Last week was a mixed week with some good running in a variety of places but a bad end to the week!
Monday and Tuesday saw me working in Irvine on the West coast of Scotland. Monday evening was magnificent with bright sunshine and the Isle of Arran framed in the low sun over the sea and a stiff sea breeze adding a little extra challenge on the home leg of my evening run. My run was just over 4 miles mainly on the beach and was followed by a further two mile walk to the restaurant for dinner (It all counts)!
Tuesday was dull and overcast but the sea breeze was still there and I enjoyed my run doing about 5 miles on a similar beach route.
Wednesday I was travelling all evening down from Scotland to Cumbria after a day in the office so it was the M74 and M6 and no run - I will call that a rest day.
Thursday I was working in North Cumbria which meant I was able to stay at my place in Cumbria on Thursday and Friday evenings. The countryside to the East of Carlisle and into the Eden valley is lovely and largely unspoilt by mass tourism. I have a route of about 5 miles that I run here close by the lower reaches of the river Eden. The weather was great and it was a joy to run, I even felt pretty good when I had completed it.
Friday I ran my 5 mile route again in the morning before work and then in the evening after work squeezed in 18 holes of golf at Silloth golf club with some friends. My golf is a little rusty and so I tend to walk along way during a round. Great way to finish the week though, sure beats the M4!!
Saturday was a busy day, I went flying in the morning from Carlisle airport up into the Scottish borders (another hobby of mine!). After a quick lunch I was off into the Eden valley for a game of cricket which lasted late into the evening. I did not manage to run on Saturday but played 45 overs of cricket instead. As an opening bowler with far to long a run up it is more physical than you might think especially on a hot day up the hill!
Sunday was not a good day for running as I could barely walk. All week I have had a pain in right my foot under the heal. Sunday it was really bad and I struggled to put any weight on it at all. I suspect it may be bruising but will rest it and see. I planned to have a long run on Sunday and then drive from Cumbria back to London. I did the drive but not the run – A bad end to an otherwise great week – Simon.
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Hi Simon
You certainly can't be accused of living life in the slow lane! Reading your blog made me feel quite giddy! You do a lot of other activity, which certainly counts as cross training. A couple of things became clear when I read your blog:
1. With a couple of weeks to go - you need to up your mileage. Try and squeeze a 8-10 mile run in at the weekend. Time doesn't matter, its about getting those miles in the legs and creating a platform for the GNR. I'm running this year aswell and am around the 12 mile mark as my longest run. It removes that element of unknown and surprise on the day
2. As per your promise, use the 2 weeks before to eat properly. Or at the very least - cut out the garbage (really difficult when you travel so much - but try!)Now is the time to start building up the stocks. Think of it as an investment that is going to pay out big time on Sunday 30th. Try to eat a good variety, give the stomach a good workover!
3. If you want to beat your previous time, work out where you want to be at half way, at 10 miles and when you hit the sea at South Shields. This will help you discipline your race. When I ran my first GNR in 2000, I knew I wanted to hit the mile long stretch at South Shields at about 1 hour 30: I got there just 10 seconds late. This thinking helps with pacing, but also provides focus during 'sticky' periods in the race.
4. You talked about your bad experience last year - I would take some time to really remember how that personally felt: perhaps write it down. It may be a good motivational tool during the next 2 weeks when you are trying to find time for last minute runs. If you ran 2.11 with that little preparation, I think you could easily smash 2 hours this time: It all revolves around how badly you want it and how much last year's memory hurts you.
5. On the injury front - it's difficult to advise as you do so much travel and other sports. I always find it useful to do some basic stretches before and after a run (loads on the internet), and make sure you have a period of walking after a longer run. When I do my 10 mile route, I leave 0.25 of a mile to cool down and enable the muscles to get loose.
6. I've run 7 GNR's and can say with confidence, you need to be prepared for that long wait at the start. Think about pre race food and drink now and make sure you've got them in (especially if you are travelling)Don't be trying anything new or unfamiliar - maybe some Lucozade Sport and a banana. It plays such a crucial role in on the day performance
Hope those thoughts resonate with you - or maybe I'm talking tosh! Running is a very individual sport, but I find that sharing best practice and experiences is really beneficial. Let me know your thoughts! See you in South Shields!
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