30 Years of Running Marathons
30 Years of Running Marathons
Unleashing Potential Through Early Morning Runs
What does it take to stay motivated when the grind of marathon training is wearing you down? Join me as I recount my struggle to maintain my running routine amidst work stress and physical setbacks like shin splints and gout. Throughout my journey, I've learned the importance of setting personal goals and steering clear of the pitfalls of comparison. From the exhilarating moments of the Reading Half Marathon to the challenges of the Clifton 10k, I'll share how these races reignite my passion for running and keep me moving forward.
Ever had your fitness tracker tell you one thing while your body screams another? This episode, I'll explore the delicate balance between relying on technology and truly listening to yourself. My experience with a Garmin watch that often contradicts my own feelings upon waking has led me to occasionally ditch the tech for better sleep. Plus, there's the mental boost of those morning runs, which not only energize me but also complement my meditation practice, fostering mindfulness and gratitude for my health.
What does it mean to find joy in the journey of marathon training, even when it's grueling? I’ll take you through my early morning training sessions and share how they’ve shaped my organization, self-discipline, and understanding of my “why.” From tackling a tough 15-mile run to the festive atmosphere of the "Beat the Boat" race, I’ll discuss the highs and lows of a runner’s journey. Wrapping up, I'll offer insights into my preparation for an upcoming race and reflect on how stepping out of our comfort zones can help us unleash our full potential.
Thanks for listening. Keep on running.
The race is on. The race is on. So let's get straight into this episode of 30 years of running marathons. And this episode is all about motivation, something I've been lacking of of late, and it's been both physical and mental motivation that I've been lacking. Physically, because I've just been feeling absolutely drained. I mean, my body's literally been saying it can't do anymore, and that's due to I've been working so much lately, long hours, and mentally I've been feeling I need a refresh. And it's a vicious circle because because I've been working so hard, I've been feeling physically drained. I I mean that tired. I haven't even felt like running.
Speaker 1:And yet running to me it's not just about the races, not just about running the marathons, the half marathons, the ultra marathons, and then coming on here and saying, look, I ran this race, I look I ran that race, I've got the bling, look how super duper I am running, because I've been running for all these years. Yeah, it's nice to get the bling, it's nice to show off, but, to be honest, I've always I've always lacked a lot of self-confidence and I've only ever really been confident when I've been running. Um, my parents you know, my parents were never these. These parents who, who gave loads of praise to me, no matter what I did, and cut a long story short. I tried to do everything to please my parents. I was the only one in the family who went to university and I was never particularly bright at school. But I can never remember my parents saying well done, not even on the marathons I ran, which I started at a really young age and continue to do so now, and you know I now do ultras. But, as I said in previous podcast episodes, even if I won the Olympics, that wouldn't be good enough for my dad. It was like, you know, nothing was good enough.
Speaker 1:And at the end of the day, I've come to realise you can only compare yourself to yourself. You know they do say that the fief of joy is comparing yourself to others, and also in my life I've compared myself to others and even to this day I'm always trying to push myself and I have to look at the reality of this, the fact that there's always going to be someone faster than me at running and there's always going to be someone slower than me, and I can't compare myself to others, but it's the motivation. Sometimes I get so, um, I guess literally I get so down in myself if things aren't going my way, because I've always been very much a perfectionist. That it it takes a toll both on me mentally and physically. I just literally can't get out the door for a run and I say it's a vicious circle because I run it.
Speaker 1:I know running brings me so much relief, so much stress relief. It's so good for my mental health. It cuts out all anxiety I may have had or nervousness or lack of confidence. You know, once I've been for a run I feel on top of the world and that's coming from a person who very much lacks self-confidence, who thinks everybody's doing better than him. And of course we know that's not the case. You know what everybody posts on Facebook or Instagram. We know it's all just a polished up version of how well they're doing, because we all have struggles in life and you know some of you will be listening to this and you know you may.
Speaker 1:You know, but I might be a bit arrogant here, but you might be thinking wow, you know I'm so great because I've run all these marathons and I continue to do that. I've run ultra marathons. Yeah, at the back of my mind I'm still very much aware that. You know I I do a lot of things wrong. I I still very conscious that I can achieve more in life.
Speaker 1:And that's the thing with goals. You know you set your goals, but once you've done the goal and you've achieved it, you always want to move upwards to the next goal. You know and I think I've mentioned this before it it's it's very much. You know you get and this, this does happen with a limping. You know they win the gold medal and they get on this, this massive high in that. But then all that time they've been training, all those years they've been working for it and then suddenly that's it. They've got nothing to work towards.
Speaker 1:And that's why I do like to have races in my calendar, you know it's good. Otherwise your training just tends to to it. It's very hard to get motivation if you've got no goals. That that's my theory. You need to have something written down and as regards as a race is something you've written down, but not only written down that you're going to enter it, you've actually paid for it. You pay the entry fee. Um, you know it's definitely in the books. You know you're definitely going to be running this race and and that's that's what I try to do, but this year, towards the end of last year, it's been very difficult because I've been injured, I've had shin splints and I get attacks of gout.
