10 Runs that Made Me #6 Reading Half Marathon

Lightbulb! It's taken me a while to figure out that beyond starting running and actually continuing running and making it a habit, that is, being born or born again as a runner, what makes a person as a runner is those character building moments, be they failures or successes. 

OK, so mostly failures. In fact does anyone really remember that much a run that was so successful that they had to file away the good things that went together to make it so? More likely you had that success built on the experience of several previous failures. 

My first half marathon was at Reading. I had a few 10k races under my belt and thought I should be able to get under 2 hours. Again training is a bit of a blur as I didn't have a garmin watch and wasn't logging my training runs, but I think I got up to about 10 miles running and was still occasionally cycling to work, cycling to parkrun and running round in about 25 minutes. Given that evidence maybe I wasn't far off the 2 hour mark fitness-wise - 4 x 25 minute parkruns with 20 minutes left over for slowing down. 

I don't think I ate much in the morning of the race, didn't know anything about energy gels and just assumed there would be enough to drink on the course. In fact there was plenty to drink on the course, the atmosphere of a city race was all there, with loads of people out on the streets cheering us on, bands playing, a beer stop at the Nags Head just before the last significant hill, energy drink and jelly babies being handed out. 

Only problem is, I was undertrained and had no idea how to pace a race and didn't know anything about fuelling myself before the run. I had just gradually increased my long run distance to a point my body could easily cope with (about 10 miles) and had no experience of what lay beyond; I hadn't had much of a breakfast to give me some energy and then during the race I just went along with the flow of faster runners until I was tired and then miserable and my mind was telling me to give up. 

I think I could have survived and ran all the way, possibly hitting my target time as well, if I had paced better and then had a gel or energy drink on the course for a mental boost, but with 3 miles to go I had taken nothing but water. With about 2 miles to go there is an interminable long straight to get you back to Reading FC's Madejski Stadium, but when you get there you turn off into a business park with no supporters around and do an out and back loop before running up to and then around the outside of the stadium. All torture. I could almost have just collapsed over the central reserve and cut half a mile out of the course, but I stuck with it, walking, getting my breath back, jogging, then at last, getting in to the stadium with crowds of noise and staggering across the line. 

2 hours and 7 minutes. At least a mile walking in the last 2 miles to the finish. A great event let down by terrible execution. 

Today I could run the whole of a road half marathon in pretty much any conditions without stopping, with no food and just a drink or two to freshen up. I would have trained running up to that distance and have no fear of what lay ahead, done speed work, cross training and stretching, be wearing comfortable clothing, eaten a decent breakfast, made sure I was adequately hydrated and taken some drinks on the course and then run at a reasonably even pace up to about 2 or 3 miles to go before hopefully having something left in the tank to push on the pace, emerging into the roaring crowds of the stadium feeling as tall, fast and graceful as Steve Cram breaking the mile world record in Bislet 1985. 

Watching Steve Cram and that peformance just gives me goosebumps. Of course, if you want to experience something of that thrill you could have a look at my upcoming events and wait to see me at the finish line.  

Or you could watch the video below. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX9FoKoo-wI

10 Runs That Made Me #5: Mortimer 10k Sept 2010

Mortimer 10k was the run I set myself as a goal on my comeback to running. As a lonely long distance runner (long distance = 5k and above according to IAAF) I thought that I needed a target to aim for. Back then that was true, but now I could kid myself and say that I don't need a target to get out for a run, just a bit of time available for a club run, an event or a bimble in the woods. I say "kid" myself, as I have set myself a goal to get to 100 marathons, so that is always there in the background, but as I get nearer to it, that goal seems less important than having good experiences along the way. I have been booking races because they are great fun in beautiful locations or have an occasion linked to them.  For that reason I have races booked well in to next year and only aim to do my 100th marathon sometime in 2020, possibly at the Farnham Pilgrim - no rush then. 

Back in 2009 I had an objective of getting fitter, doing couch to 5k, then booked a 5k event and didn't book anything more and running fell by the wayside. 2010 I decided another event would be good to motivate me and thought about 3 months training might be a good idea. That decision led to going to Reading and then Frimley parkruns as a way of running in events and possibly meeting some people who I could run with. 

