bmi = go for free!

So, the long awaited trip to Amsterdam began on Saturday morning. However, even though we were booked on the 12.30 bmi flight out of LHR T1 to AMS, it transpired that a lot of rugby fans had been given our seats - trying to get to Paris. So we were given a BA flight at 5.40 from T4 - we were not happy. We now knew that we could not register for the marathon by 8pm and our race preparation was up the creak. But ... did we hear the word compensation? - bmi kindly gave us enough to cover our whole weekend package of flight and hotel with some spending money thrown in! Must fly with them again and hope for another delay!

Anyway ... we had a great meal on Saturday night (courtesy of bmi!) - our hotel was only a short tram 16 away from the Olympic Stadium and we registered easily on the Sunday morning. Sightseeing is not what this marathon route is about. The first 13 miles were a breeze and we were on course for a great time and possibly a pb for me. But, alas it was not to be! By mile 16 I was slowing and Graeme was inching further ahead. Graeme did great with a 4.10 and managed to keep himself warm at the finish to see me arrive a half hour later!

I've now used all my LS gels/drinks/bars and so on so I will have to start shopping again in advance of the Marlow half marathon on Sunday 4th November. I'll have the ipod tuned in for that one!

Allegedly some good news for our wives and children ... we have now retired from full marathons! Graeme's 5 and my 10 are enough - but we'll still do the 13.1 milers! I can now add an extra city to my list and so must get a t-shirt printed with London-New York-Paris-Amsterdam on it!

Getting ready for Amsterdam!

Having done 5 cycle training sessions in the garage this week I decided I'd take my two girls for a 10 mile trip this morning.

So that I could get acclimatised for the impending Amsterdam marathon next Sunday I thought it was only appropriate that I visited a windmill!

All is going well and I am keeping up with my Lucozade drinks and bars.

Here's hoping for a good week ...

London to Brighton ... not necessary!

The invention works! I had a great workout this evening - 45 minutes of hard cycling without having to go anywhere. All I need now is a speedometer, milometer and a carefully positioned surface with some drinks on it. I am going to be on this every day from now on!

Got to keep fit!

Now, this is what you do with an old Dawes racing bike! As you can see, literally 3 hours in the workshop at school (out of lesson time of course, during yesterday and today - Friday) and I have made an A frame support at the front and two rollers at the back. I can now sit in the garage/garden and cycle myself fit throughout the dark winter months! I was wanting to buy a 'real' one but the ebay ones were pricey and the retail ones are silly money. Besides this bike is so old that to update the rear wheel axle was not going to be cost effective. So, I've stripped off the front wheel, brakes, mud guards, brake levers, etc. Cleaned it up a bit and hey ho, here we go!

It is tough going as well - it really is going to give me a worthwhile workout! Remarkable how stable it is too!

I need to keep the fitness going and with Amsterdam only 2 weeks away I cannot afford to be slack after the Great North Run. So, this is my answer!

Hope all you runners out there managed a better photo at the finish of the GNR than I did - what a wasted mess I look! I certainly won't be ordering it.

I also enjoyed filling in my online GNR evaluation/survey. It was a really good day - so I told them so!

Cheers!

The TYNE of your life!

So that's it for another year. At least I managed to improve my time from last year (by 15 minutes) to an acceptable 2.08.23. My miles have steadily got quicker throughout the training even though I have steadily been getting older.

Today went really well. I drove up on Saturday afternoon from High Wycombe to Chester-le-Street, had a pasta meal and got my head down before Match of the Day!

6.50am the alarm goes and it's porridge, orange juice and coffee. By 8.30 I am parked up near Heworth metro and feeling relaxed. The metro journey was easy to Haymarket and everything slotted into place. The baggage buses had been moved following my 606-style-rant last year and it was so calm around the start area. By 10 I was in my Orange zone and just doing easy stretches, eating a banana and LS enery bar and sipping on my LS pouch. Did some of the 'Mr Motivator' stuff and then it was off. Great atmosphere, Tyne bridge, sunshine, oggy oggy oggy (gets boring after a while though) and a decent pace.

The red arrows made me jump as they roared overhead. I was looking forward to seeing them again in about 2 hours! Last year was a nightmare between 4 - 6 miles so I swapped on to the left side of the road so I didn't get any painful reminders.

Loved the Elvis karaoke on the route and the band on the roundabout were decent too. When I got to 10 miles I took two lucozade drinks and had a 2 minute walk while I downed then. I needed them too. Then back into the running. Except for those 2 minutes I ran all the way.

Coming down the hill and seeing the sea was great, 1 mile to go and then with 800m left I have to admit that I cranked up the Rocky theme full blast in my ears and sprinted to the line with a big grin on my face. Sad eh? I was really pleased, loved it, glad I'd come back and given it another go.

I walked backwards to the metro because I was looking at the red arrows again! Wasn't the heart stunt clever? Had to queue for a while ... but for next year - there is a sneaky back entrance to the metro at South Shields which would have cut out the 30 minutes of standing in the line. If only ... But by 2.40 I was departing Heworth and heading for the A1. Great journey home ... back in High Wycombe by 7pm! This year I didn't even have to have a 1 hour kip in the service station car park at Wetherby.

Will I be back next year? It's addictive this running lark isn't it? This was my 21st half marathon and Amsterdam in 3 weeks will be my 10th full marathon. Hey ho!

Thanks TLS for all the support - I did have the tyne of my life today!

36 hours to go!

It's time to charge the up the shuffle, sort out the kit and get ready for the drive north!

I have not trained at all this week - just no time at. However, I think I have put in the miles to see me through. I'm pleased to be quite near the front at the start - saves trying to pass all the fun runners who lied about their ETA at South Shields!

Looking forward to the Red Arrows at the finish ... and if course, a well earned pint of Lucozade!

Then, as last year, it's the long journey back south to High Wycombe and to cap it all, I have got a parents evening to stay at school for on Monday night.

Can't wait to get started ... enjoy ... and thanks TLS for giving me the chance in 2007.

X Training

The training log suggested a 7 mile run but today I thought I'd do something a bit different. So I put my two year old (Jemima) on the back of the mountain bike and we did an uphill/downhill 8 mile bike ride. She loved it and it made the training a bit more interesting.