14 mile long run, and blisters

I ache like a fiend! After a 14 mile run my legs are still screaming. Even with post-run stretching I still ache all over. And the blisters don't help. Maybe I should have broken my new shoes in a bit longer before a Sunday long run.

It's 6 weeks and counting. The Georgia Marathon is getting scarily close. So, I thought it was time to stop running with the club and do my own long run. Knowing what distance I have run at any point and being able to 'chop and change' the route is a big help. 15 miles was the target. Unfortunately I had failed to properly break in my new shoes. Duh! With 14 miles done blisters started forming. And that was the end of that - homeward bound :(

I just hope the blisters heal soon...

No Running in freezing London

Jeez. What a week! Snow and ice has put paid to the best part of a week's training.

It hardly ever snows in London. Regardless, it snowed like a fiend last week. Having managed a 13 mile training last Sunday, we sat in the clubhouse relaxing as the snow began to fall. And it didn't stop until Monday morning.

Being that it hardly snows here they are invariably unprepared for such weather. Very few made it to work on Monday, schools were closed and the city almost ground to a halt. Unfortunately this included the running track. By lunchtime on Tuesday we were told the track was out of action. Often this means a road run instead. Not on ice-covered pavements! No bloomin' way!! And with no thaw until Friday, the week was effectively a right-off.

With 6 weeks of training to go before my marathon in Atlanta this is not good. I'm sooooo jealous of those running half marathons and 10Ks the same day. .....So, jealous.

New running shoes, and more

A good week for training for marathons. New running shoes, visa ok'd for America and a major improvement in training.

The week didn't start so well. The Frank Harmer Memorial 10K that I was hoping to run in early March, has been cancelled. Building work scheduled for the changing facilities that we would have used means the race is no more. I'm most disappointed. As I said before it would have been good to have a shorter race prior to my marathon on March 29. Oh well, no point in moaning.

On a more positive note, Homeland Security have given me the OK to enter the USA. Going there to run in March, this really helps. There is now a new requirement called ESTA, which you need to meet to travel to the States. By providing details like your passort number and address where you'll be staying in the US, they decide if you are worthy of entering their great nation. Some of the quiestions were, it has to be said a bit surprising, like:

C) Have you ever been or are you now involved in espionage or sabotage; or in terrorist activities; or genocide; or between 1933 and 1945 were you involved , in any way, in persecutions associated with Nazi Germany or its allies?

I answered no, which seemed to be what they wanted.

And this weekend has been most productive. I bought a nice pair of much needed running shoes. Now I can be reasonably sure my knees will be ok in the coming year. And a 13 mile training run to Battersea and back has put me on track for a decent performance in Atlanta this March. A bit more effort and I may at last break 4 hours. Here's hoping.

Cold running, London style

Jeezy peeps! The last week has been absolutely baltic! Not the ideal weather for running. But, with my Altanta Marathon application sorted out there's no time to lose.

With London suffering freezing temperatures my three training runs in the past week have all been less than comfortable. A grim venture outside at the weekend wasn't fun. This was followed by a trip to the track being aborted (in favour of runnign round the local park) because of ice and, most recently, another park circuit in a favour of the usual hill session - mist meant that visibilty was down to about 20 metres, and closer to home seemed a better option. None of it was fun.

On a happier not, I've just signed up for the Frank Harmer 10K in March. This is the running club's annual event and will take place on March 1 in Brockwell Park in Herne Hill. It should be a good 'tester' prior to Atlanta. And a bit warmer too:)

ING Atlanta Marathon, here I....wait

Off to America in March for the ING Georgia Marathon? Or, just off to America? I can't believe my application stalled on the final page. Now I don't know if I'm signed up or not!

With holidays booked off work and flights mind, it was time to book up for my next marathon. That should be easy enough. Well, maybe not. I logged in and provided all the necessary details - name, address, credit card details, and the rest. Fine, no probem. But when, after all that, it stalls on the vary last page it's blinking infuriating!! There's no confirmation email, so I assume I am not signed up, but can I be sure? I am so annoyed. Active.com are not my favourite group of people right now.

3 minutes? Really?

What now? I've submitted a support ticket, asking for confirmation and/or remedy. Let's see how long these guys take to respond. They are in the US, so I guess a response may be postponed untill they wake up. But they better do something fairly soon. Its tough enough training in the cold without the not knowing if I have a place or not!!:(

Running in China

I just returned from China the other day. What what a great time! I had a superb time, seeing Beijing, Shanghai and visiting friends in Hangzhou. While there, as well as seeing the Forbidden City, World Finance Centre, etc, the plan had been to do a bit of running. However the air quality made that less than straightforward.

First stop Beijing. What a city! Running round Tiananmen Square, Beihai Park and Temle of Heaven would have been so cool. It was seriously cold, but I had warm running gear so the weather was no major drama. But the air tasted of burnt plastic, so that was right out. Maybe in Shanghai?

Down to Shanghai. I arrived surfacing at People's Square in the city centre with the park full of people doing Tai Chi. It seemed like a healthy place. And being near the coast it would probably have decent air. As the day wore on, while I visited the Bund, next to the river the air started to feel manky. Hmmm... So, when I left for Hangzhou the following morning I wasn't a bit jealous seeing the Shanghai marathon running past.

Hangzhou, third time lucky? With a huge and beautiful lake (West Lake) next to the city and lots of countryside the hope was this would be a clean city. Marco Polo apparently spoke highly of it, saying it is "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world". And, to be fair, it was pretty impressive. Also, the air didn't smell or taste of anything. Wey!

So, eventullay having time away from the sites I set off on a run. The choice was the lake or towards the Lin Ying Temple. The lake was always mobbed with cowds so I decided on the road to the temple. Along paths offset from the tree-lined streets, past the nearby tea plantations and on to the Temple. Then back to the flat. A joy. And my lungs were in the same state than when I set out.

London Marathon - Rejected Again!

I can't believe it! It was my 6th application to the London Marathon, and 5th in a row. Surely I was guaranteed a place this time? No. Apparently not. This really snookers my plans.

I've been asked over to Atlanta, by a friend, to run in March. The choice was to the the full ING Marathon or the half maranthon. Ideally, I was hoping to run the half, as part of my build up for the London Marathon. By guaging my perfromance in Atlanta I would have had a good idea exactly how my training was going, and use that information to best prepare for 26 miles. Alas, this isn't going to happen.

This leaves 2 alternatives - Edinburgh marathon in May or commiiting to the 26 miles in Altlanta. Am still undecided, but I think I'll by opting for the American option. 4 years running in the Edinburgh race has been fun, but I'm in the mood for another foreign race. And catching up with friends will be lots of fun. So, it looks like Atlanta beckons.