Still in one piece

Well a glorious morning here in sunny Brum, and I decided to try a longer (for me) distance in order to get me going for the Brum Half... chose the route where I got crocked a few weeks ago, as for me it'd be a challenge.. mainly flat with a few slopes dotted around.. I wanted to test the calf out, so took it a slightly easier than normal....

Cannon Hill park

The route took me though Cannon Hill Park, past the Park Runners who were just finishing... thought how good they looked and how quick!! Settled into a pretty leisurely pace and really enjoyed the day, the scenery, the people.... however I knew I was going really slowly when a group of about 5 or 6 women eased past me, chatting away, clearly taking it easy... they were soon out of sight. I don't think I would have minded, but they even looked as though they were running slowly... not impressed. Then further along another young women runner passed me coming the other way... a bit of deja vu, reminded me of a runner in Majorca.. "trotting" along, pony tail flapping, not even perspiring a little, making running look incredibly easy.... oh well.



Made it up Cartland Road (half a mile of fairly steep slope) surprisingly easily and settled to go through Kings Heath park, another of Brum's lovely parks and then through Highbury Park... and then onto repeat the lap. Was really appreciating the tights and had no niggles with the calf, so was feeling ok.... Till I hit about 8 or 9 miles, and then felt pretty wobbly, legs finding it hard going, but this seemed to improve after taking on water... up Cartland Road again and then home! 

So, I ran approx 12.58 mile in approximately 2 hours 13 minutes. Not quick at between 5.5 - 6 mph, but more importantly, no further injuries. I am aiming to do the Brum Half in about 2 1/2 hours, so if I can do it in 2 hours 15 minutes, I'd be happy..... and  really I think I should be aiming in the future to get under 2 hours??? Possibly?

Even this I realise is a pretty poor time, but then I have to focus on what is realistic for me, and be satisfied. Otherwise, I'd give up, disappointed at my performances in relation to everyone else, realising I'll never reach their level. Contentment is a difficult, but excellent attitude to have.... but also to want to get better.. a tricky balance.

Which brings me to the reason why I'm running this half marathon. Geese Theatre. An internationally renowned theatre company working with offenders, ex-offenders and those at risk of offending: they work with some incredibly difficult and complex people to bring about change in their thinking, attitudes and behaviour...... take a look at their annual report (Geese Annual Report 2010-11) and please visit my fundraising page (Chris Crocker's Fundraising Page)... and if you can, please give generously!

On the right track

Well today ran just over three and a half miles, totaling approximately seven miles over the past three days, and no reaction from my calf. I feel as though I'm getting back onto the right track, and if i build up the distance gradually, and take care of potential injuries, then I think I should be fine for the Birmingham Half... in terms of completing it, I won't be so concerned about the time!

And the tights? Well, I've been wearing them, they feel fine and I haven't had any adverse comments whilst running, which is always a positive! They do give greater confidence (in terms of injuries etc) as they are so supportive. So I'm sold on them! I think they will get plenty of use this winter and if I run in the dark, no one will see them anyway!

I've also invested in some Deep Heat for my legs... not used it for ages, though I do remember as a teenager, the aroma of Ralgex escaping from the rugby changing rooms. Anyway, I was chuffed with myself as I remembered some key principles in applying Deep Heat, and in so doing avoided some painful times: they are:

 1. Go to the toilet BEFORE applying Deep Heat (or similar substances)

 2. Apply Deep Heat AFTER putting in contact lenses

 3. ALWAYS wash your hands after application!

So, I think I'll make it to October 21st... if I do, i know I'll really look forward to it, so long as it doesn't rain. Oh, and if you want to know why I'm doing the Brum Half, see my blog Geese and the Birmingham Half. And if you can, please give generously!!

On the road to recovery?

Yesterday, did a fair work out of my calf... cycled approximately 13 1/2 miles and put a bit of pressure on it whilst cycling. Felt no major reaction, so decided to give it a short go running. Again, only did a very gingerly run 1 mile, but had no adverse effects, so I am feeling a bit more positive about building the distances up.

One thing is that I'm a lot more conscious about stretching before and after running. It's not something I've been very good at in the past, but it's clear that as I get older, I'm going to have to take more care.

nice horses

Anyway, was good to get out in the sunshine, even if it was not that warm. Cycled most of the half marathon route to familiarise myself with it, and came across a wedding party in Cannon Hill park, really lovely to see, especially the horses and carriage.... Anyway, if I can get fitter and stronger, it should be fun, as the route covers some interesting Brum landmarks. Just a few weeks to go!

