20K Sunday - Isotonic Red Wine

Preparation is better on Saturday night as I'm out for dinner and have a Sashimi starter and a large Thai Mixed fish stir fry with rice for my main. Bottle of Argentinian Red and a half litre of water. Some magic tea before bed and I sleep like an Egyptian mummy.

I'm up about 10am and have a nice breakfast of half baguette with bacon,three cups of tea,a kit-kat(you are what you eat) couple of glasses of orange juice and a half litre of water.

I rest for half an hour then get the dogs in and step out to the bright sunshine. Pretty scorchio so back in and I change my top to a short sleeve one. Music on and I'm off for 20K. The difference is startling, yesterday I was in pain from the first 10 minutes and today my legs feel like they need to be held back. I don't feel any sweat on my face till I've done about 3.5K.

I drop off 5K in 24:30 at the top of Hedgehog hill. I know I've been up it but I can feel that I'll recover quick on the next downhill section. The next long hill up to Messager du Bruxelles from Ohain is a real leg killer. I get to the roundabout and although I've done about 7K I feel not too bad but I'm happy to have a flat section next.

Turn left along the flat to start a sharp downhill then climb up to Ransbeeke. Legs again taking on quite a climb and its hot here as the road is all concrete, so I can start to feel it through my shoes.

Left turn at around the 10K mark in 50:35 which is pretty swift for me on such a long run , towards Waterloo and the wind is now at my back, this is usually a good thing but the sun is in my face now and I'm getting no cooling relief from the wind at all.

I reach the N5 and can feel the shivers starting, I'm now officialy getting fried and am wishing I'd taken another 500ml of water and am fantasising about buying a bottle from the shop. The shop is of course shut as its Sunday and I have no money....its all in the head....I could probably still outrun the security guys, if they were working.

At 15K my legs are done, skin is like a plucked chicken and I'm alternating between roasting and freezing. I know that I'm actually neither too hot nor too cold. I'm just drying out. I've been here before and you can get through it but you need to finish to get the cure. Respiration is all fine and I'm trying alternating experiments to keep my mind going by on filling my lungs completely for 500M and then switching to normal breathing. I'm not sure what is best but the big breaths are out of tune with my strides so feel weird.

At 17K and 1:30ish I turn left into the breeze again and I can feel the blisters on my toes forming. The instep on my left foot also starting to nip so I'll be getting one there too. Looks like my 1000 mile socks are starting to lose their bounce....

Downhill and its just gravity keeping me going. I'm dreading the last hill as its a real killer being so close to home. I really really want to just stop, even for just a minute. I feel like I'm running in treacle as my legs are going so slow. I can't stride out very far as my legs are too painful. I reach the top and along the flat.

Farmer has cut the field down to my left, the temptation to just cut the corner is enormous. I don't and come down the road, kids playing on their bikes in the street , they scatter when they see me except one wee guy who is obviously too cool. He plots my course then places his bike directly in front of me side on...I bet he didn't expect me to hurdle his back wheel, should've clipped his ear on the way past...I'm done 1:50:12 and I'm really done.

Clearly Red Wine is Isotonic..............

White Wine is not an Isotonic Sports Drink

It Friday night, I'm in on my own and Scotland are playing the mighty Lithuania. I'm on my own as the gang have decamped to somewhere in Belgium for a weekend of Three Day Eventing.

I've not eaten much as my work day was back end loaded so I had conf calls and was on the phone till about 18:30. The game starts about 19:30 so I settle down with a cup of tea and a big bag of Tomato Sauce Crisps. You are what you eat as I often say.

The game kicks off and 15 minutes in I can already see the end result. I head down to the cellar in search of patriotic anaesthetic but all the red wine is too good for drinking with crisps, I check the fridge and it's only Leffe Blonde and that puts a belly on me just by opening it. I reach in a pull out a cheeky wee Sauvignon Blanc...Just a glass to get me through the game.

I drag myself through the game, it's souless and ends in a dismal 0-0 result which puts me out of my misery. My result was me having sank 5 glasses from the bottle. I feel fine but I still have only consumed wine and crisps since lunchtime when I had lasagne and a glass of cola.

I head off to bed, I'm setting my mind up for a 20K session next day.

I'm up about 10am. I mooch about the house and sink a bottle of sports drink. I decide to take one of the dogs on the run, see if the young one can do 20K. So no shower and no breakfast, straight out of bed, gear on, teeth brushed and a small sports drink....

I've now not really eaten for 22 hours and have hydrated with a bottle of white wine....I get about 2K in and I feel like I've ran 15K. Sweating and legs like jelly. I blame it on the dog who is pulling me along a bit too fast in his eagerness.

At 5K I'm at the top of Hedgehog hill, I'm absolutely wiped out. Sweat pouring from me, my legs are lifeless and my head is pounding. I decide to just cut the 20K out and head back with just 10K in the bank. I know there is no way for me to do 20K feeling like this. My legs are literally shaking if I stop.

I get to 7K and I think I'm going to faint but I've just passed some folks walking their dog so I do what all runners do and I speed up a bit and put some distance between us. That little secret will probably get me thrown out the magic runners circle. The dog is now driving me crazy pulling and stopping to sniff, my head is ready to burst. I let him off the lead and drop my pace a bit. My time is way out, I'm at 45 minutes with 2K to go, usually I'm on the last 500M by this point.

