Parkrun fun

Swindon now hosts a Parkrun every Saturday morning, in Lydiard Park; they've spread like wild fire since Ranelagh club mate Paul Sinton-Hewitt started them up a few short years back. Simple format: register your name, turn up for 9am any Saturday at any venue (see excellent Parkrun website) and run 5km. Time and position recorded and published online usually before you get home, along with all sorts of statistics and photos. All free of charge.

Despite, or perhaps because of, my pathetic lack of fitness, I've pitched up for a few of these and absolutely loved their informality, the first one was won by a guy running with his dog. What a wonderful antidote to the commercial brashness of this weekend's over-populated London Marathon. Cirencester's Adrian Williams won today's race in a course record 16:35 - he's had quite a week, his first ever race win last Sunday, at the Highworth 5, today's course record and sandwiched between the two his 35th birthday. On top of all that he's just succumbed to Facebook!

.

The only danger of Parkrun is in its popularity. At some of the bigger venues, turnouts are regularly over 200 and a breed of runner is evolving who never runs anything but Parkruns, their sole aim in life being to achieve a t-shirt for running 50, 100, 250 even 500 of the things. This is having an impact on some clubs; I know at Ranelagh, which has a full fixture list through the winter (championship, league, mob, inter-club, handicap races), many members are doing the Parkruns instead. These runs are certainly great fun and to be fully encouraged whether for serious racing, coming back from injury or just for exercise with the dog/child, but a thriving club scene is vital for the longevity of our wonderful sport.

3 miles is my absolute limit at the moment: as well as my osteitis causing pain in the abdomen and adductors, my Achilles aches like hell (thought having time off would ease that) and my arthritic hip is causing me all sorts of problems. Add in constant headaches and feeling that I've been dragged through a hedge backwards (wouldn't mind if it was off 80 miles a week, not 12), and it's no surprise that I'm struggling. I'm getting out for 15-20 mins a few times a week, which is at least giving me some fresh air & exercise and has stopped my weight gain.

Talking of weight, I was particularly pleased that I didn't put any on a couple of weeks ago after a big 50th birthday party of an old school friend in London. I had a few drinks for the first time this year and apart from feeling a bit weary the next morning (!) I still went for an easy run; it felt like the old days when a Saturday afternoon race was followed by a few pints then the long Sunday run chatting to friends about the night before, if remembered. Highlight of the party came when the birthday girl tried to guess Claudie's age and underestimated it by 12 years (all started when she said to Claudie, "your turn next"!). It certainly made her feel good about her dieting - yes, she's been losing weight (lots of) while I've been adding it.

There will be a lot of nervous runners (& non-runners) tonight with the marathon on in the morning. Good luck to all, especially from Ranelagh / Cirencester, at least the weather is looking good this year. I had planned to be up there but Michelle pulled out with injury on Friday, very frustrating. Sweating on Monday's selection meeting now.

Finally, my best wishes go to a good running friend, Tim Willson, following his minor heart scare this week. He's a great guy with a wicked sense of humour and may he soon be back to full health & fitness. Tim isn't on Facebook but his Cockerel, Roger (see picture), is and has many friends including, sadly, me.

Trouser troubles

I held on as long as possible but inevitably have succumbed on the trouser front. I've been a size 32 for a long, long time and in late 2008 / early 2009 had to tighten my belt (literally rather than figuratively) as my heavy training meant size 30 was the order of the day - I know, I looked emaciated but I was as fit as I'd been in 20 years and could eat and drink all I wanted! Claudie went shopping last week and brought back two pairs of size 34. I wanted to hold off in the vain hope that I could shed some lbs, but it's not going to happen; I have to say it is good to be able to have trousers that now fit.

Since deciding not to drink in January, I've hardly touched alcohol (plan was to refrain for one month only). I've become virtually teetotal which is a great worry, not least given the thought of all those wonderful wines maturing in my cellar (aka cupboard under the stairs). I guess the only good thing is that the decent clarets will get time to properly mature for real depth of flavour rather than be tasted too young - all assuming I start up again. Otherwise, keep your eyes open for an exciting auction with bargains galore.

