Author: MarathonMannUK

Several years ago my job needed me to spend around 3 days per week in London, staying near Marble Arch at the west end of Oxford Street next to Hyde Park.  I used to love running around the park especially in summer when the  atmosphere was brilliant with loads of runners, walkers and people just enjoying a summers evening in the park.

Evenings in the atumn and winter aren’t so good because the parks are closed and you need to do a circumnavigation around the roads.  It’s still quite interesting because you pass great landmarks like the Royal Albert Hall, Hyde Park Corner and of course, Marble Arch.

Today I was in the area again staying in the Amba Hotel (used to be called The Thistle) Marble Arch which has had a major refurbishment and is now very swanky.  I did a run around the park which couldn’t be that fast because there were lots of pedestrians and traffic.  I am thinking of doing the same route again in the morning with my head torch (because the streeetlights even in London can be lacking in some places), when it might be a little quieter.  Trying to run down Oxford Street in full “Christmas Mode” is interesting and I wouldn’t recommend it!

The people I met in the office today couldn’t beleive I had to clear snow off my car this morning, even though it’s only a 2 hour train ride, it’s a different word!

“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭17:16‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

http://bible.com/113/act.17.16.nivuk

Today was the day for my running club’s season finale which was the Age UK Leeds Abbey dash, a fast 10K road race from Leeds City Centre to Kirkstall abbey and back.  I am on record for saying that one of my “return to fitness” goals was to get a 10K in under 50 minutes but I had set myself an “unofficial” goal of beating my time last year of 48:56.

Also today, my wife’s sister Jill and her husband were staying with us.  Jill is also a keen runner and we were going to to the race together.  It was also an important day for my running club because this is the last race in our annual championship.

There were some great results from my friends today.  Louise, a running club friend who was worried about her hip (an operation on which she is recovering from) managed to get a great time injury free.  We had some amazing personal bests in the club and Helen and Jill competed in a sprint finish, where Helen just pipped Jill with a time of 55 minutes!

As for me, I took some advice from another running friend about not holding back in the early stages of the race and push the pace right from the start.  I was concerned for the first few miles that I couldn’t get going fast enough although it felt like I was trying as hard as I could.  As time went on though I found the going easier and it really felt fast on the dash back to the city.

The outcome was that I managed to complete the race in 47:45, exceeding all of my expectations, my goal of sub 50 and breaking my last years time by over a minute!  This means that all of my initial goals for returning to fitness have now been ticked-off and now is the time to set some new ones for next year.

For the first time since my heart problems, I really feel like I can get back to achieving the times I used to.  The first of the next year goals will be to get a Marathon PB and I might even set some other ambitious targets.  The only away to achieve high is to aim high!

“but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:31 NIV

After a spectacular run in the countryside this afternoon, I finally have reached my October goal of 150 miles, closing the month on 153.  Now it’s rest time and I won’t be trying to cram the miles in the following week, because I want to achieve my last outstanding 2016 goal of getting under 50 minutes at the Abbey Dash next weekend.  I am really pleased to have been picking-off some PBs recently; I did this by 2 seconds at the Crossflats parkrun yesterday and earlier in the week I did the best time I have done in my running club’s timed mile.  I am now entertaining the idea that I can do better than last year at the Abbey Dash (which was 48:56).  I won’t get a PB at that race but bettering last year is a good goal.

This year so far I have done a total of 1083 miles and regardless of what I do in November and December this is my best total since 2012.  This is not in small measure due to the challenges organised by Awesome Virtual Running Events and I am grateful to have been able to get encouragement each month through that forum.

I now need to “bank” my training that I have done in the last month preparing for the coming season of winter races; hopefully I am now well prepared.  I won’t be actively going for any mileage goal in November, rather take things as they come and trying to stay out of trouble.

Over the coming months I want to set some goals for 2017.  I already have decided to have a crack at my Marathon PB and I have entered the Yorkshire Marathon so the MarathonMann blog will continue the story.

Psalm 104:24 NIVUK