Berlin Diary

Finished Intact (Just!)

2006-09-27T01:08:00.000-07:00

We flew out from Cardiff to Berlin via Amsterdam on the Friday. Lots of anticipation for the big day. We stayed in the Marriot on Potsdamer Platz, an area of such terrible decline and misery during the "Wall years", but unrecognisable in its beauty today. Remnants of the wall have bene preserved and protected as historical monuments, the area is prosperous, clean and happy.

A sauna and a swim on Friday night, were followed on Saturday with a trip to the Marathon Expo on the other side of town, to pick up numbers, rfid tags and new running strip - plus a goody bag. You can't go to Berlin without a trip around the shops and the sights and so by six in the evening, I was knackered - not the best preparation!

I was in bed by half seven! Three bad dreams later.... (one where I missed the start by sleeping in, another where I got lost on the course, a third where I was injured in the first Kilometre)..... it was six in the morning.

Three hours to go.

My calf muscles started to go very tight and I started thinking negative things - injury. So, that had to go. A trip to the sauna, followed by a hearty breakfast of pancakes and bananas, plus two lites of water, saw me heading for the startline by eight, for a nine o'clock start.

Stretching began. Then I realised that I'd been placed in Block H : 4-5 hour finishers - which is what I'd said I'd do way back then in January when I entered. But I was now capable of 3 hours 50 minutes. So, race tactics went for a ball of chalk before the gun was fired. No matter, I'd just work my way through the crowd and pick my pace up after a few kilometres warming up - indeed it would be beneficial to get into the groove, take it slowly, avoid injury in that first critical half hour.

Lots of people were diving into the Tiergarten to pee - lots of people - yes, of both sexes - seems to be a runners code - alles zusammen - everyone together.

We started. It took 18 minutes to cross the start.

By 10Km, I was stuck and I knew it. At 25Km I stopped fighting and just got into the groove. The truth is, the atmosphere was unbelievable - jazz bands, bongo bands, kettle drum bands, tribute bands, cheering (all the way around), history, culture, Danes (thousands of them - why?). The feeding stations were a scrum - water, tea and fruit. Lots of people went over at them - you run through plastic for at least 100 meters too.

It began to get hot. Guages around the place said 25ºC. I realised that finishing was now the aim - if I'd wanted a pb, all chances had gone at the start.

35Km, 36Km, 37Km....count them down. Just get to 17 Juni Strasse, the turn, you'll see the Brandenburg gate, the crowd will roar....yes, see it now, here we go, turning......40Km, 41Km..inside the last Km.

42Km is at the Brandenburg gate. Then there's a small matter of the last 195m.

Finished!!

My watch said 4 hours 18 minutes. My rfid tag timing would be more accurate.

You can search for me here...

http://live.scc-events.com/events/berlin_marathon/2006/ergebnisse.en.php

Follow the link! Or here's the short cut...

http://live.scc-events.com/results06/search.php

Type in my name and let the search engine do the rest. There are 2 "Fishers". Click on my name and the link will take you to my split timings. Boring, I agree, yet an interesting application of rfid technology. (one for the "Techies" there)

I actually kept a steady pace of 6 minutes and 6 seconds per Km going throughout and ran the first half in an almost identical time as the second half (despite stopping for a call of nature!). I'd wanted 5 minutes and 30 seconds per Km - but that'll have to wait until next year (more in a mo..)

Of those who wore an rfid tag (and I was one), I finished in 16,120 place out of the 30,018. There were 40,000 registered to run, so I guess that aside from the "n0-shows" there were a lot of folk who weren't fussed about being tagged. By the same token, I came 14,120 out of 24,042 men who were monitored and 2429th /4147 in my class (blokes between 45 and 50).

Yep, I'm going back! Though I may do Rome in March before that.....

Together, we raised over £1200 for Ovarian cancer research. A huge thanks to everyone. You're all winners.

Thanks for reading my blog! And thanks for the munificence of your support. And the biggest thanks of all to my photographer, Marlize, whom I sacked for the third time at the end of the race. One of her efforts (she took a total 0f 8 photos, all of them before the start) are in this blog entry. Though she did just about deserve a trip to the 40th anniversary concert of the Berlin Philharmonic at 4 0'clock that afternoon, which was fantastic.

And it was all about her.

Kevin Fisher

The training is over...........!!!

2006-09-17T04:17:00.000-07:00

I have just three short jogs to do now, more to keep joints oiled than anything else. Everything s holding up.

We fly on Friday to Amsterdam and from there to Berlin. For those of you interested see http://www.realbuzz.com/realberlinmarathon/. Back on Monday 25th and into work the day after.

Hopefully a last push for sponsorship this week will bring in the extra few earth-pounds to take me up to my target of £1000 for Ovarian Cancer Action. Thanks to everyone for their support, whether or not it has been financial - it's just great to have folk behind you, encouraging. Just great. Thanks!!!!!!!

