Introduction

Thank you for visiting the blog which followed my progress as I trained for my first marathon, London on April 17th 2011.

This post acts as an introduction, and I've linked to some key points throughout the journey.

My first post from November, sets the scene, explaining how I came to be doing this in the first place. Then
this one gives you a bit of background on the London Marathon itself.

As a blind runner I have to train and compete with a guide, and since many people have never come across this before,
I’ve written a brief explanation. I would also like to point you towards this post, where the three guides I've been training with over the past few months, speak about the guide running experience from their point of view. I found it facinating and I run with them!

Not unreasonably many people wince at the thought of training for a marathon, but even the hardened, experienced runner doesn’t train for a marathon in week 1 of their programme.
Here I’ve listed the races I’ve entered, building up to the 26.2 distance. I’m effectively training for four races, the last just happens to be the London Marathon.

In between these races, I’ll write about any interesting training runs, post thoughts on running in general and anything else I think deserves to be shared.

Also look out for my weekly song posts. I explain why I don’t like the idea of running to music
here. I am however a fan of using music during preparation, and the songs I’m suggesting make what I think is a pretty good London Marathon playlist. See the list so far here.

Enjoy!

Easy Like Sunday Morning

An easy Sunday is all about the lie in, late breakfast, reading the paper or watching TV, maybe recovering from Saturday night. I’ve discovered the easy bit about a marathon runner’s Sunday morning is the pace as you head out to crank out double figure mileage. It's all about time on your feet rather than how long it takes you to get there.

This morning saw a fifteen miler, my longest run since I began the London training. From here on, as the distances continue to increase, I’ll be entering unfamiliar ground as I’ve never run more than fifteen miles in one go before.

Today’s route was one which I’ve done before, and rather like. Beginning in Bushy Park, we left at Hampton Court, following the river all the way to Richmond, then back to Twickenham on the other side of the Thames, before my least favourite part, roads through Twickenham back home.

With the musical posts on this blog in mind, it’s worth telling those who don’t know, that this run passes Eel Pie Island. The Eel Pie Hotel played host to a jazz club in the 1950s, the likes of Acker Bilk and Chris Barber among those to appear. Like numerous other venues, not least
the legendary 100 Club, the Eel Pie Hotel’s musical policy moved with the times, ditching jazz in favour of rock. The Stones, The Who and The Yardbirds just some of the household names to have played there during the mid 60s.

The venue was frequented by art school types and those associated with that scene. Ronnie Wood later join the Stones having been a regular at Eel Pie, and members of the Faces would also meet here. Rod Stewart opting for a career as a rock megastar over the possibility presented to him as an apprentice at Brentford FC,, what was he thinking?

The Eel Pie Hotel closed in 1967 when the owner couldn’t meet a £200,000 repair bill the police insisted was essential. It reopened for a short time in 1969 as Colonel Barefoot’s Rock Garden (what a wonderful name that is by the way), with Black Sabbath a notable booking. It was demolished after a fire in 1971.

Teddington lock, upstream of Eel Pie Island, is the largest on the Thames. It’s also the first, or last, depending on which direction you’re travelling in, since downstream of Teddington the Thames is tidal. According to
a website set up by one of the lock keepers, were a person to run up and down the main (barge) lock 115 times, they’d have run a marathon – maybe I’ll do that instead – or maybe not.

The lock is also the location for the filming of
Monty Python’s fish slapping dance, where Michael Palin ends up in the drink after John Cleese wacks him with a fish.

In addition to the
previously advertised cricket discussion, this morning was a chance to pick the brains of Andrew, one of the Stragglers more experienced marathon runners.

The one issue I’ve still not given much thought to, which may come as a surprise to some, is food. Or to be more accurate, energy and hydration: no burger or beer on the day until after the race is run sadly. This thought reminds me of a time I often recall, when doing a 400 metre race at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham once; I could have done without the smell of onions coming from the burger van positioned right by the finish line as I came down the home straight, not what the nose needed. Naturally it was soon forgiven and a visit was duly paid.

Having used sports drinks when a sprinter, since I’ve been doing the longer stuff I’ve become a strictly water only man. The wisdom from those who know more about this than me seems to suggest I’ll need more than that, so I’m going to use the Sunday runs to experiment with gels – I’m not entirely sure what they are either. This is the time for trying new things, it’s much better to vomit into the Thames when no one’s looking than at 20 miles of the London Marathon.

