ROBIN HOOD MARATHON 11 September 2011

A massive thank you to everyone who showed their support and helped me to acheive a marathon time of 3hrs 39mins 51secs, raising a massive £1271 for The British Heart Foundation. It was a superb day and can't wait for the next one.

1 week to go!

So here we are, 28 weeks and 575 miles of training completed and I'm just 6 days away from my first marathon.

I've taken things pretty easy this week as part of my planned tapering, allowing muscles to heal and my body to recover. The worrying twinge in my left hip after Mondays 10 miler has now become just a slight niggle and I'm hopeful it will have healed completely come Sunday. Apart from that I feel great and can't wait for race day to arrive.

I've calculated my pacing throughout the race and will be aiming to run a negative split using the following times.

Miles 1-2 8:13/mile

3-9 8:05/mile

10-17 7:59/mile

18-26.2 7:51/mile

My trusty Garmin 305 watch should hopefully help me monitor me times and, if all goes to plan, I should finish the race in just under 3hrs 30mins - although I will be more than happy to just finish.

Sponsorship has really taken off this week, a big thank you to all those who have have given so generously. I am currently just £169 away from my £1000 target and am hoping, with the last few sponsors still donating, that I will reach this target by Sunday. If you would like to give please let me know and I'll pop it on my sponsorship form. Alternatively you can use my fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/stevetrotter.

The week ahead is all about making sure I'm relaxed and well rested and that I feel good, both mentally and physically. I plan to get a few short runs in but fitness and training wise the work is all done. Sleep is the doctors order for the week, so am planning plenty of early nights, as there is little chance of a lie-in during my first week back at school.

I will be posting how I got on and, eventually, a full race report (including my final fundraising total) so please keep checking back for my latest news.

See you on the start line!

Steve.

10 days to go!

Heart Runners race shirt arrived today, plenty of room and a decent wicking material. You'll certainly see me coming!

7 Weeks To Go! - 16 mile Longest Run

After a reassuring trip to the physio on Friday I started this 16 miler (my longest yet) knowing that there is no major problem with my knee, just a little more strength work needed to keep the twinges at bay.

I ran 4 miles at a comfortable 9min/mile pace and then 8 miles at 8min/mile marathon pace, followed by a final 4 miles at 9min/mile.

Cardio and heart rate wise the run felt great by the knee was hurting from about mile 4, a pain which came and went throughout the rest of the run. By the end of mile 16 I was very achy and really felt the difference from the 10-14 mile long runs I've been doing over the last couple of months.

This run has really reiterated the advice from my physio that strength and core work will really come into play as I step up my long runs ready for the Robin Hood Marathon on September 11th.

Another enjoyable early morning long run but one that's certainly got me thinking.

"And the money kept rolling in!"

Thanks to all the members of THURCROFT THEATRE GROUP for their kind sponsorship of £105 tonight, bringing me 1 step closer to my £1000 target. Please give what you can by donating at www.justgiving.com/stevetrotter

Week 8 - 12 training - Canada, Hinckley Half Marathon & 200miles completed

It's been a while since my last blog so I thought it high time I let you good people know how my training is progressing.

Easter was spent visiting my brother and his wife in Toronto, Canada which meant I was able to run my most spectacular route to date, Niagara Falls. Despite the torrential rain

I managed a wonderful 10 miles, passing the famous falls on my way up river and again on the way back - truly unforgettable.

A couple of other runs over there, including a 10 miler round Centenary Park in Mississauga, made me realise how easy it is for me to plan routes back in the UK, without the need to worry about of avoiding blocks and blocks of roads and traffic lights.

I returned from Canada with my eye on the next goal, improving my personal best for the Half Marathon. To help me I took the plunge and bought myself a snazzy GPS running watch. My Garmin Forerunner 305, although looking somewhat futuristic, gives every conceivable stat for me to track my progress and compare with other runs. The added heart rate monitor has also given me something else to focus my training on, rather

than simply time, distance and pacing.

Sunday 8th May was the Hinckley Half Marathon where I was determined to beat my Half Marathon time of 1:58:55 from last summer. My training showed I should be capable of a 1:45, with some online calculators predicting sub 1:40. I decided I would set myself an A-goal of sub 1:40 but a back-up 1:45 B-goal if I felt the pace was too quick.

The start of the race was quite crammed as we ran out of the water park and down a fairly narrow country lane. I was concious the pace was quite slow and way behind my 7:37/mile target pace. As I reached mile 3 I was already nearly 2 minutes down on 1:40 pace so I made the decision to go for my B goal of 1:45, trying to stay as close to sub 8min miles as possible. I managed this for most of the race, with the exception of a couple of slow miles up the hill. Although I had to dig in towards the end of the race, I finished the race feeling pretty good and as proud as punch, smashing my personal best by over 15mins and clocking a time of 1:43:45. Although not my A goal I don't think I can complain and this definitely gives me confidence of a achieving a sub 4hr marathon time in September.

I felt pretty good the week after the half marathon and carried on training as usual, including an 11miler the following Sunday. Although I kept to a steady 9mins/mile my body felt really stiff right up until the Tuesday after - 10 times worse than after the half marathon. Anyway, after a couple of easier runs this week I feel much better and am ready for my next long run (11miles) this coming Sunday around the rural villages of Rotherham.

My next race is in 5 weeks time at the Mansfield Half Marathon on 26th June, where hopefully the elusive 1:40 will be achieved.

Thanks again for all your continued support and don't forget to sponsor me for September at www.justgiving.com/stevetrotter.

Till next time!

Steve

Week 7 Training - We was mobbed!

Apologies for the lateness of this post - been a little busy this week!

A week of surreal experiences, along with a reality check on my running. After a late night trying to 'sell' my subject to the delights that are Year 9s 'doing' their options, I moved my runs which unfortunately meant I would run 5 days in a row this week - not good!

I ran Wednesday's interval session pretty hard and am starting to feel my recovery between efforts improving each week - it was also great to read British Heart Foundation's recent research showing the benefits of interval training for the heart. See more here.

Thursday was a somewhat inspirational day as the Watoto Childrens' Choir came to perform at my school. With the youngest member at just 8 years old the performance was absolutely stunning. All of the children are orphans from Uganda and really helped put life into perspective, making me appreciate how lucky I am to have the positive and comfortable life I, and those around me, enjoy.

Friday's tempo run was something of an anticlimax as I got so excited at finishing with an unbelievable pace of 6min30secs. After several goes at re-mapping the route on googlemaps I then realised I had missed one short lap, resulting in a more realistic, but still encouraging, 7:30/mile pace.

Saturday's hill session was when the fatigue really kicked in and has to be my hardest run so far. I know hills are supposed to hurt but I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to lactic acid in the legs - something I'll have to get used to.

Saturday was also the day I experienced my first flash mob in Meadowhall, Sheffield. Added to this surreal experience was also the fact that my Mum was part of the mob, as a member of the BEVOX choir. See more in the video below.

Sunday was, as usual, Long Run day and a steady 8 miler finished off a fun but tiring 21.5 miles of running.

Off to Canada next week so may not manage all my scheduled runs. With 115 miles and 21 weeks to go until my marathon I think I can allow myself a slight reduction in running - I am on holiday after all!

Til Next Week,

Steve