Tom Roper's Running Training

The Battle of Marathon

'That man is little to be envied, whose patriotism would not gain force on the plain of Marathon.' Dr Johnson, quoted in Boswell's Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides.

Marathon (n.) Activity at which Britons seldom excel unless when referring to the Viewing of many televis'd Episodes. Tweeted by DrSamuelJohnson, 9:54 AM Apr 25th 2010

Soon it will be the 2500th anniversary of the battle of Marathon. How soon is a matter of a little controversy, but there are some interesting events planned. Oxford held some events for schools earlier this month, while, based in the US but open to all via a web and telephone link, Marathon2500 have organised a rich programme, starting with Paul Carteledge's lecture tonight. I shall attend them all, but perhaps the most interesting for readers of this blog will be The Battle of Marathon and Modern Sports, to be given by Dean Karnazes, a marathon runner who has run fifty marathons in fifty days in each of the fifty states that make up the USA, and Thomas Scanlon on War and Sports,

The Firle half marathon

I ran the Firle half marathon yesterday, finishing in an unremarkable 2:20:20, which has a certain pleasing numerical symmetry. To put my achievement in context, the first man home, Matt Bradford of Lewes AC, finished in 1:25:08, and the first woman, Sam Alvarez of Hailsham Harriers, in 1:36:38. And of the other Seaford Striders taking part, Clifford Evans came 29th overall in an impressive 1:38:55, with Gary Hatcher not far behind in 1:41:22; Kevin Ives finished in 1:50:31, Natasha Swan in 1:54:05, Natalie McCreath just inside two hours at 1:59:59, Emma Duggan in 2:13:46, Neil Besant in 2:17:28. I saw Alex Parsons finish, but according to the results she's down as DNS, did not start. The star of the BSMS Running Club, Claire, who helped me train, finished in 1:53:45.

 

 

 

 

That's enough figures. Imagine a morning when autumn has suddenly arrived, brought by a northerly wind and savage escaped lemurs prowl the downs. The meteorologists say it was northerly, but to my mind it was against us whichever way we went. In the grounds of Firle Place we assembled, staying in our cars and fleeces till the very last moment. The race goes out of parkland onto the Old Coach Road, heading eastwards along the foot of the escarpment, and passing Charleston, reminding me that I must visit the Quentin Bell – Illustrator exhibition there. The sun shone here and I began to wonder at my wardrobe choices. I had gone for the layered look, so very now, wearing my Striders vest over a white t-shirt. By a field above Berwick I came across a camera crew hoping for a shot of the escaped lemur.

Just before we reached Alfriston we turned to head towards a brutal stiff ascent I remembered from the 20K two years ago, and from training. To make the experience more piquant, a clay-pigeon shooting club meet nearby, and one ascends to the sound of gunfire. "They're putting lame runners out of their misery", quipped one of my companions. I wondered if he was joking. Along the track came a 4X4 carrying some of the shooters, all large men in camouflage jackets and sunglasses. Is the mercenary brigand look essential to the enjoyment of their sport, I wonder? I suppose we look just as strange to them.

At the top we headed west along sheep-poo and flint strewn paths, up and down over Bo Peep and Firle Beacon. It's disheartening to realise at this stage that one is barely half way. I made a quick detour at the top of Firle Beacon to stand on the very top. Then down to the car-park at the top of Firle Bostal and the long slog towards the masts and the trig point that marks the turn. Then a fast descent down Firle Bostal. I managed some speed here, but returned to my usual plod on the flat. The end of the race had been re-routed and some sadist at Raw Energy Pursuits had thrown in a last hill. I broke down and walked, and another runner walked too. He asked how far we had to go. I supposed about half a mile. 'Come on', he said, 'let's get each other home' and, so saying, picked up the pace. My companion had been suffering a stitch for several miles, but he and I kept going, although my half-mile estimate was optimistic. We reached the finish, and I was delighted to be picked out for a spot prize.

