Running – Stephen's Wildlife

Finisher!

I did it! It was a hot day and I faded in the 2nd half, but I finished.

My time was 3 hours 10 minutes, which is slow, but this wouldn’t have been possible just 8 weeks ago. My training got me through. That and the support of my wonderful family and friends. I was shuffling along in the 2nd half looking convincingly every day of my 65 years! But then the finish came into sight and I made a concerted effort to look a bit like a runner as I crossed the line.

The red hair dye was fun, but red sweat dripped down my face and into my eyes.

Thank you to everyone who donated to Macmillan Cancer Support:

Jane, Daniela, Turner family, John and Linda, Doug and Diane, Millie, Joy, Mark, Peter, the Tyndall family and two anonymous donors.

Your gifts really did give me encouragement. Macmillan Cancer support offer support to people at a very vulnerable time. I am so grateful for my wife’s recovery this year. This run was an expression of my gratitude to God for his love, care and support through a challenging chapter.

If you would like to donate, it’s not too late. This is a link to my JustGiving page.

Tapering and puddles

Bournemouth half marathon is just over two weeks away. This week’s weather in the UK is being affected by the remnants of hurricane Lee out in the Atlantic. This is set to be followed by hurricane Nigel later in the week. (There was an intermediate hurricane Margot, following the alphabetical naming convention, but that dissipated and was downgraded to a cyclone). My long run at the weekend was in a thunderstorm. There were progressively less and less people about as the puddles deepened and those with any sense headed indoors. At first I tried to dodge the puddles, but eventually I gave up and just waded through.

My concern was to keep going before I embark on tapering sessions 10-14 days ahead of race day. The theory of tapering as it has been explained to me is that there is nothing one can do in the last two weeks to make one run faster. The aim is to arrive at the start of the race fit and uninjured. Therefore the intesity of the training sessions needs to reduce and the length of long runs likewise need to reduce. Also by maintaining the same diet, with reduced exercise, there will be a natural period of carbo-loading.

That’s the theory. So I will do my last tempo run on Friday and my final long run on Sunday before scaling things back.

What other obstacles might get in the way? Poor race strategy. It has been suggested to me that the half marathon should be treated like 4 back to back Parkruns. The first two parkruns should be run at a steady pace, without getting carried away with the adrenaline and excitement. Then the effort should be maintained or increased in the third parkrun. (Bournemouth has a hill at mile 8, so I’m hoping my hill repeats will help me here.) Then the advice is to throw the kitchen sink at the final 3 miles/5k.

My time will not be fast, but barring injuries I will finish. I just hope that the rain won’t cause my rebel red hairspray to run.

Have you run a half marathon? How did you get on? Have you got any advice for how to approach the last two weeks? What worked for you? Would you do anything differently with the benefit of hindsight?

Thank you for reading and for the support.

Bournemouth half marathon training

It’s not all about the numbers. Three weeks to go until race day. The mileage is going up and the weight is coming down. Training is quite intense at the moment and its hard not to obsess about the little things.

I was doing my hill repeats this week. I do these on a quiet road not far from home. The road drops away quite sharply and there are stunning views across the Stour valley looking toward Canford Heath. I can run up and down a short section to my heart’s content and only see one or two vehicles and maybe the odd dog walker. There are a few houses on either side of the road, but only occasionally will I see one of their occupants.

I was on my 7th repeat out of 8 and struggled uphill before turning back down for the final climb. One of the occupants of a house on the right hand side of the road was in his driveway. He saw me and stopped what he was doing. I thought he was going to tell me to go and find another hill to run up and down, but he didn’t. He raised his right hand and gave me a cheery wave signifying approval of my exertions – I’ve never met the chap before. The effect surprised me. I reached the bottom of the hill and turned to climb again. My step was lighter. I picked up speed and gave it just a little more effort. I didn’t see the man as I passed his house on the left, but that didn’t matter. His simple gesture of encouragement raised my spirits and made me try just that little bit harder.

I’ve replaced my old trainers this week. And I have selected my hair colour – rebel red – which I’m hoping will wash out in my post race shower. There is a possibility, I guess, that its going to take more than one wash, in which case I may go through various stages of pink, before returning to my normal gray.

I’ve mentioned previously that I will be running with friends and family, so this is a shout out to those I am aware of who I believe will be there at the finish line: Doug, Debbie, Amy, Phoebe, Edd and Matt.

