'Tis the season!

With the weather here in the UK getting colder and wetter, the days getting shorter and darker I decided it can only mean one thing..... training season!

I know it sounds like complete madness but stick with me. 

For a very long time now I have been training roughly along the following cycle - cut, build, race, recovery - "The athlete cycle" if you will.

Here is a quick breakdown of what I'm actually talking about.

Imagine your year broken into 4 parts - 

January to March 

April to June

July to September

October to December 

The end of the year triggers the "Cut". Ditch the crappy food choices, the alcohol and the lazing around. The focus is on dropping some weight, shaking the rust and dust off and getting back to a good workout routine.

January to March is probably a little too long but it's a great way to ease into the next phase, the "build".

Using the base level I've built since January I can start slowly upping the milage and calories and start looking for some nice races!

That leads us very neatly into the "race" phase. Providing the training has gone well and no injuries have popped up, I should be pretty much at the peak of my fitness for the year so it's time to go all in on my "A" race for the year.

As the weather turns and the race season drys up I slow things down and focus on "recovery".

What a neat and tidy year plan eh?!

Yeah you're right.....it hardly ever works like that! Life, weather and holidays all seem to collide during the "race" block so this year I've decided to flip my cycle!

I absolutely love the sun but I like to ENJOY the sun, not RACE in it so now the summer is going to be my "recovery" block. I'll still run but as and when it's not crazy hot or I'm just not doing something else! This way it means I can really enjoy the summer without feeling guilty that my training is eating up time with my family and friends. The moment the weather turns... which seems to be around August...I'm onto the "cut and build" phases. 

Mentally I'm finding that it's keeping me motivated to get out in the dark, crappy weather, squishing through trails and braving the rain, rather than hiding in the warm. Maybe it's something in my DNA, I'm just programmed to enjoy awful weather?! Who knows!? What I do know is so far it's working. The only downside is I've picked a terrible time to be skinny! 

It must be noted while I'm talking of phases, that I don't stick to this as a hard and fast rule, it's more of a guide. The phases will shift around a bit depending on the timing of the events that I want to do. Mostly as a reminder to get out of the door, speaking of which...the trails are calling!

Thanks for reading!

Cardiosaurus 

Motivation will only get you so far

I`ve been thinking a lot lately about motivation, goals and dedication. The holy trinity. 

Some big words in there. They hold a lot of weight behind them. Everyone talks about them, how to keep them, how to generate them and how to succeed. They all work together, you think of a goal, motivate yourself to get started and with enough dedication you achieve said goal. But what happens when the motivation runs out? What happens after that goal has been reached? This has been my personal journey for a very long time. Sometimes its hard to just get out of the door. Its only been over the last year that I have truly started to acknowledge the most underappreciated side of the triangle, dedication. Training other people over the last year has given me a very different outlook on my own running. I catch myself telling other people things like "motivation will only get you so far, dedication will get you there every time!" I know....cliché, but it just popped out one day and has kind of stuck with me. I found my dedication to my clients was actually outweighing my dedication to my own training. Obviously this has lead to an increase to my own base fitness simply by doing it but more importantly it changed my mental approach. 

Dedication. Do the thing anyway. Don't feel like going for a run? Go for a run while you think about it. Forget motivation, motivation will come and go. What we are really trying to build is habit. Yeah I know, it also takes a little motivation to still get out of the door so focus on that much. Get out the door. If you can summon up just enough to get out of the door, habit will take over. You don't have to be motivated to run 10 miles today but with dedication, you will. 

If you can be dedicated, persistent, consistent, whatever you want to call it, you will reach that goal, sometimes simply by default! I know it once again sounds very cliché but if you are consistent with your training when everything else seems to fall apart your progress will creep up on you. Maybe in a conversation with a work colleague;-

Them - "Get up to anything at the weekend?" 

You - "Na, nothing much. Went shopping, watched that new movie....went for a run on Sunday"

Them - "Ah nice, how far did you run?"

You - "14 miles...erm...22.5km I think?"

Them - "Woah! Was that an event?! That's so far!"

You - "Erm....nope...just my normal Sunday run" *considers what you actually just said out loud*

Them - "Wow, super fit!"

You - "I...I guess I am!" *considers what you actually just said out loud*

You both walk away a little surprised and slightly impressed. 

Ok so this may currently seem far fetched depending on your current training but I promise, it happens. It happened to me very recently while catching up with someone I hadn't seen for a little while and it suddenly dawned on me how many miles I had run that week. They then asked if I was marathon training and I said currently, no. This lead me right back to thinking about actually starting to book them again, kind of a "well the fitness is nearly there, I might as well put it to use!" coming full circle, or in this case triangle, back to a goal and feeling motivated again!

Ok so what is my goal? I`ve been pondering this for a while and found that one event just doesn't seem to cut it for me on the whole motivation, dedication, goal triangle so I going to expand my target in favour of dedication. 

So here we go, *GULP* I`m putting it out there in writing to try and hold myself accountable for when I undoubtedly lose motivation somewhere down the line. I have just turned 43 and have finished 29 marathons and ultras to date. My goal is 50 before 50.

There I said it...50 marathons and ultras before I'm 50, giving me 7 years to do 21...phew, that felt very odd to type!

I guess I should probably wrap up this post here and go for a run, I`ve got some work to do!

Love as always,

Cardiosaurus

A new page

I`ve tried to write a new post so many times over the last few....my goodness, has it been that long?! At the time I was blogging regularly I was also training a lot and working a lot and it was all...well...a lot.

I think the last time I posted was during my attempt to complete 12 marathons in 12 months. Everything was going great and I was due to complete it in March 2020. With just 2 weeks to go and 11 marathons under my belt for the year everything ground to a halt and the world changed.

Obviously I don't need to tell you that 2020 was a rollercoaster. 

On a personal level it was pretty crazy. We lost some people, gained some people, seen marriages, new homes, new jobs, lost some more people, redundancies, lockdowns, health scares....its a lot to summarise, its a lot to just put into words. So I ended up, well...not putting it into words. This little blog scurried under a rock and patiently hibernated, waiting for my brain to remember it again.

I have waaaaaay to much to catch up on that its actually pretty overwhelming so instead I'm going to just jump forward a bit and maybe in some later posts we can back track, ok hang on.....

*insert your very best warp noise here*

Like a lot of people I was on furlough for the longest time. It was a very odd time but I slowly felt a mental shift towards really liking my own space and time. Like a lot of people I was also made redundant shortly after as the financial implications were too much for the company I worked for to sustain. So now what?! This was my life for the last 12 years! I searched around for a new job but it all felt kind of pointless. Everything was still locked down or partly so finding a job somehow felt secondary to just living.

I also noticed very quickly that I was just massively depressed after doing my, now daily, job search. Do I actually want to go back into the same career? I have my redundancy pay-out, do I need to go back?! What now?! I felt very lost for quite some time. 

