Rob's running diary

Back to the grind

2007-10-21T04:57:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, to say the least. Still, I'm not training 'for' anything, just doing it for the 'love'. Twice round the block, 2k in about 15 minutes. Gets me out of the house, as they say.

First run in Peckham

2007-04-15T03:38:00.000-07:00

I surprised myself. Round down the hill for a change, along Lugards Road and St Marys Road, along Nunhead to Consort Road, then looped round past the Old Nun Shed and retraced my steps. Total time: 21.5 minutes. That's quite a step up given I didn't train midweek.

Distance: 3.1k

Another year, another 10k

2007-04-07T03:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I didn't actually do the 10k last year. I put in the miles beforehand. I was doing 60 minute runs. Morally, I did it. But shlepping out to Essex on my only free day amid a big CMS overhaul seemed stoopid. So there you go.

This year, I have longer to train so I should be able to take a nice gradual approach to building up. I've also decided to forget about running 'a time'. The 10k - 1 July, round the streets of London - is just an excuse to do some training.

So, this morning I did a first blast round Palais House Road in Hebden. 15 minutes, not terribly far, but a start.

Training

2006-05-14T04:38:00.000-07:00

The aim today was just to run 60 minutes at a comfortable pace. How running for 60 minutes can ever be described as comfortable is a mystery.

Walked up to Peckham Rye park, which takes about 12 minutes. Then ran three laps of the park, then headed home to stop at the top of Kirkwood Road.

For casual interest, I timed my laps - something my previous routes didn't really allow. What is clear is that I fade quite a lot on my final lap: 18.08, 18.10, 19.15 for the last one.

This was a less steep route than usual and the distance reflects that: 5.35 miles in 60 minutes is a good bit better than the 5 miles in 61 minutes I did three weeks ago. It's still slower than last year's 10k, though.

Training, with the coach

2006-05-12T04:46:00.000-07:00

Ran around Dulwich Park (thank gawd we did it in the morning - it looks like it's gonna be a hot one today).

Ran for 37 minutes doing 'fartlek' training. As the author of this article says, "funny word, great training tool" (it means 'speed play' in Swedish).

Anyway, this meant a steady job around the park followed by five or six short bursts at a higher pace (not sprinting, just one notch up on the dial). 37 minutes of this was every bit as knackering as a full hour of steady running.

Need to fit a long run, and another 30 minute run in before next week and keep a food diary. Maybe my attention span is just long enough to manage eating sensibly for two weeks.

Training

2006-05-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

Same route as my usual long run, up and around Honor Oak and Forest Hill. However, I'd already been to work this time and boy did I piss about trying to get the enthusiasm to run. In the end I did it, but it was by now 4pm and still pretty warm. I didn't feel at my best at all.

In the end, I did it in 58min 10secs - a bit slower than last time which is a tad annoying. I was hoping to keep improving that time. There was more traffic on the roads - by which I mean pedestrians - and I still needed to walk for one minute. Actually, the short walk to get my breath back after a particular hilly bit seems to work quite well, I'm sure I make it up by running quicker afterwards, particularly downhill.

Sweated buckets, though. My t-shirt was most unattractive when peeled off and was summarily dumped in the washing machine!

Training

2006-05-04T02:06:00.000-07:00

Something a little different...

Runner's World suggests running a 'pyramid' for improving speed. Thought I'd give it a whirl as I'm a bit bored with the idea of a straight 30 minute run. You run for one minute hard, then rest for 30 seconds, two minutes hard, rest for one minute, three minutes hard, rest for 90 seconds, and so on: 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1.

It just happens to be the hottest day of the year. I'm also running on grass for the first time which is tiring in itself.

Anyway, I pretty much do it thought the longer runs are gentle jogs rather than fast. And I finish up with so much sweat in my eyes I can bearly see. I knew there was a good reason for wearing a cap...

Training

2006-05-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

Did much the same route as last Friday but ran to the front door this time to make sure it was five bloody miles!!

