The first of many and trying new things

Before my holiday, I may or may not have mentioned that I accidentally on purpose signed my lovely girlfriend up for the Thame 10k at the end of June. It's one I'll run with her all the way so we can complete the distance together and it was agreed that she'd start her training once we were back from our hols. Now she hasn't run since (or any further than) the 6k Santa run in Dec so we had some training to do but I've given us 2 months to be able to run it in under an hour which I can't see being a problem.

So this morning, at 5.53am I woke up with no alarm (this jet lag business is good for early morning runs I tell you) and then got dressed and waited for the alarm to sound (Morecambe and Wise's 'Bring me sunshine'. Try it, nothing makes you smile quite as much).

The music started and you really can't help singing along so eventually Sleeping Beauty awoke. Albeit grumpily once she realised a)the time and b)we were going for a run. Stealing the duvet became my only option!!

By 6.15am we were trudging down the road at a steady pace heading for Hammersmith Bridge (2 miles away). I knew we wouldn't run the whole thing but it was about getting out and getting started. It would give us a starting point from which we could aim for improvements. After a couple of short walk breaks, LG stopped and turned around at the 1.5m mark while I pushed onto the bridge and caught her on my return. After one more walking break we pushed hard at the end and even had a bit of a sprint finish! It was a good first run!

From a personal point of view, I found it tougher than I thought. The slow bits were easy but the 1.5m or so to the bridge and back until I caught LG were quite fast and I could feel that the wandering round Asia and doing sod all running for nearly 4 weeks hadn't exactly done me any favours despite feeling I've lost a little weight in that time!

An 8 mile training run will be on Saturday followed by my first ever Yoga class in the afternoon (I figure the stretching and breathing will help with the running). Then another run with LG and the friend myself and eatingtrees bullied into doing the May bank holiday BUPA 10k on Tuesday and then my first ever hill training session on Wed. All this and because of reading The Red Bucket's post, I've just signed up for a bit of Touch Rugby as well.

What I want to know is when will it be Food o'clock and Wine o'clock? This keeping fit business is getting in the way of my other passions!

Back with an (almost) bang!

While those slightly insane people we're running around the streets of London on Sunday, I was in one of the new Airbus A380's attempting to land at Heathrow. I say attempting as very close to the runway, our pilot decided it was too windy, pushed the engines to full and took off again. That's a little scary but what has to make it worse is the 'tail cam'. I've seen plenty of the front and below cameras before but never this tail cam. Seeing the whole of the plane you are in, very close to a runway at an angle it really shouldn't have been at, is a little heart in mouth time. Thankfully on the 2nd attempt (and in my eyes, still sideways) we landed and once I got home, I checked out some highlights for the race. It all looked great, albeit a little warm so a massive congrats to anyone who completed it. You really do have my utmost respect.

So stupidly, this morning, I entered the ballot for 2010. Now, I've done this on the assumption that I won't get in. However, even if I do, it gives me a chance to do it (completion dependant) and forget about it forever. I hope.

I have the BUPA 10k lined up for the end of May so I'm going to build myself up to that with a few gentle runs and then start some hill training and new shoe try outs over the next couple of weeks. I have a lot of good food, tasty beer and sitting on my arse for the last 3 weeks to make up for!!! It was fun though. I won't bore you with any details as last time I checked, this was a running blog but if you wanted to know about any of the countries, feel free to e-mail me.

I'm off to make a playlist for the Sony W series Walkman I've been sent..... in LIME GREEN!!! For a shaven headed bloke who is either very white or completely sun burnt, this isn't a good colour and with the way it wraps around your head, I feel this has hugely embarrassing sunburn mark potential. Anyway, a review and playlist to follow at the weekend!

I'm hanging up my running shoes...

but only for 3 weeks. I'm leaving on a little trip around SE Asia tonight with the lovely girlfriend, her bad back, my cold, 2 rucksacks and not a pair of running shoes in sight. This has been planned for a while and has always been my aim as a reward for doing Fleet and Prague and now it's here, I honestly couldn't be happier. Strangely, I'm going to miss the running, blogging and reading about everyone's exploits but I'm just going to console myself with the heat, great food and absorbing loads of different cultures.

I'll be back at the end of April to really kick off the training to help me get to my 2009 goal so PLEASE come back and visit me then. I do love reading your comments and getting your feedback. It really does help me!

