A marathon and the after effect

The plan for the summer 2011 was to achieve another Boston qualifying time.  The Target was to be at least sub 3:30 and hopefully a better than that time to get me into the early entry phase.  With the huge increase in popularity the Boston organisers had developed a new entry process that opened early if you had a better than the minimum for your age grade.

In the early part of the year I had not actually entered a race but had talked about entering a April marathon but come the time and despite being in good shape I did not do it.  I think I felt somehow I was not ready despite having done much of the training, particularly the Sunday LSRs.  That meant to refocus on the autumn and after some hesitation I settled on the Nottingham marathon.  It seemed to have a good reputation and was a Sweatshop branded event.  From what I could tell the profile was undulating and was suited to a good time.

My training was not perfect due to the frequency of my cycling commute but I progressively reduced the cycling and increased the running to and from South Quay to Hackney and also included some mid week long runs the entire way home.  Summer time training I never find easy with holidays and the warm weather but on this occassion I managed to run in the heat in Ibiza but not the planned longer distances over 10 miles.  Nonetheless this summer was not hot so no impact when running here.   I just don't seem able to follow a formal plan and so I use my own instinct on frequency and how to use my existing journey to and from work as a basis for 'training'.  I typically ran 'hard' on the shorter 4 mile morning and evening legs and 'easy' on everything else.  However by virtue of some new found level of fitness some of the 'easy' runs turned out pretty quick with sub 8 minute miles not that hard to achieve.  There was not much racing as part of this programme but the Dartford Half turned out well and boosted my confidence early on but after that it was only Nottingham.

I was pleased with my organisation of the journey to Nottingham by train and the accommodation in a budget hotel within a mile of the start.  And although the meal in the pub the night before was below average quality it was fine.  On the morning itself I had planned in detail my food and drink and it was as good as can be hoped for when away from home. The usual porridge supplemented with energy drinks and then off to the start.

The hanging around is always the worst part of any race.  You get to the start in good time but then what to do.  The village area was busy but I just needed to rest and wait.  As the time for the start approached I headed over to the baggage area and stripped down and pinned on the bib number.  At this point I was able to help out someone who did not have safety pins and that gives you a good feeling to lift you before the start.  Then I was off the pens, but again more waiting.  Eventually we were on our way.  Much of the early miles are now a blur of memories but somewhere around 5 or six miles in I was conscious of running with someone.  At first you match stride and then I spoke to him and asked about his expected time.  The conversation was unexpected as I really would say I don't have a conversation when running, particularly not at race pace!  But we stayed together chatting intermittently until half way.  His plan was not to run fast here but use it as a training run for his preparation for Amsterdam.  After I went on and he slowed it took a bit of time to adjust to not having the pacing effect of another runner but the route was more challenging in the second half.  The toughest section was a combination of an out and back road and then the run around the national watersports lake at Hurst Pierpoint where the wind almost stopped me running.  The mental strength at this stage was being drained but I tried to focus on getting to Boston.  The route took the runners back to the Trent and alongside the Forest ground and then around the meander of the river before crossing over and turning back towards the park and then the finish.  The second half had been slower and the time ticked past 3:10 but a sub 3:15 was possible.  Over a ramp and a sprint to the finish caused some leg pain but it was temporary as I realised I had finished.

The usual routine of medal, goody bag and baggage tent followed by changing and a search to find the railway station which turned out to be a couple of mile walk.  Then something to eat from subway and the train home.

The next morning I am in good shape and decide that I will use the Brompton and train to commute to work.  I rush out the door and although initially the plan was to use Elmstead Woods I convinced myself somewhere on Watts Lane that I should switch to Chislehurst.  I whizzed onto the main road infront cars and sped towards ... disaster!

My recollection is foggy.  But I was aware that the roads were wet from rain earlier.  I realised that I had been going a bit quickly and decided to 'feather' the brakes.  I moved out from the side of the road and as I descended further down Summer Hill I remember at one point saying in my head ' that is not good ' as the rear wheel was no longer firmly on the road and I was starting to fly through the air.

I hit the road hard... very hard.  My wrist watch took some of the impact. My head was without a helmet but stayed away from anything hard but my left arm and left hip took the impact the bike slid beyond me.  I recollect quickly getting up and grabbing the bike and hobbling to the road edge. I was winded and hurt but could not tell how bad... was I going to be alright?  Initially I fumbled for my phone to call Sara.  My fingers shook and yet I called her to come and get me.  I lay down on the pavement and at first declined the suggestion of calling an ambulance from the biker who had stopped to help me.  After a short while I changed my mind.  A crowd gathered and people all were helping; local residents, another biker or two and then the ambulance paramedics.  I was feeling so tired and dazed that I have no idea on time.