I keep going but every muscle and fibre from my hair to my toes is screamming stop, you are dying.....I know I'm not so I just keep going. The only time I've felt as bad as this before was the last long distance triathlon I did in Brasschatt when I got fried on the bike in >30C heat and the run was pure hell from the 3rd KM right to the end.

I finish and need to lie down, on the grass at the side of the road I look at my watch and its say 58:12...... The Dog is helping by licking my sweaty face. I'm thinking about going for a sleep right here. I eventually get up and head in for a shower and a long lie down. I sink 500ML of sports drink in one go. I have a shower then have half a baguette toasted with tea and then a sleep on the couch.

Lesson here kids is eat something in the 24 hours before you try to run 20K as cleary white wine alone won't get you round.

In the Long Run....

I was lumping around the house most of yesterday morning feeling a bit lethargic. I knew that I needed a run but really didn't feel like it. After multiple snacking sessions and toilet visits I ran out of excuses.

I set out with a 20K target but my mindset wasn't right and I was feeling very tired and tight around the legs. At the 5K line I was 25:32 and although Hedgehog hill wasn't a real problem I felt like I never had any real energy stores.

At 10K I was still OK but I knew my legs were not as strong as usual. The strong westerly wind right into my face for the next 4K didn't really help much. At the turn down the N5 the wind was then just cutting across me but it was certainly much less of a problem.

Straight down the N5 to the farm turn at 1:37. I was down the dip and up the final hill and finished in 1:52:59 so slower than my last run a couple of weeks ago. It was a much colder day and I was happy for a hot shower after the run. This is the first time I've felt this for months as its been pretty warm here over the summer.

However 20K under the belt.

10K and 10K

Yesterday we did a brick session with a mountain bike cycle for 10K and then a 10K run over the same route. I was out for 26 mins on the bike and 52 on the run.At the end of the cycle leg I was in perfect condition. I was OK at the end of the run and could have ran on without too much trouble but I was a bit tight in the thighs this morning. Clearly not used to the cycling.

Team Kennedy manager did the same session as me and so we're getting ready for the big race on 11th Sept. I'm hoping to get a big run in this weekend.

oohh I do love to be beside the seaside...

We're down at the Belgian coast this weekend. I did around 12K-13K run on Sunday. Along the coast from Knokke-Heist to close to the Dutch border and back. Straight out down the coastal path then back through the nature parks and into the back of town. Sunny with a nice wind and I ran alongside Team Kennedy and the Clan van der Walle who were all on their bikes.

This kept my pace up and steady and they all had a good time laughing at my huffing and puffing while they cruised on shiny bikes. A nice run for me to get me back in the swing of it and killing off my final jetlag. A good way to keep the pace high and your motivation up for the whole run since you are being watched every step. I was running for 1:08:22.

Indoor Brick Session

Did 30 minutes on bike and covered 11 miles(16KM) over mixed terrain and then 30 minutes running over mixed terrain managing 3.5 miles(5.5km). It was very hot inside and hilly sections on treadmill were up to 13.5% incline, so quite difficult. Good session and my calfs were painful at the start of the run.

5K at the gym

Travelling in the US this week, up early and into the gym. Quick 5K in 25 minutes and I was dying. I can't run inside....I just cook.

Return to Belgium - 20K

Back home after what felt like a very long week on the road. My run today means I've ran in France, England and Belgium all in the last six days. Have trainers will indeed travel.

Work been pretty hectic recently and I've been travelling a lot but I've managed to keep up a pretty reasonable discipline in my running distance and frequency, naturally with much encouragement from Team Kennedy manager.

I wanted to go long today just to build up my mental toolkit a bit as I've been doing a lot of shorter runs to build up my fitness. Its always good to know if you are feeling the pace in a race or a training session that you've definately got the distance in your legs, if only so you can get your head round it. That way when it starts to feel hard you can pretty honestly talk yourself out of the low point by using the previous memory of running a good half marathon in training.

First 5K was away in 25:30 and just felt like I was loosening up. At 12K I'd dropped off 3 pretty big hills and was still feeling good. I knew though I still had one big hill right at the end to knock off.

16.5K and I'm at the turn at the farm in 1:27 and I'm thinking I'm not so far away from a 1:40 finish which would be close to my personal best for the half marathon distance of 21K in 1:40:55. However with over 3.5K to go its not a reality with the hilly finish that I have. I'm up the last hill but trying to keep the pace up is starting to kill me and I'm finally starting to fade.

My strides get shorter as the hill takes it toll and it takes me about 500M after the top of the hill to get my breath back to something like normal. My legs feel like they've been drained of blood. I try for a sprint finish over the last 750M but its not overly impressive. I finish in 1:46:05 and so just outside the 1:45's.

However a very good session and a nice start to the week. Time wise its not bad with 5 weeks to go till FirstMonster. I've still not been on the bike yet though. I did blow the tires up yesterday and Team Kennedy manager was out on it for a trial run.

Lichfield 12K

Running gear got lost by Air France on the way from Paris to Birmingham so no run last night. Long long day at work today in the same single meeting all day.I even got the chance to speak German for half an hour and do a quick organisational presentation in German. Probably shouldn't have as it makes me want to move back again.

