Pure Gold!

Yesterday I took a day off work to go to the Paralympics with my wife and little boy. It was one of the best days out I have ever had. It was an absolute gem of a day.

Getting to Stratford via bus and DLR was a breeze as was getting into the Olympic Park and through security. The Gamesmakers lived up to their name and certainly made the games. Every single one we encountered and I do mean every single one had a smile on their face and couldn't be more helpful. I wouldn't be surprised if my boy woke up today with an aching hand, I am sure he got a world record yesterday for 'high-fives'

We had tickets for the morning session at the impressive Aquatics centre and had the privilege of seeing 4 new world records including one from Team GB's 15yo Josef Craig (which he later broke in the evening to earn Gold). I can only retype what I put in a tweet during the morning and that is the athletes were bloody incredible and I was in total awe of them!

We then had tickets for the Orbit, the crazy rollercoaster looking structure by Anoushka Kapur. Amazing views over the stadium, the Olympic Park and London. I expect a viewing on a clear night would be even more spectacular!

We then found some grass to sit on to have our lunch and sit in the balmy sunshine. We then had a wander round the Olympic Park followed by meeting up with friends and having a few beers in the afternoon

At 6pm we made our way to the Stadium and was seated by 6:30 for a 7pm start.

Bonus 1 was that we were in row 4, bonus 2 was that I had managed to pick the night when we would see David Weir and Jonnie Peacock amongst others.

As you know the WeirWolf and Peacock did not disappoint and the crescendo of noise for all the GB athletes medal winners or not was spine tingling.

The journey home was easy as well! And special mention must go to the bloke on the tannoy at Stratford DLR who was very funny and had everybody laughing with his commentary and adding a real feel good factor.

I must admit when London won the Olympic bid, I wasn't that excited and a bit cynical that it would just increase my taxes and we would probably balls it up. I couldn't have been more wrong (except about my taxes :-)

Watching the Olympics at work and at home was great, being part of and actually experiencing the Paralympics was an absolutely amazing experience and a privilege. I am so glad that my little boy was able to share that experience with Mummy and Daddy

As we were leaving the stadium, Max was in his buggy and bless him, he said "Mummy can I go to sleep now?" The poor mite had had a very very long day but didn't have the opportunity (despite encouragement from us) to have a nap because he was having such a wonderful time and didn't want to miss a thing!

Proud to be a Londoner, proud to be British!

TJH

A weekend of Sun and Beeches but no Sand!

For the first time in a month I ran Bromley Parkrun on Saturday. I didn't think that the heat was enough of a test (sic) so I pushed Max round in his running buggy. I managed the 5k in 25:15.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/212056186

Five weeks ago I ran the Dartford Half Marathon and it was the hottest day of the year so far.

Today, I ran the Burnham Beeches Half Marathon and guess what?...... when we (me, Mich (my wife) and Max) left home at 7:30am it was already showing 21 degrees. When I started running at 10am it was 27 degrees and when I finished approximately 2 hours later, the mercury was showing 30+!

We arrived at 9am which I thought would be plenty of time to get ready for a 10am start, but once we had parked, had toilet stops and the 20 minute walk to HQ/race start, I only had just over 10 minutes to pick up my number, timing chip and to get ready. So it was a bit of a rush to say the least. The lack of prep time came back to haunt me as I didn't tape my nipples effectively and at about 10 miles I glanced down to see two faint red streaks running down my vest. For those of you who have suffered nipple rub, you will know it is not pleasant! You would have thought having run over a dozen half marathons, I would have had my prep sorted by now?  Ray you div!

Whilst running I tested some 'Nectar' energy gels from My Goodness Shakes. They were very palatable and no need for water to take them. Bit of a git though to get into my race belt loops.

The two-lap course was undulating and the hills definately felt steeper the second tine round. Fortunately the route was mainly tree lined, so a lot of it was in the shade. My official time was 1:56:32 and lo and behold, you will see from my Garmin link, that is the time I made it as well.  You have got to love technology! http://connect.garmin.com/activity/212472549

So having sweated so much over the weekend, I am now going to re-hydrate with a nice cold glass of rose wine.  Sophistacted me, I am :-)

TJH

Boxes, De-Ja-Vu & Mobs

BOXES
About a month ago, I was contacted to ask if i would test and provide feedback on some running gear, and could I get some other testers? So I said 'Yes' on both accounts.  Being a member of a running club, I knew I would have plenty of willing volunteers. What I wasn't expecting (and certainly my parents weren't) when they took delivery of 9 very large boxes containing almost 50 pairs of running shoes and bundles of clothing. My mum's conservatory quickly turned into a warehouse! So frantic e-mails were sent to the volunteer testers to come and collect their gear. For those that couldn't make it, I turned up at the regular run night to distribute the rest of the gear from the back of my motor. Proper Arthur Daley style! But now there are lots of happy Petts Wood Runners with shiny new gear :-)

DE-JA-VU
There was a de-ja-vu moment on Saturday. Once again the Sievey family had been invited round friends for a BBQ, this time to celebrate Harry's 2nd birthday. But once again the celebrations were put on hold as everybody piled into the living room to scream and shout at the TV in support of Mo. Well you know the result, as I said 'de-ja-vu'

MOBS
Tuesday evening was the annual Mob Match between Petts Wood Runners & Orpington Runners. This is basically where two clubs compete in a race. Your finishing position earns you that many points and the lowest number of points wins the match.
So on a very warm & sticky evening at Willet Rec there were a sea of White and bright Yellow running tops. The route was a 4m jaunt through the local woods expertly marked out, including flour sprinkled over any tree routes on the course to help avoid any trips or falls! Orpington won the match, so many congratulations to them. However, I did have a personal victory, as I entered Willet Rec for the 3/4 lap around the rec before the finish, there were 4 yellow shirts spread out in front of me.  I put in a sprint finish and managed to pick off 3 of them and finished in 48th position out of 165 runners. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/210735380

The Mobs walk to the Start

There was also a third mob present and I reckon this could prove that the animal world has learnt how to use the internet.  As there was a mob of mosquitos that far outnumbered the running mobs.  They must have been reading our forums or facebook and turned up en-mass for a feast and feast they did.

Many runners from both clubs retired to the local pub for re-hydration and this is where Petts Wood Runners came out victors as we showed superior stamina.  At the final orders bell, there was still a group of at least half a dozen PWR's but no ORs to be seen :-)

TJH

Olympic Fever

I am sure that the majority of blogs at the moment include references to the Olympics and I am no different and let's be honest you can't but help get caught up in the atmosphere.   Watching these athletes and sportsmen and women is truly inspiring!

I have always been a 'Sports' fan and can quite happily watch most sports, so when the Olympics is on I am like a pig in sh*t. It also helps that work has provided a live feed to everybody's PC, so whilst 'trying' to work I have managed to keep an eye on most of the going's on. You know who in the office is watching as well when there is a collective and synchronised "Yes" or "Get in there" as another Team GB medal is secured.

My 2yo boy is taking great interest as well and has been enjoying watching the cycling, rowing and swimming. This last bit is paticuarly comforting as I managed to secure tickets for the Paralympics this week which will mean a very long family day at the Olympic Park, but we will get to see the Aquatics Centre & Olympic Stadium. So I am really looking forward to that.

I had made a conscious decision before the Olympics started that I didn't want to be involved in the forecast commuting chaos. By all accounts it hasn't been too bad. But I cycled to and from work Mon to Thu this week and ran in to work on the Friday. So that means I have clocked up 88 miles on the bike & a 10 mile run as part of my commute. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/206164692

As well as saving money and getting fitter, the cycling has been a joy as it seems that the Olympic Lanes means a significant reduction in traffic!

Saturday, I had my annual pilgramage to the Hogs Back Brewery; Brewers of my favourite ale, T.E.A (Traditional English Ale). This annual event involves meeting at my Boss's house followed by an 8 mile walk http://connect.garmin.com/activity/206999080 across the South Downs to the Brewery (my walk has an extra workout element as I have to carry my 2 and a half stone boy on my back)

After the Brewery tour, the brewery shop is then sponsored by my Visa card and then it is a cab back to my Boss's for dinner and consumption of vast quantities of real ale. Bliss!  Saturday evening had the added bonus of watching Team GB secure 3 sensational golds at the Olympic Stadium!

TJH

Undulations?!

This morning I ran in the 36th Dartford Half Marathon.  Not my 36th Dartford Half, you understand.  This was my first.

In all honesty I possibly shouldn't have been running.  Without going into too much detail, the previous day and half, I could have been sponsored by Immodium.  Some will say that it is foolish, that I ran, others irresponsible.  But I did ensure that I hydrated and replenished all of my minerals and salts. If at any point I felt I was putting myself in danger or being an uneccessary burden on the Marshalls, I would have dropped out.  But I felt that I would get round.

I had heard rumours and there had been some discussion on Petts Wood Runner's forums about the 'killer' hill at 10 miles.

Probably 99% of the country had been waiting for a Sunday morning like this; blue skies, bright sunshine.  But I think that 600+ odd individuals congregating in Central Park might have wished for a slight delay in the glorious Sunday morning conditions.

Once I had arrived and sorted our my timing chip, I managed to find a few fellow PWR's and had a quick chat.  I think that there were 19 PWRs all in the race.

Whilst lined up and waiting for the start, a chap wandered around asking if anybody wanted a custard cream?  A first for me, and i'm not sure where that fits in in the simple/complex carb chain?  Nevertheless, I declined.

The first couple of miles were nice and flat and then the 'undulations' began. Now it see that everybody who had mentioned the killer hill had forgot the 'other' hills.  Every corner you turned there was another incline and as always there seemed to be more up than down.  Throw in a couple of subways and a footbridge over a main road and there was plenty of challenges to deal with before the 'killer' hill.

Whilst running along one of the country lanes there was a family in their front garden with a couple of young kids.  They were both there with there hands out, so I gave them the obligatory hand slap.  They both had beaming smiles as a result of this.  Little things like this make runs so much more enjoyable!

The 'killer' hill was a slog, but I managed to keep trundling on without stopping.  The finish was 1 lap of the athletics track which encouraged me to put a bit of a sprint on and manage a sub-2 hour finish - just!  Not my fastest half by any means, but I was happy with a sub 2, taking into consideration, the terrain, the weather, and how I was feeling prior to the race.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/201982805

The race was well organised and the marshalls and volunteers very encouraging. It was good to meet up with the other PWR's post race and also cheer some of the guys and girls in!  I have nice red tan lines on my arms and ankles which proves that Hippo's really do need a mud pack or sun cream when out in the sun!

TJH

Running in the Family

The last 10 days or so has seen me begin to up my mileage, in fact I have run a couple of 10ish milers, the longest I have run since the London Marathon.

Two Sundays ago I went out with a group from Petts Wood Runners, it was a very wet affair (no surprise there) but also very muddy as a large proportion was off road. This reminded me of two things. Firstly, I need to run off-road more often. It is quite refreshing to be amongst greenery rather than pounding the pavements. Secondly, I need to invest in some dedicated trail shoes. The the last mile or so was a bit of a struggle, but the run was exactly what I needed!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/196877932
I cycled to and from work a couple of days last week, a round trip of 20 miles each day, and this is something I will be doing every day in the near future to avoid the expected commuting carnage due to the Olympics.

Saturday just gone I did another 10 miler before a trip to the Zoo. This time I had a running guide in the form of a fella I know via one of my wife's friends. He is not a complete stranger we have had quite a few beers together over the years, but during our run it transpires that Matt, used to compete at a National level and his 10k PB is over 10 mins quicker than mine! Nevertheless I managed 10 miles averaging an 08:35 m/mile which was a nice workout for me, but probably a walk in the park for Matt?
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/199103327

Incidentally we didn't get wet during the run, although we did later at the Zoo, but that meant puddles for our kiddies, so they were more than happy to extensively test their wellies.

You are probably wondering what any of this has to do with the title of the blog? Well I am proud to say that my wife has taken the decision to start running! Petts Wood Runners host 8 week beginners running courses aiming to get novices completing a 5k Parkrun. So Mich, my wife started her course this week.

It seems that she really enjoyed the session, and I will be helping her with her 'homework' of a jogging and walking session.  Who knows, this could lead to domestics in the future when we debate who is running a 10k and who will be looking after our little boy.  Although to be honest, I wuld be more than happy to be cheering her on in a race as she has done plenty of waiting around for me in the past!

TJH

Satisfaction

I haven't managed to get out running much this week, in fact, not at all.  But I did manage a couple of gym sessions working on core and upper body.  So to ensure that I ran today, I volunteered to a be a pacer at Bromley Park Run.  I had the privilige of donning the 26min vest. So I had a warm up by cycling to Norman Park (2 miles) and then completed the 5k run in 25:55, which if I say so myself is bloody good pacing :0). 
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/196506642

I know of at least 2 people that achieved PB's by using me as a benchmark and I had at least half a dozen people come up to me afterwards to say 'Thank You' which gives me a lot of personal satisfaction.  It just goes to prove you don't have to be a racing snake to enjoy or actually achieve something when running.  I think that is why I enjoy running so much; sport in its simplest form and many ways to feel a sense of achievement!

TJH