What a year!

2012 for me has to go down as my best year for sport ever. Personally I competed in the London marathon in Olympic year. I met one of my sporting hero's and like many was totally blown away by the Olympics. To actually be there at two major events and to be in the stadium for the Paralympics will be memories that last with me forever. Below is my sporting year in pictures, some of inspiration some of self achievement.

My 6 races of 2012 that I competed in (from top left to bottom) Surrey Spitfire 20 miles,Denbies Vineyard 10 mile, Dirt Challenge half marathon, (from top right to bottom) London marathon, Love life love running 6 hour endurance, The running show 10k. I managed PB's at the marathon and 10k 

Happy: Me collecting my number from the London marathon expo

Anticipation: Start line of the London marathon

PROOF I ran the marathon!

Done: The other side of the finish line. Happy and relieved faces.

View of the embankment, one of my favorite moments and brilliant crowd support 

West Byfleet: The men's Olympic road-race, blink and you miss them! 

The Women's Olympic marathon. Amazing to be up close to the elites.

The Women's Olympic marathon: The top three finishers.

Inside the Olympic stadium for the Paralympics. One of the best stadium crowd atmospheres I've ever experienced.

Panoramic view of the Olympic stadium

The Olympic park by night.

The amazing Olympic stadium.

The privilege of meeting Paula Radcliffe.

A great year for Trail running.

New Balance 1260 v2

 

Once in a while I'm lucky enough to receive trainers to review. Today I received from New Balance a pair of their latest 1260 model.

I've had New Balance trainers in the past and been happy with them. The only reason I reverted to try something new, was to see if the grass was greener on the other side. I tried the Nike lunar glides, the grass was greener and I've stuck with them ever since.

Other trainers have been tried and reviewed but alas nothing has come close to the Nikes....until now!!!

The 1260 v2 looks stunning and has been put together well. The welded seams mean no stitching to cause rubbing, just one of the many well designed features of this trainer.

Putting the trainer on for the first time, I noticed how comfortable the shoe was. The toe piece is roomy but keeps the forefoot in place, the upper then hugs the foot nicely up to the well padded tongue. The heel is held in place well and felt secure on the run.

One minor comment I do have is that when lacing the trainer the last eye holes are very high up and to the side of the ankle which means when tying the trainers up the laces feel very tight across the top of the foot, and I had to loosen them off.

Once out the Tarmac I was impressed how fast the trainers felt. With new materials being used for the soles of trainers now, trainers are getting much lighter. The 1260 v2 is no exception, and to date are the fastest support trainer I've worn. The low profile of this model was something I was not used to but really liked.

The ventilation mesh on the forefoot was really noticeable. The evening was cold and I could feel the cold air moving through the trainer.

Gone are the days of the prominent medial support posts in heavy stability trainers. The medial support is there but designed perfectly in a very comfortable sole.

The trainers are listed as a stability trainer for mid to moderate overpronators but due to the low profile of the shoe it's hard to believe this is not more of a neutral shoe. That's not to say there is a lack of cushioning but as someone who suffers from tight calfs and Achilles it will be interesting how I get on with the 1260 v2.

Overall a brilliant lightweight fast road trainer for the lighter runner requiring some support.

Cushioning - 8 out of 10, Not as much cushioning expected from a stability shoe
Comfort - 9 out of 10, Very comfortable especially in heel area
Flexibility - 8 out of 10, Good Flexibity.
Responsiveness - 9 out of 10, Very responsive with the low profile

Overall 34 out of 40

Run with Paula Radcliffe

Thanks to the O2 sports priority app and being on the 02 network meant I got to meet one of my sporting heroes this weekend; marathon legend Paula Radcliffe.

Catching the 6:39am train to London on a cold winters morning is not something I am used to, especially after getting up at 5:30 the day before for my Friday run to work. But when meeting sporting legends its a small price to pay.

After reaching Waterloo and the short tube ride to Oxford Circus, I queued along side other like minded runners as we waited to go into Niketown and meet Paula.

