Crap banter and Red Wine nipples

Typically my week would include runs on Tues, Thursday and Sunday and another crowbarred into the schedule somehow.  This week it seemed that all the runs were crowbarred in around my social / work life - paying the consequences on a couple of runs as a result.

6am Wednesday - a headtorcher with Viddy and UltraJ.  Viddy definately had reason for torch envy as he really only had a small one.  Mind you, it has to be said that UltraJ's was also a little limp. The conversation revolved mainly about avoiding the next pothole, puddle and dog on Nomansland Common until I pointed out the same cabin that saved my life last week.  The conversation turned toiletry thereafter to make the total 9.6 miles drift away.

9pm Thursday - another late headtorcher, but this time on my own.  Down the Nicky Line, off on trails to Redbournbury and home.  Was very wary and took the phone along with me just in case - with just cause as nearly had an argument with a tree that had fallen across the path.  Was good to ditch the torch when the full moon came out.  8.7 miles with a negative split on times revolving around an average marathon pace.

11am Saturday - a few beers last night with the gang from work.  A good laugh - but lost count on what I drank.  (Normally do after 2 pints being a bit of a Harry half pint.)  4 miles down Swan Walk and Cooters End Lane to flush out the system - sweating out the night before.

7.15am Sunday - 6 meet at the George to do a 14 miler around Redbourne.  Me, Neil, Ben Kemp (new to AROs this week), Rob, Ken and Ainman.  Route was mapped into the Garmin, it's just I had picked the wrong one at the start which meant a change after 2 miles to get back on route.  It was probably 70% new trails so the Garmin map leading us around was invaluable.  Rob splashed through the largest, deepest puddles he could but soon left on an alternative route with Kenny and Ainman.  Ben, Neil and I waded through some serious mud and only marginally left the designed route which had been plotted on satellite pictures from when the M1 was still being worked on.  Once back to the start, Neil dived off and Ben left for home whilst I went on to complete 4 miles more.  I had not felt good during the whole run  given the great hospitality at a dinner party at Juan and Ann's last night.  Red wine had been flowing all night...   whilst having sweated alcohol for 2 days, it then appeared that the red wine I had drunk had found a way to bypass my digestive processes and just escape through my nipples...  my 1st injury of the run up to the VLM.  Completed an estimated 17 miler on a good route at a good average pace.

39m for the week and now offski with kids to Bavaria to see the cousins for the next week.

Crabs, a lucky escape and 10 go mad in Harpo

A number of memorable events this week... 6 hill reps up Crabtree with Viddy, a lucky escape in Heartswood and an unbelievable turnout for a Sunday run.

UltraJ wasn't up to much this week... he'd caught the DOMS on Skidaw during the weekend so a headtorcher was out of the question. Tuesday meant reps and preferring the hills, Viddy and me went off on our own. Lee is getting in some "base mileage" at the moment (he's gone all scientific). Had planned 8 Crabtrees, but did 6 with a 400m and a loop around Wellbeck Rise and Broadstone. Viddy claimed that he was just on autopilot to just avoid that last loop! (Must have been applying the nataural running technique that did him in.) 11m with reps took it out of the legs.

Thursday morning was supposed to be a headtocher at 6am. Kate woke me at 6:30 as alarm had not gone off and was out in 10 mins... probably 2 mins too quick as struggled through Nomansland and to Sandridge to be eventually saved by a portaloo (with paper) which loomed out of the gloom. 8.6m

Laterly have been doing tempos as well during the week, however this week, just a quick 6.5 easy before meeting up at the George for a few pints with the Class 5 dads. For non-runners, they talk about running a lot. I think, secretly, that they are just taking the piss. (Secret by them... not me)

Having had a disaster last week on nav skills, the route this week was planned. Maybe this was why 10 guys turned up. Could have been more but Lee skiiing, Jamie in Antigua, Viddy at Gatwick and Neil being a no-show. Kenny, Ant, newboy Rob joined (for a while - well done Rob for sticking with it in the mud and all that gear!) UltraJ, Tom, the 2 Pauls, Dazzerelli and DaMo. Having promised a "not-so-muddy" route - the mud-fest started within a mile. Lost Ken/Ant - rejoining their separate splinter group at Sandridge and reclaiming Rob. Ken's new Brooks were shot already. 7 left. The Pauls left after Symondshyde Great Wood. Now 5. Darren dropped a couple of times (literally) but soon caught up. With UltraJ and Tom off along Swan Walk back home from the back of Brocket Hall, the 3 left managed to wade their way through the mud back to Harpo. Dazzle and Speirsy managed a couple of synchronised slips before Dazzle face planted in an electric fence. DaMo peeled off at Station Road having been harrassed by 12 mountain bikers on the gully footpath up from the Lower Luton Road to Mackayre End, D then peeled off up Westfield road and the 1 left did a loop to Cooters End and up the hill and into the wind. 20.5 in the bag at 8:10s.  http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/28207692

Another 45m for the week

Week ending on 6th Feb.... 70 days to VLM

45 miles for the week. Highest tally since July last year and surprising as over just 4 runs including a set of reps and a tempo.

Tuesday - ended up been lonely fartlek/reps whilst out running in the fog with some of other (non-rep) runners (Hannah, Col, Mike, James, Karen.....) but somehow turned into a total of 11miles... should have been more like 5-6m for the amount of reps done.

Thursday - A great headtorcher with UltraJ, in part joined by a recovering Lee who separated just in time before we descended across a ploughed field towards Redbournbury. Always a pleaser to show UltraJ new routes...

Sat - had been looking for a time for a threshold at some point and found it at the girl's Aunty Sal's where managed a 3 mile hard piece of work on some footpaths and into the wind down by the river near Sandy.

Sunday - run was later than normal at 9am. Only 2 takers - Viddy and Jamie. Jamie in seat for how far, but there was a request from Viddy for a 10-12 loop. 　My racing pigeon sensors turned off today and ended up doing 18.5. 　Viddy had had it on return leg through Wheato and walked back. 　Jamie's first run back for ages must have been 16m. 　Not sure they'll believe my nav skills in the future. I blame my enthusiasm for seeing new (unfamiliar) paths, no sun (so I lost my bearings) and that guy on the Nikki line who minced along ahead of us who we (I) chose to follow off the Greenaway on another familiar looking route......

70 days and will it be 400 or 500 miles to VLM?

First Blog Ever

Not sure whether this will be continued but might just do something in the run up to The Virgin London Marathon....  Who's reading this?