Brighton Half

Early start and still half asleep when I stumbled across the road to Brendan's house who was waiting with nephew Sean (a pro tennis player who retired last year aged 26). We then walked down Wickham Way to meet our lift Tim and his son Matt (very good rugby player and mates with Elliot Daly who made his debut for England yesterday against Ireland). Daly's first coach was actually Tim at the Beckenham club where Jack and Lucas played a bit last year. It got me thinking that I must try and get them involved again. Jack played for both league and union Manly clubs in Aus and was half decent. He will start playing again in September when he starts secondary school at Langley.

Journey down was enjoyable as Sean modestly told his stories about the Murray brothers (Jamie sponsored him £100 for today's race) and how Jeremy Bates is helping him get his Winbledon membership. There are only about 400 spots and most are ex singles winners and you need endorsement by 4 members to get in.  Sean was there playing on Tuesday and retold how the members book can be seen by all and includes the likes of Aggasi, Graf, Becker along with email and telephone numbers. Once you get the membership you can play there all year round.

Anyway back to the running. The race was extremely well organised and felt the best I have done in a long while. No knee or ankle pain and my hammy felt also fine. My stomach issues had resided so basically no excuses. At the off I settled with a group of 20 or so as we hit 3.40s whilst the course goes inland and then back to the seafront before heading east up a steady incline over the cliff front. The wind was a westerly and so it made for heavy going between 4 and 8ks. The field was deep but my rotten luck I head back down towards Brighton Pier with literally no one around me. I had let the previous group go with not having the confidence to cling on with no racing in the legs over the past year. I rolled back to Brighton just trying to keep the km average low but it kept ticking up from 3.46 to 3.48. Large crowds greeted us as we ran past the finish and then followed the coastal road east for the final loop.

At this point I managed to drag back one of the guys who had been spat out the back and shared pacing but I swear the wind had changed direction as was seemingly back in my bloody face again. We then turned (off the road and down onto the promenade) with a painful 5k to go and the Pier in full view in the distance. These 5ks seemed to go on for an eternity and was mentally choking as we ran back. Running in my Sydney Striders shirt I got a lot of 'common Sydney' yells which definitely helped but in truth my legs were toast at that point. With the finishing line in sight I pulled the final k back to 3.40 and finished in 80.35 (3.50 average).

https://www.strava.com/activities/504222741/overview

On reflection very happy as had me down before the race as a 82 min. Slowly the fitness is coming back and this time last year I ran 86 minutes for the Hastings half albeit on a slightly tougher course but this one was also pretty hilly and with wind swirling. I need to shave off another 3 minutes then I will have the confidence to take on London properly.

I then met Sean back at the tent who ran 1.28 with not having done hardly any training post retiring last year followed by Brendan who was also happy with his run. A quick change and then met J and the boys (ex Jack who was playing footie) and went for a nice lunch with Geoff (bro in law) and Michelle in the Brighton Lanes.

Train home to East Croydon and home in time to watch the cup final.

Testing the legs

Managed a 9k stroll in the late afternoon in 4.28s around my home circuit. Felt pretty good and bouncy today. Let's see how tomorrow will go. Will be an early start with Brendan picking me up at silly o'clock.

Then it was a case of feet up watching England beat Ireland at Twickers followed by yet another Prem defeat at West Brom.

Why I love Klopp:

Lukie earlier in the week at school drop:

Friday amble

30 minutes on the treadmill was all I could muster and all I wanted too. Managed 1k at 3.45 to see how the legs felt.

Not much to report other than a stunning winters day in London Town.

Lowlight of the day: stomach stress issues which have bothered me for most of the week.

Highlight: falling to sleep with Ryder who needed comforting with heavy cold.

Pic below outside my office on Fleet Street with my favourite building in the world St. Pauls in the background.

WW1

Good day today with hitting all the things I needed to.
1. Took 'lucky Lukie' to school
2. Good day in the office
3. Happy team
4. Managed a 40 min run
5. Read to Ryder
6. Hung with # 1 client J

Not often I get my balance across the board. Feels good.

