30 Years of Running Marathons
30 Years of Running Marathons
Grit and Gout: Overcoming Obstacles at the Burnham Beaches Half Marathon
What if running a marathon could teach you life's toughest lessons? Join me as I recount my humbling experience at the Burnham Beaches half marathon, a race that held deep personal significance due to my late grandmother. Despite my long history with running, the challenging hilly terrain and my lack of preparation reminded me that no race should ever be underestimated. From juggling a new job to sporadic training, I faced numerous obstacles, all of which underscored the necessity of consistent preparation and respect for the distance.
Dealing with gout while aiming to complete the Burnham Beaches half marathon became a testament to my determination. Picture this: walking 3.6 miles to the starting point and employing mental strategies just to get through each mile, one step at a time. I share my encounters with fellow runners, like a member of the Reading Road Runners, and the impact of adrenaline and heat on my pacing strategy. It was a race filled with struggles, yet rich in camaraderie and shared experiences that shaped my understanding of resilience.
The physical and mental challenges during the marathon, from cramps to dehydration, tested my willpower as I pushed through to the finish line. The agony of battling gout on a hot day in the UK made crossing that line an immense moment of relief and gratitude. Reflecting on this grueling experience, I discuss my training strategy for future races, emphasizing the significance of long runs and consistent preparation. This episode captures the essence of resilience, personal motivation, and the invaluable lessons learned from never taking any race for granted.
Thanks for listening. Keep on running.
The race is on. So let's get straight into this episode of 30 years of running marathons. And this episode is all about respect Respect for the distance you are running. It doesn't matter how many marathons or half marathons you run, or how many 10Ks you run, or how many park runs you run. Never do what I just did, which I'm going to tell you about, and take a race for granted. I thought I would never do this again. If you listen to my previous episode, you know, when I was a youngster, I took these races for granted, but I did exactly the same thing, and maybe it's because I'm a bit arrogant, I don't know. I'm thinking well, I've got all these years of experience behind me, I can just go off and run a half marathon, just like that. But it's not the case, and I'm going to tell you a little story here. So it's Friday, it's almost a week after I tried to run the Burnham Beaches half marathon. I'm not going to let you know whether I finished or not. I'm going to keep that to the end. Marathon. I'm not going to let you know whether I finished or not. I'm going to keep that to the end.
Speaker 1:Um, it was very eventful and burning beaches half marathon. It's a half marathon that I've done since I was a youngster and in fact eight years ago it was the last race. My nan uh was alive to really see the medal for um. A week after that, unfortunately, she had a fall, went into hospital and never came out. So it's always been a quite a sentimental race to me. As I say, I did it when I was a youngster. A little break came back run about the fastest time I had is when I was a youngster. Um, it's always been a really good race for me, a fairly local race. It's a hilly race though, so it's a two lap and you can choose to do 10k or the half marathon. But if you know me by now, I'm very competitive. I always like to take the tougher option. Now I'd applied for the burnabytch self marathon.
Speaker 1:I'm back in april when, you know, things are a little bit more hopeful. My training's been on and off this year. I've missed a few races. I missed working half marathon beginning of the year in february. Um, I couldn't do the brighton marathon, uh, in april.
Speaker 1:So you listen to my previous episodes. You know I've done a lot of 10k, 10k, five mile trail run and in fact this was. This is the third in the series. So essentially, if you did the five-mile trail run back in April, which many years ago I did and this is also one of my previous episodes where I wasn't wearing trail suits it was really rainy and I slipped and I got a baker's cyst in my knee just after I'd had a torn meniscus then you know it's quite a tough little race but I've sort of learned my lesson from that so I had had trail shoes for it this time, even though it was nice and dry this year. Anyway, that was an eight point.
Speaker 1:It's organized by Burnham Joggers, who also organized the Burnham Be beach is half marathon, which I've just done, and so each medal you get. So, for example, you do the five mile trail run in april. They also do a clifton house 10k, which is also one of my previous episodes, which is really I mean, it was my toughest 10k that I've done uh, going around the country state and you got these steps, um, I think it's something like 147 steps, big, big, wide steps. So it's really you'll do it twice um, absolute killer. And it's the first time I've done it. Normally it's held in winter, just after christmas as well. I haven't done it before, but this year I think it was held, was it june sometime and then the final one in the series is the bernard beach south marathon. You get all three and basically all the medals. They stick together, they're like magnetic, so they form one big medal. So I wanted to get all three.
Speaker 1:But, as I said, my training's been on and off. I've had well, I guess life has just got in the way as well. So I've had a change of jobs, um, so new routines to get to working long hours, no breaks, just and just feeling really, really lethargic and tired and just just trying to fit in runs where I can, and I guess you could say I've lost a bit of my mojo. So I found it really really tough just to get out and do the runs which I keep banging on on my episodes here. The hardest step is to get outside the door. I've got no excuse really, because summer running is absolutely lovely, but you know. So I've tried to stick to a routine where I can. I've been doing the park runs on saturday morning which, even though it's only 5k, three miles, it's something I can stick to get out there, improve my speed, um. But apart from that I've literally just been doing the, the three mile runs, um, and a couple of mile runs, mile run here and there, um, and obviously interspersed with the 10ks that I've done, like, uh, beat the boat, the clifton 10k. But apart from that, I mean I'm looking at my strata here and I've had like weeks where I'm not done one run, especially after beat the boat.
