30 Years of Running Marathons
30 Years of Running Marathons
Lacing Up for Lifelong Miles: The Intertwined Stories of Park Runs and Marathon Dreams
Every stride tells a story, and I'm excited to bring you along on a narrative that winds through three decades of running, from the exhilaration of early morning dashes to the companionship of community park runs. Running is more than just a physical act for me—it's a tapestry of experiences, woven with the threads of endurance, community, and personal growth. As I lace up for my 58th park run, I find myself reflecting on how these weekly 5Ks have unexpectedly shaped my marathon training, offering both speed and solace.
Step into my running shoes as we explore the charming trails of Black Park, a place where cinematic magic meets the grit of the runner's path. The challenges of this scenic run, coupled with a heartfelt conversation with a new park run enthusiast, remind me that the journey of a runner is as much about the social bonds formed as it is about the miles covered. Our exchange will inspire you to consider the mental and social aspects that outdoor running nurtures, in contrast to the solitary pursuit of treadmill miles.
As we gear up for the races ahead and navigate minor injuries, I'll share candid tales of the mental strategies that turn the daunting prospect of a pre-dawn 10-mile run into an accomplished fact. From battling the snooze button to the rhythm of Bonnie Tyler fueling my steps, discover the unexpected joy in overcoming the urge to cut a run short. Tune in to hear how persistence, planning, and a commitment to personal milestones can turn every run into a victory, no matter the distance. Join me for these stories and more, as we celebrate the perseverance and passion that keep our feet moving forward, one exhilarating step at a time.
Thanks for listening. Keep on running.
The race is on. So let's get straight into this episode of 30 years of running marathons. So the last episode finished with me having just started this year with mixed results. I've had injuries, I've missed out on a few races, certainly a marathon I was looking forward to, but I've also run a half marathon. One of my favourites was the Redden Half Marathon. I've run a five mile trail run which a few years ago I actually injured myself doing it, so it was redemption time and I went back there and luckily I got through it, survived no injuries. So that was all good.
Speaker 1:And I've done quite a few park runs as well. So for those of you who don't know, park runs are basically a 5K race, but not really a race. They're held every saturday morning at nine o'clock and anybody can take part once you've registered anybody. I say there's various standards of ability. Some people actually walk it, say it's a 5k distance, basically three miles, and a few years ago I said I would never run a parkrun because for me it's just too short a distance. But actually that that sort of shorter distance actually helps me with my half mountains and my marathon to build up my my speed on these longer distances. So it's has actually helped. But more than anything, it's a social aspect of it. You meet the same people there every time. Sometimes you get tourists, so people will run at various different park runs and they're called park run tourists. I tend to stick to the same park run. You meet the same people, it's great, and you have a coffee afterwards. And, as I say, a few years ago I said I would never run a park run. Now I've just recently run my 58th park run, which you know it's not as lost many people some people have done like hundreds of them, um, but you know, for 58, for me it's quite good, and once you've done 50, get a special t-shirt which I proudly wear. At the moment.
Speaker 1:Now the weather's warming up, so I've been doing quite a few park runs, but I've had a very interesting week actually. So on Thursday, um, I actually uh, did a 10 mile run and it was interesting because I'd never planned to do this 10 mile run. And this is a an interesting talk actually about motivation, because this Saturday just gone, as I said, I did my usual park run again, and it was interesting because and I'll tell you the story of what actually happened, I'll go back actually to the Thursday. So just briefly, on Thursday I did the 10 mile run, which I'll go into more detail on that in a minute. But then my boss rings up and says, oh, can you come into work on Friday? But he wants me there at six o'clock in the morning. So I'm thinking, ok, that's fine, I'll have recovered, because I do my 10 mile run in the morning. So I had all the rest of Thursday off, that's fine.
Speaker 1:Anyway, I couldn't sleep on the Friday, sorry, on the Thursday night. So I woke up early Friday morning and I was feeling a little bit stressed. So what do I do? If I'm stressed, I go out for a run. So I mean, this was early even for me, so it's just before four o'clock in the morning and I go out for a run best time to run, trust me. It's so peaceful and quiet.
Speaker 1:I ran my usual routes. I ran past the crematorium where my late nan is laid to rest and I just, I just carried on all up and in fact I went up to my um, where I used to live, uh, which is set in all these beautiful fields and normally there's horses around, but obviously not that time of the morning and it was really peaceful and quiet. It just gave me a chance to reflect, de-stress myself. Think about the day ahead. Little did I know at that time what a stressful day it was going to be, and if I had known that, maybe I wouldn't have gone into work. But that's another story which I'll come to in a minute. So that's another story which I'll come to in a minute. So going there and back, that's three miles. So about the distance of a park, and I was really happy with that.