I'm not clear about how the training went. I think it just consisted of gradually increasing the mileage a bit, but I don't think I ever got to 10k. I new nothing of the course and had only driven through the small town a few times. The start finish is in a completely flat grassy park. They had a load of stalls set up, fairground rides and a classic car show going on there as well, so lots to do for the family who came along to cheer me on. They even had a kids race, about 2k on the roads around the park, which I did with the kids as a warm up. 

The route is a rough figure 8, firstly out and round the back of the park, then out to the north, back into the town and past the park again at about 4k - all relatively flat. Then it gets interesting as the next 2k are all downhill out of the town to the south, before turning north and hitting a long, long hill. I had to walk a bit, several times, got passed by a much older man who called out "Come on young man, you can't get beaten by me!" I gave him a cheery "Piss off ya bastard!" and struggled on up the hill with a couple of "God, really!" and "Not again!" exclamations at false flats in the hill. 

The last 2k is back in the town on level ground. There were people on the streets and marshals cheering us on, so I had to run the whole way back to the park and the finish. 

Bloody hell that was hard. I got a medal, yay! Time 56:30. I don't think I was that impressed with that at the time, but for a first 10k that was pretty good.

Beachy Head Marathon 2018

Early pick-up for this one, but fortunately I had a good sleep in the spare room under two summer duvets and woke 5 minutes before the alarm in pitch darkness. Then I lay in bed for 10 minutes thinking about what I should be doing before getting up and getting my shit together and having to rush (shakes head). Donned my winter marathon gear as it was going to be a bit parky and, having scofed banana porridge with golden syrup waited for a lift from the lovely Alison of Sandhurst Joggers. I had baked the night before and had a box of flapjack - actually layered flapjack with homemade blackberry jam/grape jelly filling and topped with chocolate ganache. I had a piece on the way down to Eastbourne and it was so calorie dense it nearly made me feint. 

At Eastbourne there was much faffing tryng to park and then find a pay machine that worked, then we were off up to St Bede's School to find more club-mates and see if there were any Fecthies around. We got our numbers from Andrea who had come down the day before and hung around waiting for another of our runners to turn up. I saw Fleecy, Carp(?) and Plodding Hippo then went to hang out in the warmth of the bag drop in the sorts hall until 5 minutes before the off.

We queued to get up the Green Wall at he start and it was quite congested for the first few miles, so lots of pauses for chat before crossing roads and through pinch points. This was massively busier than when I last did it, but the big change this time was HALLELUJA! I CAN SEE! Last time from about 2 to 17 miles was all thick fog, massive hills and no view. Today was all chilly-bright and glorious.

I set off with Andrea and Alison and stayed with them for 3 miles, met up with SJ John Tovell and we somehow lost our SJ ladies by the first checkpoint. John and I sort of stayed together, but around mile 5 I got hailed by a chap called Daniel who was also wearing a parkrun tourists' cow cowl, so we chatted parkrun tourism and recalcitrant teenagers for a few miles until I caught up with John again just before half way. Then we found another SJ runner Richard, who was gamely battling on with his first marathon since starting dialysis. We chatted for a bit while John ran off, but Rich would rather suffer in solitude so off I went and found Rich's partner Jane, also banished from running with him, at the next checkpoint. 

I was pretty tired by here, Checkpoint 4, 16 miles, but relatively pain free. However, that soon changed going over the second of two sets of stairs as my right calf really tightened up to the point of cramping.

Getting to the Seven Sisters I was reduced to walking only with 6 miles to go, which was a bit disappointing. Still the weather was still OK and the views fine so there was no need to grumble. A few stops for massages, photos and a cup of tea at the last aid station and I managed to hobble back down the Green Wall to finish just under 6 hours. 

I really enjoyed the run and the chat with fellow SJ runners and random strangers; it was all run in a great atmosphere. Even with my calf cramping up over the Seven Sisters I was in better shape than the last time I did this event and managed to finish in sunshine and get a nice recovery beer along with the free hot food in the school canteen. A lovely day out.

