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Obsessive Ramblings » Entries tagged with "Race"

The Battle of Wounded Hip

August 22nd, 2010 | 16 Comments

It was bound to happen, but at least I am now in good company. Many, if not most of the top ultrarunners in the world have suffered defeat at the hands of their instrument of success – Scott Jurek, Dean Karnazes, Anton Krupicka……. It has to be expected and accepted as a normal part of such an extreme sport that not everything will go right all the time. I had felt no more nervous about this race, … Read entire article »

Filed under: Events

Bogs, bracken and the night of a thousand steps

July 25th, 2010 | 7 Comments

I had lost count of the number of times I wanted to abandon this race. In fact, I could hardly believe, after suffering exhaustion in the early hours of Saturday morning, such that I was falling asleep as I was running (not advisable) and also after later in the afternoon lying down on my own in the middle of an exposed fellside for forty winks as it was starting to rain (definitely not advisable!), that I … Read entire article »

Filed under: Events, Running

Recovery Weeks

July 11th, 2010 | 1 Comment

The last couple of weeks have been a mix of recovery, endurance maintenance and speedwork in the form of a short race. After the Cotswolds race, I had no choice but to rest for a couple of days; my quads were stiff from the sustained exertion, and at times, especially in my left quad, I felt a worryingly sharp pain. By the Wednesday following though, my feet were sufficiently twitchy for me to don my trainers once again and pound the streets of London. Talk about slow. … Read entire article »

Filed under: Running, Training

Cotswold 100 mile UltraRace

June 26th, 2010 | 8 Comments

When you are running through the stillness of the English countryside at 2:00 in the morning after a perfect summer’s day, chasing a full moon with nothing but the bats and badgers, foxes and fireflies to keep you company, there is a lot of time to think and enjoy the views and the imposed solitude of the environment. So I was more surprised than anything that I found myself concentrating mostly on getting food and sickly … Read entire article »

Filed under: Events, Running

Fear and loathing

June 18th, 2010 | 3 Comments

One week to go. My last couple of weeks have been easy by comparison to the peak of my training schedule, but there is nothing better than having reached and passed that point without having sustained an injury. Nevertheless I have to keep telling myself it’s alright to have a rest, as I feel a bit lazy, a bit of a ‘slacker’ having only completed a minimal 50 miles last week and with only a paltry 30 miles planned this week I will need all the rest I can get as the races I am attempting are only four weeks apart, so with a recovery week after each (to let feet and legs, body and mind recuperate) and a taper week before each race, that does not leave … Read entire article »

Filed under: Psychology, Running

On the Positive Side

April 25th, 2010 | 8 Comments

At least this time the trains were running on time. After six years, I had finally got a place in the London Marathon AND managed not to have to defer or cancel through illness or injury. Just. I am convinced 90% of the battle with racing is actually getting to the start line, and this I achieved, albeit with a reduced level of confidence in my ability due to a foot problem I had picked up 3 weeks previously (see ‘The final days’). So although not in perfect form and having had three weeks without any form of training to speak of, I was at least on my way to line up at the start. I met up with John at Guildford station and we had little trouble with the trains, unlike Reading, … Read entire article »

Filed under: Events, Running

Better than I expected

March 26th, 2010 | 2 Comments

Expectations are a funny thing. Sometimes we get exactly what we expect because we are so focused on all the different facets of an event, such as maintaining a certain pace at all costs, that it becomes the objective to fulfil and realise those facets. The alternate approach is to aim for something far more woolly and generic like ‘doing your best’ and while that certainly has it’s place, it is far less tangible and so more difficult to focus on. The danger is that if you set your expectations too low, set them conservatively, then you may never realise your full potential. It is a constant dilemma, in life as well as running, to determine the goals for which you should be aiming. At the Reading Half Marathon last year, I ran … Read entire article »

Filed under: Events, Running

London Ultra 50k

February 13th, 2010 | 3 Comments

My expectations were high for what was to be my first race of the year, but so, correspondingly, were my nerves and both contributed to an abnormal level of insomnia the night before the race, as I replayed the positive imagery of crossing the finish line fresh and fast, over in my mind from a million different perspectives. Nevertheless, as a seasoned racer I more or less fully prepared the night before and although the alarm call at 5:50am was rather unwanted, it was actually a completely unstressed journey all the way to Streatham Common. Nearly 200 people didn’t seem to take up as much space as I expected at the top of the hill, but thankfully I didn’t have to wait too long in the cold for Rory Coleman (the race … Read entire article »

Filed under: Events

Plan C in all it’s glory

January 25th, 2010 | 1 Comment

Well with all the frustrations of the last month or so of rejection, time was slipping away and so a decision was needed quickly for training sake on the plan for the year. So here goes. Saturday Feb 13 – London Ultra 50k – 31.1 miles Run around part of the Capital ring from Streatham Common to Wembley, via Tooting Bec Common, Wandsworth Common, Wimbledon Park, Richmond Park, Twickenham, Syon Park, Brentford and Brent Valley, Perivale Park, Harrow Park and Northwick Park before heading to Wembley. The 31.1 miles is described as covering a variety of terrain, including pavement, tarmac, grass, mud and gravel and is undulating, although I can’t imagine it will be anything like ‘hilly’ and downright ‘flat’ in comparison to some of the mountainous races I have planned! Sunday March 21 – … Read entire article »

Filed under: Running

A Good Year

December 31st, 2009 | Comments Off

2009 ended up being another good year. Many new experiences with the Marathon des Sables still long in the future, but in the end the new experiences were so much more than just ‘make-weights’ on the journey back to Morocco. February – 3 peaks John always goes to walk the 3 peaks in Yorkshire on the last weekend in February with friends. A long standing tradition of his and this year I joined him on his tour of Whernside, Pen-y-Ghent and Ingleborough. No running involved at this stage, but a good practice out in the elements, 24 miles with a good 2000m ascent on the circuit. March – Reading Half PB As part of my training for London, I normally add a half marathon or two to test myself, but it had been some years … Read entire article »

Filed under: Running