Here’s a link to my 3 month training for September if anybody is interested to take tips/hints from this. 

I’ve dug out my heart-rate monitor this morning and went out for a Threshold/Tempo run. 

I didn’t know anything about this type of training until reading about it in Runner’s World. I know a lot of people can just get out and run, no planning, no thought, but I’m certainly the type of person who likes to plan and organise things. Maybe in the one aspect of my life that IS organised is the way I like to run. I can’t just go running without a route, everything has to be planned…but that’s just me. 

Tempo running from my uneducated position is where your runs have short bursts of higher pace sections that you run at 80-90% of your maximum heart rate. WHAT THE HELL IS MY MAXIMUM HEART RATE? I hear you shout, well actually you can figure that out here.

I run at 170-180bmp for these sections and do 3-4 x 5 minute sections after warming up for a mile or two. It’s brilliant, you know you’re really caning it but you also know it’s only 5 minutes long, so despite how much of a pain your in you can always say “What you can’t take 5 minutes of this?” and try to man yourself out. It works!

My training is completely different from when i first started this malarky. I used to think you just needed to run, and run longer and longer. But a 20 minute high intensity run is just as beneficial as a 2 hour workout, they just do different things and as long as you mix them up it’s all making it work for you.

I’m really starting to fall in love with training again, i had a dip, and my belly made a shy return but I feel very on track with the next 3 months, hell i’m even LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. FANCY THAT!

I’m back, and i’m probably going to stick around this time. I need to update my bog because in all honesty Half Marathons are not my biggest problem anymore. I may have told a few of you about my stupid Manchester to Newcastle run in September and you all thought “Yeah, like that’s really going to happen”

You know what, you sarcastic bugger, it IS happening. Here’s the deal…

My friend Colin said in a pub on my 25th birthday that he would like to do something big next september for the Great North Run. We had drank a fair amount of lager at this point and our brains were in overdrive thinking of the most ridiculous scenario to challenge our puny bodies. 

The Challenge:

Run the Great North Run….. (phew, ok i can handle that, that sounds easy)

But…. (what, but?…what do you mean but?)

Start in Manchester…..(hahahaha very funny, hahaha)

Seriously……(You sick sick man…what?)

Neil……(what?)

You’re having a conversation with yourself…….(…..)

Hello?…….(…..)

Are you the(START IN MANCHESTER???? ARE YOU INSANE???)

So yes, (oh this bit isn’t a conversation anymore)….that’s what we’re doing. We’ve already made contact with Age UK and have decided to try and raise a whole loada dosh for all the nans and grandads out there (shout out to all the grandads, i got your back bro)

I will post my training, my learningz and my findingz on my runningz so you can all go WELL DONE NEIL in a high pitched patronising voice and then give me a tenner (or a fiver in Steven’s case) for charity. No seriously thanks for your support even though you’ve not supported me yet thanks a lot. thanks. (You’re welcome)<——that was you. 

Sorry about that. I’ve let this slip. But I haven’t let the running slip. I’m still working hard and loving every bit of it.

In fact, i’m off to a British Military Fitness session tonight. Out of curiosity more than anything, am I fit, or am I kidding myself?

Either way, i’m sure i’ll find out very quickly whether getting shouted at by an army dude in sub zero temperatures doing press ups with a load of strangers is something i’d enjoy.

Oh and also, i’ve entered the world’s first Kilomathon. It must be a sign if the world’s first of this kind of race is happening in my town. Yep, screw the marathon, Kilomathon. (I still will do the marathons, but this will come first)

Have a lovely crimbo everyone.

Thanks again to everyone who donated to the horse power triple marathon challenge. I have no idea how much i raised because i’m yet to collect all the money but it’s a good few hundred!!

At the finish. Hell Runner 2009 is such a brilliant race. My first dabble into trail running and i certainly got the introduction i needed. 12 Miles of off road, up hill, blood, sweat and tears. It was brilliant and horrible all at the same time. I came in at 2hr30 but time wasn’t important, it was getting to the end that was the main event. I did it!

Last 100m. I’ve still got a smile on my face. Looking back i have no idea why. I spent the last 5 miles shouting my arse off.

That’s me that is, doing a wee bit of running at Hell Runner 2009. I think this is the 1km mark after a slow uphill start it broke out into the woods. messy!

Eddie Izzard has got in my blood. Lets make that very clear from the start.

I’ve been toying with the idea of entering the London Marathon since watching it on TV this year. I put my application in to the general ballot and got a big fat NO. I should be sighing a secret sigh of relief at the fact I don’t now need to run that long or train that hard. But to be honest I’m very disappointed and wanted the challenge.

I’d lost a bit of eagerness for the whole idea until Colin piped up with an idea as we celebrated my 25th with a few essential pints down us.

He put it to me quite simply. He said he felt bad for not raising any money, or kicking up any storm when running Great North Run this year. He also couldn’t run the London Marathon but wanted to run the GRN again. But doing it a second time won’t feel as much of an achievement (even though at mile 10 you change your mind)

So how to mix it up?….He had a very simple answer.

Instead of starting in Newcastle, start in Manchester.

Admittedly there was a fair amount beer in the blood at this point. But i hadn’t heard a better idea in a long time. That was it, do the GNR, but start 124 miles behind everyone else.

Tue : Manchester > Burnley = 24 Miles
Wed : Burnley > Threshfield = 25 Miles
Thur : Threshfield > Leyburn = 23 Miles
Fri : Leyburn > Shildon = 27 Miles
Sat : Shildon > Newcastle = 26.4 Miles (near perfect marathon ending!)
Sun : Newcastle > South Shields = 13.1 miles

Total = 138.5 Miles in 6 Days

No motorways. No BIG roads. Just a nice clear route to the start line of Great North Run.

I’m telling you lot, my hardcore blog-readers. Because i want some feedback. Not as to wether I should do it or not, we ARE doing it….we just need to figure out…

Who to raise for?
Where to stay?
Who to go to for advice?

As for training. Me and Colin are planning this next Saturday over a big mug of tea before we run Hell Up North 2009 and the basic rule of thumb is…Train for the London Marathon as if we were running. Then carry on…keep running, keep raising it. By one year from now, we might just be ready. But it’s going to take a lot of hard work and dedication, which is what i currently absolutely bloody love about running. So it might just work out great!

I’ve just got round to looking at the “official” photos from the Great North Run. Look at these wonderous shots of me barely in the frame, looking completely stupid and out of focus. WELL DONE PHOTOGRAPHERS. WELL DONE.

Naa, i’ll let them off, there were 55,000 people there. But come on. Look at the second one I look like i’ve just been stabbed by the woman behind me.

Oh and by the way, i’m not wearing peddle pushers there. My shorts are just too big. honest guv. I had that crap knee support on too which didn’t support a thing other than the idea that knee supports don’t support your bloody knee.

Today’s Run - 12/10/2009!
Distance: 6.5 Miles
Time: 1hr

I got up at daft o’clock to take some off-road action this morning. My alarm went off at 6am and I jumped out of bed. When i say jumped i mean fell, when i mean fell i mean fell and swore. But I got out of bed and that’s the main thing. My office is next door to my flat, like, right next door. So my brain was completely confused into thinking we were on some crazy commute. Instead we were off for an early morning run.

There’s that moment 10 minutes after you wake when you just think, screw this, i’m going back to bed. But I’ve learned to get through this by distraction. First role, once you’re up, don’t sit down…you’ll never get back up. Second rule, eat something you don’t usually eat so at least you can get some pleasure out of being up at this horrendous time. So it was up, wash face and eat two rounds of Peanut Butter, Jam & Bananas on toast…..what? I wanted it. AND IT WAS BLOODY GREAT.

So the run?…Yes this is a running blog so lets get to that bit. Wonderful. Bloody wonderful. Eddie Izzard said in one of his video diary’s that after a few miles, you stop being out of breath, your legs stop hurting and running starts to feel somewhat instinctive. I know i’m not doing any ultra-marathon running yet* but i can still identify with this. It’s a wonderful feeling. You’re just off, moving, watching the sunrise over a beautiful lake thinking, you know what? i’m going to write a smug-arse blog about this and everybody is going to be all like “NEIL WHY AREN’T YOU ANGRY AND BITTER WE LIKED YOU MORE THEN?”

WELL SCREW YOU! YOU WON’T CATCH ME RAISING MY VOICE ANYMORE!

Oh and I have a Swan/Goose update. We’ve worked out our differences, i think we both just needed a little space. Man nods were had and bird nods were issued. We can work through this. It’s the squirrels i’m having trouble with lately. They seem to do some spectacular jump or rustle, catching my eye, just as i’m running over a speedbump or fence. You never think you’re going to be tripped up by a squirrel, without the squirrel touching you, but then it happens 3 times in a year. What’s that all about Bill Oddie? Where was that on Spring Watch?

* I had a drunken birthday with my mate Colin. He mentioned an Ultra Marathon idea. I said yes. It’s a biggun and my girlfriend thinks i’m stupid. But to be honest i can’t think of anything more fun than to run from XXXXX to XXXX in XXX days. (I’m going to check with colin if i can tell you all what stupid plans i’ve got yet…I think he might’v been joking…Colin…leave a comment on this post if you’re serious. Then i can go on about it relentlessly ok?)

Bye!