March 2023

 4th

I decided to use my 30 min 'easy' with @bramhallparkrun, a contradiction in terms for this course especially if you push yourself. Back to sub 28 mins following a clear yesterday on some heart checks, brakes off now 😃.

Love the "smile you're halfway" sign 👏😘

5th

I am running in the London Marathon 2023 just 2 weeks before my 70th Birthday in support of St Ann’s Hospice.

If you would like to encourage me and join in supporting this amazing organisation, please sponsor me and help raise vital funds for the wonderful St Ann's Hospice with #TeamStAnns

Donate on the JustGiving link on my bio or visit

6th

Half Marathon distance!👍🎉😃

I am in constant awe of you people doing this who have jobs and caring responsibilities 👏👏👏👏

I am lucky to be retired, in good health and with no caring roles so can be very flexible in training. This morning, I could have gone later when the weather looked better but I went out at planned time in your honour - and got soaked 😂

A horse with a coat on - sensible today. [photo not included]

Signs of spring with blossom trees.

6 min cold bath after run and my knees hurt like hell on the stairs 😭

Still, very chuffed to hit the distance.

Happy running everyone 😘

13th

15.8 miles, and I missed recording a bit 🙄. Concentrating on starting a route on OS App forgot to press Start on my watch ☹️

I ran out to join the old Manchester Airport Orbital Cycleway; the website is still there but you need to map it before you go as there are only 4 signs left and one of them points the wrong way 🤬. Good route for me keeping my mind occupied with places I cycled as a kid and occasional sights of the airfield.

Great midway stop at the Airfield Viewing area; dry clean toilets with a good hand dryer so I could finally work my phone screen properly. Drink & fruit bar in the cafe then out into the rain again.

Physio introduced me to McConnell taping a couple of weeks ago but this is the first long run I've tried it instead of an elastic support and my left knee was and is painless - it's a miracle!

Cold bath at home then hobbling a bit from stiffness. Achilles started stinging a bit later so I have ankle supports on to apply some pressure. I think it's short term; the stair heal lift exercise I do every day have worked wonders. Also fell asleep for 20 mins 😴

I was apprehensive about today so really pleased with the achievement. The plan times weren't getting me the mileage but now I'm looking at Moving Time and allowing for my habit of photos and a toilet, food & drink stop; so, if it says 2h30m I plan to be out 3 hours-ish to get the target miles.

Happy running everyone; may your aches be brief 😀

16th

Discovering a few niggles now as the week mileage climbs.

Revisited by IT Band irritation which was a real problem when I did a Half 5 years ago.

Also, my toes hurt. I discovered on my last long run that I inexplicably clench my toes. Shoes are fine, lots of space and a decent footbed. My smallest toes hurt again after only 8k this morning ☹️

PACE: am I alone in that my Easy, Steady, Jog and Marathon are all the same?

Bins; I knew it, they're breeding 🤣[photo not included]

18th

Feels like spring, blue skies and warm.

I'll say it now, I hate tempo days. I just don't enjoy mucking about with pace and timings and my lungs don't enjoy the extra push. Spoiled what would have been a perfectly pleasant morning run.

New shoes day, didn't want to get to the big day reliant on one pair of well worn and loved shoes. Could have been better, a few rubs appeared by end of run. Need to experiment with the lacing for long run Monday.

Happy weekend running everyone 👏😀

21st

Nineteen and a half miles yesterday, 19.5 miles! , and everything below my waist hurt 🥲

Was planned as 18 but a bit of a departure from route added a bit🙄

Thanks to my wife who met me at 7 & 14 miles with water, banana and chopped up Snickers. Also topped up my pockets with gels and Tesco gluten free flapjack cubes.

Delighted to be mobile this morning, expected to be stiff & sore but was fine.

Next Monday 21 miles then off to Scotland for a week.

27th

Over 21 miles; that's my last long run before the big day.

Wonderful weather for a change.

Kept my wife waiting at 2 support stops due to an error in my spreadsheet, oops 😘

Went well with a mix of blackcurrent gels and gf flapjack bits for intermediate fuelling and half banana and chopped up Snickers plus water at 2 support stops where I also topped up my gels & flapjacks. I'm taking something in every 35 minutes.

Pretty sore but after a 10 minutes cold bath I'm surprisingly mobile.

Only bad thing was leaving my earphones on the car roof at the last stop. Been back but no sign of them 😭

Good luck to everyone training 👍👏

....... and relax. I feel a snooze coming on 😴

29th

BAILED! 😭

After the high of Monday's long run, I set out today for an easy 50min before I go away for a week.

Cue sudden unfamiliar jab of pain right inside my left knee, enough for a sharp intake of breath and a hop. Then again a few minutes later. Backed off and ran on for a while then another one.

