Tag Archives: food

Oxford parkrun 1st Birthday

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I refrained from running for 6 days after Abingdon Marathon and then took another 3 days off. Meanwhile I got out on my road bike for a couple of 25 milers which made a nice change though not quite as satisfying as a decent trail run. I kept my running distances short and was pleasantly surprised to find some of my speed coming back. 8:21 min/mile pace on the Saturday, 8:07 on Tuesday then 7:45 for a 3 miler on Thursday – the fastest I’ve run for ages. My foot still hurt a bit and I had a bit of a sore upper left leg muscle, probably what was behind my knee pain at Abingdon, for the 1st couple of runs,  but I don’t think these short, flat runs are making things any worse. In fact today, 24 hours after the parkrun, nothing really seems to hurt.

So it was with a sense of optimism that I cycled to Oxford parkrun’s 1st anniversary event yesterday. To celebrate there was to be cake (well it wouldn’t be vegan so I took something to munch but it was the spirit of the thing that mattered). The Council had been persuaded to open the drinks booth for the first time, from the length of the queue at the finish this was profitable for them and will hopeful become the norm.

And there were to be time pacers: sub 21 minute, 25 min, 30 min, and 35 min I think it was. I’d already spoken to Chris who thought he was the 25 min pacer and said I intended to follow for the first couple of miles and then, if I was feeling good, I might take off for a faster finish. Somewhere along the line Alun became the 25 min pacer instead so after 10 mins of prizes and announcements what turned out to be a record field of 118 parkrunners set out – Alun rather worrying me by flying off nearer 7 min miles than 8 but as he pointed out the start is downhill.

We settled into perfect pace though one young lady in the group seemed to think we were going a bit slow. I chatted away with Alun who had run marathons both the previous weekends with a 3hr 2min PB at one. He’d noticed I’d been taking a few Conquercise zones back off him in the Fetcheveryone website game and I told him how I had been getting back on the bike (which means more zones won) since Abingdon and how the move away from long runs back to regular cycling seemed to be improving my running speed.

Many of our bunch seemed to fall behind but Alun was still keeping correct pace by both our watches. Another Fetchie caught us and turned out to be iPlod who used to be another big zone owner in our area, he (John in the real world) was racing the next day and used Alun’s pace to slow himself down and save his legs. I was huffing and puffing a bit in the cold air and becoming aware that I should shut up and run, after all this was still fast for me.

23 minutes said Alun as we approached the last descent to the finish dead on schedule . I suddenly found myself hiccuping sicky burps in a manner that reminded me of Lala with furballs. Just after our 3rd pass of the marshal it became evident that I had 3 choices: throw up down my front; choke and turn red or stop and recover. I stopped to the surprise of John and Alun who I waved on while I threw up a small amount of breakfast that hadn’t yet been digested despite having had 2 hours to go down. Slightly shocked I started walking, then running, and now feeling fine again I charged towards the finish at what later turned out to be 6:45 pace (alright it was downhill).

No chance of catching back up though and finished in 25:29 49th of 118 runners. Alun’s time was 24:55 – he couldn’t have got much closer. Oh well!

A cup of black tea from the booth (I forgot the planned soya milk); a munch on my Soreen banana loaf and a chat with runners new and old made for a proper parkrun anniversary celebration. We even had indoor space in the pavilion or whatever it is. A chap in a suit who I think may be a City Councillor was in attendance and hopefully got a chance to see what a fine thing Oxford parkrun is.

 

Bristol Half 2012

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What with my last 2 half marathons starting too fast and ending too slow; nagging plantar faciitis in my left foot and failing to manage my hoped for 9 minute mile marathon place for the duration of a flat 15 mile training run I have had to lower my sights a bit. So the revised plan is to go for 4 hour 10 minutes at Abingdon Marathon, that’s 9:30 pace, and Bristol Half would be an exercise in consistency rather than speed with me trying to stay under 9 minute miles for a 1:55 finish. Fortunately I’m not the driven, ambitious sort so it was with a sense of optimistic relief that I found myself driving down to Bristol on a dull but dry morning.

The usual getting lost and confused on the way too and at the start resolved into me finding Vegan Runners Lisa, Andrew and Daniel in Millennium Square with Helena and Jasmijn there to support. This was my first really big event, apparently expecting 14,000 runners, which meant various different wave starts. I was in blue start same as Daniel and he did a fine job of getting us to where we belonged. We then hung about for a good 20 minutes before the expected shuffle, walk then run towards the start timing mat and we were on our way, Daniel soon leaving me behind on his way to a 1:46 finish.

Soon enough we were running up the Portway, a wide stretch of road along the Avon Gorge that we had to ourselves. We passed under the Clifton Suspension Bridge continuing to run about 3 miles along here. We cheered the two racing wheelchairs shortly followed by the bunch of 4 Kenyan men leading the race as they came  back past us on the other side of the road. I spotted Andrew coming the other way, a good ten minutes in front of me. Then my turn for the U-turn, an encouraging reminder that there were thousands behind me, I spotted Vegan Runners Lisa, Claire and Paula coming the other way.

A lot of people had passed me during the first few miles but I had put 1:45 down as my original finish time estimate all those months back and I was aware that I might have started in the wrong wave altogether. Feeling fine though and by half way those around me were at a compatible pace and a few were already starting to flag and drop back. Daniel had warned me that just as you think you’ve finished the ‘goes on forever’ Portway you cross over the Avon then find another long stretch to be patient with.

I swallowed the energy gel I was carrying just before a water point about mile 9, they turned out to be handing out free gels so I’d soon replaced it with a freebie. The last few miles seemed pretty convoluted and I was tiring a bit, I could feel my foot starting to complain despite the ibuprofen I’d taken an hour before the start. There were a couple of short inclines, reviving support and music round Castle Park, a cobbled bit (well setts really I suppose) that weren’t nice to run on. Several times we were running with a flow of runners coming the opposite direction as we seemed to meander all over this bit of Bristol.

Well after the 12 mile marker, when it should be almost over, a stream of runners flow the opposite way and I’m dismayed to think the course can be that far over distance to allow us to back track all the way along there. The penny drops, I’ve already done that bit, those guys are all behind me. I pass 13 miles on my Garmin and realise I need to push now if I want my 1:55 so I manage to speed up a bit, even so a Honey Monster tears past us at an alarming rate dropping about 30 runners on the finish straight.

The Garmin reads 1:54:48 later to be confirmed by the chip times. I’m 4,512th out of what I believe to be 9,975 finishers. I’m pleased it’s gone to plan for a change and reckon I could have been just a little bit quicker as I’m not totally knackered.

After the race I meet-up with Andrew, Jasmijn, Daniel and Helena and we go to the Cafe Kino where I refuel on a fine vegan all day breakfast before the long drive home.

Cafe Kino after the Bristol Half 2012

The official photos are very pricey so instead I buy one of the special offer personalised race videos available on-line and have a play at editing it.

 

Otmoor Challenge 2012

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They tell me 666 is the number of the beast and the beast in question seemed to be a bit of a donkey.

The Otmoor Challenge is never going to be a fast half marathon (though I notice the winner got round sub 1:15) what with a mixture of wonky farm track, stubbly rough strimmed grass, muddy puddles, stiles and a long hill. Last time I’d run in 2010 it had been hot and I’d suffered, taking off too fast then finishing in just over 2 hours after a walk up the hill. This time I did much the same but struggled with the strong south westerly wind rather than heat – I’m not a quick learner.

The plan was sub 9 minute miles all round to finish under 1:59. The first 3 miles, mostly off road, I was running more like 8:20s and passing too many people. I realised this wasn’t going to work by the time we’d hit tarmac and slowed a bit through the villages of Murcott (water station), Fencott and Charlton. I tried to pace myself by an older Alcester runner but he proved a bit inconsistent, speeding up every time there was roadside support – they all seemed to know him – then slowing after. Still too hard and by the time we hit Oddington at 6 miles I just couldn’t keep it up (though I did pass the Alcester chap).

Just to add insult to injury we left the road again here turning on to a tree lined track directly into a really strong wind. Then there were signs warning of rough track, roots and lumps to watch out for, slippery wooden bridges. A going on forever stretch on rough grass by a field where you could see runners way up ahead. It was hard to pass here as only a narrow path was runnable but plenty of people managed to get past me non-the-less. More water at Noke. I was fighting to keep the miles under 10 minutes by now and was keeping myself running with a promise of a walk up the hill at 10 miles.

The Otmoor Challenge offers a walk as well as a run and we occasionally passed bunches of walkers who had presumably been on route for about 4 hours by this stage. They all had a cheer for us and one bunch of kids would ran past us to stop and cheer then ran past again for a repeat – this didn’t quite have the intended effect as it made me feel even slower but couldn’t help but chuckle.

We turned onto the hill, the narrow road that led up from the Otmoor RSPB reserve to Beckley village. I ran the first bit then ran and walked the rest making sure to discipline myself to just walk to ‘the 3rd telegraph pole’ or whatever so I was in control. Just me walking near the bottom but quite a few more pedestrians near the top I noticed.

Another drink at the Beckley water station then last bit of climb before launching myself down the grassy slope that was our reward. Several stiles slowed things down a bit but after some woodland then track we were back on tarmac for the final blast. I almost managed to regain my 9 minute miles along here but it was all very hard work, even with the turn into the finish in sight it just seemed too far. I pushed best I could though and finished in 2 hours and 13 seconds, about 30 seconds faster than my 2010 attempt.

I was totally stuffed and very nearly threw up. After a drink and a sit down I decided to have a go at welly-wanging, perhaps this would prove to be where my talents really lay. Unfortunately, what with weak arms from the run and a total lack of coordination, I proved to be rubbish but possibly safer than the strong runner who had a turn before me and threw his second welly straight up in the air for it to land more behind him than in front. Riding the fixie home back over Beckley hill was tough!

Post mortem: at home I weighed myself and I suspect that I may have been a bit dehydrated despite using several drinks stations, the wind was too strong for any sweat to stay so I may have been fooled. I’d been wearing my heart rate monitor and the download suggested I was actually running near full effort for most of the race, even those slow miles and particularly at the end. More 10k pace than half marathon. On top of this it was only 13 days since my ultra race and I’d already run 15 miles this week so maybe a bit more recovery time for my ageing body would have been in order. Unfinished business here and next time I am definitely going under 2 hours!

I may be a mediocre runner and an incompetent welly-wanger but my first effort at cooking vegan pizza on Friday was not to be sniffed at, we made short work of that!