Every runner knows the bittersweet symphony of aching muscles and the exhilaration of crushing personal bests—it's a journey of countless steps, both literal and metaphorical. Today, I pull back the curtain on my own path through highs, lows, and the winding roads in between. From a humbling stumble to the glory of setting a new record at a local park run, I lace up and take listeners along for the ride, sharing the raw emotions that come with each stride.
Navigating the choppy waters of hereditary conditions, I offer an intimate glance into how gout and shin splints have tested my limits. It's not just about the miles I've logged, but the lifestyle shifts and home remedies that have become essential in my playbook. The healing touch of Hayling Island's retreat and the begrudging transition to treadmill training underscore the importance of adaptability and resilience in the face of adversity. As for the Manchester Marathon, it's a story of perseverance, where mental fortitude plays the starring role amidst the physical demands of the 26.2-mile battleground.
As seasons change and races come and go, the anticipation of the winter half marathon looms—a tribute race to my late nan that tugs at the heartstrings. Balancing the desire to push boundaries with the wisdom of self-preservation, I muse on whether to take on the Race of the King. So, slip into your running shoes and join me; it's not just a podcast episode—it's a testament to the spirit of a runner, with every heartbeat, breath, and step.
Thanks for listening. Keep on running.
Every runner knows the bittersweet symphony of aching muscles and the exhilaration of crushing personal bests—it's a journey of countless steps, both literal and metaphorical. Today, I pull back the curtain on my own path through highs, lows, and the winding roads in between. From a humbling stumble to the glory of setting a new record at a local park run, I lace up and take listeners along for the ride, sharing the raw emotions that come with each stride.
Navigating the choppy waters of hereditary conditions, I offer an intimate glance into how gout and shin splints have tested my limits. It's not just about the miles I've logged, but the lifestyle shifts and home remedies that have become essential in my playbook. The healing touch of Hayling Island's retreat and the begrudging transition to treadmill training underscore the importance of adaptability and resilience in the face of adversity. As for the Manchester Marathon, it's a story of perseverance, where mental fortitude plays the starring role amidst the physical demands of the 26.2-mile battleground.
As seasons change and races come and go, the anticipation of the winter half marathon looms—a tribute race to my late nan that tugs at the heartstrings. Balancing the desire to push boundaries with the wisdom of self-preservation, I muse on whether to take on the Race of the King. So, slip into your running shoes and join me; it's not just a podcast episode—it's a testament to the spirit of a runner, with every heartbeat, breath, and step.
Thanks for listening. Keep on running.
The race is on. The race is on, so let's get straight into this episode of 30 years of running marathons. In this episode, I'm going to tell you all about what happened after my last ultramarathon back in 2022. But before then I'll just update you on my current running situation. So two weeks ago I fell over at my local park run, which is a local 5k run which is held every Saturday morning local park run, which is a local 5k run which is held every Saturday morning. I slipped over just towards the finishing line and, even though I fell, I still ran my fastest park run time of the year and I was okay a day afterwards. But then a few days after that, my right leg was really painful and I just, I just couldn't. I could hardly walk, let alone run, so I really haven't done much running since then. On the Friday I did just a couple of miles and I was fine. So this Saturday I ran my local park run again and I'm glad to say that I didn't fall over and I actually ran my now fastest time and it was seven seconds quicker. I think it was 26 minutes 18 seconds, a good seven seconds quicker than my previous park run, which, obviously, when I fell over and, as a lady there at the time said, falling over probably cost me those two seconds, maybe more. So I'm really pleased that you know I'm up and running again and I got my my fastest park run time.
Speaker 1:So now I'm looking forward to the next few weeks when I've got a few 10k's coming up, which will be good. One is part of a series of races, so I've already run the Beaconsfield five mile trail run and then this is going to be a 10k, which is going to be held in the evening, which will be different for me because I'm very much an early morning runner, so that'll be interesting. There's a very hilly 10k as well. And then I also go back to reading, which, if you listen to my previous episodes, you know I've just recently run the red and half marathon and this is actually held in green park, so close to reading football stadium. But it's a 10k, not a, not a half marathon.
Speaker 1:But I have to be honest with you, 10k is not my, my favorite distance. I just find them a bit. They're a lot quicker, obviously, than the half marathon, because 10k is only like six miles, so I just feel that pressure to go that much quicker, I tend to struggle with the speed. So, to be honest, my favorite distance all time, as you probably guessed, is the marathon, half marathons. I like been getting into ultra marathons over the last few years, but, yeah, 10k. But you know, 10k is going to help my speed over the marathon and I've got a marathon lined up later on in the year as well. So you know, 10k's are all good and I say this one is back in reading which I've just recently run the red and half marathon. So I do like going back to that particular era.
