Best run for ages...

This morning was great! I went for a run but rather than slave to the mileage i just did a run i wanted to. I knew how far it was more or less but i wasn't concerned about distance, speed etc.

7:30 this morning, it was still dark and there was frost. Not as heavy as recently but the cars looked like they would shatter if touched. Then there was the wind. I set off down the road taking it easy as the pavements were white with frost. Frosty but not too slippery.

The plan was to do scary hill - this name has been coined by members of the Shurdington Tri Club who having cycled down termed it so scary as to be deserved of the name. In reality it is a 3km uphill at 16% - not sure if that is average or just the peak but either way it's steep and tough for these parts!

The weather to the top was ok - just cold but not too wet, not too windy, cold - sure. At the top it was like being in another country. Birdlip was cloaked in snow and low cloud. It was more like a scene from Narnia than Gloucestershire!

At the top I made my way back towards Cheltenham. Running on freshly frozen snow crunching underfoot was just the best! Small strides and slow pace were required to prevent a wipeout that would not be seen but would nonetheless be embarassing! Through the snow and to the tope of Leckhampton Hill. The plan was to run straighti down the hill but half way down i took a detour across the fields. Half way down there was a mound with a pile of cube rocks in memory of a horse (i need to complete my research here as cannot remember the name and never took a picture) I continued through the fields, dropped onto Leckhampton Lan and then it was a familiar route home.



The distance was just over the 10miles and the pace so slow it's not worth reporting! Mayhill Training at the best!

It was great to run without a care and be free of times, distances and schedules. There was still magic in my shoes just a different kind today!!

Races...

So having made the decision, last night, not to go ahead with the Thames Trot I have reinvigorated my training and mojo by entering the Gloucester Marathon that takes place on January 24th and the Mayhill Massacre that takes place on February 7th.

I took delivery of my first issue of Adventure Magazine today that has an article on ultra running and about being prepared. Having read this i am comfortable with the decision - there is no point in rushing to do the first one. I hope that by doing the Gloucester Marathon i will then be able to continue with the training to build to an ultra later in the year. That will enable me to build my mileage steadily over the coming months and in improved climate conditions. The training completed to date gives me a great base to push from.

The last marathon i did, was also my first, was back in 1998. It was the Flora London Marathon in April 1998. I completed it in around 4hrs 20minutes. I am excited to see what I can do now being much fitter, better prepared and much lighter than i was 11 years ago!

So what was a slightly depressing decision yesterday feels like the right one today. I can taper to the marathon in 4 weeks and then push on.

I will do an ultra just later in the year...

Plan B...

I made a decision today not to go ahead with the Thames Trot in February but instead to replan my year. I made the decision as it is Thursday and i ran 5miles. My first run of this week and in a week i should have run 58miles...it just isn't going to happen. Next week is another bumper week and coincides with Christmas. I will in short be down too many miles to do it justice and my confidence is not there. There's an element of fear involved too but being undercooked for something like this is just not an option.

Plan B includes the Gloucester Marathon in January and then, hopefully the Mayhill Massacre in February. I will then look to do the Boddington 50km and then the Draycote 35miler. If they go well and my training maintains over the coming months i will then look for a 50miler for September time. There's a suprising number of races out there: http://www.ultramarathonrunning.com/races/uk.html.

Making this decision is not an easy one but i think it's the right one for now....with all these events there's time to change back as entry does not fill and if i suddently find a lot of time and get some good mileage down then it's back on.....just right now this is the right decision.

Contiunuing with the running mileage over the next couple of months will give me an excellent base that i can then build on for the endurance events.

i'm definately a runner and will do one of these 50milers just think that February suddenly seems very close....