Called it and bailed out of route and turned toward home. OK walking so had another little jog and there's another one 🤬

Walked the rest of the way home and ice packed for 20 mins.

Desperately hoping it's just inflammation from Monday that will clear with rest.

Tomorrow I head off to Glasgow and pick up a hired motorhome to bumble around Scotland. It's an automatic so I can give my knee a good rest. Have taken my running gear out of packing to avoid temptation to tax it too soon. Rest combined with knee strength exercises for a week. 🙏

Stay fit everyone, may you be injury free 😘

31st

Nursing my knee in NW Scotland. So far so good, but not running

Good luck all those getting their last long run done 👏

February 2023

 4th

Plan shows 40 min mixup with tempo & walks but replaced with #parkrunbramhall and an extra 10 mins easy to follow. Garmin says it was my first sub 30 min 5k for a long time at 29:44 but official time was 30:01😭. Bramhall has a few taxing hills so it was a variation of effort throughout so I think it counts to the plan 😃 and it was 5k, honest; GPS plays up in the trees.

6th

A cold sub-zero start with an amazing blue sky. 1h40m with a target of around 8 miles achieved. I'm doing a lot of leg and ankle exercises and strengthening seems to be helping the Achilles problems.

Guts were a little off so a welcome diversion into big Sainsbury's to use facilities. As over 1 hour and 10k I topped up with a blackcurrent SIS gel. I don't need anything less than that but by 1h20m I'm running on empty if I don't top up. All in all, a good run, especially after a 5.6 mile hill walk yesterday. Bit stiff this evening.

Keep going everyone, we'll do it together 👏😃

11th

The look of a 69 year old who just did a 10 mile run for the first time in 5 years 😃 , last time was a half marathon to celebrate my 65th birthday.

1h45m on plan but ran on the extra 1'22" to get the milestone 🤗🎉 😂

13th

No running as a few days away in Swaledale but definitely got my STEPS in today 🤣  [photo of steep steps up the side of Malham Cove]

19th

A few days of no running or exercises. We had a few days in the Yorkshire Dales and I know I never run even if I take my gear. So, 5 days of eating and drinking too much but with some activity.

Home yesterday and slotted in a 40 min run which went ok. The only thing I've lost is pace management, aiming 6:20-6:35 pk but kept finding myself in 5:50-6:10 🙄.

Long run Monday is 1h40m so I'll know then how I'm doing.

Have a good week everyone 🙂

2 photos from activity day: [not included in blog]

Malham Cove 4.8mi walk

Swaledale Trail on electric bikes.. first time and they're amazing 17mi

Muker to Keld valley 6mi walk

Richmond town & Easy Abbey along Swale 5.6mi walk

Circular out of Reeth 4mi walk

20th

Long run Monday and after nearly a week away I did wonder and indeed 2 mins out I was gasping and struggling; However it all came together and on the long gradients of the bypass I was amazed at the power in my legs today. Benefits of a break?

Plan today listed 25 jog & 5 walk x 4 but somehow I got it into my head it was 1h40m so I was 20 min down on plan. I can deal with that but it's a little annoying 🤔

I took music with me today; I normally just take in the world around me and let my mind wander but the duration is getting longer now. Albums Texas: Red Book & Melanie C: Northern Star

Really working on morning and evening exercises and strength is improving. I think my sit to stand squats building my quads is really helping. When I did a half marathon 5 years ago it was my quads that hurt most in the last 3 miles. Slow heel lifts on the stairs are working wonders for my Achilles.

Keep going everyone, we'll get there 👏👏👏

24th

INJURED 😢 Only climbing over a stile on Wednesday and managed to pull a calf muscle as I bent my leg to step over.

Thought it was ok for my Thursday run an Easy 40 mins but it was one of those runs, 40 mins of hell. My breathing wasn't right, I was tired and weak and protecting my calf ended up with hamstrings and left Achilles pain; Evidently posture all wrong 🙄

Calf feeling better but still tired and a bit of a sore throat, maybe a pesky virus is mucking me about.

I think I'll have to accept missing my Saturday run to recover and get straight back in on long run Monday.

Have a good weekend everyone, may your runs be happy ones.

27th

Long run Monday; it was 2 hours moving.

Need to subtract 20 minutes of overall time for a pause at the Carrs, Toilets which failed to accept my card but fortunately did take my phone and then I was tempted at the kiosk so instead of a SISS gel I got a chunky gluten free granola bar and an apple & blackcurrant smoothie in a carton. This time, phone wouldn't work 🙄. Eventually I managed to pay and then hung around the gardens fuelling up for the second half. (Granola bar was excellent 👍)

The mystery lack of energy last time out didn't return and the calf pull could be felt but was in control. Glad I was sensible and rested it Saturday. 6 minute cold bath on return home and some rolling in order.

