Race day...

So, it all came down to this: the six months of training, hurting, fundraising, blogging and panicking was all rounded off in just two hours of pounding the streets of Bath in a colourful procession of panting, sweaty bodies all packed together and pushing on with that single objective: get to the finish line.

But was it worth it? 

Oh, yes, it most definitely was.

Of course I could use this post to talk about the feeling of accomplishment, or how glad I was to raise funds for Transition Bath, or the journey I took through my training; but instead I want to get down in hard copy all of those brilliant little moments the that made the day so special for me personally. You know, the little things that are so easily forgotten after the event.

Me (left) and the rest of Team TB

The first few miles of the race were very hard for me; by the first turn my shin had tightened resulting in a very heavy right leg, my sore knee had flared-up and my expectations of finishing had dropped significantly. 

But then I looked up. 

Being on the crest of a hill, I could see all the way down Pulteney Road. Ahead of me the bobbing, vibrant sea of people stretching from curb-to-curb and as far as I could see was truly a sight to behold, and something I imagine that only the runners get to experience. Thankfully, this little lift kept me going on until Churchill Bridge (and my first taste of the really noisy crowds), which was great, but my body was still protesting.

Then came Queen Square. Yes it's an uphill slog to get there, but feeling the samba drums pulsating and bouncing off the walls as you approach and then taking the corner that leads you through that exquisite tunnel of noise was simply awesome – and even more so the second time around.

Then it all went quite again, and I finally stared to find my rhythm. The aches were subsiding and I was actually beginning to feel good. It was at this point some spectators did their job of lifting me once again, but not in the way I expected. On three separate occasions, I heard people muttering amongst themselves sentiments such as, “they must be mad,” or “you wouldn’t catch me doing that,” and as bigheaded as this sounds; I loved hearing this.

So with a slightly inflated ego and a mouthful of Jelly Babies, I crossed the bridge, rounded the corner of Newbridge Road and headed along the most uninspiring part of the race: the first section of the Lower Bristol Road. I was feeling great by this point, though. The aches were gone (but not forgotten) and that boring stretch of road surprisingly allows for some real thinking time, all the while in an un-real situation. A true delicacy in this day and age.

Other moments that lifted me were seeing the man dressed in a fluorescent orange head-to-toe body suit trying his best to be discreet as he had a wee in field (sorry, mate, that was never going to happen); the two runners arguing over a bottle of Lucozade Sport; the girl in front of me with the disappearing thong and nearly see-through leggings; the point where everyone around me was running in perfect step as, for a few seconds, we made a noise like an army on the march; and of course, having my name on my t-shirt was huge – every personalised shout of support took a second off my time.

The lead runners (no I'm not in this photo)

Naturally, though, with this type of endurance race, one also goes through lows as well as highs. The low points were my shock at the wastage of water and plastic bottles as people have a sip, take an impromptu shower and then dump the rest in the bin (or the crowd, which is a tad moody). I also hated seeing one of my fellow team members in pain, but luckily by this point we were only two miles away from the finish and all ended well. And I don’t even want to go into the Great Jelly Babies massacre of the Upper Bristol Road – what a senseless waste. Poor little blighters, just discarded in the road and left to be trampled. No Jelly Baby deserves that.

Anyway, without going on and on about the numerous other things that make a day like this so special, I’ll finish with the finish. Oh and what a finish. That last half-mile (tight hamstring and all) was amazing. The crowds baying you on, the collective sense of “we’re nearly there,” the consequent quickening of pace, and all topped off with that tunnel vision dash to the finish, when Bam! It hits you. That’s it. I did it. Wow.

Last year the Olympics inspired me to get out and get fit, and I’m now totally hooked on running. I am definitely doing the Bath Half again next year and have just literally signed myself up for the Bristol Half. Following this, I am potentially also looking at running a marathon next year and Paris would be my race of choice. Can you imagine running a marathon around the wonderful city of Paris? 

Once again I’d like to thank Nathan for organising this and I hope we can run together again soon.

Just to finish: If you've never had a go at something like this, ask yourself one question: What’s stopping you?

Love and kisses to all who helped me on the first part of this amazing journey.

