I have always enjoyed running and I did a lot of track running as a kid but due to injury (and kebabs and beer) I stacked on loads of weight around the age of 18. A few years after Uni I started running again but my weight had ballooned to around 100Kg which for a 5 foot 6 and three quarters man is rather difficult to lug around. I struggled with periods of getting almost close to some form of fitness (I managed to drag my frame around 400m in 62 seconds) and being injured. Looking back it's clear I could have prevented many of these injuries but I didn't know what I was doing and I was far too eager to get back into shape.
In 2010 I fell away from track running, I loved the sport and the people in my training group, but I just felt I needed to stop the endless cycle of injury and low impact sports like cycling and swimming seemed like great ways to lose a bit of ballast. A few friends had done a triathlon the year before so I used that as inspiration and competed in a local sprint race. 2011 saw another couple of sprint events and a couple of swimming events, 2012 was my first Olympic distance tri and my first half marathon in about 7 years. I wanted to get under 2 hours for the half marathon but I ended up missing the target and ran 2:07, mainly due to going far too quickly for the first 5 miles.
Then in September 2012 I met my now wife and she got me back into running which led to joining her running club in the early part of 2013. I finally cracked 2 hours for the half marathon (1:54) and also managed much quicker that expected 5k and 10k runs (21:25 and 43:59). I also had the pleasure of watching my other half win the ladies race at the half marathon I'd competed in the previous year, it was a very proud moment.
The highlight of the year came on our holiday to San Francisco, I had entered the half marathon and she entered the main event. I managed a PB of 1:44:19 and she also ran a PB of 3:18, however my favourite part of the run was being able to high five her on the Golden Gate Bridge as the course looped back on itself.
It was really after this string of results that I started to really feel like a runner again, whilst my times were not quick in the grand scheme of things I felt happier that I was heading in the right direction. I had also lost some serious tonnage.
This year I've completed my first marathon (4:15) and my first and probably only half ironman (6:12). I had problems in both events but I've tried to learn as much as possible from them. Next years plan is pretty simple, to finish a marathon without having picked up an injury. My first attempt involved 8.5 miles of walk / jog due to an Achilles problem that reared it's ugly head so I'd like to be able to get to the finish without any of that drama. Obviously I don't expect to get through it without plenty of pain and suffering but it would be nice to not have to walk almost a third of it.
Sadly I didn't get into the London Marathon, I was the ungrateful recipient of one of the rather condescending 'you're not in' magazines and I didn't get a place in my clubs ballot. However the backup plan has been put into action and I'm now entered into the Edinburgh marathon in 2015.
So I hope that gives a little insight as to where I'm coming from as an runner, I'm not bad but there is loads of room for improvement and a wee bit of ballast to still come of. I don't really have a plan for blog updates but I'd they'll be relatively frequent until the Marathon in May and after that who knows!
So I hope that gives a little insight as to where I'm coming from as an runner, I'm not bad but there is loads of room for improvement and a wee bit of ballast to still come of. I don't really have a plan for blog updates but I'd they'll be relatively frequent until the Marathon in May and after that who knows!
