Less than a week to go and it's all gone to the dogs

Less than one week to go: the distance training has now finished and I am well in to the taper period. I still run 4 times a week, but gradually shorter distances and at a slower 'super plod' pace too.

The fear of injury or illness is now at the forefront of my mind and at times I feel sick with nerves. Quite frankly I want to get the marathon over and done with now.

I decided a while back to mark my marathon milestone by raising some funds for the Dogs Trust charity. But I decided only at the last couple of weeks to request sponsorship, when I knew that I had done the training, and as far as I could establish, I would indeed be on the starting line.

I have 2 rescued lurcher dogs, Tom and Alice, who are very dear to me. They were abandoned, left tied to a tree in a field in Ireland back in 2004. They were found, but then placed on the 7 day 'death row' by the organisation that had found them. Thankfully, they were saved in time and brought to the UK and ended up living with me.

Organisations such as the Dogs Trust work hard to find new homes for abandoned dogs and never put down a healthy dog. My research has found that the Dogs Trust spends money raised wisely, but I think that's because of the level of responsibility they have. I would love to show my support for this organisation, so that more dogs like Tom and Alice can have a future. Thanks for your kind support... http://www.justgiving.com/Nick-Bowler

My race number arrived the other day (not sure why my race number is so low?!?). And I've signed up for social media updates too - so my result and my half way split times will be automatically posted on facebook.

I also had chance to pop up to Chester and drive the marathon route alongside my fellow Chester runners Larry and Richard with chief marathon logistics manager and supporter Laura. So a few hours of collective worrying about the route (It may start and fnish in the same place, but it looks uphill all the way) has meant the reality is here (especially when seeing the road signs giving advance warning of the forthcoming road closures).

So the next week will be spent avoiding people with colds, studying the race pack cover to cover. Re-checking the hotel booking, counting my gels, checking the weather forecast, clearing down the memory in my Garmin and so on. The countdown continues...

Chiens enragés et des hommes anglais sortir sous le soleil de midi (Mad dogs and English men go out in the midday sun)

So with the marathon training mileage now building up nicely and progress going well, the plan called for a short run and so some fellow parkrunners (Larry, Eric, Jeanette, Louis with fellow Tough Guy volunteer Adrian) headed off to Derbyshire for the Wilne 10k. It's a really well orgainsed run and I had previously used it as part of my 2011 comeback.

My August parkrun PBs had filled me with hope of a good time and I was confident that a 10k PB could be possible. The run went really well, my pace was quicker as the race went on (I kept telling myself that my pace was too fast, but I just kept on going). In the end I took over 6 minutes off my 10k PB to record a time of 51:12 - wow, I never had expected that!

Eric, myself and Larry all looking rather chuffed after our triple 10k PBs (Jeanette got a PB too!)

Thanks to George & Louis Satterthwaite for the photo.

The following day I headed off to my parents' house in France for a sort of holiday. There may be a change of location, but the marathon plan calls for the mileage to increase again. Every day involved either a run or a cycle (or both!) culminating in a 21 mile run in hot conditions through the Burgundy countryside.

Eric had suggested that I did the run as a build up run, so I split it into 5 mile sections, starting at a minute slower than my marathon pace, increasing the pace every 5 miles to finish at my marathon pace. However, it went much better than I had thought, even with the hot sun and 26C temperature, so much so that my 21st mile was at a cheeky 8:28 mins per mile, so my confidence was sent sky high! If I could repeat that run at Chester, it would make for a cracking day. Running through the French countryside was pleasant with the highlight being a smiley small dog who accompanied me for around 200 metres down a village main road before getting worried about being far from home. The dog kept looking at me, happy about running, but not quite sure why we were doing it. I think I may have had the same feeling too!

Soon after I returned back to Blighty for my biggest mileage week of 2012. 37.5 miles ending with a 20 mile run split into 2 parts as I ran from Redditch to Blythe Valley to cheer on a gang of fellow parkrunners in their 10k race before returning home. Well that's it as far as the plan is concerned, it's now time to taper as the race takes place in just 3 weeks time!

Mental Strength Comes in White Hats!

Following recent success with the interval runs, I stuck with them throughout August and reaped the rewards with 2 further 24 minute times at Brueton parkrun. (Yes, believe it when I say I ran at Brueton parkrun for 3 weeks in a row!)

