So last week I had a week off to rest the foot and catch my breath. I had intended to go to the doctor, but somehow never managed it and by Sunday, the foot felt strong enough to go for another long run.I could have stopped at 2 hours, but I know I'll never run 13 miles that fast in my wildest dreams, particularly when my training has been so disrupted. I decided to push for 2 hrs 15 minutes, because my worst case scenario would be to run the race in about 2hrs 35 and my best 2hrs 15. My pre-race psychology (which usually works) being that if I can run 2hrs 15 minutes, I can probably run another 20 minutes more if I have to....... And one of the joys of doing this long run was knowing that I won't have to do another one this far till race day, because after this week I'll have entered the blessed zone of tapering down, where you decrease your mileage each week till the race. (Unlike preparing for a marathon where all the hell is still to come, the worst would be behind me).
It was dull and grey when I set out and I dithered about running wear, rain coat or not? running vest or "t" shirt? silly hat (to keep rain of specs) or not? In the end I decided to risk no hat or rain coat, but thought it looked too cold for the vest and put on my lovely Japanese "T" shirt which has the Japanese Constitution Article 50, the declaration of not going to war with another country. And off I went. After the beauties of the New Forest, Cowley & in particular Templar Square, looked pretty grim. And I soon regretted 2 clothing decisions, my T shirt was too hot, and it started to spit,so I could have done with the hat. I also realised though I had my running drink I had no water, so my only fluid intake was going to be sweet and sticky, yeuch. But I was going well and soon approached Iffley, which is like another world really. A proper village, quiet, lovely stone cottages, sheep, little shop, yet it is half a mile from the ugliest bits of Oxford. It's beautiful down there and I love to run across the lock to the river.
Although it is a beautiful spot, Iffley Lock is also a place of great sadness for me. Last year a man with learning disabilities known to our team was murdered there. It was a particularly gruesome crime and earlier this year I supported his housemate to attend the trial, not something I wish to repeat in a hurry. I am so used to violence being in a country far away, it was quite a shock to experience it so close to home, and to wrestle with my feelings as I listened to the main culprit in the dock as he tried to pretend the murder was nothing to do with him. Blessed are the merciful, but when faced with seeing such a violent person deny their crime, it is indeed difficult to remember that. "Father forgive them" remains Jesus' most radical act and a tough one to follow. So I said a prayer for Sean as I passed and for his murderers, and for me, that I may not fall into the trap of bitterness and vengeance. And off I ran down the river into town.
Last time I ran by the river, the flood waters were only just receding and it was dangerously fast, so it was nice to see the banks dry and a series of boat races going on. They have to work hard those rowers, I am glad I am a runner! Since I wanted to keep to my time, I ran past my usual turning point at St Aldates, and ran further up until the footpath became too narrow and an inviting looking path into the woods had "you'll get lost" written all over it. So I meandered back to town and round Christchurch Meadows, and then a quick detour across the High St for a loo break. As I passed Radcliffe Camera I ran right through a film crew, not sure what they were filming, it was a rather pristine looking gay rights demo, maybe it was for Inspector Lewis, but I didn't see Kevin Whately so probably not. I hope I didn't ruin their shot, but if it does appear on TV and you see a red faced puffing runner in the middle, that would be me then.
I ran home via South Park, but had to run out quickly when faced with a couple of nasty looking Alsatians and their very rude owners who hurled abuse at me when I asked them to keep the dogs away. Running up Morrell Avenue wasn't nearly as nice and I was dog(!)tired by the time I reached the top. Knowing the rest of the way home was mainly down hill, I increased my speed and ran fast for 20 minutes, including 2 loops of Marsh Park. And then after the pain of the final hill of Barrack's Lane I was back. On the way I thought a lot about "Blessed are the Merciful" and how challenging I found it.So how much more challenging must it be when your country is torn apart by conflict, when you've been made a refugee, lost family, been raped or tortured. This is the situation for many in Southern Sudan, where one of FoR's partner organisations - PHARP, the peace, healing and reconciliation programme, works with refugees to help them come to terms with their experiences. Like all FoR's partners, they show us an alternative way of dealing with the violence of the world. If you wish to contribute to their work you can now sponsor me directly at FoR's site http://www.for.org.uk/peacerunner Thanks in advance for your contributions.
I managed 2 other short and fast runs this week, so that's a first for a while. Now I am off to Shropshire where I hope to get some scenic and hilly runs in. See you in a week!
Friday, 24 August 2007
Saturday, 18 August 2007
Of sore feet and horse manure.....
So last week was a big one. The day after the time trial we went down to the New Forest to stay with Chris' family. It was too good an opportunity to miss running part of the course, so my plan was to do a two hour long run over as much of it as I could manage. The only drawback was that, yes, my right foot really hurt, my left foot was a bit tender too, and I had aching ankles to boot. Bloody typical. For the last 3 years my main problems running have been back related. Now my back is hardly giving a twinge, but my feet are giving me gyp and since feet are so important in running it is a bit of a worry. But I wanted to get to 2 hours solid running under my belt before resting them, so it was time for some drugs. I don't like taking ibuprofen too much, but needs must and with that, swimming in the sea, and the old ankle support, I got to Saturday morning with feet that seemed willing to go the distance.
Jonathan woke me bright and early at 6.30, so I had enough time to eat a good breakfast and doze on the sofa before setting off at 9am. It was already hot and sunny, and I was glad of Beth's hat, my sunglasses, and the fact that I'd slapped on the sun-tan lotion before I started. I ran slowly out of New Milton, the start of the race, dreading what had looked like an awful hill in the car. But miraculously it wasn't too bad, long but not too steep; and before I knew it I was a mile out of town on the road to Bashley. Here I hit a snag that stayed with me throughout the run, lovely tree lined roads but very few pavements. Fine when you are on the straight and narrow and see the cars coming but a bit nervewracking when coming round corners. Most cars were nice enough to give me a wide berth, but it seemed that the larger ones thought they owned the road and one or two had me scuttling to the sides of the verges cursing them. One lorry drove past leaving a long trail of horse manure for me to circumnavigate for about half a mile - at least it didn't spray any over me.
