Forty quid more, but cut the jazz

Yesterday's rest day was put to good usage, triumphing in the Castle pub quiz (and thanks to Ruth for assistance). My half of the spoils has gone straight into the charity pot. Aww, shucks...

Today's observations:
1) I run faster when there is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier after me (it seemed to have taken time out of protecting its Holloway Crack Den). Does anyone know where I can borrow/rent one for April 13th?
2) Jazz hands can be disturbing. I was sort of engrossed in a Dennis Rollins (great jazz trombonist I stumbled across at Womad a couple of years back) track, and found myself involuntarily doing *jazz hands*. Just quickly, but I was passing a bus queue at the time. The people looked at me a little oddly. Understandable, I guess.


Distance: 7 miles
Time: 1 hour 10
Music: shuffling
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 17 - 2 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

Hell, this thing might just work!

This morning, I did my shortest local loop, and knocked a few seconds off my fastest ever time: a time when I was doing 'short & fast' all the time as training for 5k or 10k.

I may have to deduce (especially since I have 10 miles in my legs from yesterday) that training actually DOES work, and I am starting to get a little quicker. Most peculiar...

Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 33 mins 30 sec
Music: none??!!
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 16 - 2 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

Light Drizzle

If I'd had a Sheephead in my car park to forecast the weather, I may have taken the tube this morning. The first four miles were wet. Peter Kay's kind of "fine rain that gets you wet". Nice.

Still, I managed the full ten. Before breakfast.

Today's observation: I ran past a sign proudly proclaiming "we've cut gun crime in the Seven Sisters area". In my bright yellow hi-vis jacket (due to the early morning dusk, rather than any sort of fashion statement, I should add). I think I may just have re-defined the phrases 'sitting duck' and/or 'moving target'....


Distance: 10 miles
Time: 1 hour 55
Music: Oasis (again!)
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 15 - 2 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

Hitting the wall in style

What better, the day after doing very nearly half-marathon distance, than a 10k race?

Still, good preparation for running with aching legs, and what hitting "the wall" on the day might feel like. So I picked a location to inspire me: racing round the grounds of Knebworth House (just outside Stevenage) where I haven't been since this:

That's an old NME aerial shot of (one of the two) Oasis gig in August 1996. I was able to lap the fields with Oasis in my ears and memories of that amazing sunny Saturday afternoon in my head to take the pain away from my legs.

Afterwards, I sat at the top of that field in the sunshine, listening to 'Live Forever' on full blast, and doing warm-down stretches. Amazing.

I also managed, despite the pain in my legs, to finish only 4 mins over my 10k PB. That may (or may not!) mean some of this training is working.
Furthermore, I managed to beat the bloke dressed as a lion. Though he nearly beat me up after I pulled his tail in a deft overtaking manoeuvre... ; )


Distance: 10k (c. 6.2 miles)
Time: 1:03.25
Music: Oasis (what else?!)
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 14 - 2 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

The first comedy accident...

... for ages!

After a (needed / deserved) day off, I decided to go to the Science Museum. So I ran there. From Walthamstow!

The comedy accident happened when I tripped up a newly-laid kerb in Camden. Luckily all Dobbos come with twin airbags fitted as standard. So when I landed flat on my front, I swear I bounced back up a bit! Luckly, they saved all but a bump on the left kneecap (the right knee could not have taken another, so I was very lucky).


Distance: 12.5 miles
Time: 2 hours 15
Music: various
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 13 - 2 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

The most delusional pub sign

Don't think I ate enough last night, as I felt weak and it just felt like a slog this morning.

This morning's observation... the award for the most delusional pub sign goes to 'The Holloway Castle'.
The sign features a beautiful fairytale-type castle. Think of the kind you see in southern Germany, on a rocky outcrop overlooking a beautiful dark blue lake.
VERY different to the standard brewery pub-by-numbers (heavy on the beige, brown and burgundy decor) that lurks over the road from Holloway Prison.