Speaker 1:And then I've got a very unusual uh, 10k later on in the summer which actually called beat the boat. Where you're, you're racing against a boat, which I've mentioned one of my previous episodes. Uh, I've done it regularly over the years. It's, it's such a fun race, it's great. The rate to hq is actually in the pub, uh, and even on the pit stops not only they offer water but they offer champagne and beer. So it's a real runner's race and I'm really looking forward to that. So it's more of a fun race than worrying about your time. But anyway, let's get back to after race to the tower.
Speaker 1:So my previous episode I mentioned, I did this ultra marathon race to the tower, which is run along the beautiful Cotswolds Way in the UK, and it's 53 miles, so not as far as a previous ultra that I did, which was Race to Stones. I mean that was just over 60 miles or 100k, but this was far hillier. I think it was something like 7,000 feet in elevation total. So it's a real, real hilly run and I thought, because it was obviously a shorter distance I hadn't really looked into the elevation that I'd be fine, having already done a longer distance. But obviously I didn't account for the elevation and I did mention, if you listen to my previous episode about the detail of that run. You know runners were looking at me and thought I was broken after 13 miles and certainly the last five miles, one of the officials at the pit stop, I think, was trying to hold me back and really didn't want me to run it. But nothing was going to stop me doing that last five miles, even if I had to crawl towards the end. But you know it took me nearly 18 hours and I finished in the dark, but one of my toughest but also one of my best runs and I, you know, to be honest, I didn't think about the future, because at the time when you're in these races, you know you well.
Speaker 1:For me, anyway, I have this mindset where you know, literally, if it kills me, I'm going to finish it, and you don't think what, what's going to happen afterwards. You know, obviously I had races lined up, but you take one race at a time, you take one step at a time and you, you, you got to be very much in the moment, very mindful, enjoy it for what it is the pain, the suffering, and not you know you, you literally are so much in the zone, as people often call it, that you're not thinking about anything else. And this is your, this is this, literally, is your last race and that's all you're thinking and that's the mindset I have and it it's proved to be well in the past and I continue to use that sort of mindset that I'm going to give it 110, no matter what happens. And obviously there's a risk of you pushing through the pain barrier that what's occurring as pain might be something more serious. Anyway, this, this occurred to me.
Speaker 1:So the few days after racist attack, I really did suffer, but I had many multiple attacks on me and one of them was gout. So unfortunately I do get gout, not because the stereotypical I drink a lot of you know alcohol or eat a lot of red meat which can contribute, uh, to gout and gout. Basically, gout is a form of arthritis for you usually you get my teeth in for you, those who don't know and it forms in in the joints, so forms in your feet and get it in your fingers, elbows. For me it forms in my feet and my knees and what's happening is foods with high purines, like your red meat and certainly alcohol, which has high purines all foods have purines. Basically, what it does is your kidneys flush out the uric acid which basically the purines form. Now my kidneys don't flush out the uric acid as efficiently as you or someone else you know, any any normal person would do. Their normal kidneys would would flush out the uric acid.
Speaker 1:So what happens is it forms and then your joints and it forms like these crystals and the crystals rub together, gets very painful. They say it's one of the most painful things you can have and I think that's after childbirth and I think it's gallstones or kidney stones, something like that, and then it's gout and when I get it in my feet it's like you're walking on on glass. It's that that painful, and you know just the sheets covering your leg or your knee, it's just. It's like you're how can I describe it's like your leg and your foot it's like burning up with hot coals and you just kind of get away from the pain and no matter what you do, it's just that the pain is just there and you can't get away from it. And you can get medication for it. I do have medication that I can take. Doctors wanted me to put me on permanent medication but I tried that and literally what happens is it gives you a gout attack to start with and I, just, I, just I just couldn't take the pain anymore. I don't get that many attacks, you know, maybe one or two a year. You can also get it if you're stressed a lot.
Speaker 1:But back to the gout. The reason I get the gout is because my father had it and it can be hereditary. So I don't drink a lot of alcohol, I don't. I hardly ever have meat, so unfortunately it's just one of those things that happens to me now and then. But when it comes on, it can like last a week and I can be bed bound and it's the most excruciating pain and literally, if it happens in my leg, I'll just wish someone would cut my leg off because it literally is that painful and I wouldn't wish it on anybody. So when that happens, you know, forget about running, forget about even walking. It's just, it's just a rent. It tends to come and go on its own accord. You know you can take medication, take painkillers, but it will go when he wants to. So I'm trying to manage it better now. Touch wood, my last attack was back in January. I'm taking these more merency cherry tablets and this particular cherry juice is supposed to keep the uric acid down. So I'm trying that.
