Childwickbury Tempo, 8.1miles

Conditions have not allowed any fast running so after a couple of days off and a week of long hard runs it was time for a sustained tempo effort.

I decided the 8 mile loop round Childwickbury taking in Beeson End Lane was the route. First mile would be a warm-up and then up to z4/5 on the heart rate for the middle 6.

Off I went in a freezing gale. Wearing shorts as it would be soft not too. It was dry but the wind was behind, which would be a tricky element on the way home.

I reached the end of mile 1 in 8.28 and then set off to raise the heart rate. The next few miles were 6.50, 7.06, 6.45 and 7.21. The last one was muddy and it was impossible to keep up the pace. Mile 6 was the hill and with the heart rate elevated it was hard work and into the wind, 8.37 in the end.

The finishing miles were 7.37 and 7.23, that included Crabtree Lane and Milton Road.

8 miles completed in 60.09. Not bad as my best previous time was 72mins.

Last one in Scotland, 14 miles

So we head back to England tomorrow and so this would be my last run in the hills for a while.

The weather has got seriously cold, minus 9 overnight and a bit below zero during the day. The roads were icy so I had to tread carefully. Decided on a climb to Loch Turret and then a loop of Monzie-Gilmaton and the a climb to the top of the Knock.

Highlight of the run was the spectacular views at Loch Turret. Ice on the loch but sun on the hills was awesome. Lowlight was the temperature in the valley, must have been minus 5. Absolute nightmare, especially as I was in shorts.

Overall it was 14miles at 10min mile pace. 2279ft climbed.

My Scottish runs have taken me over 63miles in 6 days. That's the most I've ever done and in these conditions that's quite an achievement.

Deeper snow, The Knock and 10.4 miles

The kids were out at club again and so I took to the hills. I’d run round the Knock a few times but decided to take the path to the top today. There had been 4-5 inches of snow overnight so the paths were tough going. At the summit, which was only 2 miles in, I had great views of the Highlands and towards Gleneagles. Snow is abundant. From the summit I descended to Culcrieff and then did the Monzie-Gilmaston loop. That was followed by a loop of the Knock and home.

10.4 miles in 1hr 44mins and another 2127ft to add to the climbing total.

Christmas Eve, Easy 4 miles

I’m pretty sore after yesterday and wonder if I’m doing the right thing as I take an easy run. Turns out to have been the best thing and the legs and body generally feel looser.

It was a straight loop of the Knock and a trot down to Culcrieff and back. 4.0 miles on the dot in a gentle 42 mins.

Boxing Day, Loch Turret, 13.1 miles

The kids were back in club for the afternoon so I had 3 hours to kill. I was adamant that I wasn’t going to repeat the epic heights of Wednesday. So I decided on a single Gilmaston-Monzie-Culcrieff loop with a run up to Loch Turret to spice it up. I wasn’t sure how far that was but reckoned it would be about 10 miles all together.

With some of the kit still in the wash I was in shorts for this run. When the snow started I wondered how wise this little trip was.

The intial loop round Gilmaston was in the reverse direction from Wednesday and it highlighted just how steep some of the hills were, no wonder I was knackered. My mind was wandering big style. Starring roles were given to the Mackay clan in Trinidad and Florida. We spoke yesterday and it sounded like they were all having a great time. I reminisced of Christmas’ past in Port of Spain, where the wine, rum and Carib flow. A Christmas Eve run with the POS Hash House Harriers seems a long time ago.

The turn off to Loch Turret came after 43mins, and 4.8miles. I expected a steady climb for a mile or 2. What I got was a 1000ft climb over 3.2 miles. It was amazing to be in the snow clad hills. I saw a herd of Highland Cattle who gave me a hard stare but decided not to give chase. I then saw a bird of prey, something big but I’m not good at telling the difference. Still it was brilliant to watch.

I reached the summit at mile 8. Stopped, took a gel, dropped a text back to the family to let them know where I was and then a quick video of the amazing scene. There was no wind and a perfect reflection on the waters of the loch.

The run back to the bottom was fast, the quickest mile being a 6.29. From the bottom of Culcrieff it was a climb back up to the Hydro but at only 360ft I’m not sure why I’m mentioning it.
The run was a neat 13.11 miles, completed in 1hr 59min and a total ascent of 2040 ft. This week I’ve completed over 50 miles which is my biggest ever total. Given it was done in 5 days, I’m pretty pleased.

Christmas Day High Five, 5.6miles

With too many cooks in the house I took my leave for a swift loop of the Knock via Gilmaston. Santa had been very generous and I sported a few new bits of kit.

The roads were quiet and the snow crisp underfoot, a spectacular day for a gentle recovery. Wednesday’s run has taken its toll. I still feel pretty weary but better after a gentle few miles.

5.6 miles in 49 mins was just about acceptable. Any longer and I’d have been eating on my own.

2 hours 48mins, 16.5miles in the snow

After 2 days with no running I took a 3 hour gap in the schedule to get out in the snow in Crieff.

The route was round the Knock, down to Comrie, then to Monzie, Gilmaston and back to the Knock. Twice round that lot and you have 16.5 tough miles. Total ascent was 2850ft.

The weather is as bad as its been for years and no one is driving, so the roads were empty apart from a couple of farmers and a gritter. Dog walkers were out and so was a guy on cross country skis.

Legs are feeling the effort tonight. Easy day tomorrow and then hopefully a decent run while the turkey cooks on Friday.

Super Sunday, 11.3miles

The snow and below freezing temperatures weren't enough to put the lads off the Sunday run. Dave, Anthony, Paul and me deciding on a run towards Wheathampstead at 7am.

Woo, it was -3c. Luckily no wind but still enough to put hairs on the chest.

We headed over to Wheathampstead along the Lea Valley and across the fields. It was still dark but brightening as we went. The pace was slow but it was impossible to go any faster without slipping.

We made it to the start of the Wheato 10k and did a loop around part of the course before stopping for a photo and then heading back.

As we made our way across we noticed the ice on Dave's hair. Any moisture was freezing instantly, as it does below zero.

We made it back and after leaving Paul and Ant, Dave and I stepped up the pace and put in an 8min last mile. It was a good effort and the first time in ages that I've finished a run with Dave - normally he's got fed up going so slow. Ironman.

Overall, 11.3 miles, average pace 9.18 and a low Z3 heart rate.

Tempo Effort in the Snow, 8.1miles

So my trip to Warwick was snowed off and I had to return the hire car. My plan was a lunchtime trip to St Albans and a run home back along the road. Should've been ok.

Then I got the mail from Paul, "who fancies a run?" Simon quickly said no, Dave thought about it but in the end it was just me and Paul. With the words "off-road" ringing in my ears the plan was to meet at 1230. I ended up totally messing that up and in the end we met at 2.15. Sorry Paul.

We dropped the car and then the route was Sandridge-Heartwood-Harpenden. We set off downhill, no major issues although it was a bit slippy. We noted that for us forefoot strikers it was safer. On the other hand it was just as well that heel striker, Niall, was away on holiday.

From Sandridge it was onto the bridleway and up the hill. The snow was knee deep in parts so it was slow progress but still very hard work. We pressed on and resorted to the Niall skipping technique, which I confess did mean we moved quickly. I think thats when I knew I had hypothermia.

From Heartwood we headed for the infamous Mud Lane. No mud, just deep snow today. It was a nice downhill so we ramped up the pace and delivered a sub 8min mile.

It was uphill from there, to the Wheathampstead Road and then across more fields to pick up the Lea Valley walk. That was 49 mins in and that's when the "proper snow" started. It was a case of snow goggles required as the thick stuff fell.

We made it to Station Road, Paul headed home and I made my way uphill. I threw in a Dalkeith loop just to get the mileage over 8.

Got home and realised my legs were numb, my fingers were blue and my nose had icicles attached. Should be ok for tomorrow.

Snow & Freezing Wind, 4.2miles

The weather is deteriorating by the minute. Freezing wind and snow.

I had to collect a hire car from St Albans. In a moment of madness thought I'd gear up and run over.

Started off in blustery snow which cleared after a few minutes. Then it was just a chilling gale blowing through my gear. The snow came back and then darkness descended as the snow set in.

Made it along to St Albans in 36 mins. I was glad I'd worn 2 pairs of gloves and my thermals. A couple of people shouted at me. I think they said "psycho". I couldn't agree more.

Two Runs, 6.3 miles

Started the day with 2.7 miles in Leeds. I was staying at the glamorous Oulton Hall and took off for a run round the associated golf course. It was dark but I managed to get roung the fairways in one piece.

I was back home by evening and decided to get an interval session done. So it was fartlek time. Basically a session which included sprints between lamposts and then a lot of gasping. I was quite pleased with my pace, reaching sub 4min miles for all of 30 yards. It was a 3.6 mile loop.

So that's a first, 2 runs in a day. I can see this becoming a regular feature in achieving 1000 miles.

We are Leeds. 6.8 miles

A visit to Heart Research UK was the highlight of my day. With work taking me to Leeds, Melanie the PR Guru was kind enough to agree to me calling into the office to meet everyone. Both Melanie and Rachel gave up there time to talk me through the work and hear why I was running for the cause. To have met the team behind the charity was great and will help when the miles get tougher to churn out and remind me why I'm seeking sponsorship.

This morning I dropped the car in St Albans for a health check and decided to run home. I took the Batchwood-Childwickbury-Beeson End route. 6.8 miles in just under an hour at 8.45 pace means a perfect easy start to the week. The legs feel ok, no aches or pains and hopefully I can do a few miles over 50 this week.

I'm in a nice hotel in Leeds. Very luxurious and in the middle of a golf course. But I'd rather be at home than watching Dundee Utd v Rangers.

Early Sunday Morning, 14.0 miles

Niall's injured, Dave & Simon were doing the Bedford half, which left me and the 2 Scousers. Anthony & Paul hadn't met but it turned out they were from the same area of Liverpool and might even be long lost brothers.

I did a slow 3 miles before the meet at 0715, well it was supposed to be slow. I miscalculated and ended up sprinting the last 800m to make sure I made it. I got a deserved slagging for that and might have been a minute late. Just as well Niall wasn't around or they'd have gone. Funnily I'd bumped into Paul doing the same sneaky trick at 0645.

I'd suggested a 10 miler to Anthony, as he'd done a 15 and a 13 the previous 2 weeks so was due an easy one. However, with Paul setting the pace it would be quicker.

We headed to Meadway and then along the paths to Pipers Lane and Ayers End Lane. From there it was Childwickbury and Beeson End Lane, then up Crabtree and home via a Dalkeith Road loop. The pace was 8-ish for most of it. Beeson End saw it slip back but we picked it up. Crabtree was close to 8's again and then an easy 9 to get home.