For the record, I started on 22nd January 2006 and embarked, from scratch on an 8-month programme. In that time I have run a total of 465 miles and been injured seven times, five of them to my left leg (calf once, plus a related shin splint injury, knee (twice) and a beautifully pulled hamstring once also). My right knee sorted itself out quickly but I also managed to rick my neck (this one is a mystery to me).

I have lost 11Kg (24lbs) which has led some people to comment that I look a bit tired. In truth, I needed to lose 7lbs, but when you start racking the miles up, the stuff just falls off and eating to keep up becomes a problem. Each lb equates to 3,500 calories and if you're not into American junk food (and I'm not), it can be a problem. I've also managed to stay off the "sauce" - I think I've drunk about 12 beers in the last 8 months - though I've grown fond of Sicilian white wines....Mmmmm. Time to put something back perhaps. Maybe Josephine will start to recognise me again (an "in-joke", sorry).....

The aim? Well just one, but it has several elements. Finish, yes, of course. Without stopping, without injury, enjoy the experience, break 4 hours, then phone John Bosworth to say thanks for dishing out an admonishment to me in my first week of training for setting pathetic targets. Inspirational! Thanks John.

Final blog will just be my result and maybe the odd photo (!!!). See you here two weeks today with all of that then!

Thanks for reading my blog. And thanks for your munificent support.

Kevin

50 more with a 22 miler

2006-09-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

Hi,

A hard week with hill work, culminating in a 22 mile run this morning, which I came through really well, in 3 hours and 5 minutes.

Sponsorship hit £909 with a generous donation from Lilly @ Triz. Thanks Lilly!!! And good luck with the studies at Cardiff. And to Jo Green from Philips, a big hi! for her wonderful encouragement when we bumped into each other at Cardiff Uni this week It was lovely to see you again Josephine- you looking great - please look Marlize and I up soon.

All that remains now is to stay free of illness and injury. 14 days to go with 7 runs of varying length and distance, only one of them 90 minutes, most of them between 35 and 60 minutes. Indeed the last week is a breeze.

A meat week, followed by pasta and more bloody bananas.

I'll make a final post next week, then end this Blog after the race itself with a race report, including some photos I hope from my hopeless photographer. Still, I can't have it all.

Thanks to everyone. Especially to Marlize this morning who came out on the bike for 90 minutes to offer some encouragement. She's fast asleep at the moment. Bless.

!!!!

Kevin

50 miles this week

2006-09-02T04:31:00.000-07:00

Fully recovered now and running well.

Racked up a 2 hours 35 mins run yesterday (which hurt a bit actually) and will wind down with 50 minute runs and a load of pasta this week, before embarking on the final big training run of 3 hours next Sunday.

I had my youngest off-line donation this week, one Master Dylan Ford, who gave £10. Thanks Dylan! (and Rebecca and Dave, his parents).

I also had my third £50 donation (this one from Bruce and co at MerlinDigital in Cardiff Bay). Thanks guys!!

Just 22 days to go now. I have my number, have paid for a deposit on my rfid tag, hotel, flight and a booking for the 6Km warm-up before the race (the day before). I have a diet to follow and I'm injury and illness free.

More next week! Thanks to everyone for your donations. I'm almost at £900, so one final big push should see the target reached.

Thanks for reading my blog!!

Flu, injury and a race number

2006-08-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

A niggling knee injury coincided with a swimming holiday to Sardinia so a week of therapy started on the 19th off a boat on the East coast of this beautiful, Brit-free Italian island.

Two days later, I had flu and an ear infection!

My head's tubes are blocked completely and a return air trip where the captain seemed determined to fly at stratospheric heights really put some nice pressure on the old sinuses and compacted earwax. I'm slowly recovering.

Still, my number arrived! I'm 15580! There are 40,000 runners and another 10,000 power-walkers, roller-bladers and hand-bikers (no, I don't know either), plus the wheel-chair contingent. It'll be quite an event.

I pick up my number proper (the printed thing plus my rfid tag) on Sat 23rd, the same day as the 6Km warm-up jog and then it's the real thing at 09h00hours a day later. In the afternoon, Marlize and I are going to see the Berlin Philharmonic's 40th Anniversary concert, led of course by Sir Simon Rattle. It's my incentive to get around in a decent time! I'm aiming for 4 hours now, I have to be realistic.

I am now at last chance saloon with my training programme and have run out of contingency with 27 days to go. I hope I'll need no more. I ran today for 50 minutes and in spite of my head's tubes being blocked, it felt fine running for that time - I could go on for hours at the moment, or so it feels like.

Thanks for reading my blog! Another post next week.

Kevin

Injury week!

2006-08-14T01:35:00.000-07:00

First run after the Brecon race ( I came 199th!) was Wednesday and though I went fast, it turned out I aggravated my right knee. I went out on Thursday but hated it - run went for 30 minutes and I just felt uncomfortable so I came in.