Distance: 7 miles
Time: 1 hour 5
Music: various Motown
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 12 - 2 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

Lonely evening

I had the track all to myself this evening, for another 'sprints & jogs' intervals session. Kinda eerie, though the kind of eerie that has Police sirens in the background rather than haunted woods and ghostly shadows.

Distance: who knows?
Time: 45 mins on the track (plus half hour in the gym)
Music: The Chemical Brothers
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 11 - 2 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

Another morning...

...where it was freezing outside, and had to drag myself kicking and screaming out of a warm bed.

For some reason, the first half seemed really quick, and the second half really slow. But I felt like I ran well. I suspect a stopwatch malfunction!

This morning's observations are on retail establishments:
Favourite - Meat World (a van parked outside the Tollington on Hornsey Road)
Least Favourite - Waitrose Holloway Road, who seem to start baking bread 5 mins before I pass


Distance: 7 miles
Time: 1 hour 10
Music: Shuffling. With a strange disposition towards mid-nineties indie (Blur, Supergrass, Gene, Shed Seven....) as I entered the borough of Camden. Think the t'ipod just knows...
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 10 - 2 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

I'm back!

Okay... I've been away for you for 3 days in Belgium on a long-arranged holiday to stay with old friends (hello & big thanks to Jamie & Sarah!!). This has, incidentally, always been incorporated into training plans (and why I pushed for the Half Marathon last weekend).
But I'll give another 'goal' to the Demons side, as I probably should have done 1 more piece of training despite that...

Back at "school" today and, despite the 5.30 alarm call to get the first Eurostar out of Brussels, I've just managed a quick Regent's Park dash over lunch. I think I'm starting to speed up just a touch, or it might just be an illusion?

Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 30 mins
Music: shuffling
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 9 - 2 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

Still feels like I've a long way to go

Took the (cheat/short) run into work again.

Nothing to report. No tractors, just a little stiffness in my right calf. Saw a little of the damage from the Camden fire by looping up a bit, but that was all. Kinda boring. Sorry.

Distance: 7 miles
Time: 1 hour 10
Music: The Clash
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 8 - 1 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

Parklife

I'm still upset about the layout of London Zoo, as you can't see any of the monkeys from Regent's Park. One path does go very close to 'Dobbo Junior' (= my Birthday present, a sponsored squirrel monkey, for those not in the know)'s enclosure, but there's a hedge in the way.

Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 35 mins
Music: shuffling
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 7 - 1 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

Rest day

Apparently, even the big fella upstairs had one of these when making the world, so I don't feel guilty...

The aftermath

A gentle shuffle down to the gym, and some indoor exercise today, just to stop myself from seizing up entirely after yesterday's half. No more to say, except I'm nowhere near as worn out as I expected to be.

Distance: 2 miles (plus an hour in the gym)
Time: Dunno
Music: Shuffle is treating me well at the minute
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 6-1 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

Hill is one letter away from hell

Brands Hatch, I am now sure, is made for driving cars around rather than running around.

I knew the half marathon was going to be a challenge (I'm not really ready for the distance; my calf muscles certainly were not built for the hills), but I had to do it to test myself. Just as well I was going for stamina and improvement above time, as I quickly realised that I would injure my legs beyond repair if I didn't walk the hills.

This really was low point, but I kept pushing on between the various pains, and made it around. Now for more (and less bloody hills)!

Distance: 13.1 miles (50% of marathon distance - yay!)
Time: 2 hours 40 (remarkably slow, but you try those hills without a car)
Music: Shuffling (highlights: Inspiral Carpets 'Saturn 5' at 9 miles and Dobie Gray's 'Out On The Floor' at 11 miles)
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 5 - 1 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

Oops

I wussed out tonight, not even a short gym session.

Well, I was feeling over-tired, so I opted for pasta with friends and an incredibly early night before tomorrow's half marathon (the first since Reading last year, where the accident with the cat's eye and the A33 stopped me running for 5 months).

