Knee'd Help

11 miles in 1:32:26
Route: Hyde Park Circuit 1

Well Team Duff - that's you - we've hit a problem. Today's 11 miler confirmed that I have a knee problem that isn't going away. It's funny, only a few weeks ago, it was fine. Maybe it's the increased distance, or the extra training, but my left knee has given up on me, to the point that today I was in quite a bit of pain.

This route has traditionally been my warm up for the Windsor Half. It's a nice route that takes you from my place, down through Camden to Regents Park, through the park, down Gloucester Place into Mayfair, under the subway into Hyde Park, around the Serpentine, up into Paddington, then Maida Vale and into St John's Wood, past Lords (the nearest an Englishman is going to get to the Ashes this summer) and back into Regents Park, across to Camden and then home. Basically it's a long, long way.

I started out slow, wary of the problem I'd had with my knee last weekend. I thought I would run at a slower pace and go gently. Didn't work. By the time I had run across Regent's Park I could already feel it bothering me. By the time I had got to Hyde Park and around the Serpentine, I had to stop. At this point, I thought the most sensible thing would be to hop on a bus home (screw the training run) and ice it. Seemed like a good plan until I realised that I had i) no travel card ii) no money and iii) no phone. I considered walking home, but given that I was wearing only a thin t-shirt and shorts, I would have froze without the heat generated by running.

There was nothing for it. I had to run home. I stopped to switch my knee support from right knee to left and set off slowly. Actually, it wasn't too bad. I had a few moments when a sudden pang made me wince, but otherwise it could have been much worse. Lesson of the day: always run with your travel card.

Am feeling a bit low about things. I can cope with tired legs and sore muscles. I can cope with missing out on nights out because I have to be up to train the next day. I can even cope (barely) with a torturous hour in the spinning class. But there's not a lot I can do about an injury like this. It's frustrating to be set back by something out of my control.

I'm going to research physios - I just hope they can help.

Spinning around

Spinning class
1 hour

After the weekend long run, I had a few issues with my knees (define 'issues' as not being able to make it to the end of the road to buy milk). I've decided, therefore, to give myself a few days off the street pounding and am investing my time in other training methods. Tonight, I joined the Serpentine Club for their weekly 'spinning' class - a new experience for me.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term 'spinning' it roughly translates as 'inducing heart attack via an exercise bike'.

When I first started running, I found it really difficult. I would be out of breath after running for no more than 5 minutes and wanted/needed to stop. I'm pleased to say that after not very much training at all, that feeling passes and you start to enjoy yourself. Taking the spinning class this evening was like the first time I ever went running. I thought I was going to pass out.

Spinning is nuts. Seriously. You are in a room full of exercise bikes facing the instructor, who has a microphone attached to his head so that he can talk to you while he pedals. He whacks on his favourite CD and you start biking. There is a knob on your bike in front of you that you turn clockwise to add more resistance to the fly wheel (and make the pedalling harder) and anti-clockwise to take it off (and go back to normal). The idea is that during the class, you simulate going up and down hills by adding and taking off resistance. Easy right? Well, no actually. It's bloody hard.

The instructor didn't let us pedal for long before putting us through a series of exercises:

Standing pedalling positions - where you get up off your seat and pedal upright and then leaning forward (a killer) adding more resistance to make it extra fun.

Sprints - where you had to pedal as fast as you can for 30 seconds and then 60 seconds (with a short break in between, adding resistance as you go along).

Hill climbs - where you whack the resistance up, get up off your seat and pedal as hard as you can up a road which must be winding up Kilimanjaro.

Jumps - where you do sets of 16 (16 beats standing up pedalling and then 16 sitting down) repeated 5 times followed by sets of 8 (the same, only 8 beats hard pedalling and rest) repeated 5 further times.

And all the time, you are being told to pedal faster and with more resistance on.....

We were all told to bring a towel to the session and I can see why. I have never sweated so much in my life - not running, not playing Andrew at squash (and he will testify that I sweat quite a lot!), not even on the dancefloor in Ziggy's at 4am (big shout-out to the York readership!) I had a bottle of water and I'm sure the entire contents passed through me during that hour.

