Be careful what you wish for

October 17th:

Sadly some runners will be desperate to run the London Marathon & bite the charity bullet. Where as in previous years I'd entered, been turned down & said I'd wait another year, this time around I want to run a marathon. I want to see how I can perform over 26 miles so in 2015 I'll find a race, sadly it won't be London.

November 20th:

Just after that October blog was posted, the Berlin ballot opened, I wanted in to the Marathon party so signed myself up. A mere four weeks later (something London should really take on board), I get back from my lunch break & see that Joel posted his acceptance on Facebook. It dawned on me, D-Day had arrived.
The sense of anticipation grew as I launched into my email. Sure enough there was something there from the Berlin organisers, I couldn't be sure if it was good or bad news from the subject so opened it up & scrolled down to the English section.
I was in, I'd drawn a spot in the ballot and would be running my first marathon. The news took a while to sink in, a full marathon to run. It was a prospect that held both fear & excitement. The joy of finally making it through a marathon ballot & the chance to test myself over 26.2 miles & the fear that I had made it through the ballot & now had to prove myself over 26.2 miles.
Joel & I chatted through the afternoon, getting flights & hotels booked before availability got snapped up, both of us trying to take in what we'd signed up to.
And with everything now booked, there's nothing else to do for now. The marathon is just under ten months away & the best thing I can do is embrace this period of rest & recuperation until Christmas. My current goal is to recover from the multiple training plans over 2013 & 2014, not consume too many mince pies & start 2015 feeling injury free & mentally refreshed.
My 2015 schedule is essentially in three parts. January to March will be all aimed at the Cambridge Half & potentially a 1:50 attempt. Then, from mid April the marathon training will begin, to also include the Endure 24 hour race in June that'll be a completely different experience for me. The final phase will be post September 27th, where with a marathon medal to hold I will be taking another break, a chance to take in what looks to be another good year of running.
I wanted to run a marathon, now I have the opportunity to. Be careful what you wish for indeed.

St Neots Half - The end of 2014

Oh the St Neots Half. The race that wasn't overly planned and really in my current condition shouldn't have happened. When the plan for 2014 was put together the idea was to complete just three halves, Brentwood, Helsinki & Richmond. Then once the California road trip was booked the US Half in San Fran was added into the mix. My thoughts were to run it as a tourist, take photos, enjoy it. Whilst I did do just that, I still managed to drop comfortably under the 2 hour mark.
So 2014 already had four half marathons, although only two were the end point of training plans. Then our friend Fergie moved to St Neots and sold us all on their immensely popular half marathon event in November. It was just a fortnight after San Fran, although I wouldn't target a PB, why not run it? A plan then formed, why not run with Joel & Fergie and try to attack the 2:15 mark. I'd be running well within myself and could provide pacing. The last time I'd paced Ferg hadn't quite gone to plan (Check out the Edmonton 10k report from October 2013), but I was confident everything could run to plan.
Then three weeks out from the race Fergie quite rightly decides that his Berlin Marathon exploits had taken too much of a toll and that he wouldn't be making the start line. As soon as we got the news I consulted with Joel and he was still good to go.
Fast forward to Sunday morning and I'm lying in bed wondering why I'd signed up for the race. My enthusiasm for putting my weary body through another 21km was minimal. A quick message to Joel confirmed he was still heading to the start line, we'd been chatting goal times in the days leading up and he was adamant that it would be a gentle run with no attempt to break his PB.
Once the fog had been negotiated I found myself parked up in St Neots and picking up my race pack. Credit to the organisers, they'd printed our names on the front. This lead to lots of encouragement later on as we made our way around the course. As Joel & I chatted before the start it turned out that neither of us really wanted to run, we were both there out of a sense of obligation! Although Joel was still clear that he didn't want to go for a PB, but had mentioned a 6:30/km pace, this was a surprise as his 2:19 PB would be breakable with 6:35/km. So there wasn't a goal, but a pace that maybe we could maintain. 

