Edinburgh Marathon (Part 1)

Hi all, over the last two years I have started running, I have completed a Half Marathon in each of those years and its those events that have given me the running bug. My times were mediocre but I achieved what I had set out to do, in the early days even stepping out of the door was hard enough let alone running 13 Miles.. I had to learn to run in the first few months....but that seems a long time ago now...

So we are now in 2008 and I felt like another stupid challenge and let me assure you I have picked one hell of a bloody stupid one, this year which I have my 39th and 40th Birthdays, I have decided to do two Marathons - Why, I don't bloody know do I why does anyone? a challenge I guess? to say I can or have, to say I know what the experience involves from start to finish, not just ponder about it....which is what too many do nowadays..

I have entered the Edinburgh Marathon first and the second is also in Scotland in October at Loch Ness..anyway back to Edin... I have taken on an 18 week training schedule which I have ignored to the letter as you cant do this shcedule and have a normal job and a normal life, but I have acheived the mileage and increased my pace...to assist me in this I have bought a Garmin Forerunner 305 which I can highly recommend. This device has assited me in knowing my exact pace and also has the invaluable HR monitor.

I am at present half way through the training and have done a little video as expressing how bloody hard this is with some pictures and views of the routes i run.

The thing I would really like to express here is that a Marathon is like no other competitve race, in fact for mere mortals its not even a race, just an event a indurance event and the only person most of us will be competing against (me included) is our selves and our stupidly set over optimistic time we wish to complete it in....mine is 3:45:00 - you may ask where did i get this well stupid optimisim and arrogance came into it but also the simple calculation of adding my two best HM times together, seemed fair enough to me.

The training has brought its own great results though, for example I have beaten my HM time in training and got a 1:47:00 I have also just beaten my 10K time in a run on sunday at Thorney near Peterborough and gor a time of 44:41 and a sub 45 min 10K for an old boy appraoching his Vet Catergory real soon is very good indeed. So the benefits are beginning to show and i am sure over the next year or so things will only get better.

One of the main downsides to high mileage training constantly is that injuries are going to hapen, it is nearly impossible to avoid, and as Marathon training forces high mileage training on you it will happen to you...its happened to me and i had an ankle injury linked to the inside of my calf....the funny thing is you know your hooked on running and your not just the casual jogger when an injury causes you to rest and you get irratable as you want to get out there again.....anyway watch the video and i will be back in next month just before the race itself .....

PS Marathon runners are crazy, thats for sure......

Well peeps, heres the result this Video says it all, did very well I think for my first attempt...but its a strange distance and it really does test you listen on...

Crib Goch Via Snowden with a newbie....

Late November 2007 I decided I needed to get out in to the country again and Pixie an old friend from down south decided to join me for the first time, we could have done the tourist route but hey its me were talking about here...so crib goch it was hope he is ok with heights. we stayed at the hostal on the pass at the start gate and we got a lush room with a front veiw, weird actually as that hostal is not highly rated but I loved it....a klush place with bar...and good food.

Pxie was really excited about it which was cool some arent ha ha, I had been watching the weather for a few days and it looked like good photo potential and as it turned out it was one of the best days I have ever seen on Crib Goch.



Blue clear skies lush...

we arrived about 11am, booked in got the key ordered dinner and breakfast for later on arrival god dam ha ha, parked car in only spot near hostal very lucky up here ya know... packed bags and headed off, up up and away......what a day it was awesome. Pixie was gonna love this. Mind you after about 20 minutes i nearly had to call an ambulance i wanst sure if he was gonna make it....does Michelle know he smokes - well I wonder mmmmm......a fag on Crib Goch....not looking to healhy there eh fella.

Heres a few pics.....



He looks in pain eh ...but hasnt he done well 2 thirds to go mate..



Here i go playing with Death...why not heh heh.




Simply a nice shot....he didnt like it...



we made it across....what next ahh yes the mighty summit.



Love this shot at the top......yh bring it on well done Pixie....harder than you thought eh...



OOoohhhhh mooody....wethers can change within 2 min at summit....



Me me me me me me....yes..ha ha....kinf of mountain....

Video coming soon....

The best U Tube video.....

I am sorry but I cannot stop watching this it really is so funny, it's the expressions on the guys faces ha ha lol....to die for....

This is exactly what U Tube is all about. an so they get the best video award for 2008 for me.

Ulveston 10K Race 2nd December 2007

Well yes folks the running addiction continues as I have now not only joined the Holme Peirrpoint Running club and got myself a confimed place in the Edinburgh Marathon but I am also a forum ranter on Runners world and hence am always scanning the events diary to see where and when I can enter a run - budget allowing.