Speaker 1:I didn't run for a week. Then I did a four miler, three miler, um, and what we've got here one, two, three, four. So about four weeks ago I did do a 13 mile run which was seven times up gerrard's cross hill, which is really steep here. It goes up for about a third of a mile and just gets tougher and tougher as you go up it and I work out, if I go up it's seven times, I'm going to get half marathon distance, about four miles out there, and then, once I've gone up and down the hill seven times, uh, then come back. That's going to be good for half marathon distance. I did about four weeks ago. I was quite hopeful then, so I was hoping I was going to kick on from then.
Speaker 1:But after that, for some reason, I did the park run on saturday. This was on thursday. The long run did the park run on Saturday. This was on Thursday. The long run did the park run on Saturday and then the next week I just completely lost it and I don't know why. It's been really tough. So I did like a one-miler, three-miler, and then I think I was working on that Saturday, so I literally just did a couple of miler and then the next week I had practically all the week off and this was because of gout.
Speaker 1:So I had gout and for those of you who don't know what gout is, but basically gout is a form of arthritis and it's. It's essentially. What happens is, um, it's a build-up of uric acid in your joints. So for me, when some people get it in their hands, for me it happens in my foot and my knee and it can alternate between legs and you get a buildup of uric acid. These form crystals, they rub together and it is just so painful. They say it's one of the most painful things after childbirth and gallstones. So it is painful. I've never felt anything like it. And you, but it is painful, I never felt anything like it. And you know I can be laid up in bed for a week and just can't get away from the pain.
Speaker 1:They want to put me on medication. The medication I have to take for life. But, um, basically what happens is when you start the medication it gives you a gout attack to start with, and the gout attack was just so painful when I started taking it. I just couldn't. It was like feeding the flames, I just couldn't keep doing it. So I told them that. But I do have this um medication now proxying, which I take when it comes on. The trouble is I didn't have any in this time and it can just happen overnight and go overnight. But this has been going on for about a week, luckily, uh, since beginning of the year I've been taking these montmerency cherry juice tablets. Now you can get it in in liquid form as well. I take it in a tablet form tends to be just a little bit uh cheaper. That way I get three months supply at a time and it just helps prevent attacks, and I think I had one. I think so.
Speaker 1:I think I've only had like a couple of real attacks this year and this, this more recent attack, uh, about a week or so just before burnham half. It didn't really come to much, I mean, it wasn't agony, but you know it, it was causing pain, pain to the effect that it started off my left foot, it went to my left knee and I could hardly walk. So on the first day before the half marathon I was literally limping about and so I thought, look, there's no chance I'm going to be able to run the half marathon. I only ran a three-mile run the week before and now I haven't run all this week because I still have this gout going on from last week. It was on Thursday, thursday evening. I'm in such agony and I haven't got any painkillers or anything like that, so I do.
Speaker 1:Probably the one thing that you shouldn't do is go to the pub. It's basically what happens is they used to call the rich man's disease or disease of the kings, because basically Henry, king, henry VIII had it. Uh, henry, king henry the eighth at it, and if you see pictures, king henry the eighth, it was all um massive banquet, you know, rich food, poor red wine, so alcohol is very bad um, alcohol is liable to give you gout, and so I don't get it because I drink a lot. I get it because it's my dad at it, but gout doesn't do well because basically what happens is any normal person, they can flush out the uric acid.
Speaker 1:We're talking about the purines in the foods, the things like red meats, which I don't eat much meat, to be honest, I really only eat meat when I go out, even though I don't eat a lot when I'm not vegetarian, but I don't eat much meat. So we're talking about high purines in food. So red meat alcohol. Beer is one of the worst. When I do drink I try to stick to cider, ironically, even though I don't really like it. Whiskey they did the study that if you just drink a drop of whiskey it can actually help lower the uric acid. So that's one alcohol which is, I guess, ok.
Speaker 1:But yeah, but I was in so much pain I thought, well, this, you know, I'd say it wasn't to the extremes, that it had been, but it's painful enough to me to think I was in that sort of mood about I'm not going to be running this. So I went to the pub and had a few pints of cider. So I tried to stick to the cider rather than the beer, because I say the beer is it's got more purines in it. It was okay. The pain didn't get any worse and sort of deadened it for a bit and the funny thing was, I say, it can come and go as quickly.
Speaker 1:I went to sleep on Thursday fairly late, um, because it was painful. But then I woke up the next day and it wasn't too bad. I mean, you know, the pain had to say I'd gone from my my foot to my knee, but it wasn't too bad. So I didn't drink on the friday, I just took some normal painkillers, um, and my next objective was well, if I can't run the half marathon, let's see if I can do the park run on saturday. The half marathon is a sunday. There's a park run on saturday. So that's what I did.
