One project ends and so another one begins. Perfect timing you could suggest as no sooner as the parkrun at Hatfield Forest launched my programme for the Berlin Marathon begins. A 25 week plan that will take me to the start line of a marathon for the first time. Will I get there? I'd like to think so, this isn't something I've just thrown myself into without much thought, this has been five years of building. When I first starting running, the goal was never to cross the line at a marathon, it was to try and break the cycle of weight gain and weight loss, to get fitter and in a reaction to my father's passing, try and avoid an early death. A bit of a morbid start, but a back story always helps paint the picture. Now, I run because I enjoy it, I love the competition, testing myself, exposing my weaknesses and for the chance to switch off (well as much as an overthinker can do). And yes, I still run to try and break the cycle of weight gain and loss.
The last point is perfect introduction to the marathon plan. I start this journey at the heaviest I've been since the summer of 2013. My extended break from running at the end of 2014, combined with injuries this year & some perfectly justifiable comfort eating, has seen my weight tip over the 14st barrier & back to the 200lbs mark once more. Sometimes a kick up the arse is what you need though. That used to be 15st on the scales for me, now it's 14. If I'm going to make it through a marathon programme then I need to look after myself better & that includes being more disciplined with my diet. I've let things slip of late, affording myself far too much slack, hedging my bets with the line that I'm carb loading for that marathon in September. From trying to go carb free last summer and having some success to slipping into an all too easy path of finding snacks very easy to locate and consume.
With my mind on the scales and needing to get healthier, I couldn't be happier on Good Friday to be meeting up with friends to make a return to running. Physio Dan was very happy with the improvement seen since he'd first diagnosed the groin strain. For once I'd been disciplined, icing and stretching as much as time would allow. It was still tender, but if I was sensible and held off tempo training to start with all would be fine. I look back now at some of the ludicrous sprint finishes at parkrun and other events and can see how the injury kept reoccurring, I'd be cleverer this time around (keep that in mind for the end of this post).
The last point is perfect introduction to the marathon plan. I start this journey at the heaviest I've been since the summer of 2013. My extended break from running at the end of 2014, combined with injuries this year & some perfectly justifiable comfort eating, has seen my weight tip over the 14st barrier & back to the 200lbs mark once more. Sometimes a kick up the arse is what you need though. That used to be 15st on the scales for me, now it's 14. If I'm going to make it through a marathon programme then I need to look after myself better & that includes being more disciplined with my diet. I've let things slip of late, affording myself far too much slack, hedging my bets with the line that I'm carb loading for that marathon in September. From trying to go carb free last summer and having some success to slipping into an all too easy path of finding snacks very easy to locate and consume.
With my mind on the scales and needing to get healthier, I couldn't be happier on Good Friday to be meeting up with friends to make a return to running. Physio Dan was very happy with the improvement seen since he'd first diagnosed the groin strain. For once I'd been disciplined, icing and stretching as much as time would allow. It was still tender, but if I was sensible and held off tempo training to start with all would be fine. I look back now at some of the ludicrous sprint finishes at parkrun and other events and can see how the injury kept reoccurring, I'd be cleverer this time around (keep that in mind for the end of this post).
The Comeback
What I needed was a nice, simple route to get back into rhythm with. Instead I appeared to be at the Forest, giving the summer route a once over! In early March with a spell of good weather we were all hopeful that the parkrun would move to the summer course quite early. On Good Friday it was clear that it still needed time to heal and recover. Conditions weren't awful, halfway ride that leads you into 3km was the worst part of the course, still plenty of mud here. I spent the majority of the run at the back with Len, chatting all things parkrun as I moved with all the speed of sloth.
There is a minor downhill just after 2km, normally a nice section to enjoy, except for when your groin twinges to remind you to slow down. Just a minor tremor, it would be sore throughout the rest of the run, but more out of tenderness and being used rather than injury. Run completed I felt good, glad to be back in trainers and running again. As soon as I finished I was stretching & after laying on some breakfast for Paul & Emily I was icing throughout Good Friday. Minor pain is to be expected, the muscle won't be 100% for a while. I wasn't due to run again until the Bank Holiday Monday, Dan had asked me to get in two runs before my regular neck & back visit on Tuesday so that we could assess how I was recovering.