 

 

Now I do like my Nike sports apparel, so to be in one of the biggest stores before opening time felt like being a kid in a sweet shop! As we waited for the introduction of Paula we were able to pick up a breakfast bag and mingle and look around the store. I got chatting to another runner who had made his way from Stoke for the event before I met up with fellow `Tweeter ` Simon. It was great to finally meet Simon after following on Twitter and we had a good chat exchanging stories of running.

As we all gathered around Paula was finally introduced to us as we stood and listened to her being interviewed by a Nike representative. Most interesting was listening to Paula describe her comeback from injury that sadly kept her from competing in this years Olympics. But it`s good news and sounds like Paula is not far from getting back to running again in the new year.

Q and A with Paula at Niketown

Sadly due to recovering from her injury, Paula could not run with us today but instead would come down to watch the core workout we had at Regents Park and then meet us back at Niketown for some photo opportunities.

We were all given a Nike white technical T-shirt before we head out along Regent street and to Regents park. We were split into 3 groups with a couple of pacers per group, it was strange to be swapping the quiet trails with running down one of London’s most famous roads, and as you would imagine there was a lot of start stopping to get across some of the roads leading to the Park.

When we reached the park we done some core workouts for about 15 minutes. After this it was a run back to Niketown. Before heading back Simon and myself spotted Paula along with a few others and got the chance to have my picture taken and a very brief chat with Paula. Simon being an ultra runner asked Paula about running ultras and running with Kilian Jornet, I added that Kilian was in fact not human to which Paula agreed!

Can I upgrade my current running partners for this one please?

Once back at Niketown, I quickly changed before joining Simon in the queue for another photo shot with Paula.

I felt a bit guilty as we were at the cut off point in the queue, as Paula had to leave and I was to get my second photo with Paula. The guilt lasted about a second as I grabbed another photo and returned the favour to Simon and got a photo of him and Paula as well.

2nd Photo with Paula back at Niketown

Paula was great in the Q and A session, informative,happy and laid back and so down to earth when chatting to her in the middle of Regents park.

A great day and well done to O2, Nike and of course Paula for making it memorable.

The Running Show 2012, Sandown 10K

One week on from my half marathon and time for race number two. This weeks race was at Sandown race track and was part of the 2012 running show. Around 400 folk turned out for the race on second day of the event. After the horrendous weather that we have been experiencing of late, it was nice to awake to clear blue skies.

The show opened at 9:30 with the race start at 10:30. I attended the show with friend and running buddy Brian (@bsmithy100).We arrived in good time and had a relaxed time pre-race collecting race numbers and goody bags and a sit down before leaving the warm building and venturing out to the start line. Despite the sun shining the morning was quite cold a very windy.

Now in my head when I think of a racecourse I think...Flat! But the course which took us around the track, surrounding grounds and stables was anything but flat, and surprisingly undulating.

We found ourselves at the front of the pack at the start and typical of me I flew out the traps way too fast with the first two miles at 7:23 and 7:01 minute/mile pacing. In fact all my mile laps were sub 8 bar one. I knew I needed these kind of laps to achieve my PB.

The toughest part of the course was in fact a long straight on the tarmac at the bottom of the race track. It meant running along one way with the wind and then loop round and back again with the strong wind against you and the low Winter sun in your eyes.

Twice round the 5K course done and I came in with a Sub 45 minute 10K at 44:07 and a new PB!

After the disappointment of missing out on a PB last week it was great to bounce back with one today.

Brian also ran an amazing race finishing sub 40 minutes and a new PB beaten by a whopping 13 minutes!

Once changed we had the running show to look forward to. Before we walked round we enjoyed a nice cup of tea and good chat with Twitter friend Lesley (@lilbeeloo67) who was at the show with her husband.