This made me do the Ulveston 10K a local race to be fair, but with a good following... I went up there with a new female freind that I found somewhere and as she (Stephanie) was driving I was on my best behaviour, we were both running and from the start of our journey at 6am it had been raining all day and all across the UK, we got there and yes it was still peeing down the only difference was that is was now really cold and the rain to me was getting very close to sleet, this reminded me of the days when I was at school and forced out for a run with the athletics class. hated it ha ha..



You must remember that we had had no sleep and were not in the best shape...even so this was a first for me so i was going for it hoping for sub 50min.

I ran it in 45.55 which is fantastic !!!!!!!

I am so proud of that....and in those conditions, I am now training for the Ediburgh Marathon through the winter....this is going to be tough.

This is similar to the real thing just add the rain.

North Tenerife in November

In November I went back to Tenerife to check out the north of the Island to see what it had to offer compared to the dry humid south and of course Teide, this journey involved yet again awesome treacherous roads, more sweet switch backs and also revelled the North east shorlines surf breaks, but my word what a long way to go for a surf...easier to get to Perranporth heh heh. I did reviset La Masca to see the results of the fire below and as expected its never as bad as you first think, the area is green and nature is happily recovering form the fire as you would expect, but to be fair fire at night can seem a horrendous thing even if the effects come daylight are limited. For the locals it must have been terrifiying.





This was the side that got the most damage from the fire and it got pretty close to the town on the right and out of picture.

I didnt stay with family this time, I decided to stay in some dodgy San Marino apartments ha ha they were alright except the lack of a lock on the balcony door, but hey you get what you pay for and I did....This caused a problem, as it was very hot about 80+ and I was up for a tan and as the apartments had a good pool and a cheap and cheerful bar below I found myself losing my adventurous side and and deciding to just flop by the pool with me book.....it became very addictive and well after a few days I couldnt be bothered to do anything...

Evetually I got to see these sites....and things...another side of Tenerife alot of you probably have never seen....



Surfers on the north coast there were a few good breaks, what a dramtic sky line though this side of the Island really does have a dark and volcanic fell to it and by all acounts a very local one as well.



A different angle of the Volcano on the ridge drive approaching the north..I was up there in April heh heh....



Lunar Landscape abound near to the base of Teide it was so silent and peacful here and so warm....a film set for the Planet of the Apes...



All of Tenerifes beaches are black sand except one...this one where is it? I'm not telling you....really nice though only downside and clue oif wherebouts - on the horizon you get all the liners and tankers waiting to dock....



Switch back heaven in the north...love it so I do - should have been a rally driver for sure...



Love the coast line around La Masca, this is the view of old burning lava flows frozen in time 2000 year ago....just love those colours....awesome.



just like this shot...It's weird in Tenerife one minute you can be on the beach and half an hour later in thick pine woods and the smell is reminiscent of the Alps.....



La Masca from the boat again fom a distance, so moody so angry and twisted looking....



And of course I spent many a day just meandering on these beaches, amazing how hot it was even in Novemeber the beaches were full....



And yes Teverife has some sculpture along the beach between Americas and Los Christianos...nice...

Well yes there you have it a picture showing on me trip better than me just tyoing stuff. It was also Gordons birthday he was 41 this year and i boughthim a gift that well he seemed to like wearing, he even made a trip to the footiee in it crazy sod. Take a look for your self and if you want check out the video as well.



OK and the video........



Thats it folks.....until next holiday.....

Be aware the Mankini may apear in your town some time soon...

Dreaming of leaving the UK

Over the last few years I have been getting more and more convinced that the UK is not a good place to live and simply not good value for money, I am a 39 year old man with no children and I am at present unmarried and I earn an below average wage and I am unable to buy a house on my own in the UK, I live in a shared house with 2 other poeple although the house is affordable and we can survive ok, not much else is really ever going to be on offer.

I struggle to save money as the bills are constant, they never seem to end, and just when you think youve sorted out your finances, you get a speeding fine for doing 35mph accelerating safley off a round about, its all bollocks and I am convinced as said that it may be worth throwing the towel in and going on the road again...? I just seem to think that the UK is simply relly bad value for money and have had these thoughts for some time - years in fact.

I pay my bills and I am always legal on the road etc, but most of the costs I have to obsorb as a single guy are from people ripping the system off, I am also convinced that single healthy men with no children are the group that get screwed over by the system the most, yes they have there freedon etc, but they will never get anyhelp at all from the government and buying a house....your having a laugh.

On the buying a house note alone, I missed the boat and I look forward to the day all of you people start losing false value on your property, bringing the prices down to the correct level, the man on the street level, the countrys average wage level. !!!!

