Great North Run 2022

Another year, another bucket list event completed (ok it was back in September but better late than never)!

The Great North Run is a deservedly famous race, the largest half marathon in the world and, with nearly 60,000 runners – more than the London Marathon, in a city a fraction of the size – it really felt like it.

The build up was tricky, as having last year seen London deferred 3 times due to Covid things were once again thrown up in the air less than 48 hours before setting off for the weekend with the sad news of The Queen passing, putting into question whether things would still take place. After a lot of social media speculation the main event of course went ahead, although the junior version was off which was a shame, as personally I thought it was a great way for people to pay their respects by getting out in public, out of their comfort zones and in the main raising money for charities.

Exploring the sites in Toon!

So with the race going ahead, the complexity continued, as I had to plan the logistics of a 200 mile drive, then parking in a city I barely knew where most of the roads would be closed for the weekend. Fortunately that turned out much better than expected, as the cheap and slightly suspicious accommodation I had booked at Newcastle Uni turned out to be far nicer than anything I had back in my day, a comfortable en-suite room with fully equipped shared kitchen, and I had to give a shout to Nirvana Europe event planners who did a fantastic job arranging and responding to booking queries and doling out free coffee and bag storage on the big day. Even better, the uni were happy to give free parking right outside my block, happily undoing my complicated plans of a 3 mile round trip walk to the nearest park-and-hope multi story. And to top it all, two of my sisters who were also doing the race and had booked separately happened to end up in the same shared flat as me which made the rest of the weekend even easier, and gave us plenty of time for a standard pre-race pints and pizza sitting by the famous riverside. If the race was going to be as easy as the planning then this was a winner!

Ready for action

I will be honest, things were not quite a smooth from then on. Because of the sheer number of runners the race organisers wanted everyone to be as early as possible. Having done the Birmingham Great Run many times before, which in fairness is about a third of the size, you usually rock up at the start line about 30 minutes early and that’s it. For this race we left our accommodation 3 hours before actually crossed the line, and spent pretty much the whole time queueing, either being funnelled through a tiny park entrance, 45 minutes for the toilets, or crushed into the start pens with 60,000 others under a worryingly grey sky, I will be honest it was not the most encouraging start. And whilst the atmosphere was positive, it was also a little sombre around the main start line given the nature of the day.

There were a few highlights, for one you had to walk past the start to get to your place in the queue, and we managed to time it perfectly for the main 2 minute silence and were just meters from the elite start (to the point I nearly dived for cover when the start gun went off almost next to me!). Also worth a mention was the fantastic Geordie MC, who barely paused for breath during the 45 minutes it took to get back over the start line, giving shoutouts and banter to just about every single runner as they jogged past him, creating a really well needed atmosphere.

So finally we were off in one of the most famous races in the world, and much like parts of London, it does not always look quite the same up close as it does on TV. The excitement of the start line for instance, was quickly subdued during the opening mile by the concrete miracle of an overpass, followed by an equally underwhelming underpass, spiced up slightly by a never ending series of Oggie Oggie Oggies. Things picked up as we reached the iconic Tyne Bridge in mile two, the two separate start waves merged together and a three deep crowd in great spirits instantly lifted the mood on this most famous part of the course. Miraculously the sun also picked that moment to come out, which was great for all taking part, except for me having neglected to put on my P20 before the race, meaning I had a lovely white imprint of my running vest to accompany my new red arms and neck after the race, as well as a few nights of agony…

Three musketeers on the Tyne Bridge

I hate to say this for such a revered event but the next 6 or 7 miles weren’t exactly pretty. Yes the atmosphere and support was great, and I really appreciated the 3 run thru showers, but it was basically a fairly bland dual carriageway with not a lot to see. Watching the BBC coverage later I wondered if I had been in a different race to the one they described as a fantastic course winding along the Tyne, as much of what I could remember was… fine. Also whilst you would not describe it as hilly, it was not exactly flat either, more gentile undulations that you don’t notice in a car but can feel on foot, reminding me of the Silverstone half I did a few years ago.

While having a moan, one big area the Great Run company need to work on in future years is their plastic bottles. Whilst I am far from being an eco warrior, it was embarrassing at times to see literally thousands of half drunk single use plastic bottles covering the tarmac, at times almost impossible to avoid tripping over in the busy feed stations. I am sure there may be sponsorship implications, but looking back to other recent races such as the Worcester Half which had far better cartons and litter zones, the event could be improved massively with a few small tweaks, both for competitors and the environment in general.

Race nutrition on point!