A few things stick in the memory.  A discussion about pain levels; my heart rate being low; and their eagerness to cut my clothes that I pleaded them not to do.  The Gore top cost a fortune!

The A&E was efficient and I had a range of views of my hip and leg x-rayed and the good news was nothing was broken.  I was taken out of A&E and placed somewhere else but there was nothing much they could do.  By the end of the day I went home.  Hardly able to move. 

Something of a contrast with my condition post marathon.

Recent progress and forward view into 2012

I was woken about 4:30am with the sound of heavy rain beating against the window and wind howling through the trees.  I had briefly considered getting up early but was not able to resist the comfort of staying in bed so was finally woken by the iPhone alarm at 5:50am.  The forecast had been for rain and strong wind but I was pleasantly suprised to find that the sky was now clear and wind was not as strong as earlier.  I followed my usual routine except I did not put on the kitchen TV for BBC 1 Breakfast as that would enevitably slow my getting ready and the news is always such a steady stream of 'bad' news.  Nonetheless I expected rain so took the decision to wear the overshoes and stuff the lightweight jacket into the backpack for when the rain came.

The commute journey is a routine and I have been back riding to and from work since returning from the fall in early September.  I feel I am making good progress and fitness is coming back now as a result of the continuous pattern of 5 weeks of riding daily the 13 miles each way.  I consider it at a 'satisfactory' level but not yet to an 'endurance' level. This was proven on Saturday morning on the 40+ mile ride with BCC where I was lagging behind the level 3's on the climbs and was not able to maintain the cadence on the gently undulating sections.  However, what was most concerning was my fear on the descents.  The fall that so badly bruised my hip has also taken away my confidence on the road with anything that looks like it might cause me to come off the bike.  Drains, manhole covers, potholes and adverse cambers all scare the hell out of me.  I have to find a way of overcoming this if I am going to ride any distance beyond to and from work.

The Enigma Ethos attracted some positive comments during the ride.  It's my new winter bike and commuter and so far its proved remarkably comfortable and enjoyable to ride.  Also what might appear to be a trivial feature but are in fact an important addition are mudgards that keep me clean.  No more the dirty splash marks of road grime (petroleum and bitumen) on my shorts and jacket.

The new steed does mean a decision needs to be made about the much riden Trek 1.9 that now sits unused in the garage.  I need to clean it thoroughly and then have it serviced before putting it onto eBay.  I don't intend to be gready about the sale price but anything above £250 will be very satisfactory.  I know that is not very much towards the replacement that could be half as much again as the Ethos but that will be a higher specification Ti frame with hopefully Chorus 11 groupset and matching quality wheels.  But that is not until May or June 2012.

The next few months will comprise a juggling of both marathon training and cycling.  I have two milestones for 2012.  Firstly in April there is the Boston Marathon and then in September the Ride Across Britain (or Lands End to John O'Groats known as 'LEJOG').  I know I cannot compromise on the marathon training as I intend to run a sub 3:30 time which I would consider a respectable but not a leg damaging time.  Whilst I might be able to go faster I have said to anyone prepared to listen "this is my last marathon".  I am not entirely convinced of my own resolution to stick to that I am sure that when I am pounding the streets in February for 3 hours or 20 miles I won't for a moment want to commit to any more after Boston. 

A LEJOG has been something I have had on a 'things to do' list for a while and had assumed that I would do a 'supported' rather than the 'unsupported' approach.  With a support vehicle all the spare kit, clothes, food and drinks are off the bike leaving the rider to just enjoy the ride.  Unsupported can be based on carrying a tent for camping whilst others are with accommodation in B&B's pre-booked.  But I have gone for this organised event with the 960 mile route in 9 days which is fully supported but has a camp set up for each night stop.  It also includes a training programme and pre-event activities to get you to the starting line ready for the challenge.

So far I have signed up for the training programme at an Intermediate level though the Map My Tracks service and the associated RAB private Rider Hub which is a closed community for the participants.  As a result I have discovered to my great pleasure that a clubmate from BCC has signed up for the event.  We are currently discussing the various sportive events for spring and early summer as a compliment to the training rides.

