Marathon Mann

I love the Leeds Half Marathon; it was the first running race I ever entered and it has remained special to me.  I was really looking forward to the race today even though the weather forecast was that it was going to be the warmest day of the year so far!

A week and a day after the London Marathon I had been a naughty boy and run the East Leads 10K.  In that and the club paarlauf session the following day I had ominous pain near one of my knees and so for the rest of the week I had obeyed my physio. and done nothing, taking his advice that “more is less”.  Even though this half marathon was in that context, a bit of a risk, I still had a very good feeling about it.

Well in the end it was a wonderful day and although I was far from my best, I managed to keep going all the way round and not an ache or a pain before, during or after.  I am so chuffed about that because I now know I have a core of strength on which I can build up my training mileage (gradually).

Man, it was hot though!  I think as I ran up Kirkstall Road; the last 4 miles, it felt like 30 degree heat (although the reality is that it was nearer 20).  As I crossed the finish line I felt as shattered as in any other race so I knew I gave it my all.  I was determined to keep running and not run-walk and this determination won!

I was really impressed with the other runners in my running club, Rodillian Runners.  All did brilliant performances and for one at least, it was their first half!

Today was also my 4 year old grandson Brandon’s first junior parkrun and the news is he really enjoyed himself.  I wonder how long it will take him to outrun Grandad?

 

 

 

“In Bangkok
At twleve’o’clock
They foam at the mouth and run,
But mad dogs and Englishmen
Go out in the midday sun.”  Noel Coward

and.

“It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.”  Psalm 9:6 NIVUK

Its great when everyone in a group achieves what they are aiming for in a running race.   Since my very measured and careful marathon training (where speed was far from my mind), I have now set myself a number of steps to build up my performance to what it was before I found trouble with my heart.  The fist of these steps was to do 10K in under 55 minutes and the setting was the wonderful Leeds 10K around St Adans RSPB nature reserve.  My marathon legs managed to achieve this with some margin to spare and I was very pleased with my 53:18 (not too far behind last years time of 51:11).

Not only this but I had two lovely ladies with me, my wife Helen and her sister Jill.  This was Jill’s first ever running race!  Both of them wanted to do the 10K in under an hour and they both came in at around 58 minutes, smashing their goals and causing smiles all-round.  Boy those girls are competitive, the one that came in first was only decided in the last 200 metres. Helen has always been fiercely competitive so I have persuaded her to sign up to the Awesome 100 mile challenge in May; all being well we should end up with his and hers medals at the end of the month!

Next weekend I have the Leeds Half Marathon to do; a task of a different order of magnitude!  One of my recovery steps is to do a half in under 2 hours and who knows, maybe I’ll be fit enough next weekend to do that; I love the Leeds Half and it’s been a vehicle for PBs in the past.

Finally, today’s the day that the Virgin London Marathon ballot opens and I couldn’t resist applying again.  The chances are very slim but it would be great to do that again.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” 1 Corinthians 9:24 NIVUK

In the Atlanta Olympic Games of 1996, after winning a historic fourth gold medal, Sir Steve Redgrave famously said “If anyone sees me going anywhere near a boat again they have my permission to shoot me”. He then went on to win an even more historic fifth gold medal at Sydney four years later! I must say, moments after crossing the finish line on the Mall in London, I might well have uttered similar words because I got a glimpse of what Sir Steve may have been going though.

However, it’s several days after the adrenaline fuelled adventure of the weekend and we are now finally relaxing at home and it’s time for reflection. When you go though such an amazing experience, a common reaction is “let’s do it again”, but it’s not as simple as that. I got a London Marathon place this year because I belong to a running club that has an single allocated place that can be given to any member decided by the club. In the case of mine, they simply choose at random from those members who want to do it (priority given to first timers).

Apart from promising to raise a huge amount of money for charity, the main way of getting a place is the so-called public ballot. I don’t know why they use the word “ballot” because in my book, it’s a lottery. They put all the entries in a massive digital “hat” and the lucky ones are selected by chance. Although you can get in that way the odds are not exactly in your favour (maybe about 15:1 against you)!

There is obviously the option of doing a big charity effort again but over last weekend I was intrigued by another way of getting a place, the “good for age” category; I’d not heard of this one before. It means that anyone who has done (recently) an officially certified marathon at a certain time (depending on their age), can just get in, no questions asked! For my age category then, what is the qualifying time? I took a look at the London Marathon web site and they have a little table which gives the time for my age, which is, wait for it…… 3 hours 20 minutes (up to the age of 59).

So, what would it mean for me to qualify in the “Good For Age” category? Well, to me that is, to be frank, a stupidly fast time. Here’s me, dreaming that one day I might again run a marathon in sub 4 and then I start looking at 3:20, surely I must be off my rocker, in cloud cuckoo land! But I started thinking about this and asked the question, why not? Exactly how fast is that? Well technically it’s 7 minutes 37 seconds per mile and I certainly can run that fast (which is a good start) and have ran that fast even up to 10K which means, it’s a matter of stamina, endurance and strength (rather than speed). It would mean taking my training regime to a different level and degree of seriousness but hay, if people never had big dreams no one would ever achieve big things.

Now that my goal to complete the London Marathon 2016 is fulfilled, I can settle into, without time pressure, returning to full fitness and strength after which I do want to up my training and see where that leads. Good For Age is a great dream and will help me choose big goals but I won’t get carried away and I will take things one step at a time.

I saw a quote recently that said “I don’t know what the future holds but I know who holds my future”. This reminded me that whatever my plans are , God has a bigger one and in any walk of life including running, I will accept Him as being in charge of my destiny.

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