Marathon Time

Marathon Time

Welcome back... you find yourself here again, good work, you know it makes sense. Always like to say thanks for spending the time to have good read of me rattling on about my running, every credit to you. This will be my shortest blog ever I think, so you're in luck this time round. I would like to thank to every who has sponsored me recently, the total is slowly creeping up towards my target of £500. Yes I will admit that I have found a passion for running and setting myself challenges, 2 marathons in 2 weeks could possibly be the biggest challenge to date. Not only do I want to complete them, I want to run them in less that 3 hours. I know for a fact that if I don't reach these targets it will play on my mind for a long time, so I am risking part of my sanity with these challenges. At the end of March my total mileage stands at 383.8 miles. Running every day last year it took me until 17th May to reach this figure, so it clearly shows I am grafting. With the times I want, I have had no option but to commit to the training to reach these goals. By running a sub 3 hour marathon, I can definitely qualify for a good for age place for the London marathon. Then there are also options for Chicago, Tokyo, New York and possibly Boston depending on how fast I can go. I would have to apply still and go into a ballet for a few of these, gives me targets for the future and other potential marathons I may want to get involved in. Anything under the 3 hour mark I would be more than happy with for sure, I have confidence in my ability and I am hoping to smash this time. These are the first set of Marathons I will have properly trained for so it will be a great test to see how far I have come since my first marathon in October 2015, 3:27:28.

Week 13 - Marathon Training

On to the training and it was back to business as per usual. Week 13 was pretty steady, only doing a couple of easy runs. With parkrun arriving on Saturday 2nd April, I was no on my 5th day of no smoking. I had mentioned in the last blog that I was battling with this habit and it was still the case. It was hard, mentally it was so challenging. I was staying focused with it and was impressed with the progress I was making that week. So I thought I would test the lungs out at parkrun to see how there were.  I smashed the first 2 miles and was on for a PB but then I decided to back off, I don't know why but instinct kicked in and I settled into the last mile. I was the first finisher with a time of 18:59, still a bit off my PB but happy with under 19. I should have been tapering so pushing hard in runs was a bit silly, I couldn't help myself. The battle for the parkrun crown was in full flow and I was out in front opening up a good lead from the rest. Myself, Andy, Pete, Chris, Ian, we had no interest in this leaderboard at all. I only noticed it when Pete pointed it out to me one day. For those mentioned above, you will have to turn out every week to try and keep up with me. I only joke, a nice bit of healthy competition adds to the fun of running. With the Manchester marathon on the 10th April, I just had a small matter of the Darwen half marathon on the 3rd April. 7 days before possibly the biggest run of my short career so far, I was taking part in a 13.1 mile race with 1300ft of elevation. I thought tapering involved half marathon a week before the full marathon. I had debated all week on whether I would run this race and was advised not to by many people. If I was going to run it, I needed to take it easy. The only problem was this was part of the Red Rose Championship, so I couldn't miss out. I suppose I could but I wasn't going to. Plus I didn't want a certain Duncan Anderson opening up a massive lead over myself.

This being the 3rd race, the previous 2 I had finished with a 1st and a 3rd, lying on 4 points. Duncan had turned up to 1 and won 1, with the one point. Only having to attend 4 out of the 8 races, I had us even just on the first places. I wasn't racing Darwen, I was using it as a training run, so with the line up I knew Duncan would be taking another 1st place as long as nothing went wrong. I will have to admit deep down this got to me, my competitive side, I didn't want to let Duncan just have a free ride, I had to though with the marathon coming up. If I could secure 2nd spot I would be happy but I knew I had competition on the day. Even though I was annoyed that I wasn't racing, I knew it would be make a good change just to enjoy the run and I could settle into the race without pushing too hard. Before I knew it, we was off, up a massive hill to start. The leaders went off at one hell of a pace and Duncan wasn't far behind at all which was great to see. I just nicely settled into the race myself and tucked in behind 2 runners from Trawden that kept me at a very steady pace. It was a tough start, the first 3 miles up hill climbing 400ft at least. It soon went and then it was time to let gravity to do the work for the next 3 miles. It felt strange holding back on the down hills as this is usually the perfect time to make up ground and take off vital seconds. I kept within myself and just tried to stride it out. I was settled in now at a pace in which I knew I was working but everything was controlled. Once at the bottom, it was then back up a hill for 2 miles followed by a bit of a breather for another mile down hill. At mile 9 Duncan had well gone and he wasn't in view, from the way he set off I knew he was in for a top 10 finish and hoping he would do well. Richard, another fellow Red Rose started to make a move on the next uphill and was pulling away from me quite quickly. I watched him go up a couple of hills and he had me every day of the week on the climb which got me worried. I needed this 2nd place in the championship, every point counted in my eyes. We climbed for 2 miles pretty much neck and neck until the 11th mile then it was all down hill. I could see that a few people in front were tiring and I felt very good at that point. I decided to open my legs up just as a bit of a test, plus I had stayed steady for 11 so I was allowed. I had caught about 3-4 people on the last couple of miles, finishing with a 5:31 and 5:25 mile to take 12th spot. I thought I raced it well with the marathon coming up and held back as much as I could. I finished with a time of 1:25:32 which I was pleased with, it put me in great shape and gave me confidence for next weekend knowing I could run a hilly half in the time I did. Once again it was another great turn out for the RRRR gang with prizes awarded to some of the men and women in their categories. With Manchester only a week a way I was feeling good and really looking forward to it.