At the end, we warmed down (mistakenly to Chris De Burgh's Lady In Red, to my great amusement) and got a shower - the bargain session cost only £3 and we got to use the facilities at Fitness First in Covent Garden where the class took place.

There were times during the session (well, most of it actually) when I promised myself that I wouldn't go again. But I said that about running once - and I'm determined to give it another go. I'm going to try and go next week for the last session before xmas and then, time allowing, try and go at least a couple of times a month in the new year.

Consider this my first new year's resolution.

The Ham and High

9.8 miles in 1:21:59
Route: Ham and High circuit 1

In the course of all of my training, I have come to realise that you are going to have bad days. Today was one of them. Last weekend I cruised around 10 miles without too many problems. Today's run was a real struggle.

Another new route around north London. It was a really good actually, but I'm afraid I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have done. From my place at the top of Camden, I ran through Highbury, past the new Arsenal football stadium, to Finsbury Park. There, I picked up the 'Parkland Walk' - a disused railway line that runs the two miles between Finsbury Park and Highgate - slightly muddy, but otherwise an excellent running track.

I was struggling a bit by this point - bad preparation on my part. I hadn't really eaten any breakfast (never run on empty - stupid mistake!) and was dehydrated after boozing steadily through Jen's engagement party last night (a former marathon runner should know better!). I ended up stopping around before I got to Highgate (most unlike me) and again when I got there to walk up the hill (to be fair, it wouldn't have been a lot of fun running up it....)

From Highgate, I picked up the road leading to Hampstead (cunningly named Hampstead Road) and ran onto the Heath, past Kenwood House and onto the familiar tracks of previous week's runs. I took a slightly different exist from the heath and ran through Hampstead and down the high street - much to the disgust of the local Hampsteadites ('Hamspsters'?) who are not used to their Sunday afternoon shopping being disrupted by me charging past them looking angry.

Down Haverstock hill through Belsize Park to Chalk Farm (I had hit my stride by now) and then back home via Kentish Town and Camden square. Not an excellent time - stops early on ruined any chance of that - but I suppose I am happy enough just to have got around and put some more miles on my legs.

Speaking of which, they aren't holding up too well at the moment. Some of last week's niggles have gone (I have solved the foot problem by lacing my trainers differently) but my left knee was agony by the end. I had to ice it for a good half an hour and it's still pretty sore. Who invented knees? They give me so much gyp.

Anyway. So, lessons learnt today:
1. Don't run on empty - you fool (to be said in the style of Mr T).
2. Drink more water before running.
3. Don't expect to be able to go out drinking all weekend and still run 10 miles on a Sunday.
4. I need new knees.
5. It's 133 days to the marathon, and the xmas party season has only just begun....

Settling in and pushing on

6.2 miles in 46:57 (PB)
Route: DfES - Home 4a

It always takes me a couple of miles to settle in to a run and tonight was no different. This is the third time I have done this route and I am slowly working out the best way to run it. The most enjoyable bit by far is running around the edge of Regents Park - even though it's dark. You can really settle into your stride.

Have a few niggles at the moment - both knees (not to be left out, my left knee now seems to be giving up on me), left foot (across the top of the foot - just needs rest really) and a few other sore muscles. Put some ice on them this evening after the run, which helped. I should really go out again tomorrow after work, but I am finding it tricky to find the balance between fitness and rest to avoid injury. I wonder if this might be a good time to start exploring some other training options (swimming for example?)

A quick glance at my running log tells me that I have run 106 miles in in my training to date (i.e. since this diary began) and that this has taken just short of 14 hours to complete, giving me an average pace of 7.6 mph. Not bad for a relative beginner with no coaching, but I am conscious - largely due to the fact my new team keep trying to get me to race the marathon master Dr Lloyd - that I lack race experience, or indeed, the experience of pushing myself towards race speed. Intend to change that in the coming weeks by introducing some speed training to my programme - am planning to join the Serpies Tuesday track session in my old stomping ground of Maida Vale.