Other matters:
- Currently watching 'Our World War 1'. The BBC has a three part series and is nothing short of incredible. I have a thing for the 1st world war. I cannot recommend the series enough. 1 million Brits lost their lives which they started on horses and finished in tanks.

- I have taken a giant leap of faith and gotten myself an iPhone after 2 years with Samsung. Really annoying that there is no Google blogger app. Also super annoying that I have to wait 24hrs before photos show under the blogger attachment option. It's like it does not upload real time.

- A slightly bigger investment......we settled on the house. Feels weird that it's ours.

Off again

Hammy still tight and so took day off again. Worked well as had no time with all day strategy session.  In the prior 17 days have clocked up 250ks which for me is a lot so not too bothered to take 2 straight off in a row.

Bruised and battered

Took the day off from running as planned which coincided with busy work day. The hammy is definitely sensitive so visited my Chinese dr who gave me some much needed acupuncture. Barely speaks English but he is a legend.

Much more importantly, I am still coming back down to earth from yesterday's footie score with us hammering the Premier league favourites Spurs away. What a game and over the moon that my man Bolasie is back with a bang. Have never known a team to be so dependent on one player.

A rediculously good day then turned even better when we saw that we drew Reading away (the only surviving championship club) and therefore avoided Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton and West Ham. This basically means we are now one game away from Wembley!

Messi's 36k Biggin hill loop (111ks for week)

Both of us very tired this morning then at the hill my hammy started playing up. 

A tough one today but another 36k+ run banked in 4.25s. Last week we managed in 4.18s but today was windy and wet so I reckon about par.

Here is the loop: https://www.strava.com/activities/498550450

The hammy (always the right side) needs some recouperation and and will take off tomorrow with one eye on the Brighton Half next weekend.  I will only know on what trajectory I am on until this time next week.

I am battered but did manage a short bike ride with Ryder Roo at lunch (our first together with me riding too).  We named him Ryder partly because I love bike riding - his middle name is Nelson (after Mandela) as was born on day he was released.

On the boys' footie front Jack won 3-1 whilst scoring and Lukie had an away day defeat (not a happy chappie) whilst Tommy spent the day with Omi (my ma) up town.

Ryder:

Confidence denter

The day could not have started any worse. Work dramas meant that I was summoned to a 9 am call so had to ditch my Park Run. Super annoyed as had planned to meet Messi for a double 5k tempo. I knew if I skipped I'd be feeling guilty all day and so took it on the chin. Ended up getting out at gone 10 and with barely any warm up set off.  Never felt good and just took it on the chin again. 1st 5k rep was 3.46s and then the next in 3.56s. Absolutely useless but may be just tired.

Tomorrow out with Messi and may be Daniel S for a longish 30.

Dazzler Draxler

Some work and a small 10k jog in 4.20s at lunch.

It's going to be a big running weekend. Doing the double Park Run in the morning with R and then long Sunday AM.

Watched Julien Draxler play for Wolfsburg (mum's home town) in the Champs league and his 2 goals were sublime. He could be very good this lad but has been beset with injuries. He is another from the Schalke Youth academy and best in class.

Cordell Williams

Did a quick session at work: 2k WU + 2k @3.29 + 500m jog + 2k 3.29 + 500m jog + 2k 3.32 + 1k WD. About 10ks.

Met MKM @ the Oxo in the evening. Another one who has been by my side my entire life, well since the age of 11. We were in the same secondary class. It was a mix of Forest Hill and Peckham boys who got on famously. All of us from varied socio economic backgrounds in the way only South East London can throw up.

MKM and I were best friends with one Cordell Williams who we all looked up to. Bright, quick, funny and basically good at absolutely everything he did. He like MKM was from the depths of Peckham but we were all very close. It's with regret that I write that we lost him to suicide at at the tender age of 18. I will never forget it or more importantly him and what I learned from him. The guy was an inspiration. Am still in awe of him to this day. London is tough and back then in South East London you needed to be bullet proof.

