TBA Distance Running

Follow Steve's marathon progess as he aims to complete his challenge of 500 marathons.....

So, how did it all go. I finished in 3:01:34, desperately tried to break the 3 hours again but alas the warmer than expected conditions put paid to that. Anyhow, I got 1219th position out of 35680 starters, so a top 4% finish, shouldn't complain really, it proved to be my best time as a vet. So 400 marathons done, now got to start chipping away at the next century for 500 in 2012. One Question I put to Steve was how was it running the new course as oposed to the old course..? Regarding your question, I think the old London course seemed faster some how. I know the cobbles have now gone, but to me there seemed to be a few more small inclines on the new course. Could be just my imagination as I was pushing harder towards the end. However in terms of the atmosphere and occasion, superb, I would say its the best London I've taken part in. I was on the Green start, a first for me which was so much more relaxing than the Blue start and I got out quickly, so all this helps. Also got to meet Sir Redgrave and co in the celebrity area, so all in all a very enjoyable and memorable weekend.

I've just completed marathon number 401 at Stratford on Sunday, I did 3:13 and came 33rd out of 700. This was a real Marathon with hills, no isotonic drinks and very little crowd support!! (Makes London seem like a walk in the park). Having a couple of days rest this week with some light training for the remainder, then some harder sessions next week.

The next century of marathons is truly under way now. I completed the Halstead Marathon on 15th May in 3:14. So 98 to go and they don't get any easier. Halstead was pretty tough, I wasn't feeling exactly 100%, had a bit of a sniffle, but the course was pretty demanding, rural country lanes, a few little climbs and it was pretty warm. Have got the White Peak Marathon this coming Saturday, only 6 days to recover from Halstead so very light training this week.All being well, I have a schedule to take me to about 414 by the end of this year. That would leave me with just over 6 years to do another 86, the countdown to London 2012 is on!

White Peak Marathon, not sure whether you know much about this marathon, but its all on trails. The first 22 miles is virtually all a climb, albeit gradual and then you have several steep downhill bits in the last 4 miles before reaching the finish which is not kind on tired legs. Nevertheless, I had a pretty decent run in 3:09:18 to finish 12th overall and 9th Vet out of over 200 starters. I went through half way in 1:34:40, so almost perfect splits which is always pleasing and I also maintained my unbeaten run of sub 3:15's which now stands at 12 in a row since September. I now have 4 weeks until my next marathon which is in Dartmoor, so a bit of time for some recovery and I also have a couple of 10Ks lined up to try and improve on my speed.

This was the toughest marathon I have run for some time, a typical Devonshire course with several climbs, but the heat was the real killer with temperatures reaching well into the 80's. So despite a good period of training with a couple of decent 10Ks under my belt the unforgiving heat put paid to a good run. Having gone through half way in 1:35:40, I could only manage 3:18:16 to finish 9th Vet and 13th place overall. Initially I was disappointed because it brought to an end my unbroken run of 12 sub 3:15s since last September. But on reflection I don't think I could have done much better. It was a 2 lap course and with the temperature rising gradually the whole time, the 2nd lap was always going to be tough. Such were the conditions, several runners were forced to pull out or walk as early on as halfway and the winner was the only runner to actually finish under the 3 hours!

I completed the Fairlands Valley Challenge Marathon on 17th July in a time of 4:27 to finish in 25th place out of 180 finishers. It was a baking hot day, the hottest I have ran in for many years with temperatures reaching the high 80's. The course was all off road, so plenty of climbs and varying terrain, totally different from running a road race but makes for a very useful training run with plenty of time on your legs! Free BBQ at the end so thoroughly recommended if your interested.

Completed the Boddington 50Km ultra marathon on 31st July in a time of 3:57:05 to finish in 16th place out of about 75 starters. My plan was to run at 7:30 mile pace for as long as possible which would have given me a time of around 3:55 but I didn't quite make it. I passed through the marathon distance in around 3:15, slightly quicker than planned and subsequently slowed in the final 5 miles. However I was pleased with my finishing position and achieving a sub 4 hour finish for 31 and a bit miles, another good bit of training in preparation for the consecutive weekly road marathons coming up in September and October. No 407 will be at Wolverhampton on September 4th. So pleased about the Olympics being held in London, makes it all the more special now if I can get to the 500 landmark by the time London hosts its marathon in 2012!

Bad luck this week, have come down with a heavy cold and was unable to run Wolverhampton Marathon yesterday, just the way it goes I guess. First one I've had to miss for years though and all being well, its Robin Hood on 11th. Haven't trained for nearly a week so might have to take it steadier.

