Race for Life

Went for a run yesterday and got as far as Cirencester Park. With regular runs throughout 2011, I'm at least building some sort of base without overstretching myself: started with five minute jogs then a couple of months at 10-15 minutes a couple of times a week; now can manage up to 30 mins although mostly easy runs around 15-20 mins only. No real change healthwise as everything hurts from head to Achilles, but weight still dropping slowly and it's so lovely just to be able to run.

In the park I stumbled across a mass of pink as (mainly) ladies gathered for the 5km Race for Life. One small group of half a dozen were congregated behind one of the park's many stone follies; as I reached them I realised they were having a smoke before the race. Killing themselves whilst trying to save others, a juxtaposition if ever there was one. My first reaction was what idiots they were but then I decided that their outing was pretty impressive and deserved of praise. Would like to know what time they ran and what state they were in at the end, mind.

Talking of smokers, a promised mention for Sue Soar, the aunt of one of my oldest mates Rob Wise (I once took 5-14 as we skittled his U14 school team out for about 30, although he insists that he cover drove me to the boundary, about as likely as Rob managing to run as well as he talks about running [he's a scholar on the sport and would make a great coach]). Sue was born in 1939 and although she's run for many years, was a smoker until just three years ago. Since turning 70 she has run two marathons - both in her home town of Brighton - ranking top FV70 in the country in 2010 with 4.23.36 and to date 2nd nationally this year with 4.35.16 on a scorching hot day. As with Ed Whitlock in Canada (see previous blogs), Sue's running is based on lots of lsd (long steady distance) either on Brighton's seafront or on the beautiful South Downs overlooking the town. That's the way to do it.

Lifestyle

My dad was a chef and concocted some wonderful meals at home (as did mum!). I love good food & fine wine but when cooking, especially if it's just for myself as was the case recently when Claudie went off to France, the pleasure gained from eating the meal seems disproportionate to the time taken preparing it (and then clearing up afterwards). It's the same in the garden: loads of hard work planting, weeding, watering, all for a plant to flower for a few days before wilting - or in my case last night when cutting the lawn, slicing the top off the tulip - and then not flowering again for another 12 months. We usually get a wonderful array of colours in early May before an Atlantic front storms in bringing wind and heavy rain and flattening everything in the garden. It all seems rather futile putting the work in.

The reality, of course, is that if you stick to the cooking and spend lots of time in the garden week in week out, year after year, then the evidence is clear for all to see beyond the occasional banquet of flowering bed of tulips or plate of fine cuisine: a consistently high quality kitchen / garden. The exact same scenario exists in running. To be successful - however that is judged - a distance runner needs to be patient, run lots of miles and think long term. How do you get to the top at snooker? Spend hours every day playing frame after frame. Who gets to play at the Masters golf? Someone who plays every day for years on end hitting thousands of shots. It's simple, to paraphrase Steve Cram: if you want to be a better runner, run more miles.

It frustrates me enormously that people profess to want to improve as runners yet are not willing to learn from what we old codgers did 30 years ago when standards were so much higher. In basic terms we all worked out what routine was best for us, stuck to that routine throughout the year (letting nothing get in the way of it), and got on with some solid consistent week on week training with lots of racing. I raced virtually every week but plenty of these were just what runners today call tempo runs. This picture is from the Ranelagh ½ Marathon in 1984 where I started very steadily, enjoyed some banter with clubmates and ran round in 71 mins, taking four minutes out of Mike McClachlan, seen here with me at five miles. As ever a few pints were quaffed in the evening.

We also all had a perception of what was considered a decent time; today's runners need to raise their own beliefs so that they can run much faster times.

Thankfully, at Cirencester there is now a group of a dozen or so runners developing quite well. We've done some winter sessions as a group and by running together and pushing & encouraging each other beyond the comfort zone, improvements are coming. We finished the winter with a tough 30 minute paurlauf on the manicured lawns of the Royal Agricultural College, it might be my last session with the club but at least it's one that gives me belief that there is hope for the future of the sport.

Last October I wrote about my old Ranelagh colleague Ed Whitlock. Last Sunday he broke the world V80 marathon record with 3.25.40 in Rotterdam, yes he's 80 years old. In London this weekend only 10% of the field will beat this time. There's no great secret with Ed, he just loves running, goes out every day (generally laps of the local graveyard rather ironically) for long steady runs. He has no special diet, never has a massage and has had Achilles problems for many years (know the feeling!).

It's a lifestyle decision.