But I am getting old 39 now, is it too late to go on the road?......oh what to do.

I used to do the Ski seasons years ago and I was never happier when doing them, yes of course you earn shit money and its not a career but i've been thinking about just taking a risk and moving out to Chamonix and let fate take a hand in what happens after that.....

What do you think....

I am also well travelled and I think this is part of the issue, if you know what else is out there it becomes so easy to slag of the UK, even in america when I stayed there in Sun Valley Ketchum Idaho, i could afford to live and rent a nice place and afford to eat out alot and go out all of the time all on an labourers wage...exactly as it should be i never got the feeling that someone was after me for that spare cash i may of had....in the UK, people are constantly trying to get your disposable income always....you can feel the greed coming for ya some days - Greed is killing the UK and peoples desire to want more stuff over more love and experience in their lives....

This country is FINE....as in the financial kind....

Rant over for now .....TBC.....



TBC

Bupa Great North Run - Half Marathon (Newcastle)

I have been training for the GNR for about 6 months now as i attempt to do my second half marathon, my first being the Nottingham Half Marathon in 2006 ran in 1:51.

The training went well, and I had booked a weekend away in the Albatross Backpackers to make the most of the experience. The Saturday before the race they had on the banks of the Tyne some world class mile and 3 mile athlets all competiting as there seasons comes to a close, the likes of Motram from Australia was running and I had a great view from the front, a really good experience to see the speed these guys can get up to over this distance. They also had the running Expo and the lots of childrens fun runs and I enjoyed spending the day of rest watching everyone else getting tired. As a small bonus I bimped into steve cram and said a very quick hello, nothing to really shout home about you understand it was so brief....

So after a really bad nights sleep (snorers and party goers) I got up to realise I was so unprepared I had no breakfast and I was about to run 13.1 miles!!!! I cant run on an empty stomach I thought so off i went out to search for fooda nd the only place I could find was Macdonalds, so yep ordered everything I could and that was what I ran 13.1 miles on a Maccy D's.

I went down to the start with a girl from the hostal Fay she was from Nottingham and a seasoned runner by all accounts, we made our way slowly with the thousands of people along the streets to the start line and the buses which take your bags, they mark your number with a stamp so you dont forget which bus your bag is on, then we headed for the starting pens we said our farewells as she was much nearer the front than me and was on the other side, we said out farewells - I could have lined up for a wee but what was the point, everyman and his dog was doing it in the bushes and so I joined them I was sooo aaahhhhh peeeeee.....

I was in pen J, they start at A I was at the back there was only one other pen behind me, the pens hold about 7000 people each and you are fenced in. I went in and chatted to 2 40 year old Geordie fairies who were in great spirits and we joined together to do the pre arranged exercises with 60,000 people at the same time - think about it a sight I have never seen, the helicopters roamed above our heads and the Red arrows flew over the start. And the gun was fired and we were off !!!!

Well when I say off I mean we waited about ten minutes before we started to walk and then 15 later we were strolling over the start line, I started running and set me watch I was off behing 50,000 people - looking for PB.....yeh what ever.

The strangest thing though, as we went over the line the noise of the DJ's the Bobby Robson Chants the the thumping music all the hype suddenly disappeared and was replaced with the eery sound of a million rubber feet tippy tapping there way along the motorway the heaving chests of all around, then the realisation that not only had it all been a laugh at the start you were actually now gong to try and run 13.1 miles, never easy, I accepted the reality and started in my attempt to overtake 45,000 people ha ha.

The race was fantastic an as before I did not stop so I ran the full distance, I ran the race in -

1:54. and I started at the back (overtaking 42,000 people as I came 8045th)

Highlights were -

Children offering oranges and ice pops & sweets.
People calling my name (had it on me front shoulder)
The wall of sound - I had Queen 'we will rock you' - it worked
The atmosphere and the support of fellow runners.
The crowds always so supportive
The showers on route - Human car wash.......
The free lucozade always nice.
Sense of achievement at finishing
Free sweets and grub in the Yorkshire Cancer Charity tent lush for sure.

The bad part was runing with a bad back which I had sprained few days before lugging cement around on site so annoyed but stil made in anyway.

I would highly recomend it and may do it again but my goa now is to get a place in the Edinburugh Marathon next May, I am in the ballot at present, and during the training for that Marathon I want to do another small scale half marathon event to see if i can really get my 1:40 time that I am sure I can get with clear run.

Lastly I would like to thank all of my sponsors who donated money in the end I got over my target of £500, and I am very gratful for that.

Well thats it, here is proof in case your not convinced I did complete the Bupa Great Northern Run.