Sports Personality of the year???

Day 332 Tuesday 27th November 6.3 miles : miles to date 2197.7 Having heard that this years BBC Sports personality of the year shortlist had been expanded from 10 to 12 due to all the runners, I listened eagerly to the radio for my name to be announced. I must have just missed out, as Mo Farah sneaked in ahead of me. Apparently running every day for a year is not in the Olympics. I am thinking of sending a petition to Baron Pierre de Coubertin. I mean think of the benefits;- 1. Variety of race/run distances 2. Ample spectator viewing areas 3. No car parking hassles 4. Learning all about the relationship between leaves and No. 2's 5. Various run start times 6. Easy access to the runners 7. Daily, updating reports 8. Spectator participation If you are with me, please write to the Baron, Paris or somewhere else, France. I took out my frustration on a meandering lunch time run mainly along a very muddy and wet canal towpath, which took me through a wonderfully named hamlet called ''Cow Roast''. The name makes me chuckle every time I run through it. I dived off the path a few times and checked out a number of trails, although each time I turned back through either excessive mud patches or wide/deep puddles. I did have to put the whistle back on without a shower for unsuspecting clients this afternoon and a marketing thingy after work, so for once I was sensible. Hopefully the fake LaCoste aftershave, baby wipes and slightly smelly towel covered up the pong.

Day 331 Monday 26th November 4.2 miles : miles to date 2191.4 The full on weekend left me suffering from the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and the DOWS (dehydrated Owen wine sickness) today. It comes to something when I'm sore and still have a bad head two days later, due no doubt to my Vet status which incidentally helped us bag third vet teams men's prize at the weekends race. Not quite the kiddy heights of Chester but a podium finish none the less which is the third one this year (also bagged third place in Bedford Clanger marathon), but enough about me. Opps, sorry as this is mostly about me, its time to talk about me. Again. Don't worry, another 35 days and the pain will be over. After very heavy rain all day and most of the country flooded or about to be under water, I headed for the Forest centre for a lap outside and a paddle inside. As I sat in my car, a streak of lighting known as Paul Farmer flew past at pace. I miss timed my car exiting strategy to get out just as he was coming back. Paul is a very nice chap, but he runs like the wind and I didn't want to slow him down. Never the less, he graciously did and we ran together for a mile and a half or so, dodging car's, puddles, frogs and small dinghies. He turned as I went into the centre, where upon all my hard work in puddle hopping went out the window as almost the entire path was covered in water. Ah well, you can only get wet once and the running gods had been very kind to me anyway, as it stopped raining for possibly the first time today when I set off. The rain stayed away and only my tootsie's got wet, with both the DOMS and DOWS gone by the end. Result.

The Reindeer run

Day 330 Sunday 25th November 4.1 miles : miles to date 2187.2 After yesterdays race, today's planned 10k race with Fi around Woburn House grounds in aid of the RNLI was always going to be a laid back affair. To say I didn't really take it seriously would be an understatement. The following list show's how to prepare for a race, which I wish I had in mind yesterday;- 1. Don't run hard in a race a day before: 2. Don't drink copious amounts of beer the night before: 3. Do set the alarm: 4. Don't oversleep, miss the 10k and enter the 5K which is later instead: 5. Do hydrate after drinking too many beers: 6. Don't start a second lap, run half a mile and think your head's hurting and turn around: 7. Do wear reindeer antlers, flashing red nose and t-shirt: 8. Don't be almost the only one in head to toe specialist x-c running gear not wearing your charity t-shirt, go to the front or take it seriously (not me but some other numpty): 9. Do check that the race doesn't clash with the clubs x-c race, then miss the x-c and feel bad all day about not going: 10. Do let the world and his wife pass you if you are feeling hung over, dehydrated, tired and well past your best sell by date: Compared to yesterdays almost exclusive running club race, this was a much more low key fun event in glorious House grounds. I only wish I was less er, under the weather. I still managed to wolf down my first mince pie. Must be Christmas soon?

Wolverton 5 mile race

Day 329 Saturday 24th November 6.1 miles : miles to date 2183.1 Stacey had two outings today, one early doors at Bedford park run with Fi and one with me at Wolverton 5 mile race this afternoon. I did feel like I was letting Gavin Garmin down a little, but I have to admit it is a great bit of kit. I helped to marshal the park run and it was great to see Steve James out with Paula , after being injured for most of the last two years. It won't be long before he's back barking orders at us in training and sharing his views in his own forthright way. Fi has had a niggle in her foot all week, which has effected her running so it was good to see her put in a very good run only seconds behind her PB. Having checked my records, it was a surprise to see that I had never raced at that distance, so come what may I was always going to get a PB. Never the less, I still wanted to go for a half decent time to add a clean sweep of PB's this year all of which bar one are at age related Gold standard. Having spent my entire running career struggling most of the time to reach Bronze, I admit to being a little greedy today and trying to get another Gold. The official results are not yet out, but by my reckoning I am very close but might have just missed out. Ohh, exciting. The early omens were not good. The weather had been getting steadily worse all day and by race start it was raining and cold. The start was very bunched and despite running at around a six minute mile pace it remained tight for over half a mile. That was due to the unusual distance and there not being that many races around, which attracted a very high number of club runners making up 90% of the field judging by the vests on display. I haven't really trained intensively for a while and I just wasn't sure what I was going to do. I tried to keep a steady pace and it was something of a surprise to go through the 10k mark quicker than my current best 10k race time. I did slow over the next mile and thought I had dropped drastically to a 6.30 plus pace, although after the race Stacey informed me that my slowest mile was 6.13 and my quickest mile was 5.59 which was the last one. I finished somewhere around 30:35, with the extra 1.1 mile being made up of the warm up and warm down. The mad as ever Martin Beare put in a sub thirty run despite last weekends sub 3 hour marathon, with the AFF also being very well represented by the Silver Surfer, Shaun Kirtley and Rebecca Fleckney with her second race of the day. Come to think of it, the winner of the potty cup is a tight call between the Beare and the Fleckers. The next race is a 10k er, tomorrow after a night's partying tonight with exuberant South Africans who will no doubt be celebrating their win over England.

