21/3/16 – Back on Track

After such a poor run last week, I was a bit of a nervous nelly all week. Thankfully I managed to get back in the saddle, although it was another week where I didn’t get in as much physical work as I’d like.

This was due to, in great part, to the fact we are now off to Florida on holiday for warm weather training and there was much to be done both with work and sorting on our Charity Quiz and Auction Night. Friday 8th April – don’t forget people!

I’ll be putting up some of the auction items for online bids later this week so keeping checking back.

Anyway, back to last week’s exertions. After a very quiet rest day on the Monday, it was back to the gym on Tuesday, for the usual workout and 1k swim. Normally I run down the gym as a warm-up, but as I wasn’t feeling confident I settled for 2k on the treadmill which went ok.

On Wednesday, I went out for a reasonably gentle 3.5 miles (37:18) with John & Dan around their remix of the Bowie course, which doubles back through the Kelsey Park under the gimlet gaze of the parks notoriously vicious Canada Geese and an equally garrilous gaggle of schoolkids doing their Sport Relief mile. John and Dan clearly like a little danger in their runs.

The rest of the week, I had to be content with several long walks around London – good for the step count – but not the sort of workout I was really looking for. What was useful was a long lunch with Marc chatting about training and going through last week’s problems again. I felt much more confident after our chat and, as I was in the neighbourhood, I popped in to see Lizzi and all the lovely people at Independent Age. who provided me with tea and further encouragement.

Given last week’s issues, I decided to skip parkrun and have a quiet day on Saturday in prep. for the North London Marathon that Sue and I had entered in lieu of a 15 mile training run.

I’ve said before how much I prefer races to training runs, I was quite happy to sacrifice a couple of miles for the race experience and getting to finish within Wembley Stadium itself.

Ahh, Wembley, it hasn’t gone away you know. It was a bit raw to be here just two days after the news about Palace’s Semi-Final scheduling broke. Marc was also running this race but as I rather underestimated the number of competitors and the size of the queues for the loo’s, we didn’t have a chance to meet up beforehand. Indeed, as he had to rush off we only saw each other on route, which was an out and back affair. He was around 4 miles ahead of me at the pass.

I’d gone out with a plan to use it as a training run, but without the last three mile mad burst this time. As there were race pacers, I decided to tuck myself in just behind the 2:30 people. It was working well as a strategy until I needed a pee, then I lost sight of them.

As well as running around Wembley, we also got to do a lap of Allianz Park at the halfway point. Formerly and better known as Barnet Copthall, it’s now the home of Saracens Rugby Club and was one of the major athletics venues in London. Having ticked off the Olympic Stadium and Crystal Palace Athletics Track in previous runs, this felt like completing the set. Those who know me well will tell you I have a passion for visiting non-league football grounds and, whilst there, finding and photographing the ubiquitous yellow hose. Thus when I spotted a specimen as I exited the stadium I couldn’t resist stopping for a snap.

Yes it’s a rugby ground (although Kentish Town FC used to play there before the rugger-buggers moved in) and yes, it’s a plastic pitch, which make the sighting of a hose something of an anomaly, but hey, I’m not complaining.

This unscheduled brief stop did, however, put me further away from the pacers, so I just concentrated on getting back into a nice rhythm, waving to Sue on the opposite track just as she was about enter Allianz Park.

After 8 miles I spotted the blue flag of the rear of the three 2.30 pacers, around 200 metres  ahead.  I resolved to catch them up by Mile 9 which I just about managed. Then I could see the second one, just a little further ahead and decided to try and take her by Mile 10. Mission accomplished, but there was no sign of the pace leader.

Mile 10 co-incided with a steep hill that I’d completely forgotten about and, as a result, mistimed my gel intake. However I managed to get up there without stopping to walk, which was what most of my peers were doing. As I crested the hill, I spied the lead pacer up ahead. His pace at this point was clearly faster than 2.30 and was visibly slowing, so I managed to take him by Mile 11. Actually I ran with him and chatted for a bit as we approached another incline. It clearly takes some discipline to do that job, not to mention having to carry a bloody great blue flag on your back – I expressed my admiration to him which he was most grateful for, before trotting on ahead.

The last big hill just before Mile 12 seemed to floor most of the group I was running with, but I kept plodding steadily and soon we were on Olympic Way and heading towards the famous Stadium amidst the welcome cheers of fellow runners who had already finished. The sight of the nice medal around their necks, spurred me on and I realised I’d left the pacers way behind. Another fine plan messed with, Stanley!

We entered the stadium at East End, right where 35,000 Palace fans will be roaring the Eagles on, in about a month’s time. The enormity of missing this game hit me really hard and I lost it. And yes, a tear or two was shed. I wiped my eyes and bolted for the line in front of the royal box, arms aloft. I must have looked like a right prawn.

I was so carried away on emotion, I forgot to stop my watch and took a mass of post race photos in the stadium before noticing. Thus I had no real idea of my time, imagining it to be in the late 02:27’s, thus I was amazed to get a text from Marc saying I’d hit 2:26:19. Not close to my PB, but a fair bit faster than I planned or any of my training runs.

With the course being hillier than I’d been expecting, I figured that those two missing training miles were more than accounted for. The best thing about the day was that I felt absolutely fine all the way around and afterward. In fact, that was the best I’ve ever felt after 13 miles and felt like I had many more miles in the legs and lungs. Last week’s troubled run was well and truly behind me.

Fifteen minutes later, Sue crossed the line, very pleased with herself having run 99% of the way, with only the last steep incline proving a little too much for her. As a result of keep going, she completely smashed her Half Marathon PB. That’s three PB’s in three weeks for her 5K, 10K and Half. Great work, missus woman.

By the time you read this, we’ll be in sunnier climes looking forward to our next Half Marathon on Saturday: the Tomoka Half in Ormond, Florida.

Two Half Marathons in six days… what is happening to us?