Breakfast is the other thing I struggle with. My morning runs are always done on yesterday’s dinner, but that ain’t going to do on the big day. All runners have their own cut off for when is the last point before training to eat, for me its three hours. At some stage I’m just going to have to bite the bullet and get myself out of bed early on a Sunday. Not sure how nutricious bullets are though, I might just be boring and have toast instead.

As well as the fifteen I did this morning, I ran ten on Thursday night. Added to the interval session on Tuesday which included four 1K reps – not flat out but still a test and the first time I’d done four instead of three, which went with 2K worth of warm up and warm down, this week has been close to thirty miles.

For one reason or another I didn’t get a bike session in this week, or a Saturday run, but both are planned for next week, which should see the tally start to increase.

Running Music: Canned Heat 'Let's Work Together'

So far:

The Clash ‘London Calling’
Arcade Fire ‘Keep the Car Running’
Iron Maiden ‘The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner’

And next:

Canned Heat ‘Let's Work Together’

They played the
Brian Ferry version of this song before the teams came out at Griffin Park on Monday night, ahead of the
Johnston’s Paint Trophy Southern Area Final first leg between Brentford and Exeter – I know that’s a mouthful but a potential trip to Wembley is a potential trip to Wembley, no matter what you call it.

Having blogged about guide running being all about teamwork last week, this seemed the perfect song to put on the list.

Plus, I did actually have it in my head while doing a lap of Richmond Park last night.

Written by Wilbert Harrison and originally titled ‘Let’s Stick Together’, the Canned Heat cover appeared on the 1970 album ‘Future Blues’. The song became their biggest UK success, reaching number 2 on its release in January 1970.

This Week's Milage: January 9th

This week I have increased the weekly miles from 25 to 31 – and don’t forget the 1!

Tuesday night saw 6 miles in Bushy Park, Thursday 8 in Richmond Park. The pleasing thing about Thursday was I ran at a good high tempo, whilst not experiencing any niggles for the first time for a number of weeks.

Saturday was the Parkrun in Bushy which, including a warm up run to the start comes to 4 miles.

Then today it was the most important of the week, the long Sunday morning run. It turned out to be a 13 miler,
taking in the last leg of the Green Belt Relay.

With London Marathon day three months and one week away, I feel as if the training is going to plan. It’s also good to be running a half marathon length training run five weeks before Wokingham.

A Sunny Sunday in January

I’ve often thought people in South West London, or within reasonably easy access of it, really have no excuse when it comes to not exercising. Clearly not everyone has to enter a marathon, or run for that matter, but walking and cycling are just as good for experiencing the great outdoors. There are plenty of options for doing just that in this corner of the capital.

Bushy and
Richmond Park have something to offer even the most reluctant outdoor type, and the River Thames from Hammersmith out to the sticks is as good a stretch as you could wish to find.

For those of us in Marathon training mode, the options for much needed variety of long runs is fantastic. I’m sure it’s harder to motivate yourself to grind out another two hour tour of local housing estates and industrial parks.

One of my favourite races is the
Green Belt Relay. Organised by my club Stragglers, this weekend event in May sees teams of eleven complete a 220 mile, 2 day route around the edge of London. Both years I’ve run I’ve bagged the anchor leg, 9.15 miles from Walton-on-Thames to the Hawker Centre in Ham, and this morning we revisited stage 22 of Green Belt as part of a long training run.

A better day for running could not have been wished for, cold, still and sunny. The good weather had brought the masses out, along what is a route with a multitude of points of interest: good to see with the opening sentence of this blog in mind.

After Sunbury Lock we followed the Surrey bank past Hurst Park and Molesey Boat Club before crossing the river at Hampton Court Bridge to continue our run on the Middlesex side alongside Hampton Court Palace. All three locations have made notable contributions to sporting history in this country.

Until 1962,
Hurst Park was a race course, one of the trio of Parks with
Kempton and
Sandown. Hurst, or “the little race course at Hampton” as it was referred to, features in the Dickens novel
‘Nicholas Nickleby’.

It’s the site’s part in cricket history which I find more interesting. The first known awarding of a trophy happened here, presented to a combined Surrey and Middlesex side on their victory over Kent by the Prince of Wales on August 1st 1733. The first LBW (leg before wicket) decision was given on this ground in 1795, during a three match series between England and Surrey, which England won 2-1. With cricket played by gentry and royalty in those days, I imagine it’s very unlikely this English victory was celebrated with an 18th century version of
the Sprinkler Dance.

Further downstream is
Molesey Rowing Club, famous for the Barcelona Olympic gold medal winners the
Searle Brothers. Less famously the club was a brief training place for me and another school friend in the mid nineties. Rowing ultimately wasn’t for either of us, although I don't recall our other sporting interests being met with a great deal of enthusiasm. Andy went on to play cricket for the England blind team, including games in India, I’ve already referenced my Commonwealth Games experience.

Hampton Court’s history is, of course, widely known, but on a sporting point, the royal tennis court is the oldest still in existence in the world. As we ran past this morning we could hear music booming out from the ice rink, alongside Somerset House and the Tower of London, Hampton Court is one of the iconic buildings in London that gives over space for ice skating each winter. We didn’t make a detour to visit the maze, although the last time I walked it’s half a mile of paths I was in and out in just over five minutes. Not an experience shared by Harris, a character in one of my favourite books ‘Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog’.

“We’ll just go in here, so that you can say you’ve been, but it’s very simple,” Harris told his country cousin. “It’s absurd to call it a maze. You keep on taking the first turning to the right. We’ll just walk round for ten minutes, and then go and get some lunch.”

The story tells of how Harris first gathers up all the other visitors that had been lost for sometime, with the promise that he knew the way about, before getting hopelessly lost himself and having to be rescued by a keeper.

Hampton Court is the first stop for the boat which travels into Central London. I’ve never fancied the full journey, but the short ride to Kingston with a walk back is good fun.

Our run took us to Kingston Bridge, where another river crossing was needed, for the last stretch to the Hawker Centre, past the Boaters pub where a fine Apple Crumble can be found: not a thought you need when you’ve a few miles still to run.

The other times I’ve run that leg have been swelteringly hot days at the end of May, and the second long run of the weekend. The difference cooler temperatures and fresh legs makes was clear as a training run produced a marginally quicker time than the race: 1 hour 11.17 today, 1 hour 11.24 last May.

After the Hawker we continued to Teddington Lock, before running through Teddington to Bushy Park and home, a total distance we believe was 13 miles.

We saw hundreds out for a Sunday morning walk. If you can get to this corner of the world it’s perfect for sticking to the New Year healthy lifestyle plan.

Note: some of the facts quoted in this blog come courtesy of the excellently detailed
Green Belt Relay website.

The Marathon Campaign Starts Here!

Shergar, Workforce, Galileo, Leicester Piggott, Willie Carson, Kieren Fallon, Frankie Dettori and, randomly, Santa Claus (1964), some of the names to win at
Epsom on Derby day.

Obviously I was never going to get near an Epsom win at
Tadworth Ten this morning, but I consider getting round in under 8 minute mile pace a small, personal victory. My time of 79.08 is some way off my ten mile best of 73.23, but the
Cabbage Patch in October had everything going in my favour: flat course, good road surface, lovely weather.

If you like a hill then Tadworth Ten will be up your alley. The race is two laps, with a combination of road and off road, a stretch through a small wood and hills (both up and down were equally steep). It’s certainly the toughest ten miler I’ve done, and with no immediate reactions from the niggles I’ve had over the past few weeks, I’m hopeful I can now kick on. As the title of this blog says, the Marathon campaign starts here!

I think the hills at Tadworth give you the equivalent of an extra mile work out than were you running on a flat course. As
Wokingham Half in six weeks is, I’m told, flat and fast, I think my half marathon personal best of 1 hour 44 (Watford Half, February 2008) is very much ready to be confined to the past. I have a target time in mind but I ain’t telling you what it is.

The most important thing now is to build up the weekly mileage. Given a two week break for flu, injury and ice I’m satisfied with a start of 25 miles for the past week (that doesn’t include the ten run over the Christmas weekend). Clearly this needs to be seriously improved but I know that can happen.

(Photo taken by Nigel Rothwell of The Stragglers)

Nothing Says Merry Christmas Like A 5K Race in the Freezing Cold

Nothing says Merry Christmas like a 5K race in sub-zero temperatures.

Actually, the
Bushy Park Parkrun has become as much a part of my Christmas Day rutine as eating lots, opening presents and avoiding the Queen’s speech.

Although I don’t watch the Queen, I think the subject matter of her 2010 message is very important, especially with Parkrun in mind.

"In the parks of towns and cities, and on village greens up and down the country, countless thousands of people every week give up their time to participate in sport and exercise of all sorts, or simply encourage others to do so.” Parkrun, take your bow!

This morning, 530 ran the original course, supporting each other, and in turn given the opportunity to do so by a team of volunteers who will have been far colder than us.

Although there will have been personal best performances, including
the day’s winner, for me this was never going to be anything other than a leg stretcher/apitite builder. Running on left over snow is one thing, trying to avoid significant ice patches on the paths is another, I can think of lots of things I’d rather do with Christmas Day than sit in A and E. We gave up and ran on the grass most of the way.

I’m pleased to report I didn’t land on my arse at any stage of the run. Father Christmas went over in the snow at one point, but really, all that sherry and a long night travelling round the world, the man done well to be in South West London for 9.

Including the mile or so there and back, the five mile run set me up nicely for a day spent eating my own body weight. The beauty of the Parkrun is it’s 9 AM start means it doesn’t write off your morning – I was home, showered and eating breakfast before 11.

When I’ve mentioned to people I was planning on running on Christmas Day, and have done before, the reaction I get often suggests people think I’m mad! This is something I don’t really understand. Why should it be any different from any other day? Especially considering I love my running. It’s not as if I’ve had to spend Christmas Day doing a twelve hour shift in hospital, treating idiots who fell over on the ice when running.

Training on Christmas Day is something countless professional sports people do. Last year, while out for the family post lunch walk in the park, we saw
Mo Farah run past.

“That’s commitment, training on Christmas Day,” someone commented. Naturally I pointed out I’d already been for my run earlier.

Articles about the dedication shown by one of Britain’s all time greats, decathlete
Daley Thompson, often make reference to the fact that December 25th was never a rest day for him.

“I train every single day, and I think the reason why I had to train every day is because I never wanted to leave any stone unturned. I can actually take not being the best, but what I couldn't do is take not having tried as hard as I possibly could. I think that whenever you go into anything, and you're serious about it and you're committed to it, you do those kinds of things because you have to do the hard yards and you have to go the extra mile.”

Quote from an article on the
BBC Wales website.

If an athlete and their coach are doing their jobs properly, then the athlete will want to train on Christmas Day. If they, not unreasonably, might want to be somewhere else, then the training session should be structured to make the athlete want to be there: alter the time to fit in with family commitments, design the session to make it more fun than usual or, if this is what motivates them, make sure the athlete believes this will be the day that will make the difference in achieving their goals.

Although you can’t compare Daley Thompson’s level with me doing a Parkrun, the same principals apply. The atmosphere at Bushy is always great, but especially so on Christmas Day. It’s an opportunity for some fresh air and exercise before the festive asult on the digestive system begins. Plus, with recent illness and injury in mind, it’s was a good way to get back into running while the pressure’s off. I plan to do a four mile race in Twickenham on Boxing Day, meaning a total of nine miles over this weekend, exactly the test I need to see where the bodies at ahead of Tadworth Ten next Sunday.

It’s also far more civilised than a trip to our local open air pool which has been done in previous years, I resisted the invite to go for a dip post run. If you think my few miles was madness, check out
this picture gallery from the Metro’s website sshowing the Christmas Day tradition of a dip in the Serpentine in Hyde Park. At least we just ran round ice patches rather than swam between them!

I Have A Cunning Plan

“I have a cunning plan.”

“Baldrick! You wouldn’t know a cunning plan if it painted itself purple and danced naked upon the harpsichord singing cunning plans are here again.”

OK so that quote might not be word for word accurate, I did Google it and found various versions and I can’t remember which
Blackadder episode it’s in, but it’s still one of my favourite lines from any sit com, even if I can’t repeat it exactly right.

Anyway, point being, I too have a cunning plan, and, because it was constructed from extensive research from those more experienced than me in the field of marathon running, it’s not as ridiculous as
presenting someone in prison with a wooden painted duck as a prop to escape captivity.

