A month of Sundays

Dec 25th

With xmas day  falling on saterday  this year it means perfect excuse to not only get the traditional Xmas day run in but also double up and call it long weekend with LSD run on sunday (Box Day )  in fact with the following weeks new years day on a saterday you could call it a double roll over as its gonna seem like 'a month of sundays ' .

Xmas has always been the ideal oppertunity for me to throw the miles in and steal a march on my rivals most of which were usauly on the piss and piling on the pounds even tho' I retired from competitive running old habits 'die hard with a vengance ' .

18m easy over enrolled myself in the 'Skool for hard knocks ' and wore cut off shorts was ok after I warmed up and the blood started circulating not many runners out and about it seems the Traditional xmas day run has fallen by the way side amongst club runners but to get out at least once at this time of year even if its just for an hour or so is a psychological  advantage .

Boxing day 26th

Managed to survive xmas so far without Collateral liver damage  & limited myself to just a few drinks with plenty Brown Ale altho' did seccumb to few shots of schnaps as someone gave me bottle for xmas ,with my feck liver I shouldnt be drinking let alone still running !!.

20 miles easy pace the snow has been flattend and trapled down by walkers esp' on the canal towpath so its lot easier to run on  in fact Im quite enjoying myself running on the stuff hope its here to stay for anougher few weeks at least .
Past few runners on the canal as I ran past the Uni'  load sad bsterds on towpath to look at the new Bridge thats been lowered into postion to make way for the new Rd thats being built have to say it hardly makes a differance it seems some slap heads & local historians block the towpath with their cameras too occupied to move out the way and too  deaf to here me shout " make a path coming thro' " .

canal new build

Mon 27th

with two succesive days of LSD I had the idea to try hit 100mpw just for kicks as that kinds milage used to be common when I was lot younger esp' as nearly every pleb out there  seems to be pushing back the frontiers of running and unltras are the new marathon ,makes you feel so inferior especially when Celebs like 'Eddie Lizzard ' are doing it .

But I came down with bout of Neuralgia on the night , serves me right going out without a hat on Box day when it was -4c I dont usauly seccumb to cold viruses & manage  train thro' them but with  Neuralgia  the pain in the head gets worse with exercise and I end up being doped up on pain killers so I rested up for few days .

wed 28th

Resumed running and went for session down the gym on the Treadmill for some more torture cranked up the machine to top setting and let rip 20mins @ sub 16 mins 5k pace ages since I ran that fast but the speed in your legs never leaves you even at my age , jogged the extra few miles back home via the common for total of 10 m .

Been useing an old pair of shoes as they offer better grip in the snow trouble is they offer little cushioning on my ankles & knees the new Trainers I brought over month ago are still uncomfortable to wear they dont make Nikes like they used to .


footnote

Seems to be growing trend for Barefoott running I blogged on this few yrs ago but most of it was wind up I know 'Ron Hill ' was famous barefoot runner but he only ran without shoes on the Xcross country Ive tried it on the beach run in the wet sand near waters edge & on a treadmill ;mind you doubt wether I get away with it now with health & safety .

I did try doing track session once but gave up half way thro' after get foot burn on bottom of my feet due to the tartan track surface but there are plebs out there running barefoot in parks and on Rds which is crazy as you never know what sharp objects ley beneath the surface !!.

Tails from The Treadmill of Life

Weathers been that bad even Ive succumbed to the indoor treadmill after two weeks running on snow & ice I needed to get the feel of flat clean ground under my feet the problem with run on compacted snow is the bumps jar the joints and tendons thats why I picked up slight abductor strain.
 Its in one those embarrasing places that you dont wanna let the Physo' get there hands on except of course if shes attractive ,Ive known runners  invent injuries just to go along to check out a nice looking phsyo in the area but mine should be ok knowing my powers of recovery &' Kellys eye 'immortal  healing properties .

Dont mind the snow but wouldnt wanna have to train on it 6/7 days a week like those poor  sods who are still competitive athletes I can please myself when to go out .

All the slow running get to yous and its good to have burn up occasionaly I did 30 mins at bout 80% effort including some show boating altho the gym was empty thanks to the fair weather trainers I half expected the gym to be closed Im sure it was durng last yrs Artic blast .

The  Gym scales are fecked they dont seem to give the same reading twice ? either that or they are on an uneven surface still 11st 5lbs ?? but think Im get used ter running under this weight .


I see M60 'Mike Hagger ' is still running a one man assualt force on many masters titles & age world records supposed to be 60 but looks like feck 70 hope I dont look like that at his feck age !!.

Mike Haggered '

Wed 22nd Dec

Gym jog treadmill 1x 20 mins 1x 10 mins dont ask me wat pace but it was just enough to feel the burn some geezer a non runner on treadmill next to me  with the feet of an elephant you could feel the vibrations across the other side of the gym no wonder the machines are bust !!.