Score : Mind Over Matter AFC 4 - 1 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

Chugging Along

Took the (cheat/short) run to work today... running to Tottenham Hale, getting the tube 2 stops, then running to work from Finsbury Park.

I think I was halfway to Tottenham before I actually woke up! I almost got run over in Holloway. By a tractor!!! Very peculiar place to see one of those.

Distance: 6.8 miles
Time: 1 hour 15 (bit slow, it was too early)
Music: The Clash
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 4 - 0 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

The Right Track

('Scuse the pun...).

Having canvassed opinions of a few former marathon runners, one topic that comes up is speed work. As in "I wish I'd done more".

So, having access to a floodlit athletics track as part of my gym membership, I figure I'll make use. I'm trying 100m sprint, 100m jog, and just going round and round. I shall reserve judgement for now, but it's worth a shot (and I can do a gym session after).

Off to eat and sleep now: have to be up at 4.30 to go to Paris for work seminar. Therefore tomorrow will be the 2nd of this week's allotted 'rest days' (well, I'd look a wee bit odd jogging up and down the central aisle on the Eurostar!).

Miles: Err.. at a rough guess, 3 or 4 (I lost count of the laps)
Time: 45 minutes
Music: Belle and Sebastian
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 3-0 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

Time Out

Kinda appropriate, the day after the Superbowl (well done Giants - though has anyone had a dafter name than Plaxico Burress since Yancey Thigpen quit playing).

Still fluey and horrible. Went to work to grab the laptop, then came home (via the chemist) so's not to infect anyone else in the open-plan office with my germs. Very public-spirited of me....!

So, not playing out or exercising today. I'm allowed 2 days off per week on this training schedule, though, so the score remains the same.

Still feeling like poo

More hills, loads more wind (horrible head wind all the way back along Chingford Mount), still unable to breathe properly, and feeling sick and dizzy cos of the flu. I even had to walk DOWN one hill, I felt so dizzy.

Basically, the Beechams All In One advert perpetuates lies. I'm not called Brian, I don't see armies of badly-dressed Sealed Knot Society battle re-enactment types when I feel like this, and neither do I feel better that quickly either.
My best medicine may be 3 points for the Villa at Craven Cottage this afternoon.

Miles: 7.1 (27% of marathon distance)
Time: 1 hour 20 (horribly slow - you would be if you felt like this, and in that wind!)
Music: British Sea Power
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 2-0 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons

An auspicious start...

...not!

As anticipated, I woke up achey and fluey, feeling like the Sudafed advert (though I've not actually checked the mirror to see if I have red arrows drawing attention to my stuffy sinuses).
Now, I've been expecting this late marathon place to pop up, and so have been kind of training already (a bit like the preliminary rounds of the FA Cup, I guess!).
Despite the aches and inability to breathe properly, there was NO way I was going to wuss out on Day One (proper).

Wanstead Park on a watery sunshine-y winter's lunchtime is always lovely, so seemed a fair choice. The first ten minutes were awful, but I was even quite enjoying it by about half way round. Surprisingly, my legs were fine. But then I guess I have hit 8 to 9 miles a couple of times in the past week or so...

Rest of the day: more medicine, bath, pyjamas, bed, televised sport!

Miles: 6.1 (23% of marathon distance)
Time: c. 1 hour
Music: none (damned flat iPod battery...)
Score: Mind Over Matter AFC 1-0 Dynamo Dobbo's Demons.

Welcome along

So this is it. I've been seriously thinking about running a marathon for a couple of years now. And I've been wanting to run for an amazing cause, and have a shot at raising a huge amount of money.

Macmillan Cancer Support has been my number one choice all along (hence the green background), and I've been hassling them for a place for months! Today I finally go the call.

I'm writing this blog purely for me (I'm not arrogant enough to believe people really want to read this stuff!), as an attempt to and motivate myself via an all-too-public catalogue of training runs and distances. If anybody actually reads it, all the better!

I feel suspiciously like I'm coming down with something, so I'm off for an early night so I can run tomorrow...