Tight and testing times

Well, it's almost two weeks since I pulled my calf.... it feels fine, and I have been working on it after talking to a couple of friends, so hopefully I'll be able to give it a go this weekend. I've been out on my bike a few times this week and today put a bit of pressure on the peddles, with no reaction from my calf, so hopefully things are looking up.

However, I'm a glass half empty person, and I am worried that I'm going to try this out too soon... it's only been two weeks, and all the advice (well most of it at any rate) has said don't try anything before 4 weeks! I really think, though, that I'm going to have to do something, otherwise I'll never do the Brum Half even if my leg's ok. (For reasons why I'm doing this, look up: Geese and The Birmingham Half).

Not my legs.... or bits 

As a result of my injury, I've invested in a pair of tights. Not the normal thing for me to do, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Now I have to  face up to the fact and use them, or else they'll be an expensive waste of money. Actually, I think I must be bonkers, as when I've seen other people (sorry, men) wear them whilst running, I've sniggered to myself, as frankly I think they look ridiculous. However, I've been suckered into buying them, particularly as we're approaching winter, as I believe they might help keep my legs warm(er) and my muscles in place. At least I think that's what they're meant to do. Anyway, I have used them when cycling this week, and I haven't seen or heard too many people laughing out loud, but maybe it's ok if you're a cyclist.

Now the question is, what do you wear over and under tights? Well, I've been researching this very topic, and I have to admit, I've had a wry chuckle, as I've read some runners forums ..... It seems men are most concerned about what they're showing off when wearing them, and what other people (actually, women) think. Also what you wear under them, if you do wear anything. There does not appear to be a clear etiquette about this, and opinion is divided! Some are of the "I'm a man and proud of it! Who cares what I'm showing off!" variety, whilst others are of the "I know I look rubbish in these so I'm going to put as many layers over them as possible" kind. 

The main consensus of opinion was, wear black... and I can see why having seen photos of men wearing white and other colours! As for me.... I have no desire to show of my incredibly bandy legs, or anything else for that matter....... now to pluck up courage for my first run in them...

Patience

Right, Saturday morning, I was determined to go for a run with my daughter, Abbie, who's just recovering from injury. We both needed to do some miles, so I planned this route which had a couple of hills/slopes in to give us a bit of a challenge. We had done over half of the 11 miles, and I thought we were going well and we were really enjoying it. In fact, I was determined to stretch it out a bit and put a bit more into my running. 

I had almost got to the top of another slope when I felt this tug in my left calf, and then pain. We stopped and walked home.

I had torn a calf muscle. Did all the wrong things, including having a hot bath. But it didn't feel too bad... thought I'd be back running in a week or two. Then I read up on pulled calves on the internet and I became much more concerned. I knew I didn't have a Stage 1 injury (minor taking 1 week or two to get it better) or a stage 3 injury (requiring surgery!!), so it must be a Stage 2...... prognosis, 4-6 weeks for full recovery after total rest.

I have the Brum Half in 6 weeks time. So now I feel really low, as I thought that I was on the way to being able to complete it and not completely flop. If I recover in 4 weeks, that might give me a chance of doing it.... but if it's 6 weeks.... no chance, not running.

My biggest fear is that I'll rush it and try running again before I've recovered and do some more damage. So I have to be patient and wait it out and do some stuff to aid recovery.. ibuprofen, ice and compression.. I think this is helping. What is not helping is seeing other people running around Brum. I want to be out there doing it!! In fact, I'm surprised at how much I do want to run..... So I have to be patient, and hope and pray that I recover quickly enough to be able to do some limited training before 21st October. Will wait and see!

Wise Words

"As I sit here reflecting on my 2hrs 45mins of agony I wonder whether I should join the bird watchers on the banks of the lake alternately watching lesser spotted mangle warblers and daft fat gits in lycra (who ought to know better) and contemplate how big a pair of binoculars I could get if I traded in my bike. Then the reality sets in. Some people – the ultra thin racing ones – finished that race in a shade over two hours. I kept going for nearly forty five minutes longer than them and I’m carrying nearly twice the weight. Pound for pound I reckon I was the fittest bloke there." 

Tim Pepper 

The most encouraging words from a triathlete I have read in a long time. Those words have revolutionised the way I think about my efforts... Well, that might be putting it a bit strongly, but instead of thinking I'm unfit and slow and fat, at least I can have a different perspective! I am probably twice the weight of most people who run, or at least 4 or 5 stone heavier than most... and I will have to keep going longer running than most in order to lug my weight around, just to finish..... so, yes, I must be fitter than them! Simples!