Speaker 1:I managed to get a good sleep on friday because I hadn't been drinking, um, a good wind down routine. The pain wasn't there. So I managed to sleep and I wear my garment watch when I'm sleeping and it tells me, you know, when I'm getting a deep sleep, the ren sleep. I've been awake during the night how much stress there is, and it was one of my best sleeps and it was really good. So I woke up. You know plenty of time to run, uh, black Park Park run on Saturday, and I did my stretching in the morning and I just drove a couple of miles or so to the place and that, and I wasn't thinking of any times or anything, I was just thinking I, you know, and I wasn't even sure whether I'd be able to run, because now it sort of had gone from the foot but now it was hurting more in the knee and it's just a case of bending my knee, whether it's going to affect my running start, whether I would be able to run.
Speaker 1:So I get forward to the start line and I'm thinking am I going to be able to run it? Let's wait and see. And I start off and it feels okay, I'm. I'm feeling okay, a little bit stiff. Another problem the first mile. I'm sort of on on schedule, even though I could have gone slow, it was all just about finishing. Second mile was okay and I really wasn't out of breath. I think it's because I obviously had the break and I hadn't been drinking the day before. I felt fine and would you believe, I actually finished. I think something like about five seconds quick. And then I'd done it three weeks before and I couldn't believe it. And I went and had my coffee afterwards and I was like I was sitting there thinking, wow, okay, that was good. And then I had this mad idea well, maybe I can run the Burnham Beaches half tomorrow.
Speaker 1:Normally I don't run before a race, but however, there have been studies that show if you do run before a race it can actually be quite productive for you during the race to have done a bit of a run beforehand. So obviously, my main concern was obviously being tired. You know, I had a peak too soon because I hadn't done any training and had this gout, and gout always takes it out of you. So, for example, if you're prone to gout, stress can bring it on, because I think it's a stress hormone, cortisol, which can increase the uric acid. So it's a vicious circle. Um, if you're stressed, you can bring the gout on. When the gout comes on, even you're more stressed. So it just creates this vicious cycle of of of the gout in your body, um, and it's horrible. It's like you're possessed by the devil when you get gout and just you know it will go on its own accord. But yeah, I mean that that that's what can happen. So, yeah, so I had this, uh, the gout, um, but it's sort of as I said, I did that parkrun and I was really pleased.
Speaker 1:But to have this stupid idea where I could do the burnham beach is half um, because I say the, the gout stress causes the gap when you get g leaves you wiped out, it leaves you very fatigued. I guess it's just a case of you know, if you get it in your joints and that you've been limping all week, it just takes it out of you. I always feel so fatigued when I get gout. At first I thought it was just me. But looking online, looking at research into fatigue, is one of those things, and so it's a byproduct of the gout, of the pain. But I'm quite stubborn and you know these races only come around once a year and I wanted to get the third in the collection of medals. So I thought well, let's see if I get a good night's sleep tonight. I was gonna have to get up fairly early.
Speaker 1:But an even crazy idea I was actually going to walk to burnham beach south marathon. The reason being was because a park is only a few miles away but I hadn't booked VIP parking so I'd be quite a distance away, probably about half an hour walk anyway, but it was going to take me about an hour and a half to walk there. It was something like well, it didn't take quite as long as that. It was about 3.6 miles and I put it on Google Maps because I wasn't quite sure how to get there and it was going to be a hot day. It started off fairly warm. When I got there, I think I had about an hour and a half to have a good rest. I picked my number up, used the toilets, which were empty at that time in the morning, and just tried to relax.
Speaker 1:As I say, my knee was a little bit stiff, so I really was worried about whether I was going to complete the race. I mean, a good thing about it was, I mean, I couldn't say they had a 10k and a half marathon, but I couldn't change that. At 10k now I was already in the half marathon. However, because it's two laps, you know, I could pull out at 10k stage, you know, and I wouldn't be in the middle of nowhere, I'd be, I'd be back, you know, basically the start line. So I had that in mind.
Speaker 1:This is where the mindset comes in. I've talked about mindset before on my episodes, the mindset was very much one lap at a time, in fact, not even one lap at time, one mile at a time, and it's set in the ground to a beautiful, uh, private school and basically the first, the first bit I don't know about 0.6 of a mile is literally around the school fields, on the grass, so it's very much, uh, like cross-country at school. Having said that, it was great because, uh, the grass was dry because we had this warm weather, um, so so that was fine, there's no problems there. Um, and I literally thought I was going to be on my own running this, but in fact, um, I met a lady from Reading Road Runners and she knows me from a Facebook group I'm in, and we had a chat. In fact, we had a chat also about her friend, um, catherine had run this many times before and usually wins it, um, and I'd seen Catherine around, so we had a chat about that. I also explained to her about.
Speaker 1:You know, I wasn't sure what I'd be running. I mean, I hadn't run this in one hour 45 before, but you know, I'd be lucky to break two hours, I'd be lucky to finish, to be honest, and I told her that I haven't had my gowns and that, whether I'd be able to actually finish or not, and we stood there talking. I right right up until till the start and the start was very much all over the place and say it's just in the playing field and they've just got this small archway. You're sort of standing all over the place. I wasn't sure where to start, but I thought I better quickly line myself up. I didn't want to be too near the front but, um, obviously the the time you you start for yourself, you've got a chip on your number. It starts when you cross the line. But I didn't want to be too far back, I didn't want to be too far forward. And I see Catherine to the left of me with a Red and Road Runners group and so I sort of stay back a bit from her because I know she's going to be really fast.