Speaker 1:So my training's been on and off and I've not been running the full marathons I'd like to. For example, in february this year couldn't do Wokingham half marathon, which is a half marathon. I've always done a very fast one. I meet a lot of my friends. I couldn't do that, so that sort of knocks your confidence. Um, I managed to do the Red and Half a few weeks ago and I've done a few 10k's, the most recent one, the Clifton 10k, which was great and that was on my previous podcast episode, if you want to listen to that real challenging 10k.
Speaker 1:And you know I'll be honest with you, 10k is not my favorite race because I prefer the longer distances, and that's not me being arrogant, oh, look at me, I run marathons. It's just the fact that I I feel there's a lot less pressure. 10k, you gotta go that much quicker. You know it's just over six miles and it's it's a. You know, in some ways for me personally, I'm going for the easier route, going for the marathon, and I guess you get more coolers with the marathon.
Speaker 1:But I do like to run marathons and you know, in past few years I've been running ultras and I'm supposed to do a race this summer which in fact has just gone, called race of the king, which is part of the threshold series which I've already run two race to stone and race to the tower, and you one more, and I think you get this special hoodie as well. So I was really looking forward to that this year. But I'm no fool. I mean, I think the longest, I think, yeah, 50 miles is the longest run I've done this year so far, and we're talking, I think it's like 50 to 60 miles. You can do it over over two days. So like one marathon, one day, one of that. But I'd like to do all in one go, like I've done the previous two ultra marathons. But it's real, you know hilly terrain, it's not just a flat, uh, double marathon. And, as I say, I'm not, I'm no fool, I I do respect the distances.
Speaker 1:You know there's this fine line between you know, are you being lazy and? And you're chickening out of actually, you know there's this fine line between you know, are you being lazy and and chickening out of actually, you know, going for these races, taking on the challenge, um, it's. If that's the case and I'm very conscious of that because, as I say, my, my father, all the time, um, I was young and all the way up to I was an adult, there was always this case of, you know, I've never worked hard. There was always this case of, you know, I've never worked hard enough. There was always pressure on me to you know, I should be working harder, because my dad worked all the hours he could. I mean, he hardly ever saw me and that was a detriment to me. I wish he'd seen more of me and give me more love and affection and more confidence to do stuff. But you know, that's another story. But you know that's another story.
Speaker 1:But, um, I've always had this, um, I don't know, maybe, um at the back of my mind that I'm not doing enough and whatever I do will never be enough. Um, but you know, taking, taking on an ultra marathon, it's. You know, no matter how motivated you are in your mind, no matter how much you use your mindset, I've always said, you know, running marathons is all about mindset. If you really want to do it, you can do it. At the same time, you do have to have a basic standard of training, otherwise then you're just being foolish. So this is fine.
Speaker 1:I knew I didn't have the training to do this race of the king and you know I'm so frustrated that I can't do it. You know I'm so frustrated that I can't do it and that's really put my training back Because you know, if I'd been doing that I'd be really putting some long miles in. We're talking, like you know, like 30 miles. I would probably go up to a lot of 20 miles in that and that would give me a real challenge. But because I haven't got that challenge and more recently it's been half and 10ks, um, which you know I can run a 10k just like that I guess I've been taking it for granted and feeling, well, if I miss a run here, miss a run there, it's, it's no big deal. Um, and last 10ks have been uh, pretty tough because, I say I haven't had much training. So, getting back to the motivational side of things, this week's been really tough because I've been working long hours and I've been starting really early in the morning and and literally working straight through with no breaks and, you know, not getting the nutrition I should, not getting my my lunch breaks and not getting the sleep that I should.
Speaker 1:And nowadays, with technology, obviously you can monitor your sleep and your health habits, all your calories, all that. I mean I don't monitor my nutritional side of things, but I do wear a Garmin watch that monitors my sleep. Odd occasion lately I have not been wearing it because I think sometimes you can get too focused on what technology is telling you rather than listening to your body. And at the end of the day, we know our body's better than any technology. Technology is only a guideline. So you do have to be aware of that. And I was thinking I was getting too focused on the fact that, because I know sometimes I was sleeping really well but that you know, my Garmin watch was saying well, actually you know you didn't sleep that well and I'm thinking well, I did sleep, because all these Garmin watches they tell you about the deep sleep, the REM sleep, all the different. You know how much restless movements you were, how many times you woke up and it you know. But then I wake up and I think actually I'm feeling really fresh, but the watch says no. You know computers says no, but that wasn't the case. So I got a bit frustrated so I didn't wear it for a few nights and I got a really good night's sleep and I think that took the pressure off.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I mean back to this week. The previous week I did a 15 mile run, which I mentioned in my previous episode, and that was going up at Jairus Cross Hill and that was up 10 times up a third of a mile. It was in my previous episode and it's a real tough race and that gave me the 15 miles and that included hill work, which is really tough. And then for some reason friday, saturday and sunday, I think because I was working, it took it more out of me, more than I expected, because that 50 miles is the longest run for me this year and I can't remember the last time I ran 10 times up gerrard's cross hill uh, it's probably at least six months ago. So it's a real challenge, say, third of a mile, really really tough up here. If you want to hear more about it, listen to my previous episode. So you know you get to the weekend.