Completed the Robin Hood Marathon, my 407th, at Nottingham yesterday in a time of 3:14:33. I was very pleased with this performance given that I have been laid up with a heavy cold and a minor back injury for the last couple of weeks and hardly been able to train. It helped that the weather conditions were favourable for running but I never thought that I would complete a sub 3:15 marathon on the back of my troubles, maybe the rest did me some good! My initial race plan was to go for a sub 3:30 finish and I ran sensibly for the first few miles. However, I still felt good at halfway and so picked up the pace slightly, the legs started to tire at about 18 miles, probably due to lack of training, but the engine still felt in good nick and I therefore made the decision to push for a sub 3:15. The last couple of miles were tough, but I worked hard and kept the required 7:30 mile pace going, speeding up over the last half mile to make sure. I guess I can be hard on myself sometimes, but I want to achieve the 500 marathon goal with an average finishing time of well under 3:30. Given the uncertainty of my fitness levels over the next 6 years or so, I feel that I need as many sub 3:15 times as possible to keep my averages up. It currently stands at just under 3:17, so at the moment, well within target.

Marathon No 408 successfully completed at the New Forest yesterday, think I'm fully over my cold now but I'm still getting some pain from the back injury. My time of 3:18:20 gave me 40th place out of over 500 starters but the conditions were not that good for running. It was unusually warm and the New Forest course has some demanding climbs especially in the latter stages of the race. I started off sensibly because of the heat and maintained a pretty even pace to reach halfway in 1:37, however the climbs between miles 18 and 22 put paid to another sub 3:15 effort. I have a weekend off now which is just as well because I have 3 consecutive marathons coming up in the first 2 weeks of October. Next marathon is Leicester on October 2nd.

Completed the Leicester Marathon yesterday, number 409, in a time of 3:15:21 to come 15th place out of about 100 starters. This is a tough course with hills most of the way round so I was pretty pleased with the time, although I just didn't have quite enough to break the 3:15. I went through halfway in 1:37 as planned, but I guess one hill to many near the end put paid to my plan of 3:14. The souvenir T-Shirt said it all, "Leicester Marathon, Hell of the Midlands"! However its another one under the belt and so its onto Cardiff next weekend and Abingdon the next, that's 3 marathons in just 2 weeks.

I completed the Cardiff Marathon on Oct 9th in a time of 3:11:58 to finish in 128th place overall and 28th vet, so quite pleased out of nearly 1400 finishers. This is a flat course but because you go out around the bay/dock area the wind can slow you down. Its a 2 lap course so you get to see views of the marvellous millennium stadium a number of times. Sadly, this and Cardiff Castle are the only real landmarks the course lets you witness, but the finish is superb. You enter the stadium and run a lap around the hallowed turf before crossing the finish line in front of the main stand, that's 411 done!

So onto Abingdon a week later for number 411. This time, I finished in 3:13:41 to finish in 99th place, again I was pleased with another sub 3:15 clocking and almost perfectly paced race having passed through halfway in 1:36:45. This event has gone from strength to strength with the entry of 800 being filled well before the closing date. Its a one lap course which is pretty flat throughout with only a few small inclines, the faculties at the start and finish venue are superb and its very well organised. So 3 marathons completed over the last 3 weekends, legs feeling okay and looking forward to the next one in Cornwall mid November and this is a tough one!

I completed number 412 at the Cornish Marathon yesterday in a time of 3:18:15 to finish in 21st place out of 170 starters. This is a tough out and back course over Bodmin Moor with many steep climbs so I wasn't surprised my time was a few minutes slower than normal. Fortunately, the weather was kind as the sun shone most of the way round which is unusual for this event.Passing through half way in 1:38 I only lost 2 minutes in the 2nd half of the race despite some severe climbs between miles 21 and 25. It was a relief to find that most of the last mile was completely down hill, always good for a sprint finish! As customary, all the runners got a hot Cornish Pasty at the end of the race which always goes down nicely with a cold beer (or two).

I completed number 413 at the Luton Marathon in a time of 3:14:30 to finish in 53rd place out of 426 finishers. This is a 3 lap course with 2 hills on each lap so I was pleased to get another sub 3:15 to finish off the year. I pushed the pace early on thinking I could perhaps dip under the 3:10 and passed through half way in 1:34. However, my legs started to feel heavy from 17 miles (perhaps still feeling the effects of the Cornish hills) and in the end had to dig deep for a sub 3:15. Overall, I am very happy with the way this year has gone, I completed 17 marathons, 2 of which were ultra events and my average time for the year was 3:13:30 which is my fastest season's average for 11 years. Who says you don't improve with age! So, I'm still on schedule for number 500 in 2012, but for now I'm just looking forward to putting my feet up for a couple of weeks before contemplating next year's programme of marathons!

First one of the year, number 414, completed at the Duchy Marathon yesterday in a time of 3:15:32 to finish in 22nd place out of 155 starters. This is an undulating 2 lap course starting and finishing in Redruth, with most of the hills coming in the last 6 miles. However, having to also contend with a strong freezing cold head wind for most of those last 6 miles, it put paid to a sub 3.15 which would have been a nice way to start the year. Still, it was good to get the first one under my belt and hopefully the one in Dumfries next Sunday won't be as tough!

