All 15 entries tagged Training

Dave's Marathon Injury Blog Update

Writing about web page http://www.shakespearemarathon.org.uk/

Well I haven't really blogged on this (or anything) for ages. Due to general incompetence on my part and a hectic calendar I'm running the 1/2M at Stratford this weekend and running the Edinburgh Marathon on June 11th instead of the Vienna Marathon.

So having got myself all psyched up and ready, building up to 20 miles along the Camel Trail and running my little cotton socks off in a 30:03 5–miler, I was looking forward to another jaunt down the Camel trail followed by this weekend's run. So I'm running along the Trail and coming the other way is a woman walking 5 dogs – 2 on leashes and 3 off the leash. At this point the two mutts on the leash decide that it'd be fun to try and trip me up. In attempting not to kick the mongrols in the head I end up straining my hamstring and pulling my groin. This caused me to have to cut my run short when I got to wadebridge the 1st time.

After a couple of days my hamstring has calmed down and I've been able to run without much discomfort at all, but somewhere in beating the Cricket 5th Team and getting panned at 4–a–side I've mananged to pull my groin again. 1h30 on Sunday? Maybe not, but watch this space.

: 05 May 2006 16:47 |  Tags: Edinburgh Half-Marathon Marathon Running Stratford Training |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Why I hate: My big toe

Follow-up to Why I hate: Training Week 1 from No I said DublIN marathon

For crap's sake. That'll teach me to a) say training is going fine and b) criticising training.

Steau Butyl Ester played the MChem Monkeys (aka S.H.A.F.T.) sans Dev this morning and pulled off a 3–1 victory despite the monkeys having the better of the chances (well done Andy G).

I digress: Anywho, I managed to kick (accidentally, and incidentally not very hard) one of their players in the back of the foot with about 10 mins to go, and that was it, game over for me. I was able to play on for about 2 mins, before subbing into net. I left the hall and my foot hurt, but it has got progressively worse all day, so much so that I'm wussing out of my game tomorrow.

What a dickhead!!!

Toe is now a delightful purple colour. Looking forward to yet another week without training properly.

Anybody know how long a badly bruised big toe takes to heal?

: 31 Jan 2006 19:51 |  Tags: Hockey Marathon Running Training |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Why I hate: Training Week 1

Writing about web page http://www.runnersworld.co.uk

To be fair the title of this post is a little harsh on "Training Week 1" and should really be titled Why I hate: My crapness at completing Training Week 1." Well, tough shit "Training Week 1", you're getting the blame anyway.

Having plumped for a 3:15 target time (9 mins faster than Dublin), the training schedule from RunnersWorld.co.uk is fairly brutal and requires me to do 32 miles this week. Monday and Tuesday were pretty good, if a little fast (my usual problem) but after that it all went tits–up. Wednesday I had a match against the Poly and Berkswell training, and on Thursday I was in no fit state to do any running, so gave myself the day off. Friday was meant to be a run, but I cocked that up but accidently having a pint in the Grad after work, and Saturday I had a match against Malvern; this pretty much counted as my slow 5–miler as they were gash and we spanked them 9–1. Sunday I was rubbish and again accidentally had a pint after Mixed Hockey training, blowing my long run – bollocks.

Oh well, that was "Training Week 1", and this is a new week (imaginatively titled "Training Week 2"), with a new resolve. Today's run was fine – I ran on the treadmill as it was nut–clenchingly cold out and I had hockey training afterwards and would get cold enough then.

I am determined to stick to the plan this week and if you see me in the Grad, make sure I've done my run. If I've not, kick my arse until I have!!!

: 30 Jan 2006 22:24 |  Tags: Hockey Marathon Running Training |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Training – Noooooooo

Writing about web page http://www.vienna-marathon.com

Noooooo, training starts on Monday for the Vienna Marathon (7th May) and the training plan I have tots up to a whopping 1065km (I tend to think in miles, but it sounds more impressive in kilometers). Oh well at least it breaks me in gently – 32 miles in the first week.

Could change the title of my blog, but quite frankly I can't be arsed.