Speaker 1:But anyway, back to what happened after Race to the Tower. So I get this gout attack. Okay, I was maybe a little bit stressed at that particular time, not from the race but from other things that were going on, so maybe that contributed to it. So I get this gout attack which puts me out, and that put me out for literally a few weeks, but not only that. I then get shin splints, and shin splints are really painful and and shin splints are overuse of the shin.
Speaker 1:So obviously, running races how very hilly race, a lot of pressure on the shins and for those of you who listened to my previous episodes, you know my right leg. I've had a in my knee, I've had a torn meniscus and a baker's cyst, so you're putting a lot of pressure not in my knee but on my shin as well. Shin's taking all the pressure. So certainly on my right shin it was really painful. So I had these shin spl. Shin. It was really painful, so I had these shin splints and it's really painful not only to run but to walk.
Speaker 1:So, combined with that and the gout, it took me a long time to recover and so race of the towel, that was in July, and then all through the summer I couldn't do any running because of the gout and the shin splints. And it was more so, I guess, the shin splints because the gout took a couple of weeks. But also when you get these gout attacks, it really drains you of your energy and your motivation. Um, it's like you have like a lack of iron in your system as well, so you feel very fatigued. So it really takes it out of you, um, to get back even even to walking. It's tough and then to run it. But then obviously then I had the shin splints on top of that. Then I got a cold, which I don't normally get cold. So multiple attacks on my body that particular time.
Speaker 1:So all through the summer, you know, I'd given up thinking about doing any runs, any of my races later on in the year and what I thought I would do is I thought I'll go to my one place that I know I can really relax, de-stress, chill out. I also know they have really good health facilities here as well. So things like sauna, jacuzzi, swimming pool. So I went down to my favourite place called Halion Island, which is a little island off the south coast in England, really beautiful place. I used to go there as a kid. So I went down there, booked into this lovely hotel that I normally go to. It's a really nice hotel, next to the marina, a few minutes from the beach, and they've got these lovely spa facilities get my teeth in again. Facilities you've got the sauna, jacuzzi, you've got a swimming pool and you've got a gym as well, a treadmill, so it's an ideal place for me to recuperate.
Speaker 1:Anyway, I obviously use the facilities, obviously the sauna and jacuzzi that would help me recover and relax, and the swimming pool. And yes, I did have a few drinks because it's good food, good, good drinks and, um, the weather was good actually, even though it's november. The weather was nice and I was having a really relaxing time, but obviously I couldn't resist the lure of the treadmill. I mean, in the gym you got all these weights and that. I've never been much of a a weights person, even though I probably should do more weights just to help my overall running style.
Speaker 1:But then this had this treadmill and I went on a treadmill years ago and a lot of people call it the dreadmill because it can be just so boring and and for me, a person who loves being in outdoors and running and that's why I go running being on a treadmill I mean, for me, as I say, when I used the treadmill years ago was just so depressing. And I remember when the first time I used a treadmill, I actually fell off the typical comedy sketch because I wasn't sure how to set it and had this massive treadmill that I was stepping on and the speed I got it all completely wrong. Yeah, I nearly went flying off the back. That's another story. So I get on this treadmill and just my t-shirt and and shorts and shoes and I thought I'll see how it goes.
Speaker 1:And first of all I've got to set the speed, which is a challenge in itself. I'm never really good at setting the speed, I'm not good at all these gadgets, and I wasn't sure how to set. I had my watch on as well, which I set to uh, indoor, uh, treadmill run, I can set it to. So I said treadmill run, so I thought I can monitor that, and then I thought I set the speed more or less right, but obviously, as I started going, I thought I can go a little bit faster. A little bit faster, and a competitive person in me is obviously like you know, come on, speed it up, speed it up. I can go faster than that and I work in like miles per hour, something, four, five, six, seven miles per hour.
Speaker 1:And then I was going by feels, which is something I could really relax into, and there's nobody either side of me. I think there was some person on uh, I don't know what you call them. They're like the, the step, step, footer things, I don't know what they call. They go up and down with the steps and that in front of me. And then there was one guy doing weights and I think one got another guy on a cycle. So I was just. You know, there was nobody next to me on the treadmill, so I thought I'd start going a little bit faster, a little bit faster, and then I just settled down into a nice, nice, easy, easy speed.
Speaker 1:I kept monitoring the speed because, as I say, I'm very competitive. I wanted to make sure, but you know, one mile took forever because there's no scene or anything. There was a television on the far back wall but they didn't have the sound turned up, so I couldn't hear the sound and I was just watching it and trying to distract myself. My first it and trying to distract myself. My first target was one mile. I did one mile, then I thought two. I was literally taking it mile by mile, as I'm doing most of my races and then I got to three miles, which is approximately a park run distance, and I thought I'll just keep going.