The new arrival

Day 328 Friday 23rd November 4.2 miles : miles to date 2177 Well seeing as everyone is getting involved with the gossip and people want to know so much, it's probably time for me to confirm that yes Fi was expecting and our little bundle of joy arrived today. She managed to cover it up well and it was just as much as a shock for me let alone anyone else. I still can't quite get my head around how quickly it's happened. Only two days ago she announced that we would be expecting a new arrival, whom we have christened Stacy to go with her sibling Gavin. I can now confirm that we took delivery of a brand new, gleaming Garmin Forerunner 310XT. Without wishing to seem as though I am showing off, we are now a two Garmin family. My old mate Gavin Garmin 205 is on his last legs and now that there are two veteran athletes to cater for, we were worried that my poor old virtual training partner may be on the way to the electronic after life, Heaven 17. I took Gavin for a gentle trot around the streets outside Marston Forest Centre and just tried to make sure that he felt appreciated. It wasn't a fast run and in fact it was almost identical to every Friday night run around the centre whilst on my way home from work. The only difference was at the end, when a chap in a head torch, running gear and ruck sack ran past me as I was getting into the car. I resisted the urge to follow as he dived into the darkness of the centre, but I was intrigued. I'm still wondering where he was off.

Pop muzzac

Day 327 Thursday 22nd November 7.9 miles : miles to date 2172.8 If its a Thursday, its a standard figure of eight loop around the streets with the club. My roller coaster running week continued and I arrived feeling quite tired and with sore pins. I was late and the middle crew had gone, with the whippets also pulling out as I drove in. I can't stay with them when we start at the same time, so I resigned myself to a semi quick trot, hoping to catch the Silver Surfer and the rest on route. The wind was blowing hard and after the first three mile loop with no sign of anyone, I slowed and took it easy for the remainder, bearing in mind two pending shorter races this weekend. I couldn't catch a cold tonight and didn't see anyone until the finish. I half expected not to and went out with the long player, which I switched on for the second half. I now can't get out of my head, the classic King Kurt track Zulu Beat with its immortal chorus " jump to the Zuuullluuu beat ohh wallahwallah, ohh wallahwallah, ooh wallahwallah .'' Now listen up my running friends, if you don't pay attention to your training you to could end up like me, a former runner now addicted to searching for pop videos from the 1980's on You Tube. Leave the i-pod long play thingy machine behind or at least check your playlists. What ever you do, make sure Adam and the Ants never comes on. Blast, got to dash, I feel a chorus of "...unplug the jukebox and do us all a favour that music's lost its taste so try another flavour -antmusiiccc, ant mussiiccc " coming on. Heck, all's lost. I may not be able to run on Friday at this rate.

The Ingredient run

Day 326 Wednesday 21st November 4.9 miles : miles to date 2164.9 Due to limited time and a need to order pizza, I set off at pace tonight from my lads school car park at rush hour. As soon as the garmin connected and the Foo boys kicked in for a second night in a row, I was out of the blocks like Meatloaf himself. I powered down the road, dodging cars and just ran very fast through the middle of the town centre. The more the cars pulled up, the quicker I ran. I was racing the rat race crew, knowing that I'll be in the metal death box again on the morrow. There was almost an element of anger knowing that tonight, I was fleet of foot rampaging through the streets and in an all to brief a moment, I will be back in the whistle and sitting in one of those metal coffins. Another contrasting run to the dark and x-country of last night, but real life dictated the run. The streets and lights meant that despite the cars and peeps around, I was able to hammer it for a while, until my legs rebelled. Oi, they called, you have done two fifteen plus x-c runs in the last three days and you have two races at the weekend, with a major party straddling the two, they shouted. I listened and slowed soon after, taking the rest of the run easy. On arrival home, said pizza was ordered and the best mid week invention ever was deployed. A very cold beer in a very warm shower. If you have never tried it, go for it. The ingredients of the invention are these:- 1. Exercise outside in the cold or mud 2. Mix in a shiver or mud; go inside 3. Remove said beverage from fridge 4. Ensure said fridge has a back up 5. Retreat to shower, power up and de-robe 6. Enter, feel the heat and lather 7. If you are a chap, locate the old boy who has invariably pulled up a round neck jumper and hibernated 8. Crack said tinnie and bask in the hot water/air 9. Marvel at the contrast between warm water on the outside and amber nectar on the inside 10. Chill, enjoy and plan your next run Glorious. PS As an added bonus, drink more beer and eat pizza on a midweek school night