In terms of the weekend long runs, I was a bit concerned that running so hard on a Saturday would affect Sunday, but after a few miles in to each run I was fine. I did my second run at 15 miles - again maintaining a pace just under marathon pace all the way. Seems easy enough on paper, but still 11 miles shy of the full marathon distance. On a mid-week catch up with a couple of fellow Chester Marathon first timers, we confessed our mutual fears of not being able to move up through the longer training distances let alone complete a marathon itself.

I guess the main challenge for a marathon first timer is the mental approach; i.e. gaining the belief it can be done without any similar experience to draw upon. It's only 7 weeks away now and with 2 weeks of tapering at the end of the plan, it leaves just a handful of opportunities to do the longer runs in the time that remains.

Is it a lack of confidence or just being in uncharted terriotory? I've trained better than the plan throughout May, June, July and August, so why should I fail now? The plan says it can be done, so surely it must remain a possibility - cue inspiration and a change of tactic.

The confidence boost can be achieved by controlled pacing and a stronger finish in each of the training long runs. However maintaining my current sub marathon pace beyond 15 miles is not a reality - to find this extra 11 miles I need to run smarter. My first 17.5 mile run fell on a hot day - time for a new tactic. Eric had suggested that I break the run into sections and apply a pace to each section.

So armed with my white hat and an application of my special sport sun cream to keep the sun at bay, a set of gels on my fancy new gel belt, a bottle of water, an emergency mobile phone and money to buy drinks as I go round, I set out on my 17.5 mile run - initially running the first 5 miles at a minute per mile slower than normal (just inside 12 mins/mile), then take the pace back to the usual long run pace just inside 11 mins per mile (for another 5 miles) and then go back to the slower pace again for 5 miles. At 15 miles assess where I am and decide the finish, with the preferred option to be the stronger finish if at all possible. I did and it worked brilliantly. After 3hrs and 17 mins of running, gels consumed and drinks money spent, I made it home for my well earned recovery milkshake. Job done.

Speed is the secret to marathon success!

My training this far has been dominated by running mid and longer distances at or near my marathon pace. This is fine from the point of view of building the miles up, but there is far more to it in order to get to 26.2 mile success - i.e. I need to be able to run with less effort.

From various discussions with experienced runners and a bit of reading too, the way this is achieved is by being a faster runner. My stride, speed, and stamina should all improve as a result of including speed workouts in the training. That doesn't necessarily mean to jump to the track and start some fancy sessions; that is more suited to the experienced runner. For me, it is just simply the case of building core fitness and this can be done with interval training and 5k/10k races.

Yes, I've done plenty of parkruns and run 10k races; that isn't the new bit. The key is to be able to hold a consistent fast pace for a period of time and this will build both fitness and strength. So for the last 5 weeks my midweek 5 mile plod has now become a 5 mile interval run. I do 4 lots of half mile fast paced efforts with 4 'slow' recovery half mile efforts in between and then finish off with a 1 mile plod warm down.

Just by my home there is a triangle of roads suitable for this, decent width pavement and one part is a cul-de-sac so is relatively quiet. It does have a chip shop on it, so I am conscious of being watched when I go past again and again and again and get a waft of fish and chips each time I go by.

I start off with a slow half mile, then my Garmin watch chirps and I spring in to action for a half mile and then back to another slow half mile after that to recover. My aim was to be able to have maintained the same pace across all the fast half miles. I managed the first 2 at just under 8 mins/mile and the last 2 at just over 8 mins/mile; not bad for a first go. I've done the same once each week from then on and each time my fast pace has become quicker, right down to my first two efforts this week being at under 7 mins per mile. Wow!

Just to see what the impact is, I returned to my old friend, the 'hilly 5k' - a fast and furious 5k on a very challenging and undulating route. My time fell from 27:30 to 25:15 in just 5 weeks! Amazing improvement for this difficult route - so how would this translate in a time at Brueton parkrun? Surely my 25:50 parkrun PB was seriously under threat now!

So the opportunity came for me to run at Brueton parkrun and so I did, with some excitement, but not sure whether I could make a faster pace last over 5k. It's a bit different to just doing that over half a mile! I set a target pace to run just under 8 mins for the first mile and take it from there. Off I went inside target pace and at 1 mile I felt OK. The second mile was more difficult and a bit slower too, but again just inside 8 mins/mile and by this time I had moved up the field, so what the hell - let's keep going and see if I can last the whole distance! The third mile turned out to be my fastest mile and with my final time just a touch over 24 mins I had taken nearly two minutes off my parkrun PB. I can't believe it - but it appears that my marathon training coupled with these half mile intervals have made me a faster runner! Let's see how all this affects my long runs in August (with 2 at 15 miles and 2 at 17.5 miles) - will I be able to last the distance?

