The Queen Of Sheffield

Having failed to purchase a single Olympic 2012 ticket I couldn’t help but show a sense of determination or insanity and head out at the crack of dawn on the  day of the Olympic parade to cheer home Team GB. Armed with running fitness magazine, a freshly charged camera and a few snacks (no drinks as I didn’t want to drink away, get the urge for a loo break and hop from one leg to the other not wanting to lose my place at the front of the barrier) I was out my front door at 04:30 and plotted up outside St Pauls Cathedral by 06:00 ready to shout and cheer at #ourgreatestteam.

 

By the time a few other people arrived to along the route to become my new neighbours it wasn’t long before we started to talk about our favourite moment of the Olympics and confirm what we had been told within the media as to which number float our favourite athlete’s would be standing on. “Mo Farrah will be on number 1, Super Jess would be on float number 2 and so on…

I managed to pass the time by and before I knew it the parade had started and with camera in hand time I leaned on the barrier ready, ready to snap away capturing pictures of our nation’s new heroes……. This was where lady luck took over. Yes the floats were passing by but as I stood on the right hand side of the road, Team GB members tried to greet the crowd by moving from both sides of the float. To my dismay Float 2 passed by with Jessica standing on the far side of the float and out of camera view. I absolutely rolled my eyes to the heavens as I … could.. not…believe it!!

Sir Chris Hoy

Mo Farah

Victoria Pendleton

Greg Rutherford

Tom Daley

Louis Smith

Alistair Brownlee

 

OK this one missed athlete out of a team of many but i managed to take pictures of some of the remaining TeamGB members (only a handful for your viewing) but it was great to see Jessica announce she was releasing an autobiography. I wonder if she’ll do a book signing at the time of its release? Well what do you know November 9^th 13:00 at Waterstone’s, Canary wharf…. I looked to the sky and said praise the lord! Time to book the day off work! to be told… NO! I can’t have the day off as no one can cover my shift……. WTF!! Perhaps you don’t understand… This isn’t some piss poor excuse I really would like to meet the Jessica Ennis. She’s here on my doorstep (again) and my boss is telling me I can’t have the day off?? As you can imagine I was sooooo pissed off!! The only agreement I could come too was take half a day and go back into work after I got my book signed because no way! Am I missing this appointment!

As far as I was concerned this was an Olympic Parade round 2, this book signing is going tobe popular. I made the same plans as before. 1) Fully charged camera 2) A copy of running fitness magazine 3) snacks for the morning. No drinks! 4) Drop the girls off to school then head on up to Canary Wharf (Yeah Baby). So with my bag packed the night before I got ready early Friday morning with a smile on my face. I even splashed on my favourite aftershave, headed out on the school run, kicking my daughters over the line of the school gates before heading to London.

 I arrived at Waterstone’s at 09:00 and dreaded turning the corning to the queuing area wondering how many people were there before me. I was handed ticket number forty one and was informed of a list of do’s and don’ts. At this point I met “Nikki” an athletics fan, track competitor, running encyclopaedia of knowledge who helped make the time go by ever so quickly. Her only downside was the fact she was a Gooner!!  (Booo)

With the morning going by the queue behind grew slowly but by the time Jess arrived… *cough* Late… the queue stretched back out of sight but at a guess over two hundred people. In front the media had arrived with their gigantic camera’s and lens’s and lunchtime called and many city folk came out for their lunch and know doubt suddenly decided to take an extended lunch break.

As the queue moved forward Waterstone’s staff again made the rules clear. No touching Jessica, Have your book open and ready for her to sign, No extended requests to whoever no pictures posing next to her, yadda, yadda, yadda. Nkiki then asked what am I going to say to her?... …… Damn It, you know what? I really don’t know? I love you… no,no, no too stalkerish. Well done for winning gold. Tsk she’s probably heard that a million times. I started to panic now but should I have worried? Hell no this is Jessica! A genuine person who was damn easy to talk too like we’ve been friends for years. My book was dedicated to my girls and she asked if they were interested in athletics and I was pleased to say that they were. I wanted to ask so many more questions but, conscious of Waterstone’s restrictions they placed on queuing fans, it was time to move aside for the next person to have their precious book signed too.