Then on Saturday, intending to do a 150 minute run, I ricked my neck muscles doing nothing in particular and so I've just had to rest. To make things nice and complex, my left calf feels "twingy".

Today, Monday 14th August, I feel better and about 90%. There are 40 days to go. I'm going to have to revise my timetable as I'm just about using my contingency up, with hols and now this injury and I'd like to leave the week before the marathon free of running altogether.

I won't be reporting in this blog now till the end o August - probably on the bank holiday. By then, let's hope things have got back into alignment.

Thanks for reading my blog

Personal Best at Brecon 10 mile race

2006-08-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Boiling hot and overcast - not great conditions. The course was fast - very fast - with loads of serious runners. Not sure where I came yet but I was aiming for 90 minutes and managed a few seconds short of 83 mins. The results will be published at www.brecon10.com when the organisers get around to it. Last year, this time would have been enough to put me in the top half. Not bad for an ageing fella. There was at least one heat exhaustion casualty (at 7 miles), who looked in a bad way. The course was run through country back-roads and the temperature in them, between the hedgerows, must have been in excess of 30°C. As you can see, I was given "42" as race number, which was very meaningful in a "life" kind of way. It made me chuckle, as the last hotel room I was given (when my photographer and I stayed in Torquay) was 101. I can't be binned that easily! The photo shows a tussle between myself and two rabidly competitive blokes in the last 500 yards. Blokes just can't grow up, can they?

A swim to celebrate in Brecon's very fine leisure centre followed and then I bought lunch for my erstwhile photographer who is getting better at her job (!!!!), though I did surprise her at the finish as I was quite ahead of schedule.

I did 30 miles last week and feel great. There are just 49 days to go now. The biggest challenge will be to keep a pace going which will take me around the 26.2 miles. At the pace I did today, if I could sustain it, a marathon would take me just 3 hours and 35 minutes. That's almost a whole hour less than my original target. It'd be nice to do a sub 4 hours in Berlin, so I just need to temper my pace for the long run. That means doing steady 8 minute 45 second miles, not the 8 min 16 second ones I did today. And the course included a murderous hill at 8 miles that went on for 1000 yards.

If I can do that, I'll be on for beating 4 hours with 12 minutes or so "in the bank".

Next Saturday sees a 2 hour 30 minute run, the first in a series of 4 such runs of increasing length over the next few weeks in the run-up to Berlin. On the 10th September, I'll do a 2 hour "stroll" then just keep myself ticking over in the last fortnight with a series of 1 hour sessions.

It's all looking good.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Kevin

A fiver from Glenys and 10Kg down the Swanny

2006-07-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

Hi,

A good week, 3 five-milers and a 140-minute run today covering 25Km, the end of which I had expectations of needing oxygen - in fact I was fine and on "auto-pilot". I could have gone on.

Glenys Howard gave me a fiver - thanks Glenys - which is £5 more than her boss Hugh. My cash donations have now reached £58 and my overall target has crept up to £810. A push now in a month or so, together with a call on those pledges should help me to get to the magic £1000.

Startlingly, I discovered that I've lost 10Kg (22lbs) since I started out in January, which I'm not all that pleased about, but it would explain my ability to up my pace. I'm now a bit of a skinny 83Kg. I'll make it up after Berlin, I'm sure.

Next week is the Brecon 10 mile road run and I'm aiming to do 90 minutes. Thereafter, there will be just 49 days to go before the run in Berlin. I have 4 more long runs before then, the longest of which is 195 minutes. So far, so good.

Thanks for reading my blog. I'll post again after the Brecon 10 results are published, on the morning of the 7th August.

Kevin

No Dramas

2006-07-23T23:13:00.000-07:00

Hi

No probs this week. Just 24 miles because of the heat though. I did a 14-15 miler yesterday in two hours and it felt OK at the end. The second hour just whipped by. Probably I was thinking about what to do after this marathon -in my younger days, I'd always fancied an endurance run (they call it ultrathoning). Maybe we can develop that a bit - run Wales maybe?

I just need some focus on this for now, hey? I'm going to start some speedwork with my IBM colleagues on Wednesdays soon - it should break the week's running efforts up - as long as it isn't followed by beer and curry - so we'll see how that goes - starting in early August. Thanks to Lily Dyu for inviting me to this (Lily rode from Lands End to John O'Groats on a pushbike with her mate Michelle over Easter 2006).

More soon. Next week is the 135 minute run - furthest I will have been. I have to build it up to do the 195 minute effort by 4th September. I'm on course.

Sponsorship is good- thanks to Chris Procter, an old colleague, who nudged it over the £800 mark with his tenner this week. Thanks Chris - and congratulations on your new arrival in November (there must be something in the air at the mo - Andrew, my colleague in work and his wife Rebecca are also expecting in February).

See you next week. Thanks for reading my blog.

Kevin

Great week behind, hot week ahead

2006-07-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

Hi,

No dramas this week, but not a lot of miles - just 2x5milers and a 12 mile run today in 105 minutes.