Speaker 1:So going to work, get there at six, I'm feeling really good because obviously I've been for a run, set me up for the day, not tired at all, actually, I'm full of energy. Now I'm raring to go, and so I start clocking at six. And it was just-stop all through the day. In fact I never even stopped for a break. I just about time to eat a banana, and it had been a really hot day as well. It's a really hot day. I'd only ate a banana. I was trying to, you know, obviously replace my fluids, drink lots of water, but I probably wasn't drinking enough. I didn't clock out till gone five in the afternoon. So we're talking like 11 hours non-stop and I was really feeling it so I just went home and crashed.
Speaker 1:But the following day, the Saturday that is park run day. And from not really wanting to do a park run or even thinking that I would even like running a park run a few years ago now, absolutely love park runs and if I'm not doing a long run on the saturday because sometimes I do, especially if I've got a marathon coming up then for me that three miles I I just love it. But it's not so much about the, the actual running. I know that the run is good for me because it builds up my speed over longer distances. But it's just the meeting of the regulars and, you know, even if I don't see my friend there, I usually see someone there that I know and we get chatting afterwards with a coffee.
Speaker 1:Anyway, this was no exception and actually it was one of the most. I think it was the hottest day so far we've had here in the UK. On Saturday it was really hot, so I probably wore my my red 50 part runs t-shirt, which a lot of other runners were wearing, and it's nice to just run in t-shirts and shorts and I was fine when I got there, you know, despite having such a long day on the Friday, I was fine, it was. It was only when I I got to the, the open air canteen area, which is next to the toilets, just just before you walk down to the start, that's when I needed to use the toilets.
Speaker 1:Suddenly I had this mad urge and I need to go really quickly, and this was a case of the runs. Before the runs um, yeah, I just I had the absolute worst diarrhea. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but it was horrible. I just managed to get it out in time. My stomach was all over the place and I guess it was just a case of the fact that I'd worked non-stop the previous day in the heat, not s enough, maybe not you know, the fluids and everything. Just the complete stomach had gone in overdrive. And, of course, now I was worried about whether I would make it through the park run, and it's going to take about 25 minutes. Would I even get around the park run in 25 minutes without? You know, there's no other way to put this but without crapping myself. And that's what I was worried about.
Speaker 1:And you know, a lot of runners, especially before things like marathon, you get these, these, these pre-race nerves and it does cause you to obviously want to go to the toilet a lot, and you know when you want to do number twos and that, and then it just comes out in this diarrhea form. So a lot of runners do take Imodium, which are tablets you can take beforehand, which you know settle your stomach and stop you from going like this. I'm sure there are other brands of tablets that will stop this as well, but the well-known one is Imodium. But of course I don't, you know, I've never, I've hardly ever, used Imodium before races, because even though I do get nerves and that it's never really affected me that much.
Speaker 1:And this was this I say was or is just a park run, but it is, you know, just a park run. I've done this many times before. So I don't normally keep Imodium in. I don't like taking tablets unless I really have to. So of course I didn't have any imodium and there was no other way to set my stomach and when I got gone, the park runs normally.
Speaker 1:What happens is like the night before, and this is what happened on the friday I have a big meal, say, for example, of pasta and that, and then I'll wake up about seven and that gives me an hour and a half before I leave for the park on 8.30. Get there about 8.20, normally, get there for 8.30, and then that gives me half an hour before the race starts. But I don't have any breakfast beforehand because if I tend to eat too close to a racing, which is to banana, it doesn't particularly. You know. That upsets me more than anything else. So of course I didn't even have any food in the morning. I had this big meal of pasta which kept me so. So there was nothing to to basically stodge me up. So that I think that's why it's coming out. And I say I think the previous day non-stop working and just having the banana and the just basically liquid diet during that day, and the stress and that really upset my stomach.
Speaker 1:Anyway, let's cut to the chase. So I get onto the start line and I had been feeling good. Even though I'd worked all day yesterday and for those long hours I still felt good that I could, that could run a good time. I didn't feel tired. But now I was just conscious to get round. You know, just get around without making a mess, without embarrassing yourself. So I started off well, started off near the front and first mile was good, maybe just a touch slower than the previous week, which obviously the previous week was my fastest time this year. And then second mile was okay. Then the third mile is always slower because the third mile, especially the last k that I work in miles, the last k which I don't know, approximately half a mile to go, just over half a mile, is uphill. I mean, basically this is a flat course.
Speaker 1:This is at my local park run called black park. Absolutely stunning place, beautiful place, got a lay. They do a lot of filming there so, for example, they film harry potter there. It's the most scenic of places and, unlike some park runs where you're literally running around a field, this is great because you go around in a in like a loop, uh, but it's um, it's not like a just round loop where you can see all the other runners. You go out, you turn around, you come back, so you never see other runs coming back on you. It's just a. It's basically an out and back, but it's sort of like a loop, sort of like a figure of eight and but it's. It's beautiful, real scenic, forest, real, you know, natural habitats, plenty of wildlife there. It's a beautiful place to run. I mean, I go there just for walks anyway. A lot of people do so.