Oh, just in case anyone's interested, this is our route and also, good luck to anyone running the London Marathon and any other races that may be going on. I'm kinda jealous. That running buzz gets quite addictive!!

AFTER LANDING IN BANGKOK, WE HEAD OFF ON A MINI TOUR ARMED WITH JUST OUR BACKPACKS AND PASSPORTS

Prague Half - Race Report

Well I'm back in the country after 3 days away indulging in delicious food, cold beer, flavoursome shisha and 13.1 miles of city streets. The 13.1 miles on the streets were the worst part by far! I was feeling really good before this one. Saturday morning was a carb loaded breakfast, hanging around a bit (not a fan of Midday starts) and then jumped onto the Metro to the chaos that was around the start. I have to say though, very well organised chaos. The bag check in was quick and painless, the toilet queues weren't utterly horrendous and all looked as if it was going to be a good day for a PB. Then we got to the start and the cobbles. Oh how I will never underestimate how much they can affect your race again. We hung around a man with a Red Balloon with 2:00 printed on it and tied around his shirt and that was my aim... To keep it in my sights for the first half of the race before picking it up in the second and get my PB.

THE RED BALLOON AND THE STARTING CROWD

This is my only gripe with the race organisation. All the runners were lined up by number and not by estimated time which meant that there were a lot of people trying to get to the front from the back and vice versa. This made the first few k's a complete free for all. We set off aiming for 5.35 k's (9 m/m) for the first half and it all seemed to be going well. Eatingtrees' Garmin was saying we were slightly up on time and my pace band said we were spot on for the first 8k so all good. The pain across the top of my foot arrived at around the 3km mark but it wasn't bad enough to stop or slow me. More just awkward. We jogged our way North West of the city along the river that meandered through the city and at this 8-10k point was where the tram lines and cobbles came out in force! These just seem to sap the energy from your legs and ankles.

THE START NEXT TO THE MIDDLE BRIDGE AND THE RIVER MEANDERING NORTH WEST

At 11k I tried to pick up my pace in accordance with my race plan (the race plan was a new concept to me and part of my trying to become a proper runner.... pah!!!) but I just couldn't do it. Every time I picked it up, I had to get myself across 3 sets of tram tracks and the entire path and road covered in cobbles. It was an effort just not to trip up.

I watched as I lost seconds to my pace band at every km sign I past. This is pretty devastating to be honest but I still knew I could get a good time and that alone was pushing me on. Step up 17km marker and a check on the watch. Feeling OK and I could still post a time I would be happy with but I couldn't let myself drop anymore. Continuing back towards the start/finish was long straight roads (read cobbles) and I knew even though I was still 2/3km away, I was nearly there. I turned onto the bridge knowing that the 20km sign would be here somewhere and after dodging not one but two moving trams, the 20km sign was there. Look at the watch time. 1:52:20 ish. I had about 6 minutes to get to the finish or I wouldn't even get the PB I felt I should have got. I really pushed now with everything I had. Up the hills, over the cobbles, through the little tunnels with some great crowd support and there's the blue mat on the floor leading to the finish line. Another look at the watch. 1:58:08. Bollocks! I have only 25 seconds until I lose the PB chance. Now it's head down and give it everything. Running past people, coming to the line, finger on the stop watch... and Stop! 1:58:29! I'd done it. Only just but I'd done it. I had to wait for my official time and that came in at 1:58:30 so a new PB by 3 seconds.

In the end, around 3mins 30s longer than I wanted but a PB none-the-less so job done and on a bloody tough course too.

So will I run it again? Not if I'm aiming for a time no but was Prague worth the visit? Absolutely and I'm glad that I allowed myself to be bullied into it in the end. It's a course that shows you the modern city, the new regeneration work, the classic bridges, the Eastern block style history and of course, the cobbles. They alone, will be my eternal memory of Prague!

THE BLOODY COBBLES AND SOME PEOPLE TRYING TO PRACTICE ON THEM

Just a quickie from Prague

Well that's a bloody tough one! I managed a PB just... By only 4 seconds! My PB now stands at 1:58:29.

Now a rest before an evening of Lebanese food, shisha, mint tea and Staropramen. Bliss! I'll give a full report of the race when I return on Tuesday.

Good luck for Reading tomorrow!

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