Just ever so slightly chuffed, with my book now signed I safely tucked it in my ruck sack I took a quick look around glaring off anyone who thinks they might take a chance and nick this now priceless book off me. I then proceeded to push my way to the front of the roped off area and to practice my photography clicking away trying to capture for my own photography portfolio Jessica again bringing a smile to hundreds of people within this shopping area.

    

Do I stand firmly in the corner of Team Ennis? I sure do! Will I be voting for her in this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the year? I sure will…. Has she a chance in winning??… (sucks in air….shaking head) I’m not fully confident about that. …. Probably not a book makers front runner to do so. The great people from “Sheffield” reminded us that they alone won more Olympic 2012 gold medals than the whole of “Australia” managed to do! (Which is quite funny considering they dislike us Poms) However I am very proud to say…. I have actually met one of their Olympic Champions.

All Hail Queen Jessica Ennis.

Rejected from VLM Ballot

Boooooo!!

Rejected from the 2013 VLM Ballot time for Plan B..…

But seriously! What an absolutely HIDEOUS jacket to send out to non-successful applicants. As if the bad news of Elvis wasn’t enough, Virgin go rub salt in the wounds with a cheap and nasty jacket like this. Good lord above, I bet couldn’t even sell this jacket at a Boot sale for 50 Pence.

Come on Virgin be fair??

My Love Romance with Newton Trainers .... Is Back ON!!

I am sure I have said this before but I really must get more into a habit of writing on this Blogg. I have done loads of running since my last update and …. And … even though I had a horrid time switching from being a classic heel striker I have changed my running style to forefoot and back to using Newton trainers again. Boy have I fallen in love with these again oh my days! An avid fan in watching Newton YouTube videos online and I listen and learn to their running form Fridays full of tips and advice

I suppose I have religiously used a foam roller every night. I have paid for a sports massage at least once a month so I have been I keeping on top of looking after my body. Of course, in my running style if I were to be assessed maybe, I have picked up one or two bad habits along the way but looking after my body was priority number one. With no tight or sore spots there was nothing left but to lace up and head out and run.

These trainers are so, so light on my feet and IF you like, a light shoe you would be well happy with these. They are so light you won’t know they’re on your feet. Just think at mile 23 of a marathon with your legs knackered, would you really want to lift heavy legs….and heavy trainers. Personally, I do not! With these slippers on the forward angle of the shoe of course will be a shock to the system. In fact, the backs of your legs, but this is understandable if you’ve had bad running form for years? It’s the time needed to adjust to this style so you can run in them. For me this transition has taken over a year! And a painful year too. But looking at other athletes and faster athletes 9/10 forefoot strike #fact so surely this is the way to run and for the better?

I started with the concord 10K in June. My first race since the London Marathon. I took a month off from running after this, which left 2-3 weeks race prep for this 10K. Of course, training was never going to be a max out effort as I cautiously introduced running back into my system. This would be an appearance run for my running club and I had such a laid-back attitude. Whatever time I finish I will be happy with, especially as this was 6 miles in my Sir Isaac Newton’s. Four miles in and I could feel the ache returning in my calf muscles but finished the race 40mins 12secs. Initially I moaned to myself about the 12 seconds but hey finished this race in my Newton’s.

With this 10K over with, I upped my training slowly to half marathon distance as my local half marathon is in Dartford and as a local, I feel obliged to run it. Those who have run this course know this is a hilly half marathon with mile 10 an absolute killer! (Gore Road) However, 1Hr 31mins later I finished and fully satisfied in race trim my legs did not complain about my footwear. Surely, a sign I am getting there…

Adidas miCoach Pacer Bundle

Week five after the London Marathon and still sore, I decided to **gently** return to my running. (Read last year's blogs) As this is the time my body is weakest and likely to pick up injuries. However a knock at the door and the postman delivered my package from Adidas!!! Get In ;-) So having used the phone app for so long! Just how would the bundle differ and more importany Improve my running??