Speaker 1:The first two laps were fine, sorry, the first two miles were fine. And then the third mile always trips me up because, as I say, it's this uphill and, as you know, if you listened to my previous podcast, I can't do hills. You know, I know it sounds stupid, but some people actually can do hills. I'm not the tallest of people, so you know my legs aren't the longest to get up these hills. I really do struggle and there's a hill, as I say, in the last k and I really struggle. These runners go past me. I mean, generally it is a fast course because even though you start going uphill, you go down. After about the I don't know 0.6 of a mile, you start going down, then you go up again, then you go down. But yeah, this last K you're going up and then you turn to left and you come down. Then you turn around the corner and if you listened to one of my previous podcasts, you know, you know I actually fell over on the corner, got me injured a few weeks ago and I don't know why.
Speaker 1:That's another story, but I was probably tired and obviously this week I was tired as well and I was just worried about my stomach, but I'd made it to the last mile and I hadn't felt the need to go to the toilet. So this was all good and I was just. I was literally just outside my time. I did my usual sprint finish and usually on on, you know, on the last stretch I overtake all these runners and no one passes me. And this, this, this was still working today.
Speaker 1:I was still overtaking all these runners, but at the corner of my eye, on the right hand side, this guy is giant of a man and I could see from his t-shirt he had a hundred park runs t-shirt on, so he's an experienced park runner. He, he tore by me. I mean, at the speed it was like an express train. I couldn't believe it. And there was. There was no way I was going to catch him. I mean, I passed most runners but no one normally catches me on the last stretch. But he, he just went straight past me and then he, as he went through the finishers, uh, shoot there. They literally had to stop him from pumping into the people in front of him. That's how fast he was going. I mean, he was running through the line. Like I always say, run through the line, not to the line, but there was no way I could have caught him. Uh, you know, and I tapped him on the back. I said fair play. You know that was.
Speaker 1:I thought I did a sprint finish, because normally you don't see many people sprint finish and normally I'm the one that you know. People are saying, oh well done, you know, good sprint finish and that. But he and uh, but he could, he could take so much of me, gladly speak. He did say, well, I don't know where that came from, but yeah, I was only at um, that's maybe about 10 seconds or so down on my my last week's time, which was in fact my fastest time of the year, so I couldn't complain. More importantly, I needed to go to the toilet, um, and you collect your token and then they, they scan your barcode. So I've got a barcode on my wrist bracelet that I bought and I could see on my token it said I was in position 137, whereas last week I was 141. So I was up a bit.
Speaker 1:I mean, it obviously depends how many people are running this particular week. I'd have thought a lot of people were running this week because it was good weather for it and in this particular apartment there's normally 500 to 600 people this week because it was it was good weather for it and in this particular apartment there's normally five to six hundred people. So it's one of the the bigger park runs. And then what I do is I, I run just a short distance, just 100 yards or so, uh, just down to to go and get my coffee and pass a few people there. There's a bit of a queue there today, but I get my coffee and I sit down. I just relax. Look at my you know my watch seat, go through my time and that and this is this is about half nine. Then I usually stay till about 10 and I'll go down, walk to the lake and then, uh, pick up my car and off I go.
Speaker 1:Anyway, I was just about to leave when a runner, he brings his coffee and he starts, sits on my table, he starts talking to me and really interesting chat. This was his second only park run and his first was was last week at this particular um park run and it was so fascinating because, like I, was now the older statesman you know the old statesman because this was my 58th park run. This was only second. And I said to myself, I remember when I, when I first started and he had second, and I said to him I said, well, I remember when I first started and he had an interesting backstory. He'd played a lot of football. Young guy played a lot of football, wasn't doing so much of the football now, still played tennis, did a bit of swimming, but he's never really liked running. But funny enough, and this is what made me laugh, because normally it's the complete opposite of runners he loves running on the treadmill, whereas for me, running on the treadmill, a lot of runners, he loves running on the treadmill, whereas for me running on the treadmill, a lot of runners have this saying they call it the dreadmill because you get on there, it's in the gym. Normally you're on there, there's, there's nothing to see. Okay, they might have a television in the corner there, but it's just, you know, it's just so repetitive because you're not, obviously you're not getting any different scenery, you're just stuck in there all the time, just with the you know, and all you've got to distract you is maybe a television in the corner. And this is the same with me.
Speaker 1:I've only ran on a treadmill a handful of times. Normally when I've been down in hailing island at the hotel I would use the treadmill after obviously using other facilities there. But I absolutely hate it and I remember when I first went on it I thought it was gonna be one of these comedy sketches where I literally flip off the back because I can't get the speed right and I found it so hard on my feet. And when I did use it it just took forever. The first mile seemed to last forever, but then I'd stay on there for about once. I got going the competitive person I am for about six miles and then it cut off. And I told him this story and he said, yeah, he said I think they cut off about after such and such a time and this was about an hour's time. Um, and, but he loves running on treadmill.
