Tom Roper's Running Training

More on the Beachy Head Marathon

The results are now out. My time was 5:00:00; they don't trouble themselves with seconds at Beachy Head. I was 484th out of 793 runners who finished in under six hours. Toiling up Beachy Head. Photo by AntBliss I ate my customary marathon breakfast of porridge, toast and honey at 6 in the morning, and left for Eastbourne, arriving at the start far too soon. Workmen were still assembling the commentators' dais. I had plenty of time to change and then stretched on the grass in a nearby park, avoiding the dog poo on the grass. Before the start I met Margaret Forrest from Scotland who used to sit on some health librarians' committees with me; she was running it for the second time raisining money here: http://www.justgiving.com/margaretrunning; I also met Hilly Lane Strider. The start, signaled by the Mayor firing a maroon, is always a mad scramble up a steep hill. Some people walk it, but I don't like to start a race walking, so I ran, and here was my first error. I'd had a cough all week, which had been getting worse not better, and at the top of the hill felt distinctly ill. There is a neck rule in running, if you feel ill above the neck, it is probably safe to run, but if you feel ill below the neck, it is dangerous. Don't tell the anatomists I used to work with but I relocated my lungs for marathon purposes to somewhere near my ears, but it was a mistake. I have never before hit the wall in the first mile, but I really felt like giving up. I persuaded myself that I would look pretty silly if I threw in the towel that early, and I kept going. The next blow was that I had carefully organised four gels. one for every five miles, but found that one must have fallen out of my chic gel-holding belt, so I had to ration the three remaining ones. In some ways the downhill are worse than the uphills. The paths down into Jevington, and later to Alfriston, are strewn with leaves at this time of year, which hide the roots and rabbit holes. I nearly fell a couple of times, but stayed upright.
After Jevington we went uphill and into Friston Forest for a bit, and then over to Lullington Heath nature reserve. One year I met some handsome goats here, but not this time. Some other runners had cow trouble, but I missed this. At the top of Wilmington Hill it rained slightly but, worse, when I looked south-east to the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head, they were covered with very black cloud and what looked like heavy rain. In fact by the time we reached it, the cloud had gone and it was sunny. There was a brisk south-westerly wind, just right to blow me over the Seven Sisters. After Alfriston the route goes up again, the last climb for a while. Here I kept overtaking a brace of Wimbledon Windmilers on the uphills, but as soon we were on the flat, they would pass me. At Bo Peep I had a small Mars bar and pressed on towards Seaford, and to High and Over, then down to the Cuckmere valley and over to Litlington, where the refreshment point provides buns. Then back into Friston Forest and up tow flights of stairs before Exceat and the last seven miles, up and down the Seven Sisters.
It was clear by now that I wasn't going to make my target of 4:30, nor even manage 4:45, which would still have been a personal best. The Sisters go on and on, down to sea level and then up again, over Haven Brow, Short Bottom, Short Brow, Limekiln Bottom, Rough Brow, Rough Bottom, Brass Point, Gap Bottom, Flagstaff Point, Flagstaff Brow, Flagstaff Bottom, Flat Hill, Flathill Bottom, Baily's Hill, Michel Dean, Went Hill Brow and Birling Gap. Then a flat run of a mile or so through a wood behind Belle Tout, before the ascent of Beachy Head. By now I was walking all the uphills, though when I saw cameras I ran, Finally, after Beachy Head itself, we ran along the top for a bit before a sharp ascent to the finish. I couldn't sprint for the line, but was nearly knocked down by a soppy couple who were trying to do that while holding hands.
The winner managed 2:47, which is a record and a fantastic time on this course. He often runs Alpine marathons. For other accounts, see Extreme Knitting Redhead and It's Not Just War and Peace

Beachy Head Marathon: brief report

I'll follow this up with something longer and more considered, but here are the bare bones of today, my seventh marathon and my fourth Beachy Head.
Time: 5:01:18 (an unreliable figure as I forgot to switch off the Forerunner promptly, with luck it might be dead on five hours. I wait for the offical figures.
Distance: 25.77 (again unreliable, it felt like the full 26.2 and more
Pace: 11.41(best 7.08)
So I do not have a personal best, but neither did I achieve a personal worst (™ Claire Brooks); I have run Beachy Head faster than this twice, and slower once.
BBC News South East covered the marathon.