A awesome run around the park

So I know this blog is supposed to be about local running, but I had to post about my experience today in Central Park, New York; as much to commit it to my own memory as anything else.

I may be stuck here due to cancelled flights, missing my family and all the fun the snow, but this helped go a little way to improving my mood.

Picture this: 6.30am on a cold NY morning and I began my run around Central Park. The sun wasn’t up yet and the running track through the park was lit in a dull glow from the streetlights. Then, in a city of however-many million people, I looked around and saw I was running practically on my own. Wonderful.

As the sun began to rise and I headed down the western edge of the park, I felt like I was in a movie, Calvin Harris was banging away in my ears and life felt very, very good. Then, coming back up the east side of the park, the sky scrapers running the opposite length began to glow a radiant terracotta and seemed to be utterly relishing their own magnificence. You know how Bath looks in the autumn sun? Well, it was something like that. Awesome.

Including the jog from the hotel, my morning’s run took in: The Empire State Building, The Plaza Hotel, The building used in Ghostbusters, The Tavern on the Green (also in Ghostbusters), The Metropolitan Museum, The Guggenheim and finally a glimpse down Broadway to the lights of Times Square.

So the moral of this story? If you’re a runner and you go to NY City, take your running shoes and add a run in Central Park to your ‘to do’ list. It’s a 6.1 mile loop, a little hilly, but you don’t really notice this with all the sights to see. I have to say, though, that I do have half an eye on running a marathon if I can get through the Bath Half intact, but thinking about running a distance equivalent to four and a half times round this loop makes me think twice about the wisdom of such an undertaking. On the plus side, I comfortably managed these 6 miles in 55 minutes, so that equates to me finishing the Half in just under 2 hours… doesn’t it?

Freezing fog, rain, sun and rainbows: What a week of running!

So then, this week has been a great week of running for me with three very distinct runs all with various weathers to contend with – and also to relish…

The Friday morning run with Sandra and Let’s Go Run was a short affair and a good thing too. We met at St Andrew’s school and ran for 40 minutes through icy rain, slowly losing the feeling in our extremities but giving ourselves (all 3 of us) a smug feeling of how hardcore we were to be so committed that we would run in such horrible conditions. Also, please bear in mind that as I’m new to running I haven’t yet acquired thermals and was doing this in shorts and a t-shirt only. Bring it on!

Midweek I ran out with Gavin (another TB runner) and we did about 5 miles including a timed one-mile tempo run. What was remarkable about this run was the fog (freezing as it was). As we emerged into Bath city centre and the whole place was lit up with a backdrop of Christmas lights and shrouded with a dense layer of grey fog I had one of those “I love running” moments. We slowly approached the Abbey tower and got have a proper look as it rose eerily and majestically into the foggy winter night; what a treat. If, however, I were seeing this from my car, I'd probably have about two seconds to admire the view before having to pay attention to the taxi about run into me or the suicidal tourist about to jump in front of me. Yes, if you want to see Bath in a new light, go running. Of course you could walk, but why anyone would be out walking on a night like that, I don't know.

On Sunday I joined up with Let’s Go Run again and we did a wonderful 10k run. Again the weather was odd and we found ourselves running in glorious sunshine at one point with rain simultaneously beating down on our heads (never did get that). From there we were literally chasing a rainbow as we ran through the park. The run itself took us from the sports centre, along the river, up through Victoria Park and The Approach and then into yet another area of Bath that I haven’t been to: We went off road on the Cotswold Way and up the hills to a very muddy Primrose Hill. Along from there we emerged by Kingswood School and then finished off the run with a very fast and hugely exhilarating belter all the way down Landsdown Road and back to the sports centre. Once back in town, it was fun trying to make our way around a bunch of Sunday shoppers with just over a week to go until Christmas, but we just about managed to zigzag around them with no collisions. 

View from the Cotswold Way (taken by somebody else on a sunny day)

If we (the TB runners) do collate our runs into some form of 'Transition Guide to Runs Around Bath', this 10k will definitely go on there. It’s great training as the long slog up the hill really works you, but the scenery is fantastic and the blat down the hill at the end is great – says his inner child. This run comes highly recommended; thanks Sandra for showing it to me. 