Funny how things - including runners - eventually come full circle.

The Ballot Result

I received a letter from David Bedford, 'Race Director' of the London Marathon, today giving me the result of my entry into the ballot for a guaranteed running place.

It is a long and boring letter, so let me summarise it for you here:

Dear loser,

Thanks for the entry fee cash! We are looking forward to adding it to the total on the big cardboard cheque that our sponsors Flora (eat their spread - it's healthy you know!) will get to present to Lord Coe, Paula Radcliffe or some other miscellaneous running celebrity next April.

Please find enclosed your limited edition, one-size-fits-none, Flora London Marathon tacky trackie top. We hope you enjoy donating it to your local charity shop.

Good luck next year - only four more to go until we will be forced to admit your sorry ass to our (sorry, Flora's) glorious race.

Bye!
David Bedford
Race Director

Fear not faithful reader - this is not the end! I am definitely running the marathon on behalf of Shelter. It's just now more important than ever that I hit my £1500 target!

SO DON'T LET DAVE RUIN OUR DREAM! SPONSOR ME NOW AND LET'S RUN THIS THING FOR SHELTER, AND FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER HAD ONE OF THESE CRAPPY LETTERS!

Those who run seem to have all the fun

10.4 miles in 1:25:46
Route: Windsor circuit 4
45 minutes of squash - Andrew 2 - 1 Jonathan

Alarm went off some time around 7. Checked weather. Saw rain and wind. Overnight gales had rearranged the furniture on the roof terrace. Went back to bed.

Andrew texted me around 9 asking my ETA. Guilt tripped me into getting up. Switched on espresso machine. Went to bathroom. Looked in mirror. Went back to bed.

Hauled myself back to the kitchen and made extra strong coffee. Threw essentials into a bag (trainers, ipod, socks, squash racquet, wash bag) and set off for Waterloo. Barged past rude tourists as they tried to clamber onto the tube before I could get off. Mild satisfaction.

Arrived Waterloo. Paid £3.85 for ticket to Egham. Wondered why ticket price is different every week. Got onto a train to Staines. Listened to Abba to pump myself up.

Arrived Staines. Noted that weather improved but still icy cold. Met Andrew and scored a banana. Felt better.

Went running. Circumnavigated Virginia Water. Amazing scenery. Head wind. Ducks. Blue skies now. Andrew and Chloe following on bikes. Left them for dust.

Cruised around a full circuit of the lake. Reminded how picturesque Windsor Great Park is. Picked up old route past the polo club and to Cumberland Lodge. Went across the fields up to the statue that looks over Windsor castle. Very muddy.

Decided on a whim to add on an extra mile along the Long Walk. Cold head wind. Hummed Abba to keep spirits up. Met Andrew at top of hill on the way out of the park. Running slower now - feeling the distance a little.

Scorched past Chloe on final mile. Her bike is no advantage when matched against speed like mine. Asked Andrew how I was looking. "Tired" he said.

Finished in a time I was happy with. Distance exceeded my target. Extensive stretching confirmed that I am about as flexible as

Ate lunch. Sandwich. Cheese. Ham. Pickle. Better than anything I've ever tasted.

Dragged to Egham Sports Centre for more ritual humiliation on the squash court. Legs so stiff I could barely warm up, let alone beat Andrew. Lost first two games. Struggling. Changed strategy for final game and went on the attack. Andrew had no answer. Saved some face.

Quick shower. Learnt that only sport where two opposing teams can be attacking different sized goals is water polo (it's to do with who's in the shallow/deep end). Back to station and on train to London. Ipod on shuffle.

Tube across London. Limped home via shops to pick up bread, milk and Hob-nobs (bad bad JD). Ate left-over quiche and baked potato with sweetcorn. Ate multiple Hob-nobs. Retired to bed to contemplate my aches and pains.

Another happy day in the life of a marathon runner.