Overall it was 14.0 miles, average pace was 8.29. HR averaged 153 (Z2). Not too shabby. Feel pretty good after 24.6 miles in 2 days. No niggles or tightness. My belt has had to tighten another notch though or else my jeans will fall off.

Another Time Another Place, 10.6miles

A new route and a later start! Woop woop!

Olivia had a party from 11am-1pm in Markyate, so the plan was I'd take her over, do a decent run before picking her up. Checked MapMyRun and found a good selection of runs. Decided to try and follow a 10mile route over to the Kensworth Quarry and back to Markyate.

Set off on a footpath through the fields from Markyate to Kensworth. Given the amount of rain we've had I expected it to be boggy but not a jot. The paths were in a good state and well drained.

From Kensworth it was a loop around Church End. More footpaths and bridleways. I got lost during this section and didn't find the quarry. Instead I ended up back at the top end of Kensworth heading out towards the industrial area. I could see the Quarry but kept on the road and ended up at the Dunstable Downs Visitor Centre. From there it was along the busy-ish road to Whipsnade. I was on one of my regular cycle routes by now and was 3 miles from Markyate. So headed along that road back to Markyate Village Hall.

Olivia's party was just finishing and with all the alpha mum's arriving in there 4x4's it was important to finish strong and with good form. Not sure they cared.

Overall, 10.6miles @ 8.47 pace. Nice and easy, and a good warm up for tomorrow morning. If all goes to plan it will be a crack of dawn 15miles.

The future's Orange, 5.5 miles

It's got so foggy that some new kit has been required. So here it is, orange Polaris jacket to ensure I do my bit to avoid getting run over in the fog and dark.

Today was tempo time. The target was 5 miles at sub 7 pace. I felt ok on the warm up and headed up to the Nickey Line. 5 miles would take me through to the woods and back through the park, up to West Common and then down to Southdown.

The run was tough. There's been so much rain that the paths and fields are very slippy and its hard running. I felt reasonably ok all the way to West Common. That was the 4 mile mark, the last section was downhill and I upped the pace, finishing the last 0.4miles sub 6.

Overall it was 5.5miles and happy with a 7.03 average in the conditions. That's 200 miles in just under 5 weeks. 19 weeks to go, so with an easy few weeks before the race I need to up the schedule.

It's been a tough week. The weather is uninspiring, work has meant a fair amount of travel and so it's been hard to keep going. The weekend will be telling. I hope to cover over 25miles in the next 2 days.

On the upside I seem to be approaching the 3-pack stage. I've not exactly been carrying a lot of extra weight but what was there is disappearing fast. I'll let you know when I get closer to the 6.

Not so easy, 4.4 miles

Struggled to get up after a peaceful night's sleep at the Nottingham Belfry. Had planned on a 8 miler but with lethargy ruling I wasted half the time I had. So I went out at just after 7am and struggled around suburbia feeling tired and hungry.

My colleague Mike had taken his bike with him and went flying passed as I ran back to the hotel. Great effort and impressive bit of planning to take all the gear.

Back at the hotel it was time for an enjoyable bit of carb loading without the washing up to do.

4.4miles covered but they weren't much fun. Tomorrow is tempo day and I need to get another good night's sleep or it's going to be very tough.

Nottingham at night, 4.1miles

I started out early heading to Bristol and after a long meeting took a train to Nottingham via Birmingham and Derby. The easy option would've been to have a bit of dinner and an early night. But... I need to keep the mileage up and so I decided on an easy 4miles.

Nottingham is pretty hilly so it was a run of 2 halves. First half downhill, second back up the hill and home. The run was through a residential area which had more external Christmas lights than anywhere this side of the Atlantic.

After the run, 4.1 miles in just over 33mins, it was room service and now an early night. Tomorrow morning I'll probably wake at my usual time and head out for a few more miles before the day's meetings.

Good Darts, Jocky at the Oche. 10.1 miles.

So the best description of Sunday's rain was "Imagine being hosed continuously for 15mins, thats what it was like on the windows of our house." Yeah, imagine being caught running in it. I'm still reeling from the water logged drenching I got.

Anyway, it was a rest day yesterday and so today was an easy 10miles to get back into the week.

I headed for the Cooters End Lane Loop, added the Nickey Line, Roundwood Lane, Falconers Field and down to Redbourn Golf Course. From there it was back to Rothamsted Park and home.

Today brought up the 180 mile mark. Good Darts! I dedicated the mileage to a Scottish ledgend, the one and only Jocky Wislon. Jocky was a hero in the late 70's and early 80's.

Rain and wind, 14miles

It was howling a gale and pouring when I set off at 0640. I was meeting Anthony at 0650 and seriously thought about calling it off. The plan was a 13 mile loop together and then I was going to throw in an extra 5 miles to ratch up my longest ever run. I'd carb'd up last night and had 4 gels in the belt for some nutrition during the run. Ah the best laid plans.

The 13 miles were up to Peters Green, then to Kimpton via Barley Bean Farm. From there it was too Wheathampstead and then home. Two massive hills and a couple of small ones were included.

As we set off it was pitch black and within minutes the trainers were soaked as there was no way round some of the puddles. We headed up to Peters Green and into the wind which was howling. The rain was easing to just drizzle and slowly the daylight arrived. We chatted our way up, me banging on about my training and Anthony entertaining me with stories about Teddy Sheringham and Daniella Lloyd. His were way better.

We reached Kimpton feeling ok. Still strong but now feeling the water seep through the showerproof jacket. 6 miles to go.

A big hill up to Gustard Wood stopped the stories and had us focused on keeping a steady pace. After that it was down to Wheathampstead. Along the road to Harpenden our pace was 7.45, I thought Niall and the lads would've loved that. As we reached the Lea Valley Walk the pace had hit Anthony and we slowed to 9's. Just as I said my goodbyes to him the heavens opened. It wasn't heavy rain, this was torrential. It soaked everything instantly. I was frozen and made the decision to head for home rather than do the extra miles.

When I got in I was shocked at just how wet everything was. My trainers were water logged as were the cap, jacket and gloves. That was as bad as it's been.

So in the end 14.05 miles in 2.01, average pace 8.41 which is my new chatting pace. Disappointed that I had to call it a day as I was well up for the 18.

Easy 4.7 miles

It's raining again and for a variety of reasons I never made it out in the morning. Instead it was an early evening 40min blast around the streets.

I'd normally take it very easy but given the weather, cold and limited time I stepped it up a little and the average pace was 7.49 and 4.7miles covered.

Tomorrow morning the plan is to go longer than ever before, not sure how far but 18 miles may be beckoning.

Early morning Tempo. 7.7 miles

An early start this morning for the tempo run. The plan was 6 miles, alternating 3 on and 3 off. I decided the Wheathampstead loop was perfect.

I warmed up by doing a loop via the High Street, Sun Lane and Stewart Road. Passed Niall's house and was surprised to hear a cry of "Alright Kenny!" Quick chat and then I was off.

First mile was good, reasonably flat and not too muddy. Averaged 6.32 pace. The 2nd mile on started in the fields, so it was next to impossible to get any speed. Eventually made it to the High Street and the speed increased. Average for the 2nd mile was 6.56. Third mile on was back on flattish and firm ground and I averaged 6.49.

The session was good, I felt the effort was good and the pace sustainable. Overall I covered 7.7 miles.

Reps in the dark, 5.6miles

It was really hard to force myself out tonight, its so cold and the rain has been really heavy all day. But I can't be wimping out on the 2nd day of December.

So it was out for a session of 800m reps. I decided to use Manland Avenue and Dalkeith Road for them and splashed my way over to force a warm up.

I started on Dalkeith and blasted the first at 3.45min/km pace. The 2nd was only slightly slower and the 3rd a little slower than the 2nd. However, the remaining reps were tough and I slowed towards the end of each.

Overall the average was 3.58min pace and as the rain was pouring down I headed straight home with no warm down. 5.6 miles covered.

Its a Freezing 4.5 miles

Three hours in the car and 8 hours in the office wasn't leaving me majorly motivated but with George out of the jungle there wasn't anything to entertain on the box.

So I decided to don the night kit and head out for a slow loop of Southdown. It was very cold, but for a change it was dry. Very uneventful trot. 8.57 pace for 4.5 miles.

Got home to find Justin had survived and the family all asleep. Tomorrow is reps.

St Andrews Day, 3.2 miles

St Andrew's Day was a great excuse to shake up the mundane and have a laugh round the streets. I got the kilt on and decided to head out in kilt and vest. Bad news, it was freezing and windy, so back inside for a sporran and a top. OK, I should've spent some time thinking colour.

A few photos and abuse from Susan and I was off. Decided to run one of my regular routes round Long Buftlers and Medway rather than head for the hills.

The people of Harpenden are a strange bunch. Not one beep of a horn, not one shout of abuse and the one lady who did eye contact looked away immediately! It was very funny, maybe I was gonna shout "Freee-dom!"

Oh well. 3.2 miles added and definetely the best so far. Can't wait till the 500 mile mark, they'll be shocked when one of The Proclaimers hits the streets.

Mud, Ponds and Rain, 15.1 miles

Sunday's long run was set at 12 miles and in the direction of Redbourn. The weather was the pits. Heavy rain overnight had stopped when I set off at 0645 but within minutes it was back.

My Garmin gave up the ghost on the way to the meeting point, I'd forgotten to charge it. Doh. So, I was going to have to run at the lads pace, too fast, for the run. Oh well.

We were joined by a new runner today, Anthony from Liverpool. We met Niall & Dave and headed up towards the Nicky Line but as it was so dark we couldn't take the path. So we headed down Cooters End Lane and then over to Kinsbourne Green, down passed Redbourn Golf Course and onto the lower end of the Nicky Line. The weather was trash and I could already tell this was going to be a longer run than planned. Nice baptism for Anthony.

We ran through Redbourn and out under the M1. we then crossed a muddy field or 2 and made our way back to Redbourn. We had now clocked 9 miles and were a long way from home.

The plan was to take a direct-ish route to Beeson End Lane but it turned out to be a trek across the boglands of Hertfordshire. As the lads floated along I felt like a heffalump, sinking and slipping my way. That was energy sapping. We could see roughly where we should've been going but seemed to be going round in circles. Eventually we made our way down towards a house and rejoiced as we found a recognisable path. We knew it was 3 uphill miles to home, which to be honest at the time was a relief.

We made our way up the hills with Dave and Niall bolting it while Anthony and I ceased any form of communication and just plodded on. Dave left us all for dead while Niall came back to offer moral support. We made it to Crabtree Lane as a 3, high fived and then Iwas off home.

Toughest run in ages. Mentally distressing, especially at mile 9 knowing we're miles from home and then again when we were lost in the bogs!

Its taken a good while to recover. I was absolutely freezing. Did I mention the weather? Oh and my new trainers, hard to believe they are only 3 runs old.

Anthony passed the initiation.

10 miles and then breakfast, 10.2 miles

Took off early this morning to get a recovery run in. The rain had gone and it was looking like a nice bright morning. I decided to head for Childwickbury, passed Stanley Kubrik's old place and back via Beeson End Lane.

As the weather was so good I decided to go that way via Medway and the Pipers Lane / Ayres End Lane which would add a bit of variety to the usual 8 mile loop.

The focus was on staying close to 9min/mile pace, keeping the heart rate down and running with good form.

The roads were quiet except for the odd jogger and dog walker. The route up to round the lanes was longer than I anticipated and I realised it was going to be a 10 mile run. A bit longer than required and not smart given tomorrow's long run.

I ploughed on and avoided the puddles and mud as much as possible. With the sun out and a bit of blue sky it was a really pleasant run. In the end I covered 10.2 miles, average pace 8.53, average HR 146 and 1425 calories burned.

Solo Tempo, 7.2miles

Today's a tempo run, which means a sustained effort above race pace. This was to be a 15 min warm-up, 4 miles at sub 6.50 pace and then a 15 minute warm down.


We've had so much rain that anything off road was gonna wreck my new go-flash Asics, so I decided to use the Lower Lea Valley walk for the bulk of the 4 miles. I made my way to the bottom of Cooters End Lane and from there decided the 4miles would be a loop over to Cherry Tree Lane and then back along the Wheathampstead Road. The advantage in my head was that it would be flat and not too muddy. Well it turned out to be dry but much tougher than I envisaged.


The run along from Cooters End Lane to Westfield Road is tarmac. It was flat until the end where there's an incline reminiscent of the locks on the GU canal. From there to Station Road is a slight uphill incline and with the added danger of pit bull terriers out for a walk with their hoody owners, that wasn't a pleasant part of the run.


From Station Road to Cherry Tree Lane is one of my regular sections but again has a good incline at both Crabtree and Cherry Tree Lane. The latter was 2.5 miles into the 4 and I was having to dig deep to maintain the pace.


From Cherry Tree Lane back to the main road was another tough incline, as was most of the section back towards Batford. Fortunately the last 800 yards included the downhill towards the mini roundabout and I let gravity do the work and increase my cadence. I was gasping by this point and glanced at the Garmin to see I had 400 yards to go. I put my head down and accelarated to end on the bridge over the River Lea.


I was pretty pleased with the effort averaging 6.47 min/mile over the 4 which is faster over a longer distance than normal. And my new trainers are still shiny.

Easy week, 7.5miles

My 24 week schedule is split into 4 week blocks, each involving 3 hard weeks and an easy week. Next week was due to be my easy one but circumstances have conspired to keep me off the roads this week. So this is now an easy one and I'll kick on again from Sunday.

With Susan back home I took off for an jog around Harpenden. I took the Southdown loop and added a circuit of the avenues to take the run to 7.5miles @ 9.03 min/miles.

Given the stress of the week I was glad to get out and try to ease the tension. I focused on keeping my arms low, cadence high and form good. That lot helped ease the tension in my back and neck, which I hadn't been aware of until I started running.

I was out in my new trainers tonight, Asics Gel-Stratus 3. My Nike Pegasus are the first casualties of the 1000 mile challenge. The last two sodden runs have made mincemeat of them and what was originally a small nick has turned into a major rip down the side. Susan doesn't believe me, she thinks I just wanted a brand new shiny pair. Me?

Ton Up, 15.4 miles

That's 100 miles covered towards my target of 1000. Today's long run was anticipated to be very wet as it seems to have been raining for a week and the forecast was for heavy showers.

Surprisingly it was dry at 0630 and after a slight delay to my departure I was off to Niall's for the 0650 meet. The call had been for a run to Sherards Wood and back, which is somewhere in the region of 13 miles.

We were 4, Simon was doing the Willows 10k and so it was Dave, Paul, Niall and myself. We set off with the rain looking likely but somehow it didn't happen and in fact it brightened up and was a lovely morning.

The roads were very wet, as were the trails, mudbath would be a good description. However, we pressed on at a kind of 8-8.30 pace. A bit faster than I'd have liked so I threw in the odd slow bit to try and get the lads to take it easy. It kind of worked but then the trails became so bad that it wasn't an issue and the pace slowed to nearer 9's.

We made it to Sherards Wood in one piece. It seemed very easy and fast. Then the fun began as Niall took us on a route through the woods. It involved a steep section which was desparately boggy. Niall skipped through it, I was torn to shreds by a thorn bush and nearly went head first into the mud, Dave and Paul had similar near misses but somehow we made it to the bottom. I was bleeding badly and my new compression socks were already trashed.

The route home had a Brocket Hall extension added by Niall. Very pleasant it was too as we made our way across the golf course.

From there it was known territory and we split at Crabtree Lane so that I could head home. By the time I got home I'd done 15.4 miles, I think that's my longest run ever. Oh and that makes 100.1miles completed. Nice one.

Tempo after dark, 5.7 miles

A busy day and a meeting in Stokenchurch meant no daytime run. So my tempo run had to happen during the evening.

The plan was a 15min warm up and then 3miles at 6.35 pace. The warm-up was fine and I'd decided to start the 3 miles at the end of Dalkeith Road and head over towards Long Buftlers and then back down Dalkieth. That turned out to be bang on 3 miles which was the only good bit.

Within minutes of starting the 3 miles I was feeling dizzy and very shakey. I pressed on but felt pretty bad most of the way. At the end the 3 miles were completed in 21 mins.

On reflection I hadn't eaten through the day so set off with nothing in the tank. I made up for it when I got home but will have to make sure I eat enough during the day.

Easy Thursday Wheathampstead Loop, 7.0 miles

The weather is dry and with the work schedule looking pretty busy for the next while this was probably my last weekday daylight run.

I had an hour which meant roughly 7 at 9min pace was just about doable. I set off on the Wheathampstead loop and took a couple of detours just to get it over 7.0. I took the Sewage Works lane, Topstreet Way, Station Road and then Granary Lane just to clock the full 7.0.

Its taking a bit of concentration to keep the pace and heart rate low, but I'm sure it'll be worth it.

Refuelling after all the miles is also important. I normally have at least a pint of skimmed milk, which is good for carbs, protein and vitamins, all important if I'm to stay healthy.

Wednesday Reps, 5.9miles

The wind was really blowing today. I wondered if Scott's Mexican extravaganza in Charlotte had been to blame?

So, today was 0.4mile at 10k pace, 2min rest, 1.2miles at 10k pace, repeat twice and finish with a final 0.4mile at 10k pace. It sounded murder and it was.

I headed to the Nickey Line and set off way too fast, 5.30 pace. After the first 0.4 I was doubled up wondering if I'd be ready to go again after 2mins. I did recover and set off on the first 1.2mile rep feeling ok. By the end I was struggling badly and I was bobbing about like Paula Radcliffe. Average pace was 6.54, which wasn't bad, it was muddy, windy and mainly uphill.

3rd rep was ok, 6.49 pace. The next 1.2 was seriously tough. Very muddy and again uphill, 7.10 pace and again I was doubled up for my recovery. The last 0.4 was ok, back on dry land and flat, so the pace was 6.56.

A slow jog home and I was back before 9am. 5.91 miles covered but it was much harder than yesterday's 10. Easy run tomorrow thank goodness.

Its a Beautiful Day, 10.5miles

So I was working at home thinking I'd love to get out for a run when the phone goes, its Niall, he's working at home and is planning a lunchtime run. Ok, that's all it takes, quick change and I'm off down to his, the plan is to do the Wheathampstead loop which is around 6 miles. I'm already thinking I'll do a bit more and get it up to 10 if I can.

We're both in bright yellow tops, which is a bit loud for the locals but at least we don't get knocked down by the car coming round the corner towards us.

We set off at what Niall calls "chatting pace", its a bit quicker than normal for me on an easy run but he's entertaining me with stories and so I hardly notice we're bombing along.

We get to Wheathampstead doing about 8min/miles and then we head up the hill to Marshallswick. It's a Paul Savage loop and involves a good climb followed by a run across a ploughed field. From there its back to Batford and then Niall throws in a sprint from the River Lea to the corner shop on Station Road. I hit 4.40min/mile pace, which is flat out for me.

From there Niall headed home and I added the Cooters End Lane Loop. I was now trying to stay at around 9min pace but that was prooving tricky and I kept edging faster.

Got home in just over 80 mins with 10.5miles completed. Nice run after yesterday's rest day. Tomorrow is reps day and I'm already feeling the pain of the set of gutbusters to come.

Sunday evening and I'm a celebrity, 7.5miles

The Murray household has been subject to the latest stomach bug to hit the south east of England. Very messy it is too.

So after another sleepless night there was no way I was joining Niall and Paul for the sunday run. Instead I managed to sneak in a slow 7.5 miles around the streets of Harpenden. Very quiet they were too, x-factor and I'm a Celebrity obviously keeping the masses in front of the telly.

The objective of the run was to keep the pace around 9min/mile and the heart rate down under 150. The reason for this is to build aerobic efficiency which is essential for the marathon. The theory is that over time the speed will increase but the HR will stay in the aerobic zone and so I'll be able to go quicker for longer. Sounds ok. The pace for the run was 8.59 and average HR was 139. Very happy with that.

Now I'm just settling to watch x-factor and I'm a Celebrity which I recorded.

Thunder, Wind & Rain, 8.4 miles

The weather had been abismal overnight, wind and rain had absolutely battered the south of England, but when I set off at 7am there was a lull in the storm.

I was setting off on the Childwickbury Loop with the objective of keeping my heart rate in the aerobic zone, which is below 152 for me.

A mile in and the rain had started. It wasn't too bad all the way through Childwickbury but then at mile 5 I heard the thunder. I turned to see the darkest sky I've seen for a while. It was enough to get me running hard for home. The rain got heavier but thankfully the worst was over Redbourn and off towards Markyate rather than towards Harpenden.

There was quite a bit of wind about too. Mainly thanks to last night's curry with the lads from Running Fource. Simon picked up the "Top Gun" award, for a number of outstanding races this year and setting pb's at every distance. Niall got the "Running Man" and "Fast & Furious" award for his motivation, speed and intermediary skills. Dave got the wise words of Billy Connolly, who has lots of advice on how to taper. Paul got the most prestigous award and now has responsibility to carry the team's "first aid" kit on our runs.