Also improved my time to 57.5 minutes. That's 3.5 minutes faster even though I had a stitch at the top of Honor Oak and had to walk for a minute. Still, to do the 10k in 60 minutes, I'd need to do five miles in about 48...

Training

2006-04-28T04:50:00.000-07:00

The farther I run, the slower I go! I was just thinking how easy it was... and now I know why! 5 miles in 61 minutes.

Okay, the length of time is good, but the pace is appalling.

Run London

2006-04-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

Great! I can now measure routes properly online!

www.runlondon.com

I've stored the Nunhead-Honor Oak route for future reference. It's actually 4.68 miles or 7.5k! That means I was doing 5.2 miles per hour! That's 11½ minute miles...

Training

2006-04-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

One minor ambition achieved: I can now run to the One Tree Hill allotments and back.

I ran up Kimberley Avenue, then Ivydale Road but instead of turning right into Brenchley Gardens I went straight on via Eddystone Road onto Brockley Road. Then, I turned right and ran up Honor Oak Park, turned right into Forest Hill Road then trundled back down the hill with a brief uphill at Colyton Road.

54 minutes altogether but very gentle - 12 minute mile pace for 4.5 miles. My excuse is that it was slow going uphill and too slippery to race downhill. If I could get that same trip down to 45 minutes in the next couple of months I'd be a very happy man.

Training

2006-04-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

30 minutes, sort of round the block. I went on a little tour past St Mary's Road and along Gautrey Road. It was really quite warm today, so I sweated a lot more than usual. Heat really takes it out of me so I really huffed and puffed for such a relatively short run.

Still, 30 minutes is now "relatively short". I should be pleased.

Training

2006-04-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

14 minutes round the block. Assuaging my guilt, basically, for missing Weds night. But I didn't want to mess up the Friday run by going too far and I had stuff to write anyway.

Tried to go a bit quicker in a couple of sections, but probably only knocked 15 seconds off my time.

Food: 17 April

2006-04-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

brekkie: one hot cross bun, toasted and buttered

lunch: ham and tomato sarnie, 2 bananas

Training

2006-04-17T05:43:00.000-07:00

Did the Cemetery Circuit again today. Started off full of beans and was about a minute faster (21 rather than 22) at the end of Brenchley Gardens. I think I set off a bit too quick, though, and had to stop running after 42 minutes. Slightly annoying. However, even walking the last few hundred yards, I matched the time and distance I did on Friday.

Bit spaced out when I sat down, though. I seem to have a set pace that cannot be exceeded...

Interesting article on fat v calories

2006-04-17T03:32:00.000-07:00

This article argues that, in terms of watching weight, the most important thing to watch is fat intake rather than total calories. The argument goes that of the three main components of diet - fat, carbohydrate, protein - only fat is easily converted to body fat. Protein is broken down and excreted. Carbohydrate has particularly stores but beyond that is burned off by an increase in metabolism.

Don't know how true that is. There is the alternative argument that high carb diets have screwed with our blood sugar levels in recent years. Also, if you consume a lot of carbs, you're unlikely to need to consume fat for energy. But I'll keep a strict watch on fat in the next few weeks to see how it pans out.

Fat or Total Calories?

Food: 16 April

2006-04-16T03:26:00.000-07:00

brekkie: two eggs, boiled and mashed up in a cup with a bit of salt and pepper, on two slices of bloomer bread. No butter.

lunch: went to Ganapati. Masala Dosa, King Fish (spicy!) for main, and Shrikkand for dessert. Very nice and not completely stuffed afterwards.

tea: quite late, while watching shedloads of Band of Brothers back-to-back: three bloomer slices with melted cheese and onion on top (no butter again).

Training

2006-04-14T03:22:00.000-07:00

chucking it down, but still went out for a run. This is the advantage of external discipline - it makes me do things I would never volunteer to do! Ran up Kimberley Avenue, along Ivydale Road, up Brenchley Gardens past Camberwell New Cemetery, down Forest Hill Road, turned right along Colyton Road then down past the Rye, down Rye Lane then right into Brayards Road.

3.9 miles according to my map measurement (slightly disappointed it wasn't at least 4!) - took me 45 minutes.

