This season's must have!

I'm pleased to announce that a limited number of exclusively designed RUN GEORDIE RUN t-shirts will soon be available to buy. Details are currently being finalised but I'm hoping that after production costs, at least £6 will be split between St Benedict's Hospice and The Children's Foundation for each t-shirt purchased.

I haven't seen the final design yet but I can tell you that the RUN GEORDIE RUN logo will feature on front and back. The 2 charities logos will be on the front with details of the 3100 mile run across the USA on the back.

Please get in touch if you are interested in buying this season's "nice to have, all in a good cause, will look dapper in the gym" item. Emails to register your interest should be sent to sponsorship@rungeordierun.com with details of quantity and size. I anticipate the final cost will be around the £8 mark (plus P&P) with all profits going to the 2 charities. That's all profits by the way. Once production costs have been taken into account, every single penny will be passed to the 2 charities. And while I'm on the subject of production costs, none of this would have been possible without the help of David Fairlamb, Brian Wells and our friends at customplanet.co.uk.

So don't forget, to avoid disappointment, please get in touch to register your interest at the address above and I'll let you know when the t-shirts are ready to buy.

USA 2011 Training Summary - Week 4

Monday 24th November - 5 mile run, Race Course. (00:43:00).
Monday 24th November - 5 mile run, Race Course. (00:47:56).
Tuesday 25th November - 5 mile run, Shotley Bridge to Ebchester and back. (00:55:09).
Tuesday 25th November - 5 mile run, Race Course. (00:50:10).
Tuesday 25th November - 5 mile run, Shotley Bridge to Leadgate and back. (00:59:15).
Wednesday 26th November - 5.5 mile run, Pets Corner. (00:53:28).
Wednesday 26th November - 4.5 mile run, Gosforth Round the Block and back. (00:45:09).
Thursday 27th November - 5 mile run, Race Course. (00:47:12).
Thursday 27th November - 5 mile run, Gosforth Round the Block and Back. (00:48:59).
Friday 28th November - 5 mile run, Race Course. (00:44:58).
Saturday 29th November - Beach Bootcamp. (00:45:00).
Saturday 29th November - 8 x run up the steps. (00:15:11).

Finishing the week off in some style!

Despite the fact that I'm only 4 weeks into the USA 2011 training schedule, I feel like I've achieved a lot already. I've started to gain a basic level of fitness and endurance and the long process of putting the mental building blocks in place has begun.

Apart from the very cold and hilly 15 miles I did on Tuesday the rest of the week has been quite easy. The week started with a PB for the 5 mile Race Course route (00:43:00) on Monday and finished with the 3rd quickest time this year on the same route on Friday (00:44:58). The times in between varied according to fatigue, temperature and terrain. I was hoping to finish the running week in style and I can most definitely say that, by my standards, I did that very thing.

As I said in an earlier post, I've learned a lot from this week. The main thing is how to fit 50 miles into a week while working full time, doing the school drop offs and pick ups, having some good family time and still leave time to go to the match. I managed all of those things and could quite imagine being able to fit another 20 - 30 miles in per week. Quite how I'm going to add another 50-60 miles to that schedule by next Summer is going to take some planning.

Not only did I finish my running week off in style, I also thought I gave a good effort at Beach Bootcamp and then on the steps at a very cold and icy Tynemouth beach on Saturday morning. I started the 45 minute Bootcamp session quite well and as a result of giving everything I had left I faded a little towards the end. The were a couple of new drills in Bootcamp this week and David made the most of the fact that the tide was way way out. Once the 45 minute session was over it was time once again to tackle the steps 8 times. After 50 miles of running and a tough Bootcamp session, part of me was hoping that the steps, like the rest of Tynemouth, would be covered in ice. We couldn't believe that there wasn't a hint of ice on them. Not a drop!

Fellow "Bootcamper" Dan and I (pictured) led the rest of the group up the steps. There was absolutely no shortage of encouragement and the emphasis was very much on getting the technique right in order to distract from the burn in the legs. The first attempt was quite straight forward. Just like last week, though, there was little time for rest in between each set of steps. The next six sets of steps got more difficult each time and my legs felt more and more like jelly with every step. I think the week's effort had taken it's toll and I didn't quite know how I was going to get the last set in.