Blackheath

Conditions were at their traditional best for the Blackheath mob match. In my 37 years (143 races) of mobs, only one has been cancelled due to the weather, the fixture at Blackheath in January 1987 after blizzards had swept across the country (just looked up the www: apparently 12-14th January 1987 was the coldest spell of weather in southern England since 1740). Two years earlier another mob at Blackheath had to be severely shortened due to heavy, drifting snow, although it didn't put people off as a near record 187 toed the line (Simon Collingridge and I came home equal first after 40 mins of very heavy going). It's hard to believe health & safety allowing races to go ahead in such conditions these days! (A week after that race I ran in the M25 '10' before the motorway opened and in a blizzard; every time I drive along the Leatherhead section I remember what was a very tough, hilly course.)


Anyway, there was no snow this year on the toughest of the mob courses, but plenty of the wet stuff - the course was a quagmire. I had to dig out my Helly Hansen off roaders rather than rely on the comfort of standard trainers. This was a bit of a worry for the Achilles. Despite no semblance of any fitness I had a plan and it worked relatively well. The race started with a half mile circuit of a hilly field before needing to climb a stile (the first of many on the course) leading to narrow footpaths and open countryside. This always causes a bottleneck so, a bit like all those idiots who go off far too fast in the London Marathon so that they can be on tv, I went off at a pace which was in no way commensurate to my rightful place in the field. It worked as I got field position and was able to keep up with those around me before the hills inevitably slowed my progress. It was a bit depressing being overtaken by so many but my strategy of walking the many hills and running the relatively flat stages got me a place in the top half of the field. I certainly couldn't have hoped for any better. The steep downhills actually caused me the most problems, the pounding being no good at all for Achilles and abdomen. On my last outing on this course I was 3rd overall and 13 minutes faster ... but it was very muddy this year!

A number of old clubmates not seen for quite a while appeared: Gordon Whitson from Athens, Paul Keen (Sheffield), John Pratt and Neil Walford (Brighton), so it was quite a sociable occasion in Blackheath's magnificent clubhouse as we talked, supped a beer (after eating enormous runners cakes) and watched some six nations rugby on tv.

Finally this time, with London Marathon just round the corner I recently stumbled upon this great quote from Jerome Drayton, a top Canadian marathoner (2:09) from the 60's: "to describe the agony of a marathon to someone who's never run it is like trying to explain colour to someone who was born blind."

Weight loss at last

Latest health bulletin on this ailing ex-athlete has a slightly more positive bent to it. Since Christmas I have lost 11lbs. Without going on a diet, I have cut out all the rubbish snacks, toast & jam in the morning and second helpings of dinner. I also didn't drink at all in January and since starting back am only doing so in moderation, concentrating on quality not quantity. Thus just quaffing fine Burgundy & Claret from France, Spanish Gran Reserva and Italian Barolo at meal times. Also generally leaving the calorie busting beer alone, although had a rather tasty 7º proof Belgian beer (just the one) in Holland last week and a fine pint of Timothy Taylor's with Andy Bradley in Derbyshire today.

I have also been running, no great distances but regular outings that create structure and routine which the body likes. Built up over January to regular 15-20 minute potters four times a week. This only gives 10 miles a week but is at least a start. In true Paul Barlowesque fashion my mileage has built up in tiny incremental increases but this appears to be working. In Holland last week (now that's what I call a sand dune) I managed a 41 minute easy run with Michelle after her 10km win and since then have had the confidence to do two 30 minute efforts. My injury woes have not disappeared - my Achilles is so bad that about an hour after each run, and for the rest of the day, I am limping despite a cold shower and ice, and I've still got abdominal pains and joint issues - but I see my priority right now to reduce my weight and therefore the pressure on my pins. Maybe then the eccentric exercises I do to ease the Achilles will start to work. I also have the small issue of a mob match on Blackheath's brute of a course this Saturday.
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One of the great pleasures of being running fit and healthy is to be able to eat & drink without any worries; this is what I aspire to. As Haruki Murakami wrote in his book, What I talk about when I talk about Running:
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"if you live in Boston, Samuel Adams draft beer and Dunkin' Donuts are essentials of life. I discovered to my delight that even these indulgences can be offset by persistent exercise."
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Sounds good to me. I still have a long way to go having put on well in excess of two stone, but a start has been made and I'm confident that I can now complete another full mob match season on Saturday.

Olympic stadium

A hot potato if ever there was one; I guess it's time I put in my sixpence worth although most readers probably won't like it. Sadly, politics and money get in the way once again.