8.4 miles completed in 1hr 19. Average 8.43min/mile and average HR of 146. Nice. That's 48.1 miles in 7 days. That's the furthest I've ever run in a week.

Splish Splash Splosh 6.4 miles

This was the first real test of my commitment. The weather is atrocious, heavy rain and wind.

I went out thinking my gear wasn't going to be up for the job but the jacket did ok and although the socks are trashed, the trainers did ok.

It was tempo day. 16 minute warm up followed by 24 mins at a pace keeping me just below Lactate Threshold, for me that's at a heart rate of 172, and today I averaged 7.09min/mile for the 24 mins. That was pretty good given it was very slippy and impossible to get a rythm going, just too many huge puddles.

The 24 mins were followed by a 15 minute warm down jog back home. Typically the rain started to ease and by the time I was standing outside my house it had stopped. Oh well, 6.4 miles in the bag and a wee bit of rain isn't going to stop me.

It's funny but yesterday I was full of ideas on how to make the 1000 more interesting but when its a tempo or interval session I only think about my running form. I'm quite shocked to realised that.

Feels Like Thursday Morning, 7.3miles

After getting the kids onto the school bus at 8am I was off for an hour's run around the paths and tracks of Harpenden. My route took me up Sun Lane onto the Nicky Line, from there I worked my way along to East Common and then home.

It was a lovely morning, cold but dry. There's been a lot of rain so the tracks are slippy but I'm on an easy day so there's no danger of slipping or injury.

I'm feeling motivated, but it is only week 1, so I've not resorted to the ipod. My head is full of ideas for a Burns Supper, my 500th mile will be in NHS specs, try to get as many people as possible to join me for the 1000th mile, try and run with as many people as I can over the next 24 weeks. In that spirit I'm posting the photo of Niall, Dave and I at last Sunday's Grand Union Half Marathon, that was the start of the trek. They're my Jedi Masters so it's only fitting they were present for mile 1.

7.3miles covered today and home by 9am. That's 33.3 for the week so far.

Wednesday Reps, 5.6miles

I managed to get my run in at lunchtime today which makes a big difference. Today's session was 6x800m with a 2 minute recovery between them.

I warmed up with a gentle jog down to the bottom of Crabtree Lane and from there it was back and forth along the path to Cherry Tree Lane.

It was quiet, two joggers and a couple of dog walkers. My pace was very consistent with only a 7 second spread between fastest and slowest, average was 6.27min/mile.

Afterwards it was a cool down jog home. Overall 5.6 miles added to the total which is now 26.0 miles.

Easy Tuesday, 7.3 miles

After getting the kids off to bed it was time to get a grab an hour on the streets and paths of Harpenden. I decided it would be the Southdown Loop and then back for the Coldharbour Loop.

On the roads I was in the mix with the Aro Sports runners out for a Tuesday night blast. For the first time I saw Spiersy, not once but twice!

The run was all about easing into the week, so the heart rate was kept deliberately low and pace at around 9min/mile. I focused on cadence and good form all the way round.

In the end it was an easy night, not too cold and no rain. It won't be that comfortable every night. The legs feel good, a slight ache in the right achilles but nothing to worry about. That's 20.4miles so far this week.

Saving the best for last

This was my last race of the year. I was hoping to finish with a new PB and something close to 90 mins but the events of the week conspired to make it stressful and sleep deprived. So this morning I woke feeling completely knackered and drained but Niall was relying on me for a lift so there was no bunking off now. Quick check on FB and the news was Dave was coming too.
We had a laugh on our way down to Watford which certainly helped pep me up. On arrival we had a trip to the portaloo. Just as Niall set off the man with the fork lift truck arrived. Visions of Niall being levitated added to the fun.
Dave & Niall weren’t clear on their race strategies. Mine was to take it slow and steady, I didn’t expect to have anything in the tank. Susan had given me nutrition advice, good breakfast, marshmallows before the race and gels at 4, 8 & 10.5. That might get me home in 99 or less.
On the start-line I made a quick decision to blast the first 800 yards, see if I could lead for a bit and have a laugh. So after a minute silence for Remembrance Day we were off and I was in the lead! For all of 30 yards, then 3 guys slotted in just in front and I took the first 300 yards in 4th. On reaching the first gate I knew it was time to slow and after a bit both Niall & Dave went passed. I’d had my fun!
From then I tried to take it steady and slow, keeping an eye on my heart rate and determined to get it in low Z4 or Z3. I kept was being passed by quite a few runners, eventually the first woman went passed and I tucked in behind her for a while, when the second lady went passed they were off and I eased again. Then the 3rd woman came along and I tried to stay with her but again started drifting back as I realised my HR was too high. At 10k, I checked the time and was through in 44.30, over 3 minutes down on Herts 10K. Niall and Dave were out of sight and I thought they must’ve been close to the 10k pace and therefore both on for sub 90’s.
I felt comfortable and kept my pace steady by tracking the 4th lady. She was chasing down lady 3 who was up ahead. I felt strong and realised I was now picking off people who had previously gone passed me. I went passed the now 3rd lady at mile 8 and expected her to track me, but I was now running strongly and my pace was increasing so she fell away. Using some of Niall’s tips I just focused on the next shirt ahead and just reeled them in. As I reached mile 10 I was amazed to see Niall just 3 shirts ahead. I tried not to panic, was I going too fast, instead I just checked my HR was ok and kept my form and belief that I was going to finish strong.
As I went passed Niall he upped his pace and we ran together for a few minutes, we had a quick joke but when Niall stopped for water he never got back on my tail. I kept moving, feeling strong and picking off shirts every 50 yards. As I reached mile 11 I couldn’t believe my eyes, there was Dave, walking and not looking too good. I went passed and tried to give some encouragement. I was now in uncharted territory, ahead of both my Jedi Masters and feeling like I still had a strong finish in my legs.
With 2 miles to go I knew I was going to be close to 95 minutes, I also knew I was strong and that 2 miles hardly counts as a run, so I concentrated on keeping my form and cadence high.
The final mile was almost all uphill. I was still picking off shirts and looking at a decent finishing place when all of a sudden I am aware of someone catching me, the breathing is heavy but the effort is supreme. I follow Niall’s tip to raise the knee and maintain cadence rather than start to overstride. It works and I hold off whoever is chasing me down. I am certain it’s Niall and that he’s put in an unbelievable effort. Unbelievably my opponent digs in and pulls parallel, I look down expecting to see a pair of long socks but I’m surprised to see a pair of ankle socks. It’s not Niall! I am slightly relieved and keep the pace up to see if I can crack 95 mins. As we reach the top of the path I nearly start crying, we have to double back and the finish is another 400 yards. I dig in and get over the line in 1hr 33mins and 43seconds, beating my previous best by 11 minutes.
I was ecstatic and enjoyed the water and banana before Dave arrived in 1.34 and Niall in 1.36. For me it had been my best race ever. I felt strong all the way and have set a new bar for myself. Belief is so important and now I know I can hold 7.10 pace for 13 miles.
Now I start building the mileage. My most important event next year is the London Marathon. I want 3 hours. It is achievable.

Heart Rate Max

So I went for an easy run, just to keep the legs ticking over. Susan was going to check on Louis, who wasn't settling as he usually did.

4 mile loop round passed St Georges-Red Cow-Coldharbour-Crabtree-Piggotshill-Milton Road. Easy, good cadence and form. Saw a fox making its way along the top of Topstreet Way. HR was z2, with only a slight move to Z3 for Crabtree Lane.

Got home to find Louis was up, Susan was worried that his breathing was forced. I sat with him and he settled, then he started to struggle a bit, then a lot and very quickly his colour began to change. We rang a friend who is a nurse but before we'd explained what was happening he had gone blue. We rang 999. Within 5 minutes the medics were in the house, Louis was on oxygen and they were preparing to transfer him to A&E. He changed from blue to grey but they said he was ok! We were panicking - big time.

Louis & Susan went off to L&D by ambulance, blue light all the way. I was left in a state of shock. Hours passed and I felt completely punch drunk. A few texts, phone calls and a FB post got the prayer chain going and it was a comfort to know that friends and family were praying and offering support.

No sleep and my HR and emotions doing sumersaults wasn't part of my race prep. Not sure Sunday will happen.

Not so easy Sunday morning

Next week is the Grand Union Canal Half Marathon, so Niall and I are supposed to be in taper mode for the race. We agreed an easy run, 5 miles, 2 easy, 1 at race pace, 2 easy and home.

We'd received a mail from Simon calling the shots for the non racers, it sounded fun and my legs were feeling strong on Saturday night, so I was tempted to call Niall and say lets do the other longer run. I didn't make the call, using my head instead of my heart.

We met at 0730 at Niall's, an extra 15 mins in bed hadn't been much use, I'd been kicking my heels since 7am ready to roll. From Niall's we headed along the Cooters End Lane loop, up the hill and along to the Nicky Line. Niall was keeping the pace safe by chatting away. Up the hill he tactically handed the conversation to me! I was gasping but I suppose it slowed us.

The rain had started to get heavier but in the shelter of the Nicky Line we weren't too uncomfortable. At Mile 4 we thought we'd put in the race pace, 6.45-6.50, mile. We assured each other we wouldn't race and keep it steady. We found the pace reasonably quickly and settled into it. The section of Nicky Line is downhill, so it was easy. I looked down for a second and when I looked up Niall had put 10 yards between us. I raised the pace and got on his tail, he increased the pace again and I looked at the Garmin, 6.05 min/mile, mmm, I decided to back off competely and eased to 8's, my heart rate had gone way high in the 2-300 yards of fast stuff.

We headed home from the bottom of the line, 2.95 miles from my house. Chatted our way along but going through the fields we were soaked and battered by the wind. Best moment was my cap going flying 20 yards up in the air.

So in the end the 5 miles had become near enough 10 and the easy bit had been minimal. I'm feeling tired and glad I have a good excuse for an easy week. Still not sure how hard to push next week. At this point a 90 minute half marathon feels out of reach.

Saturday Tempo

With too much excitement on Friday my tempo run had to be postponed to early Saturday. the alarm went off at 0630 and I kicked off with a strong coffee. The weather looked ok, it had rained in the night but the forecast was for it to clear up. That looked spot on so I set off with no rain gear.

My warm-up over to the Nicky line was uneventful, nobody around, no cars, postmen or dog walkers. As I neared the Nicky Line the drizzle started, woops, they knew something I didn't.