A heatwave has begun and I ran at 09h15 this morning but by the time I had finished it was already 28°C.

This week I'll run 4x 5 miles and a 2 hour run on the weekend. The mileage isn't the problem anymore, it's the time and I know this is all psychological.

It's home run time now - less than 70 days to go. I'll get the race details next month so the Organisers have told me in an update. There are over 40,000 entries. I should be swept along!!

My fundraising is on the up - almost £800 now thanks to John and Jason and a munificent donation from the lovely Helen Murdoch ( see www.hmmarketing.co.uk ). If you need some marketing, she's yer gal.

Thanks for reading my blog. See you next week when I should be burnt to a crisp.

Kevin

75 Days to go

2006-07-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

Today's run was a tough one. I did 11 miles in 90 minutes which was a bit quick and the conditions were bad - cold then hot, windy then calm, dry then torrential. I got soaked and my nipples rubbed as a result - nice. Christ, they are sore.

Just 75 days to go. I have booked to do the Brecon 10 miles on August 6th which leaves 3 Sunday runs before then. I've decided to do runs of increasing duration up to September 3rd, in order to build myself up - binning the idea of 3 big runs in the same period.

So here's the run-in programme. Lots of short fast runs to build stamina, with long runs interspersed:

Before Brecon

Sunday 9th July 1½ hours
Sunday 16th July 1¾ hours
Sunday 23rd July 2 hours
Sunday 30th July 2½ hours

Brecon 10 miles - Sunday 6th August

Sunday 13th August 2½ hours
Sunday 20th August 2¾ hours
Sunday 27th August 3 hours
Sunday 3rd September 3¼ hours

The Marathon by then will be 3 weeks away. I'm hoping to take some hols 20-30th August, so I may have to make a plan around those runs.

So far, everything is holding out and my recovery rate is good. I need to work on my sponsorship a bit - just £300 to go to the target of a £1000. If you can help, I'd be really thrilled, thanks.

See you soon. Thanks for reading my blog!

Kevin

Next Target - 3 Big Ones and a Brecon 10 miler

2006-07-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Great week. 4 x 5 milers and a 8 miler today in very humid conditions. My aerobic capacity is building now and I feel I can do significant distance without hurting at all.

This week saw July arrive. There are just 83 days to go now. In mid-July I have to do a 2 and half hour run then a 3 hour run at the end of July and another mid-August, after the Brecon 10 mile road run which is apparently quite cruel (6th August).

Then a weeks hols and a steady wind down programme till the race on Sunday 24th September.

See you again. Thanks for reading this and if you have (and it's never too late!!) for sponsoring me. Big thanks to Amy from IBM for making a contribution this week. Come on you Big Bluers, dig deep and follow the example set by the ladies.

Kevin

Born Again Teenagers in Torquay brings new Record

2006-06-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

Hi.

Torquay. Jesus, what a place! Arrived on Saturday afternoon. It's like Tenby only seething with manners and patriotism. England (should I sat Engerlaaand) play Equador tomorrow - you can't move for unashamed bare tatooed bodies, declaring their undying adoration for "the lads".

The Hotel looks good - the Bishops Court - it's a 3-star - and it's up on the hill - but it needs renovation - badly. They have a huge wedding party in as we arrive and so despite paying the odds to stay the night, we are given the "Fawlty treatment". It's an experience.

Dinner at the Orange Tree www.orangetreerestaurant.com was bloody delightful. Probably the only decent place in town.

Paignton is where the race was and lies 3 miles along from the Torquay front. Did I say "front"? The signs say its "The English Riviera". My arse. The place smells of seaweed and sewage. That's Torquay, not my arse, mind. I ts like Llandudno but with attitude.

They do Tacky, well. There is no understated elegance. It's just awful. Think Primark everywhere, no Versace, Daaahling. The highlight for me was walking back to the hotel and witnessing a very pregnant youth queueing to get into a nightclub. Nice.

SUNDAY

This morning, we were almost killed by the pensioners in the rush for breakfast. Most of them had been up since the sun rose and must have been bloody starving. Delightfully, they were really happy which was just as well as they all smelled of wee - I'm just glad I didn't have to smile along with them all day. The Head waiter, who was urging them all to "do the prunes", looked and sounded like Tommy Cooper. I think he had it in for the tour bus driver who was charged with ferrying these lovely, prune-ridden pensioners around all day in high, sweaty temperatures.

The run? Was bloody boiling. 24 degrees celcius and hilly at points. The time? 1 hour, 56 minutes and 50 seconds. And it took me a minute to cross the start line. I'm very happy. The race was brilliantly organised. The race announcer on the tannoy system was also a comedian, thanking South-West water board for providing the water for the race - "What would we have done without you?" It was lost on their CEO who I think started the race or maybe appeared in it. Who knows?

I feel great.

Here's the full posting of results. http://www.torbayhalfmarathon.co.uk/

I came 519th out of 1068 runners.