28.03.2016 - Run #58 - 3.3 Miles - 24:38 - 7:26 /mi - Easy 5k
30.03.2016 - Run #59 - 6.2 Miles - 39:50 - 6:23 /mi - Steady 10k
02.04.2016 - Run #60 - 3.1 Miles - 18:59 - 6:07 /mi - CV parkrun
03.04.2016 - Run #61 - 13.1 Miles - 1:25:32 - 6:32 /mi - Darwen 1/2 Marathon

Weekly Total - 25.7 Miles

Week 14 - Marathon Week

So after 14 weeks of training, sacrificing the poor social life I have, the Manchester marathon was here. After pushing myself a little harder than I should have in the previous week, I thought it was time to take this tapering business seriously. In the week leading up to the marathon I only ran three times, covering 8.3 miles, all very easy. I did my usual parkrun to see all the pretty faces. Two of those being Pita and Debbie, they were both celebrating their 50th runs which was emotional to say the least. They are both absolutely bonkers which is brilliant. They had both put in so much hard work to the CV parkrun and it was great to see everyone appreciate their hard work and how they had contributed to changing so many peoples life's for the better. This alone gave me a big boost knowing I was involved in such a good running community with inspiring dedicated leaders. Even though it was their big day I was wished well by everyone involved in the Valley. It was great to have so much support leading up to the race. In the morning Natalie had suggest that I run with Simon in the Marathon as we was both after running Sub 3. The seed had been planted, I messaged Simon later that day and that was that. We would both run together, which would give us both a great chance of reaching our target times, plus we would be able to push and motivate each other through the hard times. The night before I wasn't nervous at all, I had done all the training and I was very confident I would run a sub 3 hour marathon, the question was how fast I would do it. I do put a lot of pressure on myself when it comes to running, I need this to keep motivated and focused. I want to push myself and see how fast I can get. The night before I was in bed by 10 and asleep by 10:30, I was delighted with this as when my alarm went off at 5:45 the following morning I felt fresh and ready to go. For breakfast I had my usual 4 egg omelette with 2 slices of toast and a banana. I decided against the cup of coffee, I didn't want any additional liquid swilling around. Anyhow, a short drive to Manchester, quick toilet break and it was time to race. I felt no pressure and was relaxed on the day, I strolled towards the start line and came across Simon, then it was time to go. We made our way to the start line, a short discussion that we wanted to run between 6:35/6:40 miles, game time. We started about 15 rows back from the start, which was good for both of us as it meant a nice steady start. It was a nice start and I felt reasonably good, passing the 10k mark in just over 40 minutes which was a comfortable pace for both of us. Just a couple of miles after at mile 8, it was time for the 2nd biggest cheer of the day. Team Red Rose where out in force to cheer on everyone involved. I must admit got goosebumps as they cheered me and Simon on, it was a great feeling knowing so many had made the effort to come and support our efforts.

