A peak over Meldon Reservoir from
the east.
Looking across the Okement valleys to Yes Tor & High Willhays from Oke Tor.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
MV60
Six months between blog posts is not exactly "keeping it current".....
The running has been going pretty well in 2015. I haven't reached the dizzy, and exhausting, heights of 2012, but that was never the aim really. That is assuming there ever really was an aim, other than to "keep on keeping on".
On October 8th 2015, I became an MV60.
This is a significant milestone in a running "career" and I had spurred myself on with the hope that I could qualify for the Boston Marathon 2017, by running a "BQ" in the qualifying period which started in mid September 2015. The first attempt at this was due to be at the Isle of Wight Marathon on October 11th, or alternatively Dartmoor Vale on October 25th.
Truthfully I do think I am in the shape to have a serious attempt at this, but am mindful that (a) conditions would have to be perfect, and (b) anything but a slightly undulating course would probably wreck my knees. Neither of the two marathons above really offered the chance of either, and I finally decided to switch priorities.
A major life move this autumn became the decisive influence in this, with Debbie, myself and Cocoa the spaniel uprooting ourselves from Buckinghamshire and re-planting ourselves on the northern edge of the Dartmoor National Park in Devon. We are currently just over 2 weeks in to a new adventurous phase in our lives, and coming to grips with life in a 17th century cottage in a conservation village, far away from any geographical roots either of us may have.
From a running perspective, everything changes, as I now have the vast expanse of the Dartmoor National Park quite literally on my doorstep. There are no flat roads around here, let alone the moor itself. A 6 mile run out on the moor involves a "safety" pack, rocks, bogs, streams to jump, sheep, cows, ponies, Tors, sudden changes in weather and views to stop you dead in your tracks. Somehow pace and form really no longer matter. Persistence and the ability to master the terrain, particularly downhill and with tired legs become the virtues here. I've already had real fun out there within 3 miles of home and almost certainly the moor will be where I set myself some running objectives over the coming months.
More to follow...
Evolved to run. Born to run. Older, greyer, still running. Follow @Nariokotomeboy
The running has been going pretty well in 2015. I haven't reached the dizzy, and exhausting, heights of 2012, but that was never the aim really. That is assuming there ever really was an aim, other than to "keep on keeping on".
On October 8th 2015, I became an MV60.
This is a significant milestone in a running "career" and I had spurred myself on with the hope that I could qualify for the Boston Marathon 2017, by running a "BQ" in the qualifying period which started in mid September 2015. The first attempt at this was due to be at the Isle of Wight Marathon on October 11th, or alternatively Dartmoor Vale on October 25th.
Truthfully I do think I am in the shape to have a serious attempt at this, but am mindful that (a) conditions would have to be perfect, and (b) anything but a slightly undulating course would probably wreck my knees. Neither of the two marathons above really offered the chance of either, and I finally decided to switch priorities.
A major life move this autumn became the decisive influence in this, with Debbie, myself and Cocoa the spaniel uprooting ourselves from Buckinghamshire and re-planting ourselves on the northern edge of the Dartmoor National Park in Devon. We are currently just over 2 weeks in to a new adventurous phase in our lives, and coming to grips with life in a 17th century cottage in a conservation village, far away from any geographical roots either of us may have.
From a running perspective, everything changes, as I now have the vast expanse of the Dartmoor National Park quite literally on my doorstep. There are no flat roads around here, let alone the moor itself. A 6 mile run out on the moor involves a "safety" pack, rocks, bogs, streams to jump, sheep, cows, ponies, Tors, sudden changes in weather and views to stop you dead in your tracks. Somehow pace and form really no longer matter. Persistence and the ability to master the terrain, particularly downhill and with tired legs become the virtues here. I've already had real fun out there within 3 miles of home and almost certainly the moor will be where I set myself some running objectives over the coming months.
More to follow...
Evolved to run. Born to run. Older, greyer, still running. Follow @Nariokotomeboy
Wednesday, April 08, 2015
Two mugs of tea and a sip of water - its a #year60 thing
It's been a while.
30 years of on and off competitive running and training. The last two years or so have been one of the "offs".
I have not had anything much to blog about since early 2013, except disappointment, what I felt might be "running career ending" chronic injuries and my first DNF at a marathon.
That happened in Milton Keynes on May bank holiday monday in 2013. I got to 17 miles or so with ever increasing pain in and above my right knee, and with a lift home and an end to the pain just a phone call away, I eventually pulled the plug. With 2012 such a year of achievement and "glory" I just didn't have anything left to prove. A will power failure, or a bit of common sense for once. In any case I had to actually admit that efforts of 2012, and the lack of any long recovery period, had pretty much left me broken as a runner.
3 days later I bought a new road bike and during the summer I spent quite a bit of time in lycra, successfully keeping my fitness up to a level I found acceptable.
I also had acquired a place in that year's Jungfrau Mountain Marathon the following September. I bit the bullet on that in July, taking advantage of the race's pretty unique facility of being able to "sell" my bib number to another competitor.
I didn't ever completely stop running, but stopped believing that I would ever run that much without pain.
I drifted through 2014 just rolling along with low mileage, no real focus and many long walks with our new dog, Cocoa, doing all the proper mileage. I was getting old, so why worry? Sometimes I went weeks without running. Running never left me properly, I just put it on a shelf.