Things did improve significantly though in the last few miles, firstly with the famous Hash House Harriers handing out delicious cups of craft ale around mile 10 – mid-race beers definitely a new one for me – and the beautiful sight of the sea as you approach the beach in South Shields running the final mile along the cliff top to the finish line. It was not my fastest time, but I genuinely did not care, having learned from London and ignored my Garmin and headphones for most of the race, which looking back is one of my big takeaways for making the most of big events like this.

Medal time

Post race was another hike and a half, at least 2 miles from the finish down the hill and through town on tired legs, to then join a 40 minute queue to play sardines in the metro oven back into the city for a well. Lesson learned for next time is pay the hospitality fee for the coach home and take it easy! Still, it was all done in good humour and if anything added to the memories of a day like no other, and a well-earned burger and shake on the walk back to the hotel never tasted so good.

Overall it was certainly a memorable race weekend, and one I am really glad I have had the chance to take part in. Perhaps things were slightly different to normal given everything else going on at the time, but it did not quite live up to all the hype, although Newcastle really is a fantastic place and I really enjoyed all of the bits around it wandering around toon and seeing the sites, not to mention secretly loving all the planning side of things in the build up!

As always after my big race of the year, the big question is what next. I don’t currently have anything planned for 2023, but after all this time I am sure there will be a new challenge. Having spent a lot of time on roads training this year those trails are looking more and more attractive, so watch out for more updates on the Chile Challenge to find out what will be up next!

Timberhonger Race!

If there is one thing I can’t stand it is having to miss races and events that I have entered. Firstly, obviously, it is a waste of good money, and secondly there is the feeling of not being able to make the most of any training and tapering in the build up. But most of all I hate missing out on that buzz you get at a big event, the adrenaline, the crowds and the runners high.

The first running race I ever entered was the Sussex half marathon back in the early 2010s and for one reason or another (I think it may have been recent laser eye surgery mixed with nerves over my first half) I decided to pull out, and it felt bad. Since then I have not missed many events, with the exception of cancelled ones in Solihull and Droitwich during the pandemic, but just a few weeks ago I had to miss the Redditch half marathon due to testing positive for covid a few days before which felt even worse, as it was my first race in nearly 9 months.

So when the Timberhonger run finally returned last weekend, having been on a 3 year hiatus due to the pandemic, I had to make sure I did it. It is as close to being my ‘home race’ as you can get, with the start line less than a mile from my front door and the course taking in my favourite training route that I have done at least a dozen times this year (*I just checked Strava and it is actually 10 but who’s counting!)

Unfortunately the covid recovery took longer than expected, and with nearly a month of being unable to train and the weekend weather literally the hottest in UK history, I opted to trade down to from the 10k to the 5k route, something I rarely consider given my slow and steady pace is better suited to longer distances, but I needed to make sure I had no reason to miss this one.

Unusually this is an evening race starting at 6pm, something I am not sure I have ever done before with almost every other event and most of my training runs taking place in the morning, and I spent most of my warm up sheltering under a tree to escape the 30 degree heat. The earlier part of the day had already involved taking my kids to the town carnival and then carrying them back up the hill so I will be honest I was fairly shattered before things even began!

The main 10k race started first, with most of the 300 runners taking part in that, but an excited 50 of us lined up afterwards for the inaugural 5k version which took in all the hardest parts of the longer route, meaning the entire run was either uphill or downhill with no flat bits to relax on.

It’s all hills!

Within a few seconds of the start it became clear there was a divide between ‘proper’ 5k runners who hared off to set the first course record, and the rest who did not fancy the longer route for one reason or another who happily let the front runners get away. My plan was to use my knowledge of the route and keep an average pace all around, recovering on the downhills and overtaking those who had exerted themselves too much on the climbs.

It was a gorgeous evening and a nice route, with a cutback down a bridleway I had never seen before that gave me a bit of a change of scenery and a new trail to use in future. Reaching the top of the main hill I did feel I probably could have gone for the 10k in the end, but better to come back in one piece and there is always next year. The final mile was all downhill and other than being overtaken by some unbelievably quick 10k runners leading that race as the two routes converged, it was pretty steady with someone about 20 yards in front of me and another the same distance behind, and none of us having the energy to close down the gaps between us.

I did have enough for a mini sprint finish into the cheering crowd, and was absolutely over the moon to find out I came in at under 30 mins, 29.59 to be exact, finishing 25th out of 52 which given my lack of training and the hot conditions was a real result for me. The whole race was exceptionally well managed, with closed roads and friendly marshals, and supporters around the finish chute were particularly vocal, especially as it was a headphones free race so I was able to take all of the noise and cheers. We were even given a special edition finishers beer at the end, although at 1.2% it was more like an energy drink, but went down very well all the same.

