A mucky end

That's it then ...

The Richmond Park course, usually dry as a bone, was quite mucky in places. This clearly explains my 10 minute decline in 12 months over a mere 7½ miles. I got round my 139th mob match but only just. Dragging my aching limbs through the mud on the second lap was cruel and when added to my total inability to maintain a forward running motion on the slightest of climbs, all helps to make my decision about the future quite easy.

The day was a wonderful occasion as Ranelagh pulled out all the stops to match the club record turnout of 106 in 1988, just failing as 92 toed the line. We therefore easily won the match to give the club a 2-2 record this winter in mobs. As ever with Blackheath, the craic afterwards was fantastic as we all retired to The Roebuck at the top of Richmond Hill and talked about the day, races past and anything else that came up, over a few pints. Surely the whole point of sport and something that, at Ranelagh at least, hasn't changed. Even our best man and my ex-flatmate, Simon Collingridge, was there (fatter than ever but still beating me). This is why I've kept my links and why I do the mobs. Going to a local Sunday morning 10k, running the race and driving straight home in wet kit loses the essence of what the camaraderie of sport means.

Some interesting comparative statistics say a lot about what has happened to the sport in the last 22 years since our biggest turnout. In 1988, the first two (Tim Nash of Blackheath 14 seconds ahead of Hugh Jones) broke 40 mins; 90 broke 50 mins; 16 failed to beat the hour and the last finisher in 198th did 1:08:40. On Saturday the winner (Phil Killingley) ran 43:40, 1:40 clear of Pete Haarer in 2nd and 3:40 ahead of 3rd; 12 beat 50 mins; 68 took more than an hour and the recorders had to wait until 1:43:53 for the 123rd and last finisher.

Amazing statistics and why I keep telling those that want to listen that there are opportunities out there, for anyone willing to put in some hard graft, to make a real impact on the sport. That's also why I like helping those with the right attitude who recognise that they can improve massively with good solid training over a sustained period and not just every February & March because London is just around the corner. It's all about lifestyle and attitude. Train hard, have belief and enjoy a balanced life i.e. not just running. Talking of which, picture shows Natalie working hard in Paris.

Will I do a Sinatra / Henin / Schumacher? Who knows, but I see no pleasure in grafting out 57 mins in a mob match on an ongoing basis. My health problems mean that a return is unlikely.

PS If anyone is interested in buying my 2003 MG TF please get in touch.

Dutch courage needed

Just had to take this photograph. Was out walking in the freezing Dutch countryside in Schoorl, a small north-west coastal village, last weekend when came across this haulage yard. What a magnificent moniker for a haulage company: Krap Transport if you can't read it (click on picture for better view). The business pages of a national broadsheet has been running a thread of these this week so I got mine added today.

Schoorl was also the venue for my first beers of 2010, a whole 45 days into the year. They went down very well as I watched the Dutch going mad over their first gold in the Olympics, in speed skating. I even managed a half decent run despite the bitter weather. Did a 38 minute warm-down (not that I'd raced) in reverse direction on the beautiful 10k course (not full distance I might add, missing a loop at start) after Michelle's great win. It was a good day's sport with 21km and 30km races starting together at 11am (5,000 runners) and then the international 10km at 2.30pm with another 5,000 runners. All in this tiny village with one hotel and a handful of houses, plus aforementioned excellent haulage company. It snowed nearly all day but the temperature stayed just above freezing so the roads were just about ok. See this short video for a view of the lovely course & conditions: http://www.groetuitschoorl.nl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=137:bekijk-de-sfeerbeelden&catid=2:nieuws&Itemid=49

My room mate at the hotel was an Irish PhD student - physics, so we discussed the wonderful programme on infinity on tv last week - he ran in the 30km. Remarkably, after I inevitably bored someone else with my osteitis pubis, it turns out that he suffered with it a couple of years ago. Said patience was the key plus lots of core work. He also told me that the top class US college based Irish runner Martin Fagan also suffers with it. He is a reknowned hard man and is trying to run through it. All I can say is good luck but beware of what you are doing to yourself. That's now six athletes I'm aware of with this problem. By talking to as many as possible I'm building up some sort of picture; this might help my future decision making.

I shall certainly need some Dutch courage to get round Saturday's mob match. I clicked over another year this week so not only do I have to fight lack of fitness through virtually no running, but also senility and creaking joints. However, there is one thing I've learnt from a horrible 12 months: do not regret growing older, it is a privilege denied to many. With my 38 mins in Holland, another 27 mins in Fairford (too far, bad reaction afterwards) and a couple of short jogs, I've done all I can to prepare given the circumstances so let's see if I can negotiate Richmond Park. Miles 13 (that's 60 in 8 weeks this year), weight 12st 13lbs.

