Three is the magic number

Distance: 10.01 km/ 6.22 miles

Time:       56:38 secs

Calories:  856

Three runs in three days. Not bad considering I'm on holiday.

We go for a change of scenery today and, instead of running on the beach, decide to run through the local park, over a bridge and head north on the appropriately named 'Tropical Trail'. This is a really beautiful spot to run down, with very large, very expensive houses on one side and the sea glistening in the early morning sun on the other side.

The Long and not so winding road that
is Tropical Trail.

Unfortunately, even though the scenery makes for a nice change of pace it's ridiculously hot again (despite setting out 8:19am) and I'm soon soaked in sweat and willing an end to this run. It shows as well as Run Keeper has recorded an average pace of just 5:39 mins/mile, which is pretty slow compared with what I usually run.

The run ends after 10 kilometres and nearly an hour and I decide to award myself a day off the next day.

Life's a beach

Distance: 10.22km/6.35 miles

Time:       53:27 secs

Calories:  791

It's the second day of my holiday in Florida, it's Easter morning and I'm heading out for a 10km run with my brother-in-law Andy. Interestingly, the last time that I ran with Andy was on Christmas morning. It would seem that we only run together on religious holidays - I better check my diary to book in some runs for Hannukah, Ramadan and Diwali so as to better reflect the multicultural society in which we live.

As with the previous run we're running on the beach, mainly on the more compacted sand where the waves have been crashing. This is far easier to run on than the loose sand further up the beach, but it is quite different to road running as there is some 'give' in the surface which means you need to put in more effort when taking each stride. At least, I think that's the case and it - along with the heat - might help to explain why I'm finding it harder to run over here than in the UK.

Another difference compared with running in the UK is that running on the beach over here presents an interesting obstacle in the form of the Portuguese Man O' Wars which are washed up on the beach.

A Portuguese Man o' War washed
up on the beach.

I reckon there were something like five of these littering the route. Apparently, a sting from one of these wee beauties can result in death (although this is only in rare cases) it's best to give them a wide berth.

Temperature, running surface and tropical obstacles aside I was pleased to have managed a 10km run and despite trailing Andy by some distance I completed it at a fairly decent pace. Run Keeper has recorded my average pace as 8:25 mins/mile - that's just a little longer than the average pace required for a marathon time of 3:40 mins.

Running on Empty in the US of A

Distance: 6.91km/4.29 miles

Time:       38:12 secs

Calories:  535

What? You didn't think that this running obsession ended with the London Marathon, did you? 

After completing previous races, be they 10k or half marathons, I always intended to carry on running but never really managed to do so. This time round I was determined not to let the fitness and enthusiasm that had built up over 17 weeks of training go to waste, hence I find myself on a week's holiday in Florida heading out for a run on the first morning of the break.

My first post-marathon run takes place nearly a week after the marathon. Normally, this kind of break from running would make me feel guilty, but I wouldn't have been able to run for the first few days - just walking down stairs proved challenging enough - and by the time I felt able to pull on my running shoes again we were on the plane. Most of the runs I've been on this year have been done in London, so it's a nice change to find myself jogging down a pristine beach early in the morning trying to avoid waves as they lap at the beach.

I always intended for this first run to be relatively short and this seems like a sensible option given the weather. Even at this time of the day it's punishingly hot. It was a sunny London day when I ran the marathon, but the heat really didn't bother me that day. Over here it's a different story, I couldn't even contemplate running for anything like 26.2 miles. At the end of this run - some 22 miles shorter than my last one - the sweat is literally pouring off of me and I suspect the number of calories that Run Keeper calculates have been burnt is something of an underestimate.

Three hours thirty seven minutes and five seconds

Day:         119
Distance: 42.2km/26.2 miles

Time:       3:37:05 secs

Calories:  3,620

So, as you can see from the stats above, I did it. I completed the London Marathon and beat my stated target time of 3:40 mins. There was a time when I thought I was on for a sub 3:30 time, but I'll get to that in due course.

The day began early with a bowl of porridge, which seems to be the breakfast of choice for runners and Scots the world over. I arrived in Greenwich at about 9am and was blown away by the number of people making their way to the start line in Greenwich Park. Although I didn't have a map with me there was no need to ask for directions. 

The marathon starts at 9.45am. Having watched the marathon on TV in previous years it always looks like it takes ages for this great tidal wave of runners to get moving, but to my surprise I was over the starting line inside two minutes. Also to my surprise I found that I was able to run unimpeded pretty much from the start. I'd assumed that I'd spend the first few miles tripping over other runners and weaving in and out, but I was able to settle into a comfortable pace really easily. In fact, the comfortable pace was far faster than I'd intended to run. In order to achieve my target I knew I needed to average around 8:22 mins/mile, but at the first mile marker I checked my watch and found that I'd covered it in just 7:38 mins/mile.

