9th February 2008 - BARCELONA HALF MARATHON & MENGSITU ABEBE's VISA VIDEO (4 mins)

Due to a calf strain earlier this week related to the problem with my heel I unfortunately had to pull out of the Barcelona half marathon. It is very frustrating as the organisers and in particular Andreu Ballbe (in the red top behind Steve Ovett) had been exceptionally helpful. It is a setback, but peaking for London at this time is still the number one priority.

During out trip to Ethiopia we were introduced by the manager of the hotel to Mengsitu Abebe the hotel bellboy, who acted as our guide. As it turned out Mengsitu was an exceptionally talented runner, not the best in Ethiopia but arguably better than any current British distance runner.

Mengsitu has a fantastic story, a charming manner and is an exceptional gifted runner. He started life as a goat herder (not dissimilar to his famous name sake Abebe Bikila) on the plains outside the Northern town of Gonder. He moved to Addis Ababa to work at the hotel where Ethiopia's top distance runners train and has diligently applied himself to the task of becoming a marathon runner. The plan was to fly Mengsitu over for the Barcelona half marathon to see just how good he was, with a predicted time of 1:03 he would have placed in the top 3 and might even of won. This would have meant he would have been able to pick up an agent, a sponsor and joined one of Ethiopia's running clubs and the opportunity to make a living as a runner. Unfortunately the Spanish Embassy claimed to be too busy to process his visa, even after one week after submitting the application, and as a result there was no way to get him to the race.

To see his 4 minute video for his application, which includes snippets from the interviews with Richard Nerurkar and Haile Gebrselassie please click here.
 

1st February 2006 - ETHIOPIA TRIP

We had no idea of how training in Ethiopia would pan out, but what an amazing experience this trip turned into. Three months planning had gone in to the trip to Eldoret, Kenya but at the last minute it was cancelled due to the bloodshed following the disputed elections. Within 10 days George and I were on a plane bound for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In due course I will write about the trip in more detail, but if you ever do get a chance to visit Ethiopia it really is an amazing country.

We had a wonderful guide called Mengsitu, who turned out to be an exceptionally talented runner. Sports Journalist and Athletics Weekly columnist Will Cockerell joined us for 6 days to train and write about the trip. I also had the opportunity to interview Richard Nerurkar who was the top British marathon runner in the 90's and the Marathon World Record Holder Haile Gebrselassie who had just returned from winning the Dubai Marathon.

I did not do quite as much training as I had hoped due to a ankle niggle but feel very fresh and I am raring to go for the Barcelona half marathon on the 10th of February.
 

7th January - The New Asics Kayano 14

For great deals on running shoes and the Asics Kayano's 14 that I use please visit www.distance.co.uk

6th January - Kenyan Elections - The Aftermath - Training Camp Article

Since the violence that followed the elections in Kenya on the 27^th of December I watched the news in horror as the country burnt. Over 350 people have been killed and as many as 250,000 left homeless.

The whole situation is very sad and depressing. I feel truly sorry for the people living in these uncertain times, fearful for their lives and the future of the country.

In a project where just about everything that could have gone wrong has, it does not come as a surprise, it’s just another stress and frustration, over 3 months planning and preparation down the drain. It is a massive setback, but over time I have become used to these, almost to the point of becoming immune. However over the last week watching events unfold my own motivation for the project slowly started to ebb away… until today.

On a 32km long run in Windsor Great Park today I found my motivation again. I picked my head up from looking down at the road and looked around at the beauty of the place. Taking in a few big breath I thought to myself, how lucky am I, I have a wonderful family and everything that I have ever wanted in life. There are people living in fear for their lives in Kenya and I’m running through one of the most beautiful parks in the world and I'm complaining to myself that I'm tied and cold. This was a pretty humbling experience.

Check out this link to an article from the New York Times about the training camp that I would have been attending…

Check out this youtube clip of a Japanese runner - amazing courage - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlYwMEax7iU
 

26th December - Training in Kenya - High Altitude Training Camp - ITEN

On the 3rd of January I am setting off on the trip of a lifetime to train in Kenya, the homeland to the majority of the world's best distance runners. This trip also signals the beginning of  the final phase of the project building towards the April 2008 London Marathon.

It will be an amazing opportunity to progress my own running in the time that I am away at altitude but more importantly to find out why last year over 500 Kenyan runners ran under 2 hours 20 minutes for the Marathon. This year only 5 British runners managed the same feat?

I won't be able to update the site until I have returned but will endeavour to update viewers on the BLOG below as an when I have the opportunity. Hope everyone had a Happy Christmas and New Year, see you soon, Kwaheri.
 

14th December - "Training in Lanzarote"

Having been in bed suffering from flu for over a week my training had taken a turn for the worse with not a single mile logged. My asthma had also become so chronic that I was having to nebulise 2 or 3 times a day and I frankly felt awful. I decided the time was right to head off for a bit of warm weather training and get things back on track...

I headed to Club La Santa, a warm weather training facility on the Canary Island of Lanzarote. Having been there the previous year I knew what to expect and after a few days of easy training, getting back to full strength, I really began to work hard. My plan since the success in the Amsterdam half marathon in October has been to increase my speed over the shorter distances before training specifically for the London Marathon from the start of January. The problem being that I can almost run my 5km race pace for the half marathon, however I don't think that at the moment it will be possible to maintain it over double the distance, so have had to head back to basics.

As part of my training I incorporated quite a bit of swimming, yoga, pilates and some biking. I took part in a few Aquathons which included a 200 metre swim and 3 km run, adding a welcome variation to the training. In one of the races I had a great battle with F1 racing driver Jenson Button who is a very useful Triathlete. Being a minute down on the swim I managed to turn around the deficit in the last 400 metres of the race to snatch the win. Having a chat afterward he commented "you must do quite a bit of running" I replied "err yeah, I've done quite a bit." About 6000 miles I thought to myself.

Training in an environment like Club La Santa is hugely beneficial even just for a few weeks a year. Heading out of my flat in central London and running up to Hyde Park for a couple of laps is perfectly ok but people walking along the street look at you like your a bit odd. The great thing about being able to train in an atmosphere like Club La Santa is that everyone is there because they are specifically training for something or wanting an active holiday.

If you had have told me a few years back that I would be in training camp with the German Triathlon team and Czech athletics squad I probably would have laughed at you. I do sometimes take a step back and think to myself, how did I get myself into this, can I honestly be bothered to do all this training, what's the point? I will tell you the answer to that after the London Marathon in April.

4 months to go till the race, 5km race on the 28th then off to Kenya in early January, what a journey I have in store, I really can't wait.

19th October - "Interview with GB Coach Frank Horwill"

80 year old Frank Horwill is a Senior BAF Coach. Since 1961 he has coached 42 internationals from 800 metres to the marathon. For the last 3 months I have been training with the runners that he coaches at Battersea Park track. At first I think he was rather weary of my motivations for training due to the nature of the documentary that I am producing. I hope that in some small way my efforts on the track over the last 12 weeks I have been able to show my serious commitment to running and intent to push myself to my limits.

After the session I asked Frank who is a fantastic and dedicated ambassador for the sport about the decline of marathon running in the UK and the issues effecting the social economic differences between UK and Kenyan runners . Without wanting to give to much away, Frank who is quite a character came up with some wonderful ideas and theories. Click here to view a 20 second clip of the interview...

17th OCTOBER 2008 - "TRAINING IN THE FRENCH ALPS" – A question of altitude?

2 weeks before the up coming Amsterdam half marathon I decided to get out the editing studio and travel off to the French Alps for a change of scenery and fit in some quality training. I was very kindly put up by my housemate’s brother who is a ski instructor and keen triathlete.

Training at altitude has long been considered an advantage that runners and in particular East African runners have enjoyed over those training at sea level. The basic idea behind the theory according to Daniels Running formula is that;

“Altitude affects distance running by lowering the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to the running muscles, which is the result of the blood’s reduced saturation of oxygen. Hemoglobin acts as the carrier of oxygen from the capillaries in the lungs, through the left side of the heart, and then to the rest of the body. The amount of oxygen carried by the blood – through its association with hemoglobin – is a function of the particle pressure of oxygen in the blood, which reflects the pressure in the lungs and in the atmosphere.” (This will be explained in more depth in the final documentary)

Basically this then means that the body has to adapt to the changes of altitude and upon returning to sea level runners have an increased amount of hemoglobin in the blood thus improving running economy and endurance.

Daniels' goes on to say that to fully benefit from the effects of training at altitude you should spend at least 3 weeks training at altitude. Unfortunately I do not have time at the moment but if I can keep progressing over the next few months and stay injury free I am looking to spend some time in Ethiopia and Kenya training and explaining one of the key issues of the documentary why last year over 500 Kenya runners ran under 2 hours 20 mins for the Marathon – genetics or social, economic reason?

One experiment that I tried was running two identical session of 6 x 1km with 2 mins recovery in between – the first run was at an altitude of 2100 metres around the lake in Tignes and the second run at Lake Anecy further down the valley at 400 metres above sea level. These were the results;

  - Tuesday 6 x 1000m - 2 mins rest - 2100m above sea level at Tignes - flat, path around lake.
 
  Times - 3:32, 3:40, 3:38, 3:45, 3:52, 4:02 - totally screwed from start to end, breathing like I was in a 400m race. Felt dizzy with whole body feeling heavy.
 
 - Thursday 6 x 1000m - 2 mins rest - 400m above sea level at Lake Anecy - flat, path by lake
 
  Times - 3:24, 3:20, 3:14, 3:11, 3:12, 2:58 - really relaxed hardly breathing but for final km effort.

As suggested by a my internet training guru Mark Shepherd a better session would have be to run the same session at the start of a trip to altitude and 3 weeks later repeat then compare the improvements.

I varied my training by running the quality session lower down at 600 metres but included a long run of 2 hours – 1km vertical accent. You might question why running up a mountain for an hour when you are running a half marathon in Amsterdam which is considered one of the flattest places on earth would be beneficial? The answer was clear from the track session on Thursday night back in London. Running on the flat back at sea level felt very comfortable indeed, almost as if I was running down hill.

The whole trip was a huge confidence booster and an opportunity to get some quality rest time ahead of the half marathon in Amsterdam next week. My conclusion from this short trip and the benefits of training at altitude is to live high but maintain a certain percentage of the quality session by training at sea level.

Any one got an altitude tent that they want to lend me?

17th JULY 2008 - "BACK ON TRACK" – Training with Franks Horwill’s group.

Last week I was invited by Belgrave Harrier’s club secretary Will Cockerell (ranked no.22 for the marathon in the UK) to train with a group that consists of some of the best runners in London. Having had a relatively quite period in terms of training intensity, being a stone over my racing weight I knew I would just have to bite the bullet and go for it.

Ten minutes later I had been lapped numerous times, spirit crushed and lungs burning I had to sit out the majority of the remaining repetitions. It was a very humbling experience; total humiliation would not have been an understatement. The speed and relative easy in which runners like GB International Huw Lobb and co. churned out impressive repetitions was just staggering. I thought that I was in pretty good shape still, even if my current fitness was not that of prior to the Paris Marathon, but against runners of this quality I felt very inadequate.

Fast forward a week from the nightmare that was my “baptism of fire”, I was ready for some more punishment. This came in the shape of 1600 metres + 400 x 3 + 300 x 6, just the thought of this session made me feel queasy.

The session hurt like Hell, I gave everything and fortunately this time there was no lapping or further humiliation. Even though I was still a long way off the back of the pack it has given me a target to aim for. If I really want to get the best out of myself in terms of training over the next 9 months the only way I will achieve this is going to be to train and learn from the best.

After the session I talked with a number of runners about what it takes to improve as a runner. Every one had different ideas and advice, but the common theme was to train hard but smart. I talked at length with Will about the decline of top end marathon running in the UK and covered some of the ideas that could be used to encourage more people into the sport. Will has a vast amount of experience and knowledge on the subject matter having written for Athletics Weekly and recently published a book titled “The 50 Greatest Marathon Races of All Time”.

Check out Will's book at Amazon.com

Video update of the session coming soon!
 

26th JUNE 2007 - INTERVIEW AND TRAINING WITH MIKE GRATTON - 1983 London Marathon winner

Having had the opportunity at the end of last week to meet 1966 Commonwealth Silver Medallist Bill Adcocks I arranged an interview with 1983 London Marathon winner and director of 2:09 events Mike Gratton to talk about his own successes as a marathon runner and the decline of British male marathon running in the UK.

During our interview we talked at length about how to encourage youngsters in at the grass route level of athletics and subsequently marathon running. In today’s society success is expected instantly; try telling a 16 year old with a talent for running that if he trains really hard over the next ten years he might just make it to an International standard. Trying to grasp that concept at an early age is particularly daunting and in many ways can be extremely demoralising. Looking at the success of footballs like Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney from an early age, combined with the fame and huge salaries it is easy to see why football has become so popular with the youth of today. George my cameraman chirped up and suggested the use of the internet and the massive popularity of social utilities such as Facebook to get youngsters talking about the races and events. Mike suggested a world wide time comparison league of track events; for example children in Manchester can compete and compare times with children in California via the Internet.

We talked at length about the decline of marathon running in the UK and the social and economic problems attached with “middle class” Britain today. In Mike’s era British runners regularly won world wide marathons but today “the bar” has been raised to such an extent that most of the events are now won by Kenyan and Ethiopians; even if a British marathon runner did run 2:10 it is very unlikely they would win the race. It comes back to the notion of the small rewards vs. the huge efforts that has to be put in to marathon running, is it really worth it in Britain today? Mike says that it is, “We have the talent coming through in the UK, but the key is to nurture it through from grass routes to the top of the sport, only then can the Britain compete again on a world stage.”

After the interview Mike and I went for a jog together around the army’s rugby pitches at Aldershot. Mike still tries to run most days and also coaches on 2:09 events hugely popular autumn and spring warm weather training camps in Portugal of which I hope to go on prior to the my April 2008 Marathon. Mike has a wealth of running and coaching knowledge which he kindly dispensed to me over the course of the training session which consisted of sprinting 10 diagonals of the rugby pitches and jog the try line to recover. The session was focused more on technique then outright speed but it brought back memories of my rugby days playing in the front row as a 17 stone prop forward, finding myself at the bottom of one ruck then struggling over to the other side of the pitch for a scrum. Amazingly in a matter of minutes Mike had diagnosed all my running problems; stiff neck and shoulder caused by too much upper body sway and the over pronation of my right leg caused by a heel to toe foot strike. Almost like that I felt the improvements, but the key now is to try not to slip back into bad habits.

I feel very fortunate to have met some of the great Marathon runners in the UK including Mike, they are all so passionate about Marathon running and have been a huge inspiration and help to myself in both the documentary and my own running. Mike was no exception and later that evening on my return to London I tied up the running shoes and churned out a good steady 15 miler. During our interview I asked Mike about his thoughts prior to his London Marathon win. He replied that he just went out and did the best he could do and relative to his own ability that meant winning. Just in our brief session it dawned on me that you should not set barriers against future progress, but strive to become the best you can be.

For more information about 2:09 Events races, training camps and running tours please visit www.209events.com
 

21st JUNE 2007 – INTERVIEW AND TRAINING WITH BILL ADCOCKS - Silver medallist 1966 Commonwealth Games

Having only really got back into my own training again in the last few weeks I arranged an interview with Bill in his home town of Coventry. I first read Bill’s book “The Road to Athens” and was subsequently inspired by the no nonsense approach he had taken to his training and racing. Having talked to Bill on the phone prior to our meeting I talked about the “sacrifices” that the modern day marathon runner has to make. On this comment Bill chuckled to himself and said “It was never about sacrifices, it was just what we did.” His unassuming attitude is so refreshing and even today his enthusiasm for his running club Godiva Harriers where he has been the club secretary for 17 years is unwavering.

During the 60’s and early 70’s Bill won silver in the 1966 Commonwealth Games and came 5^th in the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games where he has been tipped to win gold but suffered in the high altitude. Bill made up for his disappointment later that year my winning the classic Athens Marathon course in a time of 2 hour 11 minutes 7 seconds, a record that would stay amazingly for 35 years.

A formal interview that might have taken 20 minutes turned into a delightful trip through his history as a marathon runner and conversations about the way the sport has changed and Bill’s hopes and fears for the future of Marathon running in the UK. Looking through old annuals and medal cabinets proved a fascinating insight into the life of this self confessed working class guy who had pursued a passion and excelled at the highest international level while working full time as a gas fitter. Bill made some very interesting observations about the decline of British marathon running and what could be done to change people’s attitudes, raise the standards and attracting youngsters at the glass root level of the sport.

After a lunch which had been kindly put on by Bill’s wife Kay who has been his rock throughout his career we crossed to the local park to run a 1 mile loop and get Bill’s input on what I could do training wise to reach my own Marathon running goals. While getting changed upstairs I bent over to tie up my shoes and pulled a muscle in my back. Typical I thought, get up here and not even be able to have judgement passed by one of the greatest marathon runners ever in the country. I just about managed to hold it together and ran the circuit which comprised of 2 x 400 hard efforts within the mile. I felt a little stiff from my debut at track and field for the Serpentine at the 1500 metre the evening before but the overall consensus was positive, but I can’t wait to see what Bill said to my camera man George when I was on the far side of the Park.

I am firmly back on the road again and looking forward to my track training in early July. If you are serious about Marathon running and really want to know what it takes to progress to the pinnacle of the sports or just to become inspired to get running read Bill’s book “The Road to Athens”. It is a fascinating insight into his life as a marathon runner and is almost unique in the fact that much of it is taken from his diary at the time.

One section that I highlighted when I first read the book and now must be deep rooted in my own mind reads; “The only person you are really competing against is yourself. You train to remain on the precipice of peak fitness. If you overdo it and fall off the precipice, you clamber back as fast as you can. If you don’t overdo it, you raise the precipice and you race to achieve personal best times.”

Bill Adcocks epitomises everything that is great about British marathon running past and present. Instead of always looking forward, future generations of runners could learn a lot from the past, and in particular from characters like Bill.

The Road to Athens - by the fastest man ever over the Classic Marathon course was written by Bill Adcocks in collaboration with athletics journalist Trevor Frecknall and designed by Steve Ross. Priced £5.00 (plus £1 post and packing), the book is available now from: W Adcocks, 90 Frilsham Way, Allesley Park, Coventry CV5 9LR. Please make cheques payable to W Adcocks.
 

1st OCTOBER - CLUB LA SANTA MARATHON TRAINING

Two of the most important weeks to my training and quite possibly to the project. With a time of under 2hrs 45mins needed for the continuation of the project progress needed to be made I did not disappoint. For any one fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to stay and train at Club La Santa will know that the facilities are ideal for all type of sportsmen and women. With a first class gym, tartan running track and endless miles of quite roads and dirt tracks off into the mountain you can't fail to be inspired by the experience to get out and run. The people that I met were all of a like minds and extremely generous with their time and advice and genuinely interested and understanding in what I am trying to achieve.

In the two weeks I stayed at Club La Santa I ran over 250km - 2 x 10km races and 2 x Half Marathon's over difficult courses. My times improved from 37:51 for a 10k to 35:49 and for the Half Marathon 1:23:49 to 1:19:12. It is staggering the improvement that I made in those two weeks taking over 4mins 30secs off my P.B. for the Half Marathon over a hilly and uneven course.

Not every run was of such high intensity which gave me the chance to meet some really interesting people (Alistair - thanks for the introductions) and the opportunity to take in the scenery. Two people that I would like to thank in particular  for their advice are Philip Price and Keith Anderson.

Philip is the head coach at Club La Santa who runs a Spring Marathon Camp from the 15th - 22nd of March 2007. He is a softly spoken man who makes you feel very at ease in his presence. He was a great help introducing me to running with heart rate monitors. He really showed me the importance of running consistent pacing throughout the longer runs and not to exceed a certain % of my maximum heart rate. Please visit www.clublasanta.com for more information on the Spring Marathon Camp.

Keith Anderson was coaching a group from the company 2.09 events gave me some great advice on even pacing. He ran a sub 2.17 Marathon at the age of 40 and ran in the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games where he finished 10th in humid conditions. It was great to meet with him after the Half Marathon and to seek his advice as to see if a sub 2hrs 15mins Marathon was possible. His advice was that it is possible but that I would have to think smart about all aspects of my training, even down to the purpose of every training run. His other piece of advice was "...you need a diet of Kenyans Hills". He also noted that the Marathon is an even pacing race that only gets started after the 16th miles, discipline and Patience are the key qualities needed to a successful Marathon. Keith helps run an adventure travel company. For more information visit:-  www.trailplus.com

George my cameraman came out for the last few days and  filmed some great shots notably from the top of highest peak. It nearly finished George off, but to his credit he ran a Half marathon the day after in 2hrs 18mins commenting that he wanted to show solidarity in an attempt to understand what it was I went through ever day. It was also a fantastic opportunity to plan out the future course of the documentary.

By the end I was pretty exhausted, but the trip had served its purpose and with only 4 weeks to go before the Marathon a sub 2hrs 45mins time is looking a very much more  likely prospect then it was when I was lying on my back in bed 10 months ago contemplating the project.

28th July 2006 - TRAINING IN SOUTH DEVON

Over July I spent two long weekend in Salcombe, South Devon training hard along some of the most beautiful costal paths in the country. It is an idyllic setting to train in and one that certainly boosted my ability to concentrate for long periods of time due to the uneven surfaces.

Running along the paths does have its risk as a misplaced stride could result in an injury or twisted ankle. Thankfully I did not suffer and in fact became far stronger and better balanced as a results of the trip. Marathon legend Bill Rodgers before moving to the track later in his career put his lack of injuries down to running on uneven surfaces and if you can stay injury free the benefits to my view out weigh the risks.

However costal paths do have other risks attached that runners might not expect. Returning from a run to Thurlstone I was confronted my a herd of cows blocking the way. After shooing the first few out of the way I was confronted by a rather large Bull. With no way round due to the sheer drop on oneside and thick gorse on the other I approached slowly to be confronted by the Bull snorting and  scarring the soil. Images of an unfortunate Matador that I had seen in a back issue of FHM sprung to mind and the wisdom of wearing a red top was lost on me. I spent the next 15 minutes picking my way through thick gorses as the beast watched to his amusement. My advice to other runners in the area is not to wear a red top!

11th July 2006 - 1KM TRAINING IN BATTERSEA PARK

After my success in the London 10K on Saturday I was bought back down to earth with a tough 1km endurance training session along side the river Thames in Battersea Park. I still felt stiff from the race but after a thorough warm up set of at a good pace for the first 2K's in 3.31 and 3.25 respectively. It was a hot day and although I have found that the weather can really effect performance I maintained a steady pace for the next two K's.

Half way there with only four to go the mind wanders, it is this area of both my training and my racing in which I have to improve on. It is this part of the race that people loose time on but I want to make sure that I can be consistent throughout. I dropped of the pace for the 5th K back on for the 6th and away for the 7th. It is frustrating to a huge degree that this lack of resolve or fatigue that effects me so. With a good final repetition I collapsed exhausted on the floor.

Jasyn my coach barked at me to get to my feet and took my heart rate before sending me back out for one more. I cursed him for a few moments, composed myself then set of for the extra repetition, it hurt really bad both mentally and physically but showed me that you can always push on a little harder. With the Wycombe half marathon in less then a week this training should prove of great value.

26th-29th June 2006 - TRAINING IN THE CAIRNGORMS

How can I begin to explain how much fun and of what benefit my training in Scotland was. Staying by the side of a secluded Locke that my flat mate and his family had been coming to for the past few years I felt in my element. The views of the grouse moors as we approached by car along the empty lane were breathtaking, I was already planning my routes as I scanned the horizon for paths into the mountains.

For four days I pounded the roads, glens, heather and sheep tracks in the vicinity for over an hour and a half in the mornings followed by a steady run with a friend from the Army in the evenings. With only about three hours of darkness the opportunity to train twice a day was off great value. Getting away from the hordes of joggers in Hyde Park was a welcome break and getting back to what I first enjoyed about running was like a breath of fresh air. Every run was like a mini adventure never knowing where it might lead, and with no earlier pre conceptions of checkpoints to worry about, I ran freer then I had for some time.

Some of the best runs were the cross-county runs that I did with my friend in the evenings heading up over the back of the mountain over looking the Lock, a 700 feet climb in less then a kilometre, lungs burning and legs pumping, the view from the top made it seem well worth the effort. Taking a deep breath from the top with 360 degree panoramic views I though this place would be hard to beat in all time great places to train, it is some where if given half the chance to return I would pounce at the opportunity.

A big thank you is in order to the Salvesens and the girls for keeping me fully fuelled with their amazing cooking.