They were up earlier than myself, so much hard work had been put in and it was massively appreciated by everyone involved. After going past them the support was still good but it was kind of a low point for a couple of miles after that. We hit the 10 mile mark at about 1:06, which was target pace and was still well on for our time. I was struggling by this point, my legs seemed heavy and it was much harder than it should have been. Crossing the 1/2 way mark at around 1:26:00 I started questioning whether I could keep up the pace. I was getting pain down my left leg and I could feel my running technique was being upset by this. I soon blocked the negative thoughts out of my head and realised where I was and how far I had come. 1/2 marathon done, we had now had 1:34:00 for the Sub 3 target. At this point we was both working well together, just like the Kenyan boys do. Simon would get a drink, pass it do myself, I would dispose of it. Saving vital energy this way and sharing the workload. I had noticed even at the half way mark, we had started to make a move on people ahead of us. It seemed that we had practiced running together before, which we had raced against each other previously, Simon was 6-2 up on previous meetings (runbritain gives some good stats). Overtaking people, Simon would go left, I would go right, then we would meet up again and continue the onslaught of the people ahead that had set off to fast. Back to it, the next 7 miles seemed to fly, we encouraged each other all the way, at 16 miles we only had the Caldervale 10 to run, at 20 miles, it was the Trimpell 20 down and just the 10k to complete. We had reach the 20 mile mark at roughly 2:11:30, which left us 48:30 for the last 10k, it was easily doable but we just had to keep up the pace and knuckle down. It was steady going but I was starting to feel it in my legs, by the time we had completed mile 22 I knew I was slowing and was going to struggle to keep the 6:40/mi pace. Mile 23 and 24 we completed in 7:04 and 7:02 but I couldn't keep it up. Simon had stayed with me for those 2 miles, pushing me on and making me dig deep. I was working harder than I had ever done to keep up but I couldn't. It was at that point I told Simon to push on as I felt bad I had already slowed him down for 2 miles. At first he didn't want to and said we need to finish together. After a short chat it was for the best that he powered on to finish in the fastest time possible. Even though I was running at just over 7:00 /mi pace, Simon flew off and within a few moments he was pretty much out of my view. I watched him just glide past people with ease and at that point I knew he was on for a great time and was definitely hitting Sub 3 with only a couple of miles left. It took my mind off the pain for a couple of minutes, but then I realised I had over 2 miles left of the race and I was slowing. In my head at this point I knew I was going to smash the sub 3 hour mark. After 24 miles I was roughly at 2:39:30, leaving me 20 minutes to run 2.2 miles. It was on, all my training and hard work had paid off, I just needed to get to the finish. The last 2 miles I felt like I wasn't moving, the 25th mile I covered in 7:15, so I was still moving at a good pace, just 35 seconds slower a mile than I as moving just a few miles ago. Before the 25 mile mark I saw Steve and Lorna Taylor who shouted encouragement at me and told me I was well on to beat my time. This picked me up massively and I really started to enjoy it. The lack of smiling maybe didn't show it but deep down I was buzzing, I just had no energy to show it. At 25 miles the full crew that had been at the 8 mile mark, had made their way to cheer us on again. It was a great site approaching them, knowing I would get that buzz again with just over a mile to go. I cant remember seeing many faces at that point but I distinctly Gareth pretty much running next to me for maybe 5-10 seconds, I have no idea what he said but it kept me going. Heading down the 26th mile I started to pick up again, my pace didn't, just my enthusiasm for the day had. It was a tough last mile as quite a few people started to over take me, which didn't play well with my competitive side. I think I had stopped caring about what time I was going to end up with, I knew it was well under 3 hours and I was going to hit my target. At mile 26, which there wasn't a marker for - Don't get me started on the mile markers.

They were poor all day long, at one point it was over 0.5 of a mile out, which didn't do me any good after 19 miles.... at mile 26, I started to put my foot down and with about 100 yards left I picked up the pace and found my usual race sprint finish. I managed to take over about 4-5 people in the last 20 yards, at the time I didn't know but that would put me into 199th place. With over 9000 runners I was more than happy with that stat. I don't know where the sprint came from, think it was just the fact I wanted it over. I crossed the line in a time of 2:55:12, which I was ecstatic with. I had smashed my target and was well under 3 hours, did I mention I wanted to run under 3 hours? As soon as I had stopped running my legs seized up, all my muscles started to ache and throb. I didn't care, top 200 in my first proper marathon with a PB of over 32 minutes. Smashed it. Walking on from the finish line I caught up with Simon who had finished with a sub 2:54 time and beat his PB by over 9 minutes I think. Well and truly a successful day for the both of us. Just like to thank everyone at RRRR for their support and the day as this was a massive help and pushed me through the hard times. I had done it, Sub 3 hour with plenty of time spare. It was only the day after I found myself beating the deadline to apply for the Chicago marathon in October 2016. I was officially hooked. Why would I want to put myself through it again? I have no idea, whatever it was that was driving me I wanted more of it. Before I could even consider Chicago, I had the small matter of the London marathon in two weeks time. It was time to rest up and taper so I could try and replicate my performance in London. Did I mention I don't know the meaning of taper.....

07.04.2016 - Run #63 - 2.2 Miles - 17:20 - 7:34 /mi - Steady 2 Miles
09.04.2016 - Run #64 - 3.1 Miles - 20:15 - 6:30 /mi - CV parkrun
10.04.2016 - Run #65 - 26.2 Miles - 2:55:12 - 6:40 /mi - Greater Manchester Marathon

Weekly Total - 31.5 Miles

Week 15 - Taper Week

With my first marathon over and only two weeks to London, it was time to rest up and recover. The day after I didn't ache as much as I thought I would be but I was definitely feeling tired and dehydrated. I had a few days off and did my first run on Thursday that week, which went ok but I could feel I was still tired. I was enjoying the recovery as I could eat as much as I want and not have to worry about it, it was part of the plan. My next run came on Saturday morning at CV parkrun. I was meant to be taking it easy but still clocked a time of 20:15, it was nice to just stretch the legs out and put on some bursts to make sure my legs were recovering well. The week before there had been a whole debate and a decision that the local council would be charging £1 at the Little Stoke parkrun. I found this ridiculous, the fact parkruns encouraged fitness and changed peoples life's for the better, it was a silly decision that they may regret. Anyhow, that morning it was decided to support Little Stoke by joining hands with someone as you crossed the finish line. As you can tell from the photo, myself, Neil and Stuart all crossed the line together - You can also see Stuart putting on a little burst to get that first finish spot, which he claimed in all it's glory. On the run I have to say my legs felt pretty good and was looking forward to next weekend for sure. As it was taper time, I decided on the Saturday night that I was going to go and run the Valiants 1/2 marathon on the Sunday. I ran this race two years ago in over 1:47:00. I remember stopping to walk a couple of times. This was the first ever half marathon I had ever done, no training, plus I wasn't living a healthy lifestyle at all. So even though I had the London marathon the following week, I decided I would run in this just to prove a point to myself and to see how far I had come in that time. I felt quite bad doing this race as I had been advised strongly not to push myself and take it easy, never mind race a 1/2 marathon. The night before I had done my research and I knew that anything below 1:20:00 would potentially get me a 3rd place spot. This was obviously depending on who turned out on the day, with London and other marathons approaching, I was hoping for a small field and take it from there. I arrived on the morning feeling fresh and the legs felt good. As I pulled up onto the car park, Rob Danson was also pulling up, straight away I knew 2nd place would be my best finish. As I went to sign up, I recognised another face who I knew was a very good runner, 3rd place was going to be the highest I could finish. 3rd place it was then, I would go all out for this against the other runners. Thinking I had got away with sneaking to the race, I then saw Alison crossing the car park who was also part of Red Rose. I had been busted, Alison wasn't bothered I was running so we got a quick team photo for the fans.