Speaker 1:And then Monday morning. I was supposed to go out on Tuesday because I think Tuesday I'll start a little bit later, but for some reason I just couldn't get motivated. And even someone like me who loves my right, I just couldn't get motivated. And then it was on Wednesday. It's like an epiphany. I just thought I've got to go for a run, not for training or any other thing, but just for my mental health. I was feeling stressed because I hadn't run for so long and you know, my body was telling me one thing. You know a little voice in my head was telling me another, but I knew at the back of my mind I just need to get out. And you know, even here in the UK we have had some beautiful summer mornings. You know it's light really early in the morning and I was starting work really early. So I'm thinking, you know I could have taken the easy option. I can't do it before work and I knew I knew I couldn't run after work.
Speaker 1:If you listen to my previous episodes, you know that I'm not an evening runner. I mean, I did the Clifton 10k and that was in the evening and that was tough and I did it and I've I've done Endure 24, which is a 24 hour race. I ran the. But I'm not really an evening person and after a tough day at work, work's been really tough lately. I just wouldn't have the energy. And also another thing about my run I know if I go running in the morning, it sets me up for the day. I come back, all the endorphins are racing. In fact, I get more energy. I actually get more energy for work once I've been out running, no matter what time in the morning, because I come back and I just feel on top of the way I feel like I take on anything, nothing else matters. It's a bit like my meditation.
Speaker 1:So after I've been for a run, if I can fit it in before work, I'll do meditation. Um, I don't just use, you know, uh, just an app. Uh, you get off the app store. I, I use the calm one. I've used other ones as well, like headspace, and it's just literally just 10 minutes someone talking you into meditation and there's various different themes and it just sets you up for the day. Um, and you're more mindful of everything the beautiful morning, the fresh air that the fact that you're alive and the fact that I can actually go for a run is is another thing. The fact that you know I was fitting, healthy enough, touch wood to actually go for this run and you've got to take it day by day and you know there might be some days that I can't. You know, when I'm injured, you know I get so frustrated that I can't run, and here I was making excuses.
Speaker 1:So on Tuesday I woke up really early. I woke up something like I think it was just after yeah, it's just after four in the morning and usually it takes me about an hour could be about an hour and a half to get going. But I knew I didn't have this time because I had to get back and get out for work. So I knew I couldn't mess around. But I was so tired. I had my usual black coffee and water, did some stretching maybe I should. I could have done more stretching, but I was just so tired. But I knew I had to get out there and and I set my time. So I set the target of getting out there between 4.40 and 4.45. Really I need to get out at 4.40. And I did. I got out at 4.40.
Speaker 1:And I set this goal of running back to which I mentioned in a previous episode running back to my old house about one and a half miles up the hill, just standing there in these beautiful fields you know, summer morning, refresh myself and then run back down again. But I felt so good out there, I was running at a really good pace actually. So what I decided to do? I actually decided well, I'll keep going. I mean, I was more conscious of the fact that the fact that the more that I keep going, the longer the run's going to take, the less time when I get home to shower, get some breakfast and get out the door, because I know run's going to take the less time when I get home to shower, get some breakfast and get out the door, because I know it's going to take me a lot of time to recover.
Speaker 1:But you know, I ran the first mile 8.37 up here, which normally takes me nine minutes, um. And then second mile um, that was what, seven, uh, let me see here. So the first first one was up the hill. Let me just get it. I'm just looking at my straves. The first one was up the hill. I'm sorry that was 8, 46 up the hill, which normally over nine minutes. And then the second one is still going uphill, so that's slowed down to 9, 21, but then I came down to 8, 48 minutes. I mean, I was thinking I'll get up to the recreation ground and that's 2.2 miles. Go back down, that's 4.4 miles. Go back to my place. You made that five miles.
Speaker 1:When I got to recreation ground I thought I know what I'll do, I'll start running around it. It's only a short little circuit. So I ran around it once and I was looking at my watch and conscious of the fact what's 2.2 miles home, if I don't go to the old house, if I go to my old house, 2.8, but I think if I can just go straight home. And I thought let's just just work it up. And I worked it up so I could get up to five miles and eventually six miles. And I thought I'll stuff it, I'll just go for the 10k, 6.2 miles. And that's what I did. And that took me six times around the this lovely recreation park grounds. And yeah, so I went around this park six times.