I have a fond memory of Cordell's mum reading our Jack (#2 at the time) a story at MKM's wedding day many years post her loss - I have a photo of it somewhere.  She has this amazing ability to smile and with it let you know that it all is ok. Very few people have that same ability.  She always looked out for me as did Cordell. Another fond memory is witnessing Cordell skate down London's steepest hill (Canonby Road) standing up!. No one had ever attempted before. That was Cordell, always the trail blazer.

He loved the fact that I was into my sports and every Monday it would be like so Sam how did you go? He wanted to know every single detail. I was fortunate that I had parents who drove me all around the place and could afford the time and effort. His situation was very different and could tell he wanted the same. He never begrudged me though.

I dislike London in many ways but it's through experiences with the Cordell Williams' of this world which hold you in good stead and keep you grounded. I learnt a lot from him and will think of him in that final 5k on 24 April.

Session at 95%

Had a window at 130 and headed to gym feeling nervous about the calf and hungry at the same time. It did not bode well.

So post the usual mind negotiations I settled on 40 minutes at 4.17s but still feeling guilty as today is supposed to be the longer midweek run (usually the run home). It is f*ING freezing at the moment and the weather forecast was wet so knew that wasn't going to happen.

At 30 minutes (7ks) I was getting bored so ramped up to 3.40s and said just hold this for 30 minutes which I ended up doing. The thinking that it would make up for yesterday's failed tempo and add a few more ks to get me closer to the 17k run home.  The usual tempo wobbly sections ensued: 10mins in (mental), 25 mins in (breathing - the horrible 6k marker in a 10k).

Ended up being almost exactly 15k in 60 minutes, with the 30 tempo yielding 8k.

I was drenched at the end - about the only thing of note when running on a treadmill (not exactly back home on Manly beach).

And the good news is that the calf feels ok! but must get some acupuncture in the next few days.

The bad news is that I will be in the office tomorrow......

Session at 75%

Made time to hit gym but was feeling groggy. The last few days finally catching up with me.

Reading the overnight Strava updates from Australia gave me the idea to basically steal their popular Tuesday session which was 20 min fartlek (2 mins on at 3.31s plus 1 min off at 4.00s) followed by 3k of flow at 4.00s followed by a 20 min tempo.

During the tempo my right calf was feeling tight and so pulled the 3.32s back almost immediately to 3.40s and then cut short by 4 minutes to play it safe. I then jogged 3 ks at 4.30s to get me to circa 16ks at just over 4s in an hour and change.

Tired today and worried about the right calf. Lots of stretching needed with the right hammy also a little tight.

It would not be normal if I did not have something to worry about! And besides I could then not call myself a runner, albeit an average one.

A little grizzly at work today too. One that I just need to put behind me and go again tomorrow. General grizzlyness stemming from not winning my race to get stuff done ahead of tomorrow night. 

* Joel Matip signed for Liverpool today from Schalke. Yet another from the Schalke Youth Academy and saw him around whilst there in October last year. It is no surprise to me that they produce so many good players with the facilities they have. Have seen quite a few of the London Premier League and Championship set ups and they are light years away from Schalke. Even Arsenal are a million years behind. I seriously don't get it.

Half term lego heaven

Trying hard to finalise presentations this week with the hope of taking Thursday and Friday off to spend with J and the boys. That's my mission for the week.

On the running front managed 10k at circa 4.20s on the treadmill. Fatigued from last week's efforts but under control.

Ryder had his party today and here is the proof:

Sunday long with Messi (115 ks for week)

Met Roger (aka Messi) early doors as we set off down through Norman Park past Bromley Common towards Farnborough. I was feeling sick in the stomach as had eaten too much and not helped by downing a large coffee and a litre of carbo drink. It took 7ks for it to settle down.

 

We then looped down the quaint Farnborough high street and further down Sevenoaks Road before doing a right turn at Pratts Bottom up Rushmere Hill (check out the map if you dont believe me) and it ain't half a hill. 

 

Am guessing at that stage we were around the 20k marker and as the Strava graph shows we had climbed the best part of 300 vertical meters by that stage.The countryside and pretty lanes around here are stunning but the hills are brutal.  This run totalled 343 vertical metres which is some way off the near 500ms on my similar Hilly Long route.