Lastly I have purchased a Kindle edition of a recent LEJOG account called One Man and LEJOG by Antony Last which is helping me appreciate the scale of the challenge ahead.

Tomorrow I want to look back on the success of the Nottingham Marathon and the nightmare that followed.

A review of 1st Quarter 2011

March has been a busy month and rounds up a great first quarter of 2011 so here is a review of progress and activities.

parkrun in Bromley has been growing steadily after some terrible winter weather and by the end of the month it had reached its 82nd event. In March it averaged 131 runners each week and the last weekend was particularly rewarding for me personally as I set a new PB of 19:15 whilst being chased hard all the way to the finish kept me going.  Although only in 11th place it was a 35 second improvement on my previous time.  Conditions were ideal for the run with the ground firm and no rain in the preceeding days and I was feeling certain that an improvement was going to come but the margin did suprise me.

Running has taken a more frequent part of my commute to work since the turn of the year.  Last year I had been commuting by bike most days and the running performance had really suffered as a result.  The heart and lungs were fine but the legs just were not cooperating.  So starting late last year I switched a couple of days to running to the station then taking the train and DLR part of the way.  The final part of the journey involved the Regent Canal from around Limehouse up to Victoria Park then the final mile to Homerton on the local roads.  At first this was hard work but by March I was running from South Quay to Homerton, a distance of 4.3 miles in approximately 32 minutes in both directions each day as well as the 1.7 mile run from home to the station.  When combined with some long runs up to 20 miles on Sundays at 8 min/miles I had rediscovered an enjoyment with running that had been missing for about a year.

Cycling was not forgotten, but the winter has been tough on the south east London roads on a bike.  Bad weather, terrible road surfaces, punctures, a couple of falls and drivers who at best could be described as inattentive.  Also a change of route was required as I lost patience with and gave up using the Greenwich foot tunnel and started to use the Rotherhithe instead.  Although slightly further the route is faster, the downside is the polution in the tunnel which is terrible but it's quick to get through by making the most of the downslope.  

At the end of February I did my first sportive event of the year The Hell of the Ashdown.  A full race report was posted here.  This was my first training event in preparation for the Dragon Ride in south Wales.  It was a perfect day and although I was exhausted at the end of 65 miles I was very pleased with my 4 hour 15 minute time.  The Dragon is almost twice this distance but I rode HOTA alone for most of the distance and have gained valuable experience of riding a demanding route.

Also during the first quarter I have attended a Race Directors day course with England Athletics; an excellent event and good networking opportunity.  Through work I spent a week in Aberdovey on an Outward Bound course with 40 students and particularly enjoyed the overnight trip staying in a wooden cabin away from the centre.  Another weekend away was down on the East Sussex coast at Camber Sands at the Fitness Fiesta. 

I also had my London 2012 Olympic Games Maker interview in early February and walked the Sector 2 route during half term in preparation for marathon day on Sunday 17th April.  My only other volunteering was supporting the Marsden March as a marshal.  Behind the scenes the dialogue regarding SportBromley moved a step forward with a couple of meetings at the Civic Centre and I am looking forward to the forthcoming AGM.  There is a possibility I will make it onto the committee but nothing has yet been finalised.  There have been two PWR committee meetings and one race sub-group meeting in the first quarter but from the perspective of Race Director and Treasurer it has been very quiet.  The 10k is in the calendar for 9th October and entry is open on Runners World and RunBritain with a steady flow of entrants.  The sub group continue to discuss sponsorship opportunities with interested parties and the chip timing system to be used.

The next quarter has already started well with a reasonable performance of 67:09 at the Dartford 10 last Sunday.  Also Bromley parkrun hosted a three way mob match between local clubs Petts Wood, ORR and Beckenham on 2nd April which led to a record busting attendance of 266 runners on Saturday morning.  I ran well but not as quick as the previous weekend achieving a 19:47 with the intention of saving my legs for the 10 mile run the next day.

Looking forward, instead of completing a marathon which will have to wait to the autumn, I need to focus on the bike riding in preparation for the Dragon Ride and also the BHF London to Brighton during June.  These two rides will be a big contrast to each other.  The Dragon is a hugely popular event amongst the serious club cyclists whereas the L2B is more of a fun run with a carnival atmosphere.  Nonetheless the L2B has the Ditchling Beacon to climb and its my intention to get well ahead of the crowds so that I can complete the climb.