Speaker 1:He said what he said for him, it gives him the motivation because he can set targets on the treadmill. I mean he knew more about the treadmill than I did. I didn't really understand all that he was talking about. He said I know you can, you know, set speeds at targets and that will gives him the motivation, whereas for him to go out and run outdoors. He just hasn't got the motivation to do it.
Speaker 1:And this was so fascinating for me because I do tend to take for granted what a natural runner I am and when I say a natural runner I don't necessarily mean a. You know, I'm the perfect runner, as in, the perfect running start. But natural runner, as in, I take for granted how easy I find it. You know, for me it's just like walking and my friends will often joke I'll go out for a two hour, three hour run, just like that, you know, without even thinking about it. And it's true. And he was sort of coming from the same page because he's now thinking. Well, it's the mental aspect of it, you know, to be out running outdoors, it's such a stress reliever. But also the social side and that's why he's come to the park run a bit like me. Because he said he's got the motivation to run because he's running with other people. He's got the motivation to run because he's running with other people. He's got the motivation to run. And it made me laugh because some of the things he was saying were so true and you only learn from experience.
Speaker 1:He was worried about coming to parkrun because he thought a lot of the runners you know would be so much faster than him and be left behind. But the thing about parkrun is runners of all ability, some people walk, people walk run with dogs and he also said he was running with someone and then he was trying to overtake them and then it set his goal of overtaking the next person and then the next person, because of course, he found it very difficult to judge his pace because he's not running on his own and even an experienced runner like myself, I do find it very difficult to judge pace. I mean, I go by my watch. But and the advice I gave him and I like to think my advice was helpful was the fact that, especially when you're running park run I mean he didn't start near the front, which was good, because he was worried about if he started near the front he'd get caught up in the adrenaline of the faster runners.
Speaker 1:Now I tend to start near the front and and you do get this stampede of runners just passing you as you go off the line, but I like to start near the front because obviously the time starts as soon as you know the, the hooter goes and you're off and obviously further behind, then you lose a few seconds. But yeah, you do get this stampede of runners. You obviously do get the competitive runners who are, even though it's not a race, out there to win it, and very fast. So you know, I'm not one of the slowest, I'm sort of maybe somewhere in the I mean 130, was it 137 out of maybe 600 people. So you know, you can judge for yourself how fast I am. I was a faster a few years ago and obviously, because I've been injured, I'm trying to bring back up the pace again. Uh, but that's another story.
Speaker 1:So he started sort of near the back because he didn't want to get caught up in it, but he was getting caught up in trying to run, uh, with other people trying to catch the next person. And the next person my advice was to him was there's always going to be people faster than you, there's going to be people slower than you. It's very difficult to judge with other people. I, you know, I used to look around and and sort of judge people on their physique. You know, if they're a bit more overweight and they're passing me, I'm thinking how can they be passing me? Um, it's a bit like, you know, when you're running the marathon, especially something like the l Marathon, you see someone in the costume pass you like. Well, how can they be faster than you? But and, and it's the same in park run, you get people with them who are running with dogs or running with buggies and they pass you and think how can you be going quicker when you're pushing a buggy or, you know, run with a dog? But remember, a lot of these guys are experienced runners and they practice and they used to run in this way, even though it's still a great skill.
Speaker 1:But, as I said to him, I said you know, don't compare yourself to others, which you shouldn't do generally in life anyway, but compare yourself to how well you're doing. So I think he did about 30 minutes. Maybe next week he'll go quicker. But I said no one cares about your time, you know, and no one really cares about the position. Ok, people get competitive towards the end, like I do, and he said, yes, he did.
Speaker 1:I said that I did get a bit competitive towards the end when I saw the finish line was in sight and I said well, that's like that with all runners, but generally, especially the runners in the park run, it's more a social thing. You know people are there to meet other runners and you know just to complete the 5K is brilliant because you know that's just over three miles and for a lot of people that's the only exercise of the week. But for him, like for him, it's their motivation. You know it's their motivation. They meet the same people each week. Their friends notice when they're not going to be there. So it's like a meeting point and then you've got social activity afterwards of when you all sit down there you have a coffee, discuss the race, discuss life generally, and it's just a great atmosphere and regulars get to know you, the volunteers get to know you, and it's a beautiful thing when you're sitting out there, especially at black park, having a coffee afterwards.
Speaker 1:So here I was, given, you know, my, my pennies worth of what, um, I thought you know he needed to do, you know, just just to to enjoy the park run and hopefully I'll see him there next week. Hopefully he will continue. It sounds like he's gonna. You know he's gonna get hooked, like a lot of us do with park runs. We say we'll never do it, then we'll do one. It's a bit like running the marathon and then you just keep running more and more.
