The Walker With Heart

Somewhere in the Great British Postal system is a magazine at the moment it is a potential magazine... Potential Magazine 1 - Puts me through hundreds of miles of running, absorbing hours and hours... with the ultimate goal of the London Marathon... Potential Magazine 2 - Puts me through hundreds of miles of running, absorbing hours and hours... with the ultimate goal of an unchosen marathon next year... Good running to all those who know already, especially No 10569 So as the postal system delves into the depths of quantum running, all I can do is wait concentrate on 9 days time and enjoy this: Yes, its a video of the Great North Run, and yes you get a hint of the atmosphere... TTFN Paul

So I asked for challenges... and I've got a beauty up first... For me, to be effective a challenge needs to be just beyond what is normal; so 200km in a month is that. Especially as its a month where I've not got a weeks walking planned (nor can I fit one in). It needs to have a symbolism... 40km a week for the first month of my 40th year... yup that ticks that box. Needs to scare me a little... yup, the equivalent of just under a marathon a week for 5 weeks does that a little... Can I do it, the answer should be yes... if everything works. However, I've things booked for every weekend in November (some will count to the total, some won't)... As for this weekend, a nice gentle 15 miler from Hapton to Colne and then a cold cut in cancelling out the 10miler planned for today. At this stage it's not a major problem, I've done the miles, I just need to be fit for the day... so no pushing it when I don't need to! TTFN Paul

They'd be just like the Great North Run... There'll be those who don't like the crowds - part of the joy is the rest of the 54,000 people out sharing the experience There'll be those who don't like the focus on charity runners - tough There'll be those who say you can't get a PB - I have 2 years running There'll be those who realise somewhere between Newcastle & Southshields that they actually enjoy this running lark - I did, and it reminds me every year! :-) Other than that, my annual check up was fine - when my cardiologist is pretty much egging me on for a PB he can't be too worried. So, the taper has begun.... TTFN Paul

It was a bad run... My legs felt heavy - check the fuelling strategy & effort in the preceeding week; ok busy week in the office, not a brilliant diet; inc walking 26 miles in the previous 6 days... Hmmm , that's a fairly heavy loading... It was into a strong head wind, for 10 miles - Man up, nought you can do to change that! It was humid - you don't cope well with humidity, you know that, nought you can do about that in 4 weeks The water bladder spring a leak - buy a new one, test camelbak's lifetime warranty It was a bad run, deal with it. Analyse it yes, obsess on it no. I've been out to 18 miles already, on race day 18 miles will be middle of Sefton Park, heading back towards town. I have to plant it into context, it was one bad run in a training programme that has seen me do my first fell run, first trail run, first cross country and perform better than I expected. My fuelling the week before the 20 miler could've been better - and I know what to do...

I paraphrase one of the elite group of ultrarunners talking to the author of a book I've devoured in a train ride and a coffee! Born to Run, by Chris McDougall, seriously it covers the evolutionary basis of running, one man's struggle to run without getting injured and at its core was a love of running shared by these elites and a tribe of indigenous Mexicans.... Rarely do I choke up reading a book, let alone a sports one and this one did that to me... However, the quote is a truism... If you're one of those lucky people who can pick up a pair of trainers, do no training and on your first go Half marathon and knock off in under 2 hours then brilliant, you are something I will never be a natural athlete. Whether that not being a "natural athlete" is because of my heart condition or my diabetes I will never know and quite frankly don't intend to worry to much about it.  What I will worry about is anyone who like me has to work hard to get around a run, be...