Training 2003


In 2000...we trained for the reduction of pain.

In 2001...to sustain


In 2002....to GAIN!...but we were lame!


For 2003...we train...to reclaim



No break this year. Starting with a comfort level around 16km and not really having to think about a 20. Around 25-27 we start to know about it.

Jan 3 - 11.5km Just enough to get the alveolar surfactant refreshing after all those cigars. Very muddy and wet. Done on an emplty stomach as usual. Nearly vomited on the way back near the dog-farm but this was peaceful and no problem. Route: CdB with right loop up the hill.

Jan 8 - 11.5km very cold and dry. Getting back down to earth after Nebt Het.

Jan 11 - 11.5km very cold and dry and wonderful evening light running into the orange sunset and twilight. Seemed quite quick, and felt very strong up the hills.

Jan 13 - 30mins on treadmill. 6.0mph and some 6.5mph. Still afraid of speed I guess.

Jan 15 - 30mins on treadmill 6.5mph. Tough but doable. Surprised myself a little.

Jan 17 - 30mins on treadmill. 15mins at 6.0, 14:50 at 6.5 and all of 10 seconds at 7.0mph. Now you might say - why bother with 10 seconds, but I have been convinced all my life that I can't run fast. And for me 7.0mph is fast-ish. Next time I'll see if I can stay up there a little longer.

Jan 19 - 9.25miles (approx 15km) in Valley Forge. Cold and hard multi-use trail but very nice.

Jan 20 - Excellent visit to "The Running Place" in Newtown Square PA. What a great place. Pattie helped me find the ever elusive "proper bra" and a few other things as well as Thorlo's. I was getting desperate...

Jan 22 - Treadmill 5mins 5deg, 5min 10deg at 5.0mph. 5min 5.5mph. 12min 6.0mph. 3min 7.0mph!

Jan 29 - 11.5km usual route. 1:27 with lots of snow and slush. Deep enough that I wore gaitors.

Feb 5 - 15.9km time - slow due to snow/slush but a nice effort. Call with De Schepper, coach of the famous Jean Paul Preat - world record holder over 100km - to talk about Gel Nandi replacement. 800+kms on these shoes now, time to change them.

Feb 7 - 11.5km 1:30odd. Battle was joined with the forces of distraction and frustration (but triumph came with peng ji lu an)....flapping straps, end of neckerchief, everything...including much stopping to fiddle with shoes. Tried to wear my porelle dry socks but these caused a blister. Even had to stop to tape this up. Better use preventative tape next time. Nice warm dry feet though so maybe worth it. Route: Coureurs turn right, up horse track and around back.

Feb 11 - 47mins and Tai Chi. Staying at the Haydock "Gristle" hotel. Neat little running track on the property. Even got up at 05:15 to do this.

Feb 13 - 39mins. Same deal. Left outer knee a bit gripey. It really is time to get these shoes replaced.

Feb 20 - 3:09 Malvern Hills. Ran out of daylight to do the whole ridge but was happy to note that it could have been done without too much stress today. Last run in my trusty Gel Nandis. Have ordered the Eagle Trails. We'll see. The knee was testy all week so I decided to wait it out for a whole 7 days. This seems to have worked. No pain during or after run.

5 Mar - 18mins at 6.0mph then 12 at 6.5mph. Quite a tempo for me. No run last week somehow but now trying some speedwork again. Eagle Trails still not here so more miles for the Nandis.

6 Mar - Met the amazing Chris Gibson who spent some time with me talked about getting off the plateau...what a nice guy...

8 Mar - 10mins at 6.0 then 1min increments of 0.1mph to 7.1!!! This may not seem fast to anyone else but to me its a major amazement. Especially since I could do it for a whoile minute without major catastrophe... I felt I could have taken it up another notch but I wanted to feel positive about the whole thing. Then down to 5.0 for 2mins and then 30sec increments back up to 6.6mph...wow.

12 Mar - On home treadmill, which is slightly inclined. 10min at 10.0kph then 2 x 1 min increments of 0.2kph, then 1 min increments of 0.1kph to 10.7kph then to 9.0kph for about 2mins and 10.0kph for the rest. Quite hard.

