Hello, welcome back for my first official post of 2016, there's a lot to talk about as per usual. Hopefully you will show me the same support as you did through 2015.
As you know I completed many challenges last year in aid of charity, most of it to The Christie charity which is close to my heart and always will be. 2015 was a very successful year for me on the running/fitness side of things, there is always room for improvement
though. Yes I ran every day of the year, mixing this in with cycling, boxing etc, it was a tough test to say the least, I knew I had more to offer. I had no real structure last year, my main aim was to complete at least one mile a day for the full year, which I successfully did. I found that after the first couple of months I had gained a general fitness in which one mile wasn't really too much of a challenge. I could go and do the distance in 6-7 minutes with general ease and this wasn't putting any strain on my body. The real battle was actually going out and completing the run, it took me longer to get ready for the run sometimes. The benefit to this was I was able to manage injuries/tiredness very well. If I had done a long run or a race on a Sunday, I could then have a couple of days after it just recovering and doing the lower mileage runs. I found this helpful after the Marathon in October, on the Monday I cold barely walk, I literally had to complete the one mile with straight legs, things like this were the little challenges that kept testing me.
As I awoke on New Years day 2016, it was a pretty strange feeling knowing that after 365 days straight I now didn't need to go running. I could stay in bed and not have to consider getting my trainers on, it was a good feeling in a way but there was already a sense of loss
creeping in. It hadn't crossed my mind that day to go running at all, until later on that day when my hangover really started to kick in and I wasn't willing to pay 4 euros for the can of coke in the mini bar. With it being New Years day in Barcelona and a public holiday, not many shops were open. In need of some snacks and fizzy pop, I went out running to find some of these essential items. Subconsciously I think I was just looking for a way to get myself out running. I did eventually find a shop which took me on a 2 mile round journey, I felt horrible once I got back to the hotel, hangover had properly kicked in and it was back to bed for the day to recover. On that brief run I had decided that I needed another challenge as I was now officially a runner and I loved it, what the challenge was going to be I wasn't sure, I was going to make the decision on a clear head, today wasn't the day for that at all. I needed rest and to clear my headache first of all, I really had grown to dislike hangovers in 2015, not that I ever enjoyed them.
The day after I decided to get up early to see the sunset, every place I had ever visited as far as I can remember, I had made the effort to get up at least once to see the spectacular event. No matter where you are on earth, there's something so satisfying about seeing this event. Yes it happens every day, it's the days that you actually sit and watch it rise that you really appreciate it's beauty. I was 10 floors up on one of the rooftop balconies, on my own waiting for the darkness to disappear and the suns rays to light up the streets of Barcelona. As the sun was rising, I saw it as a signal of opportunity to set myself some targets for the year ahead. The first that came to mind was another marathon. I had done pretty well in my first marathon, running a time of 3:27:28. Looking back at this I hadn't trained for the distance, with the way I work I was also disappointed the fact I had walked on several occasions throughout. With applying for the London marathon earlier in the year and not gaining entry, I had decided when I got home I would enter the Manchester Marathon scheduled for the 10th April 2016. Having previously looked at qualifying times for the London Marathon, I knew if I could run below 3:05:00 at Manchester then I could potentially qualify for the London Marathon in 2017. I had only been classed as a runner for just over 12 months but the London Marathon is one race I have always seen on the TV and had thought on many occasions how good it would be to complete the iconic race. That wasn't an option for now, the option of running and training hard for Manchester was a realistic option that I would be taking on. Even at 8 in the morning on my own I was already getting exciting at the prospect of running 26.2 miles, when did it all change?As well as setting the short term target of the marathon which would be 14 weeks of training, I wanted to set some targets for the year ahead. I was going to aim high which meant I would have to train harder than ever. First of all I thought about the 4 main distances in running, 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon and marathon. Also the small matter of a Cuerden Valley parkrun target as this had taken over my Saturday mornings.
2014 PB's
CV parkrun - 20:55 - 6:44 /mi
5k - 20:35 - 6:38 /mi
10k - 40:11 - 6:28 /mi
1/2 Marathon - 1:42:34 - 7:50 /mi
Marathon - N/A
2015 - PB's
CV parkrun - 18:55 - 6:05 /mi - 2:00 improvement.
5k - 17:53 - 5:45 /mi - 2:42 improvement.
10k - 36:33 - 5:53 /mi - 3:38 improvement.
1/2 Marathon - 1:25:12 - 6:30 /mi - 17:22 improvement.
Marathon - 3:27:28
As you can see from the above stats, I had massively improved from when I first started running in October 2014, this was without any targeted training. 2015 was spent as a beginner, yes I was improving massively but I knew with my determination, discipline and strong mind-set I could take it to a whole new level in 2016, I needed to stay focused on what I wanted to achieve. So saying that, I have made some targets below, they will be hard to achieve but that's the whole point of it. As I don't really know my limits yet, I have no idea how this will all turn out, which is part of the fun and excitement. Considering when I first started running I struggled with a mile, I feel quite privileged that I can set these sort of goals.