Saturday brought my third week of parkrun Run Directing & again numbers grew, 139 people deciding to spend their Saturday morning running around a Forest! We still weren't graced with sunshine, I'm starting to think I've offended whoever sorts the weather out. Instead we were greeted with what can be phrased "perfect running weather" - i.e. not good for anything else.
Post Chocolatemas Run
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| 6 go mad in a forest.... |
The Chocolate Boxing Day was actually the official start of my Berlin program. Despite my previous protestations about my weight, I realised there was little point in fighting against the National Chocolate Egg weekend. I don't really know the history behind Chocolate Egg Weekend but much like the December holiday of Eating Alot & Present Days, I whole heartily approve. I'd presented myself a small Creme Egg, rather modest egg, though this barely made it through Pre Chocolate Friday. Thankfully my stocks were replenished over the weekend & it was hard to prepare for my Post Chocolate Monday run without naturally consuming more.
My plans were easily hatched as Harlow parkrun ED Vicky had mentioned she was looking to run 18 miles but in 4.5 mile sections. A 4.5 mile saunter would suit me nicely & the chance to run with a friend and see some new scenery made this an easy choice.
Our route was simple, take the tow path from Harlow Mill and run to Sawbridgeworth, then climb up through the town & take the pavement back to Harlow. As I'm looking for new routes to take in whilst marathon training, running the tow path was nice, I can see myself taking the train to Harlow and running back to change things up during the next 25 weeks.
Unfortunately the rest of the day was far less fun. I left Vicky to continue her run & subjected myself to DIY stores on a Bank Holiday. Suddenly the prospect of running 18 miles didn't seem to bad! Nothing of note to report on the injury though, it held up nicely throughout, the downhill sections back into Harlow stretched it out, but no major issues.
The Exercise Bike is Boring
The Hal Higdon plan that I'm following bases itself on 3 runs a week and cross fit activities. But these activities have to be meaningful and useful. With that in mind I've been clearing out the garage and trying to make it more appealing to work out of. A spare TV will be going in there & I'm dusting down the rowing machine & also bringing the exercise bike out of retirement. Each cross session has lengths between 30-90 minutes as the plan matures. Realistically I'm not sure I can do any one activity other than running for that long, everything else just bores me.
On top of the rowing & cycling I also have the much discussed DDP Yoga to try & crack, I always make a start but never progress past the first couple of workouts. Given the state of tension in my neck at the moment, a reaction to both bad posture & stress no doubt I could do with really getting into the Yoga. Sean has also recommended the Nike Training Club app, seeing that it is Chromecast compatible certainly makes it a possibility to use as well. I'm also planning to make a return to swimming. I had made decent progress with lessons, but after a horrendous end to the year they fell by the wayside. In truth, I might even join a gym & really look to mix up what I do, potentially doing some classes as well (getting dizzy just thinking about it).
The reason I need to consider all of this is because after all of two minutes on the exercise bike I was clock watching. I had some good old wrasslin on the iPad but was still bored with the sheer mundaneness of it all. 20 minutes of boredom is not what the plan intended! I can't get to Berlin alone on just running (well I could, but I'd be better with some cross training) so it is time to put the effort in on my days off.
parkrun goes Mexican
Sadly not an expansion into another territory for parkrun, more a meeting of the minds behind the Hatfield Forest event. On Thursday night I invited the guys over to mine as we ran through the IT side of parkrun & went through various ideas and analysed how the first few events had gone. Up to this day I've exclusively been on Run Director duty, my time off rota starts with this weekend, so that'll be the first true test to see what information I've managed to share properly & what remains wrapped up in my head, needing to be articulated on paper.
I offered to cook as ordering in food or heading to a pub to sit round a tiny laptop would be impractical & it was to my massive Mexican cookbook I went to. I'd recently served up Carnitas to Mum & Steve so returned to that recipe, adding refried beans (from a tin, haven't added that to my repertoire yet), Mac & Cheese, plus a side of homemade Coleslaw. The food seemed to be generally approved of, probably putting more pressure on me to serve up something equally good next time we all meet up.
Spending time with the guys away from parkrun itself is a good way to catch up & also share ideas without the pressure of an event going on. We can look at what did & didn't work from weeks previously, making sure that we shouldn't repeat the same mistake twice.