With the race being a small one and only 90 people signed up, it was a quick warm up and stretch then straight to the start line. Off we went into a fairly strong headwind, the sun was out though so I was more than happy with the conditions. Setting off after the first mile places quickly started to take place. The two runners like I had predicted starting moving away from the crowd and I was left in 6th place. I knew it was going to be a battle for the next 12 miles so I settled into a pace that I was happy with, around 6:05 /mi, then it was up to the rest to maintain that pace until the end. Like never before after about 5k I found myself in a race with very similar runners to myself. I was loving it. I reached the 10k mark in about 37:20 which was fast and I still found myself in 6th place. At about 7 miles I made a bit of a move as the person in front was tiring, I managed to pass him quite easily even though he wasn't for letting me go. With 4th place not being to far head I felt comfortable that I would finish in the top 5 at least. As I approached 8 miles there was a long straight and from nowhere I could see 3rd place and he was slowing. I don't know if he had gone out too fast, was injured, I wasn't rightly bothered. He was now in my view and I was catching him at pace. I got a buzz I had never had before in a race, I could now possibly finish in the top 3 which I had never done before. Still with 5 miles left I had a lot of work to do but I was going for him. It was at the 10 mile mark it all changed, I went for a drink at the drinks station the from nowhere I found myself in 3rd. One of the guys had stopped and the other had slowed down massively. With 5k left I had to stay strong and keep pushing on. I had completed 10 miles in 1:00:34 which was the fastest I had run over that distance and I was feeling good. 3rd place didn't last that long as after about 1/2 mile I was caught and passed, it was then I just sat right next to him. My competitive instinct came in and I took up the line just to the left of the centre of the road. I knew this was flattest, with him being on the inside he was going to face potholes plus an uneven service as the previous 10 miles had been. We battled side by side until the 12 mile mark. I knew he was blowing and I was settled in to a good pace and had a lot left to give. I was confident in my ability to finish a race fast so I just had to stick with him. Still being side by side, just before the 13 mile marker I made my move and left him behind. After about 100 yards I checked behind and I had made up enough ground to relax as I approached the finish. I crossed the finish line in a time of 1:19:33, which was 21 seconds off my PB. I wasn't bothered about the time, I had finished 3rd. I raced the perfect race, even with a marathon in my legs was the week before, I still had enough to hold off some good runners. It wasn't my brightest idea running this race, I wasn't bothered though. I was well happy with my 3rd place spot in which I picked up £10, did I mention I finished 3rd? I had nearly beat my best 1/2 marathon time, I came out of the race injury free and full of confidence for the London marathon, all was looking good. A quick well done to Alison who finished 1st in her category and capped off a successful day for Red Rose.

14.04.2016 - Run #66 - 2.9 Miles - 20:43 - 6:58 /mi -  Easy 3 Miles
16.04.2016 - Run #67- 3.1 Miles - 20:15 - 6:30 /mi - CV parkrun
17.04.2016 - Run #68 - 13.1 Miles - 1:19:33 - 6:04 /mi - Vailiants 1/2 Marathon

Weekly Total - 19.1 Miles

Just to finish off and explain a few things on why I am doing these marathons and why I push myself all the time. Today being Wednesday 20th April, it was 10 years since I was diagnosed with cancer as a 17 year old boy. 10 years later being a 27 year old boy, I have an opportunity to prove to myself and others that you can push yourself further than you think. I never thought I would ever run a marathon, I am sat here now after running two 1/2 marathons and a full marathon within the space of 3 weeks. I had an appointment at The Christie hospital today, standard ECG, blood tests, general body checks etc. It was confirmed that I was fit and well and I would be around for at least another year until my next appointment. I don't get nervous about the appointments at all any more, it's part of my life. I will admit though there is that little part of me that thinks, 'what if?'. What if the test results don't come back negative? What if there is something wrong with me? What if it does return? These thoughts rarely come into my head but I am glad they do. It gives me all the motivation I need when I am running and it will keep pushing me until I reach my limits. In the Manchester marathon for example, 21 miles in and struggling. I knew that The Christie hospital had saved my life. With this only being about 5 miles down the road, it brought back a few memories which kept me occupied. Yes I was in pain, it could have been hell of a lot worse though. I soon began to enjoy the pain and actually take in race, remembering a few of the moments both good and bad. So my advice to anyone running a marathon or just any race in general. Yes at times it will hurt, you will struggle, you may not want to carry on at certain points. When these thoughts come around just think of the good times, take in the moment and realise what you are doing and why you are doing it. We all have our own stories and no one has any easy life, bad things and scenarios happen to all of us. Use these as motivation to push yourself and reach the goals you have set. For those running the London marathon, leave nothing on the course, give everything you have got, don't go out to quickly though.

