Goodbye 2012

2012 is going out with a woosh as the wind continues to bater us. So much so that todays training was moved indoors; a 1 hour turbo session followed by yoga and then a core workout. Most people find the turbo excellent for their fitness but boring however I try and deflect from the boredom by using the time to think (between breaths!). So I reflected on the year that has just been. It was a good year for the family with health, exams, sporting achievements, a job and the eldest passing his car test. We had an unbelievable holiday in the Caribbean and business has done well. I achieved a great result in Ironman Lanzarotte (considering a year earlier I almost came home from a training camp 'cause I couldn't hack the cycling in the wind and the hills) and am now well into my training for MdS. So as the sweat poured off me I was smiling contently thinking 2012 was a good year all round and tomorrow I will welcome 2013 with the biggest challenge of my life - the Marathon des Sables. In 27 days time I will be taking part in the longest run of my life, The Great Glen which involves running from Investness to Fort William in 2 days - 79 miles. That is 2 back to back Ultra Marathons and this will give me a good insight as to how tough running long distances day after day will be. I'll get a taste of the real thing in a 4 day training camp in the Sahara in February and finalise my training in march before heading off in April. I hope you all get time to reflect on 2012 and put down some markers for 2013 and beyond. Have a happy, healthy and successful 2013 and please keep following my journey and spreading the word about Mission Ironman. Cheers!

Train hard, fight easy

Train hard, fight easy my training partner said to me as I was digging deep into my reserves today. I'd set off with a group of ultra runners and was expecting an easy pace but as half of them weren't completing the full distance they ran faster. I was already tired from yesterdays run so I knew it was going to be tough. The wind picked up and we could see the rain in the distance. We completed the 30k in 3 hours and this included some walking on the hills but I felt shattered. On the home straight I met 3 of my club mates out on a bike ride battling in the wind and rain - hardcore. I was glad to see others out in the terrible conditions training hard so they can fight easy when the day comes. There are no short cuts in training and digging deep is what's required to achieve what you want. A warm shower followed by hot food and hydration and I feel great. Now I'll take my rest and let my body recover.

Technical problems

Sorry you haven't had any updates but that doesn't mean I haven't been out there battling with the elements. Unfortunately a "boy racer" rolled his car outside my house a few nights ago and took with him our telephone pole. Therefore no phoneline or broadband - kids aren't happy! Fortunately the "boy racer" and his passenger walked away from it but the car is a total wreck. A reminder for all young drivers out there, including my son, that we're not as good as we think we are behind the wheel some times. But I've been putting in the miles running with 4kg on my back and getting used to it. I'm just back from a 10 mile trail run which was tough and had to hose my self down before I was allowed in the house. The mud would have jammed the washing machine! Some big miles coming up at the weekend and I'll report back next time I have access to broadband. Hope you're all enjoying the break?

Boxing day run

With no one available for a run I headed out to work of yesterday's excesses. With the rucksack now weighing 4kg I headed off into the countryside. It was grey but dry. I covered 22k in a reasonable time, slower than my normal running without a rucksack but faster than my ultra pace. The rucksack isn't bothering me and it's great to have a couple of water bottles to keep me hydrated. No aches or pains so I was happy with my run. I am now actively recovering by eating as much food as possible while watching telly. Ah don't you just love Xmas holidays? Hope you're enjoy yours!

Webbed feet

It's Xmas eve and that means the last opportunity to....train of course. The last push before a day off. I had a couple of pals join me as we went trail running rather than splosh through the streets. The forrest run provided some protection however there was severe flooding at one stage and we had to go across a farmers field which doubled the size of my trainers! 15km of splish splosh and avoiding slipping on the mud was fun but one of my pals decided to up the pace in the last 3km and we ended up with a full on race. I was running with my rucksack but it didn't hold me back so I was happy with this progress. Back home and hosed down my trainers before dropping my soaking wet filthy clothing in the washing pile - I'll be popular! So to everyone who visits my blog and keeps me motivated to get out there when it's hosing it down with rain, I hope you have a Merry Xmas and enjoy a break with your family and friends. I'll be back on Boxing Day!