See you back here soon. I have a target of doing two 3-hour runs in July. It'll be a challenge. But I feel like I'm on target to do OK by my charity and finsihing the Berlin in under 4 hours.

Thanks for reading my blog!!

Kevin

Torbay looms and I'm fit again

2006-06-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

So, six days off with what was a potentially show-stopping injury, caused by a calf pull that aggravated a "shin splint". Advice was that I "shouldn't mess with this". A stress fracture loomed.

Well, my calf muscles are tight as hell, but I was back into training on Friday with a 6Km and then yesterday in really high temperatures, managed a 10Km in 57.5 minutes. I reckon I just have to slow down in the first 6Km and by then I'm warmed up enough to pick it up a bit.

So, I booked my hotel for the Torbay half-marathon on Sunday 25th June.

Today there are just 98 days to go until Berlin, so I'll be looking to use the period wisely - I really can't afford any more injury.

My sponsorship has been lifted by a work colleague I barely know, John West, whose kids Rebecca and Hannah gave me what must be their pocket money (£3) to add to the total. Ladies, what can I say? I've sent it off. You'll be pleased to know that the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, has also added 84p to your donation so that's just great too!! Thank you very much! The Ovarian Cancer Action trust folk will be writing to you shortly to thank you. Your donation means a lot to me and to others and will keep me going when things look bleak during the main event.

Next stop Torbay in the West Country. I'd like to break 2 hours, but the main priority is to stay injury-free.

See you next week with the result! Thanks for reading my blog!

Kevin

More injury and this time it feels like a warning

2006-06-11T03:56:00.000-07:00

After a good week, in warm weather, I picked up an Anterior shin splint in my left leg, which if I don't take care of it, will develop into a stress fracture.

I am very pissed off. The Torbay Half-marathon is 14 days away.

Ice packs help tremendously. As does the coolrunning website with loads of good advice. See www.coolrunning.com

Apparently, I'm running too much, too fast for my capabilities and experience - in short I'm being a bit of a twonk. Last Thursday, I did 8Km in a time that beat the sort of run I did when I was 26, not 46.

Nature's way of telling me to watch it, I guess.

I'm ruled out till Tuesday, then I'll do some light walking and jogging and try to build up to Torbay. I'll have to go back to an attitude of finishing without injury and see if I can beat two hours as a bonus.

There is nothing wrong with my fitness now, it's endurance I need, so perhaps this has been a good thing....

Thanks for reading my blog!

Good, solid and easy week

2006-06-04T23:36:00.000-07:00

No problems this week.

My stamina is pretty good now and I'm running consistent sub 5 minute kilometers over 10km distance.

Torbay half marathon is 3 weeks away (if my late entry is accepted) and there is now 112 days to go to Berlin.

Trick this week is more stamina training. By July, I want to be up to running 2 hours at a breeze and then go for a 3 hour run in August. I'm on course.

The weather right now is glorious, such a contrast to the winter training and what was really gratifying yesterday was to overtake two lads in the 20's who were out "training" (posing!).

Youth. It's wasted on the young.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Kevin

Back with renewed determination

2006-05-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm back. Two weeks rest and a light run during that time led me to a 51 minute 10Km run on Saturday, in the wind and the rain.

I'm looking to do 5 minute 28 sec Kms for the marathon, which should leave me 9 mins to spare under 4 hours, but this 10Km jog on Saturday was 5 min 8 second pace. I doubt I can keep that up over 42Km, but it means that I'll have a better measure of my endurance, fitness and how I think I'll do in September in the Torbay half-marathon on the 25th June. I'm hopeful of coming in at under 2 hours and realistically, I'm looking to do 5 minute 25 secs per Km which is 1 hour 55 mins.

New report next weekend. Thanks for reading my blog!

Kevin

Song of the Week? "Tweak my Hamstring"

2006-05-14T23:59:00.000-07:00

After a week of good running, my left leg's hamstring went doolally on Saturday, half way through the 8 miler.

Great joy.

Happily, the moment I felt it "tweak" (at least it didn't go "twang"), I stopped and walked in. Which wasn't far as I was on a circuit.

So, complete rest for at least a week. This one will have set me back 3 weeks. Let's hope the hamstring on my right leg behaves. I still have 7 weeks contingency left after this setback. I'd prefer not to have to use it.

See you here in a fortnight after more rehab!

Thanks for reading my blog.

Rest, meat, new highs and not a banana in sight

2006-05-06T05:03:00.000-07:00

Complete rest till Friday this week, when I went out and did 10Km in 52 minutes, which was outrageously fast. There is something clearly psychological in running long-distance - all of a sudden, 6 miles is a breeze.

Saturday saw a 5 miler, but next week sees a 24 mile total, with 4 four-milers and an 8 mile run on Saturday.

The Torbay Half-marathon is the next milestone - where I hope to be able to do consistent 8 minute, 45 second miles including the first one. So the aim will be to do it in 1 hour 55 minutes. It all depends on the hills I guess - Exeter was just murderous!