2016 Targets -
CV parkrun - Sub 18:15 - 5:52 /mi
5k - Sub 17:15 - 5:32 /mi
10k - Sub 36:00 - 5:48 /mi
1/2 Marathon - Sub 1:22:00 - 6:16 /mi
Marathon - Sub 3:00 - 6:52 /mi
The times above are very fast in my eyes, if I get my head down and stick to the training then I am sure I can reach these targets. Even writing this now, I can picture myself finishing races and hitting these targets. I do like to imagine the scenarios before they go ahead and I really think this works. If I can run these speeds and distances in my mind, then I can transfer that to real life scenarios. I have done it in football, rugby and definitely in running previously and I believe it works.
I do have a couple more targets that I am setting myself for different reasons. For my competitive side, I will be taking part in the Red Rose Road Runners club Championship. The Championship is Red Rose’s premier race competition. Its pits clubs members against each other in 8 road races, which are to held on Sundays, throughout the year. The results work in a way that the 1st Red Rose male finisher 1 point, 2nd Red Rose male 2 points and so forth until the final Red Rose finisher. So higher up I can finish the smaller the amount of points gained, faster I am the higher up I finish. Since joining Red Rose, I have enjoyed every event I have been involved in, so I want to carry that on this year for sure. This competition will hopefully push me on to the next level, with the healthy competition within Red Rose it will surely be a good year. Yes the competition is very tough, there are some very good runners involved, for myself I want to try and see if I can keep up with them and put them to the test. The great thing about Red Rose is no matter the level of runner you are, the encouragement is same all round and it's great to see. At every race you are guaranteed a wave of red support which definitely spares you along during the tough moments, it gives you that little kick that gets you going again. Bring it on!! Another target I have is to finish king of the valley at Cuerden Valley parkrun. The reasoning behind this is just so I can keep myself on track and focused. 
I know that if I am getting up at 7:30am on Saturday mornings to go and enjoy the free local 5k, then my head is in the right place. If I am lying in bed hangover, feeling sorry for myself, then I know I have gone wrong somewhere for now. This is more of a test of my commitment to improving my running and fitness. Since I first started attending Cuerden at the end of 2014 I have met some great friends and my life has changed for the better, this has definitely been a big part of it.
By 11:30am on a Saturday, I have normally been and pushed myself round the tough 5k course, cheered on other runners, had a chat and a laugh with some buddies with a brew, got home, had a bacon butty, shower, then I am ready for the day. Previous to parkrun, it was stay up until silly hours doing silly things, lie in bed until silly hours, wasting my life away. I know now which I would rather be doing, that is getting up early and venturing to the valley, it isn't going to change soon either. So the concept behind the 'king of the valley' is to accumulate points over 52 weeks. 100 points for 1st, 99 for 2nd and so on.. You can also volunteer up to 3 times and earn 100 points for each of those weeks, it doesn't stop you volunteering more than the 3 times, more time the better. So really my target here is to keep up with my healthy lifestyle and to keep improving on my times week on week, with this, I may possibly finish with the most points over the timescale... I know I have some tough competition from Pete, Chris, Andy, John, Ian, Paul, Ian, the list goes on. This is definitely not a competition by any means, I know a few of the names I have mentioned have absolutely no interest in it whatsoever. Either way, it's just an added challenge to the Saturday morning outings. Also, I have to mention it's due to some great runners at Cuerden that I have progressed the way I have so far since taking up running, so keep it up ladies and gents.
So after finishing my year in Barcelona and having an unbelievable time, it was time to move on from my achievements of 2015 and to focus on the future and 2016. I would use everything I had learned about myself in 2015 to push on and grow as a person. Having run 366 days consecutively, I had the 2nd January off. It was the day I was flying back from Barcelona, it felt strange. Getting home I still felt I needed to go out running, I didn't, so I had a nice relaxing evening and enjoyed it thoroughly. I couldn't afford to get lazy as I was now signed up to the Manchester marathon on April 10th, so it was straight back into it, my one day of rest felt enough and I was definitely fit enough to start a gruelling 15 week marathon plan. Starting it on Monday 4th January, I had 98 days to get marathon fit, plenty of time.
After searching through a lot of marathon plans, I finally decided on the Bupa plan, which was designed for advanced runners. I wasn't sure if I was classed as an advanced runner but with me aiming high I thought it would suit me best. It would be a lot of hard work, over the 15 weeks I would be covering roughly 500 miles, plus the marathon as well. The fact I only just reached over 1000 over the previous 52 weeks shows the scale of the challenge ahead, I was well up for it. The schedule was 6 nights a week with a whole mixture of training styles. However this was just a guideline, I would be able to mix it up, do less, do more, depending how I was feeling. If I could realistically stick to the plan then I knew come April I would be in good shape to run a Sub 3 hour marathon, this was the aim. I know the qualification time for the London Marathon is at 3:05:00, so it gives me a little bit of room for a bad run/bad conditions on the day. The rough plan is below, I will go into a bit more detail later.