Speaker 1:But it was interesting what you're saying about motivation, because going back to my 10 mile run, which I did earlier in the week, so I did this 10 mile run on Thursday just before my so I say, horrendous day at work on the Friday. But what happens with me is, you know, I say I'm a natural runner and you would think with me, especially after all these years, that motivation comes easy for me. But you know, motivation it's like emotion, you've got to move it. You know you can't wait for motivation. And even though I find running really easy in France, I'll go out for running just for a couple of hours like that, and yet this guy at Park Run, he can't get the motivation to go out.
Speaker 1:Well, if you saw me first in the morning, you'd think well, you know how do I ever get moving? And it's true, because what happens is I'll get up at 4 30 in the morning. First thing I'll do is I'll have a, a black coffee, before I even get out of bed and then then with that I'll have water and I usually have something like a Barocca vitamin tablet which dissolves in the water. So that gives me a bit of energy. So I'll have that and then I'll still be in bed, then I'll get out of bed, do a bit of stretching, then I'll lay back in bed. I'll look at my Strava. So my previous training records what I have done in the past and that.
Speaker 1:And I was planning on thursday to do a six mile run. Okay, this, this is how this is how it goes to me. I was planning to do a six mile run, okay, and so I'll wake up at 4 30 to give me enough time, okay, and I'm not tired when I wake up. I've got one of these wonderful alarm clocks lumia alarm clocks that if you don't wake me up with any noise, it just comes with light, so the light just brightens the room. I've had it for years. So you wake up naturally, like animals. Do you know? When the sun rises and I have to say this time of the year is great because even at half four, you know the light's going to be coming up pretty soon, but anyway, this light shines up the whole room. So I never wake up feeling really tired. It's at half four, sorry, in the morning I've got plenty of time. But yeah, I have this black coffee, the water and that, in and out of bed, stretching, and then I think about putting my running gear on. That'll help.
Speaker 1:But you know it gets around to half five and I still haven't gone out. And then I start thinking, oh, six miles, I don't think I'm going to do six miles today, let's just do one mile. Or just get to the set, you know, the crematorium where Nan is, that's half a mile. Half a mile there and back, that's a mile. I'm run for a few days, just any distance will do. But I'm thinking maybe let's make a mile. Or I'm thinking a real, yeah, a real prize would be to get to the house where I used to live, because I know that's one and a half there, one half back, that's three miles and I could stop up there as well. So it gives me excuse to stop, reflect on on the day and just have a bit of a chill in the nice, you know, calm and relaxing countryside. So I'm thinking, okay, let's go for that.
Speaker 1:But you know it gets to, gets to quarter to six, and I've now got all my running gear on and I've got, I've got my shoes on, but I'm still not quite there yet. So I'll put my headphones in and I'll, I'll listen to a bit of music, just, you know, just to pump me up, um, like it's something, something classic, like bonnie tyler. I need a hero you know just to to get. And then I think about all my my past races, what I've done in the past, and I'm thinking, yes, I can do this. But then I'm thinking, just no pressure on yourself, okay, you're not working today, you've got nothing else to do today. Just get to the house where you used to live. That's one and a half miles, that's all you got to do there and back three miles, that'd be fine.
Speaker 1:So eventually I'll get out the door and what I do is as soon as I get out the door. There's no stopping once I get out the door. So I press my Garmin watch to put it on to run just before I open the door. As soon as I open the door it connects with the GPS really quickly and I start running. If I want to stop and start thinking about it once I'm outside the door, I will never get going. So then I start running.
Speaker 1:I'm out around the corner and the first bit is slightly uphill. So I pass the crematorium, say hello to my late nan, and then it's all uphill. So it's not the easiest of starts, but I think if I can just get to the mile, because I'm not feeling particularly good, it always takes me a long time to warm up so I get to the mile point, and the mile point is just around the corner, and as soon as I get to the mile I'm thinking, okay, my time's not too bad. Actually I don't feel too bad. Maybe I can just get around the corner to one and a half miles to my old house.
Speaker 1:So I get, I get to the road. I have to cross the road, get there, round up a little incline into the fields, where where my old house used to be. And there I am and I've made it, um. But then I'm thinking, no, I'm not going to stop. Actually, actually, what, what, what am I going to stop? I feel like, hey, so I don't actually stop, I carry on. So I come back out, okay, cause I'm thinking I don't need to stop. You know, if I hadn't been feeling as good, then that'd be. That's normally when I stop. But I didn't stop, so I carried on.
Speaker 1:And I know, when I get to two miles, two miles just outside of this horses field, I run through this beautiful horses field, which, ok, slows me down a bit, but I'm thinking just to enjoy this, because it's nice and peaceful here and it's daylight now and it's it's a warm, sunny day, the sun's about to come up. I didn't see any horses, but I run through. Then I know when I come out outside I'm coming up to about two miles. So I'm thinking, okay, if I go back now, it's still four miles, because I do an out and back and then I get to the recreation ground where I could run around the recreation ground. But that's, that's 2.2 miles. Okay. So if I run around a recreation ground, that's going to be two and a half. So I'm going to do five miles. That's that's good. You know I was aiming for six, that's okay.