Mental toughness or just mental?

Last night I was well behaved so I could have my long run this morning. Up at 6.30am to have breakfast and give it an hour to digest. It was pitch black outside and didn't sound too windy but I was at the back of the house. My wife suggested I was completely off my head to go out in those conditions - but I had to. I was running with my rucksack weighing about 3.5 kg and as I turned out the drive the gale force wind and rain hit me - wow! Man up I thought, this is what makes you mentally tough. After a mile I turned west straight into the wind and rain. Now I was struggling to move but I kept going and imagined that the rain smashing into my face was sand in a sand storm in the desert. But then I found myself in an oasis or to put it another way, water over my shoes as the road was completely flooded. Time to reconsider on the grounds of health and safety - mine! The run was meant to have involved a big climb and the wind was so strong at this level and I could hardly stand up. When I turned around I almost got blown over as the wind caught my rucksack. When I got back home I had covered the slowest 5.3k ever and had to admit to my wife that perhaps she was right, I was mental! Note to self - Sometimes safety overrides the need to complete a task.

Noah's Ark required

After a day off training yesterday due to our staff party, which was excellent and well behaved, today I ran in the worst rain so far this year - wouldn't be surprised if someones building an Ark! I covered 11.25 miles at a reasonable pace but ran with a rucksack I am trying out for MDS. The rucksack was empty but I had a bottle strapped to each strap. This will allow me to run longer and get used to the rucksack at the same time. In January I will start to weight the rucksack but until then I will be working on my back strength. I'm out partying again tonight but will need to be tee-total as tomorrow I am setting off in the darkness around 6.30am pto run 8 miles with a big climb to meet my fellow ATHelite Club Members for a 7 mile fancy dress run. Once this is finished I will run the 8 miles home. The weather looks dreadful and where we are running is up high and exposed! Should be fun, bring it on. In the meantime my brother is making a good recovery, thankfully.

Maintenance

Today was about maintenance - making sure my fitness continues while avoiding injury. So a leisurely start at 6am on the turbo followed by a yoga session. Not exactly taxing but essential to make sure my body doesn't think it's getting a rest. But all that was put into perspective when I discovered my brother had been in a car accident and was in an ambulance. Everything all of a sudden goes on hold. It's funny how your focus can change in an instant. A reminder to us all that we could be gone in the blink of an eye so we should enjoy ourselves while were here. As for my brother it looks like he'll get home in a couple of days. Thank goodness for A&E and the NHS. Tomorrows another day, fortunately!

Big mileage

In the last week I have run 54.5 miles over 4 runs. My minimum run is now 10.5 miles and when I got home tonight it was hammering down with rain. It had been a long day but I had to get the run in so tomorrow morning I could start with a turbo bike session followed by yoga to flush out the lactic acid. Both will be done by 7.30am. This will mean when I get my sports massage tomorrow afternoon, I will get the full benefit. It would have been so easy not to have gone out, it was totally miserable but I seem to run in "a bubble". Music on and focus straight ahead looking for potholes with my head torch. Writing my blog also helps. I don't want to have a gap in my training and I want to be able to tell you what I've done. So thank you for reading my blog because when it's raining, snowing or freezing you motivate me to get out there!

One on one increases results

It was as if yesterdays comment on yoga had been read by my teacher Pamela Young (www.pamelayoung.co.uk)as I turned up at 6.15am this morning and was put through the most incredible session. Working on a one to one basis in my opinion gets 3 times more out of me. I couldn't possibly put myself in those positions but with her adjusting me or applying some physical pressure, I got there. The sweat was pouring off me and I just managed to keep it together (i.e. without passing out!)for the full hour but she had noticed I was out of alignment. So to finish off she used some ti massage methods which sounds a lot more pleasant that it was. Bloody agony at times but afterwards my shoulders and back felt amazing. That's led me to book with my sports masseuse for the "full bhuna" on my back. I've said before this is an area that I will need to strengthen but also to increase the flexibility as running with 10kg is going to be challenging. If you get a chance for a one on one with a coach / teach or instructor, take it as whatever your practising will improve much quicker and cut out bad habits. Think I'll go for a lie down now!