Monday - Easy Run - 4-6 Miles
Tuesday - Mainly speed work
Wednesday - Easy/Steady Run - 4-10 Miles
Thursday - Strength/speed work
Friday - Rest day
Saturday - Built in the CV parkrun - warm/cool down - 5 Miles
Sunday - Long Run - 10-22 Miles
Moving on from the marathon training for now, it was back to parkrun which I ran a time of 19:13, which I was pleased with after a hectic new year, for the first run of 2016 I was happy, room for improvement big time. The day after on Sunday 10th January, it was completion time. The first of the 8 Red Rose Championship events was already here and it was time to get serious. Being one of my targets for the year I really wanted to run well. My last 10k race I PB'd with 36:33 in November, I had an average week of training so I didn't expect to beat that, I still had a good time in me though.
With the race starting on a tight car park, I knew it was essential to get to the front and have a good steady start to avoid the human traffic. I certainly did that, my first mile I covered in 5:35, which I knew myself was far too fast to keep it up. Was a good start and it gave me a gap to fall of on later miles. I soon settled into a good comfortable pace, the next 3 miles I ran in 6:06, 6:01 and 6:11. After the 4th mile I felt myself tiring out, I have never done it on a race before but I ended up looking behind me. I don't like doing it, as if someone in front of me turns around in my mind I think they could be starting to struggle, which I was. I got a brief look and I knew my fellow Red Rose Daniel Hughes was close behind me, also Robert Walsh was close on my heels. I panicked a little in my mind which I never do, I managed to keep my pace somehow and my 5th mile was 6:05. Shortly after with about 1 mile to go
Robert started to run next to me and I thought he was going to push on and leave me in his tracks. The quality person he is, I think he realised I was struggling and spent a good 10 seconds encouraging me to get myself going again as there was only a mile left. Now he didn't have to do that, he could have kept his head down and cracked on, so thanks for that. It definitely spared me on as we both finished really well. It all came down to the last hill and the sprint finish, I managed to just squeeze in ahead by literally a couple of seconds, finishing with a time of 37:05, Rob with 37:09 I think. Was a great finish and it was really appreciated, this was one of the reasons I enjoyed running, the people you meet are fantastic. Our final efforts were awarded as we both managed to finish in the top 10, myself 9th and Robert 10th, Robert also with a PB. Deep down I knew Robert was in training for the London Marathon himself, so he would be improving over the year, got my eye on you young man ;-). 
To finish with, it was another great event to run in, well organised as per usual and the marshals fantastic as always. Even though I hadn't run as well as I would have liked, I finished with my 2nd best time for the 10k, so the signs were there that I was improving my consistency. My main aim was to be the first Red Roser back and I achieved this as well. Dan Hughes was only a few places behind and was in sight of me all the way round. So this was another person I had to look at as well, if I didn't train well and put in a lot of hard work I knew Dan would come and take me at any opportunity. I had the first place in the first race, leaving me with a total of one point and 7 Championship races left. The next race was scheduled for March, Caldervale 10, so I had plenty of time to get fit and improve my running to continue my quest. Another note for the day, I cannot remember how many awards RRRR won, it was a lot, there must have been a good 5-10 minutes of applauding/whooping for the age category prizes. For the first time as well, I was involved in winning the men's team prize, was a great effort by everyone and I hope to be able to grab a few more of these in the year.January Training
After the Garstang 10k, the rest of January was pretty much just spent getting into my marathon routine, which I was thoroughly enjoying. It was nice for a change to have a schedule to follow with certain distances/times to achieve, in 2015 I had no structure at all. I needed to get used to what speed I could run at on my training runs, also a massive factor was to get used to pacing myself, which would be key to a great marathon run. It was going to be even harder than running every day, I was glad I had a day in there to rest. Running every day in 2015 set me up well for this marathon for sure. There isn't too much to talk about on the training side, so I have added the details of my runs for the whole of January, just to indicate the distance/speed I was doing things at. I had worked out some times I wanted to follow, easy runs, between 7:00 - 7:30 /mi. Steady runs, between 6:30 - 7:00 /mi, anything faster than this I knew I would be pushing. In my head if I could get used to running at these speeds on training runs then it would set me up nicely for April.