I am glad to be eating meat again and removing pasta from my diet has been a luxury - but it can't last. Pass the spaghetti.

Thanks for reading my blog! The people in infernal communications where I work have asked me for an article when I complete this quest, so it'll come in handy as a reference.

Kevin

The Great West Run - Exeter Sunday 30th April

2006-05-02T03:37:00.000-07:00

A lovely day for running , overcast, 14ºC, my body full of bananas and pasta, flat coke and celery. And a gallon of water. I also had a pint of guinness the night before and two glasses of Vino in ASK the night before. Oo er....

But a murderous course - hills - everywhere - a steep one too, between 8-10 miles. My knees don't like hills these days.

A bus out to Exeter Arena and then the start at 10h00.

I started out with 4 goals.
1. Finish it
2. Without injury
3. Don't stop running
4. Do it in 2 hours.

2,800 started, 2,130 finished (including a big duck and some bloke in his Mum's underwear), and I came in at 1,284 position, in a time of 2 hours and 38 seconds. As there was a bottleneck to get out of the stadium after the start line (and my RfID tag had started the clock going for my personal time), I think I can say that I achieved all my goals.

You can see the results at www.thegreatwestrun.co.uk

I'll post my pics on here soon.

Next half-marathon is 25th June in Torbay - 3 months before the Berlin event in September.

I'm quite bouyant about this now and encouraged enough to seek a sub-4 hour run for the main event.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me so far!!

Post Sicily running and Pasta week

2006-04-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

Got in from Sicily late on Monday 17th April, after a lightning trip over the Easter break. Did the Valley of the Temples, the beach in the North (the Med is actually bloody freezing at this time of year - but I still went in - three times - spot the Englishman) and Etna - all the way to the top - 11,000 feet. In places the ground is really very hot - but the wierd thing is all the snow - 12 feet thick in places.

Sicily is not easy to get to, but easy to get around. It's the size of Wales too, but thankfully they have a motorway system linking the major towns. Oh, and 3 airports. It's a beautiful place, not very geared to tourists or others who are just not native Sicilians. We tried to strike up a conversation in a cafe bar in a village at the foothills of Etna and were treated with a lot of suspicion - but then it was the week that the head of the Mafia, on the run for 42 years, was caught in Corleone, a small village not that far from where we were.

Before and during the trip, short runs were the order of the day but yesterday (Sat 22nd) I did a 10 miler and that went well.

This week is 4miles-rest-6miles-3miles-rest-swim and then the Exeter Half marathon on Sunday 30th. Pasta diets! Thanks for reading my blog! And thanks to my new sponsors this week - including Lily Dyu, an IBM colleague who completed her own charity spot by cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats over Easter - something for me to be inspired by when I feel too knackered to go on. Thanks Lily.

See you next week after the Exeter run.

Strong, steady week

2006-04-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I covered 4 runs this week, 3, 8, 4 and 6 miles.

My stamina is up. I did the 8 miler in 1 hour 15 minutes and then today completed the 6 mile run in 48 minutes, which was the pace I ran in 1986!

The trick will be to keep this pace, but it is a tall order!

Next week I should do a 3, 4, 4, 9 mile sequence, which may prove difficult as I intend to take a break! I have to do at least two long runs before the half-marathon on the 30th though, with short burst runs inbetween as I can fit them in.

There will be no posting now for 2 weeks. Thanks for reading my blog!

Steady, rainy, injury-free week

2006-04-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

Nothing much to write about this week.

Not as many miles as I'd hoped for (Just 13), as I've had two early starts for work to get to London, but everything has stayed intact, no twinges at all, so I guess I'm getting stronger.

I ran 10Km in 56 minutes yesterday in a strong wind, which was encouraging, even if I was a little wobbly at the end.

My new Director at work sponsored me this week after falling into the trap of enquiring about my pink attire (socks this week). Catches people every time. £20 - nice work Richard Kitchen!

Swimming this morning, but two longish runs this week, 8 miles on Weds and a 6 miler on Saturday, with 2x3's inbetween. Exeter half-marathon is just 4 weeks away, so it's time to step up the stamina training and extend the distance a little.

See you next week. Thanks for reading my blog! Please alert people to my efforts to see if we can really push the sponsorship up!

New Regime and more generous sponsorship

2006-03-26T01:51:00.000-08:00

A good week.

I have a new regime now that protects my pathetic joints and calf muscles and it seems to be working.

It means 3 short runs plus one "biggish" run on a Saturday (there are some subtle variations), with swimming or cycling imbetween plus leg strengthening exercises.

So the week went well. Ran Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, a total of 10 miles, but then a big run on Saturday of 8 miles. Covered this in 1 hour, 14 minutes, which is a great if a little fast at this stage. I surprised myself and my legs ached a bit but not too much. Clearly my recovery from injury to both my legs and subsequent rehab regime has been good for them, making me (and them) stronger.

The week held some great news from new sponsors. Jayne John, my colleague at work, encouraged quite a few folk to dig deep and in one fell swoop, added over £280 (including tax reclaims and pledges) to my total, enabling the total to exceed the half way target - already!! Thanks Jayne! And thanks guys 'n gals. A full list is on the my justgiving.com site.

Next week, we step up the miles to 20 in total, over 4 runs, with two "longish" ones to build up my stamina. Hopefully then, my legs will feel as young as my laddish mind, instead of them having premature thoughts of their pension. I did ache today! But my recovery period is becoming shorter which is great.

Talking of age, I am 46 today. Happy birthday, old boy!!

Build up for the Half-Marathon and a new Regime

2006-03-20T01:34:00.000-08:00

Just six weeks to go until the Exeter Half-marathon. I was becoming worried about wear and tear - I certanly started out too aggresively in my training when I started at the beginnning of the year - so I've now built two rest days and a cycle/swim day into my week, with 3 moderate runs and one long run to complete the weekly set.

As the weeks roll on, I'll increase the long run and the speed of the shorter ones. The swimming is certainly beneficial and I use the rest days to do some calf and knee strengthening.

This week I'll do 17 miles week, with an 8 mile run on Saturday and a swim on Sunday. Things are looking good.

More next week! Thanks for visiting my BLOG.

10Km milestone reached

2006-03-11T01:34:00.000-08:00

Two runs in the week, both of 35 minutes each, saw my right calf muscle holding up.

So, yesterday, I went out to do the 10Km course that 4 weeks ago, saw me injure myself. I felt it was more of a psychological barrier I had to pass than a physical recovery issue.

I did it in exactly an hour, though I don't think I was consistent. I was flagging at the end, so I think I start out at 5 minutes/Km pace and become progressively slower - which is not good.

The aim this coming week will be to get the consistency going - 5 mins 45 secs per Km would be good - and to start to build some stamina training into my schedule -whilst remaining injury free.

For those of you interested in recovering from injury, I found this site which gives helpful illustrated advice on stretching and strengthening exercises:

http://www.alnourcenter.com/exercises/list.htm

By next weekend I want to have done a 12Km run consistently. More next Saturday. Thanks for reading my journal.

Mending Slowly

2006-03-05T07:44:00.000-08:00

This week has been one of exercising and strengthening. My calf is still not right, but I can do a Km before it starts to twinge, which is encouraging, but pretty frustrating. I have been fast walking though, without trouble and generally getting "a sweat on", so that's good news.

I continue with my stretching and strengthening exercises, so let's hope this helps me in the long run to avoid a repeat incident.

The weather has been cold (making me doubly wary) but I think we're in for warmer, wetter times - which coupled with the lighter mornings, should mean I can step up the distance by starting earlier in the day (around 5.30 am) without the fear of a "cold" pull on my stupid ageing legs!

Hope to report some really good news next week. My Exeter half-marathon entry came in yesterday (30th April) so I have a really good target now, a stretching one with the injury lay-off. We'll see.

Rehab continues with snow on the way

2006-02-26T11:53:00.000-08:00

My calf muscle is still torn so it has been a week of strengthening and stretching. I'm back in the park tomorrow to test it all out, but we're still on course despite the setbacks. If anything the injury has come at a time when I can be philosphical about it and recover well enough to avoid a repetition. My knee still hurts like hell though. Runners Knee apparently (I know, I didn't believe it either - google it like I did - you'll be surprised)

The calf muscle injury started out because I didn't warm up well in cold weather - and this week I see that we're due a lot of snow. It's as well I built a lot of contingency into my plans. I'm about to buy some leggings on-line so I should start to look very racy soon (in a non-running sort of way, if you get my drift - though it probably isn't right that I could be decribed as such!). At least I'll keep warm and injury-free.

More next week

Rehab Week but raring to go now

2006-02-19T08:38:00.000-08:00

A week of recovery. No running, just 3 leg exercises to put my right calf "straight" and time for my left knee to strengthen too. It turns out I have "runners" knee (look it up on the internet!). The bruising and swelling has subsided in that now and my pride is restored along wth my calf. When I was overtaken by a pensioner in the 10Km last Saturday as I blubbed like a baby about my calf, it hurt mentally, so I was hurt all through, but there are worse things in life I guess.

I've had cold and hot compresses on my calf since last Sunday and I'm starting out on some light stuff this week. My knee is still twingy but I think it's more male hypochondria than anything else.

I've taken some encouragement from my work colleague Helene Giffard who started a keep fit regime at the start of the year and looks better each day for it. She now runs 25 minutes non-stop and I hope she keeps it going. I'm going to adopt her tactic this week to complete my rehab - 5 mins of running, 1 minute of walking and repeat for as long as is comfortable. The target now is 90 mins non-stop by the end of March, at 5 mins per kilometre. Then the Exeter half-marathon at the end of April.