Just before the start. Deluded smiles

The Race

Having raced the past two weekends in California, this was an unwelcome reminder of how cold autumnal UK can be. Sure the temperature was around eight degrees, but in a long sleeved shirt I was feeling the cold! Joel did have half a dozen layers and bases on, thankfully he realised this might be overkill!
We lined up a long way from the front, way behind the two hour pacers. The PA system appeared to be a bit hit or miss and depending on who was announcing the race start was either ten or five minutes away. Both of us were entirely relaxed, this was not a day for heroics, we'd decided that already.
Soon we were underway and taking on a gentle climb out of St Neots. Pace for the first couple of kilometres was pretty much on point and we'd heard that the last three miles was downhill, so there was potential in the course.
My job was fairly easy, maintain what for me was a gentle pace and ensure Joel was fine. The fog wasn't clearing so there were times when you couldn't quite grasp what the course was going to be like. The only other course tips I'd seen were some roadworks later in the race and a mention of the Abbotsley hill on twitter.
With 5km banked we were just over the 32:30 target but still under a 2:19 pace. Joel's PB was a mid 2:19 so I was also factoring in that we might have seconds to play with if required. The course was full of gentle undulations, so I encouraged Joel to carry on working at the same rate uphill, take a moment and then enjoy the downhill. We were soon in Abbotsley and the hill was in focus. In truth it wasn't overly taxing, a sharper incline, though the climb then continued as we left the village. At this point we saw the nine mile marker so were aware we'd have to climb through Abbotsley once more.
Joel's pace was remaining consistent and although there was another relatively tough climb as the first hour completed, he was on track for getting close to a PB. The 6:35/km 10k target was 1:05:50 and we were through with around ten to fifteen seconds of buffer. If this pace could be maintained then at 20k we'd be at 2:11 and then Joel could essentially walk to a PB.
I had taken gels at fifty and one twenty, unsure what strategy to take as this would be one of my longest duration runs. I had four with me, my usual half quota. Just after 10km there was a true downhill section and for a couple of clicks we were able to make decent progress, though every kilometre appeared to have some form of climb! The pace carried on, under 6:40/km as we passed through Abbotsley for the final time. As we reached the crest of the climb I encountered some sharp momentary pain in my left glute. Hardly a surprise, but something I didn't want to share with Joel whilst he was still going strong. After a couple of (hopefully) subtle winces the terrain thankfully evened out enough that I wasn't working it so much and everything loosened off again. A reminder that I'm overdue some rest!
Once Abbotsley was done we were approaching the 9 mile marker and the friendly water table. I picked up just to top up my bottle. The climbing was now over and the pace was still excellent. My job here was just to keep Joel talking, make sure he's comfortable and I did this partly by identifying runners in front that we'd reel in. Soon we were turning right and back towards St Neots. Just after 9.5 miles we entered the road works area, they'd stripped back the road surface so we had a bizarre firm trail footing to contend with for the next one and a half miles.
During this trail we crossed the 10 mile marker and Joel now had around 34 minutes to run a 5km. 34 minutes and the course was now downhill. The 17th km was a 6:40/km pace, but as we got closer to the finish line the faster Joel got. And sure enough we started reeling people in and passing them. With 4km the equation was to run seven minute clicks and still get a PB. Be the slowest you've been all race and still PB! But Joel wasn't slowing up and we started to push. Eighteen through twenty went 6:22, 6:26, 6:23, and true to form we were at that 20km marker at 2:11 and we could now practically walk and score a PB.
This wasn't on the agenda though a Joel dropped the hammer with a 5:47 final kilometre! This include a kick the moment we turned into the housing estate at the end of the course. For a moment, my legs felt shaky as Joel kicked, I hadn't expected that and thankfully recovered straight away. Of course the housing estate stint was a bit longer than Joel thought and it was now me urging him to keep going to the finish.
We reeled in our final target just as we crossed the line, Joel delivering a two minute PB of 2:17:26!!!! Post race my job changed to holding him up and giving a moment to recovery.

PB for Joel, so he's allowed to look knackered!