: 20 Jan 2006 09:56 |  Tags: Marathon Running Training |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Photos from Dublin Marathon online

Photos of me and Bryan in Dublin courtesy of ASI Photography can be found here

: 05 Nov 2005 10:59 |  Tags: Dublin Marathon Running Training |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Dave Haggart 2 – 26.2 Miles 0

Writing about web page http://www.dublincitymarathon.ie

That's it, over, done, dusted, finito, completed. Bryan and I both ran pretty good times (if I don't say so myself) in the marathon on Monday. It appears that all the training paid off, although I have lost all the pace I never had, to be replaced with the ability to run in a straight–ish line for a long time.

Bryan beat his target time in a very respectable 3hrs 41mins 51secs - a good 6 minutes faster than my virgin time. However I had the last laugh, beating his arse in 3hrs 24mins 33secs – 24 minutes faster than my previous time. I'm really chuffed with the time, but disappointed with myself as I felt I could have got through in under 3hrs 20, having gone though half way a touch under 1:40. In the end it was the hill at Mile 21 that finished me and I walk/jogged Miles 24/25, before running the last mile and a bit – looking like a bit of a flash tosser as I sprinted down the finishing straight.

I can highly recommend the hostel that we stayed in – The Four Courts Hostel. It is on Merchants Quay, just down the Guinness Brewery end of Temple Bar, near the Brazen Head (Ireland's oldest pub) and unsurprisingly enough opposite the Four Courts. There were several other people running the marathon staying over the weekend and so that cut down somewhat on the noise in our 16 person dorm, although there were a couple of people each night drunkenly stumbling in at 2am, and somebody was beaten–up/stabbed/shot outside our window on the Sunday night (blood everywhere).

Anne, Cat and Matt were out round the course to spur us on, and having seen them as we crossed the Liffey at Parliament St, they then braved 3 miles in the pissing rain to Mile 10 as we exited Phoenix Park. I nearly missed them as some prat was trying to cut me up on his bike round a 90 degree bend, but spotted Matt and gave them another wave. They then got a bus back to the finishing straight and Anne picked up some footage of me overtaking a couple of people before the line.

Gained:
1 Naff looking finishers medal
1 Finishers t–shirt
2 T–shirts
1 Running shirt
1 Lions shirt
2 Sore legs
1 Massage
1 PB
1 Bottle of Jamesons Distillery Reserve Whiskey

Lost
0.25 Right nipple
1 Ability to walk down stairs
1 Feeling in my left calf
>4000 Calories (probably nearer 6000 as Bryan's heart rate monitor didn't enjoy the rain that much)

I'd like to thank everybody that has sponsored "Team Stuck In The Bubble" so far. We've raised nearly £1800 so far - just £200 short of our target of £2000. It's still not too late to sponsor us - all the money goes to Wakefield Hospice and you can either give us cash or a cheque, or sponsor us online at www.justgiving.com/stuckinthebubble

I'll add to this over the next couple of days when I get time and my brain regains function.

: 03 Nov 2005 16:10 |  Tags: Dublin Marathon Running Training |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

1 hr 32 mins 24 seconds (Officially)

Follow-up to 1 hr 32 mins 24 seconds (Unofficially) from No I said DublIN marathon

Well apparently my "blue watch of gay" (Timex Ironman Triathlon 50 Lap Sleek) keeps the right time, which is nice, as it agreed to the second with the official race timing.

I came in in 81st (by time) in 1:32:24, which I'm pretty chuffed with – I was the 75th bloke… although the race was "gun to chip" so I came 96th as I was the 96th person to cross the line, which is a bit of a swizz. I guess I should have been one of the wankers that lined up ahead of their predicted time…

Results (Courtesy of RaceAhead.net ):

(Apologies for crap resolution from screen–grab)

: 26 Sep 2005 14:02 |  Tags: Godiva Half-Marathon Running Training |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

1 hr 32 mins 24 seconds (Unofficially)

Writing about web page http://www.justgiving.com/stuckinthebubble

Well, after much hyperbole, many hours on the road, and looking (forward) to what will be my longest training week, I spanked the pants off my target at the Lady Godiva (Cov) Half Marathon. It was good to see familiar faces (and behinds) around the course as I beasted it around the ring–road, out to the Jag plant and back in a little over an hour and a half, nearly 15 minutes (1 minute per mile) under my target time.

