2016

J

JANUARY

Being me nowadays isn't easy. I can barely remember yesterday, let alone a whole year. Here is a concise review of what I got up to in 2016. I've had to look at the Runbritain website to remind me!

  It started off a bit mad really. I had decided to get up really early and cycle to Queen Elizabeth Country Park for the parkrun which started at 10.30. It was a 26 mile bike ride on my mountain bike. It was muddy and hard going down Butser hill with all those holes all over the place. I didn't even get lost! I made it with plenty of time but my legs felt heavy for some reason! I saw the founder of parkrun there to along with Dave Williams formerly of Pompey Joggers. I think Kiernan was race directing. Someone I would get to meet better later in the year. 

It was bloody hilly and very muddy! I poor legs struggled on the mud. I was wearing road shoes and sliding everywhere. I was too scared to even run downhill. It is still my slowest ever parkrun of 32 minutes but what an experience. After eating a large brekkie it was time to cycle another 26 miles home in the pouring rain and strong winds. Never again! 

The next day I did a comfortable 23 minute parkrun at Southampton. It made me appreciate the lovely tarmac and lack of hills. I only did one other parkrun that month. I was training for a half marathon..

FEBRUARY

I did Netley parkrun with an uninspiring time and then Exeter Riverside parkrun. Exeter was good but quite a challenge with a muddy field and the wind on the way into the finish. The weirdest part was getting your barcode scanned. You had to take your token to this building and take your shoes off outside. Walk up and couple of flights of stairs and queue outside this room to get your token scanned. You entered a room where a lady would be sat with a scanner. It kinda reminded me of being summoned to the headmasters office at school. 

The next day however, the real challenge happened. The Bodmin half marathon. Me, Mikey, Di and Larry decided to give this one ago. I think it was my idea actually. One day I hope to do all the Cornish Grandprix races. It was cold. We started running and it was boiling hot with the sun beating down upon us. Me and this other run stood on a hill taking off our base-layers and moaning about the heat. There were some hills! Very muddy hills and the only way to get up them was to pull yourself up by using branches from the nearby trees. I loved it, Mikey loved and Di and Larry hated it. I tried to get them to enter again but they aid something very offensive... 

MARCH

Wimborne 20. 3 laps with some hills thrown in. After doing Wimborne 10 with Rob Benham we both decided to enter this one and it would prove to be great training for Rob's London marathon! I was just happy to race and see what I could achieve. Rob smashed it obviously and I got 2.37 which I was very happy with. I wanted 8 minute miles and got under, so all good. A great race but the only thing that annoyed me was that there were no XL t-shirts even though I put down for one on my entry form. They clearly had no intention of printing any, maybe due to lack of demand. So I just got a large which was thrown in the bin. Still, a great race and good to see White Star running legend Andy Palmer cheering us into the finish, 

I did a pretty impressive parkrun at Southampton and ran a time of 20.18. More impressively getting a PB the next day at Eastleigh 10k with a time of 41.15. This would sadly be my only PB of the year. I was quite shocked to get this PB and really wasn't expecting it. 

APRIL

A slow Winchester parkrun was done and then a speedy 20.10 at Lee-on-the-solent parkrun the weekend after. The weekend after that was a slow-ish parkrun at Fareham. It was great to see all these new parkruns popping all over the place. Always very friendly and great fun. Straight after Fareham parkrun I hopped on the train to Plymouth. 

The next day I ran the Plymouth half marathon. I put in all my effort and was a bit disappointed with my time. I knew I was struggling with the weight and training hadn't been great. It may have been a hilly course with a brutal uphill finish but it's a great race. I had been meaning to enter this race year after year but it always sold out! 95.42 was my time and I went on a pub crawl drinking diet cokes all night the day before! 

A 22 minute parkrun at Netley and then the Southampton half marathon the next day. It was quite exciting to be running a race in your home town. It was a big event (almost as big as Plymouth) and the crowds were wonderful. I had to do better than Plymouth didn't I? Well, for the first 5 miles I thought I might even be on for a PB! Thing is, this race had tricked me. The first half was easy going and the second half seemed hilly and I was feeling destroyed at only mile 8. I pushed hard though and dug real deep. This was real suffering. 92.05 was my finishing time. A long way off a PB but I was more than happy with my efforts. I felt like I gave it everything. The cider went down nicely as I watched the rest of the runners coming in. I was getting fit again... maybe. . 

The very end of April saw me jumping on a train to Fareham and getting picked up by Jeff Scarle. We were off to Wickham ito run the Wickham Whistler. An Event organised by Kiernan that I mentioned earlier. They were such a lovely bunch of down to earth people and very funny and quick witted with it. It was a simple idea really. Run 3.5 miles of the Meon Valley railway line and get a lovely medal with some great support thrown in. In fact, you could run for the whole 12 hours if you wanted! Well, me and Jeff managed a 28 mile marathon and Carlo from Hedge End runners kept on going. What a machine. I thought I might be on for another PB but a few toilet stops put an end to that one after only 7 miles. The best thing is that it's so cheap and you can stop whenever you like or push yourself to the limits.  I would also see Dave Williams again and meet a few other runners like Robert Bryan of Winchester AC who was sadly injured at the time and Chris Maple. 

MAY

May would see me heading back to Fareham parkrun and trying to run a sub 20. It never came but I was happy with a course PB of 20.10 there. 

The week after would see my favourite event of the year and the best race in the world... but wait... Southwick parkrun first at 9am and then it begins..

The Bratton hilly 11.4K race. Bacon and egg roll and coffee and then race at 11am. I found this race back in 2012 and love it so much. The first mile is all uphill. You can see for miles across the Wiltshire countryside as you race onto a gravel track and past farmland. I am so excited and running as fast as I can. Will I get a course PB, will I finish in the top 20 this year? 

A lovely little village 7 miles from Westbury. This race is led by Avon Valley runners, It's been going for years but this year I thought I woud bring Larry and Mikey along. Would they share my love and enthusiasm for this race? Would I still enjoy it year after year? 

Simply Yes! Ask them, this is the best race ever. If you only do one race next year, do this one. Yes, it's hilly but it's incredible and varied. I smashed a minute off my course time. I think this is probably my biggest achievement running wise for 2016. Happy days :)

My fitness was at its peak and I ran a 20,30 parkrun and then it was time to go for that Marathon PB.

I got a free place at the Kent roadrunners marathon thanks to Neil Garton who volunteered there every year, or is it twice a year? Anyway, it was super tough. It was 21 laps of a cyclo-park. It was up and down. Glad it wasn't flat as the hills gave you something to look forward to! And seeing Neil cheer me on. I had 21 elastic bands to take off my wrist every time I completed a lap. Sounds easy right? I felt ok for about 15-18 miles and then it was getting harder to keep those sub 8 minute miles. I was slowly slipping into a very dark place inside my own mind and no-one could get me out. Thanks Neil..lol. The wrist bands never seemed to go down. Still 5 left!! I passed the 26.2 mark in about 3hrs 35 but the course was more like 27+ miles. I finished in 3,39. It was a great day though and the best bit was eating and chatting away to all the other runners and drinking a few beers. I even caught up with marathon legend Brian who had currently run about 1300 marathons. He can be quite hard to chat to at first but just mention Man. United and that'll do it..lol. Lovely guy really.  

JUNE

That marathon at the end of May had destroyed me. It was going to take a while to recover from. I also thought I had an umbilical hernia from the marathon. I went to the doctors and they told me it was just an infection and would clear up in a few weeks. All I did in June was run a few mediocre parkruns and jogged the 5 mile Beer race with my mate Rob Benham. It was still hard work though. I did want to push to hard and wanted to make sure I recovered well as I had some big plans coming up. 

At the end of June I was off cycling around the U.K. The aim was to get to Dylan Thomas' boathouse from Southampton and raise money for Cancer research UK. It wasn't a direct route I choose though. I would be heading to Dorset, South Devon, most of the coast of Cornwall and up into North Devon, Somerset and then heading into Wales that way. It was an epic journey. On the first day is was raining heavily for 5 hours. My seat post had snapped and I had to cycle 10K standing up until I got into Wareham to get my bike fixed. I had also realised that I had packed way too much stuff to carry on my mountain bike and panniers! 85 miles for the first day was good but it was going to get very hilly in Devon. I kept at it but had a few foot pains after 4 days. I was already tired and feeling really bad. It had rained a lot and it getting me down a bit. It was nice to see friends in Plymouth and make the crossing on the Cremyl ferry to Cornwall. Right at the end of June I made it to Penrose parkrun near Helston. My legs were sore and tired but I managed 23 minutes on a newer flat course. 

JULY

The cycling continued as I looped Cornwall staying at my friend's house in Camborne and doing a few more ferry crossings. I also stayed at my friend Craig's in St. Allen and caught up with my good friend Anishka in Quintrill downs. North Devon was kind of lonely as I didn't really know anyone there but it was lovely... and hilly again. At least the sun was out more now. I did Highbridge and Burnham parkrun in 22.50. Such a lovely course. One of the best I would say. Would love to do this one again. Beautiful and varied. 

I travelled up to Somerset where I met up with an ultra running buddy I met at a race last year. His name is Nicolas Thick and he lives in Portishead. All the way there I was singing "Wandering Star" by Portishead but didn't really know the words. Was great to see a familiar face again as it seemed like ages since i'd seen a friend. He showed me around the bars of Portishead while we drank cider and he told me some fascinating stuff and knew the most random things. I loved the conversation and I was going to miss it! Nick warned me about Avonmouth being a bit of a dump. As soon as I got there, there were two burnt out cars in the subway. I'm glad it was really early in the morning. I passed the Spanner and Hammer he was talking about. At the time of him telling me, I was just really confused..lol. I crossed a big bridge over the water and was now in Gloucester but not for long as I could see the old Severn bridge. 

I always thought you were in Wales as soon as you crossed the river Severn but you're only just getting to Chepstow. It wasn't long until I found the "Welcome to Wales" sign though. I took a picture and a group of cyclists passed. One of them stopped and asked if I was doing LeJog. I said "No, too short for me" and cockily winked and smiled. He laughed and caught his crew up. I messaged my friend Becci Starr in Newport and was glad to see her and John. They made me tea or was it coffee? and offered to do my washing. I nearly cried at their generosity. I was feeling quite weak and emotional at this point. I realised that I had cycles 65 miles with no food or water. 

After Cardiff I was starting to urinate a lot and when I wasn't urinating I felt like I needed to urinate! I thought I had a kidney infection from dehydration and not drinking enough water. Maybe it was but another theory from my sports therapist is that I had a bladder infection from leaning over my bike so much. I was so painful when see massaged my swollen bladder. It was also later confirmed that I had an umbilical hernia. I probably shouldn't have done this bike ride but hey, it's for a good cause right? I even met someone in Plymouth who was having radiotherapy. She couldn't thank me enough and I felt very touched and determined after that. 

Anyway, off to my cousin Phil's next in Ogmore-by-sea. What a lovely place. More sheep than people and right on the coast. He made me a family sized lasagne which I scoffed down when I wasn't going to the toilet for another wee. I was then travelling into the familiar grounds of Carmarthenshire where I spent a lot of my childhood in the summer holidays. I cycled up the hill to my old nan's house in Pensarn. I managed to find the exact house and all the wonderful memories came flooding back and the next thing you know.. i've burst into tears and i'm crying. My emotions were really pushed on this bike ride. I was constantly tired but had the desire and sometimes that is enough. 

I was glad to get to my Auntie and Uncle's house in Banc-y-felen. I only has one more day to go to get to Laugharne and Dylan's boathouse. Now though, I kind of wanted to make 1000 miles on the trip. I decided to cycle into Pembrokshire and Tenby and then head back to the Boathouse in a loop. This was a hilly day but 60 odd miles felt easy now. Nothing to it and best of all. I could leave my panniers at my Auntie's house! I was free and flying. I got to the boathouse and drank coffee and ate some lunch. I had made it! I couldn't believe it was over. Even worse, I didn't want it to be over but the urinating was getting worse, plus the hernia was worrying me. I had raised over £1000 though and was very happy. My dad drove to Wales and picked me up. Everyone was calling me lazy for not cycling back but I just couldn't face that hill in Sidmouth again! 

It was an incredible journey that took me about 15 days I think. I wrote a journal every night but often fell asleep while writing it. I may write a book one day as there is just too much mention about the experience. Thanks to all who sponsored, supported me and left messages of encouragement. Couldn't have done it without you! 

I did a few parkruns after that but I had only run 5k a week. It was hard to run. My body was trying to recover and my normal 40 miles a week of running was no longer there. 5k's were hard! I did Woodhouse parkrun in Leeds which was a nice course and very friendly people. One of the oldest parkruns too. 

AUGUST

I was still fucked! I did a few parkruns. Southampton, Netley and my 100th parkrun at Eastleigh. It was slow but I was so happy to have reached the milestone. Never thought it would happen and now I have the t-shirt (finally). Below is a photo of Patrick beating me at parkrun after running 3 miles with me. Nice sprint finish Patrick! 

SEPTEMBER

September with something completely different. I was going skateboarding around North Devon. At the time I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. 

Just before my bike ride I had become a qualified skateboard instructor. I met some nice people on that course and Andy Norman was one of them. He lived in Barnstaple and was part of the older generation of skateboarders like myself. 

I booked a hotel in Barnstaple but jumped off the train in Exeter to skate with my friend Simon Gillard first and then it was rest and an early night. 

Andy and I met at the bus station pretty early and caught the bus to Appledore where we would be the others and begin our journey. Parks and Pubs was done twice a year. Once in September and once in April. There was a scheduled route and Andy was our leader. We left the Appledore mini ramp and skated along the coast. We ended up at someone's house for a can of beer at 9.00-9.30? Felt a bit weird drinking beer this early on a skateboard but what the hell. i had signed up for this now. 

Onwards we went into places like Bideford and it's Wetherspoons, We skated Devonshire bowl for a bit but tragedy struck as Steve fell going down a hill and his bone came through his shin, We shut the road off and called an ambulance. I had never seen blood some thick before! We were too scared to take his sock off. We used one of my old t-shirts to wrap around the wound and try and stop the bleeding a bit. We made him as comfortable as we could. The ambulance crew gave him some strong stuff to make him laugh and then they had to pull his sock out from the open fracture. 

Anyways, we soldiered on but it was a really sad thing to happen. My legs were aching a lot now too. It was quite rough along the Tarka trail and I hadn't really bought soft enough wheels. 

By the time we got to Barnstaple we were about 17 miles in and my leg had cramped and really tightened. I was struggled but pushed through the pain. I was starting to feel a bit drunk now too! 

Anyways, we made it all the way to Braunton and finished the day with another beer and a shot for our fallen hero Steve. What an epic adventure and a very long day! I was out injured for a while after that but obviously still managed a few slow parkruns. I should train a bit next time. 

I also took photos at Overton 5 and the New Forest half where my friend Russ was running dressed as a Rhino for the "Save the Rhinos" charity. It was funny to watch him charging past runners and see their faces of disbelief as they were getting beaten. 

OCTOBER

I ran the Solent half. I was aiming for 8 minute miles/1hr 45. I ran it with my mate Paul Carpentar most of the way but he slowed on the last 5k or I sped up. It was also our mate Paddy's first half marathon and he smashed out a 1hr 33 and later admitted that he "Held back"! 

I did a couple of parkruns at Southampton. One of them 20 minutes something and then I got a last minute place for Snowdonia marathon because poor Rachel was injured. So, I did some last minute marathon training with a 17 miler and went off and plodded out a 4hr 30 marathon or just under. Thankfully I had Angela to keep me company as I was already feeling it at 7 miles! She and the others had already ran a really fast marathon the week before too. Sarah W and Mike Bisson still smashed out incredible sub 3.30 times too! 

Beautiful views and a great day overall. Not long after Mikey had finished, we walked back to the car and there was a man running in backwards! What a nutter! Thanks to Sarah Winstone who I stole this photo from ;) Oh yeah and after taking a year out to run the Lorsdhill 10 mile race, I was back in the club again. Thanks for taking me back Lordshill roadrunners.

NOVEMBER

Let's face it, my running wasn't really going well. I had no real goals and was struggling with weight and fitness but who says you still cant enjoy it? Poor Tony Rickman had injured his back and his Gosport number was up for grabs I didn't really want it to be honest but Rob Agar talked me round. Another slow half marathon at Gosport with a time of 1hr 40 but I was glad to to it. I think that is the only time that i've actually enjoyed that race. I pushed hard though but knew I wasn't in the great shape I was in earlier in the year. Still, I had targets for my comeback tour and I was achieving them. Next I would run Hayling 10. A time of 73 minutes. I was aiming for 7.30 pace, so all good there. I was starting to get the racing bug again and nothing could please me more. Also, I enjoyed the days out with the club and the great support. Especially from people like Kev Wilsher, Rob Agar, Ben Tavendale and Emily Smith. Always a pleasure to these people and many others and of course my old captain Jim. 

A big thanks to Brian Davenport who was also a really big support when he was injured and took this the photo below at Hayling 10.

DECEMBER

December was here already and I had been getting great support from everyone including Paul Johnson from Southampton AC who was cheering me on throughout the year at various races. He text me to ask what races I was doing and what he was doing. I totally surprised myself at Victory 5 with a time of 33.05. Not only was this a course PB for me but i was 2 seconds away from an all time PB. Dammit, if only i'd known! I was over the moon and on cloud nine for a while after that. I felt like a proper runner again and I wanted to get fast. Speedwork and hill sessions were to follow. 

I did Poole parkrun for the first time in 20,25 and the next day raced the Christchurch Xmas 10k. It was tough and I think I really paid for that parkrun the day before. Just after two miles the pace was maintained but felt strained. I just snuck under 42 minutes though, so I was very pleased with this. I was running hard again but I still know that 16 stone runners don't get much faster than this. I'll have to lose some weight! 

I then tried for one last sub 20 parkrun jsut before xmas and managed a 20.04. Not quite there but a Season's best for me. Things are definitely heading in the right direction for 2017. 

Thanks for reading. Now to concentrate on 2017 and my goals for that. It's been a wonderful year and typing this is a great to remember it and look back at it all. See you all on the start line..........

The Itchen Navigation

     I decided to walk/run some of the Itchen Navigation. I got a train to Winchester and joined the trail from Winnall nature reserve near the leisure centre and followed the river Itchen towards Southampton. I'm not sure how long the Itchen Navigation is but I have previously gone from the start near Woolston train station to Winchester which is about 15 miles from what I can remember. Most people think the Itchen navigation ends in Winchester but it actually carries on towards Alresford and goes through Itchen Abbas, Tichborne and finish just past Cheriton.

        It was a very warm day and I didn't get to Winchester until about 2pm. I had brought a rucksack with me with some useful things and some very useless things... I had water, some flapjack bars, spare shorts, t-shirt, socks, deodorant and a book. The most useful thing I took was sun tan lotion and a cap to wear. It sure was hot but I knew that a lot of the Itchen was shaded by trees.

        After passing the pub in the photo I continued to follow the river until I saw an Itchen way sign telling me to take a left and then a right and then another left. Sometimes there are Itchen way signs in Green and sometimes it will be little Itchen Navigation plaques that you see. There are also various other routes like the Kingfisher trail and the Valley of fields trail etc..
Soon you are away from the crowds of Winchester but still following the river. You can walk peacefully along with very few people around. I decided I would run for a bit and did so in the heat with the sound of the river flowing while I darted around the dancing butterflies in front of me.

     I wasn't really sure if I was actually going to run or just walk the whole way. My running fitness is in a really bad way. I've been cycling for 18 days and covered over a 1000 miles. "Surely you must be very fit?" people often asked. It was true, I had lost a bit of weight and could cycle up hills effortlessly. Yet, I struggled to run a 5k. Being sat on a bike, I had lost my running fitness in a big way. The summer always makes me want to go running for the whole day but I knew this wasn't going to be possible. So, walking and running was the plan.

         It wasn't long before I took a slight diversion to get the wonderful view that you get from the top of St.Catherine's hill. I came around the back way up and lot of steps and there were scores of painted lady butterflies fluttering around me as I disturbed them from their peace. It sure is a great sight. There were cattle grazing at one end of the field. I stopped running and took a wide berth sticking to the edge of the hill and following it around to the other set of steps on the otherside. I was soon distracted by the sound of a Yellowhammer though. I could hear it's song but couldn't see it. I walked stealthily towards the birdsong and scanned the trees but still couldn't see the Yellowhammer. A few more steps forwards and he flew right in front of me and to another bush further down the hill. It was way to hot to be chasing Yellowhammers around! I was just happy that I got to see him.

     As I walked down the wooden steps, a runner was coming up. What a nutter! We exchanged "Hellos". He was panting hard and sweating profusely but he was still nice enough ti say Hello. I like these people. So often, runners just ignore you and look grumpy. Doesn't take much to acknowledge another human being does it? Even when i'm training hard, i'll at least stick a thumb up or force a smile. Anyways... Down the hill and then I followed a sign to the main road. I got a bit lost somehow and did a loop of the "Valley of fields" trail under Hockley viaduct and ended up by the St.Cross church before being back at the first sign I saw previously. That's the problem with the running.. You don't want to stop, so you second guess the route and often go the wrong way. It had been at least a year since I did this route but i've always done it starting at the Southampton end. It was a nice route though and I got to see a Kestrel showing off his flying skills and a Green veined white butterfly.

     I crossed the main road and went under a bridge, back on the main road and then off into woodland where I now decided to take my t-shirt off as there were hardly any people now and I wanted to get a bit of a tan. There was a nice breeze when I ran topless though and it was nice to feel the wind against my perspiring skin. It was quite narrow in places and at times the stinging nettles were unavoidable. Sometimes I would use it as an excuse to walk more and other times I ran skipping through them as if I was Indiana Dean Jones. Every now and then I would stop and wait for a dog walker to pass where the narrow paths would allow.

      I got to Shawford, I knew this as the track opened out and then I came to a road and then was the familiar sight of the railway bridge and a pub. It felt like I had been on the trail for quite a few miles already and I was only in Shawford!
Not long after this it got a bit surreal. It had been so quiet on the trail and then I kind of hit this teenage beach party, without the beach obviously! There were about 50 people in one little area. Some swimming or jumping in the river. Some just sunbathing. The majority were kids around 16 I reckon. They were all pretty friendly though and some said sorry as I tried to run through at a leisurely pace.

      Not long after this, I spot two cyclists coming the other way. I think this a bit odd as a lot of the trail doesn't seem very cycle friendly to me. They wait for me to pass as it's narrow and then it turns out that I know one of the cyclists. Sarah from my old running club. We stopped for a bit of a chat and exchanged our journey experiences. I tell her about the kid's party thing and she says the same thing is happening further down the river. We then fantasise about our final destinations.. the pub!
I wish her and her friend Alex a good day and head on my way. Straight away there is a big puddle and I try to tip toe around it but its impossible. I then come to my senses. "What are you doing?" I just run through the middle of it and welcome the cooling sensation that it gives my feet. Soon after I am running effortlessly and diligently skipping around trees roots and ducking under the low branches. I actually felt like a nimble runner for that little stretch.

      The part of Bishopstoke is very scenic. Okay, you're still just running/walking along the river Itchen but there are some lovely houses that back onto it. I bet those houses cost some money. My thoughts then wonder onto winning the lottery before I snap out of it and get running again. I see a chick. Maybe a blackbird, I always struggle with juveniles. Anyway, he must have fallen from tree as I can hear the mother's distressful call. What do I do? It looks like it's ready to fly soon-ish, so it isn't like a proper chick. I just wanted to get it off the path as I thought it'd be in danger of being killed in one way of another. I try to whistle to the mother to attract her attention. Sounds so stupid I know! Anyway, I don't want to pick the chcik up as the mum wouldn't like that and would probably abandon the chick. I get close enough to the chick to scare it off the gravel path and onto the woodland but then I pause as it's quite close to the river. Luckily it didn't go any further. What do I do? I try to attract the mother again but walking on and feeling completely useless.

     There are now more people along this stretch. Fisherman, dog walkers and families. I chat to a few people or exchange some friendly words. "A bit hot for running isn't it?" One man enquires. "I stop as his dog jumps on me and reply "Lots of shade on this trail, so it isn't too bad". I later meet another dog walker and she says a similar thing and adds that I may be better off running in the river. I must admit, I was tempted to get into too! I bump into another runner who has two dogs with him. Like I did with Sarah earlier, we exchange our knowledge of the route and the directions in which we came. He tells me about the kids party coming up and says that they pretty harmless though. Which is a relief. The kids had broken up for the summer holidays and were making the most of it already. I wish him a great adventure and run on in the shade of the woodland.

             Not far up I come to that crazy party that my friend Sarah and the other running dude was talking about. There were even more children here. This time there were sausages cooking on barbeques, Music playing from stereos and lots of sunbathing teenagers. Lots were quite friendly and said hello as I ran through. There were many groups of kids all the way along the Itchen Navigation for the next half a mile or so. It was very busy again until I got to Allbrook, cross the main road and then lots of stinging nettles. I had recently read something useful about them too, You are going to get stung and it will itch for about 30 seconds but if you scratch that itch/pain, what you are actually doing is spreading the nettle's poison. The best thing to do is just leave it until the poison wears off. It may cause discomfort for 30 seconds but then no more pain unless you touch it!


 

 I

   I must admit that the nicest part of the Itchen Navigation I did that day was from Shawford to Fairoak. After that it can be quite hard going. It's overgrown in a lot of places and the paths are uneven and can be narrow or on a slope. I am getting very tired now too and am walking a lot more as my legs are really starting to ache. Maybe i'll just get the train from Eastleigh I tell myself. There are not really many landmarks on this part of the Itchen way but I know where I am because there are swarms of flies everywhere. Ah yes, I remember this bit. And then, the smell... It's the sewage works! I keep my head down and hold my nose as I weave through the overgrown woods.

           I hoping to get to Bitterne quite soon as I am almost out of water. I ration it accordingly as there are no tesco expresses or Costa's build yet. I then get to the Itchen valley Nature reserve. You don't run on it but you run next to it. I hear flapping from a tree and when I investigate it turns out to be a green woodpecker in flight. I can also hear the wheezing sound of a greenfinch. In fact, I have been hearing Greenfinches all day but hardly see them. Their wheeze always sounds quite angry, like they are upset about something. I still, love the call though.
Further up, I see a dog but no owner. I'm in the shade though and have my sunglasses on. Looks like a Corgi maybe? Where is the owner though. It just stands there as I walk nearer. Still no onwer. I take off my sunglasses and then realise that it's actually a fox cub. I stop walking and let him make his decision to run off into the hedge. Such a cutie!

      A bit later on I can hear the motorway. The woodland is too dense to see it though. I now know that i'm not too far away from Riverside park in Bitterne and all i'm thinking about is that Ice cream van that's usually in the car park. My legs are aching so much now so I decided my running for the day is done. I cross a road and then i'm familiar with my surroundings. Riverside park. People walk past me eating ice creams, some people are sat on benches drinking beer and others taking photos of the swans. This really stoned kid asked me if I have a lighter and I tell him that some other guy up the river was smoking. He just mumbles that it's too far to walk and I just laugh.
To my surprise there is no-one at the ice cream van. I had a flapjack earlier but I still don't feel hungry, so I just have a bottle of water and a can of diet coke for the walk into Portswood and town where I change my clothes and drink cold cider in the fading sun. What a wonderful day.

Plymouth half marathon

         I had been wanting to do the Plymouth half marathon for a couple of years now but somehow seem to miss it. I always found out about it when it was too late but last year I got in there early and booked it up. I've always loved Plymouth and spent quite a bit of time there skateboarding with friends over the years. I would set this half marathon as my one to race for the year. I was long overdue a half marathon PB which currently stood at 1 hour 29 mins and 26 secs.
   Sadly, I was nowhere near racing weight or fit enough. I told myself I would still race hard though and try and run 7's. 7 minute miles for 13.1 miles would roughly get me a time of 1 hour and 32 minutes.

     Leading up to the race, other runners started to ask me questions about the race. "Is it flat/hilly?". "Where did it start/finish?". "Was it a fast course?". I knew nothing about the course apart from that it started from the Hoe.
I found a course map and studied the course. I had done quite a bit of the route when I got lost trying to find Plym Valley parkrun. The course would start at the Hoe and head towards the Barbican along the sea front and then I was a bit confused as the Barbican was all cobbles. Surely we weren't running on cobblestone? I had trouble walking on them when I was hungover!
The course continued past the beloved Gin distillery and then right towards a bridge and then a nice climb up Billacombe and then a right into the top of Saltram. A beautiful area owned by the National Trust.
You were then heading back right? Well, you had to run up and down this A road. An out and back section of closed road with cones and tape either side. That was mile 10, It was a long way out and it was kind of depressing knowing that you had to run back again, but at least you wouldn't have the headwind on the way back. I was really struggling here. Anyways, i'm jumping all over the place...

    The day before the race, I got on the train after Fareham parkrun and stayed at my mate Nick's on the Barbican. We went on a 5 hour drinking session where I was a very good boy and drank diet cokes until I could take no more and gave in to a full fat coke. It was this girl's 29th birthday who worked for the BBC. She was a very nice lady and I chatted to lots of others with people asking me about the race and word soon spreads around. "This guy is running the marathon tomorrow!". In the end, I gave up explaining that it was merely a half marathon..lol. I also made a new lady friend who liked to blow cigarette smoke in my face, hug me and tell me how much she loved athletes. It was funny.
A battered sausage and chips later, we were back at Nick and Hannah's place. I went to bed and only had a 5 minute walk to the start the next day.
I had a banana for breakfast and that was it. On the way there, I caught this woman taking selfies. We walked together and chatted. Her name was Lisa, it was only her 2nd half marathon. Her first being in Stafford with a time of 1.45. She was originally from Plymouth. We took photos for each other (See above photo). She said she would try and catch me up during the race even though I told her I was going for 1.32. She was quite competitive but very nice all the same. I found the baggage tent and then queued for the portaloos. This was a big event, so the queues were big. Would I make the start in time? Did I really need the toilet or was it just pre-race nerves?

     
       I got to the start with 5 minutes to spare but the 1.30-1.45 area was rammed. I could not even get into the starting area. I had to wait in a gap by the barriers and wait for the crowd to filter through. Even then, some of the 1.45+ runners were passing me. Did they not think to let us in? Obviously not! Anyways, I crossed the chip map and it was still busy. It was downhill too. I tried to weave the best I could but before I knew it, the course was climbing again towards the Barbican. Oh look, cobbles to run on. It actually wasn't bad and they didn't last for long. People lined the streets shouting words of encouragement. The support here was fantastic. We were close to my mate Nick's. I wonder if he bothered to get up on his hangover this morning. And then, I saw him. I was already sweating a lot by then. I thought it would be funny to wipe as much sweat from my forehead into the palm of my hand and try and "High 5" him as I passed. I was to be disappointed as he stood there taking photos of me and grinning instead. That made me laugh for a few miles. Until we hit this really big hill in fact! My pace was off by now and I wasn't feeling comfortable or fast at all. I carried on battling away though. This hill really did climb a lot! But then, soon after I looked at my watch and I was running a sub 6 pace downhill towards Saltram. We entered Saltram from the top too which meant there was more downhill. I was really liking this bit. The marshals were great too.

        And then it got really hard. An out and back A road at mile 10. It lasted a long time but I got talking to someone on the way back when I could hear again as there was now no headwind. That really helped put my mind in a more positive place. I was just pushing on now and wanted to get to the finish. This was hard and I was suffering. My 1 hour 32 nowhere near possible. It didn't matter though, all that mattered to me is that I was trying and racing hard (Despite the mini conversation).
  It was pretty warm too, so I would be pouring water over my head at the aid stations. Back onto the Barbican and then support was electric. There was also a band playing that I forgot to mention earlier. I clapped them as I ran past. And next... A 1K climb to the finish line!!! Are you kidding me..lol. The crowd were amazing though and very encouraging as I dug deep into my soul to get up that hill.

       I crossed the line in 1 hour 35 and something. I was 3 minutes off my desired time but it was a great test for me as I hadn't run a half marathon for nearly 2 years. I really didn't know how fit or unfit I was when I approached that start line. I cheered others in and I looked out for Lisa, hoping see was going to beat her 1.45 on a tough course. I didn't see her but I did manage to see my friend Liz who runs for Tavistock but by the time I got back to the finish line, I couldn't find her in the swarms of runners and supporters. It was a great race though and I was smiling all the way to the pub with my medal. A nice goody bag too. I think I would do this one again and try to smash my current time here on a challenging course. A wonderful weekend all round.

Wimborne 20

      After enjoying the Wimborne 10 so much in November, it would be silly not to enter the Wimborne 20 in 2016. Great Spring marathon training and at a bargain of £13! Yes, 20 miles for £13.
Anyways, I entered and sorted out a lift with Rob Benham who had also entered. When he picked me up on the day there were sheets of ice outside on the car park floor. It was bloody freezing!
   
   Rob drove us there and we chatted all the way and occasionally got lost through lapse of concentration. We had plenty of time though and the place was easily found. We already had our race numbers in the post so we just sat in the car to keep warm until nearer the race start time. The start was delayed due to queues for the toilets. I was relieved in both senses of the word as I was in one of these queues. I wasn't feeling great to be honest. The previous couple of days I had been going to the toilet a lot and getting dizzy spells. Food poisoning or a stomach bug perhaps. Either way I felt uneasy about racing. I managed to stuff some toilet paper in with my Minion's Haribo on my waist belt.

      More importantly, what sort of pace would I run today. I haven't really trained to race a 20 miler. I was thinking 8 minute miles or trying to run sub 8's all the way around. Was I fit enough or would I blow up and have to run 9 minute miles after the first 10 miles? It was too hard to say.
Anyways, we were off. We ran round a little school field and then we were out onto the country lanes. The weather was perfect now and not too cold. It wasn't long into the race that I realised that you couldn't really average the time of each mile because of the undulations. I thought there was just one hill. That's what it looked like on the profile picture to me.
By the way, this is a course made up of 3 loops. So you kind of ran 3 loops of 6.5 miles with a bit extra at the start and finish.

    Bloody hell this was pretty hilly. I was running sub 8's though, so all was good. My breathing was a bit heavy so I tried to relax a bit more and settle into a rhythm. I was just trying to get to the first 5 miles and then the first loop or 10k. I worked out that I roughly needed to run 3 x 50 minute 10k's. Not sure if that sounds good or not..lol. The marshals on this race were the best! They were all smiling and genuinely shouting words of encouragement and comments of humour. They were incredible and it really made the race very special. I would see all these people 3 times at least :)

      So this first loop finally came around which seemed like forever and then I was happy to recognise where I was again. That first loop had at least 3 pretty big hill climbs. One of them seemed to go on for ages twisting around a corner to the peak and then you got a nice fast downhill. Thank god for the guy standing over the cattle grid. Every loop he directed me to the side of the road as I kept on forgetting it was even there. I thanked everyone I could and even joked with one marshal that I was sad to be on my last loop. This comment came back and shot me in the ass a few miles later as I was suffering after mile 16. Anyways, i'm jumping all over the place with these race details.

    Another great thing about this race is that there were out and back sections too, so that meant that you got to pass other runners and smile, wave, thumbs up or whatever. I managed to high 5 Rob as he flew by on the last lap. He must have been at least 2 miles ahead of me. He was in good form and would be great for VLM. I was doing okay but cursed myself a bit when I ran a mile in 8.15. My first mile over 8 minutes. It was getting tougher from mile 11 but I still had the belief in me. I wasn't tired yet but I was slowing a little.

        I was nearing the end of my second loop in the picture above. There was lots of support here and I managed to get a high 5 from White star running Director Andy Palmer. Was great to see and chat to a familiar face. I had decided against energy gels and thought i'd just try the Minion's Haribo I bought from my local shop for 50p. I had one near the end of my first loop and then I was umming and arring when to have another. I told myself to live a little and had a second Haribo at mile 10 and then a third one at mile 14. The plan was not to eat them when running uphill as past experience tells me that it's much harder to chew and breathe when you are on a hill! Anyways, I had a total of 4 Haribo and 2 jelly babies from a young marshal at a water station. There were plenty of water stations too. Did I mention that this race was only £13! Crazy value for money.

    When the lady marshal shouted and smiled "Only one parkrun to go". I smiled back but knew I was in a world of pain and it was time to dig deep. Just then, this young dude called Dave rocks up. He spoke a lot and when we ran uphill he was still chatting while I concentrated on my breathing. I was struggling to run the sub 8's now but pushed on with determination. In about one mile I got to know Dave. He had only started running at Xmas. He was doing the London marathon. This was his first 20 mile race. He beat me by 44 seconds and he runs for Lychett Manor Striders. He was a lovely guy though and his enthusiasm reminded me of when I started running. I gave him lots of marathon advice though and he was very grateful for it. I don't think he needed it to be honest. It was great to chat to someone near the end when I was struggling so much. He sure kept me going until the end. I was glad of his company and I was happy to let him keep talking but on the last mile I told him to push on. I knew we were both going to achieve our sub 2 hour 40 target so I was really pleased.

      I could see the signs... 400 metres to go... 200 metres to go... Then this spectator says "Right, go for it, may as well sprint this last bit". I just laughed and turned my head back and said "I thought I was sprinting!" I could see the finish clock and the other finishers. Dave had already finished and there was no-one behind me for 30 seconds. I crossed the line in 66th place in a time of 2 hrs 37 mins and 00 secs. I had a wonderful time! And then it was time to collect my race t-shirt. I had put down for an "XL T-shirt". "I'm sorry, we don't do XL t-shirts". That made me a bit angry. Anways, I am wearing it in the pic above and breathing in. I know it'll shrink a bit after one wash and i'll be using it as a rag to clean by bike but apart from that it was a brilliant race and very well organised with the friendliest marshals of any race I have ever done. I would happily do this race again. Rob finished in 38th place with a time of 2 hrs 21 mins and some secs. Beating me by over 15 minutes. It's not a race Rob..lol. Rob also said that he felt the loops quite mentally challenging. I was fine though as I did a 12 hour race last summer with 5 mile loops and ran 11 loops and i'd probably do that again too ;)

The Bodmin Half Marathon 2016

      So, I had always wanted to do the Bodmin half marathon. I would love to do all the Cornish races. I love the races and I love the people. So friendly and welcoming. So far I had done The Stormforce 10, Indian Queens half and the Cubert 5. These races were all amazing. When the locals tell you the course is pretty flat, it usually means it's bloody hilly! Anyway, I had talked Di, Mike and Larry into this race. I knew nothing about it but later the course and it's wonderful elevation emerged online. It was a new course this year due to property issues. The course starts at Bodmin college and heads through the National Trust's Lanhydrock.

   I am currently training for the Plymouth half marathon and I thought this would be a nice warm up race. This would have been the furthest I had run this year. The previous week I had run 9 miles to Netley parkrun in the wind and rain and did the parkrun totalling 12.1 miles. I was expecting a lot of mud, rain, wind and off road. Boy, was I wrong!

   We did Exeter parkrun the day before which was a nice course but challenging when it went through the woods and around a field and on the way back we had the wind against us. I struggled due to a hangover but loved it and the support was fab. You have to take your finish tokens into this climbing place. Take your shoes off at the door, walk up a couple of flights of stairs and queue to get into this room where people were sat at a desk ready to scan your barcodes. A bit of a weird one, but adds to the uniqueness of parkrun.

    

 

 

 

Anyway. We got to Bodmin college and collected our numbers and bright Orange t-shirts. Di and myself did a brief warm up in some cold drizzle. The race started just after 10. They did say that things are a bit more relaxed in Cornwall and that the races rarely start on time ;) Me and Mikey started quite far back with Di just up ahead and Larry at the front of course. I wasn't race fit and I thought I wasn't going to race either. Just plod around and get the miles in and enjoy the route. It was a congested start and no chip time. So I was surprised to run a sub 8 on the first mile. There was an uphill climb straight away and then a springy bridge but not long after there was a massive downhill where I passed Di. I hadn't run down a massive hill like this for a while and I pretty much ran flat out..lol. I then thought that i'd better slow down or else I wouldn't even make it halfway.

 

   I remember the race director telling us that there was a 5 minute delay for the people running with dogs. Well, only 5K in and I was being passed by the first runner with his dog. I thought I was running pretty well though but it was bloody hot. The sun was coming out and I had a long sleeve t-shirt under my short sleeve t-shirt. I wanted to take it off but couldn't be bothered to do it.

We ran through the grounds of Lanhydrock and the support was great. Plenty of water stations too. We got to a climb and then I noticed a man taking his base later off. I decided to join him and do the same while we chatted about how warm it was. Bloody runners, always complaining about something! I carried the t-shirt and used it as a towel to dry my face and head. This was a big climb and we had to do this loop twice! I knew this because of the mile markers.

 

 

    The second dog now passes me. Although, I didn't know it was a dog. I thought it was an old man panting heavily behind me, not realising the man and his dog wanted to pass. I said sorry and moved over. There was a really nice part that was flat and you ran next to a river in the woods. You then crossed a road and then the biggest climb came. I walked up this because it was too muddy for my road shoes. I was actually holding onto tree branches to keep my grip as I pulled myself up the hill. All this had to be done again too! How cruel. When we ran back into Lanhydrock I decided to dump my long sleeve t-shirt in the bin at the water station. I may have had to run 42 miles to get that t-shirt but I didn't like it anyway, plus I had plenty more running T's.

 

     After 6.5 miles I felt like I was ready to quit. I was really struggling. My legs were aching so much and I felt tired. I knew I was unfit but this was ridiculous. I pushed the negativity to one side and kept on pushing thinking that Di was going to catch me up soon. That was all the motivation I needed ;) Then another dog passed me, cocked his leg against a tree, did a wee and ran off before I even got near him again. I had to laugh and see the funny side. I got speaking to a few people.

The thing with these hilly races is that runners have different techniques. I am a fast downhiller and crap uphill. Some runners run the whole thing but at a slower pace. So there were runners that I kept on passing downhill and then they would pass me when I was walking uphill. I even got to chat to a few of them at the end to.

 

 

 

     We came onto the second loop and I said to Super girl and Spiderman that I didn't like the fact that we knew what was to come. Super girl said "Well, I think, Better the devil you know". I told her that I liked her view much better than mine as it was a lot more positive. We got talking to them at the end of the race and it turns out that they're from Shirley Avenue in Southampton! Small world huh? Anyway, I had a game plan for this loop. I would run like hell on the downhill before the horrific climb with the tree grabbing. I actually ran a mile in 6 mins 24 secs. but the climb just after was my slowest mile in 11 mins 34 secs. That was the last biggish hill done. I almost forgot! After your first loop they hand you a magnetic wristband to wear so they know to redirect you towards the finish next time around. Back through Lanhydrock and towards the college with some nice downhill.

 

 

 

 

This was a great race. I loved it. Great support and plenty of water stations and friendly faces. A lot of people said they wouldn't do it again as it was so tough. I felt like I put my body through a lot and I raced much harder than I thought I would.. It was my first race of 2016 and I was on a runner's high for days after this race. Although blasting down those hills meant I had painful quads when it came to sitting on the toilet or walking downstairs. Like I said, not quite race fit yet ;)

 

    I managed to pour some water over Larry's head while he was getting a massage and the massage lady told me off but it was worth it. Larry had done an amazing 1 hour 38 mins. You know it's a tough course when the winning time is 1 hour and 21 mins! Di and Mike were 5 mins behind me with Mikey narrowly beating his wife (but not like James Brown did). We had a lovely pasty before hitting Jamaica Inn for beer! A great day was had :D