This is a link to my Just Giving page for anyone who would like to support me – Macmillan Cancer Support.

Half Marathon – 4 weeks to go

Buzzard (Buteo Buteo) watchfully at rest

I am tired. My legs feel like lead. The training is taking a toll on my body. I did a long run yesterday evening: 9 1/2 miles. My mind is also filled with doubts. I will be competing with much younger runners. Those in my own age bracket (I was 65 last birthday) will be serious runners. The years will have weeded out other runners like me. My PB for the half marathon was set in 2010. My last half marathon was seven years ago and was significantly slower. What makes me think I can do this?

Well, its not all about me. Macmillan Cancer Support have contacted me this week. They are sending me one of their green running vests for the race. They have been encouraging. Their fundraising target for Bournemouth is £117,000 which will be used to fund 3,500 hours of specialised Macmillan nursing care; provide 4,600 people living with cancer a session of emotional support with a Macmillan buddy; run the Macmillan Support Line phone service for 10 days, dealing with approximately 2000 calls and web enquiries from people who need their support.

My own fundraising target is far more modest, but combined with others will make a significant impact on people at a very vulnerable stage of their lives.

Finally, I haven’t lost sight of the fact that this is a wildlife blog. On a walk this week I spotted a buzzard perched at the top of a leafless tree. I took a few shots from a reasonable distance before he/she launched into a leisurely paced flight.

Half Marathon – training update

I am training to run the Bournmouth Half Marathon on 8th October. A lot of my training runs are on gravel tracks through woodland. As we move from summer to autumn the colours are muted, but quite stunning.

I have just five weeks remaining until race day. My first three weeks have gone well, although I lost three days to sickness – nothing serious, but just enough to prevent me training. I have lost 1/2 stone, which I am pleased about and my long runs are up to 8 miles. It isn’t pretty and it isn’t fast. Slow and steady wins the day.

Early morning sunlight peeking through the trees

Most of my runs are early morning before the heat of the day. Over the course of a week I train on 5 days and rest on 2. As well as just running, I’ve incorporated one day for weight training and one day for hill repeats – probably my favourite activity.

There are probably 3 weeks of hard training, followed by 2 weeks of tapering. I am quite excited as race day gets closer. I am resisting the temptation to dress up in a superhero costume, but I may mark the occasion with some red or blue hair dye.

I’ve cast my eye over the course. If the weather is clear there will be stunning views over Bournemouth Bay

My hill repeats are helping me prepare for the four hills on the course from sea level to the top of the cliffs. I’ve discovered that quite a few friends and family are also running, so it is building up to be quite a festive event.

The prime motivator for my running is thanksgiving. To give thanks to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for my wife’s recovery from cancer. So I am running for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Bournemouth Half Marathon 8th Oct 2023

It’s been a while. I used to run but my last half marathon was in 2010. In recent years I have let it go, but a week or so ago my son took me on a walk in the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. We walked 8 miles from Corfe Castle to Swanage on the coast and returned on the steam engine that runs between these two towns. About half way along the walk, we dropped off one hill ridge before crossing a road and climbing back up to Ballard Down. The climb was steep. 210 steps cut into the chalk until reaching The Obelisk at the peak. For me this was a wake up call. It should have been easy, but I struggled having to take regular breaks to catch my breath.

I love spreadsheets! When I got home I drafted a training program. Then after my first run, I looked for an event as a target for my fitness efforts. The Bournemouth half marathon was just 8 weeks away – perfect. After my first week I have shed 1/2 kilogram. Its slow and its humbling. My 11 year old son came with me on Wednesday for the hill repeats. He did 4 repeats in the time it took me to do 3.

Nearly a year ago my wife was diagnosed with cancer. It was caught early so it was successfully treated under surgery followed by a course of radiotherapy earlier this year. On the first day of radiotherapy we were sitting in the waiting room in Poole Hospital. She was so anxious. Then a friend who was a radiotherapist popped in to support her when she saw her name on the roster. Immediately my wife’s anxiety dissipated.

She is now clear, although it has been a struggle. Catching a virus immediately after the radiotherapy caused heart failure, but that is now on the mend with the help of a cocktail of medication. The picture above was taken on a recent walk, which would not have been possible just a few weeks ago.

So, I am running for a cause, Macmillan Cancer Support. This is a link to my Just Giving page for anyone who would like to support this worthy cause.