All new stuff for me in the meeting and lots to take in so my head was burst by the time I got back to the hotel. I lay up on the couch for a while with my running gear on. Eventually Team Kennedy manager's lazy bell must have rung and she told me to get off my backside and get out as it would make me feel better.

1:05 minutes later I'm in and feeling great, really smooth run and I really felt like I could go on and on. No aches or pains all just well oiled and it felt like I was skating rather than running. A really nice session that even with some fast sections I couldn't really get tired. Might have been the Lucozade Energy drinks I was drinking today to keep me alert....

The weather was dry and cool so I didn't get a chance to put on my new birthday present which was a Gore running jacket. I'm sure living in Belgium will offer me up plenty of opportunity to get good use of it.

15K in Paris

Out for 1:28 along the Seine from Billancourt. Hot here so this was always going to be a testy run. I prepared well on train from Belgium by drinking two bottles of water and eating a piece of Quiche and a packet of fizzy colas.

I turned round at 35 minutes with the goal of being back under 1 hour but as ever I got lost and had to run through a big park with massive big hills. Fairly took it out of my legs but it was a great session. I deserve a beer tonight....

Post Birthday weigh in

Still at 79KG.....need to drop at least 3kg and hopefully 5Kg in next 6 weeks....

Surprise visitors

Brownie makes a surprise birthday visit with the gang. I'm very pleased and Team K manager has again excelled herself with her organisational flair. A magnum of Barollo between us on Saturday night does not bode well for Sunday. We're up and a small but perfectly formed 5K with Brownie kicks the day off well, so well that we head to the 3 Ducks for lunch and we have a nice bottle of Pomerol....back home for a well earned siesta....Birthday weekends are like that.

Pre Birthday 10K

Did a quick 10K on Friday night to try and keep my eye in before any birthday excess. It was hot and I'd been sitting around my office all day so I was pretty stiff and tired. I got round in 52:25 which is slower than last Sunday but it was pretty well measured and I'd not really been well prepared for it food or energy wise.

Lichfield 1 hour

Ran for an hour round Lichfield. Did 3 circuits of the big pond and managed to drop my time on each circuit. 6 mins to 5:40 to 5:20. I was impressed by my ability to up the pace as I'm usually pretty single paced. I'm not sure of whole distance but certainly a bit in excess of 10K. Shower in hotel would not run cold so trying to cool down was a bit of a farce.

10K number 2

10K in 50:58 so an improvement on Friday's time. I wasn't as tired this time at the end but it was still hard work and I would not have wanted to keep going.

Post Holiday excess....

8 weeks or so to go till First monster race in Inverness. Just back from two weeks vacation in Scotland and 1 week at work in Birmingham. Big weigh in shows I've put on nearly 3Kg's. I did do some cycling , walking and one 10K run during my two weeks vacation but clearly the highlife has been overwhelming this.

First 10K on return was torture, 54:46 was the time and I thought I was going to faint at the end.....

Scorchio !!!

Phew 25C today and nice and sunny...Another typical day en Belgique....:O)....Been stuck in front of PC screen most of the day and then caught second half of a surprisingly boring Brasil-Portugal match. Between the heat, the poor game and the sitting about I was feeling a bit lethargic. A little bit of evening cloud was taking away the worst of the sun so a quick 10K to start the weekend with a bang rather than a whimper.



First 5K were testy to say the least and I felt I started out a bit quick and was having to pull myself in. I was at the top of Hedgehog hill and panting in 25:31. So pretty average. The hill drained me a fair bit and I took a while to recovery. Sweat nipping my eyes just adding to the discomfort. I got to 7.5K in about 40 minutes. I tried to kick a bit but i was really struggling and it was as much as I could do to keep one foot following the other. Finished in 53:12 which is hardly olympic standard. Glad I did it though and its another 10K in the Bank Baby ......

Back on the Chain gang

10K Sunday run. Started off slower than Saturday and was at 5K in 25:35 with little stress at the top of the hill. Its amazing how much difference 1 minute makes when running 5K. I managed to keep my concentration better for the last 5K than on Saturday and overall it felt much less ragged round the edges.

I caught sight of a guy in the distance with about 3K to go and tried to up my pace to ctacxh him. I made up about half the distance but never quite caught him. I had a few moments of back pain on the last 2K and it felt like it was coming from my hip. Not sure if its serious but it was painful but only for a few seconds at a time. I finished in 51:38...so not a lot of difference.

Feet still sore and I have blisters on my blisters.....

10K deja vu

10K run on Saturday, same route as normal. I started off quite fast as I felt I lagged it a bit the other day as I wasn't timing myself. I was 24:20 for 5K at the top of Hedgehog hill which is quite pacy and I was feeling it. Although it wasn't too warm I had a long sleeve top on and that was keeping things at the top end of the thermometer.

Once up the hill and on the flat I recovered reasonably quickly and just kept plodding along. I did notice that my mind was wandering a lot to things other than running. I think as you run more you manage to keep your mind much more focussed on run itself, rather than on solving the problems of the world.

I finished in 51:26 which is pretty average for me. Sore feet at the end and the startings of a few small blisters on the middle of my right foot and on my toes. Again I think due ot lack of match practice :O)

10K....

Been travelling all week and also picked up a bad head cold and sore throat. Tried a 10K last night in the early evening. Team K manager been out pounding the pavements building up my guilt. I had picked up new headphones for my MP3 player as the old ones had quit working on one side. Pretty good design MX680 Sports by Adidas/Sennheiser.

Small wing thing folds into your ear and holds them tight into the ears. Quite loud too :)

10K was fine and a lot easier than I though it would be.

14K Phew

Hot hot hot...18K that I cut short to 14K as it was too hot. Legs were dying and its due to lack of stamina. Felt like I hadn't eaten enough but that wasn't true. Clearly your body builds up energy stores as you get fitter and my stores are dropping as I get less fit.....

Hat Tip to Philippe for finishing Rapperswil Ironman in Switzerland again on Sunday. 30C+ heat so must have felt like forever out there. Running down past the train lines through the high rise buildings must have been like an oven...Well done :O) and yes I'm jealous.

Langbank 10K

Well we got volcanoed on the way back from Scotland and our flight was cancelled and so we ended up staying an extra night in Glasgow, this gave me a chance for a run at the Langbank 10K with Stu. I'd forgotten how hilly Scotland was. Really there are just no flat bits at all. Its either uphill or downhill. Majestic views down the Clyde and across to Dumbarton Castle a nice run out. We have an exciting 14 hour train journey back the next day Glasgow to London , Lille , Brussels and Charleroi. It wasn't as hard as it sounds.

18K and knocked out

Saturday morning and Team Kennedy manager bashed out another 10K and is goading me to get out there.....I slip on my trainers and sneak out for a cheeky 18K.....That'll teach her.

I'm 24:30 for 5K and while a little breathless at the top of the hill I'm OK and the time is a good pace for 18K for me. At about the 8K mark I'm starting to feel a bit weak. I know that as it was unplanned training session that I haven't really eaten or drank enough in the morning.

Two bits of toast and a cup of tea is just not the right start. At 11K I'm at 1hr 01 minute and my head is spinning and legs feel like jelly. I could stop and just throw up right on the site of Napoleon's greatest defeat if my stomach wasn't empty.

I just keep running and luckily there is no wind so I'm just fighting gravity all the way down the N5. At 14K I get a bit of a second wind but only in my legs, my head is still out of it. I have to crawl up the last hill with 1K to go and my legs are very heavy and all my joints feel like they are rusty so it takes enormous efforts just to move my limbs.

I finish in 1:40:01 and I'm really dying....totally wiped out. Legs killing me, head thumping and heart rate soaring. Quick drink , shower and bed for an hour....Sunday I was sore all over and blanked it all out using paracetamol and a couple of glasses of vin rouge.

10K under pressure

Team Kennedy manager has done three 10K runs in the last 5 days and has been going round the house singing "30K in the bank baby"....so I had to eventually do something to escape the growing pressure cooker environment at home.

It was a 10K run to bring order to the chaos. A nice night but quite a strong wind from the East that was straight in my face the whole way out.

I was 25:20 for 5K to the top of the Hedgehog and a final finish in 52:15 which is a fair bit slower than my recent times but given I've not been off my lazy backside for nearly two weeks its not too bad.

I've spent the last two weeks thinking about my holidays and planning my fishing ...so running hasn't been at the top of my agenda...However The Manager has put her trainer down and I've at least got one eye on the running again...

5K with a dead weight

Tried a quick 5K with Millie the dog and her new wonder leash. I had to almost drag her the whole way round. I think he might be carrying an injury as she is normally pretty fast. Weight down at 74.8KG. Its ben as high as 78KG in the last 2 weeks...some wild swings.

10K Running Through the Dust clouds....

Team Kennedy manager is bashing out the miles running with the dog using her new dog joggers lead. This is providing me with lots of peer pressure style motivation as I'm worried if I don't keep up the miles she'll be putting it on me to get me off the sofa. Nice sunny day with a cool wind from the east, no jets in the sky. Viva la Volcano.

First couple of K's felt OK and I soon got into a nice confortable rhythm. Stereophonics in my headphones banging out TROUBLE Right click that link and imagine me sweating my guts out up M.Hedgehog...what a song !!!!

Anyway back on topic, 5K drops on in 24:28 which isn't too bad. I was wiped out at the top of the hill as I'd kept the pace high all the way up and recovery took 2-300M along the flat.

Tried to just keep concentrating about length of stride, step cadence and height of foot. Long, swift and low....long, swift and low...swooping a few mm's above the tarmac...I find my mind wanders to work and all sorts of other BS. I try fantasizing about finishing a long race and that helps for a few hundred metres. Its amazing the stuff that goes through your head while out running.

Anyway....pace felt OK and I was keeping my concentration for a fair bit of the time. Kicked with about 1500M to go and managed to maintain a pace just below the point where I'm losing my breath.

Finished in 49.58.7 so under 50 minutes but a close run thing.

5K Leg stretcher

Out yesterday evening with Team Kennedy manager for a quick 5K with one of the dogs who needs to lose a bit of weight. Nothing too fast or strenuous. Lazy weekend left me feeling guilty. Might try a quick 5K or 10K tonight.

18 carat 18K

Big run due as I've been doing mostly 10K's and also I had a very lazy week this week so I needed to make amends. Cool day at about 6C with a little wind from the East. First 5K was 25:10 and it was at a pace that recognised I was going longer. I was OK at the top of the Hedgehog and continued onto Ohain and the next hill.