Speaker 1:Then I've got to go up this another hill, bell's Hill, and I've got to carry on all the way up there and I know three miles is a long way down, a long stretch down. But first of all it's just getting up the hill. So I'll get up the hill, okay, and I think it's a long stretch along this road and now there's a few cars coming by. It's not the most pleasant part of the course, but I'm thinking three miles. So I'm thinking if I can get to three miles. Then I get to three miles so I'm thinking that's brilliant, I can turn around now do six. But I'm thinking, wait a minute, the traffic lights. So I get to the traffic lights at 3.2. So then I aim for the the traffic lights. I get to traffic lights 3.2, and then I know if I turn left, that's where it's quieter, it's quieter down this road.
Speaker 1:Now I'm thinking about so I've gone from thinking of getting one mile in out and now I'm thinking of getting four in. So I'm thinking, because it's such a quiet road down here, something, I'll go down this road and I have two options. I can go straight on, which I know goes around the corner. It's a bit busier even this time of the morning with cars, um, and there's a few uphills and that, um, and if I want to do sort of for my long route, for 10 miles, five miles out, five miles back, I know I'd sort of be coming around I have to turn around onto a main road, something. No, I won't do that, but I was going for the easy option. Well, it's the easy option at the start. If I turn left, there's a nice downhill section, peaceful, quiet road, um, and that's going to get me to four miles, that's going to get me to the eight miles. So that that's what I planned on.
Speaker 1:Little did I know that when I turned down this road there's handfuls of people and I'm like, wow, it's like Piccadilly Circus this time of morning. This is crazy. What are the people doing here? And you know, when I want a bit of peace and quiet, then I want a bit of peace and quiet when I'm running and I don't like passing people. And, yeah, I wasn't particularly happy. I was hoping for a bit of peace and quiet because it's the most peaceful part the the route normally. So I'm running in and out these people and it's. It's nice because it's such a downhill section. I mean, of course I forget that I've got to run up it coming back, but it's a nice downhill section and it keeps going for quite a while until it goes down and comes back up again and then down and it's a real nice country road. You've got a few houses either side now and that, but it's all beautiful countryside there, no cars around, nobody around.
Speaker 1:Once I get through this section and I just carry on and I carry on around, I get to a few few roads, which not main roads, but you get the odd car going by. And then I carry on and I'm thinking, well, it's 4.5 now, so I could turn around, because 4.5, you know, it's going to be to nine miles. I could maybe make up the mile, you know, on the on the end of the course. But I'm thinking, it was such a beautiful morning, I felt so good. You know, I think to myself. You know, especially at times like this, I think you, I get to do this, I get to run. There might be a time when I can't run, so I'm so grateful I can do this. A lot of people would like to be able to do this, you know, people who are injured, runners who are injured, or people who are disabled or or anybody who can't, for whatever reason, be able to move. And I can, you know, and I'm so grateful that I can enjoy this beautiful morning when, when most people, you know, aren't even up yet. So I just carried on 4.5.
Speaker 1:And then I get round to the section of road where I'd initially come up originally. So I've gone round in the loop and I get to there and now we're on five miles. So if I turn round now, it's going to be 10 miles. But then I had this temptation because this is two miles up from where I started from home, so I could run back these two miles, I'll still get seven miles in. So seven miles, you know more than the six miles I originally started out with. But I'm thinking, no, I'm going to go back up this upslope, I'm going to go the long way around. I'm going to get my 10 miles in Because I know, short term, yes, I'd be thinking I've done seven miles, get home early. But long term, you know, I want my delayed gratification and delayed gratification is always the best because I could have taken the easy option and I probably would have been happy with that.
Speaker 1:But then I would have got back home early thinking I could have done 10, you know that lovely, magical round figure that I always like to get to 10 miles. So the round figures I like. You know I love 10, I love 15, I love 20. So 10 is a lovely, you know. It's like three quarters of a half marathon distance. Beautiful, you know, always looks good on your training records, on your drive. You've got nice round 10 miles.
Speaker 1:So I went for this is what I always tend to do. Especially when I've been out for a while running, I always tend to get more and more into it. You know, it takes me a few months to warm up, but then I'm thinking, yeah, let's go for it. Always take the toughest option, because you're always going to feel better once you get back home. And that's what I did. So I ran back up and it was a bit clearer on the road where there had been a lot of people. And of course now I had to come back up that hill and it was a struggle. But I wasn't worried about the time now because I'm thinking, look, you're going to have done 10 miles, you get home safely, you're not injured, you've done 10 miles, you haven't done 10 miles for a while. That's going to be a really good run.
Speaker 1:And when I got back into the main road by the traffic lights, like it's, it's funny how your mindset changes, because before, when I ran out to that three miles, it was like that was the hard work. You know, three miles out, I'll go back do six miles. Now, when I get back to that three miles or 3.2 at the traffic lights, I'm thinking I've only gota park run to run. You know, literally, and this is what many spectators say when you're running the marathon, you've got three miles to go. Of course it's a bit different when you've already done 23 miles but say you've only got a park run to do. You know, and that's what I think to myself now, there's only park run to do, just over three miles, and it's a long straight road literally.
Speaker 1:And of course now I know most of this is downhill, because the first three miles are normally uphill and I see this on my strava on the graphs it's, it's always uphill and I know for a fact because I feel it, my time's always slow going out. So as I'm coming back down, um, I pass the speed camera which I know I'm not going to be setting that off, even though I'm going downhill and I run past, uh, uh, the local co-op, and then it's all downhill, past the recreation ground, uh, back, and then I turn around and I come down for the last mile, obviously past the crematorium, obviously getting a little bit busy now with traffic, uh, but I don't care now, I really don't care. I've had my bit of peace and quiet. I'm on track for 10 miles and I did it in a time of something like 1 hour 37. So if I'd done it in 1 hour 40 10 minute mile pass, I'd be happy. 1 hour 37, I was really happy and yes, I probably should have taken a drink me some water because it was really hot and I was really thirsty when I got back. But I felt good. I didn't feel like I'd run 10 miles. I felt so good within myself.
Speaker 1:Obviously the first thing I did was rush in quickly and I actually drank some milk actually because, if you know, if you haven't got like a sports drink to replenish yourself, it's been well, it's plenty of milk and water. And then I I do my warm down so I try to keep moving, stretching, just so obviously the muscles don't tighten up. Um, and also I put a top on tracksuit bottoms. I'm just to keep keep warm because I've been running like that, sweating so much. You soon going to cool down pretty quick, and yeah. And then obviously my watch loads it straight onto my strava on my phone. That's the next thing I do is check that and then, once I've cooled down, replenish myself with shower and then a nice good breakfast, normally something like a couple of eggs, eggs on toast, peanut butter, toast. You know you need all the protein to obviously for any muscle damage that's occurred. And that was it, and I felt good.
Speaker 1:And then on the Thursday sorry on the Thursday for the rest of the day because I wasn't working I could relax and, you know, I felt I achieved something for the day. And then say, on the Friday I obviously woke up during the night and then I did this three mile run, which which you know wasn't really planned, and my Garmin watch actually monitors my stress, my heart and everything and it tells you when I should be running again and it had told me to rest due to excessive fatigue, and so I really shouldn't have done that, you know, in the middle of night on Thursday, to be honest, especially after running there. But I was OK, I was fine, and and then, as you know, I did the park run on the Saturday, but yet again, my watch was telling me due to excessive fatigue, you know, do not run, rest. I think I know better. Well, I was proven wrong because I did the park run and I was fine for the rest of the day, because I did the park run and I was fine for the rest of the day.
Speaker 1:It was only on Sunday, the following day, my leg was hurting a bit, my right leg, which you know if you listen to my previous podcast, you know I've had problems with that right knee tall meniscus big cyst. But just the leg, I would say probably just below the right knee, was hurting. And you know, touch wood, it's nothing serious. Hopefully it's just more of a strain. It's where I should listen to my Garmin watch rather than not listening to it. I mean, often I'm okay because it will say you need so many hours to recover and I know myself that actually I don't need quite as many hours as that. But you know, in this case it was right and I guess it was the excessive fatigue of the work not eating enough, maybe not drinking enough, having done the 10 mile and three mile in the middle of the night.
Speaker 1:Then you know, I don't think I've done sort of that much mileage in a short space of time for a very long time because I've been injured. I mean, normally I would run three days in a row, you know, do a long run of 10 miles, maybe do six and three. It wouldn't, it wouldn't really bother me. But because I haven't done it for so long, because I've been on and off of injuries, um, and obviously that that day at work it probably hasn't helped. So, you know, I'm resting it for the next few days. You know which which is which is fine and I think it's getting better.
Speaker 1:It's, you know, you learn from your mistakes and, and, to be honest, the only reason I did the park run because I, you know, I absolutely love park runs now, and it was such a beautiful moment. I thought, well, you know, it's only three miles, love park runs now. And it was such a beautiful moment. I thought, well, you know, it's only three miles, and I wanted to meet, you know, the regulars who are normally there, and I thought my friend might be there and I just, I just wanted that atmosphere. Um, I wanted to get up and I thought, well, I can just do the three miles.
Speaker 1:Little did I know I was going to have problems with my stomach and then afterwards I was going to injury and let's say this is this, is, you know, a delayed injury? I guess it's. It's what's maybe commonly known as DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness, and I hope that's all. It is just just muscle soreness. But if you listen to my previous episodes, you know I'm up and down with injuries at the moment. But, as I said before, it's part and parcel of running. So I think it's in a couple of weeks. So I think it's in a couple of weeks. I've got it's two to three weeks.