Yoga keeps me moving

In the last 4 days I've run 46 miles and walked almost to the top of a big hill with a weighted rucksack. So I knew how I was going to feel this morning - stiff! My legs felt good when I got up but I knew my hands would hardly get past my knees as I started my first sun salutation (yoga). However I was confident that 15 minutes later I'd feel a lot more flexible and I did. But I need to increase my yoga practice as it gives me a stronger core and increases my flexibility therefore reduces my risk of injury. My lower back obviously was telling me it had worked at the weekend and that would be climbing Tinto hill with 5kg on my back. This is a reminder that I need to strengthen my back as it is hard to imagine what running with 10kg will be like - and it's not that far away! But that is what I love about this journey. Discovering what you are capable of and it is usually much more than you initially think. You could spend time worrying about how you are going to achieve something but that is a complete waste of time and energy. It's better to break the task down into incremental stages and get on with it. We are all capable of achieving much more so why not start that process today? Enjoy, you're only here once!

Running with the bionic man!

Today was a 6.30am start so I could have porridge before going out for a long run with a legend - Chris Moon. Chris lost his lower leg and arm by stepping on a landmine but is an unbelievable ultra runner. During our 23 mile run he talked me through the Marathon Des Sables which he has completed, with one leg! I picked up lots of tips regarding my training and learned that the walk / run is essential. He advised me that you should walk the hills, which doesn't come naturally to me, but carrying a 10kg rucksack while doing 5.5 marathons in 7 days in 40 - 50 degrees may make the walking easier! This was an important run for me as I have gone from 6 miles to 23 miles (15 miles last Sunday)in just over 2 weeks without any problems - not to be recommended though. Normally you'd only increase by 10% a run but I had to get back to the longer distances following my 5 week layoff. Come January my runs will involve a weighted rucksack. Bring it on.

2013 - what will it bring?

Hello it’s me again, wanting to wish you and your loved ones a Merry Xmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. I also wanted to give you something to think about over the festive period and you’ll be pleased to know, it won’t cost you a penny! It’s that time of year again which seems to sneak up on you – doesn’t seem like a year ago I was thinking the same thing! Can I get my work finished before the break and what will 2013 bring? For me it’s a big year as in 16 weeks time I will be completing in (with 800 athletes / nutters) the Marathon Des Sables; 5.5 marathons across the Sahara Desert in 7 days carrying my own equipment (10kg) – temperature around 40 - 50 degrees! Although I have completed 2 Ironman competitions in the past, this is in a different league so I’m pushing the boundaries. My training schedule is full on and, with the exception of Xmas day and New Years day, I will be training in whatever weather is thrown at us – currently running in the dark in freezing conditions. In January I will be running 50-80 miles per week (with a weighted rucksack) and at the end Jan I am running The Great Glen – 79 miles in 2 days. In February my mileage goes up to 80 miles plus per week and I will also be going out to the Sahara for a 4 day training camp. In addition I will be swimming, cycling and practising yoga to reduce the chance of injury. I hope you will follow my journey including the blood, sweat and tears! Please spread the word, tell others to increase awareness of Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres. I will be arranging a night in March to visit Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre in Glasgow so you can see first hand where my fund raising efforts go. I’ll publish details nearer the time. Finally I thought you might be interested to see how complex the MdS is from a logistics point of view. Here are a few facts from the organisers of what is required to run the event: 120,000 liters of mineral water, 400 support staff, 100 volunteers for the course, 100 4�4 vehicles, 270 saharan and Berber tents, 2 “Ecureuil” helicopters and 1 “Cessna” plane, 23 buses, 6 MDS specific commercial planes, 4 camels, 4 quads bikes, 3 mountain bikes, 1 incinerator lorry for burning waste, 52 strong medical team, 6,5 kms of Elastoplast , 2,700 compeed blister plasters, 19,000 compresses, 6,000 painkillers and 150 litres of disinfectant, 6 satellite telephones, 15 computers, fax and internet, 1 editing bus, 5 cameras and 1 satellite image station, Unbelievable isn’t it and I can’t wait to get out there. Thanks for reading my post. I am often told I am MAD but I hope you’ll agree that what they really mean is that I am Making A Difference! Have a fantastic Xmas. Derek