The days are discernibly longer now, definitely, with more daylight - but we're in for a cold snap, so I'll have to watch those calfs. More next week.

February's 2nd week brings triumph and injury

2006-02-11T05:57:00.000-08:00

The week started well enough. Two runs of 29 mins and 36 mins, but then a knee injury to my left leg (which feels serious) meant no further training until the 1oK Bute Park fun run today (Saturday 11th February).

A nervous bloke I was - the knee is fine once it's eased into doing some light work, but stiffens up if I sit still. So, how would it go? Well, it started OK! And after 5 minutes, I had covered the first kilometre, which is way ahead of my target for a "click" (Km) of 5 mins 45 secs and it felt a good pace too, easy even. With 500 other runners around you, it felt good to be back. They handed out RfID tags at registration, which you tie to your shoe laces so that your time is recorded automatically at the finish - that bit was interesting. These and other thoughts drifted through my mind and then....

Then I felt my calf muscle tear - not the first time, so I knew immediately what was happening. I hadn't warmed up properly (idiot!) and it was a cold morning today (I normally wear thermal jogging bottoms, but not today) - argghhhh!!

So, that was it, for me the run was over and I'm laid up with an ice pack on my leg. I've been here before so I stopped before any real damage was done. I'll be out for a week, but it'll also give my injurd knee (on the other leg!) a chance for a rest. I built in contingency to my training programme and I'm three weeks ahead of schedule anyway, so it isn't a catastrophe - just a bit frustrating.

Positives? Well, I now know that in training hard each morning so far, I've been covering more distance in the 30 mins I give myself, than I'd up to now been giving myself credit for - maybe I have a dodgy map. Had I been using the wrong scale perhaps - and reading kilometres for miles - probably - 1 mile =1.6 Km, so that might explain it, hey? That means I've been doing 5 miles most mornings (and it's felt like it too).

So a week of rest is ahead and then back to it on the 20th. The triumph "bit" is that I'm happy I can run an hour non-stop now and do so at 5 mins per Km, so I may yet do a sub 4 hours - watch out John Bosworth - your goading could yet mean you parting with a bonus.

First Week in February

2006-02-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

New Milestones, Fiery Lungs, first 10Km run

This week has been cold, really cold, with 5.45 am starts. Longest I've run is 35 minutes and the shortest 18mins, though that one was a "sprint" session.

I've entered a 10Km run in Cardiff on the 11th Feb, to see how I'm doing (target 60 minutes) and a half-marathon in Exeter on 30th April.

Next week, I'm going to step up to 45 mins, finishing on Thursday, with a rest day on Friday because of Saturday's run. I'll post on Satuday 11th, in the evening to report how I got on and
update my pictures!

2006-01-29T07:17:00.000-08:00

High Altitude training (hahahaha, not!). Sun before the cold rainy mornings!

February - A new month, a new challenge

2006-01-29T04:25:00.000-08:00

Reviewing January 2006

Well, I got started! My training strategy has been to first and foremost, build up my stamina. I do not want to stop during the run itself, so I have to prepare myself to run non-stop for 4-5 hours. So, I figured that by the end of each month, I needed to be adding 30 minutes running time to my endurance - "I'll worry about the distance later", I've told myself. "Maybe as I get fitter, the time I take to run each Km will become shorter and so in the time in which I have given myself to run, I'll cover more distance.

Targets (long term and just February's!)

I haven't run distance for 18 years, so I knew I had to start from a humble beginning. I was never really that fast but could once push a Kilometre out consistently in 4 minutes 30 seconds (that's a mile every 7 minutes and 12 seconds). Now I'm aiming for 6 minutes 45 seconds per Km, which equates to a mile in 10 minutes 48 seconds. One of my sponsors, John Bosworth, who has generously donated £50, feels this is, and I quote, "a pathetic target"!! Thanks John. You are of course, right, so I'll try to raise my game. When I ran the Berlin marathon last time, it was a breeze. Right now, I hurt like hell and I can't see this one being easy but I'm going to have fun doing it. Right now, my left knee in particular keeps me awake at night. The peculiar thing is that once I'm on the road, the stiffness eases. A rugby player colleague of mine advised me to take Apple cider vinegar (a teaspoon) in some water each morning and evening to ease the stiffness in my knee. It really works! It tastes unimaginably horrible, so if I have the time, I sweeten it with a drop of honey too.

By the end of February, I need to be running a whole hour without stopping. It'll be at that point that I first measure my distance to see if I can improve on my "pathetic" target and give John a call to let him be the first to know. Who knows, he might give a bonus when I finish this on 24th September 2006.

I met my January target slightly early (30 minutes without stopping and at 10 minute mile pace), so the runs on January 30th and 31 st will be light. As importantly, I'm on target to give John that call. I'd love to break 4 hours for the 26 miles, but right now, it seems like a hell of a tall order.

More soon. I'll publish every Saturday for reading by Sunday morning at the latest. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Kevin Fisher