 

We then did another section through Knockholt (another pretty village) before turning at Hawley's Corner and then past Biggan Hill Airport before doing respective left turns on Blackness and Jackass Lanes, West Wickham and home for 36.2 kms in 2 hours 35 at 4.18s, the last 16ks averaging < 4.10s. 

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/493169394

 

A great run and felt pretty good today. The strength is coming. Big thanks to Roger for the company.

I then dragged the family out for lunch in Beckenham before watching Arsenal Leicester, England Italy in Rome and City Spurs not moving from the couch.

 

J and boy #3 at lunch:

 

Park run (17.51) #1 place

1st place again but mainly due to a kind Messi letting me! Anyway happy with the official 17.51 which includes 2 muddy sections albeit less muddy than recent weeks (unusually the wind was on the back finishing  straight this time).

A little dissapointed to lose some form over ks #4 and #5 as up to then was averaging 3.31 despite one of the muddy sections completed.

This week I had already ran > 40ks at 4minks or less and so today's effort got me to 45 and half of those at 3.45 or less (my goal marathon pace).

On my quest to run a 2.40.59 marathon I will only know if this is on if I can get a 117 half under my belt in the next couple of months. I should also aim to execute 10k at 3.30s on the work treadmill (only managed 6k last week).

I have been reading a lot about how to reach my 2.40 goal and reckon that running as many ks at goal pace or quicker is the only way (+ long runs of course). I aways said that the faster Hurts guys ran too many of their long runs at chatting pace. Great for us mortals but not so good prep for a 2.30s marathon.

Post Park Run we grabbed the bikes with me shuffling around pushing Ryder up the hills. 

The afternoon then went down hill quickly with the visit of Watford to Selhurst. Palace are in a relegation battle and Lukie and I literally froze whilst unfortunstely witnessing it. Oh Lord.

Not much else to report on the family front. Boys are off for half term and aiming to take Thursday and Friday off next week.

Running long with Messi in the morning. The plan is 32-34, yikes!

Pics of the day.

Ryder Roo - #6 birthday

We all went to bed last night super excited at the prospect of Ryder's 6th birthday. He has been going on about his bday for literally months.  Without fail every day he has asked 'how many days until my birthday?'.

So we woke early and ran downstairs to open the pressies.

Squeezed in 10k at work running 4minkms on the treadmill.  My regular health check, HR went:

@2.5k 143
@5k 147 (150 on 2 March last year)
@7.5k 150
@10k 152 (158)

Relative to this time last year I am circa 8 beats ahead with an average of 139 today vs 147 11 months ago.

Raced home and had a birthday celebration with extended family.  Happy boy with bundles of lego - our house does not have any more capacity :)

Lukie's Band

Went to work a little later so that I could see Lukie's band play. I had promised him a couple of days ago that would be there.  Enjoyable seeing him so enthusiastic. I hope he keeps it for as long as possible as is infectious. He doesn't often get the limelight in our house being #3 with a little brother thrown in.

On the running front the effort and commitment continues. Had 50 minutes and so settled on a short snappy session with plenty of quality. So I went with 6k at 3.31 (on treadmill)  plus 1k flow at 4mins followed by 2 more at 3.31. Ended up with 9k at 3.34s in 32 odd minutes. Add on 3k of warm up and warm down for 12 in total. Rooted.

#3 Boy:

Home slog

Long day in the office with no window so the late run home was the only option. Still tired from yesterday's efforts I was not feeling at all up for it. In fact sat downstairs in the work gym looking at the time thinking this is madness before negotiating with myself to finally commit.

Not enjoyable and slogged it out in 4.26s (17ks). The legs were sore and my breathing heavy as got home late.

Quick pictures going across Blackfriars bridge with the half moon over Westminster:

20k TTT assisted by magic potions

Whenever I am feeling under the weather I head straight to the Juice shop across the road and get my double ginger shot (+ apple on the side). It really sorts me out. No coincidence that I got sick in NY when I went without. I swear by the stuff. 

Back to the running. Had a window at lunch and fronted up to the gym committed. Started the Treadmill TT with 3 x 4minkms (warm up) and then upped to 3.45s for another 17. 