Anyway, down onto the Nicky Line for 24 minutes running at just below Lactate Threshold. This is the HR I'll run the Grand Union Canal Half Marathon at, well most of it at least. The run along the path was ok as the trees provided reasonable shelter but as I came off the path and headed for the park it was full on. Oh dear. The path was slippy and the rain wasn't providing any relief.

The run was ok, the legs have a few aches and need some rest. Left achilies and right knee in particular are feeling tight and slightly swollen.

Pace was just over 7min miles, not great but a good marker for next week. My target at the beginning of the year was to complete a half in under 99 minutes, I should beat 95 but how close to 90 is the dilemma. I'll figure out a pace strategy by next week.

St Albans Bike and Easy Five

Another nice day and excuse to get on the road bike, this time to renew the parking permit in St Albans. So at lunchtime it was a quick trip over and back, 13 miles, easy, just getting the legs spinning. Focus was good high cadence and light feet on the pedals.

The evening brought the opportunity for an easy run, five miles over by the Oval, Roundwood Park and then along to Crabtree lane. It's a nice route with a few hills along the way.

Both the spin and run were predominantly z1 efforts and were followed by a good stretch and core exercises.

With the Grand Union Canal Half Marathon on November 8th my last event of 2009 my attention is turning to 2010. So far I have Etape Caledonia in May but would love an early year Marathon to complement that. Those events would give me the base for a summer Half-Ironman. After that the Herts10k would be a welcome respite.

Luton Bike and Evening Reps

It was a very active day. Started with a 12 mile round trip on the mountain bike over to Luton to register the wee man. Louis will have to live with it now. Mental place Luton, full of nutters.

After that it was down to the allotment to clear the remnants of a good summer. Harpenden allotments are a much more civil experience!

The evening was 10x400m at 1-mile pace with a 60sec recovery. It was fairly easy with only the 400 up the length of Crabtree Lane causing serious pain. Average pace over the set was 5.54.

The streets were remarkably quiet. I expected a few out as the weather is mild and dry.

Easy run tomorrow.

Easing into the week

With the Grand Union Canal Half Marathon on 8th November getting uncomfortably close I'm starting to think it's taper time.

I really needed the rest day yesterday. Runs in Sherwood Forest took a bigger toll than the usual ones around Harpenden, then the Sunday long run was as long as I'd gone in nearly 4 months.

Tonight I was determined to start the week with an easy zone 1 workout. I headed out on the Southdown loop taking it very easy but concentrating on form, lightness and cadence. It went well and I only strayed into zone 2 on the hill up Crabtree Lane.

At home it was major stretching and core session. Nice start to the week, tomorrow is reps and a cycle to Luton to register Louis.

Six is the new seven

So clock change offered an extra hour in bed but given the new obsession with distance I decided to get up at the usual time and head out at 06.03.

Niall and Paul had done a new route on Saturday which sounded very good and challenging, so Niall sent me the Garmin file and gave me the basic instructions on how to set it up and hopefully follow the route.

All worked well as I loaded the file onto my Garmin, I took a look at the route on his mapped run, read the blog for clues, noting a right turn of importance, popping out near Wheathamstead and a run through a ploughed field.

I set off in the dark and the first leg to Woolams Playing Fields was fine. The run parallel to the fields on the bridleway gave me my first "off route" ping by the Garmin. I got back on and was ok all the way to Sandridge.

After Sandridge I took every possible right turn, occasionally thinking that it had to be wrong, but no bleeps. Eventually it did start to go bleep as I lost faith and took a few straight routes but had to turn round and head right. I was certain I'd hit Jersey Farm. Eventually I popped out next to Wheathampstead.

From there the route took a few off road diversions, each one heralding the dreaded bleep meaning I had to retrace my steps and find the right path. After the jaunt up to the ploughed field I was on familiar ground. The Lea Valley walk is where I do my reps and a section well trodden over the years.

The route took me passed Niall and Paul's houses, both remarkably quiet, and home to Shakespeare Road. 13.26miles in 1.55 meant an 8.45 average and home just before 8am. Time to make breakfast and finalise my sunday school talk.

The route was superb, quiet, scenic, hilly in parts, paths, roads, fields. If I need to extend that run I'd add a Beeson End Lane loop, that'd get it up near 18 and up the effort required.

Must admit that the Garmin is fantastic too. That was new functionality for me and for it to get me round a course I'd never seen was brilliant.

Friday Tempo and Saturday Cotton Top

A tempo run in Sherwood Forest was tough. 24 mins in Z4 resulted in 3.27miles, a little shorter than normal but it was a tougher terrain.

Saturday afternoon I managed a 5 mile loop out to Cooters End Lane. The focus was form and cadence, as well as keeping in Z2 for the duration. There were a few walkers and cyclists on the path but overall it was a quiet relaxing easy run.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to complete a 12-14 mile run before 0830. We'll see.

Cross Country Running

I managed a 4 mile run through the paths of Sherwood Forest. Really enjoyed it and it reminded me of my school day cross country runs.

Thought Niall would have enjoyed it, as his cross country runs would have been similar, and of course there were lots of low haning branches to crawl under too.

4 miles at 8.46 pace with a 149 average HR was perfect.

Robin Hood, Robing Hood

Half term and we're in Center Parcs up in Sherwood Forest.

Tuesday I managed an easy 4 miles round the site and discovered quite a few activities not marked well on the map.

Wednesday has seen 6x800m reps through the undulating forest paths. Very tough they proved to be but amazingly my pace was as good as at home running on the flat. Feel tired now though.

Easy run tomorrow and a tempo on Friday will finish the time here nicely.

Going Commando

No talk of southern softies today, the temperature was 5c and it felt very cold. We were 6 heading off for a short 13 miles or a longer 20 if you were hard enough. The usual 5 were supplemented byJohn from Aro Runners and Herts10k start-line fame.


We headed for St Albans with Niall filling us in on his Art of Running workshop and the various tips and drills he'd been given. It sounded good and Niall's tactic of chatting kept the pace at an honest 7.45-8.15min/miles.

By the time we reached Childwickbury the A-team had pulled away, then John complained about his shin splints and turned for home. Paul, Niall and I took the low road while the A-team took the high road down to Batchwood Drive. We were very comfortable round the lake at Westminster Lodge and had completed 6 miles in roughly 48 mins. We passed a few of the old Kings pitches where I talked the lads through a few goals and league titles.

The way home was a new route through the Gorhambury estate. Very tranquil it was too as it took us along parallel with the A5. We crossed it and headed into the Childwickbury estate and onto Beeson End Lane. This part of the run I'd done a few times but was surprised when Paul and Niall showed me part of the path I'd previoulsy missed.

Niall then headed for another path which seemed to involve crawling on all fours under a low hanging tree, Paul and I decided to trot round the tree and not to be in Niall's commandos. Hilarity ensued, for once not at my expense, as Niall tried to get the wee sticky balls off his leggings.

I had to duck out of the last leg which was up to the Nicky Line and home, instead taking on Beeson End Lane. It wasn't too bad and I kept the HR in Z4 for it. As I neared home Crabtree Lane seemed harder.

The good news was I made it home before the kids were up for breakfast, so I'll be allowed out next week! The run was 12 miles at 8.07 pace and I can't believe I'm saying this, but, it was easy (z2 and 3 on all but the last hills). I'll force a rest day tomorrow and then pick it up again on Tuesday.

Saturday Spin with Dave

Dave was up for the Bison Hill loop and keen to nail it before the winter set in. We met up at West Common, still slightly dark and cold but we were on time and off to Redbourn.

Over to Redbourn and Gaddesdon Row was uneventful. We thenhad a nice downhill prior to the climb to Potten End. From there we went through Ashridge Forest and were fortunate to see 6-7 deer including 2 stags.

From the forest the plan was to draft down towards Bison Hil. I was to lead and hold 27-28mph. I'm not sure how long Dave was on my tail but at the bottom I was on my own.

Bison Hill was a few miles further on. I hit it hard and felt the effort in my legs and lungs. Dave nailed it and came out with a classic "is that it?" comment. Legend.

We then drafted our way to Markyate, comfortable at 24-25mph.

The final hill was the climb to Slip End. Again it was tough and into a slight wind which meant the downhill was only a 34mph.

We reached Harpenden by 0915 and Dave then had to get back to Hatfield, top effort.

Friday Tempo in the Park

Managed to get away at lunchtime for a swift tempo run. After a warm up it was 24mins @ z4.

The run was along the Nicky Line and then up to the park via the path by the woods. I started off in z3 and struggled to get the heart up but once it got there it was tricky holding an effort that maintained the tight zone (165-171).

By the time I reached the platforms I'd found the pace but the downhill section needed a bit of pushing to stay in the zone. Coming off the Nicky Line I was hit by an uphill and the wind, so I had to reduce speed to stay in 4 and not stray into 5.

I made it back to the end of the path down towards the sport centre but doubled back up towards the manor house. I took the field and made it back to the path before the garmin beeped for 24 mins. Happy with 3.54miles @ 6.46min/mile.

Felt strong and feel I'm still improving week on week. Long cycle tomorrow and long run on Sunday will finish the week nicely.

An easy run towards Roundwood

It's been a hectic week. Midwives, visitors, kids at school, nursery, physio appointments, gardening, allotment, nappies and somehow a bit of time and energy for some training.

Tonight was a nice easy 40 mins strolling around the Roundwood area. There are a couple of nice hills for another session but tonight was all about low heart rate and good steady form for the duration.

The legs needed a good 5-10 mins before they felt loose and ready. After th ewarm-up they handled the downs and ups very well. There were no massive pushes although I took each of the hills strongly. Tomorrow is my tempo run which I hope to complete at some point during daylight hours.

Half Marathon Mesocycle

A busy day meant no reps at lunchtime and most of the day I was thinking it would be another easy 3-4 miles. However, I felt good in the evening and decided to kick off metocylcle 2, building for the Grand Union Half Marathon in under 4 weeks.

The Running Inn set out a revised plan that involves different reps, tempo runs and endurance work. This was session 1, 10x400 at mile pace with 90 seconds recovery. It sounded a long recovery but as I was still a bit jaded from Sunday I was happy.

400's at night are perfect. It's easy to find a stretch of lamposts that run that far, 800 is a bit more tricky. I started down the end of Coldharbour Lane and set off towards Crabtree Lane. By the time I was going up the hill I'd lost count of which rep I was on! Just like swimming.

After Crabtree it was High Beeches and along to Long Buftlers, back to Meadway and down to Southdown. I finished down there and was still very strong. In fact my last rep on the flat was one of the quickest. Maybe 90 seconds recovery is too long but they know what they're doing at the Running Inn.

Still, it was a good session with all but the Crabtree Hill rep completed under 4min/km pace. Happy with that.