Around my birthday in October I began to realise that I was about to enter my 60th year. I had blogged in 2012 that my 3:48 effort at the Richmond Virginia marathon had left me with 9 minutes of the qualifying time for the Boston Marathon for my 55 to 59 years age group. I imagined at the time that this was close. Reality suggests that I was miles away. Richmond was a real one off effort, speed wise, run off consistently high mileage in a year full of inspiration. To think I could dramatically improve that time, with no peer support, no fund-raising incentive and carrying injuries was deluded.
And anyway, if I could wait a couple of years, I "gained" 15 minutes!
Each year for the past winters I have played around in the excellent Jantastic competition run by the guys over at the Marathon Talk podcast . (I religiously listened to the podcast while running in 2012 and early 2013 but refused to download it all for most of 2014 as I wasn't "properly" running.)
This year as usual, I joined up in a team (#runteamtwitter) but this year I completed with 100% after the 12 weeks of escalating challenge. OK, I only had goals of 3 runs per week and a longest run of 20 km, but I was getting my mojo back, running-wise, and most importantly I seemed to be avoiding injury for once, most of my runs being offroad. Weight came off, I started to feel better and I have since permitted myself to set some challenges.
I have entered a 14 mile trail race on Dartmoor in May. With a caravan sited about 3 miles away, I have been able to run on parts of the course, and am really looking forward to the challenge again.
Just this week I have convinced myself that the elusive BQ is worth a shot. I have always refused to be limited by my age doing practically anything. In 2014 I finished a science degree with the Open University and started a new business - an artisan bakery. Like Jon Bon Jovi I definitely agree that I can sleep when I'm dead and I am not ready to enter my "third age" just yet.
So I am again avidly listening to podcasts, looking at training programmes, buying new shoes, upping my mileage and wondering what I am capable of in the marathon.
So I entered one, and it is 3 days after my 60th birthday, right here in the UK, traditional and low key.
I have never been to the Isle of Wight anyway so why not run its marathon as a way to tour part of the island?
Target? 3 hours 53 mins and a "safe" Boston 2017 qualification.
Sounds easy. It won't be.
Two cups of tea and a sip of water. Before each early morning run in #year60
Evolved to run. Born to run. Older, greyer, still running. Follow @Nariokotomeboy
30 years of on and off competitive running and training. The last two years or so have been one of the "offs".
I have not had anything much to blog about since early 2013, except disappointment, what I felt might be "running career ending" chronic injuries and my first DNF at a marathon.
That happened in Milton Keynes on May bank holiday monday in 2013. I got to 17 miles or so with ever increasing pain in and above my right knee, and with a lift home and an end to the pain just a phone call away, I eventually pulled the plug. With 2012 such a year of achievement and "glory" I just didn't have anything left to prove. A will power failure, or a bit of common sense for once. In any case I had to actually admit that efforts of 2012, and the lack of any long recovery period, had pretty much left me broken as a runner.
3 days later I bought a new road bike and during the summer I spent quite a bit of time in lycra, successfully keeping my fitness up to a level I found acceptable.
I also had acquired a place in that year's Jungfrau Mountain Marathon the following September. I bit the bullet on that in July, taking advantage of the race's pretty unique facility of being able to "sell" my bib number to another competitor.
I didn't ever completely stop running, but stopped believing that I would ever run that much without pain.
I drifted through 2014 just rolling along with low mileage, no real focus and many long walks with our new dog, Cocoa, doing all the proper mileage. I was getting old, so why worry? Sometimes I went weeks without running. Running never left me properly, I just put it on a shelf.
Around my birthday in October I began to realise that I was about to enter my 60th year. I had blogged in 2012 that my 3:48 effort at the Richmond Virginia marathon had left me with 9 minutes of the qualifying time for the Boston Marathon for my 55 to 59 years age group. I imagined at the time that this was close. Reality suggests that I was miles away. Richmond was a real one off effort, speed wise, run off consistently high mileage in a year full of inspiration. To think I could dramatically improve that time, with no peer support, no fund-raising incentive and carrying injuries was deluded.
And anyway, if I could wait a couple of years, I "gained" 15 minutes!
Each year for the past winters I have played around in the excellent Jantastic competition run by the guys over at the Marathon Talk podcast . (I religiously listened to the podcast while running in 2012 and early 2013 but refused to download it all for most of 2014 as I wasn't "properly" running.)
This year as usual, I joined up in a team (#runteamtwitter) but this year I completed with 100% after the 12 weeks of escalating challenge. OK, I only had goals of 3 runs per week and a longest run of 20 km, but I was getting my mojo back, running-wise, and most importantly I seemed to be avoiding injury for once, most of my runs being offroad. Weight came off, I started to feel better and I have since permitted myself to set some challenges.
I have entered a 14 mile trail race on Dartmoor in May. With a caravan sited about 3 miles away, I have been able to run on parts of the course, and am really looking forward to the challenge again.
Just this week I have convinced myself that the elusive BQ is worth a shot. I have always refused to be limited by my age doing practically anything. In 2014 I finished a science degree with the Open University and started a new business - an artisan bakery. Like Jon Bon Jovi I definitely agree that I can sleep when I'm dead and I am not ready to enter my "third age" just yet.
So I am again avidly listening to podcasts, looking at training programmes, buying new shoes, upping my mileage and wondering what I am capable of in the marathon.
So I entered one, and it is 3 days after my 60th birthday, right here in the UK, traditional and low key.
I have never been to the Isle of Wight anyway so why not run its marathon as a way to tour part of the island?
Target? 3 hours 53 mins and a "safe" Boston 2017 qualification.
Sounds easy. It won't be.
Two cups of tea and a sip of water. Before each early morning run in #year60
Evolved to run. Born to run. Older, greyer, still running. Follow @Nariokotomeboy
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