The Stansted Loop
Friday afforded me the opportunity to run before work and I decided to stay local. Last year I adjusted my wake up time form 0545 to 0535 in order to be able to run before catching the 0722 train from Stansted. Getting up ten minutes earlier usually meant I could get out of the door in time to get some kilometres in, shower & make the train, rather than waiting for the far busier later one. Given my current standing, I put the alarm back to 0520 to compensate for my lack of pace!
It was well before 0600 when I made my way out of the front door. The loop, either north or south is the route I've covered the most since moving to Stansted. Based solely on GPS stats (July 2012 onwards), this was the 18th time I've run from North to South. Surprisingly the last time I ran this way round was in September. I suspect this is because a long but shallower uphill along Pennington Lane is often more appealing than the reverse of the route.
It was also the slowest I've completed the course in. But I couldn't care for the time taken. Getting out & running locally was reward enough for the effort. Another recovery run completed, another tick for less pain being felt & another tick for gradual healing of the injury.
The final activity of week one was the Flitch 10k. First week of a programme & I'm chasing the run bling, when will I learn? More on that in the next update.
On top of the rowing & cycling I also have the much discussed DDP Yoga to try & crack, I always make a start but never progress past the first couple of workouts. Given the state of tension in my neck at the moment, a reaction to both bad posture & stress no doubt I could do with really getting into the Yoga. Sean has also recommended the Nike Training Club app, seeing that it is Chromecast compatible certainly makes it a possibility to use as well. I'm also planning to make a return to swimming. I had made decent progress with lessons, but after a horrendous end to the year they fell by the wayside. In truth, I might even join a gym & really look to mix up what I do, potentially doing some classes as well (getting dizzy just thinking about it).
The reason I need to consider all of this is because after all of two minutes on the exercise bike I was clock watching. I had some good old wrasslin on the iPad but was still bored with the sheer mundaneness of it all. 20 minutes of boredom is not what the plan intended! I can't get to Berlin alone on just running (well I could, but I'd be better with some cross training) so it is time to put the effort in on my days off.
parkrun goes Mexican
Sadly not an expansion into another territory for parkrun, more a meeting of the minds behind the Hatfield Forest event. On Thursday night I invited the guys over to mine as we ran through the IT side of parkrun & went through various ideas and analysed how the first few events had gone. Up to this day I've exclusively been on Run Director duty, my time off rota starts with this weekend, so that'll be the first true test to see what information I've managed to share properly & what remains wrapped up in my head, needing to be articulated on paper.
I offered to cook as ordering in food or heading to a pub to sit round a tiny laptop would be impractical & it was to my massive Mexican cookbook I went to. I'd recently served up Carnitas to Mum & Steve so returned to that recipe, adding refried beans (from a tin, haven't added that to my repertoire yet), Mac & Cheese, plus a side of homemade Coleslaw. The food seemed to be generally approved of, probably putting more pressure on me to serve up something equally good next time we all meet up.
Spending time with the guys away from parkrun itself is a good way to catch up & also share ideas without the pressure of an event going on. We can look at what did & didn't work from weeks previously, making sure that we shouldn't repeat the same mistake twice.
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| This book is awesome both in content & size (700 pages), an excellent addition to the book shelf |
Friday afforded me the opportunity to run before work and I decided to stay local. Last year I adjusted my wake up time form 0545 to 0535 in order to be able to run before catching the 0722 train from Stansted. Getting up ten minutes earlier usually meant I could get out of the door in time to get some kilometres in, shower & make the train, rather than waiting for the far busier later one. Given my current standing, I put the alarm back to 0520 to compensate for my lack of pace!
It was well before 0600 when I made my way out of the front door. The loop, either north or south is the route I've covered the most since moving to Stansted. Based solely on GPS stats (July 2012 onwards), this was the 18th time I've run from North to South. Surprisingly the last time I ran this way round was in September. I suspect this is because a long but shallower uphill along Pennington Lane is often more appealing than the reverse of the route.
It was also the slowest I've completed the course in. But I couldn't care for the time taken. Getting out & running locally was reward enough for the effort. Another recovery run completed, another tick for less pain being felt & another tick for gradual healing of the injury.
The final activity of week one was the Flitch 10k. First week of a programme & I'm chasing the run bling, when will I learn? More on that in the next update.
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