10 Runs that Made Me #4 - Frimley parkrun 26/6/2010

Wow, there was a big gap between September 2009 and June 2010 when I didn't run. No parkruns, no events. I don't really know why. Now, I couldn't imagine not running, but then I always have a goal - look at my list of future races and I have stuff planned or even bought and paid for right up to October next year. 

So, I wasn't fit enough for a 10k and couldn't get to a parkrun due to transport issues. I think I spent time cycling to work and didn't see the need to run and kind of had the attitude that, though I may not be fit looking on the outside, there was definitely a fit person on the inside just waiting to get out. I was what I liked to call "latently fit". 

So, mid-June 2010. I think there was just a day when the running shoes that had been sitting by the front door unused for months had worn me down with guilty looks. I didn't have a running goal and thought that was what I needed, so I looked around for a local run to do and booked Mortimer 10k in September. That mid-June Saturday I had a car available. I looked up the parkrun website, found that there was one at Reading, by the Thames and decided to give it a go. No training, just turned up and ran round in 27:56. Under 30 minutes, I can still do this! 

The next weekend, no car available, but I found Frimley Lodge parkrun had started up and that was under 6 miles away, just a gentle cycle ride. So I arrived at about 8:30 in the park, found where the start was going to be and the briefing, then lined up and did the run. It's a two lap course partly round a few football pitches, but also along a canal towpath and some twisty sections through woods. A lovely course with only a shallow gradual rise round the first field to contend with for a hill. I finished in 27:50. 

After the run I offered to help tidy up, take down the finish funnel and the start line tape. I met the Event Director at the time Steve Osbourne and a few of the other volunteers and offered to come back next week and help set up the finish funnel. That turned out to be a key event in my running life. From making good friends with the core volunteer team, to being introduced to my local running club and local races, it all stemmed from running and volunteering at Frimley parkrun.

10 Runs that Made Me #3 Basingstoke parkrun 15/08/09

Having done one event, I was looking around for another, but didn't know where to look. There wasn't another suitable (i.e. short) 2:09 event coming up, but searching for 5k events I stumbled across Basingstoke parkrun. At the time there were only 15 parkruns in existence - that's in the world. So no Frimley or Reading which could have been a bike ride to. I had to wait until school holidays until I had a car available to go. 

It was a fine morning. I had registered, set off and arrived early so people were just setting up when I arrived. I helped stake out the finish funnel, listened to the briefing and then we headed off to the start. It's a two lap course, largely tarmac paths on the wooded perimeter of the park, gently undulating with a short section on grass. The gentle rise behind the tennis courts seemed like an interminable hill and I felt like I struggled round finally getting to the twisty path through the woods and the finish straight to be passed by one Richard Hammer on the run in. 

At the finish I was given a little metal token with a number stamped on it, then went over to Euan Bowman, who had a laptop open to tell him my name and hand in my finish token. No barcodes. After the run I helped tidy away the kit and got credited with being a volunteer. Finish position 59 in 26:29. 

I looked at the results. I ran 6 times at Basingstoke over the summer but only finished 4 of them, twice pulling out after a lap because I was just too tired! What the hell was I thinking!? I think I pushed too hard at the start, blew up and couldn't face going round in a time way off my PB. It didn't occur to me to slow down and just enjoy the run, tick off another run on the way to a 50 shirt or even just pace the run differently and finish stronger. Come the end of the summer and on Saturdays the kids were back doing swimming lessons in the morning and I couldn't get to Basingstoke for a run. In fact after that summer I just about gave up running altogether until the following June. 

Looking at who else was running at my first parkrun, there was Richard Hammer, a Chineham Park runner, who for a long time was my nemesis - I was always about the same pace and trying to beat him in parkruns and local races. I think he had a lot of knee injuries around 2012 and he's a bit slower now, but a proper parkrun tourist. Fetchies Corona and Excitabubble (Colin and Elaine Brassington) were there, and Sandhurst Joggers club mates Lisa, Trish and James were way up the results table. I still thought you had to be an elite runner to join an running club. 

How times change - now I think nothing of just going out and enjoying a run for the sake of it. And running clubs? - they let anyone in these days. 