Speaker 1:And by now it was really hot, the sun had come out and I wasn't sure what to expect. I hadn't done any little jogs or anything before this, just the walking. And I recovered from the walking. I was fine. Now I just wanted to get it over with.
Speaker 1:And as we set off, we run around this field and I'm setting off and, okay, this is good. And I think the adrenaline got to me because I'm running there and I'm thinking you know the corner of my eye, I'm thinking where's Catherine? Because I know Catherine's going to be really fast. And I hear this hello, jason. And she's on that, literally on my right hand shoulder. I'm like, oh hi, catherine, I was wondering which. I was talking to her, I was wondering which race you was going to be, because sometimes I can't think Catherine has done the 10K before. But I wished her luck and then she went off.
Speaker 1:I let her go off in front of me and I'm thinking I think I've gone off a bit too quick here, because if I'm running alongside Catherine she's probably going to win the women's race. So I was very wary of that. So I tried to slow it down um, I shouldn't have been going any more than probably nine minute mile and I slowed it right down. A lot of people passed me as you come out the school fields. You then come on to the, the roads, so it's literally like tarmac roads and they're all closed off, um, and it's shaded, um, but it's up and down hilly and so I slow right down. So I come down to about 8, 30 pace for the first mile and then that's really taken out me and I knew I was going to suffer later on in the race but I was hoping by slowing down to eight and a half I wouldn't have done too much damage.
Speaker 1:But of course I did the damage, probably in the first few hundred yards, going way too fast off, especially on with Catherine there, and it's a horrible feeling when you get everybody passing you. I mean I felt, okay, my leg was a little bit stiff, but I couldn't really blame it on that, I'd just stupidly gone off too fast. I think it's just a case of proving myself. Proving myself that, you know, because because I had no running leg, I wasn't sure what, what my pace was. You know, it's difficult to judge your pace, especially in the first mile, when you're looking at the watch and the watch doesn't give you an average pace until after you've done the first mile. Then it sticks on what your average pace is and you can adjust accordingly. But yeah, as I've said in previous episodes, the first mile you've just got to take it easy.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I completely messed up and then I got to the second mile mark and I was absolutely knackered. I couldn't believe how tired I was. I was like I don't think I'm gonna make this and I was trying to think logically. I was trying to think the first lap's going to be six miles. At two miles I'm almost halfway around the first lap. But then in the back of my mind I was thinking, oh, but then I've got to go all around again and the worst thing they have on this course is the fact they have the mile markers for both the first lap and the second lap. And I think when we got to the third or fourth lap third or fourth mile, I can't remember which is the third or the fourth mile they got an eight mile marker as well. And I remember a lady, uh, running across the other side of me and I've seen it before at many of the park runs, I do. I remember her saying, oh, I wish it was eight miles. And I'm thinking, yeah, I think we've got to go all the way around again and come back to this eight-mile mark. So I was really suffering, even though I was trying to break it down.
Speaker 1:I get to the third-mile mark and I'm really, really, really suffering. Now, um, I can't even see I'm going to make one lap, let alone the two laps um, and say it's set. I mean, I'm looking at my. The second lap was, um, sorry, second mile was 9, 15, 9, 39, third, 4 of 1007, but then we're really going uphill. The fifth mile was downhill, but by then I'm doing just over a 10-minute mile and I bring it back in at 7. But basically the first lap, which is about six miles or so, I'm thinking I've got to be about an hour for two hours. I was probably about on schedule. I wasn't far off it for the first lap.
Speaker 1:But then you go around again, again, and the worst thing is because you've got the color, uh, your color on your, your number. I think that the half was, uh, yellow, if I remember rightly. Um, you got different colors, one for the 10k, one for the half. I was running with this guy and, and just in front of me and the marshal was signaling them over, I think it was to the left or to the right, one side or the other. Of course I had to go to the other side and then you hear people saying, oh, well done, you've almost done it. I'm thinking, no, that's not me, I've got to go around again. Of course you see people going off, finishing, uh, going off to the, you know, to the school field, to the finish line and you've got to go around again. And at that point you're thinking, oh, I just wish I've entered the 10k.
Speaker 1:Obviously it's delayed gratification, because you feel better once you do get around it. By that time you know you've got to do another lap. However, the good thing is you now know the course and even though I've run it many times before, they have changed it slightly, you do sort of forget. But now I knew what to expect. I knew where the big hills were and there were some downhills sections as well, but some shaded bits. There were some more open bits. I was trying to divert my mind from the pain I was suffering and the tiredness. So it's a real sunny day. So I was looking out over because it's beautiful countryside over the fields I mean, burnham beach is ancient woodland, and then we had all these fields here and the sun was out. It was beautiful. But I was getting so hot and had my special t-shirt on that deflects the heat.
Speaker 1:But, um, and I'm in the very first drink station. I always take a drink and the trouble was I had these. Um, I had water in these small plastic cups. And then they're trying to be environmentally friendly, but even these small plastic cups. Some of the cups they weren't even filled right up. Some, uh, the marshals they would give it to on some drink stations they were just at the tables there, and so the first drink station I always pour over my head, and that just to cool myself down. I was also feeling a little bit thirsty, even though I drank a whole bottle of water just before the race.