A canalside PB

Following the success at the Arden 9 mile run in June, the next step was to get back into training ready for the next challenge, the Birmingham and Black Country Half Marathon.

However, an opportunity to run the pilot event of a brand new parkrun came my way and as it was for the forthcoming new parkrun in my home town of Redditch, it would have been rude to have not gone along. So a Wednesday evening parkrun took place at Arrow Valley Park and to make the most of the miles I decided to run to the park as well. It's a great park and the route is essentially 2 laps around the lake. I enjoyed the run and managed to finish in 4th place, by far my highest ever parkrun finishing position! But when there are only 13 runners, the numbers are in my favour!

I finished the week with a 12 mile run inside my target marathon pace of 11 mins/mile. A great confidence booster ahead of the half marathon and took my mileage total for June to a massive 122 miles!

And so the half marathon day came - this is a run with a difference; it is a point to point run from Wolverhampton to Birmingham and being down a canal path the runners go off in small groups in a time trial format rather than a mass start. I started in the final group of the day with Larry and I had the intention to run a consistent pace of 10 mins/mile to achieve a new half marathon PB. The wet weather in the weeks before the race meant that the canal path was covered with puddles and had in many parts turned to mud. The conditions did make it tricky to keep momentum steady and whilst I was able to maintain my pace, I did begin to think early on that my higher energy expenditure to keep to the pace would mean that I would fade later in the race. In the end I kept inside the target pace throughout the whole run, meaning that a fabulous new PB of 2:10 was achieved. Brilliant!

The following week required a shift in my running because Sunday was dedicated to volunteering at the Tough Guy event, where people wade through mud and run through fields on fire in the name of fun! Knowing this event was on the calendar, I decided to make the most of Saturday and run back home to Redditch after parkrun!

After starting on pavements, I ended up running through 2 swampy fields, climbing gates, avoiding a sheep blocking the way on a narrow path and managed to get lost too! By the time I had arrived home after over 3.5hrs of running, my Garmin said that I had covered 18.4 miles for my longest ever run. And when this is added to the Brueton parkrun Junior Olympic Park torch relay that I did that morning (see picture below - yes, I am the runner 'in character' as a torch security officer!), it meant that my total mileage for the day was just over 20!

Hot pants make you run faster!

There may still be over 100 days to go until the Chester Marathon, but as well as doing the training - sorting out the kit is just as important. When I started running I had my gait checked so that I could buy a suitable pair of trainers. I've stuck to the same ones (subject to model changes) since that time and just started using my lastest pair this week (I had bought 2 pairs in a New Year half price sale).

However, in that time, my running style may have changed - so I decided to get to gait checked again this week and sure enough the conclusion was that my current pair are no longer the most suitable for me (my left foot anyway). So I now have another new pair of trainers - maybe if all goes well, these will become the marathon trainers! With my existing pairs a new insole is all that's needed, so they can still be used.

Whilst I was in the shop I wanted to get some more shorts. I usually do training/Winter races in long running trousers and they fit the bill well. But in Summer, they're not the best on warmer days and so the shorts come out - but chaffing is a marathon runner's enemy. Plenty of Vaseline is the usual answer, but there are other things that can be done too. I boldly tried on a new red pair of Nicaraguan compression shorts (to wear under a regular pair of shorts) with a view of wearing them at the following day's Arden 9 race. They also apparently keep thigh muscles warm so that they reduce muscle strain and fatigue - and may even enhance performance!

Bit of a risk maybe trying something new out on a race day, but I was prepared enough to take them off if need be!

The next day came and the bright red shorts went on and I have to say they worked a treat for the entire 9 mile race. The Arden 9 is full of fast club runners and is a Warwickshire League Race too, so to the likes of me, it is very competitive. On looking around at the other runners before the run, I could not find anyone who I thought would be slower than me, so fellow Marathon first timer Larry and parkrun friends Kevin and Paul headed towards the back for the start.

