Tom Roper's Running Training

Five days to the Seaford half-marathon

There's five days to go to the Seaford half-marathon, and I ran down to Seaford front, in one direction to Splash Point, and in the other to the sailing club. I was pleasantly surprised to be quite fast, as I still have a cold, and haven;'t run since an outing on Friday round Stanmer Park with Claire.
Today's details:
Time: 58:51
Distance: 6.42
Pace: 9.10 (best 7.55)

On Friday:

Time: 36:22
Distance: 3.74
Pace: 9.43 (best 7.47)

Boundary run

The warm weather having returned, I celebrated in Claire's company with a reprise of the University of Sussex boundary run. I forgot to start the Forerunner so cannot offer any interesting statistics.

Monday run

I had a cold yesterday which prevented me from doing a Sunday run, so I compensated with a damp Monday lunchtime run round the health week route.  
Time: 48:49
Distance: 4.71
Pace: 10.22 (best 5.19)
Nature notes: calves, rabbits and peacocks.
Song sung to myself while running: Song of the Soviet partisans

Three runs

I haven't done anything very strenuous since the boundary run. Last Friday, I had a short run round Stanmer Park with Claire, Chris and Joanna, on Wednesday the same with Claire, Jana and Joanna and again today with Claire and Jana. I haven't kept  statistics for the earlier runs but today I added an extra couple of miles at the end so perhaps it is worth recording.
Time: 39:37
Distance: 4.02
Pace: 9.51(best 8.20)

Perverse folly

It might be called perverse folly to choose a race for one's first post-marathon run, but as today was the University of Sussex's Boundary fun run (NB word file), I couldn't resist entering, and I decided that I should still be race-fit. I think I did fairly well considering.
Time: 23:50
Distance: 2.87
Pace: 8.19 (best 5.52)

Neolithic Marathon: the full account

First, statistics: I was 90th out of 167 finishers, 12th in my age group,  in an official time of 4:17:33. In sixteen weeks of training I ran 522.61 miles. So I failed to run a marathon in less than four hours, but remain convinced that I could, perhaps on an easier surface.
The marathon started in overcast weather; at Avebury, I saw the stone circle for the first time (see John Aubrey’s description),  and it drizzled a little as I was changing in the churchyard. The knee trouble I’d had persisted, indeed when I’d got up that morning was quite bad, but I put on a sports bandage, which seemed to do the trick.

Neolithic marathon

I ran my sixth marathon yesterday, the Neolithic, from Avebury to Stonehenge.

Time: 4:17:32 by the Forerunner; there was chip timing, so my official time should be on their website soon
Distance: 25.63, or so says the Forerunner, but it felt every inch like 26.2
Pace: 10.03 (best 7.52)
A full account will follow.

Off to Salisbury

Off I go at 1 today for the Neolithic Marathon, train to Salisbury, and then I'm staying in a hotel in Amesbury. I think I'm ready. By this time tomorrow I and around 300 others will be at the 5-6 mile point.
I will supply a full account on my return.

Stanmer Park

I had a gorgeously sunny run in Stanmer Park today with Claire and Jana, though my knee was a little sore, but I think a few days rest before the marathon will sort it out.
Time: 20:49
Distance: 2.17
Pace: 9.35 (8.33)

Six fast 400m

For my last Tuesday early speed run, I ran six 400m fast sessions on a beautiful bright morning along Seaford front, with 100m recoveries and 1 mile warm-up and cool-down.
Time: 41:23
Distance: 4.24
Pace: 9.46 (best 7.14)
1st 400m: 2:05/8.23
2nd 400m: 1:59/8.02
3rd 400m: 2:06/8.29
4th 400m: 2:09/8.40
5th 400m: 2:07/8.32
6th 400m: 2:26/9.49