Speaker 1:I was and and just and it got to the stage where I was going to drink stations and you know, they got several marshals handing them out and they're going like, can I take two here and I'll take one? Throw over my head and take the oven, just try and drink it down. I try not to stop, I try to keep moving. It's very difficult in trying to drink out these small plastic cups and you throw them down on the ground. I literally throw them down on the ground and discuss, but obviously you try and throw them down near the drink station or near to where the marshals are so they can pick them and rubbish up afterwards.
Speaker 1:But yeah, it was getting so hot. Um, it really did come out hot and that really affected me. As I say, it's lucky the course is shaded. Um, it could have been a lot worse. There weren't many parts where it was open.
Speaker 1:But yeah, after the first lap I was just grateful to finish the first lap, but whether I'd make it through the second lap and just everything, everything was irritating me. Um, I just, I just couldn't enjoy it and I know I shouldn't say this, but I came up to, um, uh, some ladies who were running. All these three ladies, uh, were running a row and they were just constantly talking and there's me struggling to run and they're just casually talking away. What made me laugh was a bit further up, they stopped to walk and I'm thinking, well, you've done so much talking, you wouldn't have to stop, you'd have the energy to carry on running. But yes, I know it's their race, they can do what they want.
Speaker 1:But I guess I was just frustrated myself to see these ladies running and talking and me I can't say a word and they're passing me. And you know I'm struggling even to thank the marshals now, because I've just absolutely had it and I say, once I've done the first lap, I was trying to work it up. So once I got to seven miles, I know it's over halfway, and then we do get back to the eight mile marker and I think often it goes slightly uphill and I was really struggling. I'm like two more miles to get to 10 miles. That was my next achievement, I think. The 10 miles I did it in I don't know, 145, uh, yeah, looking at my stats here, the 10 mile, yeah, the 10, yeah, the 10th mile was my slowest 12, 57, but it was also that, according to, yeah, it's also the hilliest, hilliest section, 93 up. I really struggled with that. And then, after that, the 11th mile, you're coming downhill. 12, you're coming down slightly. It's all downhill after that. Um, if I remember right, it was on that 10th mile.
Speaker 1:I was running alongside this other runner and he was saying to me. He was saying, oh, I hope this is the last big uphill section. I'm like, yeah, yeah, I think it is, and it was nice to have someone to chat to. But we got into the subject and I just said, well, yeah, I'll be grateful to finish. And I told him about how I had gout on the Thursday and I could hardly walk. And here I am, so I'm just grateful to have got this far. He couldn't believe it. I said, well, you know, you know what us runners are like we're stubborn. I'm sure he would have tried to do the same, um, but yeah, he couldn't believe it and I, I just let him go.
Speaker 1:I said, well, you, you carry on, because I struggle at hills at the best of times and with this gout in my leg, as I say it was, it wasn't super painful, but there was still some gout in my knee and it was proven very painful, just the stiffness. So on these hills, hills, I was almost stopping and walking, but I knew if I stopped and walked, like some people do, and I'd never get going again. So I just try, I mean, I let. I saw him go from the distance. He joked that I'd probably catch numbers. No way I was going to catch him up. Um, and I got up to 11th mile and then you know you've got approximately two miles to go.
Speaker 1:Uh, and some of that quite, quite a is going to be around the fields as well, and I think around the fields was the hardest part. You come down into the fields. I came down around the corner and got a bit of a spurt on, but the fields by then it was like a frying pan. It was literally running into this massive frying pan. It was literally running into this massive frying pan because the sun was burning down on this oval field. And you come down and frustrating thing is now you see people come in, walking towards you with their medals They've already finished. You see people sitting at the side, there at the corner, when you come down into the field to finish the other side of the ropes and it's not straight around to the finish. You know, you can see the, the inflatable archway, the finish line. It's just to your left. But you could go all around this field and even though I did cross country at school, I was never a big fan of it and it just reminded me of that and in that heat my legs absolutely had it normally try and do a sprint finish and I didn't want anybody to overtake me on this final lap.
Speaker 1:And there's this lady a few yards in front of me and it must have been her daughter running inside on the inside field and that screaming, her head off, cheering on on that, and I used her as a mark. I was thinking, oh, can I get up to her, can I get up to her? And that, and we're at the far point turning around and I don't think I can, as long as nobody passes me and we come to the final corner, I'm thinking can I put any sprint finish on? Because I normally always like to do a sprint finish and I wasn't worried about the timing, I just wanted to cross the line and and I crossed the line and I get the medal and thankfully, a guy gives me a drink straight away and, unlike most races, you haven't got this huge long funnel. You've got to walk down and everything. So I could collapse on the ground more or less just a few yards after I finish.
Speaker 1:And I did collapse on the ground and I didn't know where to get. It's hard to describe. It was just the fatigue. I was just completely drained. I mean my leg didn't feel too bad. I mean obviously it hadn't been good, it had been stiff. My legs did feel really stiff now, but I was just surprised that I'd finished it. I mean, I looked at my watch it was two hours 21, which I think is one of my slowest, or is my slowest ever half marathon.