Seventeen add Three is Twenty

Monday's rest day was really needed after the exertions on the Herts 10k. For the first time ever it was quads and thighs which were feeling the pain, normally its the calves.

I needed to get them moving again and when Jack forgot his recorder I decided a quick spin to Markyate was in order. I took the scenic route via Pepperstock and missed Slip End. On the way back it was Gaddesdon Row and Redbourn. Nice 17 mile loop in the sun. Perfect z2 effort which loosened the legs nicely.

The evening was very calm and I decided a slow 3 mile run was in order. So I set off on the Southdown loop determined to keep the heart in low z2 and to maintain a nice cadence and form. All was well until the final mile, my energy levels dropped and I thought I was going to have to stop. This was what cyclists call a "bonk" and I basically ran out of energy. I didn't stop but carried on to home where I stuffed myself with cereal, peanut butter and jam sarnies, cake and anything else laying about. Guess I didn't eat enough today.

Herts 10k a race to remember

After last year's Herts 10k I began running with Niall on a regular basis. He was coaxed me along on our first runs down Wheathampsted and Childwickbury. He then paced me to a December 1.44 in the Bedford Half Marathon. Since January 4th we've run on almost every Sunday morning at 07.15, this was a chance to see how things had gone for me.

We were prepared. We'd run the route, intervalled the route, scouted it and you name it we'd done it. We got together on Saturday night to Carbo load and decide on tactics. A Hail Mary was agreed. I would set off at 6.30 pace, Niall would lead the hill and from the Nicky Line it was every man for himself. Brilliant and playing too our strengths. We even got a pre race bag from Niall and family, some brilliant accessories and post race nurition. I was lucky to get two as Paul hadn't made it along.

Sunday morning prep wasn't text book. The new baby and recovering wife means I'm running around a lot and dealing with the break out of world war 3. Luckily I'd set the alarm on my phone to remind me it was time to go.

Niall, Dave and I met at 0915, where was Paul? We joked our way down and after missing Adrian, the lads dropped their bags. I made my way to the start line and decided row 2 was for me. Soon I was joined by Simon then Dave, Niall and with seconds to go Paul.

The start by Richard Hill and Andy Farrell was excellent and we were off. Within 30 yards I had the encouragement of "Go Kenny!" from Adrian and family. The Hail Mary was on, I was off and in the pack, even saw Simon skip in and out of the melly to get to the front. Comfortable but thinking it was a tad fast. Looked at the Garmin and it was 5.51 pace. Ok, steady the ship. A few elites passed and I hear Niall say, "too many going passed, speed up." I did slightly but then eased off again.

At 1km Niall says, "we're on target, you'd better speed up Dave". As we moved on I felt the legs were strong and took the downhill at a good cadence and relaxed. I was aware I'd left Dave and Niall behind but felt strong.

As we moved through the golf course the Garmin beeped for 2 miles done, I'd done them in 12.22. Times that by 3 and I was on 37.06 pace. Ha ha!

Dave passed and said something like your a legend. I was cheered by that. Turned onto the hill and kept the pace up. Encouraged a guy from Aro's who was struggling, turned out to be Darren, who responded and powered on. I made it to the top knowing I'd put in a heck of an effort and wasn't half way. At this point I relaxed, my mind drifted and I relaxed into a good pace and form. That was fine until Falconers Field where there's a sneaky incline and I felt it again. From their I was on the redline home. Heart rate was 185-190 all the way.

The Nicky Line and the fields were a battle of the will. My mind was playing games "ease off", "42 is a good time", "you've not had enough sleep" etc etc. But I kept as best I could to hold the pace.

As we neared the gate to the finishing straight I was encouraged by my neighbour John who was the steward at that point. As we went through a group accellerated passed, in the mix was Niall who was going strong. I tried to respond but by the time I'd got up to his speed there was a 4-5 second gap. I came round the final corner and got more encouragement from Adrian in the crowd, that helped me to hold onto Niall who was going like a rocket. I felt the tingle in my fingers as my efforts reached the peak. Over the line in 41.09.

I almost fell over as I got my breath but was up to celebrate with Niall. Brilliant! Simon was there offering congratulations and soon Dave and Paul were there too. A fantastic effort by each of us. Results - Simon 36.21 (11th & PB) Dave 39.37 (39th) Niall 41.05 (63rd & PB) Kenny 41.09 (67th& PB) Paul 41.52 (84th).

I am ecstatic following the race and know that there's more to come. More endurance work and that 6.11 pace will last more than 2 miles. Woop woop.

Where the streets have...runners everywhere

With the new baby in the house its a good job its a taper week. Chores and making tea for the visitors is taking up all the spare time.

I managed to sneak out for a 30 min blast round Southdown tonight. I wanted to keep it short and steady which was fine until I realised half the world was out for a run and I was in the mix of the Aro runners. So I found myself going a little faster than planned which was ok.

On the way passed the sports shop there was much fellowship but no Simon, so I kept running. As I approached Crabtree Lane I saw 2 guys turn the corner, by the time I reached it they were by the bridge. I decided to kick and see if I could catch them. I kept it going and went passed them at the Gilpin Green turn, kept the pace up all the way to Shakespeare which made it a nice fast finish.

It was 3.7miles in 30mins and a nice set of negative splits. Woo hoo. Bring on Sunday.

Ultraviolet Light My Way

Today's all about "baby baby baby" so I was never going to get out for long. Niall had called a slow 1 hour run, so I was given the green light to join them but had to be back by 8am, that gave 45mins.

We were 4, no Dave who was doing a fast 20 miler, but Simon and Paul were there. Niall said lets head for Wheathampstead, and we were off. It wasn't too slow, I saw 6.50 pace on the Garmin but luckily that slowed to nearer 7.50. It was uphill too, up towards Mackery End. The route looked like it was going to be good but at 18mins in and heading away from home I had to turn back.

I went back down to the edge of Wheathampstead and picked up the Nicky Line, took the infamous hill up passed the sewage works and home along Topstreet Way.
5.5 miles in 43 mins, average 8.16min/mile pace, average HR 145 which is Z1. How did that happen?

Early windy cycle

It was a windy one and it was clear Dave was gonna struggle to make 0715 if he hadn't left a few minutes early. At 0715 I decided to head down towards Paul's guessing I'd meet him Dave on the way. There was no sign so Paul & I headed out towards Wheato thinking we'd meet him but never met up. He'd come the other way and arrived at mine around 0720. Nightmare.

Paul and I took it steady, up to Gaddesdon Row, then over to the Ayotts and then the big sprint to Kimpton. Paul throws in sprints to the town sign posts and normally he's passed them before I've realised what he's up to. Anyway, we're chatting away and I see him check his gears, I look ahead and sure enough there's the Kimpton sign. I was off before he could get in gear, but I'd gone too early, in the wrong gear and just as the sign was approaching I was aware he was catching fast. Another 10 yards and he'd have done it but this one was mine. First I think!

We headed up passed Barleybean Farm and down through Peters Green. Down at Lower Luton Road we witnessed a near car crash. Some eejit got distracted by us and pulled out in front of two cars. Scary moment.

17 miles completed in 1.21. The wind was a struggle in parts but all in all an easy ride and a good contribution to the taper.

Easy 3.5 mile, Southdown Loop

Took a break at around 5.30 and decided a slow loop round Southdown. Purpose was recovery, so keep it slow and focus on good form and cadence.

As I headed along behind Topstreet Way I was pleased with the form. The legs were turning over well and I felt a nice little lean in my stance. Speed was fine and heart rate was low z2/3.

Kept the pace steady and enjoyed the downhill at Meadway.

Came up Piggotshill and decided to push a little, not too serious but enough to reach z4. Kept the pace up along Topstreet Way and felt the recovery.

Home in a comfortable 29mins.

Nearly 10k with Simon

It had been one of those days, finalising a tender and one conference call after the other. Then the call came from Simon, trot round the 10k route at 4pm? A window appeared in my day and I was off.

Simon was doing a pyramid, never done one myself but it looked hard. Meanwhile I trotted around the route again, checking the racing line and talking too Simon on his recoveries. There were workmen who slowed us, golfers who nearly took my head off and a gate to be manouevered, none of which will be there on Oct 11.

There wasn't too much talking after the hill, I was feeling the last few days and Simon was in his longer reps.

I finally caught up towards the end and he spurred me on to finish quickly. Nice run, good break from the tender and 41.58 for 10k was a new PB. Hello hello.

Swim and Short Reps

Started the day with a swim. Aim was to focus on breathing and good rotation. Took a good few lengths to get into a rhythm but eventually felt the balance and efficiency come. The key is obvious, start slow, establish a rhythm, get the breathing sorted and then build speed. I'll try it tomorrow!

Lunchtime was set for 400m reps. Hadn't done anything this short and was mindful of Paul's advice to maintain my 800m pace. It didn't do any good.

After my warm-up I was off, full pelt, 400m. The garmin was set for 1m30s recovery whcih felt right. Reps 2-4 were also done flat out but 5 & 6 were very painful. I could feel the legs aching and nearing failure as I neared the end.

The Garmin told me that my average had been 3.20m/km, with rep 2 fastest at 3.07. Not sure the session did any good, it certainly proved I can't maintain that sort of pace for very long.

Easing in with a six

After basking in the glory of Sunday's funfest it was back to the lonely roads. Darkness had descended, the kids were asleep so a cheeky loop around Harpenden was in order. The drill was to keep the HR in Z2/3 and maintain good form, light feet and high cadence.

I set off along passed St Georges and down Westfield Road, all was good but I was struggling to get the HR up. As I went along Lower Luton Road I decided I would blast up Crabtree Lane and push on at the top to see if the recovery came even if the pace didn't let up.

So I went for it, right from the Marquis to Aldwickbury Crescent and then not letting up until I was on my way passed Medway. It felt good and later the Garmin showed that on the hill I'd hit 181 but as the incline reduced the HR reduced to under 160.

I headed down Long Buftlers and then onto Medway and Southdown Road. For the second week on the trot I came upon the Aro Sports stragglers. It looked like most of the crew had already gone.

As I went along towards Crabtree Lane an Aro guy went passed on a bike, he turned up Crabtree and I decided to chase him up the hill. I made it to the roundabout without easing off the pace and nearly caught him. Again the HR reached 181 but recovered very quickly. I am officially a hill monster. Ha.

Overall it was 6 miles, with the HR averaging in high z2. A nice start to the week and good prep for tomorrow's reps which will be 6x400m for a change.

A Tale of Two Reps

I’m not sure this is a true story as I reflect on this morning’s jaunt through the Hertfordshire countryside. Hard to believe it was me running up a hill.