January
01.01.2016 - Run #1 - 1.3 Miles - 9:17 - 7:40 /mi
03.01.2016 - Run #2 - 3 Miles - 25:45 - 8:27 /mi
Week 1 - Marathon Training
04.01.2016 - Run #3 - 4 Miles - 28:59 - 7:11 /mi - Easy 4 Miles
06.01.2016 - Run #4 - 6.2 Miles - 41:59 - 6:44 /mi - Steady 10k
07.01.2016 - Run #5 - 5.5 Miles - 43:05 - 7:45 /mi - Fartlek
09.01.2016 - Run #6 - 3.1 Miles - 19:13 - 6:11 /mi - CV parkrun
10.01.2016 - Run #7 - 6.2 Miles - 37:05 - 5:58 /mi - Garstang 10k
Weekly Total - 25 Miles
Week 2 - Marathon Training
11.01.2016 - Run #8 - 4 Miles - 29:03 - 7:15 /mi - Easy 4 Miles
12.01.2016 - Run #9 - 4.6 Miles - 30:02 - 6:31 /mi - Constant Speed - 2x10 mins - 5 Mins x 2 Recovery
13.01.2016 - Run #10 - 5.1 Miles - 36:26 - 7:08 /mi - Easy 5 Miles
16.01.2016 - Run #11 - 4 Miles - 29:09 - 7:15 /mi - Easy 4 Miles
17.01.2016 - Run #12 - 10 Miles - 1:09:29 - 6:59 /mi - Easy 10 Miles
Weekly Total - 27.7 Miles
Week 3 - Marathon Training
18.01.2016 - Run #13 - 4 Miles - 29:04 - 7:16 /mi - Easy 4 Miles
19.01.2016 - Run #14 - 5 Miles - 34:12 - 6:48 /mi - Constant Speed - 10 mins, 5 mins rest - 7 mins, 4 mins rest - 5 mins, 3 mins rest
20.01.2016 - Run #15 - 6.2 Miles - 40:49 - 6:33 mi - Steady 10k
21.01.2016 - Run #16 - 3.5 Miles - 26:16 - 7:29 /mi - Hill Reps
Weekly Total - 18.7 Miles
Week 4 - Marathon Training
25.01.2016 - Run #17 - 4 Miles - 28:33 - 7:08 /mi - Easy 4 Miles
27.01.2016 - Run #18 - 7 Miles - 45:15 - 6:27 /mi - Steady 7 Miles
28.01.2016 - Run #19 - 7.5 Miles - 51:36 - 6:52 /mi - Intervals - 6x1 Miles - 400m Easy In between
29.01.2016 - Run #20 - 13.1 Miles - 1:30:20 - 6:53 /mi - Steady 1/2 Marathon
30.01.2016 - Run #21 - 3.1 Miles - 19:45 - 6:22 /mi - CV parkrun
Weekly Total - 34.7 Miles
January - Total Miles - 110.3
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| Anne-Marie (mum) - tall bloke on the right. |
Even though I had missed some important runs and was really hoping it wouldn't bite me in the arse in later days, we would have to wait and see. Either way, for now January ended very well. The fact pretty much all my running buddies had got a place in the London Marathon, including Pete, it had annoyed me throughout January. This all changed very soon, a certain Mr Steve Taylor presented me with an opportunity of a charity place for The great charity of Revitalise - (Revitalise was founded in 1963 as the Winged Fellowship Trust (WFT). In 2004 WFT became Vitalise and in 2014 Vitalise became Revitalise. We currently run three accessible holiday centres in Chigwell in Essex, Southampton and Southport. Our mission is to enable disabled people in the UK to access essential breaks with care, and provide inspirational opportunities for volunteers. We firmly believe that disabled people should have the same rights, freedoms, responsibilities and quality of life as those without disabilities).
Sponsor page for this found below :)
https://www.justgiving.com/Karl-Hodgson2LONDON?newPage=True
From nowhere, I was now signed up to the Virgin London Marathon, one of the most iconic races you could ever take part in. It was a great feeling. I had been given the challenge of raising a minimum of £500 for the charity. It felt a bit strange knowing I wouldn't be raising money for The Christie, in a way it was good as I could put something back into another charity and make a difference elsewhere. So from being involved in just the one marathon in Manchester, I now had two marathons which would be in the space of 2 weeks. Manchester on the 10th April, London on the 24th, what a month April was going to be. It seemed pretty fitting as in April 2016 it would be ten years since I was diagnosed with cancer, so it was really time to get serious, no playing games and being half hearted, it was time to make life changes, not just for the marathon but for myself that would change my life forever.
With it being the start of February, my parents wanted to make a few lifestyle changes, so instead of doing the dry January, they had decided to stop drinking for the full month of February instead. Which was good to see as it would do them the world of good. Thing is, I had to get on board as well. Not drinking for me wasn't an issue at all, so that would be easy for me. The main issue I had was my smoking... quite a few people know I smoke and have smoked for a while. Such a horrible habit. I had probably smoked between 5-10 a day since the age of 19 properly. From going through all my treatment etc and having a genuine life scare, literally 18 months after finish treatment I found myself smoking. The single thing I hated the most, I genuinely did used to be disgusted by it. I remember going for chemotherapy and there would be a lot of people stood outside having a fag, on treatment, drip attached, it used to make me so mad. My opinion was they had been giving a second chance and they are pretty much throwing back in the face of the hospital, nurses and everyone involved in The Christie charity. Looking back at it now, I had become that person that I never wanted to be. I had been given a second chance, now 27, I have spent 8 years of my life going against my morals. I knew it as well, I acted like it didn't bother me, I can assure you it did. Yes I am disappointed in myself, I am more annoyed the fact that I have been writing blogs, telling people how they can change, asking for donations for a great cause, when realistically I'd be finishing the blog and going for a fag. So I want to say sorry to everyone that has supported me, sponsored me and showed me encouraged me. I feel I had lied to you especially over the past 14 months and been very deceitful. I could have been putting that money towards charity myself instead of blowing it on cigarettes. I cannot blame anyone else than myself for starting, it was down to me to smoke, buy more, smoke more, you know the process. I am a little disappointed that after all I had been through that no-one ever pulled me to one side and had a serious word with me. Yes my mum and dad had done this several times, it's different when your parents tell you not to do something though.