Speaker 1:Um, but what made me think I could do it with such little training, having not been able to walk on a thursday of the gap, what made me think I could just, you know, run a half marathon. It was a crazy idea. Even for someone with my experience. It was, you know. I didn't know where to get and I could see, out of the corner of my eye, catherine sitting on the bench over in the corner then that she must have finished probably a good hour um ahead of me, um, and, to be honest, I didn't know where to get. I sat there and I drank my water.
Speaker 1:I managed to get up, eventually get a bottle of water. They were handing out a packet of crisps or vinegar crisps just to replace it, because I started getting cramps, because it was so hot and I don't think I drank enough, to be honest, these little cups they give you. I drank plenty beforehand, but I didn't expect it to be so hot. We don't normally get so hot here in the uk. We get the odd day and because today was the day, um, I even thought about the walk home I had to do. My legs were stiffening up. I was trying to walk and move them, but I didn't know where to get. I sat on the ground just past the finishing line there for ages, watching other people come in, just trying to cool myself down. I got more and more water splashed, it all over my head, drank. I just yeah, it was was.
Speaker 1:I was in two minds. I was so happy and proud that I managed to do it and obviously a lot of people would be proud with 2 hours 21, but at the same time it was rather a foolish. I mean I've got the third medal in the set, but I mean talk about hard work. I mean it puts into perspective for me, you know, when people say you know you've got the marathon, which everybody respected, you do the marathon and some people will think well, the half marathon isn't, as as you know, as hard as the full marathon. Let me tell you that was tough.
Speaker 1:Um, you know, the distance has never changed. The marathon's always 26 miles, half marathon's always approximately 13 miles. The distance has never changed. But you as a person change depending on your training, uh, lifestyle circumstances, but the distance never changes. So you can never change your opinion. A lot of distance you can never change. Respect for it. Um, just because I've been doing this for 30 years, you know I made the fatal error of thinking well, you know the muscle memory that I've run so many, I can do it again. It's not a full marathon. Well, you know I've got a marathon planned in for the end of October, but I'm really having second thoughts about it now because I'm not getting the training in and it's just foolish. You just, you know there's stubbornness, determination, mindset, but in the day you do need that basic ground level training. I mean, my next race I'm aiming for is actually the Windsor Half Marathon and that's the end of September, and that was the last race my nan saw before she died. I'll just briefly tell you it's on one of my other episodes. But basically she died the day after I'd run the Windsor Half and she was a big fan of my running and I like to think she stayed alive just so she could see that last medal. So I've got that booked in.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I mean getting back to this half marathon, I think the worst thing was was the after that. I mean, I'd only had a packet of crisps to eat and that was to walk home. Um, and I don't know where it was, the heat or something, but the Google Maps, my phone, it wasn't working too well and I couldn't remember it. So, instead of walking 3.6 miles, just over four miles, because I got a bit lost and I had no water with me or anything. The sun was out. My face was burning out. My face was burning.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, by the time I got home I just almost collapsed because I just the first thing I did was put the tap on, get some cold water in me. I mean, it was just. I think the walk was just as hard as the run. Uh, because I had no energy in me. My legs were aching so much. The heat made matters worse. Um, I had plenty of water when I got in, but then I had a. I'd already bought a nice pizza, a meat pizza, but I don't normally have, obviously because of the gout. The meat's not good for the gout. But I needed the high protein to obviously restore my muscle damage. So I had this pizza, a nice drop of red wine with it, and literally I just crashed out after eating that. For the rest of the day I just.
Speaker 1:And the next morning, well, it was the adrenaline of yes, I've done this sharing on Facebook where everyone telling my friends and all congratulations, everything but but my legs were. It's like the night you try to sleep after a race. You get like restless leg syndromes. You, because your legs achy, and the next day my legs were just a horrible feeling, absolutely horrible. I'm thinking why do I do this to myself? You know, I didn't feel as bad I don't think after the race, but the next day, you know, you get these doms laid on, muscle onset, muscle soreness, and it was really bad.
Speaker 1:But then I've learned a lot from that, and this is one I won't pass on here. I've learned a lot, um, and that's to respect any race you do. Be at park run, be at 10k, half marathon, marathon, I mean, I so enjoy running, I so enjoy the challenge, I enjoy the struggle, and boy, this is, this was, or I think, definitely my toughest half marathon ever, one of my toughest races. They're the ones you tend to remember, though, because when things are going easily, you tend to get a bit arrogant and take it for granted. And I guess this has reset my views on on the running, because, say with I had a lot going on in my life, uh, last few months, and I guess the running's been put on a bit of a back burner. And I realise you can't get away with it, not for a half marathon, not for a 10K, not for any distance, certainly not for a marathon. You've got to put the training in and this has motivated me more especially.
Speaker 1:Obviously I've got about five weeks before the Windsor half marathon, which is another hilly, hilly course, but it's probably even hillier than the one. I've just done the burnham half. So it's going to be tough, um, and often it's quite a sunny day I've looked at the forecasting that it's in the september running. It's going to be a sunny day and I've run it many times like the burnham beach is half. So I know the course well, I know the hills, but it's going to be tough. So I've learned my lesson there and at the moment, touch wood, I don't really have any gout now, just a bit of tingles there in my toes, but nothing to speak of.