Within my pack i received the Pacer, Heart Rate strap and speed cell(foot pod) The heart rate strap is self explanitory the speed cell either sits inside your adidas shoe (which I do not own a pair) or firmly attaches in a cradle which you thread your shoe laces through. Looking at it the material isn't flimsy and I feel confident with every impact and stride I take, will remain attached to my shoe. The only downside I found here is that I do own more than one pair of shoes regualarly rotate each pair so I can see have to plan my runs and swapping the cradle from one shoe to the next will be an extra job for me! My only solution will be to hunt down and buy another cradle so at least then I can leave my cradle's attatced and just swap the speed cell over.

The speed cell is a nice shade of green and an oblong shape. Probably not much bigger than fifty pence. I've never run with. Foot sensor before but I have seen earlier Garmin and Polar versions which to be honest look huge! This speed cell is virtually weightless and doubt it will be of any hindrance at all.

The pacer is another titchy piece of kit. The biggest part is probably the belt clip. A switch with three modes. Off, free run or your miCoach setting runs to which you synced with your profile on the adidas website which stores your next fifteen scheduled runs or ten scheduled runs and five favourite runs. I don't think I'll be bothering with the second option here. The other buttons of interest are the start/pause/sync button. Volume button and a repeat button and that is basically it?

Firstly I needed to pair the three units together and get my website scheduled runs onto the unit. Which really is a bit like pairing a blutooth device on your phone. Placing a USB adapter that plugs into your computer to receive data from the speed cell. Then downloading adidas manager software the installation was straight forward. My speed cell was in range and voila synced already..... Sweet I thought to myself, no hassle!
Now where is my pacer... Problem.... How do I charge this unit? Right I need a USB to 3.5m Jack lead.... Which is *not* in the box Arrrrgh! This lead is missing and so is another 3.5 to 3.5 jack lead to enable me to listen to my music whilst I run. Considering this prize arrived by post from Germany! How am I going to get new ones? Especialliy as it was now nine o clock at night my first port of call was eBay! I easily ordered the jack to jack lead but opening a second tab with a google search aparently an iPod shuffle lead will suffice in charging my unit so that was ordered too. I did however email adidas support who really were top notch and within three days had sent me my new leads. Result! .... Considering may eBay order arrived after adidas's order too. Which reminds me to leave negative feedback for such slow delivery and from a UK shop too?!

Placing the pacer on charge with my new adidas lead, took two hours, if that? Opening the adidas manager software, again pressed sync and my next fifteen scheduled runs were now on my pacer. I then pressed a sync button on my pacer and a lot quicker than waiting for my Garmin to pick up a GPS signal my speed cell and Heart rate monitor symbols were flashing green meaning everthing is good to go and satisfaction knowing I'm getting there.

The next problem was just where do I position my pacer on my runs. Adidas advise the pacer be placed forward facing? So has to be near my music source. The pacer can work without music which is less hassle but me! I do train to music (never race) but my training does consist of the latest playlist which now means I'm starting to look like a T1000 cyborg with my gadgets and wires hanging off my body.

Now my android phone app consists of phone, sports armband and earphones. Now with the pacer .... my phone pumping out my latest tunes sits in the same sports armband. The pacer clips onto the armband above my bicep. The 15cm 3.5m jack to jack lead (shorter the better) is now plugged into my phone which then connects to one side of my pacer with my earphones are now plugged into the other side. Which is now awkward to start my music, place my phone back into the sports armband, then to wrap it securely around my arm and hopully not pull out one of the other leads. If I didn't want to run to music and just listen to the pacers running instructions, there's no trickyness at all! To run with music where I have positioned my phone and pacer, now that will be awkward :-/