The event was brilliant this year, we chatted to some great people and was looked after throughout the day. Highlights were the informative chats given to us by Compressport and Cherryactive

Dirt Half Challenge 2012

So I finally got my racing shoes on again, this time for a trail half marathon. The race was the dirt half challenge in Leighton Buzzard. I quite fancied something a little way from home and in new running surroundings. As it turns out, half the course is on the canal towpath of which I spend a good portion of my training on back home on the Basingstoke Canal. The rest of the course was great though with some good interesting woodland trails with testing undulations, tree roots and muddy terrain underfoot. The route was fantastic along with the organisation, but it was a bad day at the races for me.

Race HQ

I'm probably being a bit hard on myself because I went into this race believing I could bag a PB...I was a minute off! My previous PB though was at a road race so I guess I should not expect to be as quick on the trails.
 

On your marks...

The first half of the race is quick. I managed to get towards the front and although the route picks up the narrow canal towpath soon into the race the pace was quick at the front. Actually for me the pace was too quick as I clocked up the first three miles with 7:15 minute mile pacing. I stopped briefly at the first water stop to take a gel early to fuel me later in the race. I slowed a little for the next few miles but kept a good pace going on the flat terrain. The towpath is well maintained and consists of a narrow tarmac path with grass verges either side to allow for overtaking.

The second half of the race was more demanding as we headed into the countryside. The terrain changes to muddy paths and woodland trails and gets more undulating. There is also a steep hill to get up. It was this hill that cost me. I hate when I'm forced to walk in races or even in training but that was  what i had to do today. My thighs were burning, I'd set out too fast and now I had thrown the towel in. I managed to run part the hill but lost a couple of minutes, it was then I thought 'sod it' I'm just going to slow down and enjoy the rest of the race. The next stage of the race was great, some quite technical trails with fast down hills and tree roots to mastermind and the route continued to be undulating. There were also muddy fields to run through which continued to sap the energy of my legs.
 

Muddy fields ahead

 The route then picks up the canal towpath again for the last couple of miles. I got chatting to a fellow runner which was great to distract from the tiredness as we exchanged stories and times of previous races. Nearing the end I asked her what the timing was (my endomondo app on the phone shut down after the first few miles) We were at 1:43:00 with a quarter of a mile to go. With this news I instantly sprinted off with my PB of 1:44:50 still an outside shot. I fell short by a minute and my fellow runner deservedly sprinted past me to the finish. I congratulated her for a great finish (Grrrr!) collected my medal and headed straight to the fine spread of cakes that had been laid on by the organisers.

Refuel!

 

Rather than beating myself up about missing out on the PB, I tried to constructively learn from the experience.

 

l  I had not given the course enough respect.

l  I had not done enough hill work recently ( Something I used to spend a lot of time on.)

l  I need to work on strengthening my quads and core, both of which felt weak and were tested on the trails today.

I've not had a bad race before. Every race I've run I continue to improve on my times but for the first time I haven't. From that point of view its been a great race as I've learnt a lot about myself.

I will definitely be back next year, the organisation, facilities and race staff were great. The course was great and so to was that table of cakes waiting at the finish line!

Shattered!!!

 

 

Two races in one week

I have not entered a race since the London marathon earlier this year, unless you include a parkrun, but there is no shiny bling to collect when you've finished so that's not a race!

Unbelievably London is now seven months in the distant past, so it was about time that I had something new to focus on. I didn't want the training intensity that comes with a full marathon so opted for a half marathon, or as they say across the pond a 'half mary'.

Without thinking I went straight for a trail race, which in hindsight is probably not the best option if, like me you are looking for a course to bag a PB. The race I've entered is the Dirt Half Challenge in Leighton Buzzard a mixture of canal path and woodland trails, and a rather nice spike in the middle.

Apart from hill, the course looks fairly downhill but with narrow canal paths I'm not sure what my chances are for a PB.

My PB to date is 1:44:51, which was pretty much 8 minute miling. My thinking was to match this but on the downhill sections try to get some sub 8 minute miles in and then grab a PB...Simple!

Training has been going well for this event, last week I managed to get my weekly total of miles up to 35. I've started doing a back to back run on a Tuesday which has helped bump up the miles. This consists of leaving my car 5 miles from work, then running to the office and then back to the car in the evening. I've also been trying to do a bit more speedwork on my shorter lunchtime runs.

