Just for general wonderings…
Janathon Day 24
Today began with a fabulous breakfast…
It continued with a bit of shopping, followed by a 5-miler at the woods. But more importantly, 24 days into Janathon and we reach the landmark of 100 miles. Boom!
Today's mileage = 5.20
Total Janathon mileage = 101.18
Project365 #24
It has been a very quiet start to 2015, not really been up to much, hence the rather boring collection of daily pictures. So a day shopping in Peterborough gets the nod…
Did I hear someone say get a life?
I like Parkrun, I think it's a fantastic idea: a free 5km timed run local to pretty much everyone. Despite thinking it is a great idea and enjoying them, I must admit that actually getting out of bed on a Saturday morning in time to make the start line is pretty rare.
So when I found myself once again at Ferry Meadows Country Park for another Peterborough Parkrun I had my eye firming set on beating last week's time. Thinking back to last week I had started reasonably easy, due in part to starting in the main pack. Not this morning, I was prepared, I positioned myself reasonably close to the front. I wasn't going to start off easy today. The thing with a 5km is that if you want a good time you've got to be prepared to go off hard. That I did. In fact I ran the first kilometre at about 3000mph – you may think this is an exaggeration – but it's not.
After 2km my legs were feeling the fast pace, the voices in my head asking, “Why do you run 5km? It's too short. You're not fast enough!” It felt like I was running through treacle, and bloody thick treacle at that! However, it is at about this point that you begin the second lap and start lapping people – that's always good for self-confidence.
By 3km I had calmed down, of course my legs were still struggling, but less than ten minutes running left, I might be ok. The positivity began to pump through my veins. I looked ahead – I could see a girl – I don't like being beaten by girls. I had a target to chase. It took a while but I caught her up – and passed her – things were going well. It was at this point that it dawned on me that I wasn't wearing a watch – no big deal – sometimes it's nice to just run as well as you can and see what time it gets you. But it would have been nice to see how it was going.
As the 4km marker came into view I finally worked out what had been bugging me for most of the race – there was a fella ahead with something stuck to his back. What was it? It looked like a number. It was the 20-minute pacer! I wasn't even that far behind him!
Suffice to say that I never caught him up. I crossed the finish line about 10secs behind him. My legs were knackered. My chest felt like it was going to explode. But I was happy. Finishing time 20.08. Position? Amazingly… it was 28th again. Lovely jubbly!
Although saying that, do you remember I don't like getting beaten by girls? Well I was. By two! And one of them was only 14 years old!!! Oh well, like I said, I am a middle-aged old git.
So Movember has finally come to an end. My moustache and I have gone through some tough times over the course of the month: the itchiness, the overhanging lip hairs, the remnants of food hanging on the top lip, and not to mention looking absolutely ridiculous. But after 30 days, I've grown rather attached to it. I've even enjoyed grooming and trimming to keep it in pristine condition.
So today my moustache and I spent some quality time together. We went into Peterborough with the idea of maybe getting a few Christmas presents, this didn't happen, instead I treated myself to a couple of CDs…..
When we got back from shopping we went to the woods to have our final run together. An emotional experience: the wind rushing through the hairs and the feel of sweat building up amongst the whiskers.
At this stage I feel I should point out that that I'm not very good at the whole growing facial hair palaver. But that was not about to stop me modelling my mo in a David Brent style….
Looking forward to Decembeer already!
Last Sunday, the wettest since records began*, saw the annual Great Eastern Run. A half-marathon set in the picturesque** surroundings of Peterborough city centre.
Now to say the morning was wet and windy would be an understatement: it was frickin' very wet and frickin' very windy***. I'm not a great fan of running in the rain, so my first thought when I drew back the curtains was: f###ing hell. In fact it was probably not even I thought, I may have actually said it out loud, and probably loud enough it wake up most of my neighbours.
But, having said all that, I'd put in quite a few miles in training for the sodding event so I gathered my stuff**** together and set off for the proxy place. Initially I was planning to post a new half-marathon PB, but after arriving at the start I quickly decided today was not a day for PBs….
This race has been a mainstay on my race calendar for the last five or six years, so I knew exactly what to expect. Although I didn't expect to have to clamber over a fence, which a marshall wasn't amazingly impressed with*****, just to get somewhere near the start. I must admit it seemed a particularly disorganised start, although the weather and everyone rushing to the start at the last minute probably didn't help.
Now plodding the streets of Peterborough on a wet and windy Sunday morning isn't everybody's cup of tea, although I did spot some slightly amusing happenings:
Well suffice to say, I completed the race in a time of 1.37, a minute or so off a PB, pretty pleased with that. My reward:
* this is a lie
** this is also a lie
*** this is another understatement
**** flippers, snorkel, etc.
***** sorry Marshall, needs must and all that
****** obscure film reference
How is the training going for the half-marathon I hear you ask? You still on target to beat your PB?
Well….'sort of' is my reply.
Over the last couple of weeks I've completed a few long runs at a pretty decent pace. Although all slower than my target pace for the half. The furthest I've run at target pace is about six miles and that was a struggle in the last mile or so. So still of plenty of hard work required in the next few weeks.
This morning I attended Peterborough Parkrun and I had decided to run it without a watch. This meant starting off running fast and trying to maintain it. It paid off, new Parkrun PB: 19.37.
Lovely jubbly!
This morning my 'lovely' half-marathon training plan exclaimed that I should do a long 'steady' run of 12 miles, yes you read that right, 12 miles! Not quite sure why it wants me to run so far considering I still have five weeks until race day. But not wanting to upset the fecking thing, that is exactly what I did.
12.65 miles in a time of 1:38.38. Average pace 7.48 per mile.
Still slightly slower than target pace (although I had to go through various gates, cross roads and climb hills), but it felt good!
I had planned a slightly different route that enabled me to pop into a shop and get a drink at about halfway so that I didn't have to bother carrying a bottle throughout. Also, I had even created a new playlist to accompany me on the run. Get me!
Yesterday included a trip to Peterborough for a bit of a wander about. Once there we stumbled upon The Peterborough Arts Fest – a celebration of Peterborough and its people. With the rather catchy tagline of 'Indulge the Doolally'. According to the programme, we were promised, “jaw dropping spectaculars”, “internationally acclaimed acts” and an “extraordinary finale”. What we actually experienced was an event that nobody seemed to know about, there were very few people about, and actually very few acts performing. So, as you can imagine, we didn't hang around for the “extraordinary finale”. Although I did manage a picture sitting on a massive deckchair (small things and all that)…..
But also, more excitingly, performing in the Talkative Tent (sponsored by John Clare Cottage) were Dead Poets….
Dead Poets are made up of Mark Grist, him of poetry slam fame….
….and DJ Mixy, the pair formed the collaboration to challenge the preconceptions of poetry and hip-hop. If you get a chance to seem them you should, it's a very entertaining performance. Today was no different, Mark performed a piece of univocal poetry entitled 'The Fens' which was very clever. Univocalism is a poem that uses only one vowel, here is a rather poor attempt….
Jog to Morton
Born to jog,
Sort of hobby,
Good to go.
North from town,
Off to woods,
Lots to look.
Dogs too jolly,
Poop on boot,
Not good look.
Cows in fog,
Not to worry,
Jog on strong.
Boozy horror show,
Bosoms and knobs,
Long story.
Grotty old dog,
Soggy from ponds,
Looks odd.
Horror show,
Jog too slow,
School tomorrow.
In other news, Frank Hamilton has released his first, what he calls, 'serious' video….
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