Speaker 1:As I started off at one, two, three, I thought, get to four, get a five. And then I thought, right, one more, and I know the distance to get me back, it's going to be easy to. You know, 6.2 miles, 10k. And yeah, I'd see it was. It was. I was enjoying it so much and I'd say I was going at a really good pace, um, and my last mile is, in fact, the fastest mile eight, just over eight minutes, eight minutes 14 seconds, and my time for that, I mean it was, it was incredible it was 54 minutes. Well, 54 minutes nine seconds, 54 minutes 9 seconds, and in two weeks' time I'm actually racing the boat, which is what it's called, called Beat the Boat, where I've done it before several years. I mentioned it on a previous podcast.
Speaker 1:It's 10K, eating in winter and it's beautiful. We run towards Winter Castle and then you're running, you're racing against the boat. So you're running, then you're running, you're racing against the boats. You run along the river, you're racing against the boat and you set your own times. Uh, in previous years I've been 50 minutes, so I've had like a 50 minute boat, a 50 minute band on the side of the boat, 55 minute band on the side of the boat, and you choose which boat. You can have friends and and family and spectators on the boat cheering you on. So I'm saying that in the past I've done it 50 minutes, but I knew I wouldn't do it 50 minutes, so the next one up is like 55 minutes and the fact that I've done 54 minutes, um, albeit okay.
Speaker 1:This is slightly, slightly well I say slightly flat. Of course the first part's uphill, but I know this, this, this course is it's quite cross-like. But I mean, if it stays dry I mean we've had a bit of rain but we've had some hot weather. I think it's going to get hotter. Then the ground should be fairly firm. Obviously, the only thing I've got to worry about and I mentioned it in my previous episodes is the fact that this is very much a fundraiser.
Speaker 1:The Rage HQ is actually the George pub and you know, you pick up your runner's shirt there, your number, and then you come back afterwards, you get a token for a pound off a pint and all the runners will congregate. Normally the weather's beautiful in the lovely beer garden there and just chill out and it's a great atmosphere. But also, what makes this race unique is the fact that the they have a couple of drink stations there and not only do they serve water but they serve prosecco and beer, and in fact I mentioned it on the my other uh podcast episode that the fact that, silly me. One year I actually took the cup and it wasn't it. It wasn't water as I expected, it was a really hot day and it wasn't water, it was actually beer, but I was so thirsty I just drank it anyway and it probably didn't do me any good because I really struggled towards the end of the race. But it's such a fun race so I will be looking to beat the boat in 55 minutes. But, to be honest, it doesn't matter whether you beat your boat or not. Obviously it does if you've got family and friends on there, because they might take the mick out of you if you don't. But the main thing is you still get your medal. So but me, being competitive, I want to be 55 and I haven't done that race there.
Speaker 1:654.09, I was really happy and that's like 4.40 in the morning. I'm not really awake, but the most important thing about this run was the fact that I came back. I didn't have I think I had just about an hour to get ready shower breakfast. I had my usual breakfast. I think it was scrambled eggs on peanut butter toast and a cup of tea and a banana, and I was ready to go and nothing would phase me at work that day and in fact I had more energy. It wasn't a brilliant day at work but you know nothing phased me because my mind was clear, I was fresh, I was totally energized from this run. So I thought the next day the next day I mean, I was enthusiastic for the next day I knew I still had to go early for work not quite as early, so I could start my run a little bit later.
Speaker 1:Now my Garmin watch I've mentioned it before I mean these watches. What they do is when you've done a run or workout, not only does it record to be at two max, but it also says, well, this is how long obviously you should rest for. So it will come up saying this is a suggested workout you should do, and like it keeps telling me I should probably do more sprint work, and that's something I don't do. I've been doing hill work. Obviously, the laps around the park were sort of a sprint work. It's a very short distance and I was running quite quick, right. So that's probably the first sprint work maybe I've done in a year or so.
Speaker 1:But you know, often the Garmin watch will say well, you know you need to do sprint work or interval work because my aerobic capacity is really good. But you know, if I want to improve my fitness, could it, for example, when I go out on the run, after a few minutes it'll tell me my fitness. It will say either your baseline, you're up, four points, whatever, and then you're on to drive and it says you know the point to what your fitness points are. And obviously when you're injured your fitness goes down. When you're training really well and by you know varying your training, you know there's this fallacy that if you just do long runs you'll be fine for running a marathon, but really you need to do shorter runs as well and mix it up and that's how you improve your overall fitness as long as as long, with rest as well.
Speaker 1:So I don't do enough spring work. So I tend to ignore. You know, I tend to be my own expert, my own coach. I tend to ignore what it says. So I do my own. Because you know sometimes it will say like, do an hour run, okay, I'm only at 11-minute mile pace instead of 9-minute mile. But really I know I only should be doing about 40 minutes. And also I tend to work in miles rather than time. Some people work in kilometers, I work in miles rather than time. You know, some people work in kilometers, I work in miles, some people run by time will. I've done ways of doing it so I stick to my own method. So I just I just click on the run anyway, so I digress. So I've got it here. My strive at 6 13 am. I want to get about 6 15. I'm like, right, I'm gonna go for a run now.