Still when the cars weren't attacking me, there were plenty of trees to keep me cool and I soon arrived at my turning point, on the edge of the forest, at a nice looking pub. The main route for the run went further before turning, but I didn't think I'd manage the full 13 at this pace, so I was happy to take a short cut. This involved me running on lovely moorland grass for a bit, and though there was plenty more horse manure to dance across, it was a welcome change from the road. I ran along here for about twenty minutes before turning back to the road to Tiptoe. As I did so I found myself facing a large herd of cows grazing. They seemed pretty placid and unlikely to come near me, but I've had a couple of scary encounters with cows before so I gave them a wide berth and made for the road. It being the New Forest, I then literally ran into a herd of horses, that were beginning to cross in front of me. Because of the wonderful local bye-laws, the animals of the New Forest live in impunity. Run one down and you are in big trouble - so they get everywhere and when they are in the road, everything stops for them. These horses were magnificent animals, a range of russet and dark browns, and like the cows, possessed of a calm temperament. I slowed down as the leader came to the middle of the road, not wanting to alarm him/her. But the horse looked at me as if to say "you go on then" and let me slowly jog past before moving on across to the bracken on the other side.
The encounter made me smile and kept me going for another half a mile, before I began to flag. It seemed to be taking me an age to get to Tiptoe, which didn't look too far according to my map, but now I was out of the shade, and the heat and the distance I had come were beginning to take effect. It was time for some sports drink, and it's amazing how even a little sip, seemed to have an instant impact on me and I began to feel better. When I finally made it to Tiptoe, the first house I came across was advertising free horse manure and had kindly left bags out in the road, I guess there are a LOT of horses in the New Forest! I met a fairly grizzled fellow runner going the opposite way, he looked at least 20 years older than me but was going at a fair lick. But that's the levelling thing about running, it is not age, or size that matters, it's about personal fitness and your body's ability to move fast (or not in my case!)
Once I was through Tiptoe, I turned back onto a familiar road, thankfully nice and cool because now it was past 10 o'clock, but busier than the road I had been on, and again no pavements. I found this pretty hair raising, lots more bends, and lots more cars. It seemed as though everyone was suddenly on the move, I guess people were going home after a holiday by the sea. Whatever the reason, I was exceedingly glad when I finally reached the roundabout I had left behind me an hour and a half before, and knew I was close to the end. I upped the pace at this bit, with an intent to see if I could run to the finish in about 20 minutes. I was pleased to see that my body responded positively to the increasing tempo, though my feet were feeling pretty sore.
After the beauties of the forest, the remainder of the run was pretty grim. Bashley Cross Road was another exercise in car dodging, and Stem Lane ran down the side of an ugly industrial estate, although at least I finally managed to get some pavement. It was baking hot by this time, my head was ringed with sweat and I took to pouring water over myself to cool me down. The turn into the final road, Gore Road took forever, and I thought I would never reach the school where the race ends. When I did eventually get there I'd run the last two miles in about 22 minutes, a bit slower than I hope to run the race, but respectable given that I was still recovering from the time trial. It was enough to satisfy me as I slowly jogged back home arriving back exactly 2 hours after I had left. And it was very worthwhile doing as I now know what 2/3 of the route looks like - it's always particularly helpful to know where the finish is when you are on your last legs.
I got quite distracted on this run, by the cars, the heat and jumping out of the way of traffic. But there was one beatitude that kept going through my head, mainly because it was the only one I could remember without looking, "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in Heaven" It made me think of Archbishop Pius Ncube an outspoken critic of President Mugabe's Zimbabwean government for many years. This year he has called for the people of Zimbabwe to overthrow their government nonviolently. It is no surprise that since then he has been accused of committing adultery in a law suit that threatens to destroy his reputation. I also thought of Netsai Mushonga, a member of FoR Zimbabwe, who like me is a mother, a feminist and a social worker with people with disabilities. But unlike me, she has had to live with violence against women in her family, in her society and during the war of the 1970's. Netsai is another activist who has responded to violence in her country by developing nonviolent alternatives. She has set up a programme challenging gender based violence, and when President Mugabe cleared "illegal" homes and businesses in urban areas last year ("Operation Clean Up Rubbish"), she worked with communities looking at how to respond nonviolently. As with the other projects supported by the International Peacemakers Fund, the work of FoR Zimbabwe is critical if the cycle of violence is ever to be broken in the country.
If you want to help FoR Zimbabwe or any of the other projects I have mentioned on this blog, it couldn't be easier, please visit . http://www.for.org.uk/peacerunner for more details.
Since last week I've been resting my feet, but tomorrow I am going for my last really long run. I'm pleased to see that I have finished the first page of my training and have only four weeks left to go. And next time I run in the New Forest, it will only be me, the wildlife and a few thousand runners to contend with, that's a nice thought.
The countdown begins.........
Jonathan woke me bright and early at 6.30, so I had enough time to eat a good breakfast and doze on the sofa before setting off at 9am. It was already hot and sunny, and I was glad of Beth's hat, my sunglasses, and the fact that I'd slapped on the sun-tan lotion before I started. I ran slowly out of New Milton, the start of the race, dreading what had looked like an awful hill in the car. But miraculously it wasn't too bad, long but not too steep; and before I knew it I was a mile out of town on the road to Bashley. Here I hit a snag that stayed with me throughout the run, lovely tree lined roads but very few pavements. Fine when you are on the straight and narrow and see the cars coming but a bit nervewracking when coming round corners. Most cars were nice enough to give me a wide berth, but it seemed that the larger ones thought they owned the road and one or two had me scuttling to the sides of the verges cursing them. One lorry drove past leaving a long trail of horse manure for me to circumnavigate for about half a mile - at least it didn't spray any over me.
Still when the cars weren't attacking me, there were plenty of trees to keep me cool and I soon arrived at my turning point, on the edge of the forest, at a nice looking pub. The main route for the run went further before turning, but I didn't think I'd manage the full 13 at this pace, so I was happy to take a short cut. This involved me running on lovely moorland grass for a bit, and though there was plenty more horse manure to dance across, it was a welcome change from the road. I ran along here for about twenty minutes before turning back to the road to Tiptoe. As I did so I found myself facing a large herd of cows grazing. They seemed pretty placid and unlikely to come near me, but I've had a couple of scary encounters with cows before so I gave them a wide berth and made for the road. It being the New Forest, I then literally ran into a herd of horses, that were beginning to cross in front of me. Because of the wonderful local bye-laws, the animals of the New Forest live in impunity. Run one down and you are in big trouble - so they get everywhere and when they are in the road, everything stops for them. These horses were magnificent animals, a range of russet and dark browns, and like the cows, possessed of a calm temperament. I slowed down as the leader came to the middle of the road, not wanting to alarm him/her. But the horse looked at me as if to say "you go on then" and let me slowly jog past before moving on across to the bracken on the other side.
The encounter made me smile and kept me going for another half a mile, before I began to flag. It seemed to be taking me an age to get to Tiptoe, which didn't look too far according to my map, but now I was out of the shade, and the heat and the distance I had come were beginning to take effect. It was time for some sports drink, and it's amazing how even a little sip, seemed to have an instant impact on me and I began to feel better. When I finally made it to Tiptoe, the first house I came across was advertising free horse manure and had kindly left bags out in the road, I guess there are a LOT of horses in the New Forest! I met a fairly grizzled fellow runner going the opposite way, he looked at least 20 years older than me but was going at a fair lick. But that's the levelling thing about running, it is not age, or size that matters, it's about personal fitness and your body's ability to move fast (or not in my case!)
Once I was through Tiptoe, I turned back onto a familiar road, thankfully nice and cool because now it was past 10 o'clock, but busier than the road I had been on, and again no pavements. I found this pretty hair raising, lots more bends, and lots more cars. It seemed as though everyone was suddenly on the move, I guess people were going home after a holiday by the sea. Whatever the reason, I was exceedingly glad when I finally reached the roundabout I had left behind me an hour and a half before, and knew I was close to the end. I upped the pace at this bit, with an intent to see if I could run to the finish in about 20 minutes. I was pleased to see that my body responded positively to the increasing tempo, though my feet were feeling pretty sore.
After the beauties of the forest, the remainder of the run was pretty grim. Bashley Cross Road was another exercise in car dodging, and Stem Lane ran down the side of an ugly industrial estate, although at least I finally managed to get some pavement. It was baking hot by this time, my head was ringed with sweat and I took to pouring water over myself to cool me down. The turn into the final road, Gore Road took forever, and I thought I would never reach the school where the race ends. When I did eventually get there I'd run the last two miles in about 22 minutes, a bit slower than I hope to run the race, but respectable given that I was still recovering from the time trial. It was enough to satisfy me as I slowly jogged back home arriving back exactly 2 hours after I had left. And it was very worthwhile doing as I now know what 2/3 of the route looks like - it's always particularly helpful to know where the finish is when you are on your last legs.
I got quite distracted on this run, by the cars, the heat and jumping out of the way of traffic. But there was one beatitude that kept going through my head, mainly because it was the only one I could remember without looking, "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in Heaven" It made me think of Archbishop Pius Ncube an outspoken critic of President Mugabe's Zimbabwean government for many years. This year he has called for the people of Zimbabwe to overthrow their government nonviolently. It is no surprise that since then he has been accused of committing adultery in a law suit that threatens to destroy his reputation. I also thought of Netsai Mushonga, a member of FoR Zimbabwe, who like me is a mother, a feminist and a social worker with people with disabilities. But unlike me, she has had to live with violence against women in her family, in her society and during the war of the 1970's. Netsai is another activist who has responded to violence in her country by developing nonviolent alternatives. She has set up a programme challenging gender based violence, and when President Mugabe cleared "illegal" homes and businesses in urban areas last year ("Operation Clean Up Rubbish"), she worked with communities looking at how to respond nonviolently. As with the other projects supported by the International Peacemakers Fund, the work of FoR Zimbabwe is critical if the cycle of violence is ever to be broken in the country.
If you want to help FoR Zimbabwe or any of the other projects I have mentioned on this blog, it couldn't be easier, please visit . http://www.for.org.uk/peacerunner for more details.
Since last week I've been resting my feet, but tomorrow I am going for my last really long run. I'm pleased to see that I have finished the first page of my training and have only four weeks left to go. And next time I run in the New Forest, it will only be me, the wildlife and a few thousand runners to contend with, that's a nice thought.
The countdown begins.........
Monday, 13 August 2007
Time Trial
Last Thursday saw me down at my running club doing speed training with a difference -in the form of a time trial. I like the idea of time trials. Each runner is given a start time in accordance to the time they are likely to take to run 4 miles. Thus slow runners like me start first and are followed by steadily faster runners. If everyone runs according to predicted speed, everyone ends up at the finish line together. But the real fun is seeing if you can run faster than you predict which means that literally anyone can win. (And because I am so slow and usually in the back of any run, I particularly enjoy the rare sensation of ending near the beginning!)
I was pretty pleased with my last time in June (39 mins 20 secs), as it was at just under 10 minute mile pace, pretty good for me. Since then I have been working on speed, so I thought it would be good to see if I had improved at all. I decided to take the run seriously, which meant a big lunch, a 5 minute lie down when I got back home (which was also needed after experiencing our youngest's hysterical reaction to preschool jabs - but that's another story) and a 2 hour pre-run snack of marmite sandwich and a banana. For good measure I also took a swig of my sports drink before leaving the house. I also took the precaution of printing off the directions just in case I got lost and I was set.