Food: 11 April

2006-04-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

breakfast:
bacon sarnie, two slices of toast

lunch:
bacon and brie ciabatta roll (too rich)
smoothie

dinner: (after free speech event)
quarterpounder with cheese, small chips
three glasses of wine
1.5 pints

Food: 10 April

2006-04-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

breakfast:
2 slices of wholemeal toast, medium poached egg, butter, half a Innocent smoothie

lunch:
tin of tuna, tin of rat, 85g of rice

dinner:
chilli con carne, 50g rice, 25g of cheese, salad
apple crumble, custard (small portions! Boo!)

Training

2006-04-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

Another 30 minutes round the Peckham loop. Must find out how far that is...

Food: 9 April

2006-04-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

breakfast:
fried egg sandwich, butter, 2 toast

lunch:
roast chicken breast, roast spuds, loads of veggies
strawberry cheesecake

tea:
one slice of toast, half tin of mackerel, salad

Food: 8 April

2006-04-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

breakfast:
bacon roll (only two bits..), butter

lunch:
tuna pasta mess

dinner:
lamb shank, couscous, salad
raspberries, mascarpone
far too many crisps and nuts...
two beers, red wine

Food: 7 April

2006-04-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

I'm so shite at this dieting mularkey...

Breakfast:
Two slices of toast with veggie paté

Lunch:
Two wholemeal pittas, buttered
Bacon sarnie with three bits of back bacon
Some out of date yogurt
Apple and blackcurrant smoothie

Dinner:
Lasagne and salad
Apple crumble and custard

Training

2006-04-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

Did 30 minutes on the 'Peckham Loop':

Brayards Road --> Consort Road --> Nunhead Lane --> Hollydale Road --> Lugards Road --> Kirkwood Road

Two laps is bang on 30 minutes. Big knackered, but not bad considering fairly stiff sesh the night before.

Food intake: 6 April

2006-04-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

Brekkie:
very healthy full english. Bacon, egg, sausage, two toast, cuppa tea

Lunch:
cottage pie, plus microwaved carrot, brollocky and cauliflower

Dinner:
lamb rogan josh at 'Spoons. Plus a pint of cider. Plus a bottle of wine. Blew it!

Food: 5 April

2006-04-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

Brekkie: full english in Fitzrovia: egg, 2 bacon, 2 sausage, 2 toast, beans, tomatoes, cuppa tea.

Lunch: Thai green curry with beef and rice

Snack: two slices of toast

Dinner: houmous with three wholemeal pittas; two chunks of Dairy Milk

Training session in Dulwich

2006-04-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Coach Smith took us on a tour of Dulwich Park (ah, the longer evenings!) before taking us down Lordship Lane and round to the bottom of Dulwich Village. 41 mins and 3.5 miles. Marv.

Plan is to do more 25 min runs with an extra half mile on the long runs each week. And lose some goddam weight.

Training run

2006-04-04T07:51:00.000-07:00

Quick turn around the block - usual Peckham route. Got a bit of a tit stitch after seven minutes so paused for a minute or so. Could easily have done 30 minutes but needed to stop at the Brayards for milk.

25 mins - 2.2 miles?

Running in Amshterdam

2006-04-01T07:47:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning in the Grachtengordel and I'm going for a run at 8.30. Good lord, what's it all coming too. Still, didn't booze or smoke too much last night and I feel fine. Run for about a mile along the canal, past the statue of Jan naked, then run into loads of roadworks on the way home. Not impressed with the municipal dog litter trays that they have here. Lots of dog poo in sand - not attractive.

25 minutes - 2.2 miles?

Training session in Dulwich

2006-03-29T07:57:00.000-08:00

Coach Smith takes us out for a longer run this time. Funny how the changing evenings affects things. I've been running around all day and it's much warmer than it has been for a while. I have to make my own way to the Picture Gallery (by train and foot) as Justine has the car and I'm frankly tired before we even start.

31 mins and 2.5 miles later, I'm pretty damn knackered. The lack of training in the previous two weeks hasn't helped. Time to get into gear.