Speaker 1:When I stepped out the door, looked at my watch before it aligned it with the GPS, it says um. It said to me it said no workout, rest, uh, due to excessive fatigue. And of course I took this with a pinch of salt because you know what can a guy on watch tell me? I'm my own expert on my own body and I was like it's often said to me before you need to rest, you know you need to rest another 24 hours or 32 hours, whatever. And I'm like I'm feeling fine nine out of ten times it works for me because I have no problem and I do a really good run.
Speaker 1:The odd occasion it has happened in the past I've gone and done it and of course I've been injured. Then I'm like you fool, I should have just listened to the watch and on on this occasion because I had such a good day the previous day and I'll be honest with you, I was doing this run more for my mental health, not for any training purposes. As I say, my next race is 10K in a couple of weeks, but I've been running that distance anyway. So I'm not particularly, you know, worried, you know, about the training itself if I miss a few days. So this was more. It was more about because, to be honest, I'm in a new job and it's long hours and it's stressful, and when I went for the run the previous day I felt so good and you know it was the running that helped me. You know it helps. It helps my mental health, you know, clears anxiety, clears any worries, and so that's what I did.
Speaker 1:So I thought, if I could just, you know, maybe not go, quite obviously not do six miles, but I thought, run back to my old place, you know three miles. And that anyway, as soon started off, I started off out the door, around the door, sorry, around the corner, and up towards crematorium where my late nan is rested. But and that's half a mile, but I hadn't even got to half a mile and it was like I there was like how can I put it? It was just no petrol in the tank. I tried to move and even though my mind, I was in good positive mood actually, because after yesterday I was like, yes, this is good for me, I want to get um, and it was a beautiful morning I and I just couldn't get the legs moving.
Speaker 1:And as much as I tried and you tend to know after years of running, you know when your mind is just trying to chicken out, trying to be lazy and like I don't really want to do this, and there are other times when it literally is it, it just is physically drained. You just physically drain, both mentally and physically. Anyway, I got, I got as far as the um um crematorium and then literally I just had to. There was no way I was going to make it up the hill. I just knew I just I was almost coming to a standstill. And it's more a physical thing rather than the mental thing because I was very positive, I really wanted to do this. So I turned back really deflated.
Speaker 1:But on the way back, as I staggered back, I thought the watch was right in this case. So I didn't feel quite as bad because I thought it's not often it says no workout due to excessive fatigue. Normally it will just say you know you should rest. You know a day of rest this is said to excessive fatigue and I thought, well, this one time technology has nailed it. Technology doesn't always get it right, but in this instance it had.
Speaker 1:Um, and sometimes you can tell yourself when you're up for a run or not. And there's a difference between being lazy it just can't be bothered, and the fact that you know, after my years of running, I know when my body really needs a rest and you know I haven't been having a lot of sleep. You know four to five hours of sleep a night, um, and you know it's asleep when your body recharges both physically and mentally. And you can only go for so many days on that sort of schedule. And you know four to five hours sleep at night and then working long hours with no breaks, and that it will take its toll on you. Even though my sorry, even though running is very therapeutic for me, both physically and mentally, if I'm not getting the you know, the required recovery, then it's still not going to do me any good. It's a bit of yin and yang. You need a bit of both, both the rest and recovery, because that that helps with your overall fitness.
Speaker 1:You know people on the assumption that and I mentioned this before that when you don't train um and this happens normally when you're tapering for a marathon or half marathon you cut down in your training and you're stocking up on the carbs carb alone you think you're going to get fat. You're going to lose all your fitness because you're stuffing up on food, you're not doing the run, you think you're going to lose in a few days. And that's the complete opposite. When you're, when you're, when you're resting from from running, from workouts, your body actually repairs all the muscles, it recharges and she does you good. But it's just something we have to understand and it goes against the grain for for most of us anyway. So you know I did that. It was just a mile and I still recorded on strava and it was 9, 26 a mile.
Speaker 1:So I felt really deflated and I still had to go to work that day and I didn't really want to go to work because not only did I have, was I really tired, and if I'd done a good run, I would have gone to work on a completely different note, I'd have been on such high if I'd made it to my old house, you know there and back, you know three miles. I'd have felt completely different, but because, because I hadn't done the run, now I felt even worse. Because that I felt worse than when I initially woke up with the tiredness, because not only had I had this excessive fatigue and tiredness, but I hadn't met my goal. Ok, to most people, you know, a mile is good, but to me it wasn't, and you know that's how we compare ourselves. I just felt really bad. So then, you know, I had another sort of long, long day at work.
Speaker 1:And then we get to Friday. Yet again I've got another early start, like I had on the Tuesday, but after the previous day's disappointment I really wanted to nail it and yet again I probably got four to five hours sleep and I woke up and felt too bad, but obviously nobody's really sort of alive at that time in the morning. So it's the old black coffee routine again lots of water, not as much stretching numbers. Like I said, I got up about I think it's about quarter past four in the morning and I only had about half an hour to get out, because I want to get about get out by quarter to five, because I knew I had to get back. Um, the longer I was out, the less time I'd have when I'd get back to recover. And this time I was determined to make it to the old place where I used to live three miles. So I set off and this time there was no excessive fatigue.
