Happy HallOwen

Day 305 Wednesday 31st October 6.3 miles : miles to date 2000

At the risk of going yeah me, yet again....yeah me. 2000 miles. I have never run so far in one year in my entire life. I set of with Fi for a slow amble around the marina and then river, on tired and lethargic legs. I suspect that if I wasn't heading for a spot on 6.3 miler to pause momentarily on the big 2, it would have been a three and thats it.
 I shan't waffle on tonight as I'm enjoying the number and I'm just going to chill with my two Born Again pals,  Fiedster the speedster and the not so little peeps enjoying the HallOwen hijinks. Happy Halloween everyone.

Day 304 Tuesday 30th October 7.7 miles : miles to date 1993.7 It was just me, the countryside, no time dictated run and Axl Rose on the i-pod long play thingy machine today. I have been much too fixated on running pace and speed in recent months. The last two weeks I have avoided much of that which has recharged the batteries. I'm still on my hols, albeit the second week being a stay at home vacation which means I can just do what I want, when I want. If Fi lets me. I haven't run with music for age's and decided to have a slow, easy x-c from home chilling with the motley crew. Or was he in another band? Either way, it was a great,slow solo run into open countryside within a mile of starting. Not long after that, I turned a corner heading close to a copse when I came within thirty feet of the biggest Fox I have ever seen. Earlier in the year, I came across a few Fox's in one of my much missed running routes and it was great to just get back to nature again. All this road running malarkey doesn't sit well with my original wildlife career plans. I headed over to a farm in the distance and my pace dropped to a lets avoid breaking an ankle in field after field of deep animal hoof prints. The right of way took me straight through the farm itself and I swear the farmer must have left a hose on permanently at ever stile, together with animal waste pipes. At least for once it wasn't me doing the No.2's in the country. Result.

The Magic run

Day 303 Monday 29th October 10.5 miles : miles to date 1986 Top tip for pre run nutrition. That great British traditional meal of next day left over chicken Tikka Massala does not fuel a quicker pace run two hours after consumption. I am still on my hols and my eating habits have just gone out the window and despite running every day, I am a wee bit worried that I have lost a bit of fitness since Chester. As a result I thought I might just chuck in a 10 miler at marathon pace just to make sure I haven't slipped back too far. I set off on what was in the end quite an undulating and at times uneven road run, puffing a little too much for comfort at the start. I wound out of the village and headed off to the next one, where I climbed steadily out for a good mile and a half trying to keep an even pace as I did so. I was puffing towards the end of the first long steady incline and was a tad surprised to be under seven minute mile pace. Still, what go's up must come down and I found myself putting the foot down through the next section before heading into town to fight the cars and commuters. And then it came back. Bang. The magic ingredient re-appeared. I started racing commuters stuck in their mobile death traps, imagining that I could beat them home over the last three miles. I picked up the pace and kept it going for most of the last section. That did mean that I whizzed past another runner en route which made me feel a tad guilty as I wasn't trying to race him. I was just back in the game and boy did it feeellll good. Well I say feel good, I averaged the first ten miles at 6.47 mile pace which was fine, but I was too tired and puffy for comfort at the end. I have lost some fitness since Chester, but a couple of decent weeks worth of effort should hopefully sort that out. Fingers crossed.

Yayyyya Million Pounds run

Day 302 Sunday 28th October 8.5 miles : miles to date 1975.5

The Million Pound Paper delivery race
Fiona Owen - 1st woman
Paul Owen - 1st man

After months of planning and studious study of the course, the first official running of the Million Pound paper round race took place today. I first etched out the idea for the run back on the 23rd June, when I officially opened entries to this multi adventure adrenalin race. For those with a good memory, the entrance fee was a very reasonable £74.98 for which you got, er, nothing. I have spent the last few months shifting through the entries and as race day neared I wasn't sure if the race infrastructure was up to it. That was partly due to the fact that there wasn't any.
I had spent some money shifting in the a star for the new race, in the form of the current Mrs.Owen. The fee was a full Ruby Murray post race, but it was money well spent. Mainly because I shared the curry as well, but that was a lucky side effect of being married to the 1st woman finisher. And the only woman entrant for that matter. Mind you, I was the only bloke, so my original intention of putting the rewards into a Coutts account is looking flakey.
We are not quite sure whether to share my daughters £9 paper round fee in lieu of race winnings (apparently the organiser has done a bunk). The Million Pound run needs a bit of a re-think. The price tag isn't of course for the winner but the organiser. If he comes back

Day 301 Saturday 27th October 3.1 miles : miles to date 1967 Revenge is a dish best served cold. And in snow. Having pushed me out of the door a number of times this year, Fi wavered over her planned three miler and mumbled something about the temperature. I took some pleasure in making her get her kit on - there's a joke in there that I can't use due to the pre-watershed time - and pushed her and myself out the door. It is the day after the night before and we both just wanted to get the job done and get back for belated birthday fire works. The route was urban, uninspiring and we ran past a group of yuff's who mouthed the normal dull shouts. If I had the energy I would have turned back and asked them to try to think of something funny and original next time. The muttle heads just grunted rubbish and not even one run Forrest run, such was the appallingly low level of chuntering. The standard of education these days, eh. Rather unintentionally, I managed to finish right on my year of birth, which is a nice and meaningless co-incidence. Just 33 more miles to break the 2000 barrier, although a little worrying is the fact that I have dropped 89 miles behind the target mileage of 2500 for the year which means a target of an average of 59 miles a week for the next two months. I think I had better enter a marathon or two!

DAYYYY 300. YESSSS..