This, apparently, is a classic mistake that novice runners make when running a marathon. But the pace felt manageable, so I stuck with it and for the first 16 miles I was chalking off the miles at an average pace of 7:44 mins/mile. Things were going so well that I began to get delusions of grandeur and had begun to think I could complete the 26.2 mile course in under 3.5 hours.

Who knows, maybe I could have managed it in that time but around mile 15 my left knee (the one I hurt three weeks ago) began issuing warning signs. A quick prayer to the running gods seemed to sort it out, but the problem reappeared at mile 17. I couldn't face the prospect of not finishing something to which I'd dedicated 17 weeks of my life and which friends, family and well-wishers had donated hard earned cash for so I reluctantly took my foot off the gas.

From mile 17 on Run Keeper shows that the miles were taking longer to complete although, curiously, it shows that I completed mile 20 in just 2:42 mins/mile - take that Roger Bannister! While I'd love to think that I could have covered this distance in that time there are two reasons why I suspect this isn't the case. For one, Run Keeper uses GPS technology to track your run and during mile 20, which is around Canary Wharf, the route passes through a tunnel so I'm guessing the GPS signal was lost. The other reason is that around 20 miles in I really started to feel the effects of running a marathon. 

Runners often talk about hitting the 'wall' and while I never actually hit it I had to take on a lot more fluid and carbohydrate gel after mile 20 and I could really feel the toll that running was taking on my feet. While I enjoyed the first 20 miles I would say the remainder were endured. During those last 6 miles you see a lot of people walking, a lot of people crashing out and a lot of paramedics helping out stricken runners. You don't see too many smiling faces on your fellow runners. There were times when I looked at those who were walking and thought "that looks like a good idea", but I couldn't bring myself to stop as I knew that if I did I wouldn't be able to start running again. I think that from mile 23 onwards I was running on a heady cocktail of instinct, grim determination and encouragement from the crowd.

At this point I really should mention the crowd at the London Marathon. It is a unique, and if you'll pardon a cliché, carnival atmosphere with people thronging the route from start to finish. I have no idea how many spectators come out, but there are thousands upon thousands of them. There are people willing you on, people looking for high fives, people calling out your name (I'm really glad I had 'Yax Dog' emblazoned on my running vest), people holding out sweets and then there are the people who come out to watch you specifically. 


I was fortunate enough to have a large group of friends and family who were there to support me. I'd provided them with a set of timings to give them an idea of where I'd be at certain points, but because I set off at a quicker than expected pace they missed me at mile 9 (Canada Water). Fearing that they'd endure an entire marathon of near misses I fished my phone out of my pocket and called my wife (whose phone was dead), my dad (who didn't answer) and my best man (who did answer) to tell them I'd already been through so they should head to mile 11. As I was coming up to mile 11 I made sure I was on the outside so that I could see them if they'd made it to that point and the cheer that erupted from those who were there was fantastic. I later found out that they had only just made it to that spot seconds before I ran past, so it could easily have been another near miss. 


I also saw my friends and family at mile 19 and at a point between mile 25 and 26 - the latter was one of the standout moments of the marathon for me as I was in a lot of pain by that point, but when I saw (and heard) them all I was swept along by their cheers and I really upped my pace.

Some high five action in somewhere in Westminster between
mile 25 and 26. My brother in law took this action shot - I love it.

Well, I upped my pace for the brief moment while I was passing by. Unfortunately, I had underestimated how much further I had to go and as I turned the corner I was confronted by a sign which said "800m to go". I'm sure that sign is meant to provide encouragement for runners, but not for me. Whoever decided it would be a good idea is an utter, utter bastard. I took no encouragement from that sign whatsoever. I thought I'd already finished only to find I still had the best part of a kilometre left to run and those 800 metres seemed to last an eternity as I made my way down the Mall to cross the line with my arms held high.

You won't be surprised to hear that I felt absolutely ruined at the end, but in line with advice I'd received prior to the race I stayed on my feet, collected my medal, did some stretches and went off to meet my friends and family. We'd agreed to meet at my family initial in Horse Guards Road. Now, my family name begins with a 'Y' and the runners meet and greet section is laid out in alphabetical order. Never in all my life have I ever wished so much that my name began with an 'A'. 