The Thought of Drinking this xmas is enough to turn my liver inside out esp' as Ive just started kicking myself into shape so I be sticking to wine this year and not stuffing my face ahead of the traditional xmas run .

Footnote

Bumped into an old drinking pal few weeks ago I was shocked to find hed had a 'Heart by pass ' hes same age as me 52 ' like me he used to be very fit when he was younger  and was verygood footballer at one time courted by few Lge clubs .

He reckoned it was the drink & fags thank feck I had my running to keep me on the right rd otherwise I may have ended up like him too !! we used to call him 'George Pissed ' as he was the 'George Best 'of the non Lge when ever we had a match we had to hunt him down & drag him out of the pub but even when he was half cut he was still good enough to run rings round the oppo ' .
I remeber one night under the influance of alchol  he agreed to play for three different pub teams the following day but never turned up for any, one pub team found out where he lived and wouldnt go away until he answered the door eventually he persuaded his poor  mom to make up story hed broke his leg but it meant he had to steer clear of all the local pubs for months !!.

In case of Rescue cut here

90mins in the snow in my memory heavist snow fall since the 80s back then it was -12 & up to my knees in places esp in the country lanes ,bt that was then this is now !!

Have to admit even for me it was bloody hard going the faster runners tend to run on the frontfoot but in these conditions you have to run kinda flat footed which is  both uncomfortable & tireing and saps the energy especially in the tops of the legs .

After 90mins I had enough & turned back for home dont know if its because Im older or turning into a whimp but when was younger seemed to cope better with the conditions mind you back then I had four wheel drive .
Running across the local heath discovered it was a mistake to wear a yellow flourescent t-shirt after noticed some people were waving at me from a distance but realised they werent just being friendly they were in need of rescue prob' been there all night trapped in thier cars ,must thought I was the fecking RAC or the mountian rescue or something serves em right for not listening to advice and leaving their cars at home !! .

Id only agreed to wear the yellow top after my Mrs nagged me to, as in case of emergency like if Id broke my leg , and laying in the snow for hours the yellow would make my body stand out in the snow for any passing helicopter to swoop down and pick me up ,they think of  everything women dont they .

After few miles on the canal Id had enough of struggling in white stuff and came off at Bournville , loads sad bsterds at the railway station waiting for the shoppers special into city center makes you wonder wat would happen if the whole transport network broke down and everyone was forced to walk it would do lot to tackle the obese problem .

It was no better on the Rds too dangerous to run in the kerb cars were sliding all over and compacted snow on pavements made it hard to get into any rythm on the uneven surface thats prob' why I never was any good over the X country but just had to grin and bare it .

Take in local beauty spot 'Cannon Hill park ' met with new hazard people walk thier dogs esp' the packs of them ,the dogs seem'd to think just like thier feck owners that us runners are part of the winter wonderland and to be played with for their entertainment . Ok I can take a joke just like the next bloke but after few hundred yards the joke wears little thin but found a polite 'FUCK OFF ' in the diirection of the owners worked a treat for them to call the wolves off !!.

Then there was the photographers dozs of them all lined up around the lake turning it into a feck 'ski sunday ' salom course had to weave in out of them I just realised why the bloody gritters havent cleared the roads its something to do with the local 'Historical societies ' wanting to take pics for future generations in 50 yrs time to show them how hard we had it in proper snowfall 

Running back thro ' the 'River Rea ' cycle route passed few hardy joggers including one geezer wearing pair of knee length shorts but Im afraid he doesnt make it into my 'skool for hard knocks ' as the whimp was wearing a hooded fleeced top that dont count in my book . 

Looks like the white stuff is going to be around for weeks so Im serously concidering wearing a pair of run spikes next time out but think if I had a choice between running on ice or snow Id chose the more dangerous ice everytime .

FOOTNOTE

Been doing my bit to help my elderly neighbours in the snow one side I  got 'Charlie ' hes quite friendly  for Scotsman @t 76 & on sticks he does ok, like most Glaswegians hes seems to have mastered the art of foul language esp' the word 'cunt !! which to him seems to be term of affection especially when talk to me .
Ive always found that Feck, @rse ,Cunt & bsterd sounds much better cuming from a Scotsman as in " you see that cunt over there " meaning a bloke whos Dog keeps shiteing on his front garden or " will you go and get me the papers you cunt !" . I dont mind esp' in the snow he usualy has the 'Scottish post ' but this morning I got him an 'English paper ' he wasnt too happy so ungrateful , thats the trouble with some these 'Scits ' they got no SOH !!.

Get a Grip !!

Thurs 16 Dec

Been feeling sluggish and tired of late reduced sessions to four instead five whch seemed to do the trick felt lot better tonite with 60min effort (10m) ish round canal & bournville found the going tricky with the sudden arrival of fresh snow & ice but after 10mins mastered it ok.