Well Cheers for reading once again. London will soon be here and I have set myself a goal of beating my last time of 2:55:12 and I am looking at smashing this time if everything goes well. See you on the other side.

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Karl Hodgson

Mad March - Getting down to business

Mad March

Hi there, welcome back... again. Great to see you coming back and taking the time to read my blog once again. My last few blogs have been a little lengthy, I promise this one will be shorter than usual. I have actually caught up with my blog for a change, so I am writing events as they happen which makes it much easier for myself and means less reading for you guys.

Just to say a quick thanks for everyone who has sponsored me so far, I need a total of £500 and I am well on my way. It is all going to a great charity which helps disabled people and their carers have some time away from their usual routines, making new friends and creating memories.

Week 9 - Marathon Training

March for myself was a big month, I had races planned in that would test me in my lead up to both the Manchester and London Marathon. At the end of February I had clocked up 272.9 miles in 43 runs. Running every day last year, it took me until the end of March to reach this distance, so it shows the amount of time I was putting into the marathon training. However, I was dealt a bit of a blow at the beginning of March. I had caught the sickness bug which was going out and it had my pants down, literally. Usually weighing around 11st 3lbs, I ended up losing 10 lbs in 3 days and dropping to 10st 7lb. My training took a hit for about a week which I wasn't happy with, I was about 35 miles down on what I had planned. I had to move on from this quickly and gather myself for the weeks ahead.

29.02.2016 - Run #43 - 3.1 Miles - 22:38 - 7:15 /mi - Easy 5k
05.03.2016 - Run #44 - 3.4 Miles - 24:38 - 7:15 /mi - Easy 5k ish

Weekly Total - 6.5 Miles

Week 10 - Marathon Training

With now only 35 days until the Manchester marathon, I needed to get back to running some distance and getting back into the swing of things. With the Liverpool half marathon scheduled for the weekend, myself and Ste went out for a 10 mile run on the Monday. Ste was aiming for a Sub 1:40 time and myself a sub 1:22, which would give us both PB's. The Monday run we ran at a 7:34 /mi pace, which would take Ste well under the 1:40 mark for Liverpool. It was a successful run for the both of us, it got me back in the swing of things and gave Ste a great confidence boost. I told him that if he can run that pace over 10 miles on a training run then he can definitely break the 1:40 barrier. I wanted him to target 1:38 but he told me one step at a time, I let him off as his previous half PB was 1:41:42. The rest of the week I took things steady and worked my way back into the routine I had planned. The runs got easier, I did feel a little fatigued as my eating had taken a hit, was all god though. Cuerden Valley parkrun was back around before I knew it and I woke up feeling good. With it being my 50th run at CV, I was after a PB again, Mr competitive. I am a bit silly when it comes to my plans, having the Liverpool half the day after, I should have been taking it easy, what's the point when you can push yourself twice? It was a successful run and I took a whole second off my previous PB, finishing with a time of 18:27. I definitely had to work for this and it was the run I needed to give me confidence for the race tomorrow.

Liverpool soon arrived, after a good nights kip at Rob's house in Liverpool, myself Rob and Ste had a short 10 minute walk to the start line. This worked out so much better for myself, no need to travel in the morning and it gave me some extra time to wake up properly. Walking down to the start my legs felt heavy, don't know what it was but my legs didn't feel themselves. There was no pressure for the Liverpool half though, even though at the back of my mind with a sub 1:21 time I could possibly qualify for a good for age place in the NY marathon. No pressure whatsoever, the race was part of my marathon training and was a good test to see what pace I could sustain for half the distance. The plan for the day was for me and Ste to PB, didn't matter on the times really, faster the better. Rob had taken the Kenyan roll for the day and was pacing Ste round to a new PB, what a guy for taking the time to do this.