The Eat

Thankfully the freebies were perfect, some haribo, smarties and crisps, all much needed after the exertion. After chatting for a while with Ferg and the rest of the Oak Hill crew it was time to head home. As a bonus there was a donut waiting for me in the car!
Despite having a huge steak lined up for dinner, that was hours away and I fancied some dirty food! So as I left the M11 I headed into KFC for some takeaway. It certainly meant I had some very attentive cats to greet me upon my return.
Of course the steak was awesome, served up with sweet potatoes, asparagus & mushrooms, a well deserved treat. 

Steak & Zubaz

The Conclusion

The race that nearly never was became the race I'm glad I got out of bed for. Knowing that a PB was never on the cards for me meant a different focus for me. Being able to pace a friend to a PB is an amazing feeling, something I've been able to experience on multiple occasions this year. Running can be very solitary, yet to run alongside others makes for an all together different experience. To run with a friend and help them achieve a goal is something special and it was great fun to work with Joel and get him across the line.
And that's 2014 done for me. Apart from parkrun route planning I'll be doing nothing until Christmas Day, where I'll enjoy the festivities at Chelmsford parkrun. I've had an excellent year in terms of running form and now it is time to reward myself with an extended period of rest. After big personal bests at every distance and a lot of back to back training plans, now is the time to kick back for a little while. The next blog post will focus on what is already a blockbuster 2015.

Hollywood 5k race report

This blog started life on Wednesday 12th, I kept it parked waiting for official photos of the race. After a nearly 2 weeks, it wasn't worth the wait....

It's time to try and fight off jetlag by keeping myself busy with some fantastic blogging. The fantastic is more in hope rather than expectation! I was barely conscious after two alarm calls this morning. As comfortable as the flight home was, the 8 hour time difference and generally tiredness from a long twin city holiday is catching up with me. Last night I'm sure I woke myself up on the train home with a snore!
Of course one additional explanation for tiredness could be the early wake up call on Saturday. We were up at 5am in order to get down to Hollywood. Most folks would only get up that early to go on a day trip, perhaps see the sunrise. Me, I dragged everyone up to run a 5k just for the sake of some run bling!
Perhaps my addiction to a Saturday morning 5k is getting a bit too much. With parkrun struggling for traction in the USA, we weren't able to make a visit to one of their events. I searched online for various events up to 10k to get another running fix whilst in the states. At one point I was considering a 10k around Griffith Park, having been up to the Observatory, I'm pleased to have found a more sensible 5k. The Hard Rock Cafe 5k was due for its 2nd running. Sure the entry fee was a bit high (events in the US are just damn expensive), but the medal promised to look fantastic. Just five kilometres would also be non taxing and a good way to start the day.

Lots and lots of bling.....

We arrived in Hollywood with a good 45 minutes before the start. After number and t-shirt pickup we had time to take on a banana, stay hydrated and at least attempt a toilet visit (given up on, half a dozen portaloos for 1700 runners isn't a decent enough ratio). At this point I should point out that my race attire wasn't as regular as usual. The Um Bongo shirt was there, my sister Clare was also making her Team Um Bongo debut. But as we were in America I'd invested in a pair of Zubaz trousers to add all kinds of colours to the outfit. Once topped off with a pink leopard print headband and I was quite the colour palate!

Pre Race - Lots of colours

After the obligatory pre race photos we were off to the start line. Originally I thought we'd run together, but that plan was scrapped, which was a good idea as the race start was the most frustrating I've experienced. 

The Run

A slow start to Team Um Bongo

After the guy on the PA system hyped everyone for the start we were underway. Unfortunately the slow start from the US Half was to be followed by even more annoyance.
Perhaps we were too far back, but everyone around us moved like zombies, some folks barely walking! The decision to not run together meant I could just start weaving, I suspect I added a good extra 50-100m with sideways movement in the first kilometre. I suspect this is the norm, but why not having some timing pens, even a split for runners and walkers so that those of us that don't have all day to kill can get to the front.