All in all, I absolutely loved the event and really looking forward to doing the full distance in 2023, assuming I can make it through early summer without any major dramas next time!

Looking North

Wow this year is really flying by, as I realised the other day I had not even shared my 2022 race plans on here. After having such a great time in the London Marathon last autumn, I immediately fell into my usual “what’s next” spiral, and almost absent-mindedly entered the GNR ballot on a no-win-no-fee basis, and immediately forgot about it. Having been rejected numerous times before I had low expectations, but the next thing I knew an email turned up saying I had got a place!

With summer now rapidly approaching I also realised it is now just 3 months away, and whilst I am fairly comfortable in the distance, taking part in a prestige event like this – one of the largest half marathons in the world and a bucket list race for most Brits – always brings on a few nerves.

There is also the logistical side, in that Newcastle is a good 200 miles away from me, making it officially the furthest race I will have done to date. Regular reader[s] of this block may have seen I did spend some time by the Tyne a few years ago and had a few fantastic runs around toon, so I am really looking forward to getting back up there and sharing it on here. More to come soon!

What’s New in ’22?

When I started writing this blog in 2014, I never thought I would still be doing it now – In fact I have actually tried to stop myself a few times, but just when I think I am about to get out, they pull me back in!

And by they, I mean those races I just can’t resist signing up for, be they Triathlons, Obstacle Courses, Cycling Sportives or Marathons. Every event means more time spent training, and therefore more time to ponder and plan things to write, so the more I enter the more I end up on here afterwards.

The other motivation is that although I am have not written as much recently for one reason or other, my most recent blogs about the London Marathon seem to have attracted more ‘likes’ than my other 150 posts combined. I guess that is what happens with a big event, but I seem to have more followers which has given me plenty of impetus to keep writing. Basically you asked for this!

And what is new this year? Well more posts to come soon, but as a bit of a clue the first is a whole new type of running for me involving even more new kit and even a different mindset, and the second is another pretty high profile event that has been on the bucket list for a long time, and definitely one to look forward to. But more on them next time…

London Marathon 2021 – The Main Event

Finally, after years of preparation and build up… It’s Marathon day!

Previously I talked about how much time and effort goes into just reaching the start line in the first place, from agreeing sponsorship, countless hours of training, selecting equipment & arranging logistics and in this case actually getting to the race, however I am pleased to report this did not make the handful of hours involved in the race itself feel any shorter or less memorable. In fact even now, some weeks later, I can still remember everything in so much detail, it is clear why this is a special event for so many people.

I finished last time by sharing my plans for a quiet evening eating pizza and watching Bond, followed by an early night before the race, and these were quickly shattered as despite the fact most of the guests were taking part in the marathon, my hotel were hosting some sort of drum & bass themed rave which shook the walls and floor of my (4th floor) room until midnight! Not the best preparation, but at least I was not one of those who had to be up for the early breakfast being put on by the hotel at 5.30…

Arriving at Blackheath

Fortunately I managed to sleep ok after that, and with a reasonably late starting wave on the Sunday I had plenty of time to get up, eat my porridge and take my time to complete the hour long DLR/tube/train/walk combo to get to Blackheath. Deciding to follow the advice given by others who had taken part in past races, I joined the toilet queue – once I actually found the end – and spent the next hour (hour!) making my way to the front, by which time I actually did need to go. So good advice then! Actually this worked out fine, as there was not a lot else to do other than stand around getting cold, and the queue was actually a lot of fun getting to chat to others around us and keep each other motivated. Conditions also started to improve, and shortly before my start was called, the sun decided to come out, which seemed to make things even more exciting.

In a shift from previous years events we were split into start waves based on predicted finish time, with mine being 15 out of 17 so I had a fair old wait, but finally a few hundred of us were ushered into a pen to do a final warm up. Most others alongside me were also in charity vests, but it was good to get a close up look at some of the costumes, ranging from dinosaurs to bananas, as well as a few soldiers in full battle dress. Looking down on the floor I noticed a wristband which must have been dropped by one of the earlier starters, and discovered it was for prostate cancer – one of the causes I was supporting – so on a whim I put it on, deciding it was meant to be.