Ste's half PB - 1:41:42 - Last year at Liverpool - 1:44
My half PB - 1:25:12 - 1:22:54 on a training run in 2016

Race time was here, wishing Ste and Rob good luck I moved towards the front and think I got on the 4th row, near the men who would be running sub 1:10 races. I wanted to get a clear start so I didn't get held up, every second counts on a new PB. From what I knew, the course was flat except the first 2 miles, so my plan was to take the first 2 miles then steady, pick up the pace until 7 miles, steady from 7-10, then smash the last 5k with everything I had. To get sub 1:22, I had to run at 6:16 /mi, I had no idea if I could run that fast but time would soon tell. The race has started and my plan had gone out of the window after the first mile, 6:00 for the first mile, covering the first 3 miles in 18:01. I was feeling good and was involved with a group of 6/7 runners who pushed me a long. Through 6 miles I was at about 36:10 which I could believe, I was flying and still feeling really good. As my plan had gone anyway, In my head I just wanted to keep up with the pace I was running at. Even after 6 miles I knew I was a on for a big PB. I think at the 7th mile there was a drinks station, I took my drink but I saw another guy in our group had missed it. I kindly made a bit of an effort and caught him up and offered him the drink which he happily took. 30 seconds after he had overtaken me and was looking comfortable, the little burst took a bit out of my legs and was hoping I wouldn't regret it. My competitive side soon came into play, how could this man overtake me after I gave him a drink? He wasn't beating me, that was a fact. The next 4 miles went quick as I was focussed on sticking with this man and matched him for pace. The 10 mile marker went passed and I had it down as about 1:00:50, which would leave me a 21 minute 5k to get below 1:22:00. That wasn't an option now, sub 1:20 was the target if not faster and I was so happy inside. I was smashing it, faster than I ever thought. With there being a good group of us still the pace was still very good and it was picking up again. No-one has passed me since mile 5 and I was confidence of my finish.

 As I passed mile 12 I was on about 1:13:00, with just over a mile left I decided it was time to make my break. Within about 400 yards I had overtaken 3 people, the man who I had targeted was still 50 yards ahead and he was slowing, I had him and he didn't even know about it. I overtook another man and then with a couple 100 yards to the finish I flew past him and he had no response at all. Sprinting down the home straight I saw the clock turn 1:19:00 and I finished seconds after. I couldn't believe the timing but had little time to think about it at first. I went and collected my goody bag and then went back to watch Ste and Rob finish. At about 1:38 I saw Rob coming to the finish but no sign of Ste. I waited another couple of minutes but deep down I knew he hadn't run sower than 1:40. Walking back to the finish I was met by Rob who had finished in a time of 1:39, no sign of Ste. Eventually catching up with him, he had left Rob earlier on and picked up the pace. Finishing time for Ste was 1:33:36... We had both SMASHED to hell out of the Liverpool half. I had taken 3:50 off my best half and Ste over 8 minutes - He told me 6 days before 1:38 was unrealistic for him. As he was running at least a mile a day for 2016, you could clearly tell the fitness he had gained and he was only going to get faster. It was great to see someone improving so fast, it was exactly what I did last year and now he's on his way to great things. As for myself, I had smashed my PB, finished 38th out of 4825 runners, had given myself an opportunity to apply for the NY marathon in 2017. Liverpool was a successful trip and I was more confident than I had ever been going into my marathons now. My target for 2016 was the reach sub 1:22:00 - Smashed this in the first 3 months of 2016 - It was also Ste's 28th Birthday, happy birthday and all that.

07.03.2016 - Run #45 - 10 Miles - 1:15:49 - 7:34 /mi - Steady 10 Miles

08.03.2016 - Run #46 - 3.1 Miles - 18:27 - 5:55 /mi - Steady 5k

10.03.2016 - Run #47 - 5 Miles - 29:41 - 5:56 /mi - Steady 5 Miles

10.03.2016 - Run #47 - 1 Mile - 6:30 - Warm Down

12.03.2016 - Run #48 - 3.1 Miles - 18:27 - 5:56 - CV parkrun - New PB

13.03.2013 - Run #49 - 13.1 Miles - 1:19:04 - 6:02 /mi - New PB

Weekly Total - 36.3 Miles

Week 11 - Marathon Training

After a hard run on the Sunday I thought I would treat myself to a Monday off, it wasn't part of the plan but I allowed this. It had taken a lot out of me the day before so I had to refuel and rehydrate for the upcoming training.

My main aim for the week was to stay fit for Sunday, it was the Trimpell 20 race, 20 miles around Lancaster which would be a nice little tester a few weeks before the marathon. Leading up to this I did an easy 5k and 12 miles with the mighty RRRR. I had been a member for nearly 12 months and I had never been to a Thursday run at the poachers. Poor on my behalf really. I thoroughly enjoyed the outing as it was nice to ease of the pace a little bit. When I go out on my own I always push myself and very rarely take it easy. It was a great change to have a chat with fellow club members at a nice steady pace. Cleared up a few things on the marathon side and talked about the upcoming year and doing well for the club. I will make sure once the marathon training is over I make more of an effort to get involved with the people that help run the club and keep it going. As always, Saturday was here and it was parkrun time again. With the 20 miler in mind, I said to myself I would take it easy, I didn't. I set another PB with a time of 18:26, 1 second faster than the previous weeks and 4 PB's on the trot. I had to work very hard for that 1 second but it was progress still. Now onto the biggy, Trimpell 20. I had been looking forward to this for weeks. I had prepared well and it was going to be a great test just a few weeks before my marathon. After my really good half marathon the week before, I really didn't know what time I could achieve in race conditions. I had been through my plan and thought it through for the past week or so. My aim wasn't to run as fast as I could for 20 miles, it was to make it to 20 miles in a good pace and still have a lot left for the last 10k.