On my first run turning on the unit I'm politley greated by my female trainer who as I scroll through my training schedule informs me of each session. I chose. Progressive run and set off. My tunes on my playlist were great then as I hit 0.99 of a mile I was told my heart rate, stride count, current pace, zone time distance and as you notice the time then as i crossed the imaginary mile marker. Superb I thought. Loads more information and stats to absorb :-) having run the required ten minutes the music cuts out to be told speed up to green zone. I do just that... Maintain green zone. Excellent!! Then music cuts out again... One quarter complete says the voice... Er hang on where's my encouragement from Jessica??.... Iater I was told speed up to yellow zone, typical on the hilliest part of my run. Speed up to yellow zone.... I'm thinking give me a chance.... Speed up to yellow zone. Maaaan I'm running up a hill and... I can't? - But this is the encouragment i need to improve my running

However I completed my run. Sadly without any encouragment from Jessica Ennis on the paced bundle itself unlike the phone app. I paused the system and while I got my breath back switched off the unit to be told my final running stats. I got home and connected my pacer to my computer where my data was uploaded to miCoach, Twitter and facebook and saw even though I felt I was struggling, I still achieved 91% for staying in my running zones, which was not perfect but encouraging.

The phone app is great as wherever i am my time, distance and score is uploaded immediately and it has Jessica to encourage me. The bundle itslelf needs you to be patient to get your percentage score the next time you conect it to a computer but your strenghts and weakness's within that run can be seen as you comapre you stride count, to heart rate ans see which zone you're currently in and getting that idea of underrstaning your body and "controlling" your own pace. E.G not to push too hard to early and blow out rather than hold back and progess i suppose hrough the gears until you reach you maximum output!

London Marathon 2012

Did you run in this event? How did your race day go? Well I was more than happy that the disastrous weather London was having in the lead up to race day miraculously disappeared on the day itself and the usual London Marathon support was out in full force. I especially love the huge drums under the motorway at Westcombe Park and Brazilian Latino drums at Canary Wharf where I 'm guaranteed to slow my pace down to observe this atmosphere. at Like me I'm sure your race consisted of high's and low's, positives and negatives which affected the outcome of you race. Reflecting back what would you have changed or done differently? Did you reach your goal or did your time you hoped to finish the marathon by slip away out of your grasp? I again fell for the same old trick! I pumped myself up for weeks telling myself do not!

under any circumstances submit to the voice in my head telling me to slow down, give up or.... It hurts! Fight back Brooksy! Think positive thoughts come on you can do it! Push through to the end << what a load of nonsense! Explain later

With me, My aim (one day) is to run a sub three hour marathon which means running a pace under seven minutes per mile for 26 miles. Quite a challenge! and today just wasn't going to be that day. My next aim which I thought I may just sneak was to run under 3:09:59 and obtain a Good For Age Marathon time [and easy entry into the 2013 London Marathon]...

Oh I tried for this and even instructed my Garmin virtual partner to pace me. At one point I was 770 metres up on this time but by mile 19, I knew I had to dig in deeper, my pace slowed and my hard work I had put in, in the early miles I found myself slowing and my initial advantage was getting eaten in too. Re paragraph above: Fight back those voices of doubt! I totally forgot my pre race plan and promptly crumbled submitting to the voices of pain and was now running on auto pilot without any passion or drive. I knew if I didn't up my pace, would be a close finish. Alas like Tottenham Hotspurs 2011/2012 season the wheels came off my wagon and as I left parliament Square my Garmin bleeped like mad at me saying 03:09:59 time I wanted was now up! I plodded around that last 3/4 mile finishing 3:16:35. Crossing the line I was in so much pain, agony that I hadn't felt in my other three marathons and I was even rather cross with myself that the after marathon pictures clearly show a false smile. I stropped around a little saying "That's IT!" ....

I'm not running this event again because my pride was a little damaged but most of all my body was screaming at me in *pain*. Seriously checking my heart rate which looked normal... My heart actually was hurting..... woah! Don't go there! I hoped!!

