A mixed year but ending well

I had a great result even though injured at this years Virgin London Marathon 3:09:08 was just inside the good for age requirement for the VLM  2012. I picked up a calf injury just before which was aggravated on the marathon, then chest problems in the summer meant I had to rest for the next few months.

A knee problem kept me off the pavements and I decided to start cycling to get some fitness back, recent physio has cleared the problem (ITB is tight so judicious stretching regime now in place).

My goal now is to get fit and complete the VLM 2012 in a reasonable time, also to have a crack at some cycling time trials and hopefully a sprint triathlon in the spring.

I took part in the Stockport boxing day 5K and managed a 23:01 which spookily takes me back to my first 5k in recent years at the inaugural Heaton parkrun in June 2009. Back then I was a bit heavier but in a similar fitness state and managed a 23:00, so it tells me there is much work to do!

I did enjoy racing again though and had second thoughts about doing the hot toddy, the picture above was taken by Rachel Chapman and captures my mood perfectly...

On my Birthday (and anniversary to the wonderful Mrs Kelly!) we went shopping, Clare for an eternity ring and me... New running shoes. It was good to see Rick at Sweatshop again and putting a pair of Brooks Adrenalines felt like seeing old friends, I also picked up a pair of ASIC 2170's which will be reserved for distance training and races.

Wednesday I did a gym session for the first time in some time, I had a tough time on the treadmill, for the next couple of weeks I am going to attempt 5k at each running session. The first mile saw a mild ache in the left calf, the new trainers felt good but my chest was aching. The problem with treadmill's are it is too easy just to stop, so when I hit 2 miles it was getting too much I wanted to give up, instead I upped the speed and made the 3.1 in 26.21 so not a bad effort.

Next I tried the "Glute machine" but man are my glutes so weak! I figured not to do too much on my first trip back into the gym, a quick swim later and I was done!

Back into the gym on Thursday as the weather was seriously bad, another 5k on the treadmill and we have resurrected the Wii fit balance board as it acts as a great motivator for all the family!

On Friday I took to the roads on my bike, my goal is to increase my fitness whilst my legs get back to strength. I have fitted a garmin cadence device to the bike, on my first test before Christmas my average cadence was 66 which means I was turning the wheels 66 times a minute RPM) the aim is to average 90 and as I get fitter the speed will accompany the cadence.

Saturday saw the last Oldham parkrun of the year and 45 runners took part in pretty awful foggy wet weather, in 2012 we hope to grow the numbers back to the 75-100's again. Oldhams' micro-climate can often deter runners but it does not keep everyone away!

New Years Day went well as I put my Adidas Kanadias back on for the multi-terrain 'Joe Salts New Years Awakener'. Last year I managed 19th with 27 minutes and some change, this year, unfit and stuck for sections behind slower runners as the paths are narrow... 33:46 not a bad effort and I learned a lot about caring for my injuries. Remember before running I am to stretch my ITB, this is straight forward at the gym or at home, but as a stretch to be carried out lying down can be difficult to fulfil before a race. My calves were behaving today which I was please with but by mile two the left knee painful, I remembered my physio advice to slightly lift the knees  running and drop the pace. This I did for about half a mile and it worked  well, coming down the final hill my legs felt good and I turned on the sprint finish, nicking a place or three at the end!!! Andy O'Sullivan made a tanoy comment about my finish which is kind of embarrassing but everyone gets the same treatment.

So 2012 is here and my marathon training kicked off with a good effort, it tells me there is much work to be done to complete the VLM in a reasonable time. My true performance indicator I guess will be the Great North West half in February... Roll on the VLM

Have a great year everyone.

Mark Kelly 

The week that was

Monday saw me back on the physio bench for session number 3, Andy used a deep heat machine to warm my ITB up for its punishment. We also took some time to discuss linking David Roberts Physio to Oldham parkrun as they have done with Bramhall and Woodbank. They are offering a monthly prize of either a massage (Sports or the relaxing kind!) or 1/2 price assessment, to someone who has been injured. Much like the sweatshop prize for a deserving runner we can help a struggling person :)

I went for a run after physio and boy did my calves give me grief, my sedentary life has been taking its toll on my ahem..."athletes" body. The basic plan is to run the same 2 mile loop whilst I get my fitness back, then gradually increase the distance. The classic London marathon training starts on Jan 1st which gives you around 16 weeks to prepare, for me it starts on my birthday which coincides with the Hot toddy road race which is usually icy and has the best hill (Old Lumbetts) you know the one where you nose is scraping the road.

So after one mile my right calf was screaming and I was forced  to stretch it out for a moment, when I got home I jumped in a hot bath to give my legs a good stretch!

On Tuesday I repeated the same loop and felt a bit more comfortable, that said my right calf was tight and my thinking is that my running style has changed to protect my ITB (Sub-consciously). I need a coach to access my style but the track is shut until Jan 9th, hopefully Brian will be at a parkrun over the break so can give me a check over!

Wednesday was my last physio session, so fingers crossed my ITB issue is under control and I hoped to run at Oldham parkrun this week and use the "hot toddy" race as a training run. To put my RRR vest on once more will hopefully spur me on! (not all plans workout as you see later in the blog)

I ventured out on the same two mile loop that I used this week and yet again the calves where tight after one mile. My physio assures me this is fine and just a case of my body being way out of shape have been a couch potatoe for the last 6 months (my words not his...) happily though I stepped up to an average 8:36 min/mile from Monday and Tuesday's 9:03 :)

Now I can get my training diary sorted for 2012 but RRR have not published the race calander for 2012 as yet...

Yey I joined the gym again at DW sports, got a free month and looking forward to getting into "gym bunny mode" as I was being shown around the gym little has changed since last time I was a member. I will have to dig out an iPod as treadmills are notoriously boring but a neccasiry evil in winter training, my marathon mojo is definatly back in full swing.

Today I took part in the Stockport Boxing Day 5k, my first road race since the London Marathon. On arrival I parked up near Iain Stainthorpe of Rochdale Harriers and chatted whilst we walked to register. The excitement of filling out an entry form flooded back memories from earlier in the year, pinning on the number too much for me and I pinned it onto the back of the shirt in error and proceeded to wear it back to front! 

Of course it is winter but an unseasonably warm 11 degs meant I was getting dressed outside, topless and frantically re-pinning the number I got a "rude" awakening that 11 degs ain't that warm.

It was good to see Angie and Tony from Oldham parkrun in attendance, I also had a brief hello with Gill Doolan from Heaton parkrun... And again as she passed me on the second lap!!! 

I ended up with a 23:01 which was not bad in my current fitness level and recovering from injury. The left calf was quite tight but manageable, the knee behaving its self except on the last downhill section, where the pounding must have caused a bit of discomfort to must runners.

It felt great to complete a race before the end of the year, but I won't be at the "hot toddy" on my birthday as today was a good indicator of my capabilities. 5.8 miles and the biggest hill in Todmerdon just a bit too much to handle me thinks.

Instead I am off to Sweatshop in the morning for some shiny new running shoes and as my garmin's battery life is poor... possibly a new watch.

Just for those to have a laugh below is a picture of me on Christmas day wearing the bad shirt my bro Robert got me. Each year a group of us must buy/make a shirt so ugly you don't want to wear it and certainty not wear it in public. But wear it all day we must and this year I took my family to our local curry house for the best Christmas meal ever... For some reason I got looks of looks from customers and staff alike :p

Back on the road

This week saw me get back on the road after taking the summer and autumn off with health and injury woes. I have been getting physio from Andy Byrne at the Oldham branch of David Roberts Physio centres. The first session on Tuesday was a nervous experience as I was unsure my personal diagnosis would be corroborated!
If the knee issue was serious I.e. needing surgery then I had considered hanging up my shoes. Last Saturday Royton Road Runners had its annual presentation night and even though I was sat in the same place as last year, i could not have felt more differently.

2010 had been a great year and 2011 carried on in much the same fashion, my Marathon PB at London had secured a good for age place in the VLM 2012, but since then I have run just a few miles!

Andy was giving the knee a great looking at and to my relief he informed that my issue is ITB related. It was no surprise when he remarked it is largely due to having weak glutes! During my coaching training I would always be embarrassed giving demonstrations in areas like squats as I just wobble and fall over. Bear in mind that at the time I was marathon fit and should have been doing single leg squats for breakfast!

This week was the last "track" session for RRR, Brian and I met the runners as usual but the track is shut due to building  works! So it was a hill session instead. The weather was so bad I was glad to get the call that the session was over, we won't meet again until the 9th Jan.

I had another ITB physio session on Friday and it is amazing that they don't leave bruises, but it is working   I went for a run today, just a couple of kilometres but it felt good to be out. I dug out the Adidas Kanadia's and headed out onto the snow. My ITB was fine and part of me was happy I had pain elsewhere in my legs! My fitness is at zero but now it is time to start working on getting back to running, London is jut over 4 months away...

On Saturday we had our Santa Dash at Oldham parkrun, 52 runners braved the snow to run around a just passable course. Resplendent in Santa suits and raising lots of money for Christies we had a great time and the cake provided by Tony and Angie.. totally scrumptious. Below a picture of Sandra, Bev and I on the start line, I had no end of problems stopping the oversized trousers from dropping, a jacket that would not stay shut and a belt that snapped first go. Not to mention a beard more annoying than my real one!

So onwards and upwards and once again a say roll on the Virgin London Marathon



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Robin Hood Marathon - From the MarathonTalk.com Motivation Station!

What a weekend, as I sit here with my legs feeling like they had actually done the Marathon I reflect on a great two days.
Saturday morning started as always with parkrun and a super turnout of 70 finishers, a few were heaton parkrunners, a late notice closure of the park (well the bit we use) meant a hasty dash to Oldham.
After parkrun I headed off to "Go Outdoors" far an emergency purchase of sleeping bags and a mallet... long story.

Stephen practices "Clacking" and blowing the whistle

Stephen and I then drove down to Nottingham firstly to see Rick Bennett who was very busy doing his role his Site Supervisor at the festival, then it was off to the campsite. We were the first from the team to get to there and it was very windy, I quick call to see how far Tom Williams was away confirmed at least an hour so we agreed to wait it out. Greg Brock (The website guru behind www.MarathonTalk.com was next to arrive, soon after Paul Sinton-Hewitt (PSH) pulled into the carpark. Another call to Tom and we decided that it was better to set the camp up as the wind had died down and the sky has brightened up.

In all there were about 20 campers who tucked into a great BBQ, a couple of runners who were taking part in the race joined us, it was a bit cruel as we enjoyed Burgers, Kebabs, Helen's world famous Veggie Burgers and a fair amount of booze. They of course had exciting pasta and Lucozade in preparation for the Marathon!

At around 9:00pm the heavens opened and thus the MarathonTalk motivation team beat a hasty retreat under canvas, an early night ensued...

How does this work again?

5:15am an un-holy noise of trucks and inconsiderate workers who laughed, swore, dropped crates and basically acted  like louts setting up the Water-Aid station for mile 17. This just happened to be on the over side the hedge were were camping next to, annoyingly we think these were the same people acting like morons clearing our tables and pallets at Mile 20 (The MarathonTalk motivation station) before the race had ended!!!

At 8:20 we headed out for a run to the start of the marathon, after a couple miles my knee was in agony, I gritted my teeth and carried on. We had a group photo at the finish line and headed back, the knee surprisingly was not nearly as painful on the way back. A quick camp clear up and we went in convoy to the mile 20 station to prepare for the runners (The first two already at mile 9) Stephen and the other children got busy opening bottles and we soon joined in the... fun.

On the whole the day was great fun, encouraging the runners like we do at parkrun only for a much longer time! Stephen who had said the night before he had wished he had gone to Blackpool with his Mum and Brothers, admitted in the car on the way back that he actually was glad he came and would be back next year!

It was great to see Jamie Cook who takes part in Heaton parkrun running well, Ria Bright however was struggling, given that this was her 3rd Marathon in 3 weeks that would be enough to destroy most people especially if you are on your legs for 6 hours at a time! Well done to both of them!

Well I am off to soak my legs in the bath after a hard days graft, next time you are in a race and someone handles you a bottle of water... thank them please... a whole lot of hard work goes into making sure you get much needed nutrition.

Oh to the louts that woke us early setting up the water station... (being paid and on double time at least)...

"Make the fleas of a thousand dogs infest your armpits!"

Have a great running week

Regards

Mark

No mobile signal, Internet or roads to run on

My worst fears have been realised! Arriving at the caravan on Friday I stared in horror at my iPhone no signal. A quick survey found a similar response from the rest of the family, only Stephen had a week O2 signal and GPRS which is like being in the 90's!
The only place I can get a signal is at the top of the hill at the entrance to the park.
In the evening I ventured out with a sense of trepidation the site is on a steep hill that leads down to the sea, great for scenery but I don't fancy hill reps all week. I explored the entire park and decided to head out onto the road, having not seen a pavement on the A75 I hoped there would be some sort of respite for pedestrians. Alas there was not and I decided today was not a good day to die, so headed back.

On the way back to the van it is a steep descent and this gave my troubled knee a torrid time, it actually felt like it was moving around in a wild motion.
I took the easy choice of walking back the last 100m as a cool down and protect the knee!

It struck me that had I still been training for the Robin hood marathon it would have been nigh on impossible to get my long run in today... So it looks like it will be a treadmill week at the onsite "fitness suite" which thankfully is not like the mobile signal... from the 90's

- have a great running week

Mark K
From sunny Scotland :p

Location:Scotland

Back to running at Oldham parkrun

In a snap decision I decided to have a stab at running again! In the last couple of weeks I have had good news from the hospital that my heart is in no danger and last week run over a mile for the first time in months with out my knee giving me grief.
I was due to do backup timer and when parkrun regular Lynn Newman arrived dressed in jeans (a dead give away that no running on the cards) I had an instant replacement for my volunteer duty. So I trotted off to warm up, dressed in kind of running gear... tracksuit bottoms and my Adidas Tempo zero's which I stopped using for running as they murder my calves and knees!!!

It is plain to see harriers and club runners as they are the only ones warming up and I often muse that one day I will do a mass warm up with the parkrunners!

I figured that I would go to the back of the pack and take it easy, but hey once I got into my stride I was soon in the top ten and just relaxed and tried to enjoy the run. But guess what after my Garmin bleeped the first mile I saw a 6:50 and figured just a bit too quick, soon after a nagging pain in my left knee. Not apin as intense as before but enough to consider an exit right and walk back to run HQ.

But I fought on and after another mile it eased off and recorded an 8:00 min/mile, by now my chest was screaming due to a total lack of fitness and the hills of Alexandra Park just continue on and on and on.
The last lap of Oldham parkrun takes you through the woodland walk which is again a hill in disguise.
The Garmin bleeped on the final straight signifying the last .11 and it was a 7:33 so happily crossed the line in 22:48 a modest time after months of nothingness!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/107893320
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/oldham/results/latestresults

I enjoy talking to runners when they finish a parkrun, it adds a better edge when you have been through the same experience.
I have now have Oldham parkrun using the latest technology including webFMS (Online event processing), VMS the cut down version of the old FMS but has some great new features. Not forgetting the Junsd 9006 USB stopwatch which Roger Hardiman has written conversion software so they can be used as a backup timer at parkrun.

I will soon be releasing the latest version of "Hitch hikers guide to parkrun" for run directors! Now I have done a video version and just need to include VMS and perhaps a video of using the junsd .

So now I will begin to train and get fit, the knee problem promising to be a horrid memory. My next running trip will be the Robin Hood Marathon, not to run it as my entry will show a DNS :( but instead Joining Tom and Mart from http://www.marathontalk.com at Mile 20 on the motivation station :)

So I hope you all have a good week and keep on running!

Mark K

A busy running week... without actually running

As the NHS finally whirr's into action this week with the cardiology tests I reflect on a good week in the more fun parts of my running life!
Usually on a Monday evening I would be track side stopwatch, clipboard and whistle but the recent health worries have put pay to that. Thankfully Don is standing in for me and making sure the runners get their weekly interval training fix!

Wednesday was the Royton Trail which is Royton Road Runners annual club race, along time ago I offered to help with the timing so was hoping to get there! Brian Moore our stats man organises the results and on this occasion we were going to use the parkrun timer in an effort to make the front of the funnel a simpler job for the stopwatch folks.
It went very well and the import process to the spreadsheet fairly straight forward, we will continue to see if the parkrun model has any merit going forward... Who knows barcoded race numbers???

Friday saw the first gathering of all the organisers for parkruns in the North West. Paul Sinton-Hewitt and Tom Williams (www.marathontalk.com) gave us an update on all things parkrun now and in the near future.
PSH started with an impassioned history of parkrun right up to date. Manchester has grown its numbers since Bramhall started  followed by Heaton, Woodbank, South Manchester, Oldham, Bolton and Pennington Flash.

Liverpool has started its own story at the Princes park and will surely mirror Manchester's growth in the coming years
After the meeting some of us went out for a meal and we headed off in convoy, when the lead car pulled in at a MacDonalds were were somewhat confused as we should have been at the Curry Mile in Rusholme. It turned out the lead car was the Liverpool team who never intended going for a curry and were grabbing a quick burger on the way home!
My everlasting vision will be of PSH, Tom and 6 other parkrun leaders enjoying a post-meal Vimto lolly... surreal!

On Saturday it was Sandra's first time as race director and as we met in the park, the heavens opened!
Last week had been good weather but Bev's first RD experience had its own issue... vans driving around the park.
Sandra delivered a great run brief, managed volunteers and could not have done a better job. The ladies did so well I can relax knowing that Oldham parkrun will continue to grow and grow. parkrun is all about community and as I was chatting to Sandra at 8:30am it reminded me of discussions the night before. There are now over 80 parkruns which means hundreds of parkrun leaders and volunteers having the same emotions as they head in to a park on a Saturday morning! Thousands of runners some for there first time, happy and excited about meeting fellow parkrunners the chatter can be deafening!

Well I hope that the doctors can get to the bottom of whatever is making me unwell and I can get back to running soon.

Regards

Mark