 If I could run 20 miles in between the times of 2:05 and 2:15, that would leave me a lot of time to play with come the last 10k. Thing is, I don't think I have ever stuck to any of my plans before so this was going to be a challenge on its own. Race time was here and it was time to get the legs moving. It was a very nice day, nice and fresh with a bit of a breeze but nothing too much. It was a quick start and the first mile I ran in 6:06, straight away I knew I had gone off to quick. I slowed it own straight away and settled into a pace of around 6:20 /mi. It took me a few miles to settle in but by mile 5 I was feel good about the day and already 1/4 in. I had covered the 5 miles in about 31:30 so was a really good pace. As for the past few races, I had been a similar pace to a certain Robert Walsh. As you can see in the photo he was ahead of me from the start. Robert is a really strong runner and I knew if I was close to him I was on for a good time for sure. The miles seem to fly by and before I knew it I was at the 10 mile marker. I had covered the distance in 1:03:27 which worked out 6:21 /mi. So half way through I was well on for my target time and feeling good. The course had been pretty flat so far and I knew there was more of a challenge in the 2nd half of the course. It was at about the 10 mile mark I eventually caught up with Robert and we ended up running together and pushing each other on. It was great to have him running next to me as he dragged me through some bad times. I wasn't struggling physically but at about the 14 mile mark we did a 180 degree turn and at this point I just started to waver for about a minute or so. Straight back into it I cracked on and kept up the good pace which was round 6:30 /mi. At about the 16 mile mark one of Rob's fellow club runner was coming up to the 12 mile mark the other way and he had shouted that we was in 25th/26th place. Straight away, literally seconds after I had eyed up the competition in front and was working out when I would be overtaking them. As long as no-one came past me I knew I could squeeze into the top 20. This kept me focused and no matter what distance I run I always have a strong finish. Some of the people ahead of me had already passed me earlier in the race, at speed, so I had a feeling I would be stronger over the last 2 miles.

Decision made, at the 18 mile mark I would make a break and step up the pace. At the 18 mile mark I was at about 1:55:35 so I knew I had run well so far and had a lot left in my legs. I started to make the break and overtook 3 people on the 19th mile which I ran in 6:35, pretty steady I thought. I kept working on the runners ahead and I was closing in on them towards the finish. What I had forgotten about was the horrific hill back up to the finish which was inside Lancaster Castle. I made a dash up the hill pushing hard and caught another 2 people and nearly caught a 3rd but just ran out of ground. I didn't know at the time but I had made the top 20 with a finish time of 2:09:12 - 6:28 /mi. I was more than happy with this, yes I had pushed myself at parts but I felt like I had quite a lot left in the tank. This pace would leave me over 50 minutes for the last 10k on marathon day. Overall a very successful day and with 3 weeks to the Manchester marathon I was feeling good about it all. A sub 3 marathon was well on the cards, this would qualify for a good for age place opening the door to London, Boston, New York and Chicago for future marathons.

15.03.2016 - Run #50 - 3.2 Miles - 22:32 - 7:02 /mi - Easy 5k

17.03.2016 - Run #51 - 11.4 Miles - 1:41:27 - 8:52 /mi - RRRR run

19.03.2016 - Run #52 - 3.1 Miles - 18:26 - 5:56 /mi - CV parkrun - New PB

20.03.2016 - Run #53 - 20 Miles - 2:09:12 - 6:28 /mi - Trimpell 20 - New PB

Weekly Total - 37.7 Miles

Week 12 - Marathon Training

With Manchester now 3 weeks away, it was time to begin the tapering process. I had read so much on how tapering will give you the best marathon results and it's better going into a marathon well rested than fatigued, which makes obvious sense. Being honest, yes I had followed some sort of marathon plan but I had pretty much blagged the past 12 weeks of training. Never the less I was blagging it well and was confident in my body and had a great mind set approaching the final few weeks. Over the period so far I had listened to peoples views on marathons and how they train. Everyone has a different view and it's great to pick up tips from each individual. Some people swear by the 3 weeks taper, as well as the magazines, which I should listen to really. Other people have said listen to your own body, if you're running well then why stop. I find myself as a confidence runner, if I am improving, running well, legs feeling good, then I would happily run all day long. This being the first set of marathons I have trained for, I am willing to make my own mistakes and learn from them. In the long run it will make me a better runner and going through certain experiences will only make me stronger. Not that I had made any real mistakes yet, I was prepared to though. Saying this, the taper was put on hold to an extent as the 3rd RRRR Championship race was scheduled in for Easter Friday. It was going to be a nice little trip to Calder Vale for a hilly 10 mile race. I spent the week resting up quite well after Trimpell as it had taken a little bit out of me, the rest was needed as Calver Vale was going to be a tough race. Race day soon arrived and it was time to head north. Traffic being a nightmare a lot of runners missed out on the start of the race and some missed out all together. I had also struggled getting there but I got there 10 minutes before the start. Trainers on, a quick jog to get my bib number and it was time to race. It wasn't the best prep at all but was my own fault. With there being a great turn out from RRRR again with some very good runners, I was going to have to work hard to maintain my good work. I knew before the race that I had competition from Duncan and Simon so had to run well to keep up with them. Race underway, I had a good start, this did help with the first 2 miles being down hill. The first 2 miles I covered in 5:39 and 5:27, I knew this was too fast.

