Done it. Just ran 40 miles.

Done it. Ran 40 miles. Or rather ran walked for 35 miles then walked for 5.
Don’t want to do that again.
Back to enjoyable running of 3 miles twice a week and 8 on Saturday.
Until 50 miles for 50 years old?

Tips for a DIY Marathon

I have had to postpone the 40 mile run due to a work thing, it will be on the 23rd Nov instead.

My ‘long’ runs at the weekend have been getting longer and longer, averaging 15 to 18 miles.

This weekend I had the chance to ‘push on through’ and do a Marathon distance – it came out on run keeper as 26.3 miles. My first one. 

I have the following tips if you are thinking of doing a Marathon but like me don’t really like big organised events, and are thinking of doing a DIY.

1. Wee whenever you like! It struck me, it must be a nightmare doing an organised event, with crowds everywhere, and needing to piss! I can’t think of anything worse! I pissed I think 10 times over the 5 or so hours, and each time thought – balls to ever doing a big organised marathon! 

2. Drink lots, but don’t go too mad. I got through 1.5 pints water before I left the house, and 2 cups instant coffee, then about 2 litres of water when running, plus a can of 330ml can of coke and a 500ml bottle of lucozade sport towards the end. After I stopped I got through another pint of water, a 500ml bottle of Fanta, then a can of beer and a glass of red wine later on. Near enough a normal day, but also the temperature was about 12 – 14 or so, so not very sweaty. 

3. Walk. I did a routine of run for 3 minutes, walk for one minute, following interval timer beeps on my iPhone. Then, after 5 miles, I walked for one. Then ran 5, then stopped, then walked (I think) mile 16 as well. I can’t believe how easy this made it. I think if I had have tried to run the whole way, I would have had to quit at about mile 20. I’m new to the walk/run bit and I can’t say enough how great it works.

4. Eat. Breakfast was a big veg/fruit smoothy, plus a fried egg with rice. Then, I’m not kidding with this, mile 5 for me is the B & Q carpark in Guildford so I got a tray of chips from the bacon wagon and ate those while I did the first ‘walk’ mile. I also ate Zuchini bread (from therawtarian.com website recipe), apples, and at mile 25 a chocolate flapjack. When I got home I ate like a pig out of the fridge.

5. Stop. I’ve never believed that bollocks people say about if you stop you’ll seize/cramp up. I think the opposite is true. I stopped at mile 10, sat down, ate some food, and after about mile 15 stopped whenever I felt like it and stretched and did something, anything, other than running, anything to do a wider range of movement than running. I’m convinced, and this will sound weird, that the reason you seize up after running a long a long time is due to lack of motion (influenced by Pete Egoscue). 

6. Support from strangers? I purposely made the last 6 miles a loop through a populated area, rather than out in the sticks where I normally run. I thought that way if the worst came to the worst and I collapsed or passed out, I could (hopefully) rely on the Great British public to hopefully phone an ambulance. After some old people let their small dogs piss on me etc.

7. DIY Aid Stations. DIY Aid stations are everywhere. I.e. shops. I had run the first 20 miles as a there and back along a towpath, with a rucksack on. Then I dumped the rucksack at home and just ran with a phone holder with some money in it. It also meant I could buy cans/bottles of drink and bin them afterwards.

8. Rewards. It seemed to work really well having some aims. At mile 21 I was in town, so I paid a cheque in through the hole in the wall. It was a really good ‘purpose’ after about mile 16 or so. ‘I have to get to Godalming to pay the cheque in.’ I bought a flapjack at mile 25. ‘If I get back round the loop to the shop I can have a flapjack’. From an evolutionary perspective, also thinking of evolutionary psychology, I can’t think of any reason why you would run for 26 miles in a day, unless it was with purpose. I.e. the first five chasing a rabbit, the next five running to somewhere you remembered where there was an apple tree, the next ten to get to a safe place to sleep etc etc. 

9. You are better than you think you are. You can do more than you think you can. (Michael Arnstein). 

 

 

Stuff I didn’t bank on

Right haven’t blogged for a while. Summary. After 20 miles barefoot shoes suck. I need to do the unthinkable and break in some new shoes 2 weeks before a forty mile run.
Next. Didn’t realise so few readers of the blog, but, didn’t realise how much their likes would mean. 278 to boston what a nice man!
500 miles. According to run keeper I have now run 500 miles.
Next. How much my tree surgeon mates do an ultra every day. I was a tree surgeon for seven years and it gave me my fitness. They are still doing it, and they are the hardest people on the planet.
Blogging isn’t running. Sorry can’t do both.

New definition of barefoot running pain

I went for a 16 mile run last night on the tow path. Whoever maintains the towpath has been out and liberally applied course gravel with lots of sharp flint in it. Since it got dark early I ran for 40 minutes in vibrams on sharp stones.
I’ve been trying to think of a funny, running in barefoot shoes on sharp flinty gravel is as painful as, fill in the blank. But then I realised that I’d got it the wrong way round, and that that is the measure of pain. Bla bla bla is as painful as running in barefoot shoes on a towpath some bastard has covered in quarry gravel.

Run walk intervals 20 mile runs and stag do’s

On the longer runs I’ve been trying to work out the intervals for running and walking. I know on the 40 mile run I will need to walk sections. I have been trying Run 25 minutes, walk 5 minutes, twice, then take a 5 minute rest, then go again.

On my recent 20 mile run I tried this and was pretty knackered at the end. To be fair though I think I put off / lost track some of the breaks. I was also pushing the pace as much as I could because I had a stag do to go to afterwards.

I know I should be getting to the 20 mile mark ready to do another 20.

I thought about changing it to Run 20 minutes, then walk 5 minutes, twice. But I think it’s going to be more sustainable to run 4 miles then walk for a mile twice, then a 15 minute break, with a half hour break at the 20 mile mark. 

Before I started this I thought – if I can do a day at work, I can do a day running. The 15 minute breaks/ half hour ‘lunch’ would fit better with that.

Any thoughts?

P.S. I can now scientifically state that 20 mile runs followed by beer and curry consumption on stag do’s doesn’t cause wellness.

First 18 Miler, Booze and the IT Band, and Ice Bath Hilarity

A couple of years ago, sitting around eating a banana after the first 5k Fun Run I did in London, I over-heard a guy, who looked like he spend his life wearing a rugby shirt with a white cricket sweater draped around his shoulders, loudly say, ‘No not been up to much, just the odd 18 miler’. So, in a loud brash voice, for him, where ever he may be: ‘Not much, did an 18 miler last Friday’.

 I had intended to do all of the preparation for this run as a tee-totaller. Being on my two weeks annual leave, I ended up failing, and having a beer (or three) on each of the three weekends. On the first two weekends it seemed to have little effect on anything. This last weekend we were at a wedding, with live bands in a clearing in a private woodland lit with solar lights and chimneas. In the morning, a bit groggy, I downed a couple of Paracetamol and a couple of Ibuprofen as a pre emptive strike for a headache that wasn’t there, but that I assumed would be in the post. Not thinking, I made 4 or 5 trips from the tent to the car carrying heavy stuff, jogging up the hill actually feeling pretty bright and chirpy. Once the painkillers wore off however, the left side IT Band twang was back. But thank god just sporadic. Lesson learnt – no beer (evil), no pain killlers (evil, evil, evil), back on the daily active isolated stretching, downward dog and the pidgeon from Yoga.

The evening after the 18 mile run (‘Hi! Just did an 18 miler!’) I had an ice bath. My (non running) wife finds this process highly hilarious. One of the keys is meant to be that immediately afterwards you should be really careful not to make sudden movements, as you are very vulnerable. Sitting there 15 minutes into it however, my wife thought she would add to the ‘comedy’ by turning the cold shower on me. I shot backwards, and in the process, I kid you not, I swear I felt my calves crack. Hilarious honey.

Don’t make any effort then have an ice bath

The 14 miles hilly last weekend has really reinforced for me what I am doing. As I was on holiday I ran 14 miles over hilly terrain unexpectedly, having only so far run on flat terrain. I made myself stick the boot into myself in terms of effort. I killed myself in terms of aching afterwards. Today, again on holiday, went on a hilly run but remembered to make no effort, and to fall forwards rather than do any propulsion. It works. Or seems to. I’m reassured.
I’m also now sold on ice baths. Today I went in the North Sea up to my thighs. I have no pain in my ankles or lower legs now. Or feeling anymore, but never mind.

RICE versus MICE, mixing concrete, evolution and ice

So rest and ice, or mobility and ice? I’m going for mobility and ice. I’ve spent the last few days hobbling around like a grandad worrying about running after the 14 mile one on Saturday. I don’t take pain killers, and movement was starting to get severely restricted. Today a 4.5 mile run was on the schedule and I thought about missing it altogether as I could hardly walk. I’ve been pressing ice blocks in the bits that hurt, but it didn’t seem like it was working.
Then I mixed some concrete. And I felt so much looser. So I did some active isolated stretching. And that felt lots better. Then I decided to go for a run, but do a loop near the house so I could come home if it was too bad. Did 4 miles. Then an ice bath. All is good.
I’m trying to work out the evolutionary advantage of being attracted to icy water…. I’ll get there….

Ow ow ow

Ouch. I was on holiday so I chose to run my long weekend run on a coastal path. I knew it would be hilly but ouch. Really? Running the five hundred steps up to enlightenment? I only have done canal tow paths. Flat. FLAT. Ow. I can’t walk. I can’t stand up. I didn’t sign up for this. I want water that is flat.