Recently though certain people have stepped in and had that word with me, which honestly I can't thank them enough for it. Like I have said, I cannot blame anyone for me smoking, it's my fault and was solely down to me to take action and try to give up and get my life back on track. I thought I was running well in 2015, looking back at it now, everyone scenario I wrote about, just add 5-10 fags in a long the way. Parkrun for example, I would have one before it, finish the race, then I would be straight back to my car to have another. It's pathetic, I am getting annoyed about it now. Chester marathon, I had two fags before this as well, no wonder I hit a wall with 10 miles to go. Pretty much every run last year, I would have had 3/4/5 fags before them, then the same afterwards. Surprisingly, the 10k in November in which I PB's by over 2 minutes, I had spent the 2 weeks before this cutting down massively. Who would have believed it, not smoking would make me a better runner.? Once I had PB'd I felt it was now ok to start again, was a crazy attitude.
Anyhow, I could ramble on for hours about how disappointed I am with myself over the past 8 years and the past year raising money for charity. Turning this all into a positive, in 2015 I had ran very well considering the handicap I had put on myself. Back to the deal, my parents giving up drink in February, meant I was finally going to give it a real good go at stopping smoking. I felt it was the right time and was very focused in getting over the horrible habit. Speaking to people who had given up, it was going to be one hell of a battle, I was up for it, ready for the change and to relieve myself of the disappointment and low views I had of myself and smoking. This was now the time to step up my game and get my head focused on my running, I knew without the smoking I could up my game massively. If I didn't give up, all my hard work would be going to waste and it was likely I wouldn't reach my targets, which would drive me mad.
February
Week 5 - Marathon Training
The first couple of runs in February felt very good, I was angry on them but I felt my breathing massively improving, which I knew was going to happen. On the 2nd run I had tweaked my calf a bit, so was annoyed and sulking as I didn't know how long I would be out for. The fact I was trying to better myself and 2 days in I was injured, I wasn't happy at all. For those that have given up smoking you'll know the scenario of quitting. For those that didn't, moody doesn't even start to describe how I was in the first week, embarrassing really. I hadn't smoked for the first four days, Friday night came and I went out for a few drinks and really enjoyed it. I had a couple of pints and I stayed strong, a few pints in it went completely wrong. Let's just say I went through a full 10 pack on my own and as I was tipsy I wasn't bothered, my head was telling me I was really enjoying it. Saturday morning, waking up at 8am for parkrun with a hangover and the shame of telling my parents I had broken our promise after 4 days, it wasn't good. It got worse as I had he poorest run for a long time and got spanked my Ciaron and Dan, I wasn't happy at all. I had never blown up in a run before, I had now, dehydrated and full of carbon monoxide I just wanted to go home to bed and sulk.
I did exactly that, I needed some time to properly reflect on the situation and come up with a plan of action. I spent a lot of time that Saturday looking on forums and blogs of how people had given up smoking. There was one that caught my attention and I find it a really good idea. The guy had spoken about the pressure he put himself on giving up was making him more stressed, then when it got too much he would go and buy a pack of 20, eventually getting back into smoking. This went on and on for months until he decided to change his plan. His idea was to plan a day in which he was allowed 2/3 cigarettes, in his head he could look forward to a certain day of the week. After a couple of months of doing this, he eventually gave up and realised he didn't want the cigarettes any more. Months down the line he was still clean and enjoying being smoke free. I decided this would be a good way of approaching it and to stop putting so much pressure on myself. I know it wasn't giving up straight away like I would have liked, I felt this could really work for me, just to slowly get myself off them. An 8 year habit wasn't just going to go overnight, plus I would be smoking 68 less a week, this was surely only going to benefit me big time, only time would tell. I think this was the first time I had questioned my running and not enjoyed a run, ever. I am sounding quite dramatic, there are far worse problems in the world, I just want to change my ways. I did speak to coach Pita that Saturday evening and she put me back on the straight and narrow. She told me how it was, if I didn't change what I was doing then I wouldn't achieve any of my goals. I had to work harder than I had ever done and it needed to start now. A few other things were discussed and it seemed to hit home, coming from someone that had achieved so much it was great to have advice from her. It was time to re-focus and get my head back in the game. Sunday came very quickly and it was time for the Sunday long run, 15 miles this week. I completed the 15 miles in 1:50:30, averaging 7:22 /mi, I was pleased with this. It felt very comfortable and the last mile I had it in my legs to finish strong with a 6:23 mile. Felt really good to get in a good solid distance at the end of week 5.