Speaker 1:The watch wasn't tamed. Now I think the watch says I still had a few hours to recover, but I was fine and I felt really good when I set off. I got into a really good room, in fact. The first mile was 8.37, and normally it's over nine minutes. It's up the hill, so I was part of the group talking about the hill. And then the second mile, and this is very unusual for me lately I actually got under eight minutes, seven minutes 56. And that was really good. But I stopped up at my old house just for five minutes. It was beautiful, beautiful morning. You know, it was light at that time because it gets so light early in the mornings now over here and I was just standing there looking out at the fields and that, and I felt really good physically and mentally. I was just so grateful to have made it to my old house and I was breathing in the fresh air.
Speaker 1:Okay, the horses went around. They were still asleep, as most people should be at that time in the morning, but you know, the sun was just starting to come up and I thought, wow, I was completely different from the previous day. I thought it's going to be a good day today. My whole mindset changed, because my whole mindset changed about work, thinking, no, it's going to be a good day at work today. I'm going to get back home having done the three miles, completely forgot about yesterday, done a good run.
Speaker 1:Little did I know, when I was standing there contemplating what was going to happen for the rest of the run and for my day at work, little did I realize what a good run it was going to turn. I mean, it was already a good run. I mean I was already on a really good pace and so I deserved these few minutes of recovery. And I had to be conscious of the time, because no need if I never spend too long standing there. That's why I tried to move about a little bit. I know my legs will see that. But more importantly, I knew I didn't have a lot of time because I had to get back, get breakfast, shower and get out for work and it was going take me time to recover, because three miles is time in the morning I say it energises me, but you still need that bit of time of recovery. So I literally just gave it five minutes.
Speaker 1:But I was raring to go again and I ran back and I was on fire going back because obviously it's all downhill, it was uphill going out but it was downhill. It's all downhill. It was uphill going out but it was downhill and I was going so far. I mean, little did I know how well I was doing. I saw the two mile on my watch as I was coming back 7.56. That was great. I mean, you know, I've been lately, I've been on the nine minute mile pace. If I get just under a nine minute mile that's good, but good. But you know, my first mile here was 8.37, brilliant, down to nearly 8.5 minute mile pace, which is good.
Speaker 1:But then I look at my second mile, 7 minute 56, and then I come around the corner and then run out onto the road, a bit back onto the pavement and I'm literally all downhill and it's a mile to go, or just over a mile, because I want to get it to. I think I'm going to get it to three point one, five, three point two, you make it to five K. So I'm feeling really good, I'm sprinting downhill and I'm feeling so good, I don't feel tired at all. So I just, I just really really push it because I'm thinking this is going to be the one chance I'm going to be able to get a really good time and it's not until I get to the end. Right, I get home to my house and that that I've really pushed it hard. And when I've stopped my watch I've looked at it and, yeah, that last mile I couldn't believe it. I mean the whole time was spectacular. I mean the last mile I did in 7 minutes 42 seconds, which you know, a few years ago I was running 7-minute mile pace quite easily. I was doing 22 minutes for 5K.
Speaker 1:But you know, that's all in the past. You can only and this goes back to comparing yourself again you can only compare your performance to what you've done recently and to the circumstances you are at the moment. You know, because you know we get older, circumstances change. You can't reflect that. That's not to say I don't hope to ever be 22 minutes again. You always got to have hope. But you know, when you've been out injured and you've lost your fitness and that and you know, and just life events, you know, different jobs come up and different things happen to you, um, but that's when you've got to try and make the time for your running and it depends how important you you see. You see you're running.
Speaker 1:As I say, if you set goals, if you set uh targets, particular race or to do a park run, that gives you the motivation to train, especially if you go to park run and mix with others. You know it's being part of being connected. But at the same time, if you set yourself a goal, any goal, you've got to. And there's a saying that you should enjoy the journey, because if you're just thinking about the destination, you're going to get to that destination and you won't be happy. You've got to enjoy. It's a bit like life itself. You've got to enjoy the journey as you go. You're going to enjoy every day. So you set these goals.
Speaker 1:You have many goals in between where you can aim for, but a goal shouldn't be just for the achievement of getting the goal. For example, getting that, getting the medal of a marathon, or or getting the t-shirt or getting the time. A goal should also be set and it should be set. So you know what has it made you do. What has this goal um allowed you to do differently? What have you been doing differently because of this goal? You know not just the end result, but how has it changed you as a person? You know when you're when you're training for a marathon.
Speaker 1:If the marathon's your goal, then when you're training for that marathon, how does it change you as a person? Well, obviously it's going to change in the fact that you have to be more organized, you have to be self-disciplined, you have to motivate yourself, you set your targets. There's all these attributes that you get from setting the goal of running a marathon, or even a half marathon, 10k or park run. So goal isn't just about the goal itself, it's about what it makes you become of yourself and you, and there's no point setting unrealistic goals. You know we at the same time, we have to be realistic and the goals we set, but they have to be challenging challenging enough to make us stretch, but not stretch too far that we break and they have to be worth.
Speaker 1:You always have to think of the why with your goal. Why are you doing the goal? Why do you want to run a marathon, why you want to run a park, run 10k, any race, what? Why do you want to do any goal? Because if the why is not really there, you know you're not going to get up at maybe four o'clock in the morning and fit your runs in, so you always have to think of your why. Why are you doing it? And for me it's not just getting the marathon medal or getting the 10K medal or saying on here that, oh, I've run this marathon, I've run that ultra marathon.
Speaker 1:For me it's more than that, yes, it's what it does to me as a person the training. I enjoy the training aspect of it. For me it's for my mental health, it's my, it's my form of stress relief. I also feel so close to my late now when I'm running, because she was my biggest fan. I know she's up there looking down on me and give me the energy to continue. So I feel part of her inside me when I'm running. So there are many things I love about my running and I would run whether there were marathon races or not. I'd go out for a one-hour run, two-hour, three-hour run, just because I enjoy it.
Speaker 1:So I enjoy the process of running for a marathon. I enjoy the process of training for a marathon. Okay, it's a bit nice at the moment because we're gonna love the summer weather, but even in the winter I enjoy the challenge of running through the snow, the cold weather. And you have to okay, you have to push yourself in the process, but also enjoy the process as well. And that process will be there to change you as a person, but change you in a positive way. So the process has to push you, stretch you, but not you, but also not let you sit on your laurels. So it has to be just enough to get you in that stretch zone, but not to break you. And as well as obviously, times are going to be tough, it's going to be, you're going to be near breaking point on certain parts of your training, but at the same time, you have to enjoy that process and enjoy the stretching part, the pushing yourself, the pain. You have to be able to enjoy it, but also realize that any goal you set, as I say, it has to be on that little bit of stretch point, not to break you, but just out of your comfort zone, just stretch you a bit, because that's when you get a real sense of achievement when you get out of your comfort zone, when you've done something different.
Speaker 1:I mean for me, doing this podcast. This is all new to me and this is well out of my comfort zone. I've never liked listening to my voice and this podcast probably isn't the most polished or scripted. This is just coming off the cuff. This is me talking about my experiences of 30 years of running marathons and, as I say, it's completely out of the comfort zone for me. Um, but I'm doing it because I think I have something to give. Also, it's a very cathartic experience for me. You know, if I'm having a tough time in my training, come on here and tell you guys all about it, and so, as well as I'm hoping I'm giving you in some insights and some tips. You know, from the horse's mouth, so to speak, it's also helping me. You know it's helping me to think logically you know, not just emotionally about my running, on what I've done.
Speaker 1:But yeah, back to the run anyway. So that run was my fastest 10 K of the year. It was 25 minutes, 12 seconds and, and you know I've been getting in the 26 minutes, 27 minutes where I've been in the park runs which are which are five k's and okay that it might be slightly tougher, it's more cross-country, whereas, you know, the one I've done here is more road. Having said that, it's very much uphill on the first section, um, and whereas the park run my local park run, black park park run does have quite a downhill section, uh, towards the end. So I'm probably being a bit hard on myself and also I'm running with others so they're going to make me run quicker. So probably, being a bit hard on myself, I could probably do next part run I do, could probably be 25 minutes, um.
Speaker 1:As I'm recording this, it's saturday and I couldn't do a part run today because yet again, as I mentioned, I've been working, um, but next week I think I should be. I'm working late on friday but next, so it'll be a an early start on saturday, but yet again it's it's. Why do I want to do? And I want to do that part run? Because I haven't run one for a while and hopefully, you know, do an even faster park run and also to meet with other runners and feel connected, and that's what I love about the park run, the social side of it. So for that reason, that will motivate me to get up early in the morning to get down there four half eight, to run at nine, even if I finish work at 11 o'clock at night, to run at nine, even if I finish work at 11 o'clock at night. There again, I might not be saying that at the time because I will be pretty knackered, but sometimes you have to. You know, if you have a real reason to do something, you'll find a way to do it. And I've got the rest of the day to recover. So that's all coming up in next week. But yes, it's been a pretty tiring week.
Speaker 1:So this is Saturday today and I was, so I'm on such a running streak. I was thinking even today I could maybe fit a quick run in. And I was starting work at 6.15 this morning and I had this vision of well, you know, I'd have to get even up earlier than 4 o'clock. I'd probably have to get up about 3 or half 3. And I know it sounds crazy, but I'm thinking I could do that. You know, even if I only get four hours sleep or three hours sleep before work, do that make me feel so much better. But yet again, sometimes you have to listen to your body and my body today was just telling me. I mean, I still woke up pretty early because it takes me ages to get ready in the morning.