Adopting an unintentional zombie-esque shuffle I slowly made my way from the finish line to the 'Y' section of the runners' meet and greet. Despite the less than pleasant aroma that had surrounded me I received a number of welcome hugs from friends and family before realising that I had less balance than an editorial in the Sun newspaper. On a couple of occasions I felt as though I could just fall over, so decided that lying down was a better option than standing up.

I look relatively fresh in this picture, but
soon after showing off the medal I tried
to get up only to realise that my balance
was completely shot, so I decided to
stay lying down for a few minutes more.

I was expecting to feel tired and emotional at the end of the marathon, but I hadn't anticipated this loss of balance. I don't know if this is something that a lot of runners experience, but it took me completely by surprise.

The results from the marathon get uploaded to the official website really quickly, so I was able to see how I did in comparison with the other 36,499 runners who took part. No doubt you'll be shocked to hear that I didn't win (apparently some Kenyan chap came in slightly ahead of me), in fact I came 4,876th overall. It would have been nice to have been in the top 10%, but maybe that's what my next goal should be?

Which brings me to the question that I've been asked on a number of occasions since crossing the finish line: would I do it again?

If you'd have asked me at some point from mile 21 on you'd have received a withering look and sarcastic reply, but now I can look back and realise what an amazing achievement it is. That includes the fundraising element of running the marathon as well. My initial target of £1,000 was reached weeks ago, so I upped the amount to £1,500. At the time of writing I've raised an amazing £1,748.95. The company that I work for - GfK NOP - will very kindly match that amount, that plus the gift aid (£477.12) means that Diabetes UK should be very happy. Thank you, once again, to everyone who has dipped their hands into their pockets to support me.

So much time, effort and energy is thrown into preparing for and running a marathon that I'm actually going to miss not training for it. Although my feet and legs are in a hitherto unimagined world of pain today thoughts have already turned towards the next run. I'm the sort of person who needs a target to aim for, so I've already got the Richmond half marathon planned for May and I would like to get another marathon in the diary. From Boston to Berlin, Paris to Prague there's plenty of choice out there, but I wonder whether any of them have the same kind of magic as the London Marathon?

Tomorrow is a long time

Day:         118

Distance: 7.00km/4.35 miles

Time:       40:44 secs

Calories:  569

It's the day before the marathon and I have two choices; I can either rest or go for one last run. I take the latter option and go for a slow and careful run. I fall into a deliberately leisurely pace of 9:22 mins/mile and spend the 40 minutes looking warily at every curb, every crack in the road and every tree limb bursting through pavement. It would be gutting to injure myself on the eve of something I've been training for for 17 weeks, so a run that is as cautious and unchallenging as an X Factor winner's debut single seems appropriate at this time.

The eve of the marathon would seem a suitable juncture at which to look back at what I've done over the last 17 weeks. While I don't feel nervous about the marathon I've no doubt that I'll be a bag of nerves in the morning, so it will be useful to remember how far I've come since I started training before Christmas.

So, here's the marathon training record in full (with thanks to the wonderful Run Keeper app). In the last 118 days I have ...

• Undertaken 68 runs - that's an average of 4 runs per week. Some weeks I managed 5 runs, while on others I could only fit 3 in. Training for the marathon requires some juggling skills as you need to fit all of this running around work and a social life. On the whole, I think I've done this well. It's just required quite a few early mornings ...
• Covered 461 miles (743km) - that's the equivalent of running from London to Bordeaux. Not that I've any need to go to Bordeaux, but I thought it would be useful to provide a point of reference to give you an idea of how far 461 miles is
• Run for a total of 69 hours - yup, in total I've spent nearly three whole days - or the equivalent of two working weeks - chewing up and spitting out the miles. Doesn't actually sound like all that much, does it?
• Burnt off 54,135 calories - the guideline daily amount (GDA) of calories for an average man in the UK is 2,500 per day. That means I've burnt off the equivalent of around 21.5 days' worth. So why, I have to ask, have I only lost half a stone in the last 17 weeks? Friends point out that I'll have built muscle while training and that muscle weighs more than fat, which is true. But I have to admit that marathon training is something of a carte blanche if you, like me, enjoy your food and drink. If I stop training but carry on eating like I have been I'll soon be the size of a house
• Injured my left knee - this fact is less comforting than the previous four. When I injured the knee three weeks ago I thought that all this training had been for nothing, but thanks to a couple of visits to a physio and all the additional stretches I've been doing my knee now feels fine. The longest run I've done since injuring it is 13 miles and I didn't experience any pain or discomfort on that run, I just hope that was long enough to test it out ...
• Listened to some inspiring rock n' roll - training for the marathon would not have been the same without the running playlist that I put together. It's been inspiring, entertaining and comforting to have been accompanied throughout the training by bands like the Clash, the National, Biffy Clyro, AC/DC, the Ramones, The Vaccines, Funeral Party and the Stones

So there we have it. All that remains now is to run the damn thing. Wish me luck!