01.02.2016 - Run #22 - 5 Miles - 36:02 - 7:11 /mi - Easy 5 Miles
02.02.2016 - Run #23 - 5.3 Miles - 34:57 - 6:31 /mi - Constant Speed - 15 mins, 5 mins rest, 10 mins, 5 mins rest
06.02.2016 - Run #24 - 3.1 Miles - 19:54 - 6:24 /mi - CV parkrun
07.02.2016 - Run #25 - 15 Miles - 1:50:30 - 7:22 /mi - Steady 15 Miles
Weekly Total - 28.4 Miles
Week 6 - Marathon Training
6 weeks in and I was now hoping to kick on and man up. It was time to start working hard and to stick to my guns with the smoking. I had my training runs throughout the week to keep me focused, then at the weekend I had a parkrun to aim for as well as the cross country in Fleetwood. On my runs I could really tell that cutting out the cigs was already benefiting me. I was running under 7 minute miles on some of the runs with ease, I could feel the oxygen being taken into my lungs and it powering my legs. Striding felt so much easier and I felt a lot more powerful, like I could just increase my speed at any point and have control over it. From Monday to Thursday I was still very moody and agitated at little things, the improvement in my running kept me strong. I kept reminding myself of why I was giving up on the long term goals I would be achieving. Saturday morning soon came round and it was another parkrun day in the valley, it was time to see if the week of hard training was paying off. I was feeling good in the morning and after a mile warm up my legs felt fresh, the Friday rest days helped out massively. To cut a long story short, it had paid off. I managed to finish with a time of 18:37 which was a new PB. My previous best was 18:55, so taking 18 seconds off over 5k, I was buzzing. The run felt good and I felt I ran the 2nd & 3rd mile in a more controlled manor, my breathing was coming back and it was very satisfying. The 18:55 time had taken me 16 months to achieve, within 2 weeks of being good I had smashed it, next up was the cross country. The first and only time I had done cross country was in Liverpool in November, so I was looking forward to mixing it up a bit. Arriving in the afternoon, the course looked pretty tough, with some steep inclines and muddy areas.
08.02.2016 - Run #26 - 5 Miles - 36:33 - 7:17 /mi - Easy 5 Miles
09.02.2016 - Run #27 - 6.5 Miles - 45:05 - 6:50 /mi - Constant Speed, 5 mins, 15 mins, 5 mins, 15 mins, 5 mins
10.02.2016 - Run #28 - 7 Miles - 44:50 - 6:24 /mi - Steady 7 Miles
11.02.2016 - Run #29 - 7 Miles - 48:02 /mi - 6:51 /mi - Easy 7 Miles
13.02.2016 - Run #30 - 3.1 Miles - 18:37 - 6:00 /mi - CV parkrun - New PB
13.02.2016 - Run #31 - 6.5 Miles - 42:02 - 6:30 /mi - Fleetwood XC - New PB
14.02.2016 - Run #32 - 19 Miles - 2:20:56 - /mi - 7:25 /mi - Steady 19 Miles
Weekly Total - 54.9 Miles
Week 7 - Marathon Training
After a good week the previous week and some great distance work, I decided to take a different approach to this weeks training. With me now feeling the benefits on not smoking, I thought I would try pushing myself to see if I could beat my PB's in every distance except the marathon. As I hadn't entered any races for a while, especially with the 5k, I didn't think my times matched my potential at the moment. Monday night was just an east 5 mile run to recover from the 19 miles on the Sunday, legs felt a little heavy but that was expected. For the Tuesday night I had planned the 5k run, the route I had marked out was very flat with sections being downhill. After an easy one mile warm up, it was time to test my new lungs out. I set off pretty fast but stayed comfortable as I didn't want to die off later on. Saying that, the first mile I ran in 5:26 which was a nice start. The 2nd mile was nicely downhill so I knew I could push on again, 5:35 I recorded for this one. Setting a new 2 mile PB on the way with 11:01. I was starting to feel it and was pushing hard for the 3rd mile as my quads started to feel heavy. I clung on and was at 5:54 for the 3rd mile, leaving me a couple of 100 yards to finish off. Finishing time of 17:31, smashed it with an average of 5:38 /mi. Yes it was slightly downhill but I had taken 22 seconds off my 5k PB from last year, 16 days into the no smoking plan and it was going well. All I needed to do was to keep building and play the waiting game for an official 5k race. Wednesday was a rest day, it was then onto my 10k test on the Thursday evening. I won't talk you through this one, but it was another PB. 36:28, my previous best was 36:33, so a 5 second improvement, well happy. Towards the end of the run I had felt a slight tweak in my left calf, so pretty much had to hobble home once I had finished. It wasn't anything too serious but I did take 2 days off as rest, plus is give me chance to volunteer for a change at parkrun. The only annoyance was the fact I had to miss my Sunday long run which was going to be my half marathon, I settled for a 5k to get back in the swing of things, with a few days off I was feeling good and ready to go again for the week after. Once again with the smoking, I had 2 on Saturday which I didn't enjoy at all, hopefully this was a good sign I was finally getting over them.