During one of my searches for inspiration looking at random jobs, I came across an advert to become a personal trainer and my brain lit up like a Christmas tree! All of my friends and families voices came pouring into my head. "You would make a great PT!" or "You would make a great teacher!" that I had previously laughed off  as flattery or just jokes now didn't seem so funny. It now seemed like a viable option. Could I? Should I?! Is it a stupid idea?! All these questions seemed to equate to "If not now, when!? You currently have 2 of the biggest luxuries I can think of, money and the most important, TIME!"

So at 41 I took the plunge and started my journey towards becoming a personal trainer. It was exhilarating and absolutely terrifying!! The course was all online as everything was still in lockdown. This at times was extremely frustrating because I couldn't just simply ask a question like you could in a classroom, I had to email it and wait for a reply. It was slow going. It took me a year overall to pass as I had the level 2 and level 3 to complete as my goal was to work for myself and hopefully not a gym. Looking back I totally could have done it faster but at the time my brain was a basket of cats. 

Starting a brand new career, especially one that is largely regarded as a "young persons game" plays a lot on the mind. It makes you second guess everything when you have the quiet moments. It makes you really think about why someone would pick you. Why would someone pick "the old guy"!? This obviously gives you lots of time to freak out and wonder what you are doing with your life. It also gives you a fantastic opportunity to actually come up with an answer. Exploring this question has given me a great sense of focus, confidence and happiness. Realising the things I am good at, the things I need to tweak and actually how much fun I'm having! Fast forward a year...

*insert your very best warp noise here...again*

I am now coming up on my first full year as a personal trainer at 43. Seems very odd to write, both the year of business and the 43. I have learnt so much over this year but mainly about myself. Actively trying to embrace happiness and fun have been my primary goals. Realising that I absolutely thrive on other peoples fitness achievements has been such and amazing revelation and a huge driving force.

I guess this is also why I`m back blogging again! Trying to embrace that happiness and fun and if I can pass a little on along the way then I feel like my work is done! 

Whether you are returning to this blog again after all this time or are a new reader, I thank you for from the bottom of my heart for your time!

Now go outside, point your face at the sun (if you have any) and just take a moment to breathe. Go for a walk, touch some grass, smell the flower, go find your happy place.

Much love as always,

Cardiosaurus

30k views!

I was just in the middle of writing up a very delayed post and realised that this blog has just hit over 30,000 views!! WOW! I never thought it would get to that much!
Thank you so much to every single person that has visited and I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it!!

Now I really must finish this other post!

Love and high 5`s
Cardiosaurus

Beerathon

19th October

Its hard to believe that I am already halfway through my personal challenge of 12 marathons (or more) in 12 months, but here we are, event number 6!
8 potential hours of running a 3.75 mile loop, crazy hills, bit of mud.....oh and beer....what could possibly go wrong!? This is my brief but pretty accurate description of the madness that is the Beerathon!
Saxon Shore are the hosts again for today's madness and we find ourselves at Ranscombe Farm Nature Reserve......yep....I didn't know where that was either. Its here (click me) in case you wanted to know. I should probably have done a little more research before doing this one as it was a little bit of a surprise to find most of the loop on the NORTH DOWNS!!
I have a special place in my heart for the North Downs as my very first ultra was on it, the North Downs Way 50 mile. The best way I can describe the North Downs is that it is as beautiful as it is brutal.
OK so doing some research beforehand wouldn't in all honesty have made it any easier but I guess its perhaps a different mental approach? Who knows? Any who, on with the story!

The ever present Mummysaurus picked me up and we headed off, chatting away in the car about today's plans. Though the challenge was 8 hours, I was focusing on a marathon today and was in hope of doing it in under 5 of those hours. We joked about this perhaps being a little ambitious what with the hills, the mud and well.....the beer....don`t forget the beer! 
We arrived at the Nature reserve and drove up the extremely steep driveway to the event parking area......glad it was`nt raining or the little car we were in would have really struggled!!

View from the top of the hill into the car park

 Mummysaurus gingerly parked the car and we got out to this amazing view! Beautiful!

I grabbed my gear and we headed off to registration, what we found was both hilarious and also slightly daunting!

My kind of aid station!

I grabbed my number and a bottle opener.....that`s a new one! With about 2 minutes to go we were instructed to pick our poison and have them open and ready.
The challenge today was a 3.75 mile loop that begins with a beer, this is however not compulsory, its all just for a bit of a laugh. You must finish your beverage, be that what it may, before you start the next lap. The main rule really being....well....ill take artist licence on this.....don`t be a dick. Don`t get absolutely clown shoed (yep just made that up) and risk not being able to run here anymore. With this in mind, you don`t actually have to drink at all. I had the silly idea of giving it a go and actually try to drink a beer on every lap, the caveat being that I would stop if it started to really mess up my running.
"RUNNERS GRAB YOUR BEERS!"
Traviss called us all to the start with our bottles/cans/cups of chosen beverages and gave us the countdown -

3...2...1...CHUG!!

I started my watch and then tried my best to down my breakfast beer. The first half was OK, the second half....not so much. I finished my beer and walked over the starting line, trying really hard not to instantly puke all over the path!! Great start, its only 10am!!
That first loop was brutal and required a lot of concentration, it took me nearly 2 miles of it to feel anywhere near settled again! This was enough to already change today's game plan. Dial back on the beer to a sip or 2 a lap and try and eat every lap, I`m clearly going to need the energy today! I was still however quietly hopeful that I could still get close to 5 hours, even with the crazy hills.

I was going to try and describe the loop for you but I think its best at this point to bombard you with a bunch of pictures, in no particular order, that were taken by Mummysaurus as she walked around 1 lap......see you in a minute.....

Hello again!
The photos still don`t do it justice, it was ridiculously hilly and so, so beautiful. The weather conditions were close to perfect with the exception of some of the sections in the woods where the humidity jumped up, making breathing a bit hard going.
I did my best to keep the pace up, walk the really steep ups and absolutely nail the downs. I figured I would just give it as much as I had for as long as I could because I knew this loop was going to chew me up sooner or later! At the end of each lap I had a couple of sips of beer and a bit of bread pudding, I flipping love bread pudding! This may become a regular bag drop item.

