Thames Path 100 - Race Report


The Thames Path 100 is an ultrarunning race put on by Centurion Running in March each year. Normally it starts in Richmond, London and follows the Thames Path all the way to Oxford. I got a place confirmed in this years race as part of the early opening program for volunteers (I marked the Marlow to Reading of the course last year). Having run 40 miles a number of times and 75 miles at the Endure24, I thought it would just be a case of carrying on the same, for Read more

Scottish Butey


No, that title is not a speeling mincesteak, it is a witty reference to a run I did on the Isle of Bute (Scotland). Bute is a small island directly West of Glasgow, it’s a 35 minute ferry journey from Wemyss Bay (near Greenock). The island is 15 miles long (North to South) and about 4 miles wide. It is just North of Arran – the island where they make jumpers… I spent the first 17 years of my life on Bute, and the majority of that time I thought there Read more

Thames Path 100 Recce


This weekend was a long run in training for the Thames Path 100. I had planned to do around 45 to 50 miles and I wanted to recce the section of the race from Reading to Oxford.I’ve run the Marlow to Reading section a few times and as I should be getting to Reading towards night time during the race, a little prior knowledge of where I should be going would be helpful. On Saturday I stashed some water a couple of gels and some food around the Moulsford area Read more

Going Green


Imaginary Friend : “What this, have you turned into some kind of tree hugger ??”Me : “No, no, no, I don’t mean I’ve become some kind of tree hugger – no, I like burning fossil fuels as much as the next person – no, I mean turning all the spreadsheet boxes green by meeting my training goals / mileage.”Imaginary Friend (to second imaginary friend) : “What is he on about, turning boxes green ??”Me : “Okay, let’s start again – I put together a training plan for myself. 16 Read more

••••

Runs

Scottish Butey

Posted on March 6, 2013 by kjhughes Posted in Featured, Runs, Training | Leave a comment

No, that title is not a speeling mincesteak, it is a witty reference to a run I did on the Isle of Bute (Scotland).

rothesayBute is a small island directly West of Glasgow, it’s a 35 minute ferry journey from Wemyss Bay (near Greenock). The island is 15 miles long (North to South) and about 4 miles wide. It is just North of Arran – the island where they make jumpers…

I spent the first 17 years of my life on Bute, and the majority of that time I thought there wasn’t much to do around the place. My teenage years were wiled away walking round and round the two blocks of shops/houses that make up the main town/port, Rothesay.

Read more

Thames Path 100 Recce

Posted on February 18, 2013 by kjhughes Posted in Featured, Planning, Runs, Training, Ultra | 1 Comment

Thames PathThis weekend was a long run in training for the Thames Path 100. I had planned to do around 45 to 50 miles and I wanted to recce the section of the race from Reading to Oxford.
I’ve run the Marlow to Reading section a few times and as I should be getting to Reading towards night time during the race, a little prior knowledge of where I should be going would be helpful.

 

Read more

Runstreak One DNF

Posted on October 9, 2012 by kjhughes Posted in Featured, Mental, Runs, Runstreak | Leave a comment

Soul-searchingThe past few days, since last Thursday in fact, have involved no running at all and lots of soul searching. It has felt very strange, not running – after doing at least 2 miles every day for the previous 218 days.

The week before I was asked how long I would carry on the runstreak for and answered that I didn’t see any reason not to carry on for as long I can run – I had no intention of giving up – ever.

Unfortunately, it just wasn’t sensible, or even possible to keep going…

I started the runstreak on 1st March 2012, with the intention of running every day for the whole of March, after 30 days I was just enjoying it too much to give up, so I cracked on. I got involved with a bunch of other runstreakers on twitter, all of us egging one another one, then, to my surprise I started getting faster…

For a few years I had been hovering around the 8 – 9 minute / mile mark, but that pace seemed to increase. I found myself doing 7:30 minute miles and then more recently a flat out 5:08 minute mile, and a 19:13 parkrun 5K. Things were just getting better and better, I ran at 7:15 pace for 12 miles and didn’t feel too bad – It was invigorating, I was feeling great and pushing the pace in just about every run.

lookingbackReflecting on it all now, I can see, that is where things went wrong. It’s clear to me now that too much speed work, pushing my body too hard, with no recovery time was what brought the initial injury to my foot, trying to ignore it made it worse and then cranking out a fast parkrun 5K was what finally pushed it over the edge.

On the Thursday I had a painful lunchtime run 3 miler along the River Thames, I think knew then that it was over, but I told myself I’d try a late night 23:50 one miler on the Friday and then immediately follow it with a 00:01 one miler on the Saturday, giving myself maximum rest with the shortest effort. On the Friday, I was feeling bad with stomach problems anyway but come the time, there was no way I could have run on my foot, I’d have given myself a real/serious injury if I’d tried. So, reluctantly I decided to take a week off, no running at all, let the foot get better and then start from day 1 again.

I’m disappointed, somehow feeling that I’ve ‘lost’ 218 days, but I know that’s not true. Also, even though it’s only been a few days without running, I kind of feel as though I’m no longer a runner, which is not true either.

On the positive side, I’ve gained a lot in that time, I know I can push on and run a a few miles even the day after having run 75 miles, I’ve gained some great speed, I shared comments and thoughts with some great like-minded people, I’ve dropped 4 inches from my waist and the two most important things – I’ve drastically improved my health and I’ve enjoyed myself every day.

startline

This time next week, I’ll be toeing the start line again as a run streaker again (albeit with a smaller tally), I am already itching to get my shoes back on and get back out the door. However this time I hope to be more sensible, less gung-ho and to enjoy it just as much.

First Parkrun

Posted on July 16, 2012 by kjhughes Posted in Featured, Race Reports, Runs, Training | 3 Comments

parkrunParkrun are a series of free 5K runs on Saturday mornings all across the UK (and now overseas as well).

They are staffed wholly by volunteers and offer a measured, timed 5K race every week. The idea is, you use them to race, but ‘give back’ by volunteering at the occasional race.

The format is pretty simple, turn up with your (pre-registered and printed) barcode, run the race, let them scan your barcode and visit the website later in the day for the results. As of July 2012 there are over 130 park run locations around the country.

Anyway, enough raving about a fantastic free race every week – I ran my first one last weekend, in Abingdon. There is one at Newbury (Greenham Common) which is closer for me, but my twitter buddy Mike Wells was doing Abingdon, so I popped up there to meet him for the first time (2 firsts in one day !!) and he’d agreed to pace my first 1K, as I was trying for sub 20 minutes.
Read more

Endure24 Race Report

Posted on July 7, 2012 by kjhughes Posted in Challenges, Featured, Race Reports, Runs, Ultra | 4 Comments

20x30-RUNB1235On 30th June 2012 I took part in the Endure24 ultrarunning event, starting at noon on the Saturday and running round 5 mile loops as many times as possible for 24 hours.

A bunch of people had asked how far I thought I would cover, and I told them 70 to 80 miles, but secretly I harboured aspirations of covering 100 miles. A little ambitious maybe, considering the furthest I’d covered so far was 40 miles at the Compton Download Challenge, but that magical figure of 100 miles in 24 hours was niggling away at the back of my mind.

The training, up to the event, had been okay. I had been running every day (runstreak) mostly averaging 50 mile weeks, with an 80 mile week when I had done a couple of long back to backs. Although, in the 4 weeks leading up to the event I had been doing mostly 4 and 5 milers with a 12 to 16 miler at the weekend – I really should have put a few more longer runs into the schedule.
Read more

Penultimate day of Juneathon

Posted on June 29, 2012 by kjhughes Posted in Juneathon, Planning, Runs, Training | Leave a comment

Oops, forgot to post earlier today. Almost missed it out.
Anyway today was a short, sharp 2.5 mile effort from home this morning to the train station. 8 min / mile pace which is the fastest this week.

This evening was mostly spent packing up stuff for tomorrow – I am officially taking a ridiculous amount of stuff.

image

Still, it’s my first one, so I have an excuse…

Juneathon – Four Weeks In

Posted on June 28, 2012 by kjhughes Posted in Juneathon, Runs, Training | Leave a comment

apple-biteJuneathon day 28, Runstreak day 120 and the day in 1997 on which Mike Tyson was disqualified in the 3rd round of a boxing match for biting a piece off Evander Holyfield‘s ear.

Sticking with the ‘bite’ theme, I’m continually trying to stave of worries of biting off more than I can chew for this Endure24 event. Of course there is no ‘distance’ to cover to finish or not finish, but I have given myself some targets and piled a little personal and public pressure / expectation on myself to meet them (70 miles minimum)

Today was also a continuation of the ‘hot and muggy’ theme from the past few days. 24-25 Celsius at lunchtime, for our (very) slow 3 mile jog – almost 10 min / mile pace, at the end of which I was drenched in sweat. No let up when we got back to the office as the shower only has one temperature (hot) and there is no air-con.

Thankfully the forecast is for it to get a little cooler tomorrow and over the weekend.

Juneathon Day 27

Posted on June 27, 2012 by kjhughes Posted in Juneathon, Runs, Training | Leave a comment

atmJuneathon Day 27, Runstreak day 119 and the day in 1967 on which the world’s first ATM is installed in Enfield Town, England, United Kingdom.

Another easy day of taper today.

4.5 miles at 9:06 pace with Anna at lunchtime. We took a different route today, just for some variety. Very humid again today, but okay for some easy miles.

Juneathon Day 26

Posted on June 26, 2012 by kjhughes Posted in Juneathon, Runs, Training | Leave a comment

JFKspeechJuneathon day 26, Runstreak day 118 and the day in 1963 on which U.S. President John F. Kennedy gave his “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech.

A short update today – an easy 4 miler with Anna at lunchtime along the river Thames again. We kept it easy at 9:30 pace.

It was a bit ‘muggy’ today with no breeze, so I was pretty hot by the time we got back.

We also took a short detour today just to check out a little bit of the Thames Path that deviated from the towpath – bit it was only 100 metres or so and it joined back up with the towpath.

Juneathon Day 25

Posted on June 25, 2012 by kjhughes Posted in Juneathon, Runs, Training | Leave a comment

The_Custer_Fight_(1903)Juneathon day 25, Runstreak day 117 and the 136th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the death of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer.

Straight into taper week – todays effort was an easy 4 miler along the river Thames with work colleagues. Nice easy 9:25 pace and I managed to hold myself back from speeding off. Need to keep that up for the rest of the week.

The plan is to do the same for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and then stay up late on Thursday night for a just past midnight short 2 miler on Friday morning, giving me a good 36 hours of recovery before the event on Saturday.

1 2 3 4 5   Next »