15.02.2016 - Run #33 - 5 Miles - 37:00 - 7:23 - Easy 5 Miles
16.02.2016 - Run #34 - 3.1 Miles - 17:31 - 5:38 /mi - 5k Test - New PB
18.02.2016 - Run #35 - 6.2 Miles - 36:28 - 5:52 /mi - 10k Test - New PB
21.02.2016 - Run #36 - 3.1 Miles - 19:00 - 6:08 /mi - Steady 5k
Weekly Total - 21.8 Miles
Week 8 - Marathon Training
7 weeks down on the training and I can genuinely say it was the fittest I had been and the healthiest also. I had eaten clean, hadn't drank and was doing well with the smoking. There was a saying I had seen recently - 'if you want to perform like an athlete, you need to train like an athlete'. I was doing just that and it was helping me massively on my quest for a sub 3 marathon. With the hard work and the training I was putting it, it didn't come without sacrifice. My social life had pretty much gone as I was training 6 days a week, by the time I had run in the evening, got home, showered, changed, eaten, prepared dinner for the day after, it was 9pm most nights. As I was working hard as well I couldn't be bothered doing anything. In a way it was working well as it kept me busy and out of scenarios for the smoking. One thing I may regret is missing a stag do the weekend before for my good friend Chris. I was booked on the trip to Latvia which was for two days, selfishly though with a week to go I backed out of the trip. I knew that if I went, I would be drinking in excess and doing the same with smoking. I couldn't justify spending £100's on these 2 marathons, accommodation, trains etc, then possibly throwing it all away with a weekend away. I do feel bad for it but Mr Willetts, being the legend he is fully understood my views and wished me luck with everything I was doing. Part of me now needs to run this sub 3 hour marathon for Chris, as if I do he played a big part in my achieving my goal. He could have taken it the wrong way and even tried to peer pressure me into the trip, he didn't. So thanks for that Chris, was much appreciated as I felt horrible not going in the first place. I will make it up to you babe! So yes I am massively improving, it isn't without working my arse off and putting everything into it.
Back to the training, with a quiet weekend and being well rested I started with an easy 6 miles on Monday. It felt very easy at 7:02 /mi, everything was becoming more controlled as the weeks went on. Tuesday was test night, it was time to complete the half marathon to see if I could break all of my PB's the space of a week. I was focused and ready to run hard, I wasn't going all out but definitely pushing myself. I certainly did that and hit another PB with a time of 1:22:54 - 6:20 /mi over the distance. My previous time was 1:25:12 in race conditions, so I had smashed this one improving on my time by 2:18. I was tired at the end but I had a lot more to offer, was another achievement and I had proved to myself what I could do in the space of a week. I decided to treat myself and have a rest night Wednesday, back to the grind with an easy 9 mile run Thursday which yet again felt really good and my confidence was growing. Friday I went out with Emma, I was making it one of my aims for the year to try and help out non-runners/beginners. The aim was to get her to running 5k and then to enter a race over the summer. As she was only on her 2nd run I was very impressed, covering 2.2 miles in 29 minutes. I didn't tell her any plans, I just wanted her to run as far as she could, then rest when need be, then back to it. I didn't really need to push her, she took my encouragement well and pushed harder when I asked. For her 2nd run it was great work and the 5k target wouldn't be far away at all, sooner than she thinks. For someone new to running I wanted to get her onto the streets as well to build up her confidence. I know some people have fear of running on the streets due to shouts/comments people may make. I have had all sorts shouted at me that I cannot repeat, you just have to laugh it off and crack on, otherwise it will spoil the experience if you let it bother you. As within 30 seconds you're half way down the road and will never see those people ever again. If you do see them again, you'll be running faster next time so the shouts won't go on for long. Just use all these little things as motivation, people have said things to me that I still use as motivation, it keeps the fire burning inside me.
Just have to quickly mention that I had the 2 cigarette allowance on Friday night, first one I enjoyed, 2nd one was pointless. It had been a week since I had last touched them and it was getting easier to avoid. The mood swings where still there, it wasn't constantly on my mind though which was good. The one thing I had noticed was nights sweats, within seconds of nearly falling asleep I could literally feel the sweat building up, it was strange, definitely my body cleansing itself and clearing out years of bad habits - I was happy I was it this stage as it meant I was sticking to my guns.