What I’m basically saying is, I asked people what my training programme should consist of, and am planning to do as I’m told.

So, injury allowing, and all other wood touching statements in mind, these are the races I’m aiming to run between now and April.

January 2: Tadworth 10
6 weeks to
February 13: Wokingham Half
5 weeks to
March 20: Cranleigh 21
4 weeks to
April 17: London Marathon

In October I did a training run of around 15 miles in 2 hours. If I stay fit and healthy this all looks very achievable.

IF!

London Marathon: An Introduction

There are one off events which maybe touch this city more, but on an annual basis, nothing affects Londoners more than the London Marathon. Whether you’ve run it, wanted to run it, no someone that has, sponsored someone that’s taken part, gone to soak up the atmosphere, been inconvenienced by the road closures or, in the case of many, given it as wide a berth as possible, you’re living in a very thick bubble if a 26.2 mile run round the streets of London aren’t in your mind on that Sunday morning at the end of April.

London isn’t the original big city marathon; however England’s capital’s contribution to this challenging event is arguably one of the most significant. When the modern Olympics were founded in 1896, the marathon wasn’t a fixed distance, varying from one host city to the next, depending on the chosen route with a, give or take a mile either side of 25 kind of approach to course planning. It wasn’t until the
1924 games in Paris that the current distance of 26.2 miles was adopted as the standard measurement.

Their had been one running of 26.2 miles prior to this,
London in 1908. This was so that the race could begin at Windsor Castle, the King didn’t have a TV in those days so for him to see the race from the comfort of his own home it had to start outside his window, and finish in the Olympic Stadium at White City. Originally the route was planned to be 25 miles, however protests over the course taking in cobbled streets with tram lines in the closing miles meant a rethink was in order, with an extra mile being added taking runners over rough ground at Wormwood Scrubs.

For the vast majority for whom running the marathon is a personal challenge and not something we can do as a professional or international athlete, the thought that the London Marathon as we know it was born from a conversation in a pub is hugely comforting.

Chris Brasher who, in 1954 was one of the pacemakers helping
Roger Bannister become the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes and went on to win 3000m steeplechase gold at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, found the idea of marathon running intriguing, following a chat in the
Dysart Arms just outside Richmond Park in South West London. After returning from completing the New York Marathon, he along with friend John Disley secured sponsorship which enabled the staging of the first ever London Marathon on March 29 1981. Their objectives were to promote long distance running, raise money for charity and create a feeling of community, without question it’s been mission well and truly accomplished on all fronts.

7000 took part in the first London Marathon in 1981, thirty years on filling in the online application simply to be in the ballot from where lucky names are drawn is a race for the prize similar to buying a ticket for a major music or sports event.

In his book ‘From Last to First’, 1984 London Marathon winner
Charlie Spedding talks of going for dinner in a Central London Italian restaurant the night before his victorious run. Sitting on his own, he was able to overhear his fellow diners on next door tables complaining about this retched run which was causing so many roads to be shut the next day. You can just imagine what they were saying:

“Who do these runners think they are?”
“Aren’t there enough parks for them to run in?”
“Don’t they know some of us have church to get to, how are we supposed to drive when all the roads are shut?”

You know, exactly the kind of grumbling that goes on now when the tube is shut. And given how running wasn’t nearly as fashionable as it is now, you can understand why the “not in my backyard” attitude might kick in. Times have changed somewhat since the mid 80s, Time Out for example list running, or at least watching the Marathon as one of the
essential things to do in London. 162,000 agreed in 2009 as that was the number of people who applied to take part in the 30th London Marathon in 2010, meaning that over 100,000 people were disappointed they couldn’t be on the start line in Greenwich Park on April 25. Half a million people are said to gather along the route to support the 35,000 taking part, and at key points like Canary Warf, sport and entertainment collide to create something which is a cross between the
Notting Hill Carnival and the Olympics.

And it is that link between the elite and the average Joe and Joanne which makes the London Marathon so special. For those up the front this is one of the key events on their race schedule, even the best in the world can’t grind out a marathon for fun at that intense level week in week out. So for the athletics enthusiast this is an opportunity to see world class sport for free.