Niall had made the excellent call of shortening the Sunday run but retaining intensity, so it was 2x 8mins at race pace. First rep would be slightly downhill and the second up Beeson End Lane, this would replicate part of the 10k route and provide mental and physical training.

My plan was to hopefully find a fast sustainable pace on rep 1. On the hill I planned to go at it hard and see whether I could keep up some pace and still recover.

We met at the steps to the Nicky Line. Simon, Niall, Paul and Dave were already there and raring to go. We took it steady to the platforms and then the plan was 8 mins at race pace. I made a quick decision to try and hang onto Simon’s coat tails. From the off it was obvious that was not going to be sustainable so as Simon pulled away I decided I’d try and relax to a pace I could hold. I seemed comfortable and could sense Niall and Paul following, as they passed me I tracked along happy to hold my pace and not fall too far behind. The rep was over and I felt ok. The Garmin told a good story, 8 mins averaging 3.57min/km. Ok it was slightly downhill but good.

Niall announced 4 mins recovery and another 8 mins on. That would’ve meant a rep squeezed in before the hill. I should’ve been prepared for that but was delighted that Paul was not up for it. So as the lads took off, Paul and I jogged over to the bottom of the hill. We were delighted to see the lads appear just ahead of us and so we regrouped ready for the assault on the hill.

For rep 2 I took off as fast as I could, keeping focused on form and cadence. I was doing well and made it over the steep section comfortably. I could hear Niall on my tail and I was determined not to let him pass easily so I injected pace every time I heard him close. He caught me out and went passed like a train just before the summit. I had something in the tank and didn’t let him pull away so I tucked in and relaxed. I was waiting for a let up in pace and was ready to take over at the front when Simon went soaring passed. I decided to give it another go and get on his tail. I thought Niall was doing the same and powered on. I lasted about 40 seconds with Simon (@3.30/km pace) and had to let him go. I realised I was on my own, checked the watch and saw 1min left so upped the pace again, meaning Simon remained 20-30 yards ahead but was no longer pulling away. The clock stopped and the Garmin said 8 mins at 4.05 pace. Quite unbelievable for me as most of it is up a decent hill.

What a run, still can’t quite believe the hill section. I managed to maintain a good pace and kick on with Simon. Just a couple of months ago I was grunting my way up and any thought of speeding up at the top would’ve been considered a bad joke. Great confidence boost for the 10k in 2 weeks.

Brass Monkeys at Dawn

Dave joined myself and Paul for the 7.00am cycle. Plan was to do the Berko-Bison Hill loop in around 2 hours. With us all in taper mode it was to be an easy one.

However, neither Dave nor I were ready for the cold, it was freezing, and I'd opted for a short sleeve top and shorts. After 20 mins I could see the frostbite appearing on my arms and legs, and couldn't feel my hands.

By the time we'd passed Redbourn the sun was up and it started to warm. We were steady along the top to Gaddesdon Row and then steady down the hill to the main road. However, on the way down Dave popped a spoke and after analysis it was clear he was out. The wheel was in trouble and with 20 miles to go including 2 big hills he phoned his mum for a rescue.

Paul and I continued, the short rest made the Potten End hill easy and then we were steady through the forest, seeing a good few deer on the way. Down to Bison Hill we kept it tight, I held the speed at about 27-28mph and Paul drafted nicely. From there he took the lead up Bison Hill maintaining a good cadence and steady speed all the way.

Before Kensworth we turned for Markyate and the plan was another draft at 22-24mph. It was going well but at some point Paul dropped off and I missed that. From Markyate Paul suggested a different route which was good but had a few dodgy sections of road and a river to navigate! There were a couple of decent short hills which I will keep in mind for future hill work.

The loop was 30 miles on the button. Arriving home I realised my feet had been freezing all the way round, so a long hot shower was required to thaw out. I'll be layered up if I get out next Saturday morning.

Paul was on form again, nailing the sprints to each town sign as I slept beside him! Next time I'll be ready!!

Swim and Mile in the new shoes

I haven't been swimming for weeks. Work and other commitments meant that lunchtimes were off limits. I expected the worst.

After the warm up I thought an easy few lengths of crawl would ease me in. However, my breathing was all over the place and my arms were feeling very tired very quickly. So I went back to basics and focused on rotation from the hips and single side breathing, on-side then off. It was a struggle. Then went for a length or two of bilateral. Again I struggled to find any rhythm. After 30 mins it was still bad so I took a break, sat on the side and refocused.

I went back in, took it slow and found a nice pace, my breathing, stroke and legs were in sync and I was gliding between strokes nicely. I was slow but felt efficient. So I just kept in that zone and managed another 30 mins.

I must get back to the pool soon and repeat that last session.

Late afternoon I had a spare 15 mins and decided a slow mile round the streets was in order, just to see how the new shoes were doing. The first 0.75miles were easy and I was enjoying the shoes. Then I met Simon as he powered his way up from Aldwickbury Golf Course, a hill I just love, not. He slowed and we chatted our way back along Topstreet Way. I forgot all about the shoes as the speed increased nicely. Simon carried on passed Shakespeare Road and I trotted home. The Garmin said 1.5miles at 7.48. Ha ha, that was 0.75 @9 and 0.75 @7 which one did Simon do! All that can be said after trot 1 is, these shoes were made for running.

A new addition to the family

Although baby 4 is due any day, I was in need of new trainers after pounding my Bowerman's over the last 6 months. As a forefoot runner I'd been directed a few times towards the Newton stable. So, after a bit of research this was the day for my trip down to Berkhamsted Sports to see if they would live up to the hype.

To get there it was a z1 bike ride, only straying above Z1 on the hills up to Gaddesdon Row and then up to Potten End.

The trainers were ready for me as I'd been on the phone confirming stock and price. A quick try on to confirm sizing and a few strides later I knew they were going home with me. They fit like a glove and provide fantastic cushioning on the forefoot.

The return home was bound to be faster with my new trainers in the bag, so no wonder it was a z3 ride home. Overall 25 miles and a new pair of uber trainers to wear around the house for a few days. Can't wait to break them in on Sunday.

Reps, the last for a while

Had an MOT on my ACL over in Welwyn at lunchtime. Involved a 20minute lay down while the MRI was completed. No major issues with the knee but a 5 year check-up is a nice NHS touch.

After the MRI it was rep time, 6x800m with 2min recovery. I was feeling reasonably ok and went off at a good pace. First 2 were fine but I felt the pain in rep 3. During 4 I made an error and switched off, only realising I had slowed when the Garmin complained. I switched back on for 5 & 6 and felt I finished very strongly.

The Garmin confirmed rep 6 was at 4.02min/km which is my best finish. Rep 4 was useless in comparison at 4.11. Overall I averaged 3.58 with rep 1 compeleted in HR z4 at 3.43 pace.

Looking at the stats it's time to ease off the fast stuff before the 10k. Last time I had a 2 week break I bounced back faster. Hopefully that'll be the case on October 11.

Easy Zone 1 Run

After the intensity of Sunday it was good to be back to a quiet easy run. I was determined to keep in Z1 and to keep my form for the whole run. I'd decided on the 5 mile loop down to Southdown, up Medway along to Long Buftlers and back via Dalkeith Road.
It was a fine evening, no wind and quite mild. The roads were empty for most of the run and I felt I was running well, in Z1, quiet feet and leaning slightly forward.
On the hills I tried to stay in Z1 but strayed marginally to Z2, which felt like a defeat.
On the return leg I ran into the Aro sports crew, they were flying down from Aldwickbury as I strolled up in z1. No sign of super Simon but they looked a dedicated mix.
The average HR was 134 and it felt good to be back out. Tomorrow is reps day and I'm ready.

Herts 10k Prep. Training like one of the boys.

Niall called the 10k route and I suggested a Runners World split, run the route in 3x2.08miles, each at race pace and with a 5 min recovery. Well, Paul & Niall were having none of that, they were on for a 3min recovery. So that was it.


The Garmin's were primed and I met Simon at the gates of the park. He'd done a 2.54 marathon last weekend and claimed he was still a bit sore etc. More of that later.

Anyway, Paul & Niall appeared but no Dave. So it was a light jog to the top where we asked Niall about his birthday party as he'd hit the big 4-0. I was looking for the birthday cake and was sure we'd have a wee bit after our run. Well, you can hope ;-)

The lads suggested I did the pace making on leg 1 which I thought was a joke but nobody stepped forward. With that surprise I almost did a Usain Bolt and got into the blocks. They took the mick for that. Anyway, that was the last of the joviality as we were off.


I set off like a gazelle, inside 6.30 pace and feeling ok. There was a wee wobble when I missed the first gate but I was soon back in the pack. As we descended to the fields Niall took a wrong turn so there was another wee wobble as I ran backwards thinking I might have to retrace my steps if he was right. My pace was now 6.45-7.00 but still I was ok. On the downhills I let the legs go as best I could and I was in the 5.40's. Along to the golf course I was edging back near 7's but then the 2.08miles were up. I'd averaged 6.30 and been in z5 for just over half of it.


Niall and Paul caught up quickly and when the three minutes were up and I was off for the leg I knew would find me out, the hill. Simon ran with me and gave me some tips and motivation. I made it to the top feeling ok but knowing my pace wasn't good enough at the top. As I kept moving I heard Niall on my shoulder, I tried to kick but couldn't hold the pace and he passed me with about 0.25mile to go. I didn't fall too far behind but was feeling the pain as we completed the leg. I'd averaged 7.03 and was in z5 for all but the first minute.

Paul & Simon appeared just as Niall and I were ready to go. This section was mainly flat but had the odd incline just to make the hr stay high. I tried to keep up with Niall but felt my form was gone, my head was bobbing all over the place and I had completely lost the rythm I had in rep 1. Anyway, Simon was up and down the ranks chatting away, making sure we were ok and on route, clearly still hurting after last week not.

I somehow had clung on to Niall's pace with only a 15 yard gap between us. As we turned towards home I thought I'd try to close it. There was just under a mile to go, so I upped the pace slightly and sneaked within 10 yards. However, Niall eased up a notch and the gap was back. We reached the gate into the field and I decided to kick, I was closing but again Niall moved up a gear and although I was running flat out the gap was constant. I looked at the Garmin and there was still 0.25m to go. I had to ease off a little and only kicked again when I saw Niall stopping but by then the gap was 50-70 yards. On that leg I averaged 6.58's and again spent all but 1min in zone 5.


Overall it was a marvellous run. I've never done anything like that before and not held those speeds over anything longer than 800m. My average was 6.51, coming in at 42min 44sec for 6.28miles. Hopefully with a proper taper and a true 6.1miles I'll break 42mins on the day.