In fact I came across these words by chance.... Tim is an (very) old school friend, who was good at all sports, but excelled in Ice Dancing and Water Polo (he is mad). He also ran a marathon when we were at school ... I haven't been in touch with him for thirty years or so, but for various (long winded) reasons, which I won't go into now, I decided to look him up... googling him revealed that he is now a triathlete who has represented GB as a "veteran"... I'm not surprised, he was always very talented. I am looking forward to catching up with him and to telling him how much he has encouraged me!

This week I got an email from the "Great Birmingham Run" organisers, wishing me well and hoping that my training was going to plan...... PLAN??? What plan? I realised that I've gone into this without really thinking about a plan, although I sort of have one in my head, but it made me think that actually, I could have and should have been smarter about this training. Hey ho. Well this weekend, I'm planning on running 10 miles, with a couple of long climbs in the route. I think this will give me some idea about where I'm at. 

Did Park Run this morning: was up last night (having had a curry Friday night) with sweats and dodgy tummy and this morning I felt a little weak, so almost didn't go... however, mainly due to the fact that it was a glorious morning, made my way there, and thought I'd take it easy, which I did for the first lap or so, and I really enjoyed just running in the sun... But then my competitive streak took over and I began to try harder. Felt ok, but in the end ran out of steam: my normal "give it my all" at the end of the race sort of fizzled out, but I generally enjoyed it and my right knee (which I thought was giving me some jip earlier in the week) felt ok. Now waiting for the results, but I recon I did it in about 26:40... so not too bad for me. Only 6 weeks to go to the Birmingham Half.. help!

Geese and The Birmingham Half

I'm running the Birmingham Half. Not sure this has sunk in yet, but I thought I'd write to say why I'm running it.

First off, I want to see if I can do this. It is a huge challenge for me... approximately 6 months ago I ran 10k, and that was a challenge, so this is on a different scale... depending on how I do (in other words, if I finish - I'm not going to be concerned about my time), I may look at doing more in the future... but that's another story.

Secondly, I wanted to do something to support an incredible theatre company, Geese. I've been proud to be a (small) part of Geese for several years, but I have often thought my contribution has been pitiful and have been frustrated with myself for not giving more. So this is an opportunity to give something to the company, which I hope will be an encouragement and support. They are a hugely committed and inspiring group of people, who give sacrificially in so many ways... this is the least I could do.

Geese is an internationally renowned theatre company (winning a BAFTA in 1998), working in prisons and probation centres, with some of the most vulnerable people around. They produce excellent theatre, but more importantly uses this to challenge attitudes and values and thinking, so that the people they work with will lead constructive live in the future. I believe in the work they do and have been struck by how many people (as I go around the country) have heard of and seen Geese in action..... without exception, their response has been positive and an affirmation that when seen, Geese has had an impact.

OK, I'm a fan. But I'm also doing this, because like many arts organisations across the country, Geese has been hit by the financial climate and cuts in funding. I'm looking to raise money for them to support their work. Geese is a registered charity and relies on funding from all sorts of areas. Have a look at their web site (www.geese.co.uk) and then go to my fundraising site (http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPage.action?userUrl=ChrisCrocker&faId=248322&isTeam=false) and make a donation.. please!

Sore nips and other things

I am concerned that in running this half marathon, I am going to do serious damage to my nips... I've already experienced the blood and pain a couple of times when doing longer (for me) runs, and although preventative measures (Vaseline, plasters) help, over longer distances they seem to fall off (the plasters I mean), leaving me vulnerable... and its not just the nips, but my chest in general which suffers. Maybe some support for my generous Moobs might help............... apologies, probably too much information.

I was encouraged that Andy Holgate has suffered the same fate. Reading his book has surprisingly moved me, particularly as he talks about his first Ironman and the support of his friends and family, and I was also moved at his obvious joy at finishing his first Ironman race. An incredible achievement and I sensed his pride at overcoming his challenge..... However, although in general the book, his talent, skill and dedication is so far removed from my own running experience, it was good to find out I had something in common with him... he suffered from sore nipples. I was also encouraged to find out that he was at one stage the same weight as me (just under 16 stone now), although this was tempered by the fact that he deemed this to be at a time when he was letting himself go and in pretty bad shape, whereas I don't think I've been as fit as I am for a long time!

However, back to running.. I did a reasonable run tonight, didn't go as far as I was hoping and found the just under 6 miles hard going, but I did run/amble up Cartland Road in order to try to prepare me for the "hill" in the Brum half. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could do it, without stopping, which was pleasing as going up this slope on my bike demands the full range of gears! I also found that I had a bit left over for the rest of the run. Just need to up the distances and do more of them climbs.