My 3-Point Plan to Physical Perfection

So then, I’ve not really got any running to talk about today as I've been injured. However, following on from my injury I decided that I needed to go back to square zero and safeguard my body a little more from my new-found hobby. Therefore I am proud to introduce my ‘Conscientious, meticulous, splendiferous three point plan to protecting your knees (and feet and hips and groin and shins).’ And, yes, I am trademarking that name:

Point 1:

Get the Dr to check you out. Did that, and the doc said my knee was fine. Good.

Point 2:

Learn to stretch properly. Went for a lovely Friday morning run with Sandra from Let’s Go Run and learned how to stretch and warm up properly, as opposed to standing on one leg while holding the other in some Karma Sutra-esque yoga pose, while simultaneously trying to read random internet instructions on correct stretching from my precariously-perched laptop. Much better.

Point 3: (the most revelatory point of the three)

Get the right trainers. I went along to Running Bath and had my gait checked – turns out I seriously over-pronate (my foot turns in). After a few sessions of running up and down the Corridor in front of bemused early morning shoppers, I was given a pair of high-support trainers, instead of the zero support ones that led me to injuring myself (see the photos for the difference). My new shoes felt so much better as soon as I donned them and the friendly chap watching me run advised that he also thought these were the best of the five pairs he gave me to try. Job done.  Ok, so the added support they offer makes them look slightly orthopaedic, but do I care? Well, yes, a little; but who cares? My feet will be moving so fast that they are nothing more than a blur come March 3rd.

After going for my small run in my shiny new shoes, my knee felt fine, perhaps a touch aggravated, but so much better than previously. Unfortunately, though, I then went and walked a mile to school with my 3-year on my shoulders, followed by an hour’s ice skating session, so I’m now in a little bit of pain. Silly. I do comfort myself, however, that it was not my run that did this, more just me aggravating a not-completely-healed injury.

Look at the difference in the support...

...and here notice the difference in the middle of the foot.

As you can see, there is a huge improvement in my new shoes, although the colour is a little more difficult to match to my other clothes!

So that’s it. I’m back in the game and looking forward to our first run as group in a few week’s time.

Definitely down… but definitely not out.

So then, after a month of running, I’ve only gone and bloody injured myself haven’t I? I am sitting here feeling a touch low because as I look out of the window at this wonderful sunny day, I know that I should have been on a refreshing morning run with Let’s Go Run down by the river.

Don’t worry, my injury isn’t serious (it’s just a very common case of runner’s knee, brought on by me pushing too hard over the last few weeks) but it has hurt to walk for the last week and of course I haven’t been able to go for a run.

Having consulted Dr Internet, I know that the reasons I have done this to myself are simple:

• Not getting my pronation properly checked and then buying the right shoes. I just went out and bought a pair of Nike Air running shoes and figured these will do the job fine. Wrong.
• Increasing my mileage by more than 10% – the other day I went from doing 3 miles to 6 miles. (I think that’s more than 10%)
• Not stretching properly, not stretching long enough, not stretching at the correct times and missing out some vital muscles.

So, I’m going to be fine as long as I get my pronation checked out, buy the right shoes, stretch properly and don’t think that just because the music is pushing me on, that I am superman. I’m not. I’m also not as young as I was.

Widcombe Locks. I'd never been here until now. Lovely

Still, the good news is that I am loving my new-found fitness regime and, more importantly, this Local Running Adventure is doing exactly what it said on the tin: I have found parts of Bath that I never knew existed before I got out of my car and have thoroughly enjoyed getting lost along the back alleys and footpaths of this amazing city. I’ll be back pounding the trail soon – hopefully next week  – but until then it’s a diet of take it easy and plenty of rest (I just need someone to tell my kids that!)

Peace.

The benefits of a little competition.

Well, another first for me today: I went for a run while away at work.

I know that we’re supposed to be blogging about our local running adventure, but I just wanted to share this as it was quite an interesting experience for me.

First, just to clarify; I work as long haul cabin crew for BA (not very Transition, I know) and my job entails a lot of time spent in hotel rooms around the world. Until now, that time has been spent doing many things – but getting fit wasn’t one of them. For me to get up and go out for a run was a wonderful, fresh experience and I’m very much looking forward to doing it again.

