.

There are many other reasons, but when I think of it, these are the biggies!

'Race' Report - Brynbach Parkrun #227

I'm aware Parkrun isn't a race!

It was a snowy, snowy morning in Tredegar.

Pretty, but slippery!

I got 13th place in 23:58. Slower time than normal but I do feel the conditions played a part. I nearly went full Bambi on the last lap, but thankfully I kept my feet. Not that I could feel them anyway :)



 Pace started even over two miles, as I was a little nervous about attacking and drifted off after my slip in the last but... it's ok.


Attendance was unsurprisingly down to 70 people, but that's still a decent crowd on a cold Saturday morning.

The course is what it always is, nice and flat, but laps. Suppose it depends if you have any objections to laps.

Got round, uninjured and time was passable. I'll take that!

Gym time!

Since the new year (Yes, I could technically be described as a New Years gym joiner, but in my defense I was waiting for a zero joining fee offer) I have begun visiting a Gym close to my workplace.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to muscle/bulk up, I have no intention of baby oiling any part of my body and it'll be a cold day in hell before I flex anything (or have anything to flex), I'm here as the general consensus appears to be strong core/upper body = better running.

To date, I honestly can't say I've noticed any real differences. The amounts I lift/push/etc have increased from baby bottles weight up to about the same weight as my foot, but looking at me, still fat, still not a muscle to be found.

This guy would destroy me!

As for the running, it's entirely possible my better than expected Lliswerry 8 result was due to stronger core? Not impossible. It could just have been a good day on a flat course too!

The gym itself is decent, plenty of stuff, blah blah. The humour kicks in for me when certain people (always there when I arrive, always there when I leave) essentially strut round the place trying to get people to look at them, and are really obvious about it. Majority have clearly done the work (they also seem to have the time to do so...) and the clearly want the credit. I do chuckle, then fall on my face after 1/3 of a press up...

All things considered, as I also quite enjoy it, I'll persevere and hopefully see the benefits in the long term. Not today however as, unless it's raining bad, I'm running the streets of Cardiff for 40 minutes or so. Not ran since Sunday (today is Thursday... just) and starting to get itchy feet a treadmill just won't cure.

One of the unexpected plus sides however is poundland strawberry protein shakes, may be useless as everywhere else wants £45 a go, but absolutely delicious! Much like drinking Yazoo! Recommended!

A family affair

As well as a half arsed pretend runner, I am other things. Such as a husband, an employee and a father to 2 adorable children. Yes I am obliged to say that but it's still true. I'm also obliged to say that.

Now back when I were a lad, you know in the 50s... I wasn't sporty particularly. I liked computers and Star Trek and I was most of the way to a stereotypical nerd. (Yes I know Star Trek didn't exist in the 50s). This was a shame as apart from playing football in school a bit and PE lessons, my ass got no exercise.

Eventually I turned into a... robust individual. Fat fatty fat fat. FAAAAAAT. Fat

Nowadays I'm still fat fatty fat fat, but not to the same kind of degree. Ideally, rather than let the next generation repeat the pattern, I'd like to encourage them to be active. Bribery is a good way to do this and kids like medals!

As a result it's been quite easy to get the kiddies interested in a few junior and family races. My youngest even got a 3rd place medal in the youngest race in the Loop 10k lasy year (Wasn't 10k obvs...) Got to be said it adds something when getting them involved. You know there are benefits for them, they'll be fitter, happier, more productive healthier and stronger. You know they'll (mostly) enjoy the experience and it also creates something you can do together.

None of these are bad things.

Occasionally the family run is immediately (and I mean immediately) before the main race (Cardiff 10k this year I ran 2k with the daughter, peed and ran to the start line for the 10k! Similar in Swansea before).

It's my intention to ship them out to the great institution that is parkrun (well junior parkrun)  soon too.

The kiddies will be making their respective debuts in Merthyr this year in the junior races and I'm quite looking forward to it! Momentarily then I'll be off on a tricky half marathon!

Home Town Glory

Merthyr Tydfil.

If Sky ever need a town to shat on from on high, we appear to be the target. When Kirsty and Phil list the worst places you'd never even leave you dog unattended for 10 mins, we're in the top 10 (5?).

That's not the Merthyr I know, 

The Merthyr I know has been battling this image for years, the Merthyr I know has 2 theaters opened. The Merthyr I know has a decent leisure centre.

More on topic, the Merthyr I know is the home of a Running club (go MRC) and a social running group averaging over 100 members a week. That's not the same town as Sky portray as fat, inactive, disability claimants.

If you want inspiration and a demonstration determination that can exist in this often forgotten valley of the try No Run Intended by local Hannah Phillips. Good read!