To finish off the week in was that time again, 9am on a Saturday morning only meant one thing, Cuerden Valley parkrun. Was a special week for me as it was my 50th parkrun since I had taken up running. I had run 49 times in the valley and just the solo effort at Preston. So it was 50 times I had dragged myself out of bed at 7:30am, 50 times I had showed commitment and 50 times I had pushed myself on way or another. At parkrun they like to celebrate people's 50th but I kept it quiet as I had business to take care of, plus the 50th run at Cuerden was the one that meant the most to me. For my 50th parkrun I set myself a challenge of a new PB and a first finisher, so whoever turned up that week was going to have to work for a first finish as I was very determined. Seems a bit serious for a parkrun day, I like to set goals and push myself though. It was a very fast start and over the first mile I had run the 2nd fastest mile of 5:52. Dan was on my shoulder for this first mile and he pushed me big time, I could hear him and he didn't want to let up. I knew I had to keep pushing, not to get away from him but to get close to my PB. After 2 miles I was still feeling good and I was a few seconds up on my previous time, with only the mile left I decided to pick it up and start working. Coming up the last hill at the valley I knew it was going to be 
close, with a strong sprint finish I crossed the line in 18:28, taking 9 seconds off my PB and coming in first. I could tell I had worked hard for it as I was blowing big time. Still recovering Dan crossed the line in which I knew was a very good time, turned out he had set a new PB of 18:58 and broke the 19 minute barrier. Yes I am competitive but it's also great to see other people achieving and doing well at the same time. Dan had been running great for weeks and this was long overdue for him. The top 4 finishers also PB'd that day so it was also great to see people being pushed by each other. Hopefully we could take the running into some races in 2016 and push each other to more PB's and some team prizes for Red Rose. So it was a great day again and was happy with my performance, I was rapidly improving and there was no real signs of it stopping. I just had to make the most of it and keep pushing as at some point it will stop, for now I was enjoying seeing my own personal gains. 50 parkruns done, I can guarantee that will get to 100, maybe not all in the valley as I will at some point start touring and looking to challenge for a few first finishes elsewhere. For now though, this was my home and I was loving it. There a few stats below for my 50 parkruns, well the 49 at Cuerden, long may it continue.1st parkrun - 23:12 - 25/10/2014
50th parkrun - 18:28 - 27/02/2016
20 PB's in total - 40%
First finishes - 12/49 - 24.4%
Top 5 finishes - 34/49 - 69.3%
Top 10 finishes - 46/49 - 93.8%
Fastest 500 - 21/500 - 1st - 16:57 - Me - 18:28
Volunteering - 5 times - Need to work on this stat!!!
It was back around to Sunday again and 2 months into my marathon training, was time to test out both speed and distance. I was aiming for 20 miles at roughly marathon pace, there was no real pressure to get an exact time, it was more for the pace and test the legs. If I could get between 6:50-6:55 /mi over the 20 miles I would be very happy. I set off steady, 3/4 of a mile in a realised my garmin wasn't recording the distance, so I had to stop, reset my watch, then start again, 20 miles here we go. I was feeling good, around 6 miles I felt my hamstrings tighten up but I soon forgot about it. I covered my first half marathon in 1:28:31 - which was an average of 6:45, more than happy with this pace and I was feeling good. I carried on with a similar pace, finishing at 20 miles in a time of 2:15:12, which was exactly 6:45 /mi. It was a good 7 seconds a mile under my target pace. I Still felt like a had a lot left in me and could have easily carried on. Experience of my last marathon has taught me not to be too confident. It took me pretty much 1 hour to complete the last 10k in Chester, so I knew I still had to work hard to be able to finish strong. This practice run left me with 44:48 to complete the last 10k, which was 7:12 /mi. I have been told that on some marathons you can end up doing extra distance due to overtaking and the amount of people to run through. The work I was doing was very good and I had come along way in 2016, I just needed to keep focused and carry on with what I am doing, if I do, there's no reason I won't reach my goals. Another 50 plus mile week as well, everything is looking good with 6 weeks until Manchester and 8 weeks until London, bring it on!!!
22.02.2016 - Run #37 - 6 Miles - 42:10 - 7:02 /mi - Easy 6 Miles
23.02.2016 - Run #38 - 13.1 Miles - 1:22:54 - 6:20 /mi - 1/2 Marathon Test - New PB
25.02.2016 - Run #39 - 9 Miles - 1:04:30 - 7:10 /mi - Easy 9 Miles
26.02.2016 - Run #40 - 2.2 Miles - 29:05 - 12:41 /mi - Road to 5k
27.02.2016 - Rub #41 - 3.1 - 18:28 - 5:57 /mi - New PB
28.02.2016 - Run #42 - 20 Miles - 2:15:12 - 6:45 /mi - New PB
Weekly Total - 54.4 Miles
So 2 months into my training and I as running the best I had ever run and it was a great feeling. The countdown to Manchester and London was well and truly on. I had a lot lined up over the next couple of months, which include the Liverpool half marathon, Caldervale 10, Trimpell 20 and then the Darwen half marathon. All long distance runs that would test me and hopefully put me in good stead for the 2 marathons.
Just to finish off - If you've got this far then why not sponsor me - £500 is the target, only £470 to go :-) On the sponsoring side of things, I received over £1500 last year so I cannot expect much more from you lot, you have already helped me so much and that is greatly appreciated.
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