Speaker 1:As you know, if you listen to my previous episodes to go for a run, it normally takes about an hour and a half to two hours to get out the door. And it's the same with work. Because I get up, I need a coffee to to wake myself up and drink my water, um, and then I'll do some meditation, get shower, uh, breakfast and then just to psych myself up for the day, because I know it's going to be a long day, probably with no break, so it's going to be a tiring day, so I just need to do whatever rest I can before then. So I was still up at 4.15 this morning but there was no way I could fit a run in because I had to leave for work at what? I think it was five, about 5.45. So that's an hour and a half, so by the time I shower and breakfast and meditate.
Speaker 1:If I was doing a run half an hour, yeah, I guess it's possible, but it'd be pretty tight. You know, half hour run and then you've got an hour and then you've got a shower. To me anyway, it'd be pretty tight and I just wasn't feeling it this morning. And yet again it was a case of listening to my body. My mind was like, yeah, come on, you can do this. And I guess I wanted to do it because I know I feel so much better once I've been for a run in the morning and then I go to work on a real high.
Speaker 1:But you know, I was finishing. I started at 6 15 this morning but I was finishing by. Well, I was supposed to finish by quarter past one but I finished by quarter to two. I'm back for a lunch and you know it gives me plenty of time to come back and record this uh podcast episode. So I thought, you know it's, um, it's, it's not been a bad day, it was. It was pretty, pretty, pretty tiring day. Um didn't have a chance for a break or anything.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I I looking, looking back on the week um, you know I've done that. I've done three runs. I I've could have run further, but you know I'm to run the fastest uh 5k this year. That's really good because my I mean in loads of long runs. So I did the 50 mile last week so I probably haven't done enough sprint work. So this is how you know life turns out sometimes. It's probably fate that I I did the you three miles in the morning like that.
Speaker 1:If I can do my fastest 10, sorry, fastest 5K at that time in the morning, then it bodes well for doing a you know a nine o'clock in the morning park run next week, even if I'm late after work. So yeah, that holds. And also it stands to me in good stead for when I beat the boat in two weeks time, because you're looking at twenty five, twelve, you're looking at, well, that's about nearly the 50 minute boat. But I know it's probably going to be a really hot day and the ground's a bit more uneven OK, there's no hills or anything and, who knows, I might get a Prosecco or a beer again on the drink station. So whatever happens, it will be a fun day. I'm pretty confident I'll be 55 minutes, so that's in a couple of weeks. So I've got that to look forward to.
Speaker 1:So so next week hope to continue, uh, doing the training. I think I'm working more nights next week so I should better get some early morning runs in and get some longer runs in as well and hopefully get some more sleep in next week, um, and I'm not sure what my work schedule is for the following week, but then that's, that's race week. So you know, I've got to allow myself time to recover, even though it's only, uh, 10k. So, um, yeah, so this this week's probably been the the toughest week, both work-wise and trying to get out of runs. But you know I should look at the positives. Positives, you know, I've got these three, three runs in.
Speaker 1:I got, I made time from early in the morning and that's because my motivation was that I knew the reason why. And the reason why for me wasn't just about performance, getting the training in. It really is because it so helps my mental health. And you know, if you know I I might lose out on the sleep, which is also good for your mental health, but at the same time, this is double whammy because obviously helps towards my fitness for the races but also for my mental health as well. So, but yeah, next week I'm working more nights, more afternoons, nights work, so I should be able to get some more early morning runs in. And obviously, you know, combine that with some days where hopefully I might get some more sleep in as well, because I do need to catch up on my sleep next week, do a bit of recharging, but also maybe get an odd longer run in next week. So it's not been a bad week this week. Okay, work's been pretty hectic, but I still managed to find time to get the runs in and to do the fastest 5K like that I'm really pleased with.
Speaker 1:So I just thought I'd record this episode just to give you a glimpse into my motivation and how I see motivation as and how your mind works. And for me it's a fairly simple process, as I say, with motivation. As regards running, running marathons, running any races, for me it's a simple process of running. Um, and I think you, you can tell that my main priority is is my mental health. For me, and not only that does my mental health, does my physical health, and then obviously I've got the added bonus of running these races, which gives me the social aspect as well of meeting people, which is also given my mental health and I get to tell you guys about it, which is another benefit for mental health, because it's it's a cathartic experience for me to to do this and I'm getting out of my comfort zone, which is what I said.
Speaker 1:You know we should all be trying to do to set goals, get out of the comfort zone and really make the most of our capabilities, day by day, or what we can do. You know what we can do or what we can't do, because we can always do more than what we think, and I'm starting to realize. It's taking me a little bit later on in life to realize this, but but we can. We just have to, you know, realize that we, we can do more and think more positively and just put it more into action. But I'm waffling on now, so I'll leave it there.
Speaker 1:But I just wanted to record this episode just to round off my week and keep in touch with you guys and give you a glimpse into how I get motivated for my training. So I'll leave it there before I start even more waffling, um, but I'll. Well, I will definitely, um, see you before my next race, which is in two weeks time. So, yeah, and I'll let you know more how my race preparation's going on then. So, um, yeah, all have a good weekend and I'll see you next time on 30 years of running marathons.