Speaker 1:Anyway, it kept going. You know, I just kept going and going and going and, yeah, I got up to what was it? Six, 6.26 miles, and I think it was literally when the treadmill cut off. I didn't know. The treadmill cuts off after about an hour and obviously I'm not as fast as I was and I think it took me just over an hour to do these 6.26 miles, or approximately an hour, I'm not quite sure, because I know that the treadmill cut off. It was either on the hour, just over the hour. I think it was on the hour. The treadmill cut off. I didn't know. This is what happened, but it just suddenly slowly came to a halt and I thought, well, that'll do me, I can do no more. Yeah, I can set the treadmill again, but basically I've done a session.
Speaker 1:I don't think many people were surprised to see me running in there for that long and for me that was. You know, I felt good. They having said that, I felt it in my knees because you're running on the hard uh board. It feels like a board that, the belt of the of the treadmill, so probably not as good for my knees and I was sweating like anything being indoors like that, and it really taken out me. So the first thing I did was, uh, get my water bottle, drink lots of water. Uh, I even thought about going for a swim, but I thought no, but I thought maybe a sauna, jacuzzi or just relax in the water, and I relaxed and I was fine and by the evening on a celebrity, uh dinner and a few drinks, and I was really happy with that and that was the longest run since I'd done, since racing the tower back in July, um, so that that was really pleasing to do those six miles, um. So yeah, I was, I was really happy with that, and then I did a steady.
Speaker 1:You know, when I got back home I did a steady three, four, five, five, six miles again and then I came back to this hotel again in Haley Island just for a couple of days. I literally like to do a couple of days at a time and that, and this time I managed seven miles, but that was out and about. So actually there's some lovely runs around Haley Island, so I actually ran out at about this time. Obviously it's a bit colder this time of year in December, but it was nice to be out in the fresh air and running. And then I did exactly the same on Christmas Day. So Christmas Day I always do my traditional Christmas Day run and I did approximately seven miles a day.
Speaker 1:This was a lot harder, though, the night before, as I always do a nice little bit of port and cheese. I used to do this when I was caring for my nan, and always Christmas Eve, and certainly Christmas Day, nice bit of port and cheese. I had a bit of port and cheese. So this, this, this, this run was basically fueled by by port and cheese, had a bit of port and cheese. So this run was basically fuelled by port and cheese and I was definitely feeling it. So I wouldn't normally have you know, certainly port and cheese before a race, but it was a training run and I was happy with that. So that was really really good. That was a good run and that was on Christmas Day and then come January, this is coming into 2023.
Speaker 1:In January I went back to my old training haunt of Jarrah's Cross Hill. For you those who don't know haven't listened to the previous episode Jarrah's Cross Hill is a hill that goes up a third of a mile and it takes about four miles to get there and then I see how many uh times I can go up it and down and it gives me my overall mileage. It's really good for hill work, which you know here. What can increase your speed. I've not been doing much interval training or or any type of sprint work, so to build my speed up, I can do hill work and it obviously prepares you for, but certainly help prepare me for, my ultra marathons, even though nothing could prepare me for races at the elevation there really. But you know, in most normal races marathons you're not going to get this type of hill.
Speaker 1:So January 5th, which is just a day before my late Nan's birthday, I went up to Ebscross Hill two times and that did me 10 miles and then I did a few more race sorry, a few more training runs at 10 and a half miles and then on the 29th so end of January, I did my longest run since the July of 2022, when I did races at town. I did 14 miles, which you know just over half marathon distance. So I was really happy with that and this prepared me for what is usual for my first race of the year, which previous listeners will know if you've listened to my previous episodes it's the Wokingham half marathon. Previous listeners will know if you've listened to my previous episodes, it's the wokingham half marathon, really, really fast, flat road race and I've run it a few years now and a few years I haven't been able to run it because I was injured and I ran that and I ran it in not my fastest time but it was under the two hours and two hours is a magical mark when it comes to half marathons. It's a bit like trying to break one and a half hours. You've got 1.45, 2, 2.15. So to break two hours, I was really happy with that. I mean, you're looking at under two hours, that's you know you're pretty heading much for an under four hour marathon, which again, that's another milestone in the marathon world. So I did that in one hour 54. And this is my first race since, obviously, race of the Tower, since I had the shin splints, the gout and all the other problems. So I was really happy for that. And this set me up nicely because I had the Manchester Marathon coming up. And, as I say again, previous listeners will know that I've run the Manchester Marathon a few times.