Being a #geek two days later I have printed off my Garmin stats and observed my pace mile for mile. I've also printed off my last two years VLM times and side by side on my desk I'm comparing my times mile by mile! If you can do that I'm sure you'll have a surprise and if you are upset with your performance I bet doing this you'll say to yourself hang on..... Firstly compared to other years I may have set off too fast.

Quite noticeably I had quite quick miles (by my standards) which puts me miles up the road compared to previous years. This year I even had mile paces within a second of each other which tells me my pace was steady and consistent. Even when I "thought" the wheels had come off late in the marathon, WoW the times we still perhaps slightly quicker than the same miles in previous years which justified my quickest PB time for 2012. 2011 3hrs:25mins, 2010 3hrs:45mins

I'm sure in all our races there are moments we're not happy with or the race or our body throw in a surprise we're not expecting that never happened in all our months of training! Stitch, blisters unexplained pace. The more competitive runners (I try to be) we can beat ourselves up about it like taking on Mike Tyson for 12 rounds but I'm sure! By stepping back and re evaluating the situation I bet you didn't do to bad after all and can more than easily see the positives in your executed race plan

I have spent so much time the last year trying for a Good For Age and on the day missed out by nearly a mile. It's the closest I've ever been but us runners are told, never, never give up! One day know I will reach my target. Yes a spanner firmly wedged in the works today, disappointed maybe but my day will come if i keep on working at what i set my main objective.

I've come too far to give up now and you shouldn't either! Onwards and upwards

Freezing Cold & Snow... Time for 'Plan B'

Whilst having one of the warmest January's on record, it was inevitable our winter would come and bite us hard. Ive got into my car in the mornings to be greeted with a dashboard reading on minus six!!  (wtf?? Almost makes me think its a scene from a Hollywood film?) Which is more than enough to make me rethink my early morning runs!
The last cross country i ran was at school!! This is winter training most runners and elite runners advise and recommend that we perform cross country events, its certainly never appealed to me, to make me feel that i must continue running through such arctic temperatures! I dont even own and have never bought a pair of, off road trail shoes? I own a pair of trainers for my half/full marathons and another for my 10k's and speed work. Full of offering advice on road shoes!... I havent a scooby when it comes to trail shoes! This art of running just hasnt appealed to me and at my age... probably never will so you certainly wont be teaching this old dog new tricks!
So when the bad weather does come i have to rethink my running schedule especially as i always try and run in the London Marathon in April which falls "within" the 16 week program most websites claim you should train too.
Firstly my compression #skins come out to play. I admit i'm a wuss and never do i contribute to the #stillinshorts trend on twitter. Before you point and laugh at me (Aaaah ya southern fairy) let me explain. Firstly, i'm being cautious. Having played football as a kid i remember overstretching or just tweeking a hamstring *pain* but in comparison to premier footballs running full pelt to pull up suddenly #tearing a hamstring. #agony. Now ive never had that happen to me to that extent but know just in my little experiance a muscle like this letting go on you is proper painful stuff. My air of caution is to protect myself. A) from the weather B) keep my muscle fibres tight & compressed so they work together keeping me strong and retaining strength in my legs. Thus limiting any chany chance of muscle weakness that may give way on me when i really want to push on with my training. Try to look after your body and your body will look after you? As you get older, reading quotes like this you certainly start to take more seriously!!
Im not an elite runner(obviously), never going to be so i feel i do not need to run in shorts on my way to work to be a member of the #6amclub. Heat rub applied to legs, tights on (Dont forget more vasaline to sensative areas) basslayer, windproof top and jacket, hat and gloves. Vaseline on lips maybe vick rub on top to aid breathing and prevent a runny nose, ruck sack full of work clothes then i'm ready for my wintery run to work?....
Wait hang on? I only own road shoes, what if its too icy to run in or in fact has snowed. Well no trail shoes, no foot grip thats my runs knackered then! Now this is where i start falling behind in my #adidas #micoach training schedule. The only way around this is to head to the gym!
All those exercises ive neglected doing  through the winter period isnt it time i started to build up that core, stretch out sore muscles, use a foam roller (daily), perform squats, use a medicine ball etc etc, i can now start doing in the gym. As for those machines sitting in the corner. Aaa the boring old X-trainer (i loathe using this machine, with a *passion*) or look a Dreadmill, sorry treadmill. I really find the X-trainer boring but it is handy when injured? Very good for cardio training which is a high percentage of what running is about?
For years i was anti treadmill probably with the same reasons as you, as running on a belt is easier helping to propel me along, No head wind or wind resistance replicated. I  bet youve heard someone! Say their best 10k time was on a treadmill *roll eyes* All the above is cheating and not what we enjoy about running!... Well not cheating as in running a marathon and getting a bus half way through a race!! but we are cheating our body out of the natural things that improve our running? Mind you for the sake of getting out of these minus six degee mornings and to assist with our training for an 'A' race of ours later in the year i think a treadmill is sufficient enough just to aid our cardiovascular performance whilst protecting us from the elements where you're more than likely to pick up a stinking cold and not be able to run anyway by dragging yourself out into such poor conditions on the sreets? :-/
I find that in life if we can get away with not doing something we take this oppportunity and wont do it. You can sit there and call me a sothern softy but in my book if its not race conditions and i dont 'have' to go out and run in these ludicrous sub temperatures, then i am not flippin' well doing that! :-) As this will be my fourth London Marathon in April let this timed result be my judge and then we'll see who's right?? :-)

Your Body's Revenge!

Been a long time contributing to this Blogg, which is abysmal on my part! :-(  I will say work has been a shambles and i'm incredibly busy but surely i can squeeze in a few lines more often? As it is im writing this post whilst on a bus? .... So no excuses! :-/

I follow some "great" runners on Twitter but it has saddened me to notice that many people have started their spring marathon training and then have picked up a big injury or are running with a niggle. A lot of complaints listed i have experienced too and know from a little running knowledge i have, know that these runners will be back pounding the streets soon but its the decision within ourselves to first admit our body is protesting at the amount of overload we've put it through and then sensibly take our foot of the gas to allow our body time to recover! Pah!! easier said than done right? (woah look at me? Like i've never listened to my own advice) Dont deny the obvious 'age' is an issue. The young whippets will be out and back running soomer than the veterans!

Just like you too many times ive said 'Oh i'll be alright, No i wont need to see a physio' and just carried on with my training. Not surprising the problem has got worse, more frequent and its not too long after any tricks in healing the injury, denying or disguising pain #fail to work and your worst nightmare actually becomes reality that running is just not possible. This is the point that runners dont want to happen and now you must watch all your hard work getting you to this current fitness level, will now  disappear before you can even think to get back running again!

All i can suggest here is get help you need quickly! If you're not sure get professional advice either a doctor or a physio i know physio's charge  a variety of fee's which to be honest... I think puts people of going to them in the first place!! and probably contibutes to the problem? It took me 20 months  battling against achilles tendonitis before i actually coughed up the money to see a physio. One! Treatment and several exercises later concentrating on "pelvic alignment" my problem was solved! So just why did i suffer for so long then??.... Oh yes that's right, i kept denying and telling myself 'Oh, i'll be alright'... Clearly not.

You can even listen to advice from other fellow runners from "reliable" message boards or even twitter! R.I.C.E would the common suggestion here, emphasizing on REST? But remember you arent alone with your injury. Thousands of others have been through what you've been through and i bet most of which have pulled through and are running again, with the memory of a painful period all in the past.

Were all running in a huge running boom and in a decade with help and advice ( to 'some' degree) available on the net, podcasts, you tube, social media web sites? Count yourself lucky really as imagine your current injury... Happening for example in the 70's or 80's? You really would be knackered! But now in 2012 with a whole heap of treatments available, all we need to do is stop, think and be sensible when pain does strike. Why nkt go swimming? Use a X-trainer or just drastically reduce your intensity. We run to keep fit or experience the "the running high" so if we look after ourselves that little bit more, long live our running lifestyle.

Amen