PS Can't end without congratulating Wendy & Justin on the birth of Gabriel (Angel) this week. With Niel recently fathering a son it's now down to Adam to complete the hat trick of Cirencester babies born within a few weeks of each other.

Blogging works

Another four attempts at running this week: 15 mins on Ag College grass; 23 minutes at the water park nr Somerford Keynes; 15 mins around lakes at Fairford and a 25 min run one evening in the dark to Siddington. Although this last run went relatively well in that I was able to run without stopping, my abdomen and adductors were painful afterwards. I don't feel that there is any fitness percolting through either but I'll keep going through to the mob match and probably beyond for a while just to test Dr Rod Jaques' prognosis.

Before I went down with osteitis pubis I'd never heard of the problem. Although it's not normally a running related injury - generally it's associated with kicking sports - I now know of three other runners (well two runners plus Chris Riches - sorry Chris!) who have experienced it. The two others are / were both very good runners and have only been in touch with me because of my blog. So good news: the blog works in terms of creating debate and discussion, and more importantly, someone reads it!

Miles: 12, weight 12st 12lbs (82kg), minor improvement.

On the track ...

An interesting week started with a track session in Stoke*, it was a good one too with not a steeplechase barrier in sight: 25 x 400 compound with alternate fast and float laps. Thankfully I was only holding the stopwatch although I did help with some pacing for Michelle and did a good long warm down with her. Not sure how much good it did me as rigamortis had set in by the time I got home.

That's about as good as my running got all week. Did my usual easy run on the grass at the Ag College on Sunday then spent the week fighting off a sore throat. Only did one other easy run, during which was spotted by Jon Young who was so surprised he stopped the car to get out and check it was me (you can't do anything in Ciren without being spotted!). This was good as it allowed me to stop for a chat and gather my breath. Funny how the last thing you think of when running 80 miles a week is breathing, when it's the first thing on the mind doing a slow two miler when out of condition.

I had hoped that this long lay-off would be good for my Achilles but sadly not. Presumably because of the long inactivity it is now agony again after my pitiful attempts at running. As it is now six months since last seeing him and I've saved up my pennies in the meantime, thought a return visit to Dr Rod £aques was in order this week. As expected little came of it although his squeeze tests indicated that things were not so bad that I couldn't run. So he has encouraged me to gradually build up my running for a month (didn't tell him about the mob match!) with a view to reviewing again (more pennies) and if any further reaction, put plan B into place, which appears to be the intravenous administration of a drug (pamindronate) generally used on post-menopausal women to encourage bone growth! Not sure I'm really interested in going that far down the line. Just giving up running seems the easier option.

* there's often been talk at the club in Ciren about having a proper running track and what a difference it would make; I noticed a sign on the gate at the track in Stoke stating that annual subs were due at £85 to include hire of the track - that might put a few people off.

Miles: 10, weight 13st 0lbs (no change).

Technique

I recently stumbled across this montage of photos taken at a Southern League track meeting in Ilford, Essex in 1982 when running for Richmond & Twickenham AC (Ranelagh didn't have a track team). Clearly they could have been plucked from a coaching manual such is my superb technique! Actually I was quite pleased with top left - until one sees how little of the water I was able to avoid - but I'll admit the others leave something for the purists to cringe over and I'm sure the Kenyans don't stick their tongue out when about to jump! In my defence I had already completed a 5,000 metres that afternoon and was only doing the 'chase to garner points for the club. Like everything, of course, it shows that practice makes perfect.

I did have one great experience at this event. At Raynes Park school we had a really good bunch of runners including 'Ants' Orr who was virtually unbeatable on the circuit (he won many county xc champs). He and I ran in the Surrey Schools 2,000 steeplechase at Motspur Park where Chariots of Fire was filmed, must have been 1974, and he very quickly pulled away from the field. On the last lap he was some 50 metres clear and I'd managed to get into a clear second. As most people know I have little knee lift - many contemporaries used to be very frustrated at being beaten by someone resembling a shuffler - but Ants' was worse. As a consequence he, like me, struggled to get over the barriers. The 'chase is unforgiving, especially when fatigue sets in. Add a lack of concentration and the inevitable happens; in the case of the race leader it was total immersion in the water as he stumbled across the barrier. I spotted my chance and although he was and still is a good friend (he's actually a methodist minister these days) and I'm an absolute gentleman, I accelerated, accidently pushed him back under the water as I traversed the barrier in my own inimitable style and proceeded to stride home for a totally unexpected win.

Back to reality: got out four times again this week, albeit not for very long each time. With two evening Farmor's School Governors meetings plus a business trip to London, where I managed to slip in lunch with old chum Simon in The Olde Watling pub, it was a busy week but one can always find time to have a run if organised. Even though the running is pathetic, I'm at least building a routine that may, just may, stand me in good stead as time goes by.

Miles: 9. Weight 13st 0lbs (no change).