Speaker 1:I have to say it's a lovely race because if you can't get into london, a lot of people do manchester because there's no lottery for manchester but there's still about 20 000 people running it up in the north of england. Great support, run around the city center, through a lot of the tourist sites, past old trafford football club. It's it's just a, it's just a great place to run. As I say you run past Manchester United football grounds, you've got the old Trafford ground there. It's just great and, as I say, you get lots of support. You run past all the city centre, the tourist sites. It's just a great race and, as I say, great crowd support. So I absolutely love running here. But it's not been particularly lucky for race and, as I say, great crowd support. So I absolutely love running it, but it's not been particularly lucky for me in the last few years. So I say I've I've really suffered in the later stages of it and to be honest, you know why break the trend this year.
Speaker 1:This year was going to be no different. Um, but before that I did a couple of 20 milers. So I did one 20 mile in one week and then next week I did another 20 miler and then I had approximately three week taper. So a taper is where you literally cut down on your, your training runs. You're just trying to reserve the energy. Some people do it two weeks before you know you do their longest run two weeks before. I always do my longest run two weeks before. But I've done some research and there's a lot of research say actually you're not going to lose any fitness during the taper time and it's actually going to improve your race performance. They can reckon, you know, it could improve one, two percent, even five percent maybe.
Speaker 1:So a lot of runners don't like the tapering period. You get what's known as a paranoia, so you start worrying about losing your fitness. You, you, you start your, your mind plays tricks with you. You think I can't. You know how am I gonna run this 26 miles? You know, when I haven't done any long run in the last few weeks and even after all my experience I still feel like that. But I've learned to go for the three week taper. So my last 20 miler will be three weeks at my longest run, three weeks before the marathon. And then I just do shorter runs, you know, in the in the third, third week before. So a couple of weeks before you might do a six miler that's all the longest you need to do or 10 miles at the most. Then in the final week I literally just did a couple of three milers. That's all I did in the final week and then had a couple of days off just before and, as I say, I wasn't going to buck the trend.
Speaker 1:This was going to be another painful marathon for me and it got to. I don't know about 16 miles where I always seem to have trouble in the Manchester Marathon. I don't know why. You know there's no particular reason why. You know it's a fairly flat course, there's no great big hill at 16 miles or anything. But I really started to suffer with about 10 miles to go and 10 miles to go.
Speaker 1:When you're in pain in a marathon it's tough, and what happened was every time I put my foot down I was getting pain, and more so my right foot, and then it, the pain, just went from my right foot all the way up to my leg and it got to the point where I couldn't bend my leg. So I just and obviously the right the right leg is the one with where I've had the torn meniscus and the back assistance. I've already had problems with my right leg, but you know it wasn't the knee that was causing the problem. It was I don't know what it was, it was more like the foot, just the pain in the foot Every time I put my foot down.
Speaker 1:So then what happens is, subconsciously, you're trying to alter your running style. You're trying to alter your running style to have more pressure on the left hand side, because you can't put as much pressure on your right foot. Your body just subconsciously moves more to the left and tries to put more pressure on the left and tries to keep the pressure off the right. And I just I must have looked so funny because I was I was swiveling about all over the place. It was like there was glass on the ground. I was trying not to put my foot on it, a bit like when I get gout on my foot, just trying not to put any pressure on it, and it was horrible.
Speaker 1:You try and do that for 10 miles. I didn't know how I was going to do it and yet again, as I mentioned in previous episodes, especially with the Manchester marathon, I just did it one step at a time, because that's all you can do. You can't think too far ahead, because if I thought, if I've got to do 10 miles like this, then you know there's no way I'm going to make it. And it was a struggle. But, as I said before my previous episode, some of the toughest marathons that I've done are normally the best marathons, because when marathons are going relatively straightforward though no marathon is relatively straightforward, but you understand where I'm coming from.
Speaker 1:When things go to plan, it's quite easy. When things don't go to plan, that's when you see the true character of a person. You know how much grit in it. That's when it comes down to your mindset how bad do you want it? And I wanted it really bad. And in in some rather strange way, I actually enjoyed the challenge because your mind is completely focused on getting through it and you go to another level. You just the adrenaline kicks in and your mind says, no, you can do this, and you just push the boundaries of your limits, of what you can achieve. And it's not easy because you know nothing worth having is easy. But I pushed through it.
Speaker 1:I was in so much pain and obviously in the back of my mind I'm always thinking I don't want to do any serious damage and I'm thinking this could be serious because it wasn't bending at all. And I'm thinking, well, okay, if this is my last race, then I want it to be my last race. I don't want it to be a DNF I do not, did not finish. I don't want it to be that, I want it to be. You know, if I never run again, then obviously I wanted to have finished my last marathon, the Manchester marathon, and that was also in my mind because it was. It was feeling that bad, it was that painful, the fact that I've never had this problem before when my leg wouldn't bend, and if it was this bad, I'm thinking, oh my word. And obviously, if the leg's not bending like that, it wasn't actually the knee that was painful, but it is all connected to the knee and I'm thinking, maybe this is it, maybe my running career is over, maybe I can't run anymore after this. So if I can't run anymore after this, then I better make sure I finish this one, because this is going to be the last marathon I go out on and that's my attitude as I staggered across the line.