Following a very brief moment to gather my thoughts, Dan and I set for the last time, with Ashley and David close behind. Within about 4 steps, I was completely focused on reaching the top. My mind was transported back to the 1/4 mile sprint finish I had on Thursday evening. And what music was playing on the iPod that particular evening? Yep! The Rocky soundtrack! I completely had the frame of mind from Thursday evening and with each step my current surroundings disappeared and I found myself in "The Zone". I love that particular place in my mind. I paid many a visit there on last year's run from John O'Groats to Lands End. Good things usually happen in this place. Take this snippet from 12th July 2007, day 6 - "All I could see were my feet and the immediate bit of grass on which I was running. I wasn't taking in any scenery. I wasn't aware of any oncoming traffic.". You can read all about it here but in a nutshell I'd had a tough 24 miles with 12, 13 and 14 minute miles all day. I finished up in the zone that day with a couple of 9 minute miles and the confidence to take into the following day's Cairngorm challenge.

Anyhow! Back to the fourth flight on the 8th set of steps on Tynemouth beach! It was time to finish things off in style! I simply let loose with every last drop of energy I had and the end result was a canny bit of acceleration. I powered up the steps and I think I surprised a few people, including myself, when I got to the top so quickly. I didn't feel as tired as last week at the end either. The adrenalin was failrly surging around!

I couldn't have finished the week off any better! Thanks must go to the gang for all of the supporting words as each step went by. Now, I think David might have something new planned for next week. There was talk of a new set of steps and a steep decline somewhere. I'll be spending all week, next week pushing myself as much as I can in preparation for that next challenge!

50 not out!

The final 5 miles of the week which was the 3rd quickest this year took the tally up to a very pleasing 50. I've learned a lot from the week and will be discussing the findings with Mark and David at the earliest opportunity. Now for the highlight of the week - Beach Bootcamp!

45 done, 5 left for the week.

And yet again I managed 2 more lots of 5 miles. That's 45 for the week so far. I'll be looking to finish the week off in style tomorrow with as much speed as I can muster. But for now it's an early night for me for it promises to be an early start tomorrow. Not for a run though. It's Jack's sixth birthday.

And another 10!

I moved 10 miles closer to this week's target of 50 today. I'll put a full review on the site on Sunday.

15 miles on Tough Tuesday.

It was an early start today as I got the first of today's three planned 5 mile runs underway. It was very cold in the Derwent Valley so I made sure I had more layers on than Adrian in Rocky I. After yesterday's PB I felt I had nothing to prove so I set off at a steady pace and the intention was just to make it through the day in 1 piece. I nearly came a cropper though when I skidded on some ice in Ebchester! I managed to do the 5 miles in 00:55:09. The time was irrelevant given the cold, dark and slippy conditions.

The second lot of 5 miles, at lunchtime, proved to be much more difficult. Thankfully, I had Carl Hudson to keep me company and steer me round in a respectable time (00:50:10). My energy levels dropped to rock bottom after the 2nd mile and it was only a very long conversation about food that made the run bearable. Food like sausage rolls, chips and beans from Carricks when I was a kid and the contents of a 10 pence mix up were on the agenda. These days I rarely make the kind of carefully thought out and calculated decisions that I used to when deciding what to have in my 10 pence mix up! It was 10 pence. Not 11 pence or 12 pence. Just 10 pence. You only had 1 shot to get the contents of the mix up right. Would I put a 2 pence chew in there (like a Refresher) or would I go for 4 smaller half pence chews ? Oh the decisions you had to make as an....erm.....7 year old. Anyway, after all of the reminiscing about food the run was over.

But why the lack of energy after 2 miles? I think this morning's porridge simply replaced the energy expended on the 1st run. I had nothing left for the lunchtime run and the deficit showed after 2 miles.

A similar thing happened on the final 5 mile run of the day but the hunger and lack of energy wasn't as severe. I decided to head for the hills on this one where the 1st mile is a steep uphill out of Shotley Bridge. I haven't ran up that hill for a couple of years but it was so much easier than I remember. The final time was nothing to write home about though at 00:59:15.