There's a parkrun on the cards, there's already a 10k and half marathon in the town along with Triathlon events and races such as the San Dominico 20 and Roman Run starting or finishing in the town. Here's me (right) at the Merthyr Half last year with Mr Andrew Cooper:

Photo stolen from Wales Online. I ran 1:58 on my second run after 2 or 3 months off injured, I can beat that this year... possibly.

Soon entries will open for the first ever Merthyr Marathon! 26.2 Miles around my home town, makes you feel kind of proud!

Downside is you'd struggle to get a flat 5k round these parts (includes that future parkrun!)  so there's an estimated 1000ft of incline on the route. Shove it, I'm doing Snowdon, if I'm scared of this I should sell my entry now. 

Exciting times without doubt.

Milestone alert!!

36 days in to the year of 2017 and I have hit a milestone. You know a running one, I haven't physically punched a stone detailing the distance to a location...

Today's 17 mile run took me past 100 miles for 2017, to be exact it takes me onto 106!

I'm very aware there are races of this length, but every milestone should be personal and this one, this 'quickly' puts me well ahead of 2016 (I think I was injured at this point last year).

This puts me about 16% of the way to my annual goal. My goal setting skills appear to be struggling this year (see my post race for the Lliswerry 8 for more examples).

650 miles here I come

Not feeling it but getting it done

Today I ran, it happens.

Today I ran, but was a very long way from feeling... it, whether that 'it' is comfortable, happy with form, happy with whatever part of it. It wasn't there.

The route was hillier than I thought, it was shorter (and very dark) on the return leg than I'd hoped (which I'd amended to avoid unlit paths). I just found my self tired and generally speaking not enjoying.

This was the run, taking me from Trelewis to Treforest via, Abercynon, Pontypridd:



But despite the lack of enthusiasm, it got done, those miles are in the proverbial bag. My thought is and I've thought this before, is there more of a benefit from a tough run than an easy one? I don't mean difficulty as that's obvious, I mean something where you're not running well and have to dig deeper to get it done.

I suppose it could be, I did feel like I was working harder and (possibly thanks to the hills I wasn't expecting) I was heavier legged than I expected to be towards the end...

At the very worst I've learnt something about the level of determination I have, which appears to be pretty decent.

Anyway, as said those miles are in the bag, suppose I'll have to do a recovery run tomorrow too. Gym first though!

Club night!

I spent quite a long time when I first started running quite intimidated at the thought of joining a running club.

I expected to be instantly out of my depth, miles behind everyone, dying alone somewhere on a trail 20 miles from civilisation (slight exaggeration). As a result, I trotted round aimlessly solo, or more often than not stuck to the treadmills of a gym near my (at the time) workplace.

From speaking to people, both who have joined and who never have, this is not an uncommon expectation to have. However, is it an accurate one?

Of course it's not (well in my experience anyway).

It was a Wednesday night just over 200 years ago and I first showed up in Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Center, and the people I found there were pretty instantly friendly and welcoming. It's then it dawns on you, why would these people be elitist, stuck up, hard to approach...

Was I among the slower? Yes! I was out of shape, but I got there. Am I still one of the slowest? Yes! Have you not read the header of the blog :) It doesn't matter I'm not logging 6 minute miles, the drive to get better is helped by the group and the training and support is abundant.

Couple of years later and I'm now one of those people. I help out occasionally on the coaching side of things, I run in the kit, many of the members I now consider friends. The technical sessions help out so much.

It's quite a nice kit (the red shirt is all me)...

If you are thinking of joining a club, but lack the confidence or just don't know if it's for you, I urge you to go give it a try. Many areas have a selection of running groups, clubs, go, try and find out if they're for you.

The support you can receive will become a vital part of your training, I'm confident of it! Plus discounts into races... lovely lovely discounts. Most charge an annual fee, but working it out per session, it'll be the best investment you'll make in a year.

What's the worst that can happen (forget the previous dying on a trail somewhere image)

You can find club listings on your appropriate national athletics organisation site. Or Facebook, everything is always on Facebook.

January monthly summary!

Month 1 of 12 of the year of 2017 is done and for me I think it's a fairly decent start to the running year.

This year I've set myself a target of covering at least 650 miles (did about 5-hundred-and-something last year) meaning I need to be averaging 54 miles a month or roughly 14 miles a week.

Well last month I hit the target!!

I ran a grand total of 78 miles!!

This total included 1 parkrun (4% of the total) and 1 race (6% of the total). My longest single run was a hefty 20.1 miles (26% of my total).

Overall quite happy with the month! Could still do better but if there was no room for improvement, where would be the fun in that.

For the year, I've covered 12% of my target, which when you're 8% into the year feels like I'm winning!

Let's do this 2017