Following on from this race the following Saturday I will be at the running show and taking part in the 10K race which is around the grounds of Sandown race track. I have not run a 10K for a few years now, so it it will be good to race at that distance again.

It's been really enjoyable training for the half marathon and takes some of the pressure of fitting in those long Sunday runs required for marathon training, but I definitely want to run another marathon next year and I am pencilling in the Loch Ness marathon. This one is on my 'to do list'.

So thats the next couple of blog post's sorted out...Race reports! Until then enjoy your running :-)

The search for the perfect running diet

You may have gathered from my last couple of post's that the subject of nutrition has been filling my brain at the moment. I've considered everything from the vegan diet, to the fruitarian diet and the Paleo diet. Arghhhh! so much confusion. So this post is as much as clearing my mind as it is to sharing with the reader.

I've now become a fairly serious runner, not in quality but in that if I'm not running then I'm thinking about it or talking about it a lot of the time (oh, and reading and blogging about it too!)...I'm not boring, honest! When I first started out running I never really thought much about the nutritional side of things, it was all about increasing miles and competing in 10K's, but in the last couple of years where the miles and races have increased up to marathon distances, suddenly nutrition becomes a whole new and important ball game.

I remember hitting the wall so hard in my first marathon that I was determined to get to the bottom of this nutritional malarkey!

The fruitarian and Paleo diet are very much based on what are ancestors could get their hands on (No M&S ready meals in other words!) very much berries,fruit, nuts,vegetables and meat is the Paleo diet and er...fruit for the fruitarian diet.




Now I can relate to this concept, especially the Paleo diet, I believe strongly that as humans we were meant to eat meat (sorry vegetarians!) We have teeth, some sharp front ones for biting the meat and the rear teeth for chewing. We are in a food chain and meat is full of essential vitamins, minerals and protein, if we were not meant to eat it then it would not be so good for you and when have you ever met a vegetarian Tiger?



I agree we certainly eat too much meat in our diet as it is readily available, our cavemen ancestors would only eat meat sparingly when they could catch the damn stuff. More importantly we eat far too much processed meat, and this is something I'm trying to eliminate from my diet.



For a great interview related to running and the Paleo diet listen to episode 19 of the Talk Ultra podcast. There is an interview with Barry Murray at about 1 hour and 4 minutes into the show that is well worth a listen.

The fruitarian diet is raw fruit and vegetables...blah! How dull, I love my fruit but for every meal 365 days of the year? I tried it for a day last week, on a day I was running 5 miles in the morning and 5 miles in the evening. On the evening run I felt drained and close to stopping after a few miles with no real source of carbs to fuel my day. This was only a day and I understand you have to train your body over months and months before it starts adapting to any new fuelling system.

I love listening to The Fruitarian on You Tube, I like picking out the best bits of what he has to say and applying it to my diet. The Fruitarian (Michael Arnstein) is an ultrarunner you has achieved many successes in racing based on this diet. Check out one of his videos below:

 

One question I do often ask myself is "What about Evolution?" We've got less hair on our bodies now as we have evolved. We no longer need a a thick covering of hair on our bodies as we no longer live in caves and have clothes and central heating. So what about our diet, can that evolve as well?

 

Bread was not around when we were cavemen but we now have been eating bread for hundreds of years. Surely from generation to generation, years upon years our bodies change to the way we process this once alien food? The same with milk?

 

Now I'm a fairly trim lad, but I do tend to have a bloated and swollen belly area most the time. I once went to see a physio who recognised straight away that this was not fat but due to digestion issues. I believe I need to avoid gluten and dairy for this reason. When I do manage to steer away from these foods for a day or two, I do recognise a reduced bloating to my belly.

 

So my quest for the perfect running diet goes on, I'm trying to pick the best bits out of all the diets and work out what's best for me, but still treat myself to that chunky KitKat! Hopefully this post gives 'Food for thought'.