You know how I said I don’t just throw this blog together…..
So, that’s March pretty much done……
My favourite running community, Fetcheveryone, the subject of a previous blog, has only been in that there Guardian! It got me to thinking, I get a certain pride to be part of something independent, quirky and quite deservedly successful.
My wandering mind then started thinking that what else, apart from Fetch, would feature in running awards if I were the sole judge.
So, my favourite website AND community would have to be Fetch. I urge anyone with an interest in running to check it out. Take a bow Fetchies, top step of the podium.
Talking of my favourite things, my amazing lady wife, Nicky, and I ran together on Tuesday, me taking the role of ‘coach’. I can’t tell Nicky what the planned session will be as she loses sleep fretting about it. Apparently she slept fitfully anyway, curiously nervous about how fast her legs would need to go.
The session was a good warm up with some mobility stretching then we did 1 x 1 mile hard, about 2 minutes recovery followed by 1 x 1 km hard again with a couple of minutes recovery then 1 x 600m (ish) which is a lap of the north green on Paignton sea front. Nicky’s legs were indeed a blur, particularly on the last one. We then jogged home and Nicky went off for a swim! After work we met up and did some rather public core-based circuit training. Phew!! A triple p.e. day for Nicky!
My blog is coming up to celebrating its 2000th visitor! I hope that it in some way is contributing to the wonderful running community and maybe engaging a few non runners with a little window into the strange world of us 50somethings with a running addiction!
Another great running community is that one that has arisen out of the listenership of the wonderful podcast, Marathon Talk. Don’t be fooled, this isn’t a deadly serious talk show based solely around the big city majors, it is a weekly 90 minutes or so of banter, training advice, interviews, features. a hilarious regular comedy piece from Tony Audenshaw (Bob from Emerdale) and so much more. They have a shiny new website where you can interact with the show, rating runs and entering your marathon performances in the hope of getting on the weekly podium.
They’ve interviewed the great and good and inspiring and quirky over the 377 episodes to date.
One of my favourite features is the interviewees magic mile where each week’s guest is asked the following hypothetical question:
“Given 6 months of perfect training, where you didn’t have to work, carry out domestic duties, you’re guaranteed no injuries or illness, what time could you manage for 1 mile on the track?”
Andy Baddely and Mo Farrah are top of the list on 3m48s, Ronnie O’Sullivan said 5m00s and marathon running legend, Steve Edwards said 5m29s.
Anyway, again I urge you to check it out. Presenters Tom Williams and Martin Yelling, please step forward to receive your award.
Running them close, despite being relative newcomers are the witty, engaging and comedians Paul Tonkinson and Rob Deering. Their podcast, Running Commentary is recorded whilst the guys are running and is full of observations, descriptions of the routes, lots of running chat, stories from their lives and is a welcome treat on my drive to and from work.
They occasionally have interviewees too and this can make for some truly hilarious moments. they are currently training for the London Marathon (yes, I believe there is one in London) and so plenty of runners will relate to where they are at in their training.
I’ve managed really good long training runs in the last week or so, a 26.2 and a 20 and we treated ourselves to a sports massage too so feeling like the training for North Dorset Villages Marathon is coming together. We ran the race together last year and Nicky did her 2nd best ever marathon time. We’re both quietly targeting going well this year.
Before that we’ve got the Devonshire Dumpling marathon on Sunday, looking to run the flatter parts at a good pace and enjoy the hilly trails and coast path for the rest of it.
I listened to my body this morning and took Charlie for some ball chasing instead of running and was treated to a beautiful sunrise through the trees.
Anyway, expect a report on Sunday’s pasty (and run), hopefully in a more structured blog……
What a beautiful sunrise this morning, the sun rising through the haze of sea spray as an north-easterly whipped the tops off the waves. Like running through a watercolour.
Packing Our Trunks 