Finally, we got going at just before 11am, and it was immediately clear that I needn’t have worried about not having any supporters turning up for to averse weather/virus/apathy – the streets were lined for almost the entire 26 miles. Whilst others I know who had done the race in the past had said how strong the support can be, you really have to be there to believe it, as having done plenty of quiet races over the years, including some where I did not see anyone else for over an hour (I am looking at you Avenger Triathlon!) this was really something else, and it is humbling to know just how many people were happy to give up their weekends to support not only their friends and family but total strangers. Having my name on my charity vest was a huge bonus as everywhere I went there were shouts of ‘Come On James’, ‘You can do it James’ and so on, which really spurred me on where I might have otherwise had second thoughts.

On top of that, I was fortunate enough to see some of my family on the way, which really gave me extra motivation. The race route is perfectly planned for spectators, particularly the second half north of the river, where some up and down roads mean it is possible for supporters to spot you at multiple locations between miles 11-19 without having to travel too far themselves, giving plenty of opportunity for high fives, photos and of course food handovers. There was also a live tracking app so anyone was able to see exactly where I was on the course, meaning even those watching on TV could follow my progress and send video messages or pictures of their homemade signs.

Meeting my Sister!

The meet ups did get a bit complicated as it was so crowded in parts my sister had to send very detailed messages with photos to describe where to meet her – for example: “Opposite the London eye, just after mile 25 on the right, after the white bridge, before an orange flag”! Needless to say whilst I was able to read my texts, with regular message alerts on my running watch, my replies got shorter the further through the race I got, starting off with a reasonably detailed updated how I was getting on, but in the last case by that stage of the race I was barely able to unlock my phone, and just about managed a response of “24” on my third attempt as I passed the marker! Still it was well worth it as this extra support gave me lots to look forward to in the second half of the race and really helped me get to the end.

As things progressed it turned out that whilst my predicted finish time was actually reasonably accurate (within 15 minutes) many others must have vastly overestimated their own, as right from mile one I started to pass people who were walking, some of whom looking like they had already done a marathon, so who knows how they managed in the end. It turned out my own mistake was in kit selection, as although I had previously done a few runs with my running rucksack, which stored all of my spare clothing (covering hot/cold and wet/dry scenarios) as well as gels, drinks and snacks, I had always run in a normal running t-shirt. In this case thought I had my charity running vest, with a nice deep scoop exposing my neck, and ensuring the top strap rubbed against my collar bone with every other stride. After just a few minutes I could feel things were not good, but there was little I could do as when I undid it the bag bounced around, so I had to grin and bear it. By the end it looked like I had tried to give myself an emergency tracheotomy, and for the next fortnight I had a lovely sore on my neck almost as big as my finishers medal as a souvenir!

Unfortunate choice of chest strap!

Aside from that minor issue, just about every other part of the race went exactly to plan. I had been on the fence about running with headphones, as again others who had raced before said the atmosphere was good enough without any distraction, but I decided to go with my playlist of power songs to keep my legs going, although I could hear the cheering and encouragement over the top, and regularly paused the music at the best points like the majestic 19th century Cutty Sark, which you run almost all of the way around surrounded by supporters rows deep, and of course Tower Bridge which must be one of the most fantastic sights in Marathon Running.

My nutrition plan was also on point, with a Lucozade at the start and water at every other aide station, combined with SIS & Hi Five gels every 30 minutes for the first 3 hours, increasing to every 20 minutes for the remainder, with extra caffeine in the last hour. This was bulked out with a USN cookie bar at the start, malt loaf in the middle, and a bonus chocolate bar from one of my supporters around Canary Wharf. That might seem quite a lot but in a race like this it is just fuel for the fire, and after nearly 10 years of long distance racing and countless hours of research this is an area I am fairly comfortable on, and it worked well enough to mean I never had any serious energy dips, and more fortunately no digestive discomfort along the way!

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Even the weather was good to me, as having spent the previous fortnight obsessively checking the long range forecast every 5 minutes and panicking at the predicted monsoon, conditions turned out to be almost perfect for distance running – in the low teens with glimpses of sunlight and relatively little wind – a long way from the heatwaves experienced in the April race a few years ago. There was one major downpour around mile 22 lasting 10 minutes or so, but even that felt like more of a cooling shower than annoyance, and I was more thankful it had not started any earlier where I might have noticed it more.

The last few miles of the race were lovely, with a combination of running past some fantastic landmarks: The Thames, London Eye, Big Ben & Houses of Parliament, alongside the knowledge that I would not need to be running for too much longer! During the last mile there were regular signs with 1km to go… 800m to go… and so on. The more tired I got the further apart these seemed to get, and I was pretty sure they must have stopped and I was about to reach the finish line before I saw the 600m to go sign in the distance – surely 200m could not be that long! As it was I managed to time my finish line approach perfectly, as the BBC coverage switched to show to the finish line during their closing montage at 4pm meaning I got my 15 seconds of fame crossing the line in front of [maybe] millions of viewers across the world!