After mile 2, the elevation started to kick in and at this point I was regretting the fast start. With some major hills to come I knew I was going to have to work. It did help at first by the fact Simon and Duncan were by my side and 3 Red Rosers were occupying 4th, 5th and 6th place and running strong. For the next couple of miles we kept as a trio and ran well, think it was about mile 5ish that Duncan made a break and start powering off up the hills. I think the fact me and Simon had run Trimpell we was both still recovering from that run 5 days earlier, even though Duncan had cycled 18 miles to the race. Anyhow, the hills started to get to me and I could feel my thighs burning and definitely working over time. Some of the hills were just silly, over 10% gradient, it felt like I was walking up them at times. It as a good feeling that after mile 7 a nice little down hill section appeared from nowhere which I was delighted to see. Me and Simon still pretty much neck and neck, I could still see Duncan a head. I had worked out he was about 45 seconds ahead at the 7.5 mile mark. I clocked him run past a car and timed it until I got there. These are the tactics I use in races sometimes, I told you I am not competitive at all. At mile 8 it was back up hill again and I had no power left to drive up, at this point Simon made a move and went passed me, I had no answer at all as I was spent. It lasted for about half a mile but he had already gained some good distance on me and it was going to be hard to claw it back. From what I knew it was all down hill for the rest of the race so it was going to be a good finish. I had covered mile 8 and 9 in 5:53 then 5:57. I was about 15 seconds behind Simon and about 40 behind Duncan at the end of mile 9. With only the 1 mile left, it was time to put my foot down and see if I could possibly catch either of them. I was moving fast over the last mile but didn't have enough to catch them. Duncan finished in 4th with 1:01:12, Simon 5th with 1:01:22 and myself 6th with 1:01:35.

It was a strong from all  3 of us and we had definitely won the men's team prize with those finishes. Was a great team run from the 3 but on the day I didn't have enough to keep up with them. My time of 1:01:35 averaged at 6:10 /mi which I was very happy with considering it was at least 750ft of elevation. Gave me a lot of confidence for other 10 mile races knowing I would be able to give it a good shot at running it under an hour. As well as the men's prize the mighty RRRR won about another 4/5 categories and several other individual prizes. Overall another great day out, 3 points towards my Championship quest but I knew there was a lot more work to be done to keep up with the big boys of running. Saturday saw me back at parkrun for a change, I was there but my legs didn't want to be. I ran a time of 19:23 and that was all out. With the tough race the day before my legs definitely didn't want to play ball and kept me from climbing hills any sort of speed. It was a good leg loosener and was great to be able to relax a bit and smile for a photo for a change. Sunday I had a day off as I classed the 10 miler as my long run for the week, also the small matter of tapering as well.

23.03.2016 - Run #54 - 6.2 Miles - 39:53 - 6:25 /mi - Steady 10k

24.03.2016 - Run #55 - 3 Miles - 22:09 - 7:21 /mi - Easy 3 mile

25.03.2016 - Run #56 - 10 Miles - 1:01:35 - 6:10 /mi - Calder Vale 10

26.03.2016 - Run #57 - 3.1 Miles - 19:23 - 6:14 /mi - CV parkrun

Weekly Total - 24 Miles

So with 12 weeks now done and dusted, I now had 14 days until the Manchester marathon and 28th days until London as well. I was very pleased with my progress and was training really well. I was most definitely the fittest I had ever been I was really looking forward to smashing both marathons in under 3 hours. I never find training an issue, I enjoy every part of it. Pushing myself hard and having to keep disciplined for sure. I have stayed away from drink for most of the year and this has kept me in good shape. I do not miss the hangovers at all but I am really looking forward to having a good night out after London, until then, I have to keep my head and stay strong. As you know I have been battling with smoking since February and smoking has taken over again which has disappointed me big time. I think it was the day before the Liverpool 1/2 marathon, I bought a pack for some reason and smoked 5 of them the day before the race. I then went and ran the fastest I had ever run which in my mind gave me a reason to then smoke the remainder of the cigarettes. To cut a very long story short, I was back smoking from the 13th March until the 29th March... 16 days of 3/4/5 a day and I was officially back smoking. How could I be so stupid? I was running well and getting better ever day, one good result and my mentality changed and I became cocky again. It definitely played a part in some of the races recently, especially Trimpell and Calder Vale. I will once again learn from my mistakes. Typing this on Sunday 3rd April, I have now done 6 days without cigarettes and I am feeling good about it all. Really hoping I can stay strong and resist the urge. With 2 marathons coming up I need to stay focused, if I want to reach my long term goals I need to change this way of life.

Well thanks for reading again - Manchester and London will soon be coming up and I am ready to smash both of them.

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