3 laps in - about a beer and a half in

3 laps in and feeling pretty good now I was about a beer and a half down. The hills were tough going but I was actually really, really enjoying the long downhill sections. I just let gravity do the work, took the breaks off and belted it down the hills. It was really working for me, I knew in the back of my head that it was gonna hurt later but that`s a problem for future me!
Another present for future me was the bruise I was going to get from the large wooden post that I accidentally rugby tackled at around 15 miles. I had obviously passed this area a few times already and each time I had, I had slipped all over the place trying to get around it. The ground around the post had been worn away and dropped away to form a very muddy, slippery kind of step. Every other lap I had hopped onto this higher bit so I could hop over the muddy hole. On this particular lap however the fates had decided that it was time for some gymnastics. I hopped on to the high bit which broke off under my right foot causing it to shoot sideways and kick my left foot clean out from underneath me and I landed, armpit first on to the top of the wooden post.
"Ouch" was one word that I used (I shall leave you to guess the others) as I picked myself up and had a quick check that I hadn`t actually done anything silly. It kind of shook me for a little while but I tried to stay positive and just keep moving. You see I`m not really used to falling over. I`ve been running "properly" since 2012 and this makes it only the third time that I have taken a tumble. I`ve had plenty of slips and trips but very, very rarely get as far as hitting the ground even though I run in sandals. The other 2 occasions I was probably asking for. The first was right at the start of an event. A guy next to me was having a bit of friendly banter over my sandals, along the lines of "good luck mate, you're gonna slip all over the place!" I gave a chuckle and was just saying "NAA! I`ve got LOADS of grip!" as we approached a wet grassy bank, my legs scooted out from under me and I proceeded to slip on my arse down the entire bank........graceful! We had a bloody good laugh about that, as did the 15 people directly behind me when it happened.
The second time I was without a doubt asking for. It was winter, freezing cold and snowing. Perfect conditions for running across a frozen horse field......in sandals. To be fair the sandals had absolutely nothing to do with it, stupidity had everything to do with it.
I headed out for a 5 miler and all was going well until I was on my way back. I had just come through a kissing gate, went to run and SLAM! I hit the ground HARD. One second I was standing, the next I was shoulder first on the ground. The ground was so hard that it knocked the wind out of me. It happened so fast there was no time to react at all. It caught me so off guard that I actually went and checked what I had slipped on. A deep, ice and snow filled, solid hoof print. Who`d have thunk it.......in a horse field........in the winter........*facepalm*

Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, running around silly hills and drinking beer.....

Action shot from one of the photographers on the day

It was tough going but I was moving well and feeling pretty good, well until the inevitable. The punishing hills caught up with me somewhere between 18 and 19 miles. It was like someone had just pulled the plug out. My legs where absolutely trashed they were starting to twitch and tingle, walking fast was even starting to become a problem. I kept telling myself to just finish this lap and then I`ll take a quick break before the last lap.
I shuffled along and was caught up by Natalie. We had a great chat about ultra running and nutrition, it was a much welcomed distraction at the perfect time and really kept me moving, all be it slowly. She stuck with me for the rest of the lap, I wished her the best of luck and headed over to Mummysaurus. She took one look at me and said "would you like a chair?" I think my reply was along the lines of "oh hell yes!"
As I was standing by the aid station I figured I should take this moment to stuff my face. I ate ALL the things. Cake was mixed with crisps, mixed with nuts, mixed with more cake. If it wasn't nailed down, I was eating it.
I added a few more crisps and cake to my soft cup (yup totally not whats its for) grabbed a Guinness and shuffled over to the chair. So there I was, snuggled in my DryRobe, sitting in a chair in the sunshine, stuffing my face with cake and sipping Guinness with 1 lap left to complete a marathon. I could have stayed there all day but settled for about 20 minutes. The crazy thing was that without this break I was actually on for a sub 4:30!! The reality was that I needed the 20 minutes or it was going to be nearer 6.
With every sip and nibble I could feel the life coming back into my legs. Maybe I`ve been going about marathons in the wrong way?! Maybe this was how it was meant to be done?! It felt a heck of a lot more fun now I was full of cake and Guinness!
Enough lounging, I`ve got another lap to do!
I bounded (I didn't but it adds more drama) out of the chair, thanked Mummysaurus and headed out on my final lap, feeling the polar opposite of how I finished the last one.
I tried to enjoy myself as much as I could over that last lap, limiting my walking time and trying to run every downhill. Everything still hurt but I took comfort in the fact that I was nearly done, almost embracing the pain as an acknowledgement of a hard days work.

Great shot from one of the photographers on the day

 After what felt like a very long lap, I was nearing the end of the loop and was very much looking forward to getting back into that chair.
I crossed the finish 5 hours, 13 minutes and 14 seconds after that first beer, tired, battered but most of all, glad to be done! So glad in fact that I nearly forgot to pick up my medal!

I retreated back to the comfort of the DryRobe and chair with one final beer in hand. I sipped away and ate cheesy chips in the warm sunshine with Mummysaurus, content at that present moment to never move again.

Thanks for reading folks I hope you enjoyed it!
HUGE thanks as always to Mummysaurus for her unwavering support and a big thank you and well done to Natalie who went on to complete just over 50km! Top job!
Massive thank you as always to Traviss, Rachel and all at Saxon Shore for another great event!

6 of 12 done! Next up is the Roald Dahl Challenge....goodness....next week!

Till next time folks!
Love and high 5`s
Cardiosaurus

Race to the Thrones

With barely enough time (largely exaggerated for comedic effect) to wash the running gear from the last adventure, its time to head back to Walton on Thames for more towpath shenanigans!

21st September
My legs are still perhaps a little tired from St Alban`s Stampede 3 weeks ago but I`m on a mission, so here we are! The sun is already making an effort as we pull up into the car park of the Xcel Leisure Centre a little earlier than planned. No worries, more time to faff!
Mummysaurus is here once again to drive, crew and generally hurl verbal encouragement/abuse when needed. We rummage around in the car for a bit getting all the days gear together. I must admit, now I am doing these events closer and closer together I seem to be bringing less stuff with me. Mummysaurus on the other hand I suspect will always be armed with a utility belt that could rival any budding superhero.
We wander inside in search of a coffee and registration. Coffee isn't available yet so registration it is then. I grab my number and we find a seat to have a natter while we wait for the cafe to open.

Today is hopefully (you can never assume these things) going to be my 5th marathon (or more) in 5 months, as depicted by this ridiculous photograph of my face.

We chat away about today's plan and I decide on a "run a lap and see" approach. It`s already pretty warm and its barely 8:15am. The forecast for today is a rather toasty 26°, pretty hot for this time of year so I chuck on some sunscreen and a hat. I actually opted for a long sleeve, thin base layer over my normal, short sleeve t shirt as I figured I would experiment with keeping the sun off of my arms.

I did throw a short sleeve one in my drop bag as well in case this backfired.

Around 8:30......I say around, it was 8:30. I know this for sure because the lady opening the cafe had said she was opening at that time and we were watching her like a couple of coffee vultures.
A mochaccino for Mummysaurus, a double espresso and unusually for me, a flapjack. I don`t normally eat before I start but after Stampede I thought today would be a food experiment day. The experiment was pretty simple, eat. It doesn't have to be loads, it could be just a jelly bean but I had promised myself that I would attempt to eat something at the end of every lap.

8:45am - Time for the race briefing.
Everyone heads outside into the warm morning sunshine, the smell of trees and Tiger Balm in the air.
Rik - our host for this mornings adventure, gives us the run down (pun intended) of what to expect. He mentions that it`s going to be a hot one, potentially a lot of people out on the path today, oh and the London to Brighton bike race..........ah!
He assures us though that we shouldn't see too many though as most of them would have already passed this point by this time but just be aware.
With all that out of the way we shuffle our way to the start line. Today we will be heading in the direction of "the little blue bridge". I`ve mentioned this little fella in a previous post, I was very happy to be going the other way on that occasion as this little bridge is not one of my personal favourites. Oh well, can`t avoid it every time and this time I shall be seeing it a lot over the 3.28 mile "out and back" format.

3.28 mile "out and backs" so you can paint the path red

As we wait at the start line it is already pretty apparent that today is going to be a busy day on the Thames Path. We are passed by multiple bikes, dog walkers and runners and its only 9am.

3...2...1...GO!!!

9am - Rik gives us the countdown and off we go! Within the first half a mile I have to move aside for a few more bikes, people, dogs.......its gonna be a long day! I then come to the rowing club, its already in full swing with loads of people all over the path, walking with oars and teams carrying boats.....I think I`ll keep just the one earphone in today!!
I always find the first half of these out and backs goes pretty fast as you are feeling fresh and eager to get going. I ran up and over the little blue bridge and pretty quickly found myself at the turn around point. The return leg was obviously even busier as now I was passing the other runners in the other direction. This is when I really started to notice just how dusty it was already.
I tried to keep to any bit of overhead cover I could find along the way, opting for the shadows whenever I had the chance. The idea was to try and keep my temperature down for as long as I could, so far, so good.
At the end of lap one I had some water and 1 jelly bean, the flapjack I had for breakfast was still sitting a little heavy but I decided to stick to my plan and have something.
Lap 2 was much of the same, hot, crowded and dusty. My pace was OK but my legs did feel a little heavy.
Around 15 miles into the day, it was time for a different approach. The temperature had picked up, it was crowded and very dusty and I was honestly feeling pretty tired. I came into the end of that lap and said to Mummysaurus "No chance of a PB today, I just want to finish with a smile" she simply said "Perfect. Keep eating and have fun!" So that`s what I did! I backed off of the pace and put in regular walk breaks, focusing more on enjoying it rather than speed. My long sleeve base layer was working out surprisingly well, keeping the sun off of my arms and keeping me cool when the wind blew. Good job too really because the combination of sun and dust was quite punishing over time.
At then end of each lap I had some water, squash and some kind of sweet. Freddo Frogs being the top of the list. I had also bought a couple of cans of cold coffee with me which went down well. This had pretty much turned into a picnic with a marathon thrown in for good measure!

Roughly 23 miles down, just one more lap to plod and I still had something that resembled a smile. Along this lap I got chatting to Terry. A lovely guy who started running at the same time as me, in 2012. The difference between us was that he was running his 252nd marathon AND was running the one AFTER this one at 4pm!! Gloriously bonkers! We had a really good natter and pretty much walked most of the last lap with a bit of a "sprint" at the end to finish off the day.
Official time of 4:46:51 but to be honest, from very early on today wasn't going to be about the time.
Today was about so much more. Can I simply finish this close to an ultra? Are the legs up for it today? Can I still enjoy it? Can I do another full event without adding socks to my sandals?
Yes.....yes to all of the above.

Mummysaurus and I headed back to the car to drop off my gear.I switched into a dry t shirt and then we headed back for some lunch and a chat.
I was pretty thrashed even though I took it very easy, guess I really was pretty tired from the Stampede! Oh well, 5 in 12 done!

As always a big thank you goes out Mummysaurus for the support, Phoenix Running for yet another great event and to every other person running/walking/crawling on the day....well done, you guys are awesome!

Thanks for reading folks! Join me again in a few weeks for the next one, it might be messy!!
Love and hugs
Cardiosaurus

St Albans Stampede - A "How not to" guide!

Once again time has got away from me for actually writing a report of my latest adventures, but hey, life gets in the way sometimes.

Those of you that have been reading my blog for a while will know all about the St Albans Stampede already as I`ve done it twice before. For those who have not, welcome to my blog and thanks for reading!
The St Albans Stampede is a future classic in my humble opinion. I believe this year was its fifth year and my third time. The format is pretty simple, 12 hours, 4 mile laps and the option of solo or teams. You can run as much or as little as you want within the time frame but must be done within the 12 hours.
Today I am joined by Jo, Simon and of coarse the ever present Mummysaurus. We had been discussing our aims for the day over the last few weeks when we saw each other at parkrun. Simon, our Event Director at aldenham was planning on a marathon, perhaps a little more depending on how he felt. Jo had her eye on 50km and I hoped to go for 100km. Some big plans in there, love it!

31st August 2019

I rolled out of bed, did all my pre race bits and headed outside for a 7am pickup from Mummysaurus. Of late this is becoming known as "the usual drill" with this being my 4th event in 4 months. I seem  to have got it in my head after seeing a "12 marathons in 12 months" T-shirt back in May, that that was now what I was doing. No idea why other than, why not?! Somewhere in the back of my head a little voice whispered "you've already done 12 ultras and 7 marathons.......that`s nearly 20 marathons or more.....that`s basically the same as 25......which is almost 50.............why not make it 100?!"

Why not make it 100?!

Whoa boy, lets not get too carried away, one at a time!

Where was I? Oh yes......

7am - I bundle my gear into the car and we head off to pick up Jo. We chat along the way about the plans of the day ahead and Jo is already talking about maybe revising her plan from 50km to 50 miles if she feels good. Now for some of you reading this, this seems like an absolutely bonkers idea. Who in their right mind decides to just throw another 19 miles on top of their intended plan?!? Ultra runners, that`s who! 

Fortunately St Albans is pretty close to where we live so we pull into the car park of Heartwood Forrest in no time at all. The moment we stopped a car pulled up next to us, lo and behold its Simon, excellent timing! He introduces us to his son who has reluctantly left the warmth of his bed on a Saturday morning to come and watch a bunch of headcases run around in circles. We grab all our gear and head over to the scout hut to try and get a good spot for the tents.

We quickly nab "the perfect spot" and start setting up. With the tents up and all the gear in we pop inside the scout hut to registration.

Numbers collected and pinned on we still had bags of time before kick off. We sat around and chatted, faffed about with gear, all the normal pre-race shenanigans.

The call goes out for the pre-race briefing and everyone piles into the scout hut......well I say everyone, there are so many people this year that the bundle of people continued out of the door! It`s great to see the popularity of this event grow.

With the briefing out of the way its time to head to the start line! You can feel the nervous excitement in the air as we make our way there and bundle onto the path.

3...2...1...GO!

So here we go, off on the first lap of many! Having done this event twice before I know the route really well with the exception of the very last bit as the route has changed a little to keep us off of the main driveway into the park. I`m actually looking forward to seeing this bit as I`ve not done it before. I`m sure the novelty will wear off pretty quick but hey, its the little things right?

It`s a little chilly but I can feel that it`s already starting to warm up pretty quickly as I pass around 2 miles. Now nearly at the new (for me) turn off point and we head through a kissing gate and up a little hill into very pretty little pathway. "This is much nicer than the driveway!" I said to myself as I bopped between the very spiky bushes on either side, catching my elbows on a few as I went. The pathway wound its way through them and came out next to the overflow car park where we were parked. On to the main path where we started and that`s lap 1 done......waaaaaay to quickly!

I look at the timing clock and had just done the first lap in under 34 minutes......ooops! Oh well we all know it happens, relax and get going.

Lap 2 was much of the same, pretty easy going and the miles just ticked by. By lap 3 I could feel I was really hot and sweating buckets already. About halfway through lap 4 something just felt wrong. I had slowed down a little but just couldn't seem to shake the heat, in the scheme of things it wasn't even really that hot but I felt like I was roasting! I came into the start/finish at the end of that lap now having only done 16 miles and I felt horrible. My sweat was really, really salty and I was already thinking of bailing at a marathon. This was NOT the plan! 

Just keep moving, it will probably pass. It didn't. 

Lap after lap I just felt like I had been put through a grinder. I drank water and felt worse, I tried stopping at the end of one lap to eat a rice pudding that I bought with me, it made me feel worse! What was going on?! 

Any thoughts I had of completing 100km today were well and truly gone. My thoughts instead were firmly focused on the rabbit hole of horror, not being able to fix what was going on. I just wanted to drop. As I passed marathon distance all I could think was "hold out to 50km". I came into the end of that lap and saw Mummysaurus and Jo, who had just come in. Jo said she was basically ready to go when I was. I could have dropped right then and there. Somewhere from the fog in the back of my mind a little voice reminded me that I had entered the Thames Path 100 next year and I needed a 50 mile finish to qualify. The idea of trying to grind out ANOTHER 50 mile finish before next May stabbed something in my brain to make me blurt out "I need to do 50" Jo`s reaction was just a shrug, a smile and a "lets go then!" so.......off we went! Jo said she was struggling as well but you never would have noticed. She was looking calm and smiling away like it was a parkrun. I on the other hand was having one of the worse races I have had in a long time. I was knackered, hot and miserable. The most frustrating part was, I couldn't work out why and that just sent me further down the rabbit hole.

At the end of the 50km lap I said to Jo that I need to get a coffee and she was more than happy to tag along. I grabbed another rice pudding on the way past from the tent and we headed inside. I sat on the floor feeling utterly defeated. Jo grabbed us a couple of coffees and we sat there, sipping away. I force fed myself half of the rice pudding but just couldn't face the other half. I offered Jo the other half and she happily tucked into it. She was saying how she normally only drinks tea at ultras but the coffee was going down really well and she was starting to feel a little better. I was not. Maybe it just needs some time to kick in. We left the scout hut and I popped to the loo, maybe I just needed to go, maybe that was the problem. By this point I was just clutching at straws. 

Out we go onto the next lap and Jo is now supercharged. She pushes on ahead while I walk/run as much as I can to keep up. I just can`t, I`ve still got nothing and she easily leaves me in the dust as she breezes away down the hill. 

The previous issue of being stupidly hot has now turned into me being freezing cold every time the wind blew, great. Fortunately I had packed a long sleeve tech top back at the tent so I`ll switch once I have finished this lap. Eons later I`m back at the tent and switch over my tops. I actually feel a little better for it but still really low. I decide its time for a change of approach, no more Mr relaxed guy! I change my playlist on my phone to "Business time!" a bunch of albums I threw in for when its time to attack. The music kicks in and I say to Mummysaurus "right that`s it, this course is starting to piss me off now!" I figure if I cant shift my mood I`m going to bloody well use it! 

Slipknot, The Berzerker, Cannibal Corpse, Slayer, Sikth, Animals as Leaders.....just your average runners playlist.

I run/walk/grunt myself round a few more laps before having a small moment of clarity and the penny finally drops. With the exception of a rice pudding and a half, a handful of sweets and an ice lolly (thank you marshals!!) I haven't actually eaten anything!! I had been so focused on my target distance and how rubbish I was feeling that I had completely neglected my food. ABSOLUTE NOOB!

"Wow you have so much experience!"............nope.....not me!

I walked into the scout hut at the end of that lap, grabbed some fizzy drink, made a cheese roll and left, trying to make as little eye contact with people as I could. What an idiot. 

It was difficult to eat but I finished the cheese roll. The damage was well any truly already done but I figured if I could just get enough in me I could just about get my 50 mile target.

The rest of the lap was just as tough as the other ones only with more burping.

Another roller-coaster of a lap done, 1 more to do then I could finally stop!

So this was it, my last lap, just keep moving! I did everything I could to keep the pace up. I was run/walking at 5 seconds at a time in places just to keep going. I was so far beyond done it wasn't even funny, then I laughed out loud. It WAS funny, in fact, it was ridiculous! I was half laughing, half crying at how the hell I was still moving after such a monumental screw up.

Maybe it was delirium, maybe it was relief that it was nearly over, who knows? Who cares? I was so close. I made a point of trying to keep myself together as I thanked every marshal I saw on that last lap and each time I did I felt like I traded that for a little bit more energy. 

There it was, the finish. I dug deep and found enough to run up the path and over the line.

11 hours, 2 minutes and 39 seconds - 52 agonising miles complete.

Mummysaurus said "you still have 58 minutes to do another lap if you leave now!" I threw my arms around her and simply said "I`m done" I had nothing left to give and I just wanted the madness to stop!! She then told me that Jo had just come in to also finish 52 miles and felt so good she was just going to change and then go out on another lap! BEAST! She also then told me that Simon was still going!! WHAT?! He was aiming for maybe a marathon and he was now on for finishing 48 miles! AWESOME!!

I was just happy to get into my dryrobe and crash into a chair with a beer! As much as I thought I wanted it, the beer was not going down well. I sipped at it just to try and get something in me as I waited for Simon and Jo to finish their last laps. Even with my dryrobe on I was shivering, not a great sign. I mean it was now pretty chilly but this was not good.

Jo and Simon came across the line and the day was done. Simon finishing an amazing 48 miles, the last 12 of which where in his Luna sandals, his longest sandal run to date and AFTER already running 36 miles?! GET IN!

Jo smashed out an incredible 58 miles and still looked just as collected as she had after 50km!! Unlike me both Simon and Jo had actually eaten properly, Simon even took a 1 hour lunch break....think I`m missing a trick here!

We pack up all our gear, I throw a hoodie on under my dryrobe but I`m still shuddering. We head back to the car with all the stuff and head home, happy to just not be running anymore.

I`m feeling pretty sick in the car on the way back but just want to get home. We drop Jo off and then finally I`m home. I waddle through the door and say hi to my wife. She says hi but looks at me a little odd for a moment. I then headed off to the toilet where I proceeded to throw up the can of beer.

I wander back into the living room and my wife says "you're looking a bit emaciated?!" (she actually put it another way which is much, much funnier but not appropriate for the blog) to which I had a little chuckle and then headed off for a shower so I could finally just go to bed.

I woke up in the morning feeling a little groggy but on the whole, OK. I thought it would probably be a good idea to check my weight to see just how much damage I had done.

I had lost 7.5lbs!!!

I uploaded my watch data and took a look at my pacing and that`s when I noticed the rough calculation on the calories burnt - over 5600 calories!! I probably only put in 800 and that is grossly high balling it.

Well with all that it was time to piece together the positives from the day before. 

• I had actually somehow managed to get my qualifier for the Thames Path 100
• That was the furthest I had ever gone in my sandals without having to add socks
• Only one very small blister!
• I could still walk really well
• I was still alive after cannibalising myself 

The other positive is actually just how well all of us did in the over results. There were 87 people in the solo category. Simon came in a very respectable 26th, I somehow bagged 15th and Jo? Jo came 10th overall and was 4th lady!! A truly amazing effort!  

As always a MASSIVE thank you to Mummysaurus for crewing and general amazingness, thank you to Jo and Simon for putting up with my moaning and grumbling and thank you to all the marshals, you guys were ace!

Last but not least, thank you reader for bearing with the ramblings of a sandal monkey!

That`s 4 events down in 4 months (3 marathons, 1 ultra) next one is on Saturday.....lets do this!

Till next time folks!

Love and high fives

Cardiosaurus

The Gothic Challenge

Hey folks,
Once again time has marched on quicker than you can say "Oi what happened to your run report?!" My apologies for any inconvenience caused and please feel free to head to the till for a full refund.
Since my last post I have basically continued to train hard in both running and rowing. On the rowing side I did something a little crazy a few weeks back but I will leave that for a later post....ooo what a tease eh?!

On with the show!

Saturday 27th July
After the crazy heatwave we had in the UK in the week leading up to this 6 hour event, I was a little worried that I may actually burst into flames. The Thursday just before for example reached around 38°C in places!! Friday rolled around and the temperature dropped off to around 24°C. Saturday morning at 6am by comparison was arctic. I shuffled my sleepy butt outside and was greeted with cool, crisp 14°C morning air. Mummysaurus rolled up a few minutes later and I bundled in ready for our bop up the M1 to Northampton. After a quick pit stop to pick up Jo, one of our fellow RD`s at parkrun, we were on our way!
We chatted about are targets, I was planning on going for a 50km PB and Jo was planning on a marathon. We joked along the way that she will probably not stop there as she has been totally bitten by the ultra bug! Both of us agreed though, just like any looped event like this, that your targets can completely change depending on how the first couple of loops go and of course, the weather.
That`s actually one of the things I have been really enjoying about doing these 6 hour challenges lately.
An hour and a bit later we pull into the car park of the Holiday Inn a lot earlier than we had initially calculated, not a problem, more time to prepare and chill out a bit!
We step out of the car into the chilly drizzle and have a little nose around the facilities.
We decided to kick back on some squishy seats while we wait for registration to open, have a natter and check out all of the amazing T shirts on display of peoples accomplishments.
This was Jo`s first event with our hosts Saxon Shore and I think maybe my forth? As ever people were smiling and chatting away with each other. It had a very parkrun kind of feel about it, that sort of close community vibe where everyone knows each other but is also more than happy to welcome new comers with a smile and a story.
Just after 8am we wonder over to register, pick up our numbers and lap counters and then scurry back inside to the dry for a coffee while we wait. With coffee drunk, numbers pinned and toilet visited it was around 8:45am, time to head over to the start for the race briefing!

We all bundle around Traviss the race director, underneath the shelter of some large trees and he begins by welcoming everyone and announcing the latest achievements. One of which I think is so cool, handing out a Flake to commemorate a 99th marathon! This time however he couldn't find one so it was a Kit Kat chunky! Ha ha ha it really made me chuckle and I think its such a nice touch.

9am - time for some running!

I hugged Mummysaurus and wished Jo good luck as we lined up, ready for the off.
I chose to line up near the front again, my new mental preparation, approach with purpose.

3...2...1...GO!

Out into the grey, drizzly morning we go! The loops today are 5.17 miles so my hope was that the distance should tick by quite nicely.
We started along a long path and passed a very pretty horse having some breakfast on the grass. As we approach a bit of a hill, I`m already noting it as maybe being a bit of a problem later as the miles set in. The path turned into a nice grass bank that went pretty much right round a little lake save for a couple of small gravel paths and a bridge.

A whole gaggle of Geese were also out rummaging around in the morning dew. Backwards and forwards across the path, the adults on lookout, the goslings munching away and looking at us all with curiosity. The wind and drizzle whipped across the lake but was certainly not taking away from the beauty of the view. I could see a flock of sheep on the other side of the lake and an abundance of assorted birds flying about.......what a great place for a run!
Rounding the corner to the other side of the lake I could now see even more sheep down the other side of the bank, this is brilliant! A few of them ventured onto and over the path as I approached, in search of that fabled greener grass. I kept my eyes peeled for poop along this section as I was wearing my Luna sandals, only this time without socks. The idea of sheep or for that matter, goose poop between the toes was shall we say, not desirable.
A quick note about my footwear choice. On longer runs, say anything over 20 miles, I normally wear socks with my Luna just to try and preserve my feet for as long as I can. However of late I have been experimenting with just staying barefoot for as long as I can with the idea that I could add socks if I really need too. This was my first attempt at going for a marathon or more without socks and I was keen to see just how far I could push without having to add them.

With my first loop of the lake done, I head back over the bridge with its 2 swinging gates and onto the long path leading back towards the start/finish. This side of the hill was a lot shorter but sharper than the path leading towards it from the other side. Mental note, this is going to hurt later.
Reaching the top of the sharp hill means that I now have a really nice gradual downhill to coast, I`d say at least half a mile of it. Nice, time to take the breaks off and let gravity do its thing!

Approaching another bridge at the end of the path I take a left onto the home straight to finish up the first lap. I get my lap counter punched, grab a quick swig of my "back to my roots" potion and head straight back out for the second lap.
The second experiment I`m trying out today, nutritionally at least, is kind of a return to my first ultra.
Like many others, I read Born to Run back in 2012 and was instantly fascinated. I started running from scratch, dissected my running style, changed my footwear, changed my bio-mechanics, changed my diet, basically completely upended my life and gave it a bloody good shake! Within about 6 months I had sandals on my feet and chia seeds in my belly.
Over the coming years my diet shifted around and somewhere along the way I just "forgot" about chia. Maybe simply because I had so much of it for a while I probably just needed a break.
This memory was jogged for me when I was walking past my friends desk at work, lo and behold he had just started trying chia seeds after his girlfriend mentioned them a few days before.
A very rusty cog in the back of my head turned, "why don`t I just use chia and coconut water at the event?!" It`s one of those moments that seem so obvious you just cant work out how you didn't see it before, like constantly walking around a box on your way to the kitchen all afternoon. Eventually you move it........oh.......why the hell didn't I just do that earlier?!
Any who the seed was sewn, (see what I did there? I love a good pun, actually I think a bad pun is maybe even better?) I went straight to the supermarket after work and got some coconut water ready for the weekend.
I hope you enjoyed that little trip down memory lane, time to return to the present....well not the present present as I`m writing this nearly 2 weeks after so its actually the past.....erm present?
You get the idea.
When was I? oh yes, running.