To go back to square one, the 2012 Olympics should not have been handed to London, they should have gone to Paris where most of the infrastructure was already in place and the total cost would have been within some sort of proportion. The UK Government now has a noose around its neck; it's committed to supplying a fully (i.e. over) funded Games whilst putting the population through severe austerity measures. All for the sake of three weeks sport. As could easily have been predicted when the budget figures were quoted at the time of bidding, the cost of staging this jamboree will be billions above estimate, money that could have been used around the country to fund grass roots sport. Everybody knew that would be the case but of course once the winner was announced it was too late to go back on it. Yes, there will be some regeneration in the East End of London, not before time, but this could have been done at a fraction of the cost of staging the Olympics. Why the excitement at staging the Games? I would far rather hop across to Paris than struggle to Stratford, that's if I could get a ticket. I find it incredible that the British Athletics Supporters Club, who travel all over the world to watch their beloved sport, are not getting any preferential treatment in terms of ticket allocation. How many true athletics (or cycling, swimming, boxing etc) fans will get to see their favoured events?

In a previous blog I've said what I think about the marathon not finishing inside the stadium. Appalling decision.

The bid team apparently promised that there would be an athletics legacy at the Olympic stadium. Well, they have reneged on most things so one more won't matter. Spurs or West Ham? All the top athletes, uk:athletics and other influential people have stated that there can be no argument about which bid to accept, it has to be West Ham's because the stadium must retain an athletics track. Thankfully, one or two of the more intelligent people on this planet - Brian Moore and John Bicourt for example (I know intelligence is all relative) - disagree; I'm on their side. Do the athletes think that they'll be able to turn up and train at the stadium any day of the week? If so they are away with the fairies. Athletics will be the poor relation to football. It will be a football stadium which allows athletics as a secondary sport on some occasions. From an athletics point of view the stadium will become a white elephant.

Why not take Spurs' money and build a brand new stadium solely for the use of athletics? It can become a centre of excellence and be used on a regular basis. Spurs propose to rebuild Crystal Palace. Sounds good but as someone who has travelled there on numerous occasions I think I speak for the majority when I say that it's in the wrong place! As with Wembley (another white elephant) and Twickenham, why do we insist on building these massive stadiums in built-up areas? In America most stadia are built right by major highways. My choice would be just outside the M25 corridor, maybe adjoining the M40. This would still be known as a London arena (important for the perception of foreigners); be a short drive from Heathrow and be easily accessible from all parts of the country via the motorway system. I rest my case.

Bill Snelgrove

Via Jerry Watson's facebook page I was shocked to learn the tragic news that my old friend Bill Snelgrove has died at the age of 54. He had a stroke in Sydney, Australia having been down there watching the Ashes cricket. This is awful news, Bill was a lovely bloke and someone I had known for 30 years. We shared common interests - cricket, running, beer - so always had lots to talk about even though we didn't see each other very often in recent times.

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Bill ran for Thames Hare & Hounds, great rivals of Ranelagh - Thames occupied Wimbledon Common, where I did all my school running, and Ranelagh the adjoining Richmond Park - and throughout the 80's mob matches between the two teams were very close. Thames, for all their numerous Oxbridge alumni, appeared always to be bad on timekeeping, both in terms of starting their races at the alloted 3pm and in recording results (pre computer age), with the consequence that results were always subject to intense scrutiny in the pub afterwards. I remember one year when we were still arguing who won when the bell went for last orders. I made many friends at Thames during these wonderful years and Bill was most definitely one of them.

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Bill and I were of similar standard and had some great battles although I'd have to say that on balance he got the better of me (although not always!). With a sub 50 min pb at 10 miles - the picture shows him in the Woking '10' in 1985 - and a 2.19 marathon to his credit, his running credentials were impressive and would, of course, be even more so with today's poorer standards. My running results database (sad, I know, but useful) records three races won by Bill, an inter-club fixture between Thames, Ranelagh and Cambridge University in '85, a 5000m track race in '86 and the Ranelagh Half Marathon in '92. He would have won other races, although as alluded to already, standards were such that winning races was not easy in those days. We raced each other at numerous mob matches over the years, the last time on Wimbledon Common in November 2009 where over a post race drink he regaled me with some stories from his travels ...