Happily on target again 😃

January 2023

12th

A 30 min easy/fast per km this morning but added 2 minutes "puddle time" for stops to let traffic pass by; and it let me get to round number at 5k 😂 3rd run in a row I need to rinse & dry my shoes 💦

14th 

Don't you hate it when you pick out the wrong route and get near home too soon so have to keep adding another pointless turn around a local road? ☹️.

This morning was tough, 40min so called easy but it wasn't. Now my long runs are getting further I think I'm expecting shorter ones to be a doddle but they're still hard 🤔

16th

7 miles, that's over 1/4 Marathon 🎉🥂Relooked at my plan and concluded I have been too far too soon and not doing enough near the end. Plan to end now closely matches TCS Beginner.

Talking of plans, what's with the lingo?

• Run/walk
• Brisk walk
• Walk
• Jog
• Easy
• Steady
• Marathon pace
• Tempo
• Fartlek (cabbage for tea the night before?)
• Interval
• Cross train
• Fast
• Slow
• I give up 🤔😂

19th

It's a YakTrax sort of day up here. Should have been 40min but 2 phone calls and photo stops on such a lovely morning, I made it 

21st

One of those days where it just comes together. A really enjoyable 4.9 miles and I met my new best friends Thea and Thalia. Lots of ice spotting and avoidance, trying to run on the crunchy bits and avoid the shiny ❄️

23rd

Monday is long-run day for me. It feels odd as the distances go up and you find yourself places you'd normally only drive to. Nearly on the M60, I can go anywhere 😃.

1h30 run with a 5 min walk in the middle delivered 8.3 miles so I'm happy. Still trying to keep my speed down, I don't want injuries.

28th

One of my runs this week was a 20 min Easy so what did I do? I thought, Good grief, only 20 mins? Well, I don't need to hold back, I'll test my pace and breathing for a mere 20 mins.

Result = Left Achilles is now playing up. When will I learn and do what it says on the tin?

31st

Amusing myself that my runs are all 1 or 2 seconds longer than plan; I'm so determined not to stop short of target 😂. Photos at each km, just because 🤔😃

Training Demands, Unfinished Writings & Instagram Posts

My last blog post was dated 10 January 2023 and I feel bad that I left it there.

In January I had started my final 16 week training plan in readiness for the London Marathon 2023. One of the casualties of the demands of the time required in training was this blog. I'm sorry if you were reading it.

Largely for my own feeling of completeness, I am going to finish with a series of posts from Instagram which I did keep up with. This will hopefully give a feeling of my journey.

You can find the Instagram posts along with photos and videos @Ged70Marathon

So here's the final 15 weeks of my big adventure

Ups and Downs and Progress

 You can tell it's new year by the number of runners out on the streets. I think a lot of it is the new year new me so many people resolve. I certainly think I'll avoid the gyms for the first few weeks of 2023.

London 2023 is THIS YEAR!  Good luck everyone.

The Down bit

When writing my last post before Christmas I was pretty down about my condition. I had to pull out of the Wilmslow festive 10K due to a back injury that was failing to recover and my day-to-day running was virtually on hold due to a horrendous cold followed by a lingering violent cough that took me out for a couple of weeks. I had a go at getting going again with an easy gym treadmill session which seemed to go quite well but left me the following day drained with very sore calves showing that I really haven't been ready for it.

With Christmas in the middle and family coming to stay I had expected to hardly get any runs in at all but in the event there were a couple of gaps in activities that enabled me to get out on the roads. I was on easy walk/runs which went well but my chest was still horrendous and breathing very poor.

The Up bit

In the event, recovery was surprisingly fast. I managed the Christmas Eve Santa parkrun, slow for me but I did get round without a significant walk break. After Christmas, I managed a couple on longer (40-50min) run-walks moving up from 4+2 to 8+2 and by Saturday I managed my first planned continuous run of 40 minute. Back on Plan!  It is amazing how once the illness passes, body and brain remember how to do it and everything accelerates.

Milestones

So since my previous post, here's a list of things that I've achieved:

• I am into my 16 week training plan (early)
• For the first time in months I am able to do a hamstring stretch with no back pain
• I've completed a run over 10k first time since October 2022
• I've done my fastest 5k for quite a while
• I've moved on from walk/run combinations to running
• Completed my first run over 1h 20m since I did my 65th birthday half marathon five years ago
• Retuned to parkrun - my 25th
• Done my local parkrun running 2.3k each way from home to the event and back again, which I've intended doing for years
• Started to experiment with the gels as runs extend for longer time
• Managed to get my Achilles to a point where it seems to be under control - a mix of support, stretches and not pushing it too hard.

Follow me on Instagram @ged70marathon

How Many False Starts before I am Disqualified?

Wilmslow 2021

Training is so frustrating!

Sat 27 Nov: I was looking forward to taking part in the Wilmslow Festive 10k but the back problems I mentioned in my last post didn't improve sufficiently and I had to miss out. I love that race as well :(  

Mon 5 Dec: Finally back on the road again after 8 days of back exercises and walking 5-6k each day to tray to maintain my progress.  A good 50min walk / run (2 min / 6 min); Felt great and actually on plan. All the walks had worked.

Tue 6 Dec: Seem to be getting a bit of a cough?

Thur 8 Dec: Forced to miss run as my throat and lungs are burning and I'm coughing my guts out. Give me a break.

Sun 11 Dec: It's nearly a week now and the only thing running is my nose🤧. At least the chest is feeling better this morning. So much for training plans; glad I started the 16 week at minus 20 so I can catch up.

No Saturday indoor bike session, no Monday long run and no Tuesday additional bike.

Thur 15 Dec: Feeling healthier at last but minus 7C outside and my chest is still a bit dodgy. Opted for a drive to the gym.

Treadmill & Swim

Very successful gym trip. Having had a long interruption to running I needed to be careful of my Achilles and also take it easy after being poorly. 

Run / Walk for 60 minutes alternating 8.5kph jog and 5.6kph walk. Treadmill cranked to 1.0 for a gentle sop toward road running. Only 7.5km but a good hour's work. Following my run I headed to the pool to finish off with 200m. I would have done more but half the length of the pool was taken up by water aerobics and short lengths with no wall to turn at one end are a pain.

Trying to Get Back on Plan

Sat 17 Dec: After Thursday's gym session my calves are a little sore so I passed on my intention to head to a parkrun this morning. My local was cancelled due to ice on the course so it would have meant a half hour drive - not very green.

I normally do 40 mins on the indoor bike unless I decide to got to parkrun. This week however, I'm part way through renewing all the sealant in our shower so it's out of action. Poor excuse to miss exercise but not to be sniffed at 🤣

Let's see what this week brings. I need to be patient and not damage myself catching up too soon

Follow me on Instagram @ged70marathon

Santa is NOT Coming to Town

This Santa Claus is definitely not coming to town in Wilmslow Cheshire tomorrow. 

I should be taking part in the Wilmslow festive 10K for which I enjoy wearing a Santa outfit most years but sadly a back strain has decided to get worse just at the wrong time. It's really tempting to go ahead and run but I've a horrible feeling that I'm just going to hurt myself and knock my training back even further . This is really depressing as I'd only just about got my Achilles right and was hoping to get on with my training properly, but instead of that I've been knocked back a few weeks and I am now seriously concerned as to where things go from here.

This autumn-winter so far has been really bad news for me with a series of injuries from hamstring pulls to recurring Achilles pain and my back coming back to haunt me. To explain the last comment I hurt my back when I was 19, 50 years ago, and over the years it regularly decides to give me problems, usually at the most inopportune times.

Trying to maintain some fitness and strength, my Thursday run was replaced by a 400m swim and my Saturday indoor bike session replaced by a 5km fast walk. I will miss the 10k race tomorrow but, all being well, get in a short run on Monday which is my long run day.

My Training Plan

Ironically, I created my outline training plan last week and it's already gone to pot. On the positive side, I learned during training for my 65th birthday Half-Marathon  that plans have to be flexible. That time I built a solid progression and took no account of holidays, appointment clashes, family emergencies, illness, injury etc. 

For my 70th birthday London Marathon, the first thing  I did was scour my calendar for likely holidays or trips and matched them to rest periods allocating long runs to fit. I have taken my kit with me on several trips and never used it once. Knowing my own body now I have also dropped the simple continuous increase in duration/distance and instead ramp up and fall back in stages. This should both assist with boredom and reduced injury likelihood.

The other big change is that I am planning based on Duration rather than Distance, though admittedly with an eye to both. As I recover from injury I may be out for 50 minutes but that will be a walk/run combination, in healthier times it will be all run and therefore a longer distance. I anticipate being on the streets of London between 5 & 6 hours and monitor that against my actual pace as I train.

Miles vs Kilometres

I have stuck to training in Kilometres after being tempted to miles due to the Marathon tending to be described in miles. I am used to managing my routes in Km and the numbers pass by so much faster. I tend to think as I run how far I am in terms or proportion of distance covered, e.g. I know when I am 2/3 of the way and only have 1/3 left. I also like to think of a Half as 2 x 10km (plus a bit) and now the Marathon as 4 x 10 (plus a lot). I distinctly recall 3/4 through the Half Marathon thinking, right, only a parkrun to go, I can do that.

follow me on Instagram @Ged70Marathon