A Week In Running

Longer than a week in Politics? Who knows. Anyway, things have picked up lately, and as mentioned in Alex’s Post, I completed Taunton after taking his advice on running without a watch, all I focused on was finishing in my own time, no mean feat after my personal disaster at Hogweeds Hilly…

So, I plodded round in 2.24, yep, no record breaker but after recent form I’m just pleased to have 13.1 miles under my belt. Taunton Half itself is a pleasant run with a field of approx 1500 plus a further smaller field running two laps to complete a Marathon at the same time. The course is undulating, country lanes, but crowd and marshall friendly. The field is more from the other side of Taunton, but I did spot a few Bristol vests and faces, and lets give a big up for Trinity Booth of Thornbury RC, my local club, who finished 2nd F45 and 5thF overall in the Marathon with 3.37, and the omnipresent Dave Wintle of Hogweed Trotters, as mentioned in these pages before who clocked a Marathon time of 3.32.

I had better mention how I had to blow out the Forest of Dean Trails Half Marathon as I was on a big march in London the day before, you may have heard about it, but that’s a whole other blog! Anyway, it was a very long day, early up and late back, and given the aforementioned bad hilly half run I didn’t feel right so focused on further training before Taunton.  

Which brings me up to date with the 2nd Ashton Court Parkrun trial on Saturday, a need for volunteers meant I went along to Marshall with my Wife Tina, and there was approx 27 runners this time, all sorts, ages and abilities, on a lovely Spring Morning. After starting down by the Mansion House the runners headed up past the deer park, up past the golf course, and the 2.5k turnaround where I stood and gave encouragement to the friendly field. It’s then downhill and back to the Mansion House finish. Most enjoyable, and I look forward to having a crack at the stiff course when I’m ready.

I then took the opportunity to make it a long run home, so headed from Ashton Court to home at lower lower Almondsbury (better known as the Peoples Republic of Patchway!!) fyi I took as straight a flat line as I could, never easy here thanks to them Romans(!) and ran over the Suspension Bridge (lovely) past the Zoo and the Downs (nice) and took in Kellaway Ave and Filton Rd out to the A38 and kept going to finish down at Thornbury High St. It went ok, I took in drink stops along the way as hate carrying drinks, just carry change for when needed, it was a warm sunny day but with a breeze, I kept in the shade where I could but got hot and dehydrated after 2 hours of running, by which time it was midday, 2 -3 hours is never easy, but crucial Marathon build-up training. I made it to Thornbury in 2 hours 45 for 15 miles taking in those stops, disappointed it was only 15 miles but well chuffed to have built my stamina back up - thanks to Taunton, I do love Half Marathons and feel they are a base for so many levels of running.   

Refreshed with drinks but leg weary I thought I’d try and get the bus back up those few miles home, so asked the driver how far my remaining £1.70 would get me, not far it turned out, the bus fare was £3.85 up the road, so I had no choice but to start walking, and headed back up the hill, where something really nice happened; the Driver stopped and let me on anyway! It was a lovely moment, and I took to my seat feeling like Dustin Hoffman in the Graduate when he’d got the girl, smiling to myself I mused on a great day at Ashton Court meeting fellow minded volunteers, marshalls and runners, and the kindness of the Bus Driver. And you know what…? We keep hearing about developing a big society, whatever that means, but days like these tell me we already are Dave, we already are. Happy running!          

The Art of Falling Apart

Hi folks. ‘Fess up time. I had a REALLY bad run at a Half Marathon this Sunday.

I went along to the Hogweed Hilly Half in good spirits. It was a lovely Sunday morning, and it’s always nice to just turn up and run at these more intimate local events. The atmosphere was great, with lots of smiling helpful people from Hogweed Trotters.   

However, there was a cloud on my horizon, knowing this would be a challenging race where the word ‘undulating’ lived up to its billing. I was more nervous before a race than I’ve been in a while. So I lined up at the start with some trepidation, with approx 250 runners; many in club vests from far and wide.

We all set off at a pretty good pace. I settled at the back as usual, and even at the back the first mile was sub 10 minutes, faster than I expected. In a relatively small field I wasn’t expecting that. And then came the first major hill, and I was in trouble.

Given my ‘bitty’ current training and condition, it all got too much for me, my legs and my head were pumping lactic and negative thoughts as quickly as I was breathing and struggling. I laboured on, with the sweeper car behind me for company, and even made ground back up and overtook on the downhills.

But by mile and hill four I was all out, and gone mentally. I stopped, unpinned my number, and walked back to the sweeper car, declining a lift. I then walked back to the start/finish, answering quizzical looks regards injury with ‘no, just my pride’. Bob Bell the smashing Hogweed Secretary consoled me regards DNF’s (Did Not Finish) as I passed, along with the lovely people at the baggage store, as I explained how I felt.

So I left, not stopping this year for a finishing reward of a cake from the village hall - I passed go, but did not pass finish. Sorry Hogweed Hilly, hope to be back, I’ve run and enjoyed you before, but need to get back to that shape.

What now? Well, that afternoon I took 2 boxes of beer round to my Parents: I’m going on the wagon, and started a diet yesterday, nothing too silly but I’ve got to turn this around, and some self-discipline has to play a part. I went out for a ‘recovery’ run tonight and plodded seven miles on easier roads. I wouldn’t say it was good, but I kept going. My goals remain the same, but I realise getting there is going to be some challenge this time, and when I line up at the start of my next Marathon, my first goal will be to finish.

Finally, my thanks and regards to Hogweed Trotters and their marshals, and a salute to the 243 who finished the Hilly Half, I hope to get my name back amongst you soon, and in the meantime I salute every single one of you as Winners.

Bristol runner to tackle 10 marathons in 10 days

Just saw this article in the Bristol Evening Post website:

Bristol runner to tackle 10 marathons in 10 days

It’s about Dave Wintle of Hogweed Trotters.

Good luck, Dave!

Would you Muggle that

As promised I entered the Mini Muggle today, a Hogweed Trotter event, this was the second year of the Hogweed Muggles, and although they are still in their infancy these races have a lot of promise. They run three races in one day which range between 5 and 16 miles of multi terrain.

My race went better than I thought and I can only take positives out of today, ok I didn’t win the Mini Muggles but I came second but I did lead the race up until the last 1/2 mile, when I was overtaken by Anthony Glover, who although runs for Westbury Harriers, ran for his 2nd claim club Hogweeds. Anthony has been running well all year and todays win was his second in just over a week. The positive thing is that I only finished 24 seconds behind him, which after a week and a half of training after a bad chest infection in which my lungs are still not 100% but I finished second on a multi terrain course I haven’t ran off road for a year and a half.

I am now totally enthused and can’t wait to go training again tomorrow, not sure what to run tomorrow I will wait to see what my legs feel like.

Soon, I will publish my training programme and will report against it, along with the highs and lows of balancing this off with a young family.

Oh and before I forget congratulations to Simon Laraway who finished 3rd behind Anthony and I.