For the first time in 9 months of running with the guys I genuinely felt like one of the team rather than the sad cousin allowed to join in cos he's no mates. Progress.

Saturday Spin

Paul joined me for the 30 mile loop over to Ashridge Forest and back via Bison Hill. We set off at 7.15 at an easy pace, enjoying a perfect morning. No wind but a wee chill in the air which Paul was ideally dressed for. I'd opted for the t-shirt option as I'm supposed to be hard but it was a good 20 minutes before I felt it had been a good decision.

It was a pretty uneventful ride down to Gaddesdon Row and then it was down the hill before the up to Potten End. The up was 0.5miles and it gets the heart going.
From there we went through the forest and saw a few stray golfers, a fox and a good few deer. 3 of the deer ran across the road 20 yards ahead of us which was far enough for it not to be scary.
After Ashridge we had a 5 mile to the foot of Bison Hill. In that stretch is a downhill stretch which had an average 25.2mph.

Bison Hill isn't long but it's steep and I need to be out of the saddle to get over the top. HR hits Z5 and the climb lasts an eternal 3 minutes. Pathetic really but I find it a challenge.
From Bison Hill it was back via Markyate and Slip End. On the Slip End hills I managed to hit 39mph which wasn't too bad.

Paul kept the ride fun as he injected a sprint to win the race to the town signs. I was asleep every time but will be ready on our next soiree.

Overall it was a z1/2 spin with short bursts into z3-5. Average HR was 138 and it was 2300cal burned.

Run and Ride on a Friday

It was going to be a busy day so I thought I'd sneak a few miles in after dropping the kids for school. I was near the park so decided a cheeky stroll round the 10k route would be good.

The weather was awesome, blue sky and no wind. Decided to keep the HR z3/4 and just get to know the route and terrain.

The first 2 miles include a decent downhill section which must be attacked. Then it's flat along through the golf course before a 0.25 mile hill. This will be the section that makes or breaks my race on October 11, right now I am not comfortable on hilly sections. After the main hill there are a few flats and slight uphills, nothing major but enough to keep the HR up.

The final 2 miles are partly nicky line and partly across the fields. The main problem here will be having the confidence to blast it and not worry about the potential for a twisted ankle. It should be ok so long as I've not blown up on the hill.

After the trot it was back to the park for a decent stretch and warm-down.

Adrian's doing the Milton Keynes Triathlon on Sunday, I've had to give it a miss as baby 4 is due any day now. So I got the call to join him for an easy spin through Redbourn-Gaddesdon Row-Studham-Markyate-Slip End -Pepperstock and home. Easy it was, 22 miles in z1 but with a couple of blasts on the downhills which included a new top speed of 40.1mph. I drafted behind Adrian on the descent into Slip End and then just went for it, fantastic fun and had the hill been longer I'd have gone faster. Next time that's the plan.

Lunchtime Reps

Wednesday is normally rep day but being the flexible chap I am, I slotted them in for this lunchtime. Headed down to Lea Valley path as a warm-up and got myself in the frame of mind.
Main objective was to have 6 steady reps and not blow the whole thing on rep 1. I wanted to run light and with good form but knew that with pace the big focus my shape might well fall to pieces.
I set off on rep 1 feeling comfortable and on completion wondered if I'd held back too much. Recovery was a jog further along the path. Rep 2-4 were comfortable, not easy but no major decay in speed or energy levels. Rep 5 was like going over a cliff, it was hard and the breathing was a struggle. Rep 6 was ok, although I eased off in the middle when my mind wandered into some unknown space, I realised I'd slowed and built the pace up again but I'd lost a few seconds.
Overall the session was good, my running shape was a bit all over the place and on a couple of occasions I felt less than athletic. However, average speed for the 6 reps was 3.57min/km, HR reached z5 midway through rep 3. Not too shabby.

An early 5

A busy day was ahead so the decision was made for an early 5 miles. Half expected to see Paul on an early one but instead bumped into Tom Doe one of the PT's at Harpers.
I decided the Cooters End Lane loop was best as I had just under an hour. The weather was fine, fortunately the rain had stopped.
It was an uneventful easy run. The only surprise was on putting on my HR monitor. All the way round the readings were all over the place. When I got back I realised I'd put it on with the sensors facing out. Doh. Clearly 6.15 is too early for me.

Rest Day Reflections

So last week was pretty awesome. 30 miles run and 50 on the bike.
Pretty happy with my 80-20 split of HR z2/3 to HR z4/5 which has left me feeling pretty good today. No fatigue in the legs or aches in the body.
This week is unlikely to reach the heights of last but hopefully progress will continue. As the man said, you don't make money by telling people to slow down or rest, but it's working for me. Endurance and speed are improving in spades.

Perfect Distance

Niall had called the shots for the sunday run. We were going long and the plan was 8.30 pace, so I was up for it although I suspected the pace would be on the 7 side of 8.

Anyway we met at Paul's who was a second or two late. There was no time for him to get his watch on or say hello, as Niall was off. As usual the pace was faster than I wanted but my plan was to keep the HR in zones 2/3 for the run and so I'd keep up as best I could and then let them go if it was too much.

By the time we'd reached Wheathampstead there was a 20 yard gap but I was safely in my zone and not too concerned. Paul took us on a route I'd never been, through the churchyard and then it was on to the Wheato 10k path. The guys had decided not to let me slip too far off the back so were throwing in the odd run back to me in order to keep us together. Nice touch.
We went along the path and I tried to hold on to them on the ascents through the field. The HR went into Z5 but recovered as I slowed the pace. The lads had some fun up ahead, taking over an old guy at pace and then turning back and rejoining me. The unspoken decision was to chase down the lone runner again but he'd stepped up his pace and even though we were pushing under 7 we didn't get him. Funnily when we reached the point where he'd cut off we saw hi walking. He'd killed himself but it was still respectable. My HR was back in Z5 but as the pace eased back down I was back in 3.
Again the lads were building a lead but it wasn't growing beyond too quickly and I knew the way home. Paul threw in another little loop around Wheathampstead and took us up to the top of the hill a new way. On the ascent the guys pulled further away but again turned and ran back to me. From there we were together until Crabtree Lane where we parted.
As I was heading up the hill I saw the distance covered so far was just over 10 so decided to throw in a warm down loop of Aldwickbury Crescent and Topstreet Way in order to hit 11 miles for the treck.
The run was perfect for me. I kept the HR steady and managed to hold my form all the way through. Ignoring mile 1 and mile 11 which were warm ups/downs the average pace was 8.12 for 9 miles. That's very positive and I'd say my best long run ever.

Saturday Spin

I'd agreed to take James Cole out on a 90 minute spin to help him on his training for the Coast-to-Coast in 2 weeks time. We were joined by Paul from Running Fource which was excellent.
I met Paul at 7.15 and then it was up towards Peters Green to meet James. He was fully kitted in brand new gear and a classy looking mountain bike set up with slick tyres.
We headed from Peters Green towards Breechwood Green and then up to Preston. The road is undulating with some nice down's and steep short climbs. Paul and I were riding well within ourselves but were a little concerned for James, he'd only had the bike for 3 weeks!
We reached Preston and were all together and looking comfortable. From there it was down to Whitwell. Paul and I decided to blast it but it was a false start as I forgot about a junction just after the start. Luckily Paul was paying attention in my slipstream and didn't crash through me!
After the junction we were off and the blast was excellent, reaching a speed of around 34mph on the downhill.
From Whitwell we headed to Codicote, and as is usual I passed someone I knew, a neighbour from Cowper Road. I will need to have a word with him and see if he fancies joining up for Saturday mornings.
James was starting to show signs of fatigue as we approached Codicote but bravely tried to keep up the effort. I asked James what route he fancied as I knew there was an easy way home or a longer loop. He suggested the longer option and we handed him the lead. That meant he could set the pace and get home in one piece. However, as we approached Ayots St Lawrence Paul pointed out that we were a man down! We were about to turn back when he came smiling round the corner. Not sure how the lead man ended up so far behind us.
Paul and I decided to get James home and then do the "hill" as our return to Harpenden. We left James at 8.58, 2 mins short of the 90 promised but I think he was glad to be home by that stage.
Paul and I went back to Peters Green then down to East Hyde and then up the hill. We were chatting when Paul says we're about to be overtaken. This guy on a mountain bike goes passed. We looked at each other then Paul says, lets go after him. So we did, taking him just before the summit and then he drafted in behind Paul for the descent and blast back to Harpenden.
All in all it was a good morning, 30 miles covered in just over 2 hours. The weather was ideal and it was good to give James a hand in his training. Also great to have Paul along, hopefully he'll be back next week and we can do a few more miles in our alloted time.

Early Evening Tempo Run

Decided to head out at 4.30pm after a gruelling workday. The tempo run is set at 12 min warm-up in z2/3 and then 24mins in Zone 4. The plan was to head over passed St Georges and then down to the Nicky Line and blast down and round to the park.
The 24 mins on was tricky as I'd set the heart rate zones as per the book which was tight. So it took me a few minutes to get the tempo right, when the heart went high I slowed but had to learn to just ease off a tad.
Traditionally I pass someone I know and this was to be no exception. I'd seen my neighbour Andy Buchanan preping for a mountain bike session a few hours earlier and sure enough here he was blasting up the Nicky Line as I cruised down. I recognised him at a distance and he was clearly shocked by my "how you doing Andy?" as he approached.
The run felt very comfortable and I was pleased to only stray outside the zone on the hillier sections. The pace was 7.19min /miles.
Overall, with the warm up and warm down it was a 48 min workout and I covered 5.7miles.

Wheato Loop at Dusk

As darkness began to descend I made my way out towards Wheathampstead for an easy 6 mile loop. The plan was to keep the HR in zone 3 & 4 and to concentrate on good form and cadence.
The run down to Wheathampstead was done in the light, very uneventful except for what I thought was a horse coming up behind me on the Lea Valley path. Turned out to be a single runner listening to his i-pod but seriously pounding the ground on every footfall. It was scary and made me concentrate further on a light touch on each step.
Going up the hill to the fields was easy for once and on analysing the garmin I saw the HR had risen to 160 but then recovered to 140 almost immediately. I've heard Niall talk about this sort of thing but never had it happen to me. Very nice it is too.
I felt strong going along the top and struggled to keep my pace down as I thought back to the Running Fource 5 mile time trial.
From Wheathampstead the darkness fell quickly but being back on paths it was straightforward. Took the Station Road ascent instead of Crabtree Lane in order to hit the 6 miles.
Lovely run finished with 15 mins of stretching.