Last run before Beachy Head

My last run before Beachy Head was an agreeable excursion along the cow run route with Claire and Jana. There were cows aplenty, and a noisy bull, and Claire told me about the Hove Park time trials, which I might try when I've recovered from the marathon.
Time: 59:17
Distance: 5.64
Pace: 10.31 (best 6.10)

Last early morning run

I have one more run after today's early morning speed session, and there are four days to go till the Beachy Head Marathon. I ran down to the front for six 400m fast runs with 200m recoveries; it was cold.
Time: 45:04
Distance: 4.32
Pace: 10.25 (best 7.12)
First 400m: 2:23:03/9.35
Second 400m: 2:18:14/9.16
Third 400m: 2:19:08/9.23
Fourth 400m: 2:23:70/9.38
Sixth 400m: 2:40:23/10.45

Last Sunday run

I ran twelve miles today, and discovered a new route back from the Beddingham aerials. Cold at first, but very sunny.
Time: 2:08:14
Distance: 12.01
Pace: 10.40 (best 7.55)
Total mileage this week: 29.8
I week (or six days, more accurately) till the Beachy Head Marathon

Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern

Three runs to report here: a lunchtime run on Wednesday with Claire, the heroine of the Berlin marathon, to Stanmer Park and up into the woods, another early morning run with bright stars shining on Thursday, and a lunchtime run on Friday with Jana. Details:

Wednesday
Time: 35:42
Distance: 3.45
Pace: 10.21 (best 5.13)

Thursday:
Time: 51:29
Distance: 4.97
Pace: 10.22 (best 8.04)

Friday:
Time: 27:51
Distance: 2.87
Pace: 9.42 (best 4.11)

Orion

I ran early, at 5.30 this morning and saw the stars in a clear sky. Orion was particularly noticeable. On lighter mornings I used to run these in the countryside, but today I  chose a town route.
The Forerunner thought it was indoors, so only recorded my time for twelve two-minute hill runs, with jog recoveries, and warm-up and cool-down: 1:04:23
I would guess the distance at about 6.5 miles.

Llamas and eighteen miles on Jog Shop Jog day

Today was the Jog Shop Jog, though I'm afraid I sat it out. I hope it went well. I ran in the afternoon, by which time it was quite hot, and did eighteen miles along the Firle Beacon escarpment, first east to Alfriston, where I saw three llamas, then west to the summit of Itford Hill and back.
Time: 3:20:46
Distance: 18.02
Pace: 11.07 (best 7.55)
Total mileage this week: 38.98
Two weeks till the Beachy Head Marathon

Nine miles to Firle Beacon

I ran nine miles to Firle Beacon and a little way beyond on a fine day, with a lovely view of Charleston famrhouse below.
Time: 1:30:55
Distance: 9.01
Pace: 10.06 (best 7.31)

Two runs

I did a speed session yesterday on Seaford front, 800m sessions with only a 100m recovery, and a slow 6 mile run in the rain today. At first the rain was moderate and tolerable, but at the four mile point became very heavy. Unlike some runners, I dislike rain, as do the bedraggled pheasants I started, who whirred off through the mist.
Monday:
Time: 53:42
Distance: 5.95
Pace: 10.02 (best 7.33)
First 800m: 4:27:07/8.57

Second 800m: 4:38:52/9.20
Third 800m: 4:37:50/9.18
Fourth 800m: 4:31:44/9.06
Fifth 800m: 4:40:03/9.23
Sixth 800m: 5:04:07/10.12

Today:
No figures, but distance six miles