On the home straight

Day:         116

Distance: 6.31km/3.92 miles

Time:       29:35 secs

Calories:  517

So, according to the Runner's World guide this run should be "3 miles 6 x 100 s". I have no difficulty understanding the first part, but the second part means nothing to me. After checking the key I can see that this means I should cover 3 miles in total and, within that distance, I should do 6 lots of "gradual, smooth accelerations over 100 metres ... then just as gradually decelerating". OK, so a little bit of speed work - why didn't they just say so?

I follow the same route as for the earlier run from this week and build 2 of these "gradual, smooth accelerations" into each of the 10 minute segments of the run. It's not exactly taxing, but it does feel good to be out running. It feels even better to do so with the Vaccines' debut album "What did you expect from the Vaccines" on my ipod. This is a great album to run to. It weighs in at just over 30 minutes in total, which means that I get to listen to it in its entirety, and it has some varied songs from the uptempo "Norgaard" to the slower - and ridiculously catchy - "Wetsuit". 

I got really excited about this band when their debut single came out and I'm so pleased that their album is an absolute belter. For once the hype was worth it. "Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)" has been an ever present on the running playlist and I've included it in a previous post, so I thought I'd put up this live version of "Wetsuit" for your musical enjoyment. It kind of reminds me of the Beach Boys, which is never a bad thing.

Anyway, back to the running and things are really hotting up this week. 

• I've absolutely smashed my fundraising target this week (thanks to everyone who's sponsored me)
• I've been over to Excel to pick up my running number (look out for 38836)
• I've received my goodie bag - quite why the London Marathon needs an "official beer" I don't know, but I'm more than happy to accept the free can of London Pride they dish out along with a Mars Bar and a small can of deodorant
• I've started my carb-loading (and am feeling pretty bloated) and tomorrow I'm off to Diabetes UK's pre-marathon pasta party. 

So, pretty much the only thing left to do now is to run those 26.2 miles through London town. People keep asking me if I'm nervous, but I'm genuinely not. I've no doubt that I'll feel nervous on Sunday morning as I make my way over to the start line in Greenwich, but at the moment I'm just very excited.

Pretty in pink

Day:         114

Distance: 6.44km/4.00 miles

Time:       30:44 secs

Calories:  528

According to this guide from Runner's World the first run of the last week of training should be "4 x 400 SI". This means nothing to me. Presumably, it's some kind of language only runners understand but thankfully they include a key which translates this as 4 x 400 'speed interval', or to put it another way 400m fast + 400m slow x 4.

In total that only sums to 3.2km (c.2 miles) and that feels just a little bit too short. If I'm getting up at 6:30am I might as well make it worth my while, so I decide to go for a 30 minute run accompanied by the slow/fast playlist I put together a while back. The playlist is set up so that I have 2 mins slow + 8 mins fast x4, so it's not exactly what I'm looking for, but it'll certainly do.

Unfortunately, I completely forgot to turn the shuffle function off on my ipod so what actually happened was: 2 mins slow + 16 mins fast + 4 mins slow + 2 mins fast + 2 mins slow + 4 mins fast. It all makes for a pretty fast run with an average pace, according to Run Keeper, of 7:41 mins/mile. That's considerably quicker than I'll be running on Sunday, but it's good to know that I could run at that pace quite comfortably.

As this is the final week of my marathon training I decided that today would be the day when I'd finally take to the streets dressed in my actual marathon kit. I'm running the marathon in order to raise money for Diabetes UK (if you'd like to sponsor me please click here) and they have kindly provided me with a running vest. Unfortunately, the charity's colour is a very bright shade of pink - a fact reflected in the item of clothing they've sent me. Pink is most definitely not my colour, but I'm really pleased to be running for a great charity and I'm hoping that the bright colour will make it easy for friends and family to spot me on Sunday.

This year's hottest running accessory. The true
horror of the pink doesn't come out that well
in this picture

I thought I better include a photo of the running vest on the blog as the last time I ran in an actual race my wife had told my friends who came to watch that I was wearing a white shirt. They were pretty surprised when I came tearing round the final corner dressed all in black ... let's hope she's paying more attention to my attire this time round.