20 kms done in 3.47s with wobbly moments at the 14 and 18k markers.

Did not have the HR monitor with me so could not judge overall form. Though from a confidence trough I have clawed back some much needed optimism. 

Last year 3 weeks out from the marathon I could only muster 10ks at 3.45 pace (ran 2.51) so would guestimate I am in 2.48ish shape notwithstanding I am short on long runs. Can I eek out another 5 minutes (assuming quality time to train) whilst: 

1. remaining sane, 

2. keeping the Mrs happy, 

3. Keeping my boys happy and

4. functioning properly at work? 

With the magic potion there is always hope:

Tommy A

Manic Monday and was back to back even with early start. Got out at 8 and put the running shoes on but mainly so that I would have gear to run into work in the morning.

I thought about about legging it all the way home but fatherly duties call - wanted to catch up with this dude before he crashed. The poor bugger has had the dreaded lurgy for the best part of a week and a half and needed cheering up.

I love him dearly and try to tell him so every day. Picture below is him at 3 and now in his 13th year and still with large resemblance.

We have to look out for him because he has three of the world's most annoying younger brothers in the history of mankind. No exaggeration, they are literally breaking records this last week (#3 boy particularly).

Crystal Palace away

No time again today for long run but negotiated with Jacqueline that I run whilst Jack was playing his Millwall game at the Crystal Palace training ground.

Decided on running there catching the first half whilst doing some jogs on the grounds, running out again into Beckenham and then back to see the last 15 of the second half. I then jogged it back home for a laboured 28k in 4.39s. In short, it felt horrid. Never felt comfortable, feeling heavy and not helped by a strong wind.

Pretty sure I am not 100% recovered as that took an almighty effort even with the slow pace. Confidence at an all time low.

Thankfully Jack was on much better form than me, playing with confidence including some nice step overs in first 5 minutes. In Australia he was old in his year but here he is one of the youngest and some of the Palace academy players looked like they should be in the under 14s as oppose to the 11s. Slowly but surely he is showing a little more belief.

Number 8 below:

Return to action with Park Run

Windy and wet but had promised myself that would get out after 7 straight days of no running.

Jogged over to Norman Park feeling decidedly groggy and pleased to see Daniel S and Rory on start line. Still no Messi or Foxy tho.

Off we went and let the quicker group go as just wanted to blow out the cob webs and still unsure if I was fully recovered. The first k buzzed up surprisingly as 3.45 which felt fine.  Daniel then joined me and we basically chatted the whole way round. It ended up being just under 19 with us pulling the 14 year old in the final 500ms.

Post chat quickly jogged home to face the music. The boys are a real handful at the minute.

More rest

Still under the weather and with work not abating am in this horrible holding pattern where only complete rest will get me better but continuing to work long hours.

Will ride out tomorrow and prey that I am up to putting the running shoes back on Saturday morning. Am not that optimistic. In the past I would have stressed out about not training but these days am more relaxed. More important stuff to worry about.

I figure that sometimes you get sick because you actually really need the rest! The three elder boys are also now off from school with the same symptoms as me.

Stat of the day: England made only 350 runs or more in their entire  first 645 one-day matches. In the 15 matches since the WC they have done it 5 times. This goes to my Roger Bannister commentary last week that belief is super important. It's not belief alone but also the training as a result of the belief that has enabled them to do it. More than 350 is almost par these days and the players exposure to 20.20 training and matches gives them the skills to execute as they currently are.

Lukie's new sock boots:

Death row

Had one of my 'shutdowns' over the last few days. I never get the flu but have these bouts of total exhaustion and mild fever. Perhaps that is the flu but never get a head cold. 

Monday slept 18 hours, Tuesday 12 and counting. Always too busy and then pay for it.

* Lukie won his design comp for his football club. Their mascot is officially now called 'Ronny the Rhino'. He was stoked 'I only entered to win it dad'. He cracks me up. Last week he announced at dinner that Russia was going to invade Britain in 2018. Go figure.

** one of my favourites - a minor bonus being home that can read bedtime stories to our soon to be 6 year old: