Author: Buck

After a surprisingly long period with my new bike I had a blip. On a whim I started looking for an engine to strip down to practice a bit of mechanic-ing. But then I realised I wouldn’t know if I’d been successful if it was just an engine. So I started looking for a cheap, project motorbike. That way I could play on it, there would be visible results (assuming I got it running again) and it would have some resale value afterwards, so I wouldn’t be pointlessly throwing away the price of an engine, oil, gaskets, etc. Unfortunately on some of the sites that gives you very limited hits. To see all the available bikes I had to put in ‘motorbikes, private seller, under £1000’. That returned all the spares/repairs, project type bikes that I’d be interested in, but unfortunately it brought up lots and lots of really tempting bikes that had nothing wrong with them. I saw a 1976 CB550 that was an imported non-runner for £500. That is a fantastic price, when sorted the bikes go for thousands of pounds. I was straight on to the seller, but he lives in Cardiff. I was still up for it, even though it would have been a nightmare organising a van, getting there, loading the bike, back, unloading it, and returning the van inside the opening hours of the rental place. Then I had big issues with the seller. I gave him a time and day when I could pick it up, he agreed, I asked if he could hold it for 2 days until that day (so I wouldn’t lose my money booking a van) and I didn’t get a reply for 5 days. I was still going to do it, I sent another message giving him two alternative days I could go and pick it up, but the app froze. That gave me time to reconsider. I messaged him and said it was too far to go, I didn’t want it. By this time I’d been looking at a lot of bikes. The whim to look for an engine had turned into obsession and fixation. Again. I saw a bunch of Harleys I’d like. Two big ones for less than £4,500 each. That is a bargain price. I had visions of me puttering around on a big Hog. Then I saw some big Japanese cruisers. I have a notion I’d like to ride to my Saville marathon. That’s a 3,000+ mile round trip. So I was fixating on big, comfortable mile-munchers. The downside with the pure tourers is they are huge, specialist beasts. Massive fairings, massive weight, massive power. Great to ride from Warrington to Seville, but pointless and cumbersome the rest of the time. I was getting frantic. Literally losing sleep fixating over it. I was at the point where I wanted to buy a bike, any bike, just to get some peace. Then at gone midnight I read an article with a countdown of all […]

That was a test. Only 2 days ago I was taking a covid test because I felt so lousy. The next day I was fine again, so I don’t know what that was about. Last night I finished work at 22.30, by the time I’d had my tea, a shower and a a brew it was 00.30 getting to bed. Then I woke up at 05.30 with a blocked nose and was thinking I had to get up in an hour, so I couldn’t get back to sleep. Not ideal. On the plus side the weather was amazing. The first lap there was no wind at all to speak of. The sea breeze had picked up for the second lap, but it was still light. We set off pretty slow as the pack thinned out. I found a guy to use as a pacer. He was a little bit too fast for the pace I was trying to set but he was metronomic. I knew if I could stay with him I was going to be on target. I stuck with him for the first 19 miles but on the second lap on the long, gradual inclines (you can’t really call them hills) he got away from me. I just couldn’t. I had nothing extra to give for the extra effort of uphill into the slight wind. On the flat, with the wind at my back, I managed to grit it out for the last two miles but truth be told I had nothing. The positives are; for the first 19 miles I was going better than expected and faster than I wanted. I was after 7.05 – 7.10 pace, my pacer had me 6.57 – 7.05. I was lucky I didn’t burn out completely. Also, despite the last 7 miles, I put in a 3.08:11 (official chip time), which is 8 minutes 50 seconds faster than my previous PB! If I can step up by the same amount again, I’m sub 3. But right here, right now, that was good enough to put me first in my age group (by 7 minutes). It’s only a small field, but someone had to win the ‘male, 55 – 60’ category and it was me! If it’s the same as last year that should have earned me a free entry for next year. I’ve been feeling battered the rest of today. I think I’ll have a week off running (you are supposed to rest after all-in efforts) then get back to it. Try to quickly build up to lots of easy miles in preparation for the next training cycle. If I’m honest I missed too many days on the last cycle. Consistency is key. But it shows that if you put in the effort you can improve. One more big step and I’m sub 3. I really don’t know what’s after that. Whether, once I’ve set the bar, I’ll be wanting to maintain it, or go back to just doing fun runs, […]

I had another bad blip with my training last week, missed 2 days. Then I was back at it with a vengeance. One of the days wanted an 8 -15K race. It was blowing a gale (30+ mph winds) so I did a 10K run with a flat out 5K. Even with the killer wind I was only 2 seconds shy of a sub 20. (20.01), the next day was 18 miles at 7.30- 8.10. I’ve only got two shifts this week so I am on top of my training. Good job, it’s 3 weeks on Sunday until my marathon. You’d think that means my plan is ramping down, but it’s 11 mile with 6x .6 of a mile sprints tomorrow, 15 mile the day after, 8, 6, 20. The good news is my watch has started revising my predicted marathon time downwards again. It’s been creeping up for weeks. Currently saying 3.07:12, which is 7.10 m/m pace for 26 miles. It all depends on my endurance. And the wind. Blackpool is on the seafront so it’s always windy. My PB is 3.15, so 3.07 would be halfway there. Another good thing this week. I’ve got 2 pairs of racing shoes. I’ve got 2 pairs of shoes that are supposed to be racing shoes (one is wearing out the other is not so good for racing) and I’ve got 2 pairs of everyday trainers. The trouble is the everyday trainers, the one’s I should be using on all but sprints sessions and actual races, are not that clever. I had Saucony Speed 2 and they were great. Do everything. Fast runs, everyday runs, they were a bit uncomfortable after half marathon distance, but apart from that they were ideal. And they were hard wearing. I got 700 miles out of them. But when I got the Speed 3 they’ve lost their way. They don’t feel fast, they don’t throw you forward into a run like the Speed 2, they just feel ploddy. I got the the Asics Novablast, as they were supposed to be a good everyday trainer, and they are comfortable and durable, but again they are ploddy. They lack the Saucony ‘speedroll’ tech. So I’ve got racers that are too flimsy for everyday training and everyday trainers that are too slow to be do anything but recovery runs. So many shoes, but the biggest part of my training needs wasn’t being met. I risked my arm and ordered a pair of Saucony Triumph 21. They aren’t plated like the Speed but they have the speedroll design and lots of padding for long distance comfort. What a revelation! They feel like the Speed 2! Good if you want to do a long, fair paced, run. Better if you want to speed it up. I hope Saucony don’t mess this model up. I’ll still get my miles out of the other trainers, they are not going to waste. The Speed 3 are on 253 miles, the Novablast on 370, my […]

I missed one day’s training this week, it was just a recovery 6 mile run and I was busy renting a van and collecting a sofa for Lisa so I let it slide. But it was a tough week. Up at 06.20 to run 14 miles before work on one day, 21 miles long run (in the 7.30 -8.10 range, did it at 7.58). Hard. That’s the longest run of the plan and there are no more long runs with X miles at race pace, so it’s downhill to the marathon from here. The positives are; I’ve not really been bothered with the groin strain since seeing the doctor. Hopefully when I get my scan they’ll say I just pulled something and I’m fine. It wasn’t cancer and running isn’t triggering it, so that’s great. If I get the all clear I’ll slowly and gently incorporate rowing back into my training. I’ve not been triggering the plague weakness. I feel a bit rough now, but it was a long and fairly hard run, I expect to feel achey and a bit hungry, but I’m not ‘lie on the floor and cry’ weak. You immediately forget about the plague as soon as it passes, but I feel rough enough that I’m reminded now. And it’s great not to have it. I’m committing to doing the work. Getting up early to do long runs or doing them after work. I don’t have much confidence for Blackpool marathon being a PB, but I reckon if I stick to this plan I could get sub 3. Interesting aside; it wasn’t until I was talking to someone on the socials that I realised I was doing the 55 mile a week plan last time, and Camille’s plan was based on about 55 miles a week. The plan I’ve jumped to now is 70 miles per week. Oops. That explains a lot. Success is finding the price you have to pay and being willing to pay it. If I commit to about 70 miles a week, then cycling through the whole of this plan again before Frankfurt, I reckon I could make some big inroads on the sub 3. I don’t know what I’ll do when I finally get it. Maybe move into Ultras or fast Halves or competitive eating. Or just go back to random fun runs with no target. I don’t think I’ll try and maintain sub 3 level. It’s so much hard work and pain. Unless I reach that level and start finding it reasonable. I’m starting to get old. And my BPD is a lot less with age. It was only just over 2 years ago I confidently announced I was going smash sub 3 that year. After 2 months of no running with a knackered foot. And I believed it. Just work, suffer, smash it. 2 years later and the BPD has dropped right off and I’m full of doubts. The other thing is I don’t have to worry about the […]

I’ve stuck to my training this week. Last week I only did 18 miles the whole week, this week I’ve done 52. I missed one day, but that was before I refocused my mojo. Since then I’ve done 5 days straight. Including the run after work. When I did that one I knew I was back on track. Today I had the Advanced Marathoning plan long run. This week it was 16 miles, 12 of them at race pace. I thought I might as well see where I stood so I did it as 1.5 mile warm up, 13.1 (half marathon) flat out, then just over a mile home. I started off with a 6.42, 6.49, 6.52, 6.57, 6.47, 6.57 but then I lost it. 7.00, 7.02, 7.00, 7.03, 7.03, 7.08, 7.02. It was astoundingly hard. I was desperate to quit for virtually all of it, so I’m really pleased I kept going. I was so close to quitting loads of times. I finished with a 1.31:08, which is nearly 2 minutes slower than my PB. Overall it’s still my 4th fastest ever Half, and I didn’t leave a single second in reserve, so I am satisfied with it. If you start half-arseing your training, as I have been over the last few weeks, it’s inevitable you are going to lose speed and endurance. In other good news, my appointment to see a “clinician” on Sunday was with a real doctor. So they’ve not completely destroyed the GP service yet. The doctor examined me and gave me lots of prods. He said it was most likely either a muscle strain or a sports hernia. He said I should stop exercising. It’s 6 weeks until Blackpool marathon, he clearly meant after that. He’s referred me to the hospital for an ultrasound. That will be in a few weeks. Excellent. No prostate cancer, and it’s not testicular cancer. A good week. The only other thing is I keep going back and forth on whether to get the Sainsbury’s job. Tons of money, but no life and no time to train. And always exhausted. I did apply for it, but it was with the agency I’m working for at the Royal Mail. They just ignored my application. I could apply with a different agency. We have enough money at the moment, I have good start times, and plenty of time to train. It’s mainly fear that’s making me think about changing to worst possible start time nights. We are fine now, but what about the future? Right, enough. Buck.