Learning to walk!

This morning I headed up Tinto, a beautiful hill in South Lanarkshire. Many years ago I used to fly a hang glider on Tinto but today it was a treck with a weighted rucksack (5kg). The path was rutted, covered in ice and lying water so I had to be carefull. On the steep sections you could feel the weight in the rucksack and it made me wonder how tough it will be going up large sand dunes with 10kg in 40-50 degrees heat! Learning to walk is an important part of the training and Tinto provides me with a perfect training ground. I didn't get to the top as it got too icy but I did reach cloudbase so for safety reasons I turned back. This type of training is active recovery and has loosened off my legs for tomorrows long run which will be between 15 - 20 miles. I'll be back on Tinto soon and hope, in the better weather, to run to the top as this is the kind of fitness I need for MdS.

Ordinary people, extra ordinary achievements

Last night I went to a business meeting of the IOD and met some inspiring people. Not olympic athletes but ordinary people doing extra ordinary things. Whether it was organising the medals for the rowing presentations at the Olympics, to climbing new peaks in Antartica, to changing peoples lives. When I am in company of people like this it inspires me to work harder to achieve my goal of completing MdS. So tonight I was out for a 10 mile run in freezing temperatures. This will be a 4 day block of running with a long distance run of 15 - 20 miles on Sunday. This will be my training pattern till April to get my body used to condensed mileage before I start adding weight into a rucksack. That's when the fun will start but it's amazing what ordinary people can achieve.

High tech feet

Feet are awesome. They take the full burden of our weight and if there are any imperfections it can affect our whole structure. Years ago I realised this and when running I wear orthotics to balance out the imperfections. As I've had a foot and ankle injury recently I revisited my Poditrist to check my orthotics. I ran with "electronic pads" in my shoes which gave a pressure map showing 60 pressure points on each foot. When running with the orthotics the map was well balanced which is good news. However without the orthotics I was like a runner with one leg! Now the poditrist is sourcing a new covering for the orthotics to reduce friction and keep the heat down. He is using me as a case study so it should be interesting over the next few months. However training in freezing conditions isn't very helpful for preparing for the heat of the desert. But there isn't much choice at the moment so I'll just have to layer up and get out there with my high tech feet!

Winter running

The wind was howling when I woke up this morning. Did I really have to go out this morning? Of course I did. It was dry but the roads were a bit tricky in places as I headed out with the "ultra crowd". I was looking forward to a nice slow paced long run - I got neither. They were only heading out for 10 miles so as a result on the second half of the run they upped the pace. It wouldn't normally be a problem except for my lack of running but I hung on. At the end of the 10 miles I tagged on another five on my own as I really do need to increase my mileage. In 6 weeks time I'll be tackling the Great Glen which is 79 miles in two days so I don't have a choice. In 9 days I've gone from 6 miles to 15 and I hope to be up to marathon distance at the beginning of January. When I got home I jumped into a freezing cold bath. The first 2 minutes are agony but it helps with the recovery. Then into my compression tights, not a pretty sight, followed by hydration and lots of food. After all I've burned off 1,800 calories this morning and my muscles need protein to help recover. Now off for a recovery nap!

Hibernation!

It all makes sense to me know - hibernation. I mean, who in their right mind would be outside in this bitterly cold weather? I've tried but had a few "Bambi moments" and headed back indoors. This week has been extremely busy, stressful and involved travelling. My son shadowed me for a week at work for experience. We had a great time but 2 days in London knocks the training out. So I've been on the turbo trainer, which sits next to a radiator, and am delighted to report my "turbo legs" are back. My heart rate is back to normal so I'm feeling good. In London I ran on a treadmill for an hour and although this isn't something I enjoy, it was a good workout. Last night I headed out for a run in the dark and was on my bum before I reached the front gate so back in for another turbo session. But I need running miles in my legs so I'm heading out on the trails this afternoon on this dry, sunny and freezing cold day. Here's hoping I stay up right. But before that I'm off to the local farmers market with my wife to get in the food for tonight we are having friends round for dinner. I'll need to be carefull on the liquid carbs as tomorrow I am away running with the Ultra Runners. Should be fun!

OMG!

At 6.15am I was on my yoga mat with my teacher Pamela Young (check out www.pamelayoung.co.uk). She took me through most of the Ashtanga series for the first time although I had covered all the individual moves before. It took me to the limit of my fitness and beyond. I was completely exhausted by the end and tonight I had to clean my yoga mat which had been saturated in sweat. It's not often I reach a point where I really don't think I can go any futher. But I have complete faith in Pam and while I feel as though I can't breath and am drowning, I know she wouldn't put me in danger. Yes this is yoga I am talking about. So the stiffness that was in my legs that needed a sports massage - gone. When I got home from work I was exhausted so I jumped in the bath. I couldn't believe it when I was able to reach past my toes - getting to my ankles is difficult enough! This is a full body workout and is essential to my training programme so it reinforces my belief that yoga will serve me well in the preparation for MdS.

First snow

This morning I awoke, early, to a blanket of white snow. Not too thick but enough to know the usual car accidents would be happening in the morning. So I jumped out of bed and got on the turbo trainer to exercise out the stiffness in my legs from yesterdays run. I could easily have stayed in bed but there is no room for being lazy as my trining is behind and I try and play catch up. My legs started to ease by the end of the session but I'd put them under no real pressure. Much more interested in flushing out any lactic acid. However when I started my yoga I was surprised at how stiff they still were. After a spin I am usually ok so the 10 mile run had affected them. The good news is that there were no aches or pains from my foot, ankle, achillies or calf. It was mainly my quads and hamstrings that were complaining. I am sure tomorrows yoga session with Pam will sort me out but I'll also be booking a spots massage just to make sure my legs are getting some TLC!

2nd run

After my birthday which involved a few more liquid carbs than healthy I went out for my second run since returning from illness and injury. You are meant to increase your running distance by a maximum of 10%, but I don't have time for that. So my 6 miles increased to 10 miles. I managed without any problem but my legs did feel it. So when I got home it was straight into an ine cold freezing bath. I lasted 5 minutes but thought my feet were going to explode with the cold. My legs are a bit stiff so tomorrow I'll be on the turbo to ease my legs. So progress but we'll see if there is any fall out in the next couple of days! What a great weekend.

Birthday boy

Today was my 51st birthday. Last year was the quickest year of my life - woosh! The amazing thing is, I'm fitter at 51 that I've ever been in my life. And it's all due to a change in mindset. Today I was away with my wife at the Nick Nairn Cookery School making a three course meal - what an amazing experience. Doing things I never thought possible. A bit like preparing for MdS. The older I get I realise it's not physical, it's mental. If you think you can, then you'll make it happen. Tomorrow I will stretch my running but at the same time be careful as I don't want any more set backs. I've come to the conclusion, my mind is expanding the possibilities and I'm getting younger! All because I'm pushing the boundaries and loving it. Come on. Join in!