Swansea 10k and Scam monkey update

Another year, another run around Swansea for 6 miles! Only this year my expectations were on the floor. After a year of physio and rehabilitation classes, before starting back to run properly, I was happily hoping to get round in 55 mins or so (although I was faster than that in the Merthyr 10k).

Come race day, I'm feeling good, had to run an unexpected 1k kids race practically dragging Gracie by the hand  first thing. But that's all warm up I suppose! Plenty of stretching so as not to destroy my knee again and i was off.

Got to give it to Swansea, it's a nice course, especially when the sun is pumping down on you on such a nice day. Downside is... sun is pumping down on you as it's such a nice day. Big thanks to the guy with the hose at about 6 or 7k, much appreciated. So so hot!

On route, felt horrible at first, had been stood in the baking sun for 20+ mins before hand, was really overheating! But got myself into a good rhythm and within 2 or 3k i was going at a decent pace. Then the realisation hit me... I could maintain this pace, this was comfortable... so I maintained it. It got to the point where occasionally I was losing time due to traffic, this does not happen to me.

Got to the last 400m or so and I felt like i had more in the tank, so off i went, no quite a sprint finish but a quick one. I run in before the clock gets that close to 51 mins and instantly know... PB. Phone says 50:38, but slightly over distance (as usual me wandering past the line trying to turn it off). But regardless I'm happy.

Time later comes through at 50:19, 1:31 off my old best time! Barely mediocre in the grand scheme of things but for me, not bad. Although I have got sunburn on both my shoulders... in September... and it is quite sore...

Also, update on scam monkey from other day, reported to police, PayPal and gumtree (who ignored my email) and my money is on it's way back! Massive thanks to Andrew Aitcheson for the assistance/advice on this. Now hoping to get a capture card again! Have recorded one XB1 video, but it was shite and has been filed away on some god forsaken corner of YouTube. as a WIP!

Cardiff half in 2 weeks, expect more running related writings before then.

Cardiff Half Marathon

Well that was fun, the only dry day in about 6 months, contrasting the Swansea 10k drastically, freezing temperatures to start but warming up nicely, and improvement on the course they used last year. The Cardiff Marathon was a nice day out:

I went in with a target time of 2:10, hoping for 2:05 and for the second race in a row, I hit the better target! Moving my oversized gut round the 13.1 miles in 2:03:58. If anything a bit frustrating I was closer to 2 hours than I was expecting while still falling a bit short.

A slow first mile people dodging (10:40ish) didn't help, and there was also a massive flap at around the 8 mile mark all of which cost me quite a bit of time of course. But I think with better training 2 hours should be my target come Llanelli in March.

Not a bad couple of races, taking 6ish mins of my 10k time and 19ish of my 1/2 marathon and judging by how I feel, there'#s more to come on both. Sadly my knee doesn't seem as willing as the rest of me and is rather useless at the moment, as a result I'm now officially doubtful for the Aberdare Demon Run this coming Sunday, as long as it feels ok by Wednesday I'll be raring to go, but I think I quick check up on it may be in need tomorrow.

Next year though, sub 2 hour 1/2 is on, and I also fancy a go at a 26.2 miler at some point, but maybe 2014.

Keep on running

It's that time of the year again, the time of year I try to do something I'm physically incapable of to raise money for charity (well not only for that, I do it so I don't become a 30 stone monster as well, beefcake!), this year I've used all my imagination and done exactly the same as last year, the Cardiff Half Marathon, plus probably the Swansea 10k as a warm up race.

This year I'll be joined by my friends Brad and James (or so I'm told by Brad, don't count numbers til the start line), here's the classiest photo I could find of myself (the floral number) and Bradley (the little black/grey dress) from my stag night. Ignore the bald one, we always find it best.

Anyway, running requires preparation, something which traditionally I suck at as much as the running part. So this year I've started earlier (well it can't be any later than last year as I barely did anything, lazy motherf...) so Rhydycar gym will actually start earning the £9,500 a month it takes from my account. So far I've made 2 visits, on the first covering 4 miles and doing a bit on the bike and the second 5 miles, both at pretty decent pace too, so I'm pretty confident I'll be able to do 13 by October.

The main issue at the moment is feeling the urge to stop at even the faintest hint of fatigue. Knowing rest and relaxation is just a large red stop button away is quite tempting, to the point where on the 5 miles, I could have easily have carried on, I wasn't feeling that bad, but just thought, "That'll do fatty, go get a burger." Which of course I didn't.

Luckily I get myself into a mindset that once I'm going I do tend to really enjoy training. Headphones in, decent music, bit of adrenaline or something pumping, sense of achievement when you get there, it's good stuff.

Equally my choice of charity is still open, traditionally of late I've fund raised for Velindre, a very worthy cause. But with a new sprog on the way (have I mentioned that? I have now anyway) the temptation is there to support a kids charity, such as the NSPCC who I ran for on my first half marathon, also with Brad but no James, ended with quite a nasty knee injury...

Any suggestions, I have a comments section....

I may keep this blog updated periodically with training updates, I doubt they'll be that interesting, but it's my blog and I'll post what I like! I'm planning on hitting the gym this very evening, 5 miles again is the target, see how I feel when I get there. I'm still far to heavy to make a decent go at it, but I'll get there. I even have Special K for Breakfast this morning! Not out of any weight-loss plan, I just really like the red berries one. 

Also is it wrong I'm really fancying a kebab at the moment?

Swansea Bay 10k

Yesterday was the lovely Swansea Bay 10k. My third time in the race and by far the least preparation I'd ever done. I'm by no stretch an athlete, so to try this kind of thing ideally some decent effort needs to be made, however this time things just kept getting in the way and I did 1 run (count it... 1) in the 2 months or so before the event. (Heolgerrig - Beacon Heights via winchfawr road, 4 miles very hilly) So as you can imagine there was a sense of dread as number 3753 took up his position at the rear of the field (where I belong) to run the 6.2 miles ahead.

At this point I'll go into my biggest usual problem running, pacing. I can't do it, I never have any idea how fast I'm going etc, so hight praise for the Nike+ GPS iPhone app. An absolute godsend, kept me informed on pace as often as I wanted, well worth the £1.49 from the app store (I had mine free!)

Anyway, back on point, I started, right calf quite tense and a little sore, couldn't hear the warm up (as could nobody round by me, everyone just kinds stood round looking confused while the first 2500 - 3000 people bounced around weirdly) so just tried stretching the sore bit.

Then bang, we were off... well almost it took me 2 and a half minutes to start, but I was off. I hit the Nike+ app which started the music. First song? 'We're not gonna make it' by the Presidents of the USA. You couldn't write it! It also finished with Still Alive by Jonathan Coulton, quite apt, 'This was a triumph...'.

But it went quite well, I kept pace well for the first half of the race, was on schedule for an hour time, my ultimate goal (aim low, rarely disappointed) until a few niggles kicked in and I had to stop a few times on the way back. But I finished and I finished without any major disasters. The time:

Nike+ says 1:04:43 my chip says 1:05:00 so one of them, in a massively underwhelming 2,400th / 4,000.

Not exactly a write off, but I know I could have done better and if I'd actually trained I could have done well. So I'm frustrated mainly with myself!

I now have 3 weeks til the Cardiff Half Marathon, I need to train, I will do 2:20, it's my goal! Plus I can't make it 13 miles without good prep, it's a physical impossibility! I'm also running it for Velindre if anyone wants to sponsor me, feel free!

http://www.justgiving.com/andrew-driscoll0/eurl.axd/d33ccee2fd79d546ae925c4f9d873bb1