14 Mar - Strength session on Easy Rider - 10 mins. Started EMS sessions to strengthen VMO and Abs...

16 Mar - 1hr 18m - 11.5km Felt quite fast. 532 steps from road to home. Lost at least 3mins frelling around with horses etc, so for pace calculation lets say 1hr 15mins so 9.2kph...hmmm...Route: Coureurs turn right, up horse track and around back.

18 Mar - Strength session on Easy Rider - 10 mins

19 Mar - Home. 10mins at 9.5kph to 10.0kph then 1min 0.2 increments to 10.6kph then 1min increments of 0.1 to 10.8kpm/1min then 8.5 for 2min and back up to 10.0 in 0.1 increments and rest in 10.0kph. Pulled muscle in left shoulder/upper back as I stretched for this.

21 Mar - Tempo run. 49:51 7kms. Perceived effort was kept between 7 and 8 throughout. 500 steps from road to home. Much slowing down - for felled trees, 3 brief stops for navigation moments. So probably more like 45min actual run time which gives about 9,3kph average. Route: Forest, turn left, up to Etoile, to road, Coureurs and back. Quite hilly and much tree-felling around Etoile.

23 Mar - 26.5kms 3hr16mins. Various ins and outs around the woods. I heard the buds in the pine forest cracking into the spring. Working on the book. Slight ache, really slight in knees and kidney/lower back area in last 20min. Much relieved by nose breathing. Perceived effort around 4. M

25 Mar - 7.2km - 51:52 Unexpected extra. Such a nice day today. Discovered a new route over the edges of plowed fields turning right up from the chapel in the woods. Nice and slow and gentle. Nose breathing. Also strength training in the evening. Hope this doesn't mess with the speed work tomorrow.

Hmmmm...A nasty cold stopped play for several weeks...

11 April - 11.25km - 1:29 Slow and a bit trudgy but then I am coming back from this cold. First use of new asics eagle trail. Bit stiff and rubbing on outer ankle on the right but I'm sure they'll be fine.

21 April - 17kms - 2:20 Discovering new area down around the Abbey and the access route from N25 to Villers. Book title: The Loping Lizard. Possibility to write this with Barefoot Doctor...

24 April - 11.25km - 1:12:36 New PB. No food beforehand. Was supposed to be a tempo run but felt good. Effort around 7-8 for the most part but also some sneaky 8-9. 526 paces from road. 23mins to crossroad. 9.3kph. Ja-room Brunnen-G. A Butterfly flew into my left eyelid. Hmmm...

27 April - 20kms - 2:30. Same route as 17 but added a loop via white farm, smoother and faster. The Eagle Trails don't even play the same game as the original Gel Nandis when it comes to mud.

1 May - 15.8kms - Tested new Paclite jacket. Gorgeous. Deep feeling of comfort and well-being during this run. Feels like my stride was extended. "C"Net.

6 May - Speed session. Treadmill. I was sure I had made it up to 11.0kph before. Perhaps I just didn't write it. In any case. Today - 2mins to 9.0kph. 8 minutes to 10.0kph with steep uptake. Gliding to Marilyn. 1min 0.2 increments, to 10.6kph. Then 1 min 0.1 increments to 11.0kph. But then I was aonly at 17mins at the end of this. Hmmm. 2mins at 8.5kph. the via 9.0, 9.2 to 9.5kph in a few minutes. 5 mins at 10.0kph and 5mins at 10.5kph. 35mins in all. Something like that.

7 May - 11.25kms - 1:14:28. Tempo run. Gliding was maintained during the whole run. A bit risky to go right after the speedwork, but it seemed OK. Shins were a little sore after.

11 May - 33kms. 26.5 in about 3:30 then another 6.5 for a total of 4h19:30. Could have been a marathon today, but legs were still tired from the double workout earlier in the week. Also enforced break to send a fax I had forgotten to send in the morning. Oh well. Target was a 4 hour run, stretch target was the marathon... Generally not too bad.

19 May - 11.25kms 1:21. Took a week off after the 33. This was nice. In the rain and quite engaging.

26 May - 17kms. 2hr11mins. Quite nice. Muddy. Mananged to get two pairs of GelNandi for in the winter.

30 May - 11.25 1:19 or so.

Week of 2 June - Certainly one 17km and maybe a 11.25km too. Not sure.

8 June - 1hr52 Dumyat from Stirling University. So good it made me yodel. Fine strong striding on the way down. Up in 1h09 down in 43mins via the Wallace Monument

9 June - Short 35mins slow around lake with Allison, insisting on e-book Running for Lazy Bastards

10 June - 1hr42 for Dumyat down via Carpark. Cag, Bag and Tag. First lesson - stay in bed. (until you can visualise yourself striding powerfully along the fells in command of your body and breathing deeply)

12 June - 1hr40something (no watch) Dumyat. Another fell-runner there. So nice I took my shirt off

14 June - Ben Nevis. No LAMM for us this year so we went up the Ben. 2hr35 up and 1hr45 down, I think. Ran/jogged all the way down, but a littel tough on the ankles. Very rough path and the Eagle Trails are prone to deformation as the pod under the ball of the foot wants to wrap up and around. Otherwise fine.

20 June - Speed session. Quite grim. Gastro-intestinal distress the last two day, so quite crampy. First 10 mins getting from 9.0 to 10.0kph. Then 0.1 increments per minute to 10.6 but feeling pretty bad. So from 10.6 directly to 11.0 for 30 secs and 11.5 for 30 secs. Then down to 8.5 and stayed there about 3mins. Then gradually back up to 9.5 and stayed there until 30mins. It was not as expected but still 11.5 was pretty good. Over 11.0 or better for 1 full minute. OK.

22 June - 17km. 2:16:48. Double grim. Hot and humid to the point of oppressive. Probably somewhat dehydrated from the GI distress. Crampy and hard to breath and relax, glutes sore and hip protesting, but did it all anyway. 10 of these are worth one great fell-run.

29 June? - 15km? 2hrs approx. This was a normal 11:25 loop that got a little longer because I felt like it. Down past the trainline and back via the abbey. Hawk was yelling at me.

3 July? - 11.25km. Time unknown, hawk yelling at me again. Quite nice.

8 July - 50mins. With Holly in London

10 July - 51mins. At David Wertheims house. Too much bad food this week

14 July - 11.25km 1:18 or so. Very hot

15 July - 32km 4hr20 Very hot

16 July - 30+km bike

17 July - 30+km bike. Saddle sore

19 July - 3,5hrs hike

22 July - 4,5miles? 47mins. Pittsburgh outside

24 July - Treadmill pitt. Start 4,5mph to 6mph for first 10 mins. Then 30 sec intervals to full minute on 7,3mph. Down to 1min at 4,5mph and then back up to a few minutes on 6,0mph. Quite hard but nothing terrible.

26 July - 2hr walk in forest. Valley Forge

31 July - 11.25km. 1hr25. Slow. No activity since Saturday and much sitting down in the airplane etc. Sorbothane were feeling a little small in the shoes and moving around, so trying out Asics insoles that came with the shoes. Calves very stiff to start. Stomach a bit tight. Started easy, and all became nicer and nicer. 8 vehicles. Small hot spot formed high on right insole at about 8kms. Chafing of the backpack on right shoulder too. Hmmmm.

2 Aug - 11.25km Walk with Joe

8 Aug - 11.25km Very hot. 30+degC Run with Harry. Pack chafing

13 Aug - 11.25 Very hot. Run with Bluesy. Pack chafing.

14 Aug - 6.25km? To the modern peasant's house. Left down the hill. Two laps of the steep hill, down to the chapel, back via the fields. Quite early so not too hot. Pack chafing.

16 Aug - 10and a bit. To the cobbled road left via Coureurs des Bois and back via Abbey and road. With Jon and Bluesy. Quite fast. No pack.

17 Aug - 21kms. Walk in Hautes Fagnes. J and Jon. Lich.

19 Aug - 11kms. Part of normal 17km without the forest loop. Fast.

20 Aug - 20kms. 2hr30mins. Road run back from Garage in Lasne

27 Aug - 1hr. Hills above Lausanne. Enough to get me panting hard and quite steep so good for quads. A hint of sore muscles next day.

29 Aug - 17kms. Usual long run. Some quite fast parts.

31 Aug - Haute Fagnes. At least 5 hours of walking

3 Sep - 1hr17mins. At Paul's house. Home to hammersmith station back via Thames. Fast-ish felt quite good. Cyanosis.

5 Sep - 30mins Treadmill. This was amazing. Starting at 5.5mph then quickly to 6.1mph to 10mins. Then 0.1mph per 30secs to 8.1mph!!! Still felt like I had some left. Striding. Then back down to 5.5 briefly, and then back up to 7.5mph and staying there for 5 minutes! I guess all that striding and the tempo runs are paying off, especially the one with John and Bluesy. Been on GABA for about 6 weeks too.

7 Sep15.87km 1:51:20. Sort of tempo run. Normal 11.5km run with added one loop via farm and antennae. 8.6kph.

10 SepI think I did a 11.5?

13 SepSkiddaw via the ridge. 2:46

14 SepHelvellyn via lead mine and Striding Edge

15 Sep30 mins treadmill at Novotel. Legs sore from downhill.

19 Sep11.5km Easy

21 Sep6hr36mins. I was trying to complete the Long Pentlands Run from the Carnethy Hill Running Club. This is 32kms. The Route . It is a brilliant route.

Flotterstone Inn, Turnhouse Hill, Carnethy, Scald Law, East Kip/West Kip,Green Law, Spittal Hill, North Esk Reservoir dam, The Mount, Mount Maw, Baddingsgill Reservoir dam, Cauldstane Slap wall, East Cairn Hill, The Bore Stane, Cock Rig, Green Law and back the way you came.

However I got started too late and was too slow on the first part so I turned back at Baddingsgill reserviour. It was too late in the day to commit to the wilder section of the Pentlands and I would be very late to pick J up from his course. No doubt I would have finished it, (but in doubtful form) but even better was in store as a reward for caution.

Factors: Time, speed over first part, feeling about 35% fatigue, very variable weather rain/wind/sun.

I retraced my steps to just under the Kips and turned off right down the track past Eastside towards the road. I had been feeling a bit flaky and thin and rubbery in the legs the last 20mins, and slowed to a walk to have a bite to eat. This immediately fortified me and my bargain of 5run 1walk swiftly turned into "OK to run 25" as I trotted down the track. Getting to the road I was feeling so much stronger and obviously less exposed and just kept running faster and faster. Just crusing along. I saw the build I supposed was Flotterstone Inn in the distance after a surprisingly short while. (Surprising indeed since it turned out not to be the right building) This further motivated me to stretch a little further, considering I had just put in 6hrs of running in the fells this was more than a revelation. As I passed the Not-Flotterstone Inn I just kept going for another approx 2miles and then finally arrived - amidst much internal dialogie about honest mistaken in building recognition.

Next day - not even sore muscles. I think this run is very nearly within my grasp, just need to start a little earlier and eat a little more. A 50km on trails in the woods is certainly doable. Nice confidence builder. For Maps look Here

27 Sep - 4 October - Mountain Trip to Engelberg

Main highlights

More detail when I get around to it. Discovered the wonders of Epsom Salts.

10 Oct - 11.25kms. All of 21mins to the road. Faster than ever. hmmm

17 Oct - about 1 hr. Interrupted during my usual 17km run.

19 Oct - 17kms Just under 2hrs. PB but didn't feel that hard. This altitude stuff is good. Last run before the KIMM.

27/28 Oct- KIMM. Did OK the first day. Very cold at night. Boots frozen. Missed the cut-off on Day 2 by about 40mins, but did the distance. Damn

Nov - 2 weeks off. Did one short fast treadmill run on the second monday, then my normal 17km on that Sunday. ILT completely flared. 2 more weeks off. Serves me right for taking time off when I didn't really feel like it. (Maybe I also hadn't eaten enough. It was very cold and wet too)

22 Nov - went to podiatrist for Joe and me to get gait analysed. My pronation is coming more towards normal. GREAT. Intended to do Malvern long run on Sun but still hurting.

30 Nov - 11.25 kms. Seems OK

7 Dec - 11.25kms Decided that if I was going to be malcontent, might as well be that way doing something that is good for my body. Ended up feeling quite good. Ideas for treadmill and new sections of runs in the woods.

10 Dec - Treadmill. Started at 5.5mph, 6.0mph to 10mins then 30sec 01.mph increments to a full minute at 7.5mph. Then did 1000ft on the stairmachine. Been doing a few pushups and so on. Put on about 3pounds since the minimum. Getting back on track. Today was the first time I wrote up too. Depressed a little about the KIMM, but at least we did the full distance (and not shortened by Foot&Mouth)

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Relentless forward motion...just relentless forward motion...

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