My left thigh felt a bit stiff for the next 3-4K but it eventually eased or was replaced by knee pain. At the 11K timing point at Butte Du Lion I'm there in 59:20 and was really happy I'd dipped under the hour mark for the first time this year.

This spurred me on and I tried to concentrate on keeping the pace up and soon enough I was at the farm turn back to Lasne around 2:18 which I knew was close to my best for the year at this point.

I kept trying to keep the pace going and I felt great on the flats and uphill sections. As ever the downhill sections give me problems. The final climb up the last steep hill was difficult but I felt great cardio wise and was only carrying some tiredness in my legs. I decided to kick for the end with about 800M to go and kept a really quick pace up all the way to the end. I think the shorter faster training has helped my ability to up the pace a bit. I finished in 1:35:40 which is the quickest time for that route for me this year.

I was really puffing at the finish and after a shower and a drink I had a wee 40 winks rest on the couch watching Fabian Cancellara burst a gut and scoop the Paris-Roubaix after taking Tour de Flanders last week.It wasn't as exciting as last year but he is just in a league of his own at the moment. Boonen didn't have an answer to the sprint with just 50K to go.

We're out for dinner tonight and I think I deserve it after a great shift. Weight after the run is back at 76.3KG and was 76.6KG pre run.

A weak week

Travelling from Tuesday to Thursday, in England. Tuesday night I manage a Vindaloo Jalfrezi with Peshwari Naan and poppadoms and spicy onions. Two pints of Kingfisher and pint of Guinness. I watch Arsenal getting put out of the Champions league by a rather classy Barcelona side. I'm amazed to see at least 4 Arsenal tops in the pub in Lichfield which must be 150 miles from London. I walk back to the hotel and enjoy an good nights sleep interupted by heartburn and a near death experience level of thirst...Clearly 10 years of living abroad has taken the edge off my curry handling abilities.

I'm better prepared for Wednesday night. I pick up a hamburger and chips pre match from an English chippy. This is more of a cultural challenge for a Scot than I could have imagined. I was hoping from Black Pudding and forlornly wishing for a Haggis.

They didn't do chippy(deep fried) Pizza. The Sausage looked weird(Its local made !!), smoked sausage wasn't bent in the middle, they had never heard of mince pies(pardon !!) and the Steak pies had kidney(barf)in them. .

Fish was Cod or Pollock which left me thinking of something that rhymed with the latter. Have these folk never tried Haddock. This left me the Hobson's choice of Hamburger supper(sorry with chips). I think the girl behind the counter was left a little stunned by my long winded interrogation of their wares and having to concentrate intently on my accent. Bizarrely they wrapped chips and burger separately which was difficult to work though as I walked to the pub.

I take in Champions league qtr final and see Manchester United going out to a well organised Bayern Munchen who despite going down 2-0 in the first six minutes never really looked out of it. Its amazing how many Manchester United fans live in Lichfield, almost as many Bayern fans by the sounds of the pub. Three pints of Guinness and an aborted pint of Becks Vier and I'm up the road to the hotel again. This time in much better condition than the night before...

I'm back late Thursday and decide on a run on Friday. I weigh myself before the run and see I'm at 77.8Kg which is 2.2KG heavier than my normal and pretty stable 75.6kg. I think the pub and champions league training sessions need to be spaced out a bit more.

Its a great day and no wind and nice sunny but not too warm an evening.I'm out for 10K
and find the first 5 quite hard work, I'm at the 5K mark at the top of the hill in 24:30. Not exactly a flying time. I don't know if it was just mental but I actually felt heavy when I'm running.

I finished in a tired 50.01 and felt pretty whacked. There was no wind so no weather excuses. You don't need to be Einstein to work it out.

Eggciting

Easter Sunday, a bit of a long lie for a holiday weekend. After breakfast we had our usual egg chase round the house where Team Kennedy Manager hides various chocolate goodies and Wallis and I seek them out.

At that point I decided I wouldn't run today and I settled in to the papers and a cup of tea. I managed a Creme Egg and half a Flake, nothing but the best in my athletic diet. I started to feel a bit funny round the house and knew I was craving a run but it was crappy weather with wind and sporadic rain showers.

I eventually decided to get out and just take on a 10K to get it out of my system. I set out quick and felt pretty good and my pace felt quite quick. At 5K at the top of the Hedgehog hill I was at 23:20, which I think is quickest to date this year and although I felt tired I knew it would be only 500M or so along the flat to feel better and get my breath back.

Sure enough I'm feeling better by the time I reach the roundabout, although my legs felt a bit shakey. I did fantasize at that point about having finished a second Creme egg as my jelly legs were telling me I was short of something. It soon passed.

Run back was easier than last time as the wind was a lot quieter than Friday and coming from the North across my right to left so felt pretty weak. I came to the top of the plateau at 40 minutes and knew I would be close my my best time.

At about 1KM to go I upped the pace and managed to keep that up till the end. I could probably have started my kick a bit earlier as I had a little bit left at the end and had finished in 49:19 which is 30 seconds faster than my best time on that route and distance this year. Its not massive progress but its progress and I feel that if I keep up my training level that improvement will continue.

And Repeat.....

You can see a pattern emerging here. I'm changing my training routine round to have 2 or 3 shorter and hopefully faster runs during the week and a long one at the weekend. I just wanted to see if an adjustment away from pure length and endurance training to speed will improve my overall speeds at half marathon and 10K distances.

Same 10K route today but it was very windy and much more constantly there, again from the West with some nice rain and hail mixed in.

I started quick and tried to concentrate on long strides as this has proven in the past to speed up my times considerably, despite it feeling odd. I was at the top of Hedgehog hill in 23:57 and was pretty tired but the turn and flat run at the top had me recovered within 500M. The turn was however straight into the wind, so wind is now in my face for almost all of the run back.

I can definately feel the ability to breath much easier than last week and much more deeply, although I only feel that naturally I fill about 75% of my lung capacity when I'm running. If I force it I can get much more air in but I'm not sure if that actually helps as it slows down my breaths per minute.

At 7K mark I got a bit of a second wind as I was sheltered between the trees.

As I emerged from the trees with just under 2.5K to go I got a blast of wind straight in my face from right across the open fields. It took my breath away. I knew the run in would be very hard now and as I climbed the hill to the top of the plateau the wind increased as did the rain and hail. It was hard just to keep going straight into it and I was glad I had my sunglasses on to protect my eyes from the hail.

My legs were getting stiff from the cold and I was struggling to keep a rhythm up with the constant battering of the wind. As I dropped to the last 700M I get more shelter from a small wood and it feels like someone has switched on an electric fire as the heat from the sun reaches me. I purposely avoided looking at my watch on the run in as it puts me off. I just kept driving the last 700M and finished in 50:26 which is a littled over Tuesday's outing but given the wind speed I think it was a fair session. It certainly felt harder during it but I was less wiped out right at the end.

Phoenix from the flames

Cooler and a bit blustery with wind coming from the west. Feeling much better today and felt more like something approaching normal. Same 10K route as last 2 runs. I started quick and stayed quick. First 5K clocked off in 23:45 and felt OK at the top of Hedgehog hill.

I struggled a little concentration wise on the run in and found my pace occasionally dropping off due to me not thinking about my speed. Run in was nearly all straight into the wind for the return 5K.

Finished in 49:49....so big jump in performance from last 2 outings with nearly 30 seconds per km quicker over the whole 10K.

Lungs felt like space hoppers and I couldn't really get out of breath despite coming in fast in the last 1.5K, legs felt more tired than my cardio side which is my normal situation....Recovery was also very quick and I was perfect by the time I'd walked the 500M back to the house.

10K Deja Vu

Same weather, same distance and same route. 5K in 25:24 and 10K in 54:25. I was gubbed again going up the hill at 5K but didn't need a walk this time although it was very hard going.

I'm still coughing all the way round and clearly it takes me longer to recover from a chesty cough than a week. I definately feel the pace cardio wise and thats not something I've had problems with at anytime in my training to date.

Cough Cough Splutter

Been suffering a cough and chest infection for the last week so getting up and down the stairs has been enough of a challenge. I managed a 10K run last night and it was a tough outing. Legs were fine and my pace was quick at the start but I ran out of puff pretty quick and Hedgehog hill at the 5K mark was a killer in 24:59. I finished in 54:29 including 2 minutes walking as I was so wiped out. Felt great after the run though and was on a real upper the rest of the night. Its very sunny and warm here today so I might try another 10K tonight. Clearly though still some after effects.

The long and tiring road - Kilomathon England 26K

5K run on Friday night with Brownie round Leamington shows me that the hamstring still wasn't quite right yet. I used a heat pad and two or three glasses of Borolo for the whole night after the run to try and help it recover.

I think after the run that we definately need to see Brownie out training more to try to get him up to full match fitness.The goal being a group run later in the year with Stu,Chico and Dougie.

The big day arrives. Stu and I manage to swerve the dangers of too many beers at Brownies and keep our consumption during the Scotland-England match down to 4 pint's and a gallon of Soda and lime each. Pasta bake from Jacqui then bed at 10:30pm on Saturday night for an ungodly rise at 5:30am to get to Nottingham from Leamington Spa.

5:30am Falling out of bed to the beeping alarms the thoughts were not positive...What was I thinking about coming all this way to get up in the middle of the night to torture myself on a 26K run....too late now.

We got there without incident in about 50 minutes thanks to Stu's GPS and managed a few snacks in the car on the way.

Start took ages and we were standing about freezing for not a lot short of and hour and a half. The wind was brisk and the temp was about 4 Degrees C. Occasional glimpses of sun warmed the weary runners.

Off at 9am. About 5500 runners and all pretty orderly for the first 5K which dropped off in 25 mins exactly. At 8K I could feel my hamstring a bit and a muscle pain from a thigh cramp I'd had during the night on Friday. At 10K I was feeling OK and time was 53 mins. Wind now right into my face as we headed from Nottingham out to Derby. Directly into the wind for about 9K, and it was bloody freezing. I ran with a long sleeve compression top, short sleeved running top and a running rain jacket. I had my leggings on under my shorts and my hat on. Still pretty cold.

Stu pulled away after about 10K and was in my sights till about 14K. I was in the same group for a lot of the race. As we started quite near the front I saw only a small handful of people falling back but was overhauled by what felt like was the whole of Nottingham.

Plenty of support from the locals and I needed all the encouragement I could get. At half marathon distance I was 1:53 so hardly blistering pace but not actually that bad for first run of the season. That 21K distance actually felt quite short and stopping then would have been very agreeable and I'd have felt good. Still 13 minutes slower than my previous personal best for the half marathon distance.

The additional 5K to 26K doesn't sound like much but I found it very hard going and my legs and feet were pretty sore for the rest of the run. At 23K I got the run in boost and knew then I'd be OK but had to keep my mind off the pain. I had to shorten my stride length a bit as my hamstring was sore on longer strides but I finished in a cold and painful 2:26. About 16 mins slower than I estimated when I signed up after Glasgow marathon last year.

However with just 3-4 weeks of real training its a pretty good result. Stu came in with a very nice 2:13 time and is showing that clearly his legs are as young as his boyish coupon.

A good distance and a great weekend, however I'm as proud of avoiding a big session during the Rugby game as I am at finishing...both were very difficult.

Chapeau to Family Brown for the usual tip top hospitality. Next time I'm over I'll not be running, unless its to the bar and back.

Lichfield 10K warmup

Did a quick hour round Lichfield including two circuits of the big pond. I didn't measure it but I was out for just under 1 hour. A lovely run on a nice evening. My hamstring was a bit sore on the last 2K , especially on the uphill section but it was just a pain not really slowing me down. I finished and felt just like I'd had a warm up so legs felt like they had distance in them. Hamstring still a little bit tender this morning but again its just a sensation. I've had this once before during a football game but it was on my right leg and was when I stretched for a ball. I'll see if I can get a hot water bottle to put on it at my Auntie Jacqui's tonight.

Cut you in two - Part Deux (18K)

Sun and blue sky above Belgium. It looked like a fantastic day from inside the house. One step outside and I thought I'd been transported a la Mr Benn to Siberia. Check out the first episode HERE. This was what I watched as a very very young kid. As a teenager we'd discuss the fact that Mr Benn never went to work and that he was obviously a businessman who was signing the dole but not wanting to let his neighbours know. A fallout from living through Mrs Thatcher's unemployment regime of the early 80's....

The wind was very strong and painfully steady from the East and it was as cold a wind as I can remember, certainly as cold a wind as I can remember when I was out with shorts on and not a pair of skis in sight.

The first 5K to the top of M.Hedgehog is almost exclusively straight into the wind and all my extremities are really feeling the cold. Eyes streaming and fingers numb and oddly above only blue sky and the bright bright sun.

5K drops off in 25:45 so reasonable enough and I was still feeling a little tight in the legs. Up the cobbles and down to Butte Du Lion and 11K in 1:00:18...just shy of getting under the hour.

I really started to wind up the pace down the N5 and was pushed along at a great clip by Runrig singing this old favorite I felt my legs really loosening up and my pace felt extremely fast without actually feeling any cardio strain.

The turn at the farm back down home leaving about 3.5K put me straight into the wind again and I felt my legs starting to ache but I kept up a reasonable pace until I felt a tweak at the back of my leg on the downhill section. At first I thought I'd caught a hair on my leg but it got worse and as I running downhill and was stretching my strides I was sure it was a hamstring problem. I stopped for a minute and a quick stretch and massage and it felt better. I dropped the pace as I only had 1.5K to go and as it was mostly uphill after that my strides were naturally shorter so less stress on the back of my leg.

No permanent damage done and despite the stop my finish time was 1:36:32, still had a bit left in the tank at the end as I was taking it easy on the run in.

Current running music playlist highlights

Difficult for Weirdos
Made in Germany
100MPH
She's Alright FANTASTIC To Run To
This is the last time
Black Burning Heart

oohhhh aahhhh oohhh aahhhh

Sore feet and legs today, just feels like I've been training hard. I'll do nothing this evening and look for one more long run either Saturday or Sunday. My plan is to try to also fit in a couple of 10K sessions before the race on Sunday but I'm travelling next week so opportunities for this will be limited. I probably won't run after Thursday morning. I need to go to Derby on Saturday and pick up my race gear and then its an 8:15am gate closure on Sunday morning in Nottingham for a 9am race start.

Cut you in two oot there - 18K

Sunny and blue skies all day. Tempting me out for an early evening run. As soon as I stepped outside I was blasted with a very cold North-East wind. Running straight into it for the first 5K, 26:10.

I was quite tired and my legs were weary at the top of Hedgehog hill and I put this all down to the wind. At 11K I was 1:03:10 which is about the same as Monday and a finish in 1:40:58 was just over a minute quicker than Monday morning and half the run was into the teeth of a biting wind. I picked the minute up in the last 7K.

Glad to be finished and legs were pretty sore after my shower. A couple of blisters on my toes but feet holding up well to a big week of training and no injuries.

10K Easy Run

I'm staying at Lumley Castle in the UK, just drove up from Birmingham in what felt like a Trabant but was well disguised as a Nissan Note 1.4. Legs a bit stiff but 2hrs 40 min is a good time for that distance, if only I could run it as fast.

Gear on and out down the riverside past Chester-Le-Street Cricket ground and along the riverside path. a fantastic run as the sun was setting. Quite chilly as I only had a couple of tee shirts to wear so the wind cut right in. I wasn't sure of the distance but I was out for 58 minutes and tried a sprint finish up the hill back to the hotel. Will be 10K or so.

A very nice area to run in and a nice setup for a mega dinner since lunch was only a pork pie and a fruit smoothie. :O)

Early Doors 18K

So up and out very early for another 18K fun run.....out the door and feeling a bit stiff but nothing terminal. First 5K and up M.Hedgehog at 26mins so time is fine. 11K in 1:03 and feeling a lot better than Saturday. Finished in 1:42:08 which is 6 minutes faster than Saturday. So 20 seconds per KM quicker...a fair improvement in a short time but I had at least eaten :o)

18K

Up and straight out without any breakfast, having only had one 7K run in the last 3 weeks it was probably not the best idea. After about 8K my strides were getting shorter and shorter. A bit like having a tight elastic round your ankles that eventually you can't overcome the resistance and you end up shuffling along like a long distance walker.

I got to 11K at 1:05 and I was feeling the strain. At 15K my legs were feeling a bit better and I knew I'd get to the end. I finished in 1:48 which is slower than my previous run but no surprise.

I was absolutely whacked at the end and very pleased to be finished. I wasn't really struggling on the cardio side at any time but my legs were absolutely dead. I suspect more down to lack of blood energy as I hadn't eaten.

Sunday slogathon to An Sabhal aig Neill

Cold, windy and wet. I've got the Sunday papers and its nice and warm inside. Hardly an inspiring situation regarding going out for a run. Strangely I was pretty motivated about going out, I think because I enjoyed Friday evening's run so much.

My plan was 18K to see if running long two days out of 3 slows me down. The first 2-3k were tight and a bit sore. Hedgehog hill was a real grind but i was at the top in 25:02(5K) which was about a minute faster than Friday. However I was feeling the pace much more than Friday so I suspected I'd lose time on the second half.

On Saturday I'd measured the distance in the car to the point I thought was 10K and it was actually 11K so I now understood why my 10K times were so far out. I reached the 10K(actually 11K) part in 1:00:20 so just missed getting under the 1hr mark.

I'm really blowing at this point and feeling the pace much more than Friday. I try to keep my steps long and low. I remembered last year that this was one of the ways I improved my times.

I finished in 1:37:20 which shaved nearly 3 minutes off Fridays time. However I felt the diffence in my legs and was absolutely shattered at the end point. A great session that I enjoyed. The music again kept me going and i was lucky timing wise with some of the tracks. Runrig dragging me up the Hedgehog with An Sabhal aig Neill. Probably one of the best single running tracks I have in my entire collection. You can't listen to it without tapping your feet so its excellent for getting you up a hill. If you can ignore the hairs sticking out on the back of your neck.

Burns Night tomorrow and Team Kennedy manager has a couple of massive Haggis in the fridge and that rarest of things in Belgium, a real turnip. I might even have a snifter to celebrate the Bard. Click this for wee song to inspire all you out there with a revolutionary bent in these times of Bankers running the world.

Friday fun run

18K after work. Sunny and not a bad evening. Legs felt pretty good but i just could not get motivated to get out and was trying my best to avoid it. Eventually with some encouragement I got geared up. First 5K were very easy and at 26 minutes OK time wise. I had a real spring in my step and didn't have that blood taste in my throat. Up the hill to 10K at 1hr and 2mins, shaving 4 minutes off last Saturday's split time at the same point. Finished in the dark in 1:40:06 so shaving 9 minutes off last Saturdays 18K so 30 seconds per km faster.

That is quite a big jump in performance in just a week and I felt fine at the finish. I still had plenty of miles in my legs and i could have no doubt injected some more pace into the run earlier. Great training run and music was inspiring again.

I'm really struggling with motivation and I was thinking on the way round what is differnt to last year. Obviously I haven't got a fixed triathlon date in my diary but I think thats too simple as I still have the Kilomathon in 7 weeks. I think its more than that in that this time last year I was reading a lot on training and specifically running and cycling. I've just been reading Biographies and Autobiographies recently so I've obviously not been too inspired fitness wise by that. I might get a couple of my training books out next and see if that helps.

7K stretcher

I did a quick 7K round the back route. It was very muddy, wet, icy and slippy. I felt fine , if a little windy on the hills. Its good for your balance I suppose but its far from ideal....I'm off to Paris and Hamburg early in this week so training opportunities will be limited early in the week.

The Long Way Round

I received my 8 week warning from the Kilomathon race in England in March. I needed to get a move on given my poor training record to date. I prepared myself for a long run just to see how it felt. I headed out and took the long route with 18K on the cards. 26 minutes for 5K. Then 1hr 5 minutes for 10K which is about 20 minutes longer than my 45 minute personal best.

Clearly my fitness has dropped off significantly. I finished in 1hr 49 which is pretty slow for 18K. I managed it without stopping and I was struggling from about 12K and at 15K I was running on empty. Clearly my ability to store energy is also needing some training. Happy to have done it and no real pain or injury worries after the run.

Snow Run

Out for a quick 9K before dinner. We've had about 4 inches of snow 3-4 days ago and its been very cold. Current temp is about minus 7C. Slightly slippy underfoot but not as bad as it was on 26th due to the ice. Pretty cold and I had 3 layers on plus thermal leggings and a hat/gloves. Just need to try and keep it up. Only 9-10 weeks till the Kilomathon(26k) in Nottingham on 14th March. Thanks to my 100kg friend for calling me and reminding me that I too could be there shortly(currently 75kg) if I don't continue to run off my much delayed middle age spread.