Speaker 1:That was my attitude and yeah, it was just a horrendous race. I managed to cross the line and looking at the time you know it's four hours 36 minutes is my second slowest marathon time After the first one I did over 30 years ago as a youngster four hours 48. This is my second slowest four hours 36. But you know a lot of people love that and when I look at that time and I think how much pain I struggled in Then in fact it is one of my best marathon because I could quite easily have given up, but I didn't give up and a lot of people would have loved that time of four hours 36. And the fact I did it in so much pain, that time of 4 hours 36 and the fact that I did it in so much pain, I think that's testament to me about how determined I was to finish it. I wasn't going to give up, I was going to carry on and you know that's what I did. So, yeah, it was. I just, you know, and I'm so proud of that particular marathon.
Speaker 1:But obviously then afterwards I had to deal with the injury and luckily, I mean it wasn't anything permanent. I didn't go to the doctors or anything, because I was, I was pretty sure there's nothing. Uh, the doctors would um suggest it was. What I did was was obviously I rested for a few days. It was. There was ice treatment, massage treatment. I did everything I could and I did start to get feeling back. You know I did. It did start to feel okay, but I certainly couldn't do any running for a while.
Speaker 1:I did the Manchester Marathon in April. It was almost about three months. I didn't start running again until July and, funny enough, it was actually when I was back in Hale and Isle again. You'll see the running theme here, literally that whenever I get an injury and I need to rehabilitate, I go down to Hale and Isle, which is one of my favorite places in the world, and in the summer it's beautiful. And so I went down there in July and I went to the same hotel and they get to know me as a regular there now and this, this hotel, as I, as I said, it's absolutely lovely and I used all the spa facilities the jacuzzi, the, the sauna, the steam room and this time I thought I'm ready to go for a run again, but I wasn't going to use the treadmill. I mean, this is during the heat of the summer and yes, we do get heat of the summer sometimes in the UK and it was a lovely day.
Speaker 1:So I thought about plotting my own route on my Garmin watch. I've never done this before. You can plot your own route watch. I've never done this before. You can plot your own route. My plan was to to go from my hotel down towards the end of the island to the coast. I think it only takes you five minutes by car, but I think it's about three miles, uh, hotels at the north end of the island and the coast is, is, or the main beach coast, as I say, is three miles down on the southern side of the island. So that's what I did.
Speaker 1:So I I planned all this on my watch and I was trying to read out as I was going along, because I left early in the morning, in the dark and it didn't go quite as planned. So let's say, it took me down this road, I turned right and then I found myself next to some water, along a field, narrow gravel path along the shoreline. I hadn't got a clue where I was and it was pitch black and I was out in the middle of nowhere and I thought, well, I'm going south anyway, that's, that's the main thing. But I think I thinking to myself, I need to cut back to the left to get back to sort of civilization. And I managed to cut back towards the left. But then I was going through this narrow undergrowth and I came out into a cul-de-sac and I really was lost. I mean, I don't know the island, I just know the beach and the hotel. So I was lost and I was trying to get my bearings.
Speaker 1:Cut a long story short, it did add a bit of distance to to my run and I was so pleased when I actually managed to get back to the main road, which I knew was the main road and because I'd driven it down at many times, I'm thinking now all I'm going to do is just mind that. We caught a scene, just follow the main road down to the coast. And I got down to do is just mind that, we've got a scene, just follow the main road down to the coast. And I got down to the coast. It was lovely to get down to the beachfront, to the coast, deserted coastline that time in the morning. So I stopped there for a few minutes and then I thought I'd do a few up and down the it's a gravel beach do a few up and downs there. And there was the odd person going by watching, watching me. They must have thought I don't know I was crazy.
Speaker 1:I was just going up and down these the gravel beach here and that, uh, because I was feeling really good, I was feeling well while I'm here, I'll make the most of it. And then I thought, right, I'm not gonna follow my watch back, no matter what it says I'm gonna go back. It might what it says I'm going to go back. It might be slightly longer route but I'm going to go back the road route Not quite scenic, but at least I'll know I'll get back in one piece and I won't get lost again. And that was about a total of 6.2 miles and I was happy with that. There was no after effects, my legs were fine. I had a lovely cooked breakfast when I got back, which is included as part of the hotel price, and I was feeling really good, really good. And then after that I didn't. Well, I got back home and my legs started playing up again, unfortunately, I don't know.