Therefore by early July I hope to be reviewing achievements with the bike in those two rides on the back of solid weekend training rides out into Kent and running some respectable performances in a few 10k or 10 miles races.  Also by then parkrun attendances might be averaging over 150 each week and event preparation for the 10k will be well advanced. 

Poor Driving

A quick report three instances of rude and anti-social behaviour on the cycle commute to work this morning.

Firstly a beige coloured mini tried to undertake me on the roundabout where the A20 crosses the South Circular.  As I was remaining on the A20 I was in the middle lane approaching the roundabout and headed across the roundabout keeping looking over my shoulder on both sides to be aware of cars moving around me.  The mini coming from behind me was accelerating towards me and trying to squeeze on inside and the driver frustrated at the potential delay caused by me being ahead of them sounded the horn.  What possible benefit was there in doing this?  After the roundabout the A20 returns to being two lanes and the car then moved over to the outside lane for the right turn towards Kidbrooke and joined a stationary queue of traffic.  As I went past the car in the left lane the driver steadfastly kept her gaze ahead so as to avoid any eye contact.

Next up was a White Transit van that suddenly changed lane on the A20 at Lewisham looking to move from the outside lane into the left lane.  No indication and just driven across in to the gap - excpet it was not a gap as I was there.  I alerted them to my existence and continued use of the lane by banging on the side of the van, I had no need to lean over as I was about six inches from the van at the stage and had nowhere else to go.  The van straightened its line and as I went past three builders looked over towards me however no words were exchanged.

Finally 'the classic' as soon as I have gone past you I will pull over.  The road across the A2 at Deptford goes from 2 lanes to one at a small roundabout then back to 2 lanes.  Frequently in both directions drivers using the outside lane treat the road user on the inside with contempt as they move across the line of the roundabout.  This morning the small silver car overtook me within about 3 meters of the roundabout and proceeded to move across my line as once I was out of sight I no longer existed to this driver.  Again I had to remind the driver that I did still exist as they had not completed their overtaking.

Lastly I want to complain about the recently started but not yet completed road resurfacing works on Grove Road.  For many months this road has been in appalling condition and I was relived and delighted at the resurfacing smooth tarmac and pothole free at last!  My disappointment has quickly returned with the installation of a horrendous traffic calming pedestrian crossing just after the roundabout with Old Ford Road only really suitable for people with mountain bikes to cross.  Also at the other end the unnecessary narrowing of the road outside the Royal Inn by hugely extending the pavement so that inevitably cars will speed along the straight section of Grove Road and any unfortunate cyclist who happens to be at the point where the road narrows will have a car on top of them.  This narrowing is blind for drivers until they re on top of the cyclist as it is just after the bend in the road.  Currently this is also a mountain bike section only as there are three layers of tarmac with different levels and a loose chippings section to negotiate.

A typical day on the bike!

Crickey! That was tough... HOTA

Despite preparing everything the night before it seemed to take ages to actually get to leave the house on Sunday morning. So with Sara at the wheel we finally pulled out of the drive at about 08:40, fortunately the journey to the Darwin school did not take that long and we turned into the school car park and I jumped out and made my way over to the entrance to find Registration. The organisation was excellent and my race pack was quickly obtained and I headed back to the car. Some more time was wasted getting help with attaching the 'Transponder' to the front wheel but soon enough I was freewheeling towards the start. I checked my watch and it said 09:22 so with some hesitancy I edged towards the mats and when told to go I tucked in behind some other bikes and headed over the line. As I started to peddle I remembered I had not started the Garmin but having gone only 50 meters or so I pressed start.




At this point I my plan was I would stay with this start group and feel my way into the ride. But quickly a couple of the riders went away from me and the others were clearly slower than I could cope with so within the first mile I was going past riders and not holding back as planned. My complete lack of knowledge of the route meant every incline or descent was taken with caution and now much of the route is a blur. Except some of the hills! The only really memorable hills were Star Hill which was the last major climb and never that bad except that it seemed to last for more time than I had hoped! And the Wall that was memorable because of the sudden change of terrain at the top which was without trees and therefore exposed and relatively flat and you felt the wind.



After this climb I think there was the longest descent which at first I was cautious with but realised that the road was straight so went for it. I recorded a 1 min 57second mile! Mostly achieved without much peddling and getting myself tucked as low and aerodynamically as possible.