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When I first knew Bill he worked for Shell in central London. Like me he used to train at lunchtimes, usually with Thames team mates Andy Thomas and Phil Gilbert amongst others. I'd usually go out running with Bill Harvey (God, he pushed me hard!) and we'd often see the Thames boys, sometimes joining up with them but generally just a cursory wave as we closed down from opposite directions in Hyde Park and then accelerated away at whatever 2 x 11mph equates to (Bill H is a mathematician, I'll ask him next time I see him, which is bound to be in a bar rather than a changing room). I digress ...

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We all lead rather mundane lives: sleep, work, recreation, socialise. Most of us do nothing about it. Bill was different and decided, from memory in the late 80's, to give up his good job, rent out his house and travel. To cut a long story short he decided to follow England's cricket team on foreign tours, yes he was one of the original Barmy Army. He would then come home for the summer, live with his parents, do some work then embark on another tour. The last time I saw him he proudly stated that he'd not missed an England foreign Test match for, I think he said, something like 15 years. According to the Army he saw 70 consecutive away Tests, an astonishing feat: http://www.barmyarmy.com/barmynews/index.php?m=barmyfull&iNewsID=516 He made friends all over the world and had some wonderful adventures. At least he died knowing that England had performed at their best for many, many years in retaining the Ashes.

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"At least we got our memory" thus sang the also recently lost Gerry Rafferty. Rest in Peace my friend. Another one gone. Sad times.

Edinburgh

Watched the xc from a snowbound Edinburgh on tv today and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've not always been a great fan of the Great Run series of races but don't have the time, space or inclination to go into that here. The idea of spicing up the men's race with a three way, six to score international (GB v Europe v USA, plus GB U23) was excellent, especially as the teams, excepting the Europeans, wore national vests rather than the odious sight of 90% of the top half of the field all wearing the same sponsors purple, a bit like Liverpool playing Manchester United with all 22 players wearing red (mind, it might give the Merseysiders more of a chance). It does seem strange to me that despite the top athletes around the world being sponsored by a handful of different shoe companies, it is always the purple lot - no names as I don't get any advertising revenue on this site - who get onto the start line. Sinister or what?

Anyway back to the races. The overnight snow made it perfect for the tv cameras without impacting (!) too much on the conditions for the runners. The hill looked tough - I'd definitely be walking up that one in my current condition - and helped make all three into good competitive races. Farah looked supreme and I just hope his change of plan this year - he's going to train in the USA - works well. I think he can medal in Korea in August but can he top the rostrum? He's certainly moved his running onto a new level in the last year (see below). The final positive change in Edinburgh was Chris Thompson guesting in the commentary box with the two geordies. What a character he is although probably too much of a liability for the producers. You got the impression that he was about to either exhale an expletive or tell a raunchy joke. Not sure big Bren knew how to take him! Hopefully he'll also have another progressive year, kicking off with another great 10,000 at that superb meet at Stanford (end May?)

So with a perfect link, Edinburgh being a major place to celebrate hogmanay, here we are at the start of a new year. On a personal note, let's hope it is better than the last three which have been, for many reasons, quite horrendous. The signs are not good: the extra two stone in weight I'm carrying is definitely changing the way I run. As a good friend pointed out to me recently when I told her how much excess I was carrying, just try running normally whilst carrying two six month old babies. This has clearly affected my running gait and led to the further injuries I'm suffering. Anyway I'll try to do a bit of running this month so that I can survive Blackheath in February. My Christmas cracker joke stated that a battery has a rotten life, it is either working or dead. Well, philosophically I definitely prefer the former so must get the trainers back on, just incremental increases in mileage from a very low base (i.e. one mile).

The only positive from a running point of view in 2010 was from some of the trips made. After a short trip to Holland in February for an international 10km won by Michelle in the snow (also caught up with my old Dutch friend Alex), I had a mad July with three trips away: County Cork in Ireland to avoid attending Ciren AC's children's party; Paris for a bonding weekend with daughter Natalie, taking in a Diamond League meet which included the Usain Bolt travelling circus, and then Barcelona - again with Natz, see picture - for the European Athletics Champs where Michelle and the girls won bronze in the marathon and Farah ran that stunning 5000. Final trip of the year was to France, family in Nantes then north west Brittany. Running link tenuous here but as we intend buying property in the area (the pink granite coast) I couldn't help but think about some good little time trial routes for when I set up Wrighty's training camps (a bit like Font Romeu but more convenient for the sea).

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With Natalie's many Norweigan connections - she's now living in London and was out clubbing with Miss Norway last night! - Oslo's Bislett Games look to be next on our bonding agenda. Doubt I'll get an invite to race so will just have to sit in the stands, if I can wedge myself into a seat.