Speaker 1:As you'll listen to more of my episodes, you'll know that obviously injuries are a recurring theme here. But you know these are the risks you take, obviously when you're running. It's just an unavoidable thing. You're going to get injuries when you're running, no matter how well you stretch, how well you prepare, how careful you are. So, getting back home, I was obviously pleased that I could still run. That was the main thing. You know I hadn't done any permanent injury, but my legs weren't oh, they weren't 100%. So it's about another three weeks before I did any running again and what I was looking forward to.
Speaker 1:I was looking forward to running the winter half marathon which, as you previous listeners will know if you listen to my previous episodes, it's what I call my nan's race. My nan, who was a great fan of my running, she died literally a day after I ran my last winter half marathon and I think she kept alive just to see one final medal. I literally dashed to the hospital straight after the winter half marathon, cycleist hospital, showed her my medal and then literally she died in the early hours of the morning. So it's very emotional race for me. It's also a very hilly race, very tough race, but it's a beautiful race because you, you, uh, run down um, uh windsor long walk and then you head back, you're looking towards Royal Windsor Castle and it's got a great atmosphere. It's on closed roads but it is really hilly.
Speaker 1:A two-lapper and I was determined, no matter what, even if I had to walk it, because it's my nan's race, I would run it. But you know, for three weeks I hadn't been running. Before that was a six-mile and then before that I was injured. So did this crazy thing it was more or less to give me confidence I went and ran eight miles on the friday. Bear in mind uh, it's on the sunday, uh, the half marathon race and I'm running what three quarters of the distance on the friday before. Not ideal preparation. You really need to taper. But I just had to do it to give me confidence and I ran it and there was no pains or anything. More importantly, I felt good in my running and also the day afterwards, which is often crucial, because it's often the day afterwards any injuries will occur or any pains. But I was fine on the Saturday. So I was thinking okay, I've run approximately three quarters of the race, so, you know, I've got another. Well, I've got another five miles to run on the day.
Speaker 1:Now there isn't any real great, great, get my teeth in. There isn't any real great crowd support here. But there is near the near the start and the top of the hill where you go run but, uh, go around. But in the other outer stretches there's not much great crowd support. But I was hoping, you know, nan would be with me, she would see me through this, she'd be looking down on me and everything would be fine. And I wasn't worried about the time. To be honest, all I was worried about. You know, I was just worried about finishing it and I know the course like the back of my hand.
Speaker 1:So the first mile is very much uphill, very slow mile towards Cobhors. You turn left, it goes up a bit and then you go around for the first lap and it's quite hilly. It goes down a bit after, I think, mile three and then you come around and then the second lap is slightly bigger as you go off to Windsor Polar Lawns and come back around, again slightly big as you go off to windsor polar lawns and come back around again. Now there are a couple of hills and certainly mile 11 is one of the biggest ones and when I ran it with my friend a few years ago, I mean, he started walking it. Um, because it is a, it's a killer of a hill. So there was mile 11 I was very aware of. But if I got that far, if I could manage up, get up that hill and you get to mile 12, last mile, you're running straight downhill towards the finish line. You can hear the crowds and so it's really the mile 11.
Speaker 1:Once I got to I and I was working in chunks yet again, I was, I was working for the half mile, sorry, half marathon distance or the half. Let me let me get this right for you. So I was working for the half of the half marathon distance and six and a half miles would be my first point of call. Then I was looking to work up to 10 double figure of 10 miles, and then I had this killer hill at 11 which I really struggled up but I didn't stop. You know a lot of people stop and walk. I know if I once stopped I'll never get up. So I did this, this hill at 10, and then I get tomorrow, sorry, I get to 11, which was the kill hill. So I'm struggling up that.
Speaker 1:But once I got there it started to come down a bit to 12 and then, obviously, at the top of mile 12, I'm at the top of the hill again and I'm coming back down from where we started off and it was great. And then I've learned my lesson never to sprint from the top because you've still got a mile to go. A lot of people start sprinting because you can, literally, you know you can hear the crowd, you can see the finish line, winscastle, way back in the distance. But it was great, the crowd, support, um, everybody was cheering me on and I still managed my traditional sprint finish and I was just happy to relieve the gut threat and you know my legs were fine.