Richard Boese
Sandhurst Joggers - Chairman

10 runs that made me #2: Now what do you do?

So having completed a couch to 5k plan and knowing nothing about running events, clubs, never heard of parkrun, what do you do next? Couch to 5k had a goal, to get to jogging for 30 minutes without stopping, hopefully going at least 5k in the process, but what next now I'd got off the couch? I thought I would dip my toe in to the tepid bath of running events and looked for something not too far away from home and not too distant in time. 

The event I chose was a 5k fun run organised by 2:09 Events alongside one of their summer trail 10k events in Swinley Forest near Bracknell. It must have been June 2009, a sunny Sunday morning and I cycled the 5 or so miles to get to the event. The fun run started after the 10k set off and from a different location. I lined up with about 30 other kids and a few adults and as soon as the gun went, all the kids dashed off ahead at a sprint. 

I jogged along on the course gradually catching up with wheezing kids with stitches and struggled up the few small hills in the first 3 or 4k. This is where things started to get a bit confusing. With 4k done I was pretty sure we hadn't turned back towards the finish at any point and we were supposed to be only 1k away. We were still occasionally coming across marshals, so we must have been on the course, but I was looking at my stopwatch thinking "I'm sure I'm not that slow, we should have finished by now." 

Eventually at about 40 minutes in we got back on a trail I recognised as being near the start. I finished in about 10th place and everyone in front of me was under 12 years old. It turned out that we had been directed on to part of the 10k course and had done about 8k instead of 5. When I crossed the line I got given a prize - a blue 2:09 events t-shirt - because I was the first person across the line who was big enough for it to fit! I didin't stop to chat with anyone, I was probably still too shy to do that. I just hung around for a bit with some worried looking parents as their very tired kids and spouses trailed in and then cycled home. 

My first event, first trail run and first prize for anything I can remember ever, since my Cycling Proficiency Test or 33yards swimming certificate. I was really happy to get that t-shirt, not that I had actually won anything or particularly deserved it, but it still had a positive effect. When I got home, I got on line on "the information superhighway" (I think that's what they called it back then) and started looking for another event to enter.

10 Runs That Made Me - #1 Epiphany

I'd have to say that despite appearances to the contrary, I am not really a runner. Up until 2009 I had never run for exercise. Cycling, football, a bit of cricket. So I would say I have more of a cyclists body, strong quads and not much upper body and I never ran at school. I think the last time I ran for the sake of running was once in 1984. Back to this century and we'd moved house in late 2006 and got it plumbed and rewired in 2007 and I spent most of the rest of the year redecorating the whole place and rebuilding the bathroom and shower room. I got out of the habit of cycling to work - I was knackered most of the time. 

Come to the end of 2008 and I was struggling to fit in 34" jeans and had bought my first pair of elasticated waist chinos from M&S. Any time I rode to work I got that disconcerting feeling as I leant over the handlebars of my gut forcing my cycling shorts to roll down in surrender. 

My son Alfred was in to playing football, but had no interest in watching or supporting a team, so I couldn't interest him in watching a Boxing Day match. Off to the Memorial Park we went. A typical grey, damp December day, found a patch of grass on the football field not full of puddles and, rather than just stand still and kick the ball back and forth, we jogged up and down the pitch passing the ball between us. 

Five minutes, maybe 400m and I was blowing hard and having to stop. Ridiculous! I couldn't keep up with a 5 year old. I always thought I was fit as I did a bit of gentle cycling to work, but how wrong I was. 

Alf was born when I was 37. Then into my 40s I find I can't kick a ball around with him. That was embarrassing and serious, I could be a heart attack waiting to happen, or at the very least not be able to enjoy being a dad with him. 

New Year's resolution - get a pair of running shoes, start running. I figured if I went out and spent £80 on shoes I was damn well going to get decent use out of them (Yorkshire upbringing). Found a couch to 5k training plan and went out running by myself. 9 Weeks later I could jog for 30 minutes without stopping. It was bloody hard, but I could do it. It freaked me out that I gained weight when I started running, I guess I needed to add some leg muscle, but eventually some came off and I was feeling much better. 

That's where all this started - 400m, blew up, had to stop.