I didn’t push myself too hard, however, because after a few laps of this lovely little park in Johannesburg, I realised that to do so could prove a little silly for 3 reasons:

·   I had only had about four hours sleep the previous night as I had been working a 12-hour shift bringing 300 passengers the full length of the African continent.

·     It was 27 degrees, very sunny and my water was back at the hotel.

·      Jo’burg is 5751 feet above sea level. Oxygen is harder to come by at this altitude.

Nonetheless, having realised all of this, a fellow runner then appeared. He was running the opposite way to me and, as the track was on a ½ mile loop, we kept on passing each other at the same two spots. Now, I’m not overly competitive, but knowing that this other guy had seen me, there was no way I was going to drop off first, and I made it my goal to keep going longer that him. Silly? Perhaps, but having that incentive really worked to push me on even when the above reasons had me feeling pretty ropey after just 10 minutes. I also like to think that he felt the same way and that my presence pushed him on a little too.

Anyway, I am glad to say that my self-induced competition ended in a draw: He backed off and started walking the course – I imagine as a warm down exercise – and I told myself that enough was enough and not to over do it (being half a mile away from my hotel and in a foreign country I didn’t really want to collapse from heat exhaustion and dehydration). 

As I left my impromptu competitor walking round the course and headed home out of the gate, we exchanged a friendly salute and – so I like to think – a mutual gesture of thanks for the company and the amicable competition. A good run.   

Hill training: My God it actually works

So, I went to go on a jog with Let’s Go Run on Friday morning, but due to heavy traffic on the school run, I was a bit late and never made it. Instead, I went for a bike ride and then took a little jog up to Perfect View and around the block. 

The road to Perfect View

Interestingly, I noticed how much easier this little hill was than when I tried it a few weeks ago. In the time since first running up it I've done a few small runs and plenty of cycling, and that little bit of work seems to have paid dividends because I relatively flew up the hill on this occasion, as opposed to struggling up last time; this bodes well methinks.

Morford Street

Yesterday, on the way back from visiting the Moscow State Circus, I ran a mile home to fetch the car because my 3-year old was cold and my 7-year old wasn’t feeling well and the half-hour walk home with them would not have been a pleasant experience, believe me. However, after running up Morford Street and then to the top of Camden Crescent wearing (the highly inappropriate) Converse trainers and jeans and carrying a rucksack full of stuff, I found myself questioning the sense of this decision. Still, to quote a much over-used, but-oh-so-true phrase: no pain, no gain. I guess any kind of hill training is handy for the Bath Half.

I also made a couple of notes to myself when out running:

• The right tunes are very important – Before going on a run  I need to make sure the iPod is stacked with bangers that push you on and not slow stuff that… well… slows you down. Save that for dinner parties.
• I need a bum bag - Carrying my phone, iPod and keys in my hands while running is, quite frankly, a pain in the arse.

I also have a couple of questions:

• Do you just run through a stitch, or should you stop?
• How can I make myself less flat-footed? (I can hear my shoes thudding on the ground even over the music in my headphones)
• Why does it always rain on me?

Balloons in Victoria Park - nice.

 Photos courtesy of my lovely wife.

Off we go then...

Just like Nathan, I have been totally inspired by the London Olympics this summer. When I heard about an opportunity to run the Bath Half for Transition Bath, I just couldn’t resist. Luckily, the invite appeared in my inbox just as I was contemplating my need to get trim and healthy again and trying desperately to think of a fun and exciting way to do it. I’m a reasonably fit individual, but I have never run for fun, and the closest I’ve ever got to running a half marathon is jogging along next to my little girl as she cycles to school.

My uncle winning his Commonwealth gold.
 (it's in the blood)

There is much more, however, to this quest than just getting fit and challenging myself. The chance of joining in this Local Running Adventure has appealed to me on many levels: it will get me out in the open to go and explore this wonderful city we live in as I never have before; it will allow me to join not just the small community of TB runners, but the greater community of Bath runners and indeed the community of Bath as a whole; and, finally, it will allow me to get more involved with TB, hopefully raising some much needed funds at the same time.

So then, here begins the adventure. Like the other runners, I’ll be updating this blog regularly with training stories, running routes, photographs and, no doubt, many complaints as to why my legs and lungs are feeling so sore.

Wish me luck…