After a group warm up several of us made our way to the start, where I had the strange experience of being the absolute first to go. I really wanted to go for it, so I set off fast. It was a sunny evening, but there was a cool breeze, which helped enormously as I don't do heat me. The first mile or so is up a pretty boring cycle path that goes out to the ring road, but at least there are pretty trees and fields on the left. I was just getting into my stride when I met a runner coming back down towards me. She had got muddled about the start so had decided she wasn't racing, but asked if she could run with me. She looked super fit and lean, and hardly out of breath, so I panted a breathless "Yes, if you don't mind going slowly". She was happy with that, as apparently she didn't want to overdo it, she was training for a triathlon and had done a 3 and a half hour cycle ride the night before and a long swim two days earlier. Since she is obviously superfit she was able to manage normal conversation without breaking sweat, whereas I was at my redfaced puffing best, and could barely speak. Still she proved an excellent pacemaker, and I could feel that I reached the 1 mile point faster this time. I was expecting to be overtaken at this point, and sure enough Pam, who is significantly older, but inspiringly faster than me, overtook, stopped for a walking drink and then overtook again. My friendly pacemaker, Elena, obviously decided I was a bit slow and she took off with Pam.
The next stretch of the run was in and out a confusing labyrinth of roads where it is pretty easy to get lost. I was grateful to be behind Pam and Elena as it meant I didn't have to rely on my route map and I was happy to plod along behind. (I was particularly grateful for this when I got to the end and discovered 6 people had got lost and added 5 minutes onto their runs which must have been pretty frustrating for them) Halfway through this section, I was suddenly aware of something different from my last time trial. No-one was overtaking me. Last time at least 4 runners had caught me at this point, but I looked round and I couldn't see anyone. Either everyone was running slow or I was doing better than expected. Although everything was hurting, the knowledge gave me a real boost and I pushed myself on. I reached the cycle path. I was sure someone would catch me by this point. But no I was still alone. I couldn't believe it when I reached the underpass and I was still unmarked. Last time I did this about 10 people had overtaken me and I felt like I was dying. On Thursday I felt everything was pumping, I was a little lightheaded, breathing heavily, slightly sick, but I was still not being beaten and it felt fantastic.
I ran under the subway and headed down the last cycle path. This section is helpfully marked out because it is where we do our speed sessions. There was something incredibly satisfying about counting down the markers as I headed down the hill for home. 1500m, still noone following, 1200m, still alone, 900m I noticed a couple of people behind me and gave myself a huge kick. 800, 700, 600, a heavy breath behind and a svelte young man bounded past me.500, 400, I could see the finish line and I felt myself kicking though there was very little left. Blimey I might even finish 3rd, that's never ever happened to me in my life before. 300, 200, 100m and then in the last few paces 2 people ran past me. But I didn't care, I hadn't run this fast in years, last time trial I was about 26th, and I doubt whether I've been 5th before! I ran across the finish feeling dizzy, sick and triumphant. I must have beaten my previous time, I must have.....
Unfortunately, I didn't have my watch on me and the maths of working it out from knowing Pam's time and how much she was behind me at the beginning, feels too complicated. But I think it was at least a minute faster than last time, and so I am pretty happy with that. And of course my foot hurt like mad the next day, but boy was it worth it, it was so worth it. I don't think I have enjoyed a run so much in ages, and I now think I get what my mad running friend Julian describes as the enjoyment of running so much you feel sick and dizzy.
When I run like that I have very little time to think about anything else but the run. But when I got home and the adrenaline had worn off slightly, it crossed my mind that the principle of time trial needs to be applied across the world. If every wealthy country in the world was given a handicap to reflect the amount of money they had and every poor country given a hands up to reflect the amount of money they needed, perhaps, just perhaps, we could all compete on an even footing.
I was pretty pleased with my last time in June (39 mins 20 secs), as it was at just under 10 minute mile pace, pretty good for me. Since then I have been working on speed, so I thought it would be good to see if I had improved at all. I decided to take the run seriously, which meant a big lunch, a 5 minute lie down when I got back home (which was also needed after experiencing our youngest's hysterical reaction to preschool jabs - but that's another story) and a 2 hour pre-run snack of marmite sandwich and a banana. For good measure I also took a swig of my sports drink before leaving the house. I also took the precaution of printing off the directions just in case I got lost and I was set.
After a group warm up several of us made our way to the start, where I had the strange experience of being the absolute first to go. I really wanted to go for it, so I set off fast. It was a sunny evening, but there was a cool breeze, which helped enormously as I don't do heat me. The first mile or so is up a pretty boring cycle path that goes out to the ring road, but at least there are pretty trees and fields on the left. I was just getting into my stride when I met a runner coming back down towards me. She had got muddled about the start so had decided she wasn't racing, but asked if she could run with me. She looked super fit and lean, and hardly out of breath, so I panted a breathless "Yes, if you don't mind going slowly". She was happy with that, as apparently she didn't want to overdo it, she was training for a triathlon and had done a 3 and a half hour cycle ride the night before and a long swim two days earlier. Since she is obviously superfit she was able to manage normal conversation without breaking sweat, whereas I was at my redfaced puffing best, and could barely speak. Still she proved an excellent pacemaker, and I could feel that I reached the 1 mile point faster this time. I was expecting to be overtaken at this point, and sure enough Pam, who is significantly older, but inspiringly faster than me, overtook, stopped for a walking drink and then overtook again. My friendly pacemaker, Elena, obviously decided I was a bit slow and she took off with Pam.
The next stretch of the run was in and out a confusing labyrinth of roads where it is pretty easy to get lost. I was grateful to be behind Pam and Elena as it meant I didn't have to rely on my route map and I was happy to plod along behind. (I was particularly grateful for this when I got to the end and discovered 6 people had got lost and added 5 minutes onto their runs which must have been pretty frustrating for them) Halfway through this section, I was suddenly aware of something different from my last time trial. No-one was overtaking me. Last time at least 4 runners had caught me at this point, but I looked round and I couldn't see anyone. Either everyone was running slow or I was doing better than expected. Although everything was hurting, the knowledge gave me a real boost and I pushed myself on. I reached the cycle path. I was sure someone would catch me by this point. But no I was still alone. I couldn't believe it when I reached the underpass and I was still unmarked. Last time I did this about 10 people had overtaken me and I felt like I was dying. On Thursday I felt everything was pumping, I was a little lightheaded, breathing heavily, slightly sick, but I was still not being beaten and it felt fantastic.
I ran under the subway and headed down the last cycle path. This section is helpfully marked out because it is where we do our speed sessions. There was something incredibly satisfying about counting down the markers as I headed down the hill for home. 1500m, still noone following, 1200m, still alone, 900m I noticed a couple of people behind me and gave myself a huge kick. 800, 700, 600, a heavy breath behind and a svelte young man bounded past me.500, 400, I could see the finish line and I felt myself kicking though there was very little left. Blimey I might even finish 3rd, that's never ever happened to me in my life before. 300, 200, 100m and then in the last few paces 2 people ran past me. But I didn't care, I hadn't run this fast in years, last time trial I was about 26th, and I doubt whether I've been 5th before! I ran across the finish feeling dizzy, sick and triumphant. I must have beaten my previous time, I must have.....
Unfortunately, I didn't have my watch on me and the maths of working it out from knowing Pam's time and how much she was behind me at the beginning, feels too complicated. But I think it was at least a minute faster than last time, and so I am pretty happy with that. And of course my foot hurt like mad the next day, but boy was it worth it, it was so worth it. I don't think I have enjoyed a run so much in ages, and I now think I get what my mad running friend Julian describes as the enjoyment of running so much you feel sick and dizzy.
When I run like that I have very little time to think about anything else but the run. But when I got home and the adrenaline had worn off slightly, it crossed my mind that the principle of time trial needs to be applied across the world. If every wealthy country in the world was given a handicap to reflect the amount of money they had and every poor country given a hands up to reflect the amount of money they needed, perhaps, just perhaps, we could all compete on an even footing.
Thursday, 9 August 2007
Half Way House
If anyone is out there reading this and you've switched over from Disarm, you are very welcome! Thanks to the wonders of google and blogspot I have managed to set this up all by myself. But you are not here to hear about my IT expertise, you want to know how the running is going don't you? Well by Saturday I had achieved 2 milestones. The first was to get halfway through my training and the second was to have done it without taking any breaks. Last time I prepared for a long distance run, my timetable was ripped to shreds as I succumbed to colds and injury. This time round, I have managed to avoid the colds, because it is summer and I am also a bit more canny about not overtraining. And although I am nursing a sore foot, by dint of rest, ice and reducing my runs to twice a week, I have so far managed to keep myself going.
The previous week's hill run had made the foot quite sore, so I decided instead that I would do a flat speed session. A friend at my running club told me that one of the coaches was doing speed work on a Tuesday so I thought I'd give it a try. I arrived slightly flustered having driven up and down the road looking for the landmark of the phone box only to realise it was obscured by a hedge. But luckily we hadn't started and I was ready to join in a gentle warm up. We ran slowly up the path, and when we turned round, he suggested we go fast for 2 lampposts and slow for 2. I thought this was the start of the speedwork, I really went for it; and then discovered to my dismay that,no, we were still warming up. We got back to the start and were given our task to run as fast as we could for 5 minutes, with a target distance (helpfully marked in the path), take a rest for 2 minutes and then run fast back again. Being a novice at this, I took off with the pack only to see them disappear into the distance, and be overtaken by the members of the group who run at my pace. "Ha,ha," they said "We thought you went off too fast". Still I made it to over 900m, which was way past my target of 800. But I struggled on the return and all those super fast people who had left me at the blocks overtook me. There's nothing like running with others to teach you a little humility. The rest of the session was like this, I managed to go fast out but slowed considerably on the way back. But it was a great fun, as I was happy with pace I managed, and enjoyed (as I always do) the camaraderie and encouragement of my fellow runners. Something I love about the running community is that it is full of people who inspire you, support you when you are struggling and cheer you on when you do well. I love running alone because it is my personal time to think and pray, but I love running with others because they keep me going and challenge me. Not unlike my friends in the peace movement!
I suffered for my evening glory the next day with an extremely painful foot. So I bought an ankle support, iced the foot regularly and took some ibuprofen for a couple of days. This was enough to get me ready for my next big challenge, an hour and 3/4 run. So far I've been doing my runs from home into town via parks and back along the river. But on Saturday I decided that I wanted a change, so I went over to Shotover Country Park. Shotover is one of those wonderful English creations, a country park right on the doorstep of a major town. We were living here over a year before I discovered that I could run from home.In ten minutes I can be transported from suburbia, across the busy ring road into the most peaceful and tranquil woods. I haven't been for a while and I was glad of the shade of the trees which cut out a lot of the heat of the afternoon.
Somebody had told me that you can run as far as Wheatley across the fields, but I wasn't quite sure how to get there. So I ran to Horspath (about a mile and a half) and then ran round aimlessly until I found another magical place. Some wonderful environmental person/people has created a little conservation area from a former railway line. I ran up a very steep hill, through woodland glades in dappled sunlight. It was pretty hard work, but for some reason a line from the film "Finding Nemo" came into my head. When the going gets tough there is a fish call Dory who says"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming". "Just keep running, just keep running" was very helpful when my head was light, breathing painful and my legs like lead. And it was worth it to reach the top of the former railway bridge and look down the old railway which is now overtaken by woodland shrubs and small trees. There was noone around and the way down I felt completely at peace.
Something about the light and the vivid green trees made me think about jungles and rainforests. And in that instant I thought of Colombia and the peace community of San Jose de Apartado, another project supported by the International Peace Fund. In the midst of extraordinary violence by government military and paramilitary forces and by FARC guerillas, this community has chosen to make a stand and refuse to take part in the war, carry weapons or support either side. This is despite the murder of 35 of its members, including most recently Francisco Puerto, a campesino leader who was murdered on a bus by paramilitaries on May 14th 2007. The community continues to suffer intimidation and threats from paramilitaries, with the full collusion of the government, yet they stay faithful to their vision of a nonviolent and just society. The vision of San Jose de Apartado in the midst of such conflict comes at a very heavy cost, but it is a necessary vision if people in Colombia are to be able to enjoy the beauty of their country as peacefully as we can.
I emerged from the little wood halfway through my run, in time to take some revolting sports drink (disgustingly sweet but it gives you the legs to get home)and turn for home. An uneventful meander across fields and through woods, only marked by my running into a boggy patch, nearly losing my shoes, and turning my pristine new trainers black in seconds. Oh well, at least it means I have officially now worn them in.
My foot has been sore ever since, and I have been trying to keep it under control by compression, ice and rest. I don't want it to get any worse, but I do want to feel I can manage the run. So I have decided that at the end of week 7 when my time running has reached 2 hours, I will take a break, see a doc and maybe do some swimming. That way I hope to be able to keep myself together to manage the crucial last month's training, and more importantly get round the 13.1 miles.
I'm a bit late posting this, so I have actually come back from my first week 7 run tonight which was a bit of a personal triumph. But I'll save that for next week when I've got the 2 hours under my belt.
Bet you can't wait can you?
The previous week's hill run had made the foot quite sore, so I decided instead that I would do a flat speed session. A friend at my running club told me that one of the coaches was doing speed work on a Tuesday so I thought I'd give it a try. I arrived slightly flustered having driven up and down the road looking for the landmark of the phone box only to realise it was obscured by a hedge. But luckily we hadn't started and I was ready to join in a gentle warm up. We ran slowly up the path, and when we turned round, he suggested we go fast for 2 lampposts and slow for 2. I thought this was the start of the speedwork, I really went for it; and then discovered to my dismay that,no, we were still warming up. We got back to the start and were given our task to run as fast as we could for 5 minutes, with a target distance (helpfully marked in the path), take a rest for 2 minutes and then run fast back again. Being a novice at this, I took off with the pack only to see them disappear into the distance, and be overtaken by the members of the group who run at my pace. "Ha,ha," they said "We thought you went off too fast". Still I made it to over 900m, which was way past my target of 800. But I struggled on the return and all those super fast people who had left me at the blocks overtook me. There's nothing like running with others to teach you a little humility. The rest of the session was like this, I managed to go fast out but slowed considerably on the way back. But it was a great fun, as I was happy with pace I managed, and enjoyed (as I always do) the camaraderie and encouragement of my fellow runners. Something I love about the running community is that it is full of people who inspire you, support you when you are struggling and cheer you on when you do well. I love running alone because it is my personal time to think and pray, but I love running with others because they keep me going and challenge me. Not unlike my friends in the peace movement!
I suffered for my evening glory the next day with an extremely painful foot. So I bought an ankle support, iced the foot regularly and took some ibuprofen for a couple of days. This was enough to get me ready for my next big challenge, an hour and 3/4 run. So far I've been doing my runs from home into town via parks and back along the river. But on Saturday I decided that I wanted a change, so I went over to Shotover Country Park. Shotover is one of those wonderful English creations, a country park right on the doorstep of a major town. We were living here over a year before I discovered that I could run from home.In ten minutes I can be transported from suburbia, across the busy ring road into the most peaceful and tranquil woods. I haven't been for a while and I was glad of the shade of the trees which cut out a lot of the heat of the afternoon.
Somebody had told me that you can run as far as Wheatley across the fields, but I wasn't quite sure how to get there. So I ran to Horspath (about a mile and a half) and then ran round aimlessly until I found another magical place. Some wonderful environmental person/people has created a little conservation area from a former railway line. I ran up a very steep hill, through woodland glades in dappled sunlight. It was pretty hard work, but for some reason a line from the film "Finding Nemo" came into my head. When the going gets tough there is a fish call Dory who says"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming". "Just keep running, just keep running" was very helpful when my head was light, breathing painful and my legs like lead. And it was worth it to reach the top of the former railway bridge and look down the old railway which is now overtaken by woodland shrubs and small trees. There was noone around and the way down I felt completely at peace.
Something about the light and the vivid green trees made me think about jungles and rainforests. And in that instant I thought of Colombia and the peace community of San Jose de Apartado, another project supported by the International Peace Fund. In the midst of extraordinary violence by government military and paramilitary forces and by FARC guerillas, this community has chosen to make a stand and refuse to take part in the war, carry weapons or support either side. This is despite the murder of 35 of its members, including most recently Francisco Puerto, a campesino leader who was murdered on a bus by paramilitaries on May 14th 2007. The community continues to suffer intimidation and threats from paramilitaries, with the full collusion of the government, yet they stay faithful to their vision of a nonviolent and just society. The vision of San Jose de Apartado in the midst of such conflict comes at a very heavy cost, but it is a necessary vision if people in Colombia are to be able to enjoy the beauty of their country as peacefully as we can.
I emerged from the little wood halfway through my run, in time to take some revolting sports drink (disgustingly sweet but it gives you the legs to get home)and turn for home. An uneventful meander across fields and through woods, only marked by my running into a boggy patch, nearly losing my shoes, and turning my pristine new trainers black in seconds. Oh well, at least it means I have officially now worn them in.
My foot has been sore ever since, and I have been trying to keep it under control by compression, ice and rest. I don't want it to get any worse, but I do want to feel I can manage the run. So I have decided that at the end of week 7 when my time running has reached 2 hours, I will take a break, see a doc and maybe do some swimming. That way I hope to be able to keep myself together to manage the crucial last month's training, and more importantly get round the 13.1 miles.
I'm a bit late posting this, so I have actually come back from my first week 7 run tonight which was a bit of a personal triumph. But I'll save that for next week when I've got the 2 hours under my belt.
Bet you can't wait can you?
Resisting the natural impulse (Monday 30th July)
I made the mistake of looking at the route of the half marathon yesterday, oops it looks a bit hillier than I thought. So I hope my hill run last week will help when it comes to the day. I ran to the mantra, "Run on Peacemakers" which was a great rhythm for going down and up, down and up. The coming up was really hard on some occasions, I got tired, not getting as far as I had at first; I got distracted and overshot my time for turning back. But once or twice I put some welly in it and got further than I meant to. The running down was an essential part of it, helping me restore my energies for the upward climb. And it felt like a good metaphor for our campaigning work, we need the downhill to keep us going to the top. Sometimes it feels more difficult & we feel like we have failed;sometimes we get distracted from the task; and every now and then we get a whole lot further than we ever thought possible.
I didn't manage 3 runs this week but did get out again for 90 minutes on Saturday. "Run on you Poor" and "Run on those who Mourn" were background thoughts. As I ran, I reflected that we cannot be physically present to comfort those who mourn, or to build the justice of kingdom of heaven for the poor. However we can help by our prayers, our solidarity actions and of course by our fundraising. At the end of the run I had a nasty encounter with 2 young lads on a motorbike who were zooming up and down the cycle path, nearly knocking me and two children flying. I was so furious I shouted angrily at them. They shouted back and deliberately tried to frighten me when they turned round and passed me the other way. I think I was right to confront them, but I realised afterwards being so angry could have created a more dangerous situation. It made me think that an angry violent response,so often a natural impulse, is one that leads us to worse trouble in the end.
That's why we need projects like Wi'am in Palestine, a small beacon of hope, suggesting that violence is not the only answer. There is an alternative way to live in the face of great oppression. We were privileged to have the Director of Wi'am, Zoughbi Zoughbi, as a guest in our home last night. Listening to his stories of life in Palestine reminded us how much easier it is to be a peacemaker in the tranquillity and safety of England. The hills of that half marathon feel a little less daunting when I think of the good work Wi'am is doing. If you feel equally inspired to donate to this sponsored run, please contact nick@for.org.uk for more details.
I didn't manage 3 runs this week but did get out again for 90 minutes on Saturday. "Run on you Poor" and "Run on those who Mourn" were background thoughts. As I ran, I reflected that we cannot be physically present to comfort those who mourn, or to build the justice of kingdom of heaven for the poor. However we can help by our prayers, our solidarity actions and of course by our fundraising. At the end of the run I had a nasty encounter with 2 young lads on a motorbike who were zooming up and down the cycle path, nearly knocking me and two children flying. I was so furious I shouted angrily at them. They shouted back and deliberately tried to frighten me when they turned round and passed me the other way. I think I was right to confront them, but I realised afterwards being so angry could have created a more dangerous situation. It made me think that an angry violent response,so often a natural impulse, is one that leads us to worse trouble in the end.
That's why we need projects like Wi'am in Palestine, a small beacon of hope, suggesting that violence is not the only answer. There is an alternative way to live in the face of great oppression. We were privileged to have the Director of Wi'am, Zoughbi Zoughbi, as a guest in our home last night. Listening to his stories of life in Palestine reminded us how much easier it is to be a peacemaker in the tranquillity and safety of England. The hills of that half marathon feel a little less daunting when I think of the good work Wi'am is doing. If you feel equally inspired to donate to this sponsored run, please contact nick@for.org.uk for more details.
Run on Peacemakers (Mon 23rd July)
Well I have just completed my first month's training. The upside has been that the runs I have done have sort of achieved what they were supposed to do. I am trying to follow a programme that I can squeeze in with work and childcare, of 1 long run, 1 hilly run, and 1 changing the tempo run. I managed this 2 weeks out of the 4, and have pretty much enjoyed the experience. The hill runs are probably the hardest as they consist of running up and down a stretch of hill as fast as you can for a set period, having a recovery period then starting again. The gruelling thing is that you increase both the time going uphill and the number of sessions each week, so what started out quite comfortably is now making me puff and sweat. The idea of this is to increase my body's ability to breathe more efficiently helping me eventually run faster. The same can be said of the runs that change the tempo which are slightly easier because we tend to do that at my running club. The long runs are supposed to be taken slow to build up stamina. I am trying to be disciplined about this as when I trained for the Marathon I did them too fast and kept getting colds as a result. But now I think I have been doing them a bit too slow as it took me ages to get anywhere the day I ran for 75 minutes. (And if you are wondering why I a nice non-competitive peace activist want to run faster, well it's just one of those running things. I don't want to beat anyone else, I want to beat myself.)
The difficult bit has been the toll on my body. I suffer from sciatica which means I have to be careful to do lots of back and stomach exercises, and I don't do them enough. I am used to managing this but now seem to have some on and off problems with my shins and right foot. I am hoping that these will be sorted by my fab new birthday running shoes (which will be winging their way to me soon, I had to send the first pair back because I foolishly told Chris the wrong size!)But in the meantime I have taken a little break, partly to rest up and partly because we went to the National Justice and Peace Conference at the weekend. There wasn't much time for running but plenty of time for thinking about peacemaking, particularly because of the powerful messages from our two key note speakers. The first, Fr John Dear, a long term activist and writer from the US, gave us an inspirational address which was so rich it will take me a long time to process. However, one thing that stood out immediately was his reflections on the Beatitudes, which have transformed my understanding of what was already a wonderful piece of scripture. The Beatitudes were a theme that ran through his talk and rightly so, for as he pointed out they are the core of Jesus' message on peacemaking, so much so that Gandhi read them twice a day. This was a revelation in itself. But the news that there is a recent translation which if I understood him right suggests that rather than being passive "Blessed are the poor, those who mourn" etc, the message is meant to be far more active, "Walk on you poor in spirit, Walk on those who mourn" blew me away. I am taking this one step further to inspire my running, "Run on you peacemakers, for you shall be called children of God" and I will be using the Beatitudes as meditation when I go on my long runs. Thanks John for this new understanding and for the great story of the chapel of the beatitudes.
Our other speaker was also important in a different way, and I was particularly glad to meet him. Zoughbi Zoughbi, an Arab Palestinian Christian happens to be the Director of the Wi'am community, which is one of the projects supported by the International Peacemakers Fund. In a community that is hemmed in on all sides, where children and adults live with daily trauma, Wi'am offers the chance for people to find ways to resolve their conflicts peacefully and nonviolently. Zoughbi told us many stories of living under occupation, and the fact that he does so without rancour and bitterness, despite having been jailed, despite facing regular humiliations to travel short distances in his own country, gave me an insight into what true peacemaking looks like. To remain nonviolent in the face of such provocation with your only hope to bring others "to their senses, not their knees" is a challenge that Zoughbi more than lives up to. The work that his community does is vital in that it gives young Palestinians a hopeful alternative than the immediate (understandable) thirst for revenge that leads nowhere and creates more violence in it's wake.
So I have returned from the conference with a rested foot, a new meditation to aid my running and the knowledge that I have seen most powerfully why we should be supporting communities like the Wi'am community.
This week then I hope to complete a long run of up to 90 mins, a hilly run that involves 3 lots of 7 minutes continuous up and down, and a tempo run of about 45 minutes. My foot and back are a bit better so I am going to try and do some of those pesky exercises too.
Wish me Luck
The difficult bit has been the toll on my body. I suffer from sciatica which means I have to be careful to do lots of back and stomach exercises, and I don't do them enough. I am used to managing this but now seem to have some on and off problems with my shins and right foot. I am hoping that these will be sorted by my fab new birthday running shoes (which will be winging their way to me soon, I had to send the first pair back because I foolishly told Chris the wrong size!)But in the meantime I have taken a little break, partly to rest up and partly because we went to the National Justice and Peace Conference at the weekend. There wasn't much time for running but plenty of time for thinking about peacemaking, particularly because of the powerful messages from our two key note speakers. The first, Fr John Dear, a long term activist and writer from the US, gave us an inspirational address which was so rich it will take me a long time to process. However, one thing that stood out immediately was his reflections on the Beatitudes, which have transformed my understanding of what was already a wonderful piece of scripture. The Beatitudes were a theme that ran through his talk and rightly so, for as he pointed out they are the core of Jesus' message on peacemaking, so much so that Gandhi read them twice a day. This was a revelation in itself. But the news that there is a recent translation which if I understood him right suggests that rather than being passive "Blessed are the poor, those who mourn" etc, the message is meant to be far more active, "Walk on you poor in spirit, Walk on those who mourn" blew me away. I am taking this one step further to inspire my running, "Run on you peacemakers, for you shall be called children of God" and I will be using the Beatitudes as meditation when I go on my long runs. Thanks John for this new understanding and for the great story of the chapel of the beatitudes.
Our other speaker was also important in a different way, and I was particularly glad to meet him. Zoughbi Zoughbi, an Arab Palestinian Christian happens to be the Director of the Wi'am community, which is one of the projects supported by the International Peacemakers Fund. In a community that is hemmed in on all sides, where children and adults live with daily trauma, Wi'am offers the chance for people to find ways to resolve their conflicts peacefully and nonviolently. Zoughbi told us many stories of living under occupation, and the fact that he does so without rancour and bitterness, despite having been jailed, despite facing regular humiliations to travel short distances in his own country, gave me an insight into what true peacemaking looks like. To remain nonviolent in the face of such provocation with your only hope to bring others "to their senses, not their knees" is a challenge that Zoughbi more than lives up to. The work that his community does is vital in that it gives young Palestinians a hopeful alternative than the immediate (understandable) thirst for revenge that leads nowhere and creates more violence in it's wake.
So I have returned from the conference with a rested foot, a new meditation to aid my running and the knowledge that I have seen most powerfully why we should be supporting communities like the Wi'am community.
This week then I hope to complete a long run of up to 90 mins, a hilly run that involves 3 lots of 7 minutes continuous up and down, and a tempo run of about 45 minutes. My foot and back are a bit better so I am going to try and do some of those pesky exercises too.
Wish me Luck
Running for Peace (Mon 23rd July)
I took up running again 3 years ago after a long break from the sport. At the time we were living in FoR's former home in Clopton, Northamptonshire, and one of our nearest neighbours was the US base of Molesworth, a key intelligence gathering centre for the US military. I used to see Molesworth on my runs and so my running often became a meditation and a prayer for peace. It was also then that I had the idea of running to raise funds for peace projects. In September 2004 I did a 5K run for CAAT, and I applied to the London Marathon in the hope of doing the same for FoR. I didn't get a place so did that event on behalf of another charity, but the idea has stayed with me. My Marathon experience was a bit of a struggle as I succumbed a lot to injury and colds. So for the last two years I have been concentrating on doing shorter runs and building up my muscle strength.
This September I have decided to try a longer run again and I have entered the New Forest Half Marathon, which takes place on the 16th September 2007. And I have decided to take the opportunity to raise funds for international peacemakers at the same time. Since 2005, the Fellowship of Reconciliation has been raising money on behalf of peacemakers working to find alternative solutions to violence, often in the most difficult conflicts. The International Peacemakers Fund
supports the work of the Wi'am community that provides conflict resolution in Palestine, the Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado in Colombia which promotes peace amidst extraordinary violence from state and guerilla forces, as well as projects in Sudan, Zimbabwe and Uganda. I am hoping to raise £500 for the fund which will go directly to the projects supported.
If you are interested in supporting this effort, you can do so in two ways. The first is the obvious one to sponsor me, and I hope to have a link to my fundraising website shortly. The second is to keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Training for a long distance event is hard work, particularly when your body doesn't always do what you want it to do. It always helps to know people are thinking of me.
Thanks for the support, I'll keep you posted as to how I get on, starting with my next post.
This September I have decided to try a longer run again and I have entered the New Forest Half Marathon, which takes place on the 16th September 2007. And I have decided to take the opportunity to raise funds for international peacemakers at the same time. Since 2005, the Fellowship of Reconciliation has been raising money on behalf of peacemakers working to find alternative solutions to violence, often in the most difficult conflicts. The International Peacemakers Fund
supports the work of the Wi'am community that provides conflict resolution in Palestine, the Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado in Colombia which promotes peace amidst extraordinary violence from state and guerilla forces, as well as projects in Sudan, Zimbabwe and Uganda. I am hoping to raise £500 for the fund which will go directly to the projects supported.
If you are interested in supporting this effort, you can do so in two ways. The first is the obvious one to sponsor me, and I hope to have a link to my fundraising website shortly. The second is to keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Training for a long distance event is hard work, particularly when your body doesn't always do what you want it to do. It always helps to know people are thinking of me.
Thanks for the support, I'll keep you posted as to how I get on, starting with my next post.
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