Speaker 1:I actually considering I hadn't done much running, I wasn't too much out of breath and the time I did it in two hours 19 minutes, which I would like to set myself targets Obviously the first one was to finish it, but I was looking at to get under two and a half hours, which I'd easily done. That Two hours 15 minutes would have been. That would be something completely different. I mean that would have been out this well, but no, two hours 19 minutes to get under two and a half hours with not any training. I was really happy and, yeah, I mean it was a, a great race. And I just looked to the heavens afterwards and thought on my nan. I thought, well, you know, nan has got me through this and it was thanks to her that I managed to get through it, certainly on the tough points, on the tough hill, especially, uh, mile 11, which was really tough. So things were looking good. You know, I was thinking I was back on the up here now and this was going to be my, my last race of the year, but also as we come up to speed. Now we're looking at what 2024? Now this is the end of 2023.
Speaker 1:So I had a little bit of rest after winter. I wanted to make sure my my legs were okay and then I went back to my usual place when I want to recover and recuperate, and that was hailing island, again stayed in the usual hotel and and this time I decided to run all the way around Haley line and I knew it'd be a long run and also took me places I've never been to before. I well, I didn't really get lost this time, maybe a few detours. It certainly brought me back a way I've never been back before. So I set off on my usual route this, this was along the road.
Speaker 1:This time I didn't want to get lost and I got down to the coast and I turned around and as I was coming back, I was slight detour. I didn't come straight home, straight along the normal road. I actually turned to the right and it was great because it took me around the can I call it not so much back streets of Hayley, lyle and Lynn, but certainly the quieter places away from the coast, and I was coming back round and actually came up back behind the hotel, which I've always wondered where the road led to. When I've been sitting in the hotel restaurant there, I've seen this road going off to the left. You don't see many cars coming out of it. And now I know where it leads to at least there's some beautiful little villages and that. So, um, I came back running through there and this was a long run. This was 11.3 miles. That's my my furthest run and almost half marathon, again since the winter half marathon which was at the end of september.
Speaker 1:So I was pretty hopeful now for obviously this year, now 2024, for doing some good races. Uh, 2023. I was meant to have run another ultra marathon called race to the king, which is it's part of the series where I run races, stones, and race to the king, which is it's it's part of the series where I run races, stones and race to the tower, but obviously, because my injuries are, I couldn't do it. So, coming up to this year, 2024, this is what I was looking forward to doing. The third one, the series Cause if you do three in the series you get a special hoodie. So that's what I was looking forward to and obviously doing a you know, nearly half marathon back in November in 2023.
Speaker 1:Then you know, my training was good and I was feeling hopeful for this year. I did my usual Christmas run and things were looking good. I mean, things were looking good until injuries occurred again. Yet again it was my my my shin. So, as I mentioned before, if you have listened to my previous episodes, I was meant to be running my normal Wokingham half marathon in February but unfortunately I was injured. I couldn't do that. But fortunately for me, the injury wasn't long term and I'm I've just recently ran the Begansfield five mile trail run. Also a few weeks ago, ran the Redden half marathon in a quicker time than than I expected. So things are going too badly. As you know, I injured myself on the park run, but I've I've come back from that, so things aren't looking too bad at the moment, as I've got a few 10k races lined up.
Speaker 1:Unfortunately, I don't think I'm going to be running race of the king, because the race of the king is that I think that's in July and I don't think I'm going to have enough training behind me for that. I'd like to, I mean, watch this space, but I'm not so sure. At the moment I'm concentrating on obviously getting back into my running again. All park runs are due, I've got a few 10K races coming up and then, as we head into the summer, we've got half marathon to marathon.
Speaker 1:End of the year Race of the King, as I say, is in in july I think it's. It's about 50 something miles. Yet again it's another, uh, double marathon distance race. I'll be honest with you, I don't think I've got enough training behind me to do it. I would like to give it a go, but also I'm very sensible as well. You know there's challenges and then there's being sensible to to what is achievable. Yes, push past your limits, but at the same time you've got to be realistic about these things. So I don't think racer can be happening this year. But uh, you know, as I say, I'll keep you updated and watch the space.
Speaker 1:But at the moment, you know I'm I'm really happy that I'm back running again, especially after my fall at park run, and it's a lovely day here in the UK.
Speaker 1:Yesterday I did actually go down to the coast to Haley line again this time it's just for the day and just did a little run along the beach and some swimming and felt really good. So I'm very optimistic for the next few weeks and a few races coming coming up. They come around really quickly and I'm very conscious of that, so it's important that I don't get any more injuries before then. No more falling over at parkrun, certainly. But yeah, things are, things are looking good, things are back on the up again and, as I say, you know you get these these days and these periods where you get knocked down and you just got to get back up again. It's just part and parcel of running, really. So, but you know, I'm I'm very much positive at the moment, looking forward to my next few races and we'll see how it goes. But anyway, I'll keep you updated. I'll let you know what's happening on the next episode of 30 Years of Running Marathons. Thank you,