For those taking part, be they the club runner who can pull out a sub 3 hour marathon or the charity fun runner looking for a life changing experience, this is a rare chance to line up in the same field as Olympians, even if in reality they’re likely to finish nearer the bloke dressed as a pineapple than Paula Radcliffe. And, given that they’re on the same course, the fun runner gets that special experience of being cheered on by thousands, as if they’re an international athlete. In 2002 I was lucky enough to be part of the England team at the Manchester Commonwealth Games. The stadium wasn’t full for the morning session my race was part of, and I didn’t get out of the heat in the 100 metres for elite athletes with disabilities, but being the English competitor in front of an English crowd, for that brief moment the biggest cheer was reserved for me – the fact only four people in the crowd of over 30,000 had any idea who I was made no difference at all.

It’s the potential for the Sunday morning jogger to have a piece of the limelight which makes the London Marathon such an appealing prospect. I did hear later about a friend making everyone in a TV shop stop what they were doing to watch my race that Tuesday morning in July 2002. For those taking part in the marathon, or more likely the friends watching at home, being spotted on the TV, or better still, be interviewed by one of the many reporters dotted around the route adds to the excitement. I did have a microphone shoved in my face as I walked off the track at the City of Manchester Stadium and so was able to add giving an unintelligible, breathless sound bite of words which make no sense whatsoever to
Radio Manchester to my list of experiences which gave me the full fifteen minutes of fame package.

So although I do have the experience of running in a large crowd atmosphere, I’m told the London Marathon is like nothing else. When I filled out my online form in May 2010 I’d never even been to watch the Marathon live, let alone run it. A sensible training schedule and luck with injuries should make my marathon debut something to remember.

How I Came to Get My Place

Dear Runner

We regret that we have to advise you that your application to run in the 2011 Virgin London Marathon has been unsuccessful. Once again demand for places has far exceeded supply.

We are sorry that we were not able to accept your entry this year and hope you will have better luck next year.

David Bedford, Race Director

An extract from the letter I, and thousands of others received after our names were not drawn from the ballot for the thirty-first
London Marathon. The letter went on to tell me about the many charities that still had places available, where a minimum sponsorship would need to be raised in return for one of the great experiences London can offer.

I had filled out the online form at the beginning of May; one week after the 2010 Marathon had taken place.

Like most of us, I had watched or listened to on
Radio 5 coverage of the London Marathon on numerous occasions. As a kid I dreamt of leading the field home, something which of course was never likely to become a reality no matter how much training I put in.

Throughout my teens and early twenties it was the total opposite of the running spectrum that concerned me – attempting to run the 100 and 200 metres that fraction of a second quicker than the previous summer.

Even while at my best over the 100 metres, getting down to 12.5 seconds and competing for England at the
Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002, London Marathon day and the experience that came with it always had the effect of making me think “I fancy some of that”.

Once I’d got bored with sprinting and taken up longer distances, the appeal dissipated somewhat, there’s nothing like dragging your body over the finishing line at the end of a half marathon to make you think that doing another straight away is just madness!

As time went on and I mixed with runners who had several of the full jobs to their name, and my own endurance improved, it became obvious that I really should give the 26.2 miles a crack: every distance runner should attempt one at some point, right?

Receiving the sorry, it ain’t going to be your turn this time letter wasn’t as big a disappointment for me as it would have been for many. Although London definitely had its appeal, there was always another year and plenty of alternatives, Brighton, Stratford-on-Avon, Edinburgh and Belfast all happen around the same time. Then there were also plans B and C for how I could still run London if I really wanted to.

Virtually every major charity worth its existence has London Marathon places, plus, there was the running club route.

The Stragglers where I am a member, due to being one of London’s largest running clubs, gets five places. Anyone that fails to be chosen in the public ballot can put their name into the hat. As luck would have it, or not depending on how you view these things, mine was triumphantly drawn one Thursday night in November.

So here I am, four and a half months away from my marathon debut, as up for the challenge as I have been for any I’ve taken on.

Among the replies I got to my Facebook status update announcing the news to the 140 people on my friends list was one saying “I hope you’re going to write a blog about it”.

Given the repetition of the training required to complete 26.2 miles, trying to make preparing for the marathon interesting to read about could be as big a challenge as running the thing, but I’m planning to give this my best shot as well.