During the ride I had tagged along with various groups, none were particularly friendly but in the second half I was with a small group of three others and it was useful to ride with others who seemed to know what they were doing. But as we reached the Sevenoaks area it broke up and after that I was on my own until a cyclist who was not taking part started talking to me. The distraction of talking to him helped and despite the last five miles being pretty painful in terms of general fatigue it was good to tough it out.



Earlier I had stopped at the first feed station located in a village hall. I left the bike leaned against the hedge stopped the Garmin and went off to find some cake. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that the nutrition on offer was a sports drink and a green unripe banana. So I headed for the toilet and then was quickly back on the bike. The second feed station was packed with bikes and I decided that after the disappointment of the first I was not going to stop. My plan to keep my energy levels up was a combination of a water bottle full of a self made up maximuscle energy drink and the Ride Shots, energy gels. The ride shots were actually pretty good despite buying them for just 29p because they were use by the end of February. The first one caused me to bite my tong as I was chewing it! The plan became to take one every thirty minutes. This involved removing my right glove and delving into the back pocket to extract the jelly shot. At first when the bag was full this was pretty easy but it became harder and harder. Also I became more proficient at putting my glove back on whilst still peddling. Look Mum no hands!



Clothing for the ride was my winter kit; thick gloves, overshoes, gore head band and Buff round my neck but without a jacket - at times I was too hot and others felt too cold. One incident certainly warmed me up despite being on a descent! Following about 5 or so other riders the road ahead was blocked by a car. The down hill was not that quick but the road surface was both wet and covered in mud from a tractor so without much grip I applied the brakes but was still going! Fortunately the car moved aside and we all made it through the gap.



My bike was brilliant. I saw plenty of people stopped with failures of some sort or other, but mostly punctures. As the ride was dirty the pretty much constant grinding of the dirt on the chain was a concern. Also everything seemed to creak and make strange noises on the long climbs as everything was under stress but the chain never gave up on me. The hugely expensive carbon aero bikes were commonplace but their weight and speed advantage was questionable. A few titanium bikes were noted and I continue to ponder the possibility of such a purchase. At the risk of sounding big headed I noted also how inexperienced other riders seemed when dealing with slow moving traffic. I have become so accustomed to just staying alive despite white van man's best efforts on my London commute that a few four by fours and the odd moment at junctions hardly rate on the scale. Nowadays I rarely unclip at junctions managing to balance virtually motionless and this was required at a few crossing points on Sunday. I realise that this is very much an acquired skill of a regular commuter in the London traffic.



I wish I could say I rode every inch of the way but on the smallest of inclines I made an error in terms of gear selection. The route had taken us downhill for some distance and I had freewheeled without considering my gear. It then went up what seemed a short incline to a junction. No real issue I thought except that the route was actually a left turn and as I suddenly realised that this side exit had a very sharp incline I started to peddle but was clearly in the wrong gear. Panic started to set in so I hastily unclipped, and walked the 10 feet to the junction and remounted. Every other inch of the route was cycled.



The weather was as good as I could hope for. It was bright and sunny to start and around Biggin Hill the roads were dry. However there was also a steady breeze and in many places the roads were wet and in a few were flooded. By the time I finished the bike was completely filthy and I was splattered with mud and dirt from following the wheel of others. Then as I crossed the line to finish it started to rain. Perfect timing.



So it was over! I don't ever remember feeling so drained as I stopped peddling, unclipped and looked at my Garmin. It reported 4 hours and 15 minutes after starting and 65 miles later - I was not sure if I was able to react to that in terms of it being good. I found my phone and called Sara - brief conversation ensued 'I have finished. So come and get me'. About 10 minutes later I sent her a text apologising for being so rude! I left the bike in the bike park and headed inside. I had left my bag with Race Control and in it was a bottle of drink and a banana. I walked to the school canteen. The drink went down without touching the sides so I was into the queue for a huge slice of chocolate cake and mug of tea with lots of sugar.



After consuming this food I was reminded by another cyclist of the need to return the chip so I went out into the rain to remove it from the wheel. The registration area for chip return was busy with people but my completion certificate could not be located so I headed out and bumped straight into Sara who was following various lycra clad men around on the basis of looking for me!



And now on reflection I am both pleased with my effort but equally concerned at doubling the distance for the Dragon Ride. It was a much tougher route than the sportive ride we did in the autumn. And I am fitter now than I was then. However a good plan has to be to get some long rides planned for the spring that take in these local hills.