So that's 15 miles for the day and 25 for the week so far. I'm half way there! It's not only about the mileage though. I've gained some small idea of what training is going to be like on a daily basis from next Summer! Zikes! I've also discovered that the nutritional plan I've stuck to since September will need some adjustment before I undertake a day like today again. Incidentally, I ran 3 lots of 5 miles today to make up for the fact that I won't be able to do 1 of my 2 scheduled 5 mile runs on Friday when it's Jack's sixth Birthday! Thankfully, I'm back to a good old 10 miles tomorrow and then again on Thursday! I'll be aiming to finish the running week off in as much style as is physically possible with the final 5 miles of the week on Friday. Then with a belly full of jelly and ice cream (and probably porridge) I'll be looking for a good effort at Beach Bootcamp. Then, if I manage 8 lots of steps again I may even treat myself to a 10 pence mix up for old time's sake.

A superb start to a 50 mile week!

It's back to basics time this week and the aim is to get 50 miles of running in.  There'll be no room for the gym or any classes as I hit the road in time honoured tradition!

Today saw me run the first 10 of those 50 miles in 2 separate sessions. As I mentioned on Saturday, I've felt a change in the last couple of weeks. The change is in my legs and arms as I really feel like I've got about 10% more power and strength than I had in September. I've started to see proof of this with heavier weights being used in Body Pump, a higher sustained heart rate in Spinning and the ability to cycle up the steep Condercum Road with relative ease! There was further proof at lunchtime today as I beat my previous PB for the 5 mile Race Course route by a second. Today's time was 00:43:00 exactly. The previous PB was set just a couple of weeks after last year's big run from John O'Groats to Lands End. I was in tip top condition then. So given that this is only week 4 of my USA 2011 training schedule, today's PB has served as a massive confidence boost. 

I followed that 5 mile run up with another one after work with about 1/2 mile of it in pitch darkness. I'm taking my torch next time! That didn't stop me from posting a very respectable time of 00:47:56. Even more pleasing is the fact that I managed both of these runs on a bowl of porridge for breakfast and a jacket potato and beans for lunch. And this is another area I'm starting to have more confidence in. Mentors David Fairlamb and Mark Fleming have guided me into eating the right things at the right time. I'm starting to realise that I don't actually need to eat an abundance of food to fuel all of the exercise I'm doing. I reckon my takeaway days are well and truly behind me. I must admit though that I'm looking forward to having a bacon sandwich on Christmas Morning. I know it's a month away but I've been thinking about it for weeks now. I've got it all planned out. Bacon (fried), tinned plum tomatoes and black pudding in a large Greggs Stottie. Great man!

Anyway! (he says giving himself a hearty slap!). There are still 40 miles to get in this week before Beach Bootcamp on Saturday. I doubt there will be any more PB's. As David told me at the weekend, I'm well ahead of where I need to be. If I feel like I need a rest I should take one. There is no sign of needing a rest! Which is just as well as tomorrow is Tough Tuesday and I'll be running 5 miles before work, 5 miles at lunchtime and 5 miles before tea! Bring it on!

USA 2011 Training Summary - WEEK 3

Monday 17th November - 5 mile run, Race Course. (00:45:45).
Monday 17th November - Spinning. (00:50:00).

Tuesday 18th November - 5 mile run, Race Course. (00:48:48).

Tuesday 18th November - Spinning. (00:45:00).

Tuesday 18th November - Body Pump. (01:00:00).
Thursday 20th November - 5 mile run, Race Course.  (00:45:12).
Thursday 20th November - Body Pump. (01:00:00).
Friday 21st November - 17.7 mile bike ride. (01:38:54).
Friday 21st November - 17 mile bike ride. (02:00:15).
Saturday 22nd November - Beach Bootcamp. (00:45:00).
Saturday 22nd November - 8 x run up the steps at Tynemouth. (00:16:14).

New logo!

What do you make of the new logo at the top of this blog? It's a very professional looking version of the one I designed in the summer. Thanks go to Brian Wells for coming up with the all new and very dashing RUN GEORDIE RUN logo.

This is the final version of the logo and will soon appear on the t-shirts that I train in. So when I'm in the gym, in a class, out running or at Beach Bootcamp I'll be able to effectively spread the word about the run. 

I'm currently working on some ideas to incorporate the logo into a kind of "Supporters of Run Geordie Run" t-shirt. If it's cost effective and a contribution to the 2 charities could be made they would be made available for purchase. Watch this space!