I ran the Dumfries Marathon in a time of 3:08:33 to finish in 18th place out of 180. This is an undulating 1 lap course, however the weather conditions were very good for running and having gone through halfway in 1:34, I was pleased to record a sub 3:10 finish only a week after completing a tough Duchy Marathon. It's my fastest time since London last year and also means I have my qualifying time for automatic entry into the 2007 London Marathon. I now have a couple of weeks before my next marathon in Taunton and then a three week gap until the London Marathon.

I completed the Taunton Marathon in a time of 3:14:35 to finish in 26th place out of over 200 starters. This is an undulating 2 lap course with 3 hills towards the latter part of each lap. Fortunately it has a nice downhill finish to compensate!. Weather-wise, it was a blustery day with headwinds making life more difficult on parts of the course, so I was pleased to record another sub 3:15. Having passed through halfway in 1:36:30 I had the feeling I was going to lose some ground against the wind on the second lap. How right I was, at mile 25, the clock showed 3:06:30 and I thought the sub 3:15 barrier had defeated me today. However, I dug deep and put the hammer down for the last 1.2 miles, fortunately it paid off and I came in with 25 seconds to spare. Now I have 3 weeks to recover before London, so I would just like to wish everyone who is running the best of luck and remember, just enjoy it!

I completed London in a time of 3:03:30 to finish 1470th overall (top 4% of the field) and 503rd in my age category. Weather conditions yesterday were superb for marathon running so I was looking for a sub 3 hour finish, but it wasn't to be as I just ran out of steam towards the closing stages. It didn't help that I was tripped at about 11 miles and fell like a sack of potatoes grazing my arm and bruising my hip. However I still got to halfway in 1:29 and thought maybe I could keep the same pace going till the end. If I had known that James Cracknell was just ahead of me I might have dug in to try and beat him as he also just failed to beat the 3 hours. I enjoyed the race despite this mishap and the crowd support and atmosphere as usual was electric. Next marathon is the Shakespeare event in 2 weeks time!

This was the 25th staging of the event and I crossed the finish line in a time of 3:14:35 to finish in 70th place out of 701 finishers. Having gone through halfway in just under 1:37, it went pretty much to plan, near enough even splits for another sub 3:15 finish. The course is what you might call undulating, a two lapper with 2 good hills on each lap. The good thing about this event is its only 12 miles away from where I live, (my nearest marathon), so it was nice to be home by mid afternoon and putting my feet up earlier than normal after a race! It's the Halstead Marathon next week, so not long to recover, the challenge continues ...

Another day, another marathon, I completed Halstead in 3:12:47 to finish in 33rd place in a field of just over 400 runners. Having gone round the first half of this testing 2 lap course in 1:37:30, I was pretty pleased to complete the second half in around 1:35 for negative splits. The intention was to take it a bit easier this week because of next week's schedule, however the conditions were ideal for running and I felt good, so I increased the tempo slightly second time around to ensure another sub 3:15. Next weekend will be my first back to back marathons since I broke the record in 1992, so it will be interesting to see how I fair. First up is the White Peak Marathon on Saturday followed by the 50th running of the Isle Of White Marathon on Sunday. Both are demanding courses, but I'm looking forward to the challenge!

I completed my 420th and 421st marathons over the weekend in my first back to back since completing the record in 1992. I ran the White Peak Marathon on Saturday in 3:13:59 to finish in 16th place out of a field of just over 200. Then ran the 50th staging of the Isle of Wight Marathon in 3:25:41 to finish in 37th place out of a field of around 300. In both races I ran negative splits completing the second half faster than the first, the best way to run marathons if possible.

I wasn't sure how I would feel doing this kind of thing again now I'm 14 years older, but I couldn't have imagined running yet another sub 3:15 followed by a sub 3:30 the day after, especially on two tough courses. The White Peak event climbs gradually for the first 23 miles before dropping dramatically over the final few miles. Then the Isle of Wight, well this is surely one of the toughest in the country with 18 good hills to climb, there must be life in the old legs yet! I also passed another landmark at the Isle Of White for it was my 350th sub 3:30 marathon.

So another 79 marathons to go to complete my target of 500 by London 2012, just hope and prey that the health & fitness continues and I don't sustain any serious injuries.

Completing number 422 in my first ever Edinburgh Marathon, I was pleased to record yet another sub 3:15 despite the hot conditions with temperatures reaching the 80's, I just hate running in this sort of heat! Anyway, my time was 3:12:59 and I finished 173rd out of over 4000 finishers so overall I was very happy given the conditions. This is one of the few British marathons I had not run before so it was nice to see a different course, it is well organised, plenty of crowd support and the finish line is ideally situated in the scenic surroundings of Holyrood Park. Channel Five were covering this event and I was interviewed before and after the race. I believe an hour long programme of the marathon goes out on 22nd June if anyone is interested. I have a bit of a break now as their are no more British mainland road marathons until the beginning of September, Wolverhampton will be my next and in between I have a couple of half's and 10ks planned to hopefully try and sharpen my pace a little!