Month: March 2011

Due to lots and lots of work and tiredness, didn't get a chance to do much running for about a week and a half. With the Marathon a few weeks away now, decided I need a proper training run and what better than to do the Epsom 16 mile again!! in case I didn't make it clear, that first Epsom run (~16.5miles) was the toughest run I've ever done, perhaps the toughest exercise I've ever done, think I hit the proverbial wall due to all the hills esp Hillcross Avenue at the end. I remember there was pretty much nothing left in the tank as I staggered across Kingston Road from Mostyn on to Dundonald Park to stretch down. ANYWAYS, this time was slightly different!! I paced the run a lot better, I found myself at Epsom in about 1:10hrs about 5mins quicker than last time. I bought a Lemon Spring water drink and a Muller rice pudding, ate that and jogged back. The uphill out of town past that X pub was still a bit of a slog, but I got out of there and found Malden Road from Cheam village to be nothing like the never-ending nightmare it had been the first time. Heading back to Morden and then Beverly Roundabout and Hillcross Avenue also wasn't as bad, found myself counting the hills and while being careful it wasn't too bad. Getting to Merton Park I actually sped up and even finished with a sprint down Mostyn Road! there seemed a lot left in the tank, which was very surprising. Wandered down to the tennis club to stretch down. Took about 3:25hrs(or 3:30hrs can't remember) which was also a good 20mins quicker than last time.

Here's the route map: http://tinyurl.com/68jw2pc

Clocked up another 7-8 miles, pushing it a bit esp at the start, up the notoriously steep Edge Hill and around past the infamous rival Westside Tennis Club and then the new Michelin star chef'd Fox & Grapes then onto the common and to Tibbets corner and back, sprinting to the end 🙂 About an 1:08hrs or so.

Click here to see rough route map

Whoosh!! 20miles to Esher and back. Due to work and other 'commitments' haven't had a chance to do quite as much running as I wanted, but when I heard Ben & Laura were doing an 18miles on Saturday, thought it was time to step things up, to put the Nike's to the road and what better run than to go to my favourite place Esher and back! Set off towards Raynes Park via Chase Alley, then to Kingston via Coombe lane, along the one way system to the river, along the left side (partly along the nice park toepath bit by the Thames) until Thames Ditton and then into Esher. Past Esher Common and into the town, turn left at the pub where the Rachel and I used to go sometimes, down that road, then all the way to the West End Common area carpark. I'd set off late afternoon and it was pitch dark by the time I reached here, lol, but here's a fine photo from it. After that headed back into Esher, bought a Lemon + spring water drink and couldn't resist the special offer rice puddings on sale! ironically Mike Gratton had recommended eating these, so had good excuse 🙂 I'd started combining running for say 40mins then walking a tiny bit and running again and at this half way point, I devoured the rice pudding whilst briskly walking along and then set off again in the direction of Hampton Court this time. Finally got there, despite not really knowing the way and it being very dark and then followed the wall back to Kingston. Over the bridge into the town centre, past the phone boxes, fighting fatigue I powered onwards up Coombe Hill and Coombe lane into Raynes Park and back to Wimbledon and home!! it was a strange feeling having run that kind of distance in 3:47hrs! and strangely to be honest it wasn't that bad, the 16.5mile a few weeks ago over all them hills seemed a LOT tougher, man that was tough, perhaps near my limit. Anyways as the park was closed, wandered into the tennis club to stretch things out (legs needed a lot of stretching out!). Mike Knepsl casually asked me where I'd been, oh just ran to Esher and back, yeah about 20miles I replied, you don't do things by halves do you he said, was very funny.

Well that's pretty much the biggest run I'm doing until the marathon itself ticked off! 🙂

UPDATE: Stair walking the next day was great fun (read:bit of a mission), legs took about 3-4 days to recover properly.

Click here for approx route map

Ran 14 miles. Set off, said hi to Roger Tagholm outside his house on the way to the common and Tibbet's Corner, up over Kingston Hill round to New Malden, Cambridge Road, all the way to the roundabout, down Burlington Lane passing the Krispy Kreme doughnut place (a particular highlight of this run) into Raynes Park and back to Wimbledon. Was pretty easy going and surprisingly quicker than expected, wanted to crack 2:05mins and ended up having to run all over the shop at the end, saw Roger T again couple of times as I did a loop of Dundonald Park, he was a bit stunned I think to see me still runnning nearly 2hrs later 🙂 then into Wimbledon finishing outside Queens Road Church in the end. Funnily ran into tennis star Kiwi Jo as I walked back into Wimbledon from there, so if you want to know what I'm like after a 14mile run and high on a sea of endomorphins, just ask her hehe 😉

Click here for roughly the route <did run down Chase Alley but not on Google Maps!>

Had a couple of very busy weeks, so only managed to get in one short 30mins run last Friday (25th Feb) and a 7 miler tonight. Up the very steep Edge Hill and up to Tibbet's Corner and back down the hill via Murray Road.