Day 300 Friday 26th October 5.1 miles : miles to date 1963.9

DAY 300!! Yeahhhh. Gooo me, gooo me, gooo me. Opps, terribly sorry about that. No idea what came over me. Might be something to do with reaching 300 running days in a row on this streak? Even though I have been going all year, it just seems like yesterday that I started this rather odd and personal challenge. A mere 66 days to go and what will I do then? Voldemort Part ii of course, but that's for next year.

 Its been an odd sort of day. The vast swathes of food and vino I have consumed over the last week, meant that the run itself was a tired, lethargic and slow affair where I felt I had no energy and my legs were like tree trunks at what turned out to be an average 7.33 mile pace. Not good. On the other hand, my GP pa-in-law measured my blood pressure and heart rate with a proper machine. I was something good over something good for the former and have a resting heart rate of 42 bpm. It seems I am in the higher athlete range, which at 45 years old I'll take in a heart beat. Or 42. 

 Am I satisfied with my years running so far? Heck yes. I have taken part in some wonderful races, runs and events, run with lots of really nice peeps all year, been to some amazing running places, made some great pals, shared a lot of this with Fi (who also is firmly settled in the athlete range with 49 bpm)  and yes, decimated all my PB's. I can say hand on heart ( just checked, still 42 ) in running terms I don't want this year to end and the thought of just 66 more days just seems too short. 

 OK before I get tearful, I'm off for a rather large G&T with said P-in-L who is 79 today. Now that is a milestone worth celebrating. And we are about to. All night. Hic.

Day 299 Thursday 25th October 3 miles : miles to date 1958.8

I awoke this morning to the sound of a large river flowing past within forty feet of the bedroom window. I then tried to move my old man bones. It would appear that I'm not as fit as I like to think I am. Last nights attempt at trying to eat the publicans entire food/vino supply meant that our early morning run up a waterfall turned into a casual stroll. The rest of the day was then spent doing other things than running, including driving a segway through a wood for an hour with the kiddlepeeps (I fell off twice and they were much better), eating again and shopping for, err, more food. As a result, my three miles ended up being a tired, late, wet and cold affair on my own on what was in truth a fairly dull residential route (I needed the street lights as it was dark). 

I so wish we had run up to the top of the waterfall as we had planned, but hey ho, life gets in the way at times.

23/24th Up't norff

Day 297 Tuesday 23rd October 8.1 miles : miles to date 1948.8

Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes. The boy is back in town and raring to go. I have put in the odd good run since Chester, but nothing really to note. I have kept it low level and mostly slow. Over the last 5 days in particular I have enjoyed vino and lots of lubbly jubbly grub and I have bloated out a bit. 

So, after a hard days shopping in Geordieland, it was a case of lets just try to run 8 miles at marathon pace and no more ie 7 minute mile.  I warmed up in the first .1 and then bang, it came back. I was so worried that I might start breathing heavily and puff out, but despite the beer belly and mountains of food, I can say with some relief that hello mamma, Daddies back. Eight miles at an average pace of 6.39 makes me a very happy chappy tonight. It was actually fine. As I ran faster, I just felt good, flowing and on top of the world.

18 weeks ago I set out to make a 7.30 mile pace comfortable when at the time it seemed the fastest I could run. Without trying to show off - and I am very sorry if it comes across that way as these posts are just a reflection of where I am in a factual way - 7 minute mile pace is becoming the norm. I hope in the months that follow, that will become my recovery pace. 6.30 effort pace? 6.00? Barking? Why not?

Day 298 Wednesday 24th October 7 miles : miles to date 1955.8

 YYEEAAHHHHH! Today's little jaunt was one of the best runs of the year so far. Fi and I set out to run from a little place in Northumberland called Wark, heading up and over the hills to a slightly bigger smaller place called Bellingham taking in part of the Pennine Way as we did so.

 I have run the route twice before and knew that it was isolated, hilly, muddy and wonderful. It is so far removed from our normal runs, even the x-c's I do with the SMC. This part of the North East is sparsely populated and the scenery is just magnificent. The first two miles went almost straight up and a breather or two was needed. We soon hit the PW, which runs for something like 240 miles. As soon as we did, our feet just sank into the saturated field's. I kind of knew they would and I was a tad apprehensive as to how Fi would react. She just laughed and we then spent the next two mile's or so dodging mad sheep who looked like they wanted to fight and pulling our shoes out of the mud.

 We were up, down, running across fields, brooks, the odd farm and lots of mud baths. It reminded me very much or a race I did a few years ago, called the Lyke Wake where I constantly put one foot or the other knee deep into water/mud. This time it was only ankle deep but for almost all of the middle section. 

 And the best thing? Fi just laughed all the way. We struggled through bracken, waddled through quagmires, ran/climbed a crag and stood on the top of the ridge with the best 360 degree view I have seen in a long while and just rejoiced in it all. 

 I know I have been PB hunting for sometime now, but these are the runs that make it all worth while. The ability of being able to pull on your daps and just say, yep its wild wooly and wet, so what the heck lets just go for it, is what to me running is all about.

Day 296 Monday 22nd October 5 miles : miles to date 1940.7 Arrr, hols. Having left the sunny south we headed up't norff to stay with the outlaws yesterday. Fi and I intend to get a few good running days in whilst away. We opened the curtains today and looked across the vista eyeing the route. Or at least we would have done if it wasn't for the fog. And the drizzle. I always under pack when I go away. I have got the main things in though - two pairs of trainers, two pairs of shorts, a few running tops and a couple of running books. Forgot my Hadrian's Wall map though. Due to the somewhat inclement weather, Fi and I stuck to the roads for a run, dodging cars, motorbikes, coaches and horse's as we did so. The other arf has got the bug and made us loop around the streets by the house when we a bit short, to make up the run to 5 miles. What have I created??

Ampthill Trophy 2012 photo's