Not much happening on the running front, apart from working hard in helping out a few people, although am getting out for a few easy 15 minute potters just to break up the day at work. Adductor muscles in particular just won't ease. Will see how Jeremy B gets on following his dosage of pamindronate administered in January. I'm not really inclined at my age to go down this avenue (see 7 Feb blog), especially as Dr Rod Jaques made it clear that the evidence of improvement is only really anecdotal at present (and with younger, healthier athletes?), but if Jeremy, a sensible guy and decent athlete, genuinely feels that it has helped him then I may go down the same route.

As not much happening and this is a running blog, which I want to keep going (not least because of some interesting feedback from some very unlikely sources all over the world), I will talk next time about my training routine in the 80's. I warn you it was pretty unscientific (coaches were unheard of and my knowledge only evolved later) but mighty effective, involving, as it did, lots of miles and lots of pints! Life was good.

Best of luck to all those in heavy training for a spring marathon. Hopefully the hard work has been done and you are now nursing yourself through to the big day, perhaps with some shorter sharpening up runs (DH, in your case, perhaps it's time to start building up the mileage!).

PS David R, if you read this, rest assured I haven't forgotten you want to borrow the LM '87 video. I'll bring it up next time I'm in town.

Cavin Woodward

I was saddened to hear of the death last week of Cavin Woodward. He was only 62. Woodward was a legend in the ultra distance running world in the 70's & 80's. Although I didn't know him that well, I came across him sometimes in races and remember taking the best part of 10 miles to catch him in the brutally tough Isle of Wight Marathon in heatwave temperatures in 1985, a race I eventually won by five minutes in 2:32. He had the unique gift of going off at an apparently suicidal pace in even the longest races and holding on to win them. His opponents were usually dumbfounded - especially quality foreigners brought across to race the big ultras - as they didn't know what to do: follow & blow up or be patient and watch victory disappear into the distance. Woodward won the 55 mile London to Brighton classic a few times but is probably best remembered for an awesome performance at Tipton in 1976 ...

... this was a 100 mile track race and the organisers had brought together a top quality field with the hope that the existing world record of 11.56.56 could be broken. Woodward ran the first mile in 5.19! He then went through 10 miles in 56.27, 20 miles in 1.54 and the marathon in 2.31. He still had the best part of three more marathons to complete. He inevitably slowed but broke three world records: 50 miles in 4.58.53 (that's sub 6 minute miling), 100km in 6.25.28 and the magic 100 mile record with 11.38.54.

He was by all accounts a lovely man and was a great stalwart of Leamington AC, as have been many of his family. A great loss to the sport.

I watched the Bath Half Marathon this morning in crisp sunshine and with a gathering bitter wind. The course consists of two laps plus a mile or so at the start & finish. It was great for spectating as even an old, unfit & injured cripple like me could just jog across the bridges over the Avon and spectate in four places. When the leaders went through the 8 mile mark on the second lap they were already lapping literally thousands of runners who'd just gone through two miles. It was an amazing sight and one that Woodward's generation from 30 years ago would not have believed possible. The sport has changed a great deal in that time; sadly standards have dropped alarmingly whilst participants have increased massively. Many run for charity and raise thousands of pounds, which is commendable in itself, but it is such a shame that more of those in the middle don't believe that they can run faster, especially as they appear to put in so much effort.

.

It is, of course, easy to measure the general decline in standards over the years in running events - you just compare ranking lists. But in other sports this is not so easy to do, the obvious example being the national game: football. Pundits and the public alike appear to think it natural to assume that England should be challenging to win the World Cup every four years. We were good enough in 1966, why not now? I can think of many reasons why 2010 won't be the year, the obvious one being the domination of foreigners in the Premier League, but nobody seems to take into account the drop in standards in measurable events such as distance running and transfer them to team sports such as football. I've just seen today's Davis Cup tennis result, losing to Lithuania rather supports my argument. I rest my case. Does hosting the 2012 Olympics enhance or otherwise the prospects for the nation? I know my answer to that and it is not the former. Something to think about over your Sunday evening drink and roast before sitting down in front of the tv or the pc ...

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).