Speaker 1:I've got a 10K where I go back to Reading Green Park 10K which I ran a few years ago and got my PB of 44 minutes. I don't think I'm going to be getting it this time. I'll give it my best shot but I've not already had the training. But I'm looking at maybe 54 minutes and, as I say, it's going back to Reading Green park uh, which is not far from the football stadium, um, and it's near, near where I ran the red and half marathon only a few weeks ago. So I'm looking forward to going back there.
Speaker 1:And then, just under a week late, on the saturday, I'm doing an evening race, the clifton 10k, which run around the clifton estate, which can be quite hilly 10k. So I'm definitely not going to get a pp there, but that's part of a series. So I ran the banksfield five mile trail run a few weeks ago. I do the clifton uh 10k in a few weeks and then I go back to my favorite childhood race, which is the burning beaches half in august. You get all three of the medals and they all manastically stick together, so it's all part of the series. That's what I'm hoping for to get all part of the series. I'm not done clifton 10k before, so I'm looking forward to that.
Speaker 1:Say, I've done green park before and always do burning beaches half, so I'm looking forward to that as well. Then I've got fun beat the boat uh, race 10k uh in eton, windsor, um, and that's in july, so that should be fun. Obviously, burning beaches half. So you know, I've got. I've got a few halves and looking to go back to one of my old favorite haunts of a marathon in october. But yeah, so this summer there's going to be a you know a selection of 10ks, which 10ks aren't my favorite race because I find them a bit bit too quick for me, but they'll certainly build my speed up for the half marathons and marathons. So I've got a selection of 10Ks, half marathons, marathons.
Speaker 1:So really during the summer there's not sort of so many sort of main big races on. During the summer it's more of just keeping the training consistent. The big marathons are normally held in the spring and the autumn. Butathons are normally held in the spring and the autumn, but obviously in the summer you get the odd marathon, you get the odd half. So I'm doing a few halves, few 10ks, you know, hopefully that'll be my speed up for the marathon.
Speaker 1:And during the summer it's just a case of, obviously, with such lovely weather, it's a case of not being distracted. You know, sometimes it's just hard to get yourself motivated to run in the sun. Um, it is in the winter because in the sun it can get so hot that you think, even in the UK, here, really, it can get so hot that you think, well, oh, I'd rather be sitting with a gin and tea and doing the run. Have to keep up, obviously, that the training is all about consistency and that's where my watch comes in, because my garment watch, we know, will keep me up to date of whether I'm being productive or not productive when I need recovery. You know, the technology we have nowadays is amazing, but in the day you've got to listen to your own body and how you feel, and obviously I've got the experience now, or I like to think I have. Uh, well, most of the time I do.
Speaker 1:Anyway, I went to train and not to train, because obviously recovery is as important as the training. But yeah, so summer's all about keeping the training consistency, also having a bit of fun with these, these 10k races, and just enjoying my running as well, not put too much pressure on myself, but also, I know time flies by very quickly, um, so I'll be trying to make the most of the hot weather, enjoying my races and just try to fit it in. You know, the training in around my other aspects of my life, like my work and other things going on, but it's making the time for the running. And I know for me, running isn't just about obviously running the half marathons, the marathons and the races. It's. It's for my mental health too. Um, it's a great stress relief for me. I know when I start feeling stressed. That's why I went out the other day, then the other night, because I knew I was stressed and I knew for me anyway, uh, a run will certainly relieve me of that stress and it's great.
Speaker 1:I love the great social aspect of it as well. As I say, for example, things like the park runs. But any race you do, it's a great camaraderie of other runners and that's what I love about running. So, at the end of the day, for me it's not all about, um, you know how fast you run in the marathon, or how many marathons, half marathons. Even if I wasn't running half marathons, marathons, I'd probably still be going out these long runs. As my friends say, I just love running and for me, I could just run, no matter what, whether I had a watch on or not, I would just run, and I'm lucky that it comes naturally to me and I'm an actual. You know that I love it so much and you know I just there aren't words enough to explain how much I love running. So, yeah, so I'll keep you updated as as to what's happening as regards my runs, say.
Speaker 1:The next few weeks should be interesting because there'll be a lot to report back on, obviously on the on the 10ks that I'm doing, and you know, touch wood, I don't think this is a major injury, I think it's just a little strain. And what is it today? Today it's tuesday. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to getting back to some runs this week, hopefully before saturday and also hopefully on saturday. I'll be forward to getting back to some runs this week, hopefully before saturday, and also hopefully on saturday I'll be able to do another park run. Um, no upstick summit this time. I hope so. Uh, yeah, it's, it's, it's. You know, I'm I'm pretty hopeful that I'll be back running next day or two, um, and yeah, should be good, so I'll. I'll keep you updated a lot of good races coming up in the next few weeks which I'm really looking forward to and I'll I'll let you know what's happening in the next few episodes of 30 years of running marathons. Thank you.