It was a great, if taxing run, and I was delighted to find that Sussex Sport Photography's photographs are free to download for this event. And there are some of me in which I do not look like an elephant in labour.

For another perspective, see Sweder of Running Commentary's account of a training run over the same route.

A speed session

The fastest thing this evening was the wind, gusting to force seven or eight. So my modest aim of a mile warm up followed by two five minute fast runs, with recoveries, was overtaken by the struggle to keep moving at something faster than walking pace. So the two five minute sessions, as you may see at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/49026826 , were conducted at the following unimpressive paces: the first five minutes, into the south-westerly wind, was at a pace of 10.18; coming back, the second was a little better at 9.48.

These details are irrelevant. It was one of those runs from which one returns purged and changed. The waves were awesome, in the true sense of the word. Several of the buoys that delineate the extent of the swimming area had been torn from the anchors and bobbed around in the surf like the heads of small yellow homunculi. I wondered whether to dive in and save them.

Powerade and fig rolls

Another week's running is behind me. It consisted of a run with the Seaford Striders, an agreeable session, half off-road, some speed work on Seaford front, a four miler over Seaford Head and, the crowning glory of the week, a twelve-mile excursion in the company of Claire of the BSMS runners. It was the most beautiful September morning, and the view, sometimes those views where one sees little glimpses of the sea, were the finest there could be.

I'll describe this last in as much detail as I can recall. We met at Falmer, and, ignoring some triathletes (is there any weekend when there isn't a triathlon in Sussex), set forth under the shadow of the new Brighton and Hove Albion stadium. I don't subscribe to the view of those who hate this building, but if I still worked for BSMS and had an office in Mayfield House, I might be a bit miffed at having lost my view. We ran through Falmer village and out on the road, then off on the path to Blackcap. The final section before Blackcap can be a morass of mud and cow poo, but, in spite of the previous night's rain, it was still mostly solid underfoot. Then we turned west, observing the beacon above Lewes, and headed to Ditchling Beacon, dodging a few runners and many bikers all wearing red shirts. Then I trod a stretch of the South Downs Way I have never run on, until we turned off towards the sea; Claire told me that this route ,might take us near the Chattri, though in fact we only glimpsed it from a distance.

By now I felt a little weak, and was dismayed to see a steep climb back to Stanmer Wood above us. A hill was the last thing I needed, and I wondered if I could run it all, but I kept going and arrived at the top, though some hundred paces behind Claire. Then we crossed the road to Ditchling and cam down through the woods above Stanmer; in a few weeks these will be brown and gold.

On arrival at Falmer I found that the bottle of Powerade that I thought I had put in my bag wasn't there. But I had water and Claire had fig rolls, which she generously shared with me.

Distance this week: 26.47

Two weeks till the Firle Half Marathon
Thirty weeks till the Brighton Marathon

Two weeks running

It may be because the volume of activity has increased, or it may simply be laxness on my part, but it seems to have been a fortnight since I've chronicled my training for the Firle Half. There's been a great deal of swimming, of which more in another post, I have joined in the Running Commentary forum's dash to complete two hundred sit-ups, and I have also been running, as follows:

Week beginning 23rd August:
Monday: ten miles to Bo Peep and back
Wednesday: four miles, South Hill Barn, Hope Gap, Seaford Head, in the rain
Friday: Seaford front speed session
Sunday: four miles, South Hill Barn, Hope Gap, Seaford Head

Total mileage this week: 21.99

Week beginning 30th August:
Monday: dress rehearsal of part of the Firle half route, on a beautiful day, though with a cold north wind.
Wednesday: four miles, South Hill Barn, Hope Gap, Seaford Head
Thursday: three miles speed session, Seaford front
Sunday: Ditchling Beacon, ten and a half miles

Total mileage this week: 27.05

Three weeks till the Firle half marathon
Thirty one weeks till the Brighton marathon