The course was meant to be all about the music, however other than at the start line there appeared to be just one music desk along the route, a bit disappointing to be honest. The course itself was also a bit bland, 2.5km out and then straight back to the finish line. I'd managed to settle into a decent rhythm getting down to five minute kilometres and reasonably happy with the pace.
At halfway I turned and couldn't see Clare so presumed she might be hovering on my shoulder, looking to sneak a win. With that in mind I wasn't in the mood for offering high fives to the runners in the other direction, but did give Paula a wave once we passed.
Though my pace was decent, my decision to run in full length Zubaz pants wasn't clever. Despite a 7am start time the temperature was ramping up and I found myself in a self created sweaty mess!
Thankfully the finish line was soon in sight, the course took us gently downhill. I was grateful to see the ever closer finish line, the sheer volume of Korean, Japanese & American food consumed over the preceding days was all being sweated out! Another kilometre would have had me adding projectile to my already funky colour scheme!
My delightful Zubaz even got a shout out from the PA as I came through the finish and grasped a water bottle and medal. Stick a fork in me, I was truly done. My time of 25:11 meant that a family win was never in doubt. In turns out Clare wasn't on my shoulder, finishing a couple of minutes behind me and Paula coming in just under the half hour. Despite my 194th place I was the 2nd place international runner and 1st place British finisher. In fact we'd have swept a British 1-2-3 but my sister registered herself as an American! Sure there were only 6 countries represented, but a win is a win!

Post race with Bling!

The Bling

One of the reasons for signing up to American races is the excellent run bling. The half marathon medal was superb and in terms of shiny, the Hard Rock 5k medal really is something special. I also picked up the start and finish pin badges so that I can convert them to magnets for the bridge.

The Eat

We were in Hollywood so a trip to Roscoe's for Chicken & Waffles was mandatory. The early start meant we'd get there before any queues. How better to follow a 5k run than with half a fried chicken, a massive waffle and an oozing of maple syrup? I'm sure the 500 calorie deficit was more than repayed!

Pilgramage to Roscoe's

Chick N Waffles N Medal....

Worth getting up early for fried chicken goodness

Followed by $7 chocolate milk

Later in the day (once dressed normally, without those Zubaz) I even got a chance to make the pilgrimage to In-N-Out Burger. I'd been anticipating a visit since our visit to Vegas in 2011 and was well aware of their much publicised secret menu. My brother in law Dan and I were out wandering around midday and despite the post run refuel I was feeling peckish. It turns out the In-N-Out was just a five minute detour so we wandered in to order up a double double (double cheeseburger) animal style and animal style fries. The fries weren't amazing, though covered in plentiful amounts of cheese and sauce, but the burger was very decent with the extra sauces and cheese. It was probably never going to meet my unrealistic expectations, but for cheap and cheerful fast food it hit the spot.

Let's go Animal Style

The Conclusion

Start further forward at American races. End of conclusion. 

US Half Marathon race report

Sorry folks, it's been a while. The month of October was pretty much a write off for me in terms of decent running. Other than an unenjoyable visit to Newbury parkrun and some Great Notley volunteering there really wasn't much to report on.
The constant training and racing through 2014 left me with a need to rest and keep my miles to a minimum. This left me facing the prospect of the US Half in San Francisco with very little training. I fully expected a complete train wreck. The course wasn't exactly undulating, it would be either flat or steep as it started in the Marina area and was essentially and out and back over the Golden Gate Bridge.
I felt that I'd manage a decent enough first hour. Then the wheels would come off due to the lack of miles and I'd drag myself home, probably at around the 2:15 mark.

The Acclimatisation Run

On Friday morning we headed out to the San Francisco Bay and towards the Golden Gate Bridge. It was the first time in a long time that Paula & I had run together and the gentle pace suited me as I wanted to just get some miles done. Our Berlin conquering friend Fergie had mentioned that running to the bridge would give an opportunity to find Hopper's Hands.
Along the paths and trails to the base of the bridge was a nice, scenic start to the day and at half way I was able to see the hands and complete the ritual of touching them before we turned back for our hotel. The weather was starting to turn, but we were lucky with only a drizzle at most until we got back to base to grab a coffee.

The Expo

Big races have a whole different kind of setup & although a field of 5000 didn't necessarily require an expo, the US Half team had laid one on. We headed to the Fort Mason Center to pick up my race number and finisher t-shirt. There really wasn't much to write home about. Maybe a dozen stalls at best, some energy drinks or snacks to try. I picked up a timing band in the form of a temporary tattoo & another t-shirt from the merchandise stand and we were on our way. Compared to the expo at Helsinki or Copenhagen, it was a tad disappointing. Especially as the building chosen was huge, plenty more stands could have been accommodated.

Race number pickup at the Expo

We trawled San Fran for a fourth successive day of tourism, hardly ideal preparation! In lieu of a big bowl of carbs I found myself an awesome sandwich at Molinari's in the Italian quarter for lunch (and second lunch, the sandwich was huge), we then had some sushi for dinner close by to the hotel.
It was then time to lay out all of my kit, set the alarm for 5am & get some rest. 

Pre race carb loading with lots of bread and parma ham

The Race

The clocks went back on Sunday morning so I was able to grab an extra hour of bad sleep. Our hotel was on a main road and ear plugs weren't keeping out Halloween revellers at 1am or a bar emptying their bottle bins out at 4am. There seems to be a pattern that if I have a half marathon in the morning I'm practically guaranteed a crap night of sleep!

Pre race kit check

My 5am alarm was soon waking me and it was time to get showered and ready before walking to the start line. One benefit to our hotel was the Marina location. Only 20 minutes walk to the start area so I was able to get myself there with just under an hour to the event start.

All quiet at the start line

Regular readers will know that I'm always a fan of events that cater well to the needs of runners. Check out this huge line of toilets!!!! Race organisers get a thumbs up for me. The whole start area was pretty laid back, I missed the warm up as bag drop wasn't quite as fluid as required and as ever, one last toilet visit seemed like a good idea.

Organisers after my heart with this impressive spread of toilets

So with five minutes to go I got to the start line. Unfortunately there wasn't much segregation in terms of projected times, I saw a 2:00 pacer & placed myself in front of them. My intention was to try and keep to a two hour pace for as long as possible. Would I be able to sustain a 5:41/km pace?
The guy on the PA system hyped the crowd of runners up & without delay we were on our way. In a new race record, I passed two walkers after a mere 230 metres. You have to wonder at times why people are so dumb with where they line up. Surely it doesn't take much common sense to realise that if you need to walk straight away (or were planning to walk & run) that being at the front of the field is just stupid.
The first kilometre was frustrating, despite the roads being wide, the volume of runners meant it was hard to make progress. A six minute pace left me 19 seconds over target and my fragile state of mind already had me assuming this was already a disaster. My current glass half empty outlook isn't ideal for a good race!
Of course a slow first kilometre was largely irrelevant. I found a good pace straight away, wiping the deficit out and gaining a bank of time by the end of the third kilometre. The first five kilometres would all be flat, allowing me to ease into pace. Despite the target time, I found myself able to maintain a quicker pace, so carried on regardless until the hills came into play.
Between five and seven we first went up, then a more gentle down and then up all the way to the bridge. I didn't struggle too much on the climb, though did have to stop opposite a water station due to a loose shoe lace. Even though I stopped, everyone else slowed for water so I was able to maintain the same pack.
My quads were already starting to complain, but here we were at the major pull of the race. It was time to run out across the Golden Gate Bridge. A gentle up, followed by a gentle down. The bridge itself was around 2km in length so it was a long straight line drag in reality. Everyone appeared to be enjoying the experience, I grabbed some photos and carried on maintaining pace.

Heading out over the bridge

Sadly for all of us there was a rather rude lady, being a bit of a dickhead and barking at other runners to get out of her way. Generally the mood in big races is good, quite what this person's problem was I have no idea, no harm in having manners and being polite to fellow runners.
As we made it over the halfway point of the bridge we were passed on the opposite side by the lead runner, already holding a big gap over the second place guy. Soon we were off the bridge ourselves and I got chatting to a local who'd run previously. She told me the next section, though tough was the most scenic of the race. She was indeed correct. After negotiating a car parking area we headed down a trail underneath the bridge, a steep decline that my quads weren't happy about at all. Of course what goes down must come back up and straight away we were climbing towards the western side of the bridge. This was the last climb until the final mile (excluding the gentle rise of the bridge itself) and I surprised myself with the ease in which I was able to get up the hill. I maintained effort so the pace dropped slightly and despite taking a little while to recover, I came off the bridge with at least a minute banked.

Back over the bridge into San Fran

My pace was still good and I kept my refueling discipline with gels at every 20 minutes after 45. The downhill pass after exiting the bridge brought some welcome shade and I kept my shape to ensure the at times steep descend didn't have me falling over. With a flat four kilometre and one last climb through Fort Mason to come, I was happy to find myself passing through mile markers with an ever increasing bank of time. Perhaps the wheels wouldn't be coming off after all?
I did have a moment of doubt when passes by a two hour pacer with nearly three miles to go? They seemed to have only one person with them, probably due to them not sticking to a 2:00 pace! I double checked my watch and reassured myself that all was well, my pace was just fine.

Approaching Mile 12 marker

With the course now flat I was able to enjoy the sunshine and get myself home. Just before the 12 mile marker Paula came into view to offer support. I tossed my water bottle to here and started to sing along to my tunes. What's the frequency Kenneth & Final Countdown took me to the summit of the Fort Mason climb and I was also encouraging other runners to get through the last hill. As the course entered it's final downhill I was joined by Roxette's Dressed for Success. I couldn't do the vocals any justice so I shut my mouth and hauled my ass to the finish line.
The finish was in a minor amphitheatre and by discarding the water bottle I was able to give a full Daniel Bryan / Hunter Pence Yes arms. Sadly the crowd were a bit sleepy and the chance of interaction was missed! Got myself some awesome finishing photos (though yet to be purchased so will save for another day).

Got me a medal.....

I wandered through the post race recovery area, claiming an awesome medal, water bottle, snacks and an instantly thrown once tasted protein milk drink. I was soon reunited with both Paula and my luggage and was on my way.
I'd managed a very unexpected 1:57:59 chip time. More on that later.

The Eat

On the way back to the hotel I picked up full fat coke and a donut to redress my lack of energy. We were due to leave San Francisco and head south, so I showered quickly, enabling us to check out and take the Mustang to Santa Cruz.
Halfway along the coastal route we stopped in Half Moon Bay and picked up a very agreeable burger, Paula opted for a massive Philly Cheesesteak sandwich that was both vast and awesome. Soon we wound our way to Santa Cruz, the first overnight stop on our journey to Los Angeles. Luckily we didn't have to look for dinner options, we had a reservation to meet with a former colleague of mine and his partner who'd recently relocated to the area. An excellent steak (though accompanied by over seasoned fries) was the perfect way to toast a half marathon performance.

Steak - the perfect way to celebrate a good half marathon

They'll be more food reports to follow, the whole trip has been a culinary odyssey,  worth a blog post on its own!

The Conclusion

A thoroughly pleasing result. To complete a half in a comfortable sub 2 tells me just how well I've trained in 2014. I felt good throughout the race and worked hard to get the course to work for me. Although an out and back course essentially, it was immensely scenic and one I'd recommend. In the days following the race I found only my quads to be an issue.
I certainly didn't feel I had a right to a sub two time, but to be able to perform so well was great, a race in which the wheels came off would have been hard to take, even though it's what I expected.
It's time to reward myself with some time off. Other than parkrun route tests, I've nothing major scheduled after the St Neots Half on the 16th until 2015. I think I'll be taking a well deserved break from running, allowing some injuries to heal up and bring back a bit of focus and desire for the new year.

Temporary tattoo took a while to come off