Speaker 1:So today's Friday, so I had Monday, tuesday and Wednesday off to recover, and then Thursday morning I was still pretty tired but I was determined to get up early and go for a run. But when I got up, even with a cup of black coffee, I didn't really feel like a run and I thought, come on, you've got to. You know. You know what happened at Burnham Beach is half. You've got to be more prepared. At least do some kind of run. At least run to your old house three miles away. It's park run, just do some kind of run. My legs felt okay, it was just. I was just still pretty tired.
Speaker 1:So I did what I thought and as soon as I got out the door and started running, in the first few yards, my left leg, the knee, felt really stiff and I thought that's the gout, I'm not gonna be able to do this. So I set my watch. Instead of setting it to, for example, I normally just set it um to time and record my. I said it on the workout I think they put was about half an hour, 11 minute marlin. So I put it on that. And this was a real boost for me because basically what happened was because I've always run a lot faster than 11 minute mile. And it said on the watch you know, my, my work rate was high. I was doing like about nine minute pace, which was good. So I thought, okay, let's. And it counts down from half an hour downwards.
Speaker 1:So the knee was really painful in the first few hundred yards. I thought, well, just let's see what I can do. And obviously it's uphill the first mile. I got to the crematorium half mile away and then I just kept going and got up to the mile. And then I went past my old place. Oh, let's get up to two miles, that'd be four miles.
Speaker 1:It was a nice morning and in fact the more I got into it, the more the leg just seemed to loosen up. It was as if there was some stiffness there, not just the gap, but some stiffness that needed shifting. And the more I got warmed up, the better. I went through the horses field there weren't any horses out by around there. It's beautiful. And then you're still going. Basically you're going uphill for all the three miles.
Speaker 1:And then I had two choices. I set myself targets. I thought, well, go to two miles, that's four miles. Two miles out, two miles. Back and up to recreation ground. Two, two, that's about five miles. Get to the end of the main road, that's three. Now, if I carry on up, I'm going up to Gerrard's Cross here where I'll do my hill work without being stupid. If I turn left, I know it's all downhill. So I turn left, downhill. And now looking for three and a half, that'd be seven miles, that'd be good. And then I turn left and it's downhill and I'm thinking okay, get to four miles, that'd be eight miles and I thought, oh, why not just get down to 4.5.
Speaker 1:Before I knew it, I was coming around back onto the course. I'd just come up and that's almost five miles. I'd turned just before the the five miles, so now I'm looking at 10 miles. Obviously, what I forget, forgot, was was the fact that coming back I had a nice downhill section. I was coming up this hill and it was really tiring. But I was looking at my time. My time was staying pretty consistent. Obviously the time had gone off now, but I was now looking at so half an hour away gone, but I was now looking at nine minutes 40, which was quicker than what I'd run the Burnham Beach South Marathon.
Speaker 1:And I came back up to to the top and it was only like 3.2 miles back and I just went into recreation ground a bit and came out just to make sure I got it up to the 10 miles. And then when I and you know last month is all downhill anyway, um sure I got it up to the 10 miles. And then when I and you know, last mile is all downhill anyway. So I kept a good pace and I was trying not to stress about it because I was thinking well, I never would have dreamt I would do 10 miles so soon after the Burner Beach is half. So this was brilliant. I wasn't feeling too tired, to be honest, because I was thinking in my mind, you know, think of it as doing 13 miles, not 10 miles today, because that's what I'm going to have to do in a few weeks and that's what I was trying to allow for.
Speaker 1:And I got back home and I did it just over 10 miles. I think it was 10.20. And the time it was what are we? So I did the Burner beach half 10, 41 pace. This was actually. We look at it, this was 9, 36 pace. So a good minute and five seconds quicker per mile. Um, and yeah, it was that the pace was good, starting off at 9, 31, 9, 45, 9, 45, 9, 19 and then coming back towards the end quicker. So 7th mile 9, 37 and 9, 29. Okay, 954, 9th and 10th mile 9, 23. So I was really happy with that.
Speaker 1:I mean just to have done any run, because when I first died out in the first few yards I didn't think I'd get anywhere. I thought that's it, I'm just going to give up, I can't do anymore, I'm not going to be able to do it, and I think that's one of my mind-playing tricks for me, because in the olden days I used to have these same thoughts and when I carry on there was really no pain. Now I could do the run. I'd have been happy with three, four, five, six miles. You know I probably could have gone on to 13 miles, but you know I'm feeling really tired today and it's friday, um, the day after the 10 miler. So you know I'm going to do park run tomorrow as well, which is a another three miles, but I'm really pleased with the 10 mile that I did yesterday. I mean that 10 mile I would never.
Speaker 1:You know, and this is what I'm trying to focus. I've got what four, five weeks, until winds a half. So I'm getting in early, um, every week, up until the winds a half. I want to be doing at least a 10, one, 10 miler a week and obviously other runs as well during the week Six, five milers. I do a 13 miler every week Just to give me the confidence and the stamina to know that I can do the distance. Because what's been missing in my training are these longer runs and I've been doing two, three milers and having so many days off and that Just not getting used to it. I've got to get used to running at that pace, used to. When I get to the six miles halfway stage I should just be starting to get my stride. You know that's when the business end comes in and I'm really sorting myself out. You know, for the last half of the of the race you know I should be feeling really strong, especially in the 10 miles. You know, last three miles I should be really pushing.