Running tonight also left me questioning my style... I generally run fairly upright, I hardly move my legs, and my feet land quite hard on the ground. This is quite jarring.... but when I go up hill, or when I try to run faster, my style seems to improve.. or at least running feels easier, and I get into a longer stride. I also attempted to run almost crouching... I don't know if this is good or not, but again it felt a bit easier. Probably need to talk to someone who knows what they're doing, as it might help!

Someone posted that it was only 6 weeks to the Brum half. Um. Thanks for the encouragement from yesterday's post!

Doubts

This week, I remembered that I have a bit of a distant connection to one of Britain's great runners. To be honest I only vaguely remember meeting him as a very young boy and probably only a few times.... he was the groundsman at King Edward's School in Birmingham, and I remember visiting him at the Groundsman's House on the Bristol Road. I really don't remember much about him, apart from the fact that I do remember reading an account in the Birmingham Post (I think) of how he was running marathon's in his seventies. 

Anyway, he was my Godfather. Jack Holden. I googled him yesterday and read some amazing things about him, things that I had never known before. http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/general-running/jack-holden-rip/32827.html. He was dogged, determined, he pickled his feet, he ran bare foot and won major marathon's after he was forty. He trained hard, running over 100 miles per week. He was determined to win. He was an inspiration to others, and although I knew he was a famous runner, I was surprised at how much he was revered in the running world.

I wonder what he would make of me and my efforts.... I can't imagine him being impressed! But his efforts are a testament to how someone can develop and achieve through hard work and determination. 

The same is true for Ironman Andy Holgate: I'm reading his book, "Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run", which is an incredible story of dedication, commitment and perseverance. It was recommended to me by a friend who has done more to encourage me in my running (such as it is) than she can know.. and one of the things I have been struck by is the encouragement and support Andy gained from his friends in his obsession (as that what it is for him), and that without them, he probably would not have succeeded in the way he did. Even for Jack, it took the encouragement of his wife to get him to return to running after he had given up at one stage.

Which brings me to my doubts about my own ability to run and to commit to the training needed to complete this half marathon. I've just had a pretty poor run, feeling lousy, and I'm thinking that I'll never get any better. I need people to encourage me, to literally "give me courage", and people to believe in me. I'm not sure I'm any different to anyone else. So, if you're reading this, remember to encourage someone, whether it's for their running or in another aspect of their lives. We all need it.

Progress and Fear

I was talking to a friend a couple of days ago, and she asked me if I had been making a note of my progress with running over the past few months... I have been taking notes of my individual runs, but I'd not really thought about progress in more general terms until she had asked the question.. so here it goes...

In my dreams.

I started running/jogging in about March in order to compete in a 10k run for the charity I work for. At that time I was about 17 1/2 stone, overweight, unfit, and lacked quite a bit of energy. I have had tests for problems with my feet (un-diagnosed, but it feels like nerve damage). I am 49, have always been hopeless at running (preferring ball/team sports) and feel I'm the wrong shape for it. I could hardly run a mile, really struggled to do this for the first few times, and was worried about possible damage to my knees and ankles from running. I got out of breath very quickly and really struggled to run up slopes, never mind hills...... come to think of it I struggled to run on flat ground and down hill as well! I went to the gym a bit (although was not good at doing this cosistently) and cycled, but again irregularly. So, I bought a pair of decent running shoes and started off slowly and with short distances.

So, it's September.. progress? Well, I can now run a 5k in 26:18. That's about 5 minutes quicker than when I started. I can do 10k in approximately 59 minutes (this in a training run, not a race), and might be able to do it quicker. I run 3 or 4 times a week when I can, and have run 8 or 9 miles a couple of times and even 12.8 miles once. I think I can tell the difference between jogging, easy running and strong running. I can even run a bit faster at the end of races (I won't call this sprinting). Sometimes I even enjoy the process of running! For me this is progress, although I would be the last person to say that I'm good runner, or even much of a runner at all. But I think, for me that is the other thing I am learning... not to compare myself with others, but to set my own challenges and targets.

Oh yes, now I can run up hills (well what I would call steep slopes) so long as they are short! My feet still cause me problems, but I can live with it. I feel fitter than I have for most of my life, my knees and ankles seem ok, and I have lost 1 1/2 stone. 

Some of my trousers are now much too big for me. I call this progress.

So, the fear? I have entered the Birmingham 1/2 marathon in October (see previous post). It was a moment of madness. I have just run approx 9.5 miles and am concerned. There is a monster climb at 11 miles which will be a killer. I'm not sure if I can do 13 miles when its flat, never mind with hilly bits at the end. I don't know how I will cope, especially as I know how I feel at the moment! But I suppose that is what challenge is about, and like a lot of things I think, well if other people can do it, so can I!