Well done to Team Stuck In The Bubble (Sophie Martin, Liz Ness and Bryan Simon – www.justgiving.com/stuckinthebubble), Team H50ckey (Gromit, Diggler and Lister – www.h50ckey.com), Frodo, Pooja, Dickie Day and everybody else that completed it, including several others from Warwick – staff, students and alumni.

The race "began" with the usual (bearing in mind this was only my 2nd mass–participation running event) dicking–around at the start waiting for everybody to form up, then the neatly lined up (by time) groups formed a melee by the start as the course was pretty wide at this point, before narrowing considerably. At this point I'd like to have a moan at all those people (and you know who you are, including one Computational Chemist) that decided to patently ignore the request to line up by predicted times, causing carnage at the front – with me nearly flattening the aforementioned chemist.

After overtaking Scooby Doo, and laughing at the first over–hydration casualty (needing a piss 300yds in), I settled into a rythmn and kept up reasonable pace with Frodo and had a lovely tour of the ring–road, blazing along at a little over 7 minutes a mile. I only know this as I happened to spot a mile marker spray painted on the road near the gutter. The only really obvious markers after that were at 5 miles, 6 miles, 7 miles, 8 miles, 10 miles and 13 miles – I wasn't entirely impressed. Along the Radford Road, as promised was Rob Whisson, who seemed genuinely shocked to see me the first time I saw him, and who was tucking in to a Macdonalds Bacon Batch when I passed him on the way back – Bastard. (Big hand to Liz who stole some of Rob's beer on the way past.)

At the turn around, Frodo, Grom and Bryan were pretty close behind me, and then Sophie and Liz were running together a little way back, followed by Lister. I failed to spot Diggler completely. The turn itself was simply a school desk placed in the road, with a line painted on the floor to mark the turning point – not ideal.

I arrived back a broken man, after the ring–road. Frodo came in 2 minutes later, Bryan came in at 1:38:36 and was pretty pleased, Diggler came in in about 1:45, Grom at 1:50ish and Soph and Liz at 2:25ish and Lister at 2:30 ish. Not a bad showing. And so to the summary…

The Good:
The weather which, whilst hot, wasn't unbearably so.
The competitors, who all seemed to have fun, and stopped to help people when they were in difficulty.
The support almost all the way around the course from those watching.
The view of the finishing line as I came off the ring–road.
The post–race refreshments.

The Bad:
The course profile, which didn't mark some of the more evil climbs, such as the one crossing the railway line between 11 and 12 miles.
The profile of the course itself, which left some fairly tough hills at the end, including climbing up and over the flyover by the Skydome.
Those people that insisted on lining up near the front, despite walking/jogging slowly. Grrr
The lack of obvious mile markers along the whole course.
The tightness of the turn at the turnaround.
The people who didn't move their cars from the course.
Grom getting wasted the night before.
That I've got to carry on training, and that I only ran 1/2 the distance of Dublin and am screwed.

The Ugly:
Me having to shove my number down my pants as it was only held on by one safety pin by the time we hit mile 10.
The look on the baggage handler's faces when I extracted the number.

: 25 Sep 2005 17:02 |  Tags: Godiva Half-Marathon Running Training |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Blood

Writing about web page http://www.justgiving.com/stuckinthebubble

By now you can probably see where this is going…. the reason why is that our esteemed CVO requested that I bleed when placing his donation, and now I have.

Now it was never going to be fun running on the hottest day of the month so I set off bright and breezy to miss the worst of the heat. My sense of impending doom had been heightned by the nosebleed I'd had the night before. So with bog–roll safely squared away in my camelbak I set off towards Berkswell.

You can guess the rest, late for training after the wedding uber–post

: 01 Sep 2005 19:44 |  Tags: Running Training |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Sweat

Well this weeks training has gone OK – the 14M on Sunday (read Monday) was pretty good although once again I spanked the pants off it, coming in 15 mins early. I paid for this however the following day running up and down the top K'worth Road 10 (read 5) times when I simply couldn't carry on – rest days are important, lesson learnt.

: 01 Sep 2005 19:37 |  Tags: Running Training |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem