About 41 hours to go...

Hi All. Not long to go now til the Bristol Half Marathon 2011. Fund-raising has been going brilliantly! I'm amazed by the generosity of people despite the difficult times that we're in, so thanks to all who've sponsored me already! For anyone else, there's still time to sponsor me using the links over on the right of the page...please do if you can, any amount helps and no donation is too small.

I can't believe it's been more than 6 months since I signed up for the Half Marathon, and about 9 months since I decided that it was time to get back into shape. So much has happened since then, fitness-wise and other-wise. So many milestones!

Bradley Stoke 10k

Back in February I could run 3km, at a very slow pace. I had absolutely no idea how I would step that up to be able to run 7 times as far in just 6 months. Then the distances started increasing...the first 5km felt like hell. The first time I ran 10k I felt like I was on top of the world when I finished, but the next day my legs were seized up and I could hardly walk...I guess I just wasn't ready for that!

My highlights so far were the two 10k races that I've done, the Runners World Trailblazer 10k in the Forest of Dean, and the Bradley Stoke 10k back in June. The Forest of Dean event was a warm-up to see what a race would be like, but at the Bradley Stoke I wanted to push and see where I was, fitness wise. After only managing about 60mins in training, I ran as hard as I could and just about nudged under 50minutes...way better than my target. It was definitely the high-point of my training.

Since then I've put myself through it a bit. I sometimes wonder whether I'm really as fit as my distances indicate or whether I'm just too stubborn to stop so just more idiotic than the average person! My first half-marathon distance and my first 50mile+ bike ride with significant climbs were brutal educations on how it's going to feel coming into the last 5 on Sunday, but at least I know what it's going to be like.

I've also realised that I'm too dumb to pace myself from a stopwatch so I've shelled out on a Garmin Forerunner 305...something which I actually wish that I'd done before! The virtual training partner function is brilliant for judging your pace, and the GPS logging and heart rate monitor is really useful. Simple things like the ability to see my total distance for the last month is really motivating too, and gives a real sense of achievement. A trace from it is shown below...helpful analysis geek stuff can be done from those numbers! Hopefully it will help in the main event to

 Garmin 305 Readout from my PB 10k

But now, here we are. I feel pretty good. I've been tapering down my training runs to the main event, hitting a PB for 10k in my last run over that distance before Sunday (49mins 36sec). My resting heart-rate is about 45bpm now, which is quite good for a guy who's still about 14stone! I think I'm as fit as I've ever been, and I'm ready...

Now watch it all go wrong :)

25 Days To Go!

Well it's 3 and a bit weeks left to go until the big day. Things are shaping up quite nicely.

I managed the full 13.1miles in a training run a couple of weeks back. I planned the route along the tow-path of the Gloucester and Sharpness canal, so at least it would be completely flat. Still, the last 5km was just horrible. My legs were burning. I was tired, hungry and generally just wanted to give up, but I really wanted to complete the full Half Marathon distance.

With about 2km to go I was glad that the canal was almost deserted, simply because it meant I could whinge and swear as much as I wanted! I won't have that luxury in Bristol!


My Half-Marathon Training Run View in a larger map

I made it though, in not-much over 2hrs, with no proper preparation, so it looks good for Bristol. At least now I know what it will feel like too, and the thousands of other people pushing me along should make it a little easier at least! The only downside is that I took too much out of my legs, and I've struggled to run more than about 8km since. Over the weekend, I've rested a bit, so I'll be trying for a couple more runs of around 15-16km before the big day.

There's not much more training to do now, as it will tail off with around a week to go. I'd like to say that it's been fun, but to be honest I haven't found much enjoyment in running past 10km distance...so I'm going to stick to that after this is over. I've got a goal for after the Half Marathon which won't require any greater than 10km...well, not for the running bit anyway...

40 Days to go!

I'm a bit frightened really.

I've been doing a lot of training in the gym and on the bike, but not much running, and I think it's starting to show!

Still, I'm up to about 9 miles now (well I've done it twice anyway!) and I've run the hardest bit of the actual Half Marathon route. People who have run the race previously tell me that the drag out on the Portway and back is the hardest part, so I decided to go out and do it on my own, plus a lap of the Bristol Floating Harbour.

It rained. A lot. So much that I don't think I could've been wetter if I'd jumped in the damn harbour. But it was a learning experience, so at least I know where I am. 9 miles is hard, but I can do it in under an hour and a half, so I might be on for my 2hr finish afterall...that's if I can keep off of the sandwiches for another month and a bit!

Please, please, please sponsor me by clicking on the link in the top right. All money goes to Clic, who are a great charity supporting kids with cancer. No amount is too small! Go on, it'll make you feel good for the rest of the day!!

2 Month Update

Wow. Big changes...

It's been about 2 months since I signed up for the half marathon...and I have to say that I'm pretty glad that I did. The holiday season has well and truly kicked off with the double-double bank holiday weekends and it's normally about this time of year that my fitness attempts fall flat on their face. We normally have a week off in the spring, and seven lazy days off, eating pub food and generally chilling out normally means that any exercise regime goes out of the window. After a week you get worried that going back to the gym will just be too hard so you leave it for a bit....then a week becomes a month, and before you know it you're back to where you started.

Not this year though. It's true that I did have a week off from the gym while having my week off work, but the looming spectre of getting the Bristol Half made me pre-empt my usual vacation laziness. I made a plan to avoid losing track in the only way I know how - by spending money that I don't really have: I was going to buy a bike.

Specialized Allez 24 - My Bike!

I've had bikes before, but only £100 Halfords specials, and this was going to be different. In true ‘how hard can it be?’ attitude, and after watching a TV show about James Cracknell nearly killing himself on a bike in America, a road bike seemed to be the way to go if I wanted to do proper training mileage rather than just easy Sunday bike rides.

I’ve done some good mileage on the bike now; about 170miles on my week off and a bit more since, with my longest so far being 46 miles on relatively flat terrain. I didn’t really plan it, but having the bike available as a third training option has helped take some pressure off of my dodgy and somewhat knackered knees, which were beginning to suffer from running.

I’ve still had time to do some running though. I’ve done a 10k training run, just to see if I can, and managed it without too much discomfort (although my legs were hurting the following day!). Normally I’ll try and cram in a couple of 5k runs after work each week, as well as going to the gym and occasionally getting out on the bike.

The Bristol Half Marathon Route - At least it's flat

I’ve lost about 32lbs so far, and my fitness is improving well, so I’m resetting my goal for the half marathon. The target time is now less than 2 hours. I’ll never be an endurance runner, regardless of training, as I’m just not built for it, so if my knees hold out, and I can do that I’ll be ecstatic.

What have I let myself in for??

Not exactly an athlete, and this was 3 years ago!

At Christmas I realised I was horribly unfit. Well, actually, I realised well before that, I just couldn't be bothered to do anything about it. Anyway, come January and the first raft of New-Years resolutions (I hate that phrase), I joined a gym and decided that now it was time to get back into shape...and I really mean it this time...honest.

Well, 2 months later and I'd stuck to it, apart from the occasional pizza. Nobody is more surprised than me, but I'm actually still enjoying it and I'm starting to get my lungs back (I don't know how they get so small when the rest of you gets so big). Then someone mentioned that since I was getting a bit fitter, doing the Bristol Half Marathon might be a good idea.

When someone mentions silly things like this, I always end up doing them.

I did go for a run for a couple of miles to see if I could do at least a respectable distance, and I was pleasantly surprised that although it felt like it mortally wounded me, I didn't actually die from the experience. This was good news, I mean, how much harder can a half marathon be? (Anyone who's done one before, please don't answer that...).

So now I'm signed up, wondering what I've let myself in for. The longest run I've managed so far is 5km, which is just under a quarter of the distance I'll need to do in September. There are no goals at the moment other than to finish, but deep down I'd love 2hrs 15mins...even though I think I'll still be a bit too fat and lazy to do that, even with 6 months notice!

I'll be running for Clic Sargent, which supports children with cancer and their families. Not only did this offer a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me to tour Bristol in a pink vest, but Clic is a fantastic charity and I've seen first hand the support that give to families in traumatic times. If anyone wants to donate any money (and no amount is too small...every little helps!) then there's a link to my Virgin Money Giving page on the side of this page. I'm aiming for a £500 total, and hopefully I'll get there!

In the mean time, I'm going to give this my best shot. In a weird, perverse way, I'm even looking forward to it...and not just because of the pink vest!