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And that was it, I had done it. My final time was 5 hours 13 mins, which was not exactly the fastest of the day, but not the slowest either – and even better I had managed to do it without walking at any point along the course, something I have talked about on here before as a takeaway from Haruki Murakami’s book ‘What I talk about when I talk about running’ which I have strived for since. To be fair my ‘runners shuffle’ was not exactly quick, in fact at times I seemed to be just about keeping pace with other walkers in the final few miles, but it still meant a lot to me personally!

The walk to the finished bags was a little bit of an anti-climax as no spectators were allowed in the area so after all that support on the route it was a bit of a long quiet trudge to get my bag of recovery clothes, but that was more than made up for when I put on my finisher medal and t-shirt. It got better still when I took my sister to my sponsor’s after party in a grand old London club, and it was really nice to actually meet some of the Bobby Moore & Cancer Research team having only corresponded with them by email for the last 2 years, and they were incredibly friendly and generous. The free food and massage was also very welcome!

Finisher Party

So that was it, the end of my 2021 London Marathon journey. Looking back it will definitely go down as one of my most memorable races, and I am so pleased it more than lived up to all the hype and my expectations. I would like to add another massive thanks again to my charity, the Bobby Moore Foundation who trusted me enough to get a place on the race, and all of my amazing sponsors & supporters, who were kind enough to donate over £2300 towards such an important cause on my behal.

The only thing that left me with is what to do next…? At this point I am still not sure, although looking back I do have a nagging feeling that I had a little energy left on the finish line and mayyyybeeee could go a bit longer next time. Or perhaps try something a bit more off road, maybe even a combination of both. Either way, the Chile Challenge will live on, so please keep watching this space, and thank you for all of your support with my adventures so far!

London Marathon 2021 – Part One: Not a Sprint!

Just about every article I read nowadays starts off by jumping in at the deep end, opening in the midst of a particularly perilous situation near the end of the race – a suspected injury, tales of exhaustion or even just negative thoughts of giving up – hooking the readers with a cliff-hanger before rewinding to the start line for the rest of the story, before resolving said difficult situation with a twist involving say crowd support or a generous passer, finishing off by collapsing over the finish line. I thought about doing the same here, and came up with plenty of scenarios from last weekend which would have worked well enough, but it feels like I would be cutting out the much bigger story, of a near two year build up to actually get to the race in the first place: never has the phrase “It’s a marathon not a sprint” been more appropriate!

Along with maybe the Olympics, the London Marathon must be one of my oldest sporting memories, going back to primary school days when newspapers used to publish competitors times (pre-GPS!) and my school would pin them to the noticeboard. One year my uncle took part and I remember searching through pages to find his finish time. At that age a marathon seemed an impossibly long distance, and being honest for much of the next 35 years things remained the same, until I finally got around to completing one myself in Birmingham in 2017. Whilst it was well supported and more importantly close to home, it has never quite held the same kudos as a major event: I have lost count of the “oh’s” I get when people ask if I have ‘done’ a marathon before, usually followed (not unjustifiably) by “I didn’t know there was a Birmingham marathon”!

This one however is different – so well known that for most non-runners it is simply ‘The Marathon’, whilst for other regular runners it is just ‘London’ – as in “Have you done London?” as if it is the holy grail of running. After year of small and medium sized events this was something I had to experience for myself, but with huge demand to take part, reaching the start line is a challenge in itself. The ballot system gives odds getting in of something like 35-1, and whilst I now have a good collection of ‘sorry’ jackets from years of failed attempts, this time around I decided to push for one of the equally competitive charity places, and in summer 2019 was fortunate enough to be chosen to run for the Bobby Moore Fund, part of Cancer Research UK, with a target of raising £1966 to go towards Bowel Cancer causes, something particularly close to my heart.

I immediately began training with what looked like plenty of time until April 2020 to get up to strength from fairly comfortable half marathon distance to full, this being more of a one off opportunity I could not waste, not to mention the fact it would be on international TV! Winter training was tough – you can always spot those training for a Spring event during December snowstorms wearing full thermals whilst others just turn up the heating and put their feet up – and with my grey Rocky tracksuit I was more than happy to be one of them!

But then Covid struck, and the world stopped. It seems almost funny now to look back at the ‘will they or won’t they’ conversations with friends about re-scheduling but of course it was, firstly to October 2020 which allowed me to maintain my training through Lockdown and Summer holidays, and then when it became clear things were not going away it moved again to October 2021, meaning it would be almost exactly two years between getting my place and taking part – if it actually went ahead at all!

The next 12 months brought even more complexity, from The Good: a new baby in the family, fantastic for motivation but putting a bit of a dent in my to training plans – to The Bad: the ongoing lockdowns all but confining me to my hometown and really testing the limits of how many times I could do the same run again and again – and of course The Ugly: a foot injury and rehab plan that kept me out of trainers for nearly two months during what would have been peak training season.

Fundraising was equally tough, having to ask people for support during difficult times for everyone, for a race that I was not even sure when – or if – it would actually go ahead. Fortunately I had huge support, from both my large family, friends and work colleagues, and particularly from a certain anonymous donor (you know who you are!) and I am pleased to say that at time of writing I have surpassed my target, with my employer even matching the first £500 of funds, meaning the charity will receive vital support, which ultimately is what the event is all about.

Choosing and packing kit for an event like this alone could take up a whole other blog, with months spent reading reviews, buying and testing the most comfortable, least painful and best priced equipment. Trainers were already in the bag, having settled on a decent set of Sauconys at running show last year, although the lockdown extensions meant I was now on my second pair. Likewise my ‘lucky’ running shorts and faithful Garmin were already tried and tested. Non-runners might find it odd that socks turned out to be one of the most important tests, but I found a really good, if expensive pair of blister free compression socks with fancy raised dots which I never quite understood, but after extensive testing actually did work well, more than making up for the £20 price tag. The toughest though was my choice of top, and fortunately my sponsors sent me a lovely Cancer Research running vest at the last minute, with lettering for my name to make me feel like a real celebrity, which alongside my running backpack turned out to be both the best and worst parts of the day… but more on them next time.

Even headphones were not straightforward, as with more than a few hours in the build up plus half a day of running I had severe battery life anxiety for both my Powerbeats and phone, which not only led me to panic buy a second pair of wireless headphones as backup, but a power bank and even to dust off an old iPod shuffle for the warm up to conserve power. The question of ‘to music or not to music’ during a major race like this is a whole other topic, which again I will discuss next time, but either way I wanted to be ready.

Fortunately nutrition was the one area I was comfortable on, having completed plenty of longer races including three half-iron distance triathlons and two 100 mile bike sportives, so after a bit of a play about in my warm up race in Worcester last month, I was happy with my choices of Hi Five & SIS gels, USN cookies, Lucozade drinks and good old malt loaf slices, all of which I knew would keep me going through the distance without any major dramas.

Then just two weeks before the race date, my Dad sadly passed away – ironically due in part to the very illness I was fundraising for. I can’t really put into words here how this affected me as I am quite a private person, but suffice to say that after initially questioning whether I should even go ahead with the race, it ended up motivating me even more to get there and continue fundraising for him – a really tough decision in the situation, but one I know he would have been proud of me for, and the thought of him supporting me along the way definitely kept me going.

Back to the race, the final matter was the logistics involved with actually getting to one of the largest races in the world, taking place over 100 miles away. To make it harder I needed to be there the day before to register, meaning at least two nights away from my family. Fortunately I know the locations well from work, and after moving my original hotel booking twice I got a room just minutes from the expo, and a few miles from the start line. But of course that was not everything, as the week before the race we had a national fuel crisis, which meant even more back up plans of how to actually get there in the event I could not drive, so emergency plans were put in place involving multiple trains right up to the last minute, until I stumbled on a fuel station which actually had some diesel the evening before I needed to go down.

After all that planning, things could not have gone any more smoothly in the build up: the roads were fairly empty (partly due to the ongoing shortages!), the hotel check-in was fine, as was the expo despite the fact I did not manage to find any good running merch or kit to blow my cash on (probably for the best as a golden rule is never wear new kit in a race), and I even found time for a pre-race pizza carb fest before relaxing in the cinema to the new Bond film: the perfect build up to the race – but more on that next time!

Event Season

Wow, that summer disapeared really quickly and the weather is beginning to cool down, which can only mean race season is finally here. Whilst my plans have obviously moved a lot, I do at least have two events coming up in the next month, kicking off with a local warm up race and ending in the big one on October.

First up is the Worcester Half Marathon this Sunday, which only a few weeks ago having barely ran in early summer I really did not think I would be ready for, but after a decent 15 km run last weekend my legs felt back to their best and ready to step up to the next distance.

Although I have done another Worcester half a few years ago in the countryside to the North of the city, this one is a new route for me which looks a lot of fun, going right through the city centre and alongside the river, and having worked there for nearly 7 years in a past life I am looking forward to getting new view of some familiar sights.

And then onto the main event, the much delayed London Marathon on 3 October, having originally been pushed back from April to October last year, and then into 2021 for non-elite runners. All in all I will have been training for this baby since I got my place just under 2 years ago, so you would think I would have to be ready by now, but to say the least a lot has changed since then, both for me (injuries and new children) and the real world (something called Covid).

So I have just over a month to make final preperations for London, with this weekend’s event hopefully confirming my body is ready to step up to the longer distance. Having completed various long distance events before I am fairly condifent on the endurance side, but am mainly hoping my body holds up – I am definately feeling the effects of less training at the moment in areas such as my knees, calves and shoulders, so coming away injury free will be a big bonus!

The final thing for now is to focus on my fundraising, as the kind folks at Cancer Research UK have provided me with an entry, and I am specifically raising money for the Bobby Moore Fund which specialises in Bowel Cancer, something which has closely impacted my family over the years. Any contributions will be very welcome, please take a look at my site here: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/james-and-the-marathon-challenge

Into Perspective

We are living in strange times and 2020 has definitely been the strangest year yet.

The last decade has seen some real extremes in this country, from the highs of sports events like the 2012 Olympics & Cricket World Cup, to the political lows of the Credit Crunch & Brexit. People have been brought together and fallen apart, but I don’t think any of us were prepared for what we are going through now.

The last week alone has seen travel bans, curfews, self-isolation and sadly there will still be more to come. It is times like this when you just want to spend time with your loved ones, but in many cases even that is not even possible at the moment. For me personally things are very different this year, with a new baby to look after and family members to worry about. Sport should not have even entered the equation, but for some reason it did.

For many people sport is of course a luxury, a hobby, and low down the list of important things. Most UK sports events in the coming months have now been cancelled, including International Rugby, Cricket, and even football (you know it must be bad when the footie is off). Sure, we can do with a break from sport for a while, although for many it is a big part of their lives – something to get excited about, something to escape with, something to guide your social activities. There was a great piece on BBC News this week on this and I know exactly what they are getting at.

This of course brings me onto the postponement of the London Marathon, the driving force behind restarting this website. For many runners it is the pinnacle of their career, ad it is with true British irony that after a decade of trying to get a place in the darn thing, the year I finally manage it and the world turns upside down!

For the first week of March as the news started spiraling and Covid reached Europe I wondered if it might even affect the race – hoping this might come and go by the end of the month like many other stories, forgotten moments later – but clearly things were different as other races, events and matches began to be cancelled by the day.

Lots of questions, both selfish and practical: If the Marathon is cancelled will they honour my place next year? Could they really reschedule such a complex closed roads event? What about the funds I had raised so far? How long could I maintain my running fitness? What about the hotel I had booked before and after?

By the time the inevitable announcement came it was actually a massive relief. The race was still taking place but postponed until October. I would keep my place, and have the luxury of summer training to look forward to (more irony after months of cold, wet training through winter!). I even managed to defer my hotel say until the new race weekend.

It feels like a massive weight had been lifted. Having waited all this time, I can manage another few months waiting. Clearly there will be a lot of disappointed athletes, who maybe cant make the new date or cannot cancel their travel plans as easilly, but ultimately you have to look at the positives. The actions now will reduce pressure on the health service and ultimately save lives, and with luck the crowds will be back in full strength again by the Autumn, ensuring that special atmosphere everyone wants for the this race. And hey, how many people will get to say they took part in the only London Marathon to have ever taken place in October…

Even better, you lucky readers will get an extra six months of these ramblings to read in the meantime!

 

 

A Tale of Two Seasons

When I talk to many people about my various challenges and longer distance events, at some point the conversation will usually get around to the topic of training.

As much as I would love to claim to run hundreds of miles each month or smash through 4am gym sessions the truth is somewhat less exciting: I train 3 or 4 times per week, usually for about an hour, majority cardio, and whilst I do step it up as I get closer to the big day there is only so much time in the week with a full time job (and 9 month old baby!).

When I first started out my training was very gym based, with a big focus on spin and circuit based classes and only occasional outdoor stuff. It was only when I started working away and wanted to escape the monotony of chain hotels that I even got into running. To be fair though it all worked, seeing me through three 70.3 Ironmen, two 100 mile cycle sportives, one marathon and a whole load of obstacle races, half marathons and so on.

The common denominator of all those races though, is they took place during Summer or early Autumn, which has meant for most of the last 6 or 7 years I have been able to take it steady from around October to March, keeping my base fitness through Winter with nice cosy indoor gym sessions, before starting to step things up as the time the clocks Spring forward and the temperatures start rising, in time for my A-race.

Everything has changed this year with the London Marathon, an event not only terrifying in its distance (which I know I can do) but in its timing – April! This has truly forced me out of my comfort zone as I actually have to train properly through the Winter, increasing my weekly mileage throughout December, January and February. Believe me, getting around 26 miles is a big part of the sponsorship, but it is those three to six months before that you really earn the contributions and show your commitment.

Where once I used to smile inwardly at the ice cold January joggers, shuffling down the pavements in their shiny New Year’s resolution kit, as I drove past for another high energy class in my cosy warm gym, I am now the one hobbling down the high street in the fog, dodging the tidal waves as cars take turns to try and splash me with any available puddles. Yes, I am now a Winter runner.

To be fair there are some benefits of Winter running. When you get the right day, the sky can be even clearer than Summer, you have the roads to yourself, and the chills act as natural motivation to run faster and stave off hypothermia. But get the wrong day, or worse one which starts out looking alright and tricks you into running miles from home before unleashing a months worth of rain in half an hour… but back to the positives!

First up is the kit, which admit it or not, is always a massive draw for anyone who likes to work out in the cold dark evenings – and don’t the manufacturers know it. Layers of long sleeved, sweatproof, fast wicking tops just look cool, and the best ones even have those thumb holes in the sleeve so you can use them as a sort of weird glove thing. As a bonus they usually come in a range of 90’s dayglow colours which stand out in the dark, making you look like a high speed version of Ross’s teeth (for older readers think Cheshire cat)!

Then there are the leggings, a top look for any modern man, and one I rock hard, at nighttime anyway as they tend look a bit tight on my rugby player legs. Still, they keep you a lot warmer than shorts, as I have found to my cost in the past with bright red legs and icicle toes. I also usually run in my trail shoes at night, mainly to protect my precious road trainers from all that mud that accumulates on the local roads that you can’t see in the dark…

…or so I thought until I invested in an even ‘cooler’ piece of kit. That’s right I actually went and bought what used to be described as a miner’s lamp but is now cunningly re-branded as a runner’s head torch, ensuring my runs through the park now look to the casual observer like some sort of illegal teenage rave is going on, meaning it is only a matter of time before I get chased by the 5-0. Until they see my skintight leggings up close and let me go as the fall over laughing.

But as usual it will be me who has the last laugh , as I can really tell the difference this year having done all this extra Winter training in the last few months. Not only will it make sure I am ready for London but give me a head start on any other events I do later on in the year: maybe even a new PB. Who needs Summer?!

2020 Vision

Having spending the last few posts looking back over recent years, it is time to look forward to what is going to be happening in the Chile Challenge world in 2020.

Kicking off the year will be the Solihull Half Marathon, aka a way of making sure all that winter training has done enough to get me at least halfway around the capital. This is a new event for me, but in a good location that is pretty personal for me, right by where I got married. Although relatively small, it looks like it has all the things I look for in a race like chip timing, water stations and of course the promise of a goody bag!

At this time of year there is a bit more limited choice of events at the right distance, but this one is right in the sweet spot, three weeks before my main race. Whilst I am not actually following a formal training plan, mainly because a 9 month old baby makes it near impossible to stick to any kind of schedule that tells you when to run, I have done enough big events by not to know how and when to build up my distance to (hopefully) peak at the right time, so this half will be a good test of how much I have learned.

Then it is the biggie: London Baby! I will be writing plenty more about my thoughts on this one as it gets closer (68 days to go at time of writing) but for now it is hard to put into words how excited I am just to get a place in this, one of the world’s most famous races. After numerous of  failed attempts to gain a ballot place over the years (about 25 applicants for each place, and  have the losers t-shirts to prove it) I am so proud to be running for Bowel Cancer this year, a cause very close to my heart, and one I have a long history with going back to the start of this blog in 2014.

After that it is a bit of fun to calm things down in Rough Runner, an old favorite in a new venue. I wrote about this here after first doing it a few years ago as my first ever OCR, and it was a real laugh. Like the Wolf Run it is a sort of team based cross country run, but the obstacles are based on classic TV shows like Gladiators and Total Wipeout, with all sorts of giant inflatables to negotiate, walls to climb and everyone’s childhood dream a Travellator to run up at the finish line!

And that is it for now, although I am sure I will tuck in a few other treats as the year goes on and write about them on here. In the meantime please take the time to check out my my sponsorship page where all support will go towards the Bobby Moore Fund for Bowel Cancer Research and keep me going around those London streets in April!