Made sure I chose a route with plenty grass verges to run on [ hope your taking notes out there you have to pay good money for tips like this from one them fancy coaching sites ] but when had to switch to roads it was trecherous more so when change direction just like one them formula one race drivers on slicks , had to slow right down and pick my spot to accelerate away gain but after running for over 25yrs theres few weather conditions that thase me .

Decided to leave the weights alone for bit as running and pumping Iron dont mix noticed strange tiredness in tops of my thighs lately could be xtra weight Im carrying 11st 10 lbs ?

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

Welcome return of the frost so was keen to get out there 2hrs + if I were racing man consistancy is the key to success just keep banging it out every week and rest is piece of piss

Not my normal route chose to head out towards Earlswood picking up the canal at Dickens heath back into Brum then off gain at Warstock taking the route thro' Chinbrook & The Dingles most is on grass ,dont see many runners along here in hallgreen perhaps not many runners know bout it but its great run if you want to take in all the parks in the area but I aint posting any Google shite on here dont want any @rse holes turning up on my secret route I value my privacy .

Came back along wake Green Rd thro' moseley & back along river rea cycle path thro' Cannon Hill park few runners about but not many maybe they were all over doing the 'Sneyd 10 ' sadly its the only 10 miler in the Birmingham area left now !!.

Felt good but went thro rough patch after 90mins I blame the extra weight Im carrying that 5/6lbs makes a differance have try to lose it dont expect to get down to under 11stone tho' .

Must admit I do miss the LSD group run where once a week club runners of all abilities would meet up and go out together altho ' it very rarely ended up that way towards the end of 2hr run someone would start pushing it at the front usualy me .
Amongst the subjects discussed would be Training /race tatics  where the more experienced runners would talk and the Tail end charlies just listen picking up tips ,I remember some of the more amusing subjects covered were 'how many buckets of snot the average runner snorts out in a lifetime ' .

I see the plebs out there have discovered  the virtues of the common Asprin as an anti heart attack relief but Ive been using the stuff for yrs as part of  an 'Asprin stack '  thats Asprin /Caffine /Glucose taken before a session esp long run for an energy  boost and it also helps to lose weight and alleviates aching legs  .

Bumped into  Rowheaths  'pop' as he s known by  local runners hes really pissed off as the quacks told him to stop running & put the poor sod on Tablets due to an irregular heart beat 'pop' is 76  & been runnning for over 30 yrs its his life and hes devistated .
Told him Ive had same problem all thro' my carear and its nothing to worry about most Athletes have unusaul heart rythms & to get back out there as long as he dont get any pains in his chest , most GPs dont know how to deal with fit people esp runners they only know how to treat sick persons a 76 yr old who runs 20 miles they havent clue how to deal with .

Like said many times Id  rather drop down dead on the canal towpath doing something I love than abuse my body with Drink & fags like most unfit middle aged basterds !.

The Return of an Old Friend ?

Well its back again Alfs 'Tough at the top ' but this time after last yrs  retirement  its 'Tough on the way back down again '



Im sure some my more regular readers will be dissapointed to learn Im still alive but only just , since my retirement from all competition Ive still been joggng few times a week and maintaining basic fitness inc' Gym work with weights .
Ive built  my runnning back up to include the sunday LSD  and few outings during the week but Ive no intention of racing at the same level I have been since my last cumback @47 five  years ago !! its definatley case of 'Never say never '  but then gain 'you only live twice '  Mr Bond .

I do intend the odd sortie on the local race scene just to get the competitive streak out of my system but dont intend to get serious gain busting my guts 5/6 times week thats a mugs game !.

Main reason why started this garbage up gain was Ive been entertaining myseff on Tupperslot' ' but trouble is one is restricted to only few words and  as anyone whos kept train diary knows things can get bit long winded .

WED 8th Dec 2010

Gym weights Jog , get so bored with pump Iron unlike running theres no end game or competitive  adralin Buzz or long term training  plan not only that Ive gained weight to 11st 11lbs which is bit of a shock ,its mostly muscle but its the heavist I been since cuming back @47 five yrs ago its bound to have some affect on my running carrying the extra weight around .

Cut my gym session short due to the place being too busy its been like this ever since the council introduced free sessions during the day but its become too feck popular you cant get on the equipment sometimes esp if one the young fecks are messing about wth thier moble phone or Ip3 player leaving you stand about lke a prat .Sooner they go back to the pay on the desk system the better the local sty dwellers have no gym etiquette unlike the regulars .

Jogged back home along the canal the towpath is iced up just like most places around the country but Im sure its get more dangerous  havent slipped over yet but had few lucky escapes , reckon its something to do with the fact that we bin runnng on the snow & Ice for over two weeks now which means the initial danger factor has subsided and we have relaxed our running action which means more chance of going @rse over tit !!.

Such sad Bsterd Ive been searching the 'Power 10 ' web site looking for old advisarys or rivals from my younger days who are stll doing a bit now and then in an attempt to get some  inspiration as saying goes 'Its the loneliness of the long distance runner '.