Off we went and at a brisk pace too before soon settling down into something more appropriate. My target for the day was to run just under 10 mins per mile to get a sub 90 minute time overall. But I felt comfortable at around a 9:15 min pace and just kept going and going, so much so I was gradually working my way up the field. An added bonus was that I ran with a water bottle; I normally do this in longer training runs anyway and I don't get on well at water stations. I struggle to take on a cup of water without virtually stopping altogether, so my pace and rhythm is disturbed and a few times the water has gone down the wrong way with unpleasant fits of coughing etc. A water bottle means I can take on water gradually and when I want it too - so when it came to the water stations I simply carried on through, overtaking people choking on their cups of water.

At around 4 miles in I caught up with runners who usually finish ahead of me and so I started to wonder whether my pace was going to get into trouble a few miles later on. On passing one improving runner, Linda Whitehead, I said to her 'just ignore me Linda, I'm going too fast! You'll catch me later on!' But I still kept going and going. At 10km my watch read a time of 57:00 (I've never even run a 10k race in this time before, so I knew I was surely going to struggle later on) and at the one hour point I had done 6.52 miles - again I had never done this distance in an hour before. Then I realised there was less than a 5k parkrun to go and hey, we've all done plenty of them, keep going, keep going! The muddy terrain around the lake slowed me a bit and the hill at 8 miles slowed me a bit too, but once that was done, I went on down the hill for a long sprint finish to the end, still passing people on the way! Final time was 81:45 on my watch, way inside the sub 90 min target time - what a great day ;-)

Triple Success!

With 15 miles as my longest run to date completed, the next Sunday was a different affair - rather than plodding around at my marathon pace, it was time for a faster paced effort at the Great Midlands Fun Run in Sutton Park. This is an 8.5 mile route on a very undulating course - you're wither going up a hill or down a hill; very little is actually flat!

A popular run with 7000 participants had a wide mixture of people - fast runners, fun runners, walkers and so on. Once the race got underway, it was a bit chaotic as the fast runners were coming through whilst walkers at the front were holding others back, but by mile 2 it was pretty much sorted out. With an undulating course I found tracking my pace more tricky, so gave up on the Garmin after a short while. Instead I opted to run the hills conserving energy going up and pushing for pace on the down. At around 6 miles there is 'cardiac hill' - not the steepest of hills, but a fairly large hill to get up. Once at the top it was nearly 2 miles downhill to the finish, so I upped the pace a bit in my quest to chase down Ruth Paulin who had been in my sight all the way from mile 4, but I couldn't get any closer. Then came along Paul Cooper who caught up with me - running togther seemed to increase my pace further and then when Paul was asking 'When do we sprint?' with less half a mile to go resulted in the sprint coming sooner rather than later - so much so that our last half mile averaged out at 7 mins/mile pace meaning that on the line I dipped to beat Ruth Paulin, sorry Ruth!

I finished in just over 1hr 20mins, nearly 5 mins quicker than my target time - so thank you Paul for a great run in to the finish and a position within the top 1500, so for someone used to being low down in the field, it was nice to be in the top 20% for a change!

Onto the next week and back to normal with a couple of 5 mile plods at around marathon pace and a fast and furious hilly 5km. Sunday saw my second attempt at a 15 mile run. Last time I included an unknown section cross country which turned out to be not that good for running on, so this time I followed a familar route out towards Ragley Hall. Target pace again was the 11 mins/mile marathon pace and the end result was fantastic - very consistent throughout the 15 miles, up and down the hills too. I did feel a bit off between miles 9 and 12, but surprisingly did not have an adverse effect on the pacing - even though at the time doubts had crept into my mind about completing the 15 miles. But I proved the doubts wrong and continued on and by mile 13 I was actually feeling the best I had the enture run - so I upped the pace slightly to the end to finish in 2hrs 43 mins (10 mins better than last time). A really good run and a confidence booster too as well as a lesson learnt: I'm sure come Chester that there will be times when I don't feel too great during the marathon, but I just have to have faith that I will get through it and can carry on to the end.

Enough about me as there is great need to refer to my co-runners at Chester, Larry Chambers and Richard Westwood. Larry has just had an incredible week where he has set new PBs for 1km, 1mile, Cooper, 3miles, 5kms, 10kms, one hour and half marathon - so the full set of PBs on Endomondo! This has all come from the result of hard work, both when he is running and when he's not running. Richard on the other hand, continues his improvement even further - as well as running great times in training, it all came together at the Llandudno 10 mile run today where he did the 10 miles in a breathtaking consistent pace averaging arounnd 8:20 mins/mile for a 1hr 23 mins time, which is simply awesome!