Speaker 1:It didn't happen in this case. I had no fuel in the tank and hopefully, if the gout can stay off, um, and certainly no drinking just before, which is what I happened here. But obviously, as I said, the drinking was because I thought I had no chance of doing it. So I'm in two minds here. I'm really proud of myself the fact that I did the Burnham Beach start, I got my third medal in the series and that was hardly any training and the fact that I could hardly walk on a Thursday but you know there are no free lunches.
Speaker 1:It came with the most agonizing struggle. In some ways I enjoyed the struggle, but it was tough. It's because I didn't treat the race with enough respect, but I wanted it. I wanted the medal so badly and sometimes that's enough to get you through, but it's still going to be a challenge. It's still not going to be easy. I mean, basically my message to you is whatever distance you're doing, never take any race for granted. And whatever race you do, if you just finish it, that's an achievement in itself. And I've learned a lot of lessons. Um, in some ways it's giving me my mojo back, because now I really enjoyed that 10 miler yesterday.
Speaker 1:I'm looking forward to doing more 10 miles, 13 miles before the winter half, trying to get up to some sort of. I mean, obviously I've only got four or five weeks in the last week. I can't push too much, but I've already got a 10 mile in the tank already just after the burning beach half. So we're, you know we're in, we're getting something in the bank there to keep going. So my next you know objective is obviously to do the winter half, to do it quicker than I did the bernard beach. So I'm looking for I put down for under two hours 15 and in fact last year I did it. I don't know, I don't know where the time's gone, but I remember last year I did it. I'd hardly had any training because of I mean, yeah, again because of the gout and the shin splints, and I think I only ran one eight, eight mile on the friday before, which was too much, just a day, you know, a couple of days before, but I ran the race. In fact it wasn't as hard as the burning beaches half that I've just run, but I did it in two hours 21. So, um, no, sorry, 2 hours 19 actually. Yeah, this Burned Beach half was 2 hours 20. I did it in 2 hours 19.
Speaker 1:Anyway, I put down on the form. I like to do the winds half this time, I reckon 2 hours 15. I put it to get under 2 hours 15. And if I do 9.36 pace then, like I did those 10 miles obviously it's not, as you know, the route I do is hilly, but not as hilly as this one. The winds are half. But if I do that 936 pace, I you know the next three miles on that 10.2 miles, 933. Yeah, if I do 936 pace and I should, and so I've done 10 miles and 936 pace, next three miles with the crash if I do 9 pace I should get under two hours 15. So that's what I'm hoping for. Two hours, under two hours, would be a miracle. I've done it in one hour, 45 before. But you know you've got to be realistic in these things. So yeah, under two hours, 15 would be a miracle. Obviously, beating Burnham Beach's half would be great, Beating 2, 221, beating last year 219, but under 250.
Speaker 1:But I've got to get training in now. You know I've got to put the hard work in these next few weeks, avoid drinking and just get my head down and really work hard. You know, nothing comes for free, um, and it's going to be hard, and I've certainly learned my lesson. I can't, you know, I can't keep getting away with this lack of training. Okay, it's not all been my fault, it's been, you know, lucky, serious gout attacks. But at the same time, um, I've got to have a positive mindset. I think positively and get the job done.
Speaker 1:Say tomorrow looking to do the park run, we'll see how that goes after my 10 miler yesterday, uh, and obviously the the week before doing the half marathon, see how well I've recovered, see what my speed's like. I'll meet a lot of regulars there and that probably meet the lady who I saw at burnham house how she got on the race. I know she finished quicker than me, so see how she did. But yeah, um, I think it's gonna be a nice sunny day tomorrow, so do a nice park run there, have a nice coffee afterwards and then Sunday Sunday will probably be a day for maybe a short run. Then on bank holiday Monday this Monday I'm looking to do another long run, get the week off with a good start. 10 to 13 miles.
Speaker 1:I want to do at least one long run every single week up to the half marathon. 10 or 13 miles, 13 miles preferably. Do a half marathon each week and obviously, in to sprinkle with that, I want to do some five, six miles just to get used to that the distance. So when I reach the halfway stage I'm comfortable. When I reach 10 miles, I'm comfortable and so it becomes a comfortable uh distance for me to run. Um, do that every week. So you know, maybe at least 20 miles each week up to the half marathon and then obviously give myself enough time in the last week just to rest beforehand. No drink beforehand, we'll see how we go.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, it's been an eventful week. Um, I mean, I'm happy, obviously, that I've done it. But yeah, I've certainly learned a few lessons along the way. So, um, uh, we shall see what will happen, but, yeah, I'm looking forward to uh parkrun tomorrow, uh, meet up with regulars, see how it goes, uh, and then we'll we'll take it from there. I know those few weeks are going to go pretty quick, so I've got to get my head down and get the training in, um, so if you're out there training, um, good luck with it all. Um, let's make the most of the rest of the summer. While we've got it here, and, yeah, I'll keep you updated. I'll let you know on the next episode of 30 years of running marathons.