The laps ticked by pretty nicely, my pace felt good, my feet and legs felt good, the weather was progressively less pleasant. The rain just didn't stop and it was that really fine rain, you know the type that means you don`t really notice it a great deal but are absolutely soaked within 10 minutes? Yeah that, for hours.
I tried to make my aid station turn around times as snappy as I could and it was working out really, really well. Around 2.5 hours in I felt myself give a little shudder. I looked at my watch and I was just a little under 18 miles. After some not so quick maths I made the decision to adjust my plan from 50km to a solid marathon attempt. The main consideration here being that I have St Albans Stampede, a 12 hour race, coming up on the 31st August and I simply didn't want to waste precious training time on recovery and being ill.
I past mummysaurus, who was out for a walk and told her today was going to be a marathon. I could feel the temperature had dropped a little and was very aware that I was soaked to the bone so I just kept running. Partly to keep warm, partly because I was starting to ache and was really hoping to minimise any walking time. So far with the exception of aid stations, I actually hadn't taken a walk break yet. This is new territory for me, I don`t actually recall a time where I have run almost continually for this long before even though I have done events much longer.
Coming into the aid station for my last lap I knew I needed to chuck in a handful of sweets to top up the tank for the final push. I threw a handful into my soft cup and thought this would be the best time for a quick walk break. I walked out for my finally lap, munching on my haul on the way.
Less than a couple of minutes later I was finished and running again. This final lap was starting to take its toll and that hill I mentioned at the start was now a real slog, just a gradual, energy sapping climb to the top. Just keep going.
Somehow I`m still running, it maybe a bit slower but I`m still running. The field of runners now has thinned out quite considerably, leaving me pretty much on my own for most of the lap. I still try and smile and give encouragement to everyone I pass in the other direction and it really helps to just keep me moving.
Finally I`m across the first bridge for the last time and onto the long path towards the sharp hill.
I tell my legs they can have a 30 second walk up the sharp bit if they will just stick with me and get me over the line. Even walking that little sharp hill at the end hurt but my legs kept their end of the deal and we are over it. I can see the long downhill section sprawled out below me.
Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, my quads and calves are toast but I`m still running.
I round the corner over the bridge and head for the start/finish knowing that I have a little out and back to do to round up to a marathon. I leg it in and try and get the instructions as quick as I can.
"Back out the way you came and down the path there is a lorry turning sign, turn around there and come back" I bolt off as quick as I can manage at this point, desperately scanning the path on the right hand side for the sign. THERE! I turn right and push for the sign. It felt like ages, in reality it was about 150 meters. I spin around, check my watch, if I can just hang on I might be able to sneak a PB but its going to be flipping close! I give it everything, it all hurts but I`m so, so close! Back over the bridge and onto the final path. My legs are screaming, I`m grunting like a pig......actually Mummysaurus recorded it.........cue the embarrassing footage!

My official time was 3:58:25 my first sub 4 hour marathon and somehow 4th overall in the marathon category.....I have no more words.
Jo did amazingly well, every time I saw her she was smiling and looking way more relaxed than I was! She breezed her way to a 4:29:51 achieving 13th overall and 3rd Lady! After collecting our medals it was time to get out of the rain, get some warm clothes on and stuff our faces!

What a day! I cant quite believe that is my 3rd marathon and 3rd PB in 3 months! I`m enjoying this PB a month thing......bring on the end of this month ha ha ha!

Huge thank you as always to Mummysaurus for her driving, crewing and butt kicking.
Thank you to Saxon Shore for yet another great event!
Finally a huge thank you to you reader, I hope your enjoyed my ramblings!
Till next time folks,
Love and hugs
Cardiosaurus

I think Weir on a roll!

I`ve never tried to do marathons this close together before. Two weeks ago I went for it and broke my long standing PB, bringing it down to 4:11:20, you may have just read about that one in my last post *wink wink* (Click here if you missed it)

The closest I`ve done events together before this was back in 2015 when I did the St Albans Stampede 12hr, followed 3 weeks later by Loch Ness marathon. That one hurt!

As usual I didn't sleep particularly well, this is pretty standard for me before a long event so I try not to get too worked up about it. The goal for this one was to try and stay relaxed and attempt to enjoy it as much as I could, knowing that the last marathon was probably still in my legs somewhere.

Also I had been wrestling a cold for half the week so lets just see how it goes!

Right I think that`s all of the excuses and humble brags out of the way, on with the story....

With a start time of 9:30am, it was nice to be able to get up at 6am for a very respectable 7am pick up time from Mummysaurus.

An hour and a bit later we parked up at the Elmbridge XCEL Leisure Centre in Walton on Thames.

Our hosts for this mornings fun are Phoenix Running, well known for some bonkers medals and a "Tuck Shop" aid station.

We wandered into the Leisure Centre reception area to find quite a few people in there already laughing and joking with each other, a mixture of relaxed and excited energy in the air.

With the time now coming up to 8:30am I went over to registration to pick up my number and was greeted with lovely big smiles from everyone at the table. After a brief chat I headed back over to Mummysaurus to chill out for a bit on a nice squishy chair. Looking around the room we recognised a few of the faces from a couple of weeks ago, most of these were in the relaxed category. There were a couple of folks looking a little nervous and with some of the t shirts proudly on display you can understand why. I mentioned before in my last post that reading shirts along the lines of 52 marathons in 52 weeks, 10 marathons in 10 days and many, many more, should never intimidate you. The people inside these shirts know what its like to be where you are now and every one of them will great you just the same, with a smile. 

Mummysaurus and I chatted for a little while as I attached my number and shed some layers, before we knew it it was around 9:15 and time for the race briefing.

The race director Rik Vercoe called us all outside. It was a little chilly, overcast and threatening to rain......ah potential PB weather! He welcomed us all and explained that this was a 6 hour challenge where you can run just one lap or as many as you can get in. I was aiming for a marathon today so my target was 8 laps. He then told us that today there is a change to the course, we will be running the other way which means.....no little blue bridge!!! For those of you who have no idea what I`m taking about I shall do my best to explain why I was personally already over the moon with this news.

This little fella is "The little blue bridge" looks quite nice doesn't it? Well if you just walk over it a couple of times then yeah, its very nice. However if you are made to cross it 16 times during a marathon I personally think you could be forgiven for wanting to burn it to the ground!

Some people love this little thing, as for me, I was more than happy to be running away from it!

Meanwhile back at the Leisure Centre.......

Rik explained that this weekend was special as it marks the 75th D-Day anniversary and with this in mind, as we walk to the start line he would like us to observe a moment of silence. Nice touch.
We walk around the back of the building and across some grass, the only sounds now are the rustling of kit bags and the wind through the trees. We round the corner and pass little clusters of beautiful blooming Poppies.

Everyone was still in silence as we reached the "Tuck Shop" and race start around 3 minutes later. As everyone dropped their bags and cups off, Rik broke the silence by announcing that we had 3 minutes till the start. I gave Mummysaurus a quick hug and shuffled into place.

3...2...1...GO!!!

As you can see I`ve already gone off waaay to hard! Oh well, lets see how this goes!!
I had kinda promised myself that I was going to take it easy, you know, test the legs.....then I here the word "GO"....all bets are off and that goes right out the window!
The laps today are 3.28 miles or 5.27km depending on what flavour you like to record in. For ease of maths, lets just call it roughly a parkrun.
I`m just over a mile in, clocking a 7:40 minute mile and I`m cruising along in 6th.....OOOPS!!
This was NOT the plan but I cant seem to slow up, I know I`m going to pay for this later.
What the hey, keep smiling, keep kicking!
I find myself at the turning point already and it was at this point that I started to realise just how hard I was actually running. It took nearly 30 seconds before I saw the main pack coming the other way!!

Whats got two thumbs and is probably going to burn out and end up a crumpled mess a little later?
THIS GUY!

I smile and give encouragement to everyone along the way and before I can really take it all in I can see the "Tuck Shop" and the end of lap one. I grab my wristband for my first lap and head straight back out, joking to Mummysaurus as I pass that "this isn't a parkrun is it?!"
Parkrun number 1 done in under 25 minutes, man oh man, the crash is going to be spectacular but the message just isn't getting to my legs! I`m still knocking out 8 minute miles and actually starting to lap people now as I come into the end of parkrun number 2 in 50 minutes. What am I doing?!
I have a little sip of my Huel and a little water, thank everyone and bop off down the path to begin lap 3. OK monkey, time to relax a little, rein it in......end of lap 3 and I`m still running 8:20`s?! Good job idiot, top shelve restraint there....(slow clap)
Another sip of Huel and some water and its on to start lap 4 - Right come on now, you know this is silly, just slow it down a lit........oh look its the end of lap 4!

So now I`ve just done my second fastest half marathon ever it would be a really good idea to ease off.
However the idiots that are my legs, are clearly running the show today (pun intended) so off we bop again doing sub 9 minute miles......for the entire next lap.....please see above meme.

5 parkruns done and I was starting to finally feel the lack of hills. On the contrary to popular belief, running on the flat is not "easier". The lack of variation in elevation means you are forced to use the same muscles over and over and that can really chew you up. Well it chews up this trail monkey anyway! Speaking of chewing things...
I left the "Tuck Shop" with a little handful of sour cherry sweets and a giant strawberry and treated myself to a little walk while I had a munch.
I stuffed the giant strawberry in my face and went to run, oh. Whoever was steering this body today had instantly noticed the change in pace, given me the finger and abandoned ship. MUTINY!
OK don`t panic, time for plan B, walk run.
I focused on trying to run 4 minutes then power walk 1 minute to assess just how much damage I had done early on. It wasn't too bad but I knew this was probably going to be it now for the long stints of running. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted, time to get your head down and concentra........"turn point, TURN POINT, MATE!! TUUUUURN POOOINT!!"
I would like to take this moment to profusely thank both the runner that was behind me and the photographer for yelling the above at me as I sailed by! Without you both being there at that time I probably would have been somewhere around Hampton Court before I had noticed!
Speaking of the photographer, a huge thank you for the great shots that are featured in this blog, great work man!
Back to the, erm, fun?
Run, walk, run a little less, walk a little more. I was just trying to do anything to try and keep the pace up. The main thing that kept me going at this point was the encouragement of everyone else, you guys near the back are amazing! Always smiling even when its clearly starting to get tough, I applaud you all regardless of distance or time.
Lap 6 now done, I try get some fluid in me and march off as quick as I can, all too aware that the walking part of my walk/run plan are getting closer and closer together. If I can help it I really don`t want to have to walk a whole lap. During my walking parts I try and push as hard as I can to keep the pace up, swinging my arms like a mad man. Hey if I have to walk, I`m gonna mean it! I looked at my watch during one of walking bits and was still doing a 12 minute mile?! What in the he....I`ll take that! Seeing that gave me a little boost and make me jog a little more.
I reminded myself that even at this choppy speed, if I could just keep it up, I could actually finish somewhere close to my PB! Walk, run, walk, run, just keep chipping away.
Finally the aid station, keep smiling even through gritted teeth!
This was it, the final lap, the last push!
My walk/run was now down to 1 minute/1 minute but it was getting the job done!
I could feel my glutes and hamstrings getting tighter and tighter due to the marching but I was so close now I just had to keep moving. I was trying to build myself up over the first half of the lap to try and run as much of it on the way back as I could.
Finally the turn around point.
This was it, the home straight! With a deep breath I started to jog, my legs were not happy about this but I just kept going. I was so tired but with every smile I was greeted with I tried to pick it up a little. My pace started to pick up ever so slightly and it actually felt a little more comfortable, I mean it wasn't like I was lounging on a sun drenched beach but, you know....
26 miles down and I looked at my watch. I knew a had half a mile to go and I could see the minutes fluttering away before my eyes. I had so hoped for a sub 4 hour finish today but alas it was not meant to be, as I saw my watch tick over to 4:00:00 I gave a little sigh but knew I could still knock another chunk off of my PB so chin up lad, you're nearly done!
That last 400 meters hurt. I gave it as much as I had left and legged it straight for the finishers bell.
4:02:46 - The job was done and I took much pleasure in smashing the PB Gong as well!
Rik then placed this monster medal around my neck (pint of Guinness not included) and congratulated me on a new PB! To the pub!

Fortunately we didn't have far to go as the pub is also at the finish line! Get in!
We made our way into the Weir Hotel for some well deserved lunch and a pint, perfik.

As always I would like to say a huge thank you to Mummysaurus for the support, I know its been tough watching me run about when you currently cant but fingers crossed that the injury clears up soon for some more shenanigans!
Massive thank you to the Phoenix team and everyone that was there, you really made my day! Keep up the great work folks, I`ll be back for another one very soon!
For anyone interested in checking out a Phoenix event and to be honest, why would you not be?! Then please click this handy link to the website (CLICK ME!)

Thanks for reading folks, hope you enjoyed it!
Much love,
Cardiosaurus