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On Sunday 13 October 2024 I'll be taking part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon with the intention of raising as much funding as I can for this brilliant charity, Accuro (Care Services).

Bib Number 19084.

********* Post Run Immediate Reaction *********

As always thank you to anyone who's already donated, this is really appreciated.

So reporting in .... whilst I still had the tail end of a cold, mainly the sniffles, I was able to put this to one side. The weather was almost perfect, albeit a chilly 6c at the start, but part sunny and a light breeze.

I can summarise the run in thirds. Shot off from the start, had then to rein it in and then finally work through the rest. Like I've said before I am a 'commit hard to start with' and then 'hang on' runner.

Enthusiam and energy, with a bit of downhill in the first third, back uphill with something in the tank for the middle third and then depleted energy with tightening and the start of cramping in the calves and hamstring for the last third although balanced with a shuffle style run to get over the line. That final third being to result of simply not enough miles in my legs over the last few months for one reason or another.

However all things said the result was very pleasing. I said at the very start of my posts that the PB I set on this course back in 2021 (1:26:30) seemed a world away from what I'm likely to achieve now .... and whilst that's not an untruth I was a lot closer than I'd given myself credit for with a sub-90 minute run in 1:29:32, and came 2nd in the 60+ catagory. 494/17000 entrants .... and a good day out.

Once I have them I'll post a photo or two as my final update.

If anyone reading this would still like to contribute to the fundraising the link will remain open for a few weeks, thank you.

********* update 2 sleeps to go *********

As always thank you to anyone who's already donated, this is really appreciated.

So reporting in .... let's start with the negatives. I've still got a cold, mainly the sniffles and an irritating cough, but at least it's not painful and the aches have gone.

On the positive side my training this week has been almost to plan, mainly rest that said, but I guess that's not quite what was intended for the tapering down just before race day. There's been a couple of short runs this week, 30 minutes max, but the one today was '3 miles slow plus with 1 mile at intended race pace'. I went slow and did 1 mile at race pace. Not entirely sure how that 1 mile can relate to 13.1 miles on Sunday but at least it proves my legs will move.

I've also used these to make sure the new relatively new trainers fit comfortably. Yeah sort of.

Weather looks good for Sunday, maybe a tad too cold at 6C at 9am, but otherwise relatively clear, no rain and just light winds, so can't ask for much more than that.

Running also are friends, work collegues and supporters of Accuro so my best wishes for their runs and I hope they enjoy this course and event as much as I have.

I've stoged up on quite few carbs and fluid this week, tomorrow will be lighter eating and hopefully I'll be as prepared as I can be to race on Sunday.

I'll report back !

********* update 1 week to go *********

As always thank you to anyone who's already donated, this is really appreciated.

As of today I've come down with a painful sore throat and the sniffles ... really!!! However ... nothing is stopping me now.

So a couple of great weeks away touring Spanish cities with some time in the sun was always going to be a challenge for significant training, especially as my training is mainly completed on a treadmill where speed is controlled and information is in front of you on a screen. Let's call it an early start to tapering down.

I found a park of sorts in Cordoba where I was able to get some distance based intervals up and down the paths and then moving to the coast I did get in two long runs, 14km and 16km along the boardwalk in Sitio de Calahonda. Nothing particularly fast but with the temperature ~20C and humidity ~80% then that's being sensible. I interpersed this with a bit of hillwork, with care given as I think it was that which started to tip my calf over the edge in June.

This photo is the less severe view of the incline :-).

I'm giving it just a few days and I'd like to get one more speed work training session in, then some light short runs before race day.

Gut feel is that if the run was in 8 weeks and I was able to avoid injury I'd get close to achieving my race time goal, but that's not the case.

Hopefully come next Sunday the cold will have gone, and I'll be in good shape. Then we'll concern ourselves with the weather; at least I'm already aware there's a rail replacement service on Sunday morning that's got to be worked around.

Bib number: 19084, starting in Wave 1.

Thank you again to all those who have already supported Accuro but if you haven't perhaps you will be able to spare something small through a donation as I'm hoping that I can get closer to the donation target.

Thank you.

********* update 4.5 weeks to go *********

As always thank you to anyone who's already donated, this is really appreciated.

Just a quick update as I'm late packing for Spain where of course this is intended as a two week heat aclimatising training period .... no it isn't as it's a holiday! However I'm aiming to hit the ground running, sort of, aiming to do a mix of occasional shorter speed work next week and then a couple of longer runs the week after before tapering down the intensity in the final two weeks before the big day.

I had a good 16km run last Sunday but for the last few days I have felt my right calf again so this time listening to the body I hadn't tried anymore running until this morning, and it seems fine. Today was my longest mix of longer runs at a speed faster than my likely race pace but slower than the shorter interval speed training. Targeted to do 3x 3.2km runs I ended up doing a 4km, then a 3.2km but by the time i got to 1.5km on the final leg the rest wasn't going to happen, so broke there.

So now in the final month I appreciate that despite great intentions back in March, things just get in the way. Holidays, injuries, colds, and recovery and recuperation time has most likely taken half the available time away.

So now it's about being in the best possible shape, and trying to stick as closely as possible to the training plan.

Thank you again to all those who have already supported Accuro but if you haven't perhaps you will be able to spare something small through a donation as I'm hoping that I can get closer to the donation target.

Thank you.

********* update 6 weeks to go *********

As always thank you to anyone who's already donated, this is really appreciated.

Positive news, no reoccurance of injuries, maybe helped by being cautious. For the remaining 6 weeks I've created a fresh, more realistic, training plan aimed at trying to improve speed whilst building some endurance. It was pushing the endurance that caused the calf tear in the first place so there's a question there and this plan includes no run days, replaced by aerobic exercise on a Rower and Spin Bike.

I had a good set of intervals very early this morning; interval day is the dreaded session so one less now.

Over the weekend I was looking at race pace calculators, ones that try to determine that with the right training what you could run if running a different distance. So I'm now looking at 01:40:00 for the HM, we'll see!

What was also interesting, although pretty obvious in hindsight, is that losing or gaining weight could have an impact on speed/time. Gaining 7lbs could add 2.5 minutes to an HM time because of the extra effort, and it works the other way around as well in that shedding 7lbs could knock 2.5 minutes off an overall time, if you have it to lose of course.

Let's see what the next week brings and in that time I hope to plan out an achievable training plan when away in Spain in a few weeks time.

Thank you again to all those who have already supported Accuro but if you haven't perhaps you will be able to spare something small through a donation as I'm hoping that I can get closer to the donation target.

Thank you.

***** update just over 7 weeks to go *****

Firstly thank you to anyone who's already donated, this is really appreciated.

Injury hit! I'm on the mend but it's certainly put pay for ambitions of a fast(ish) time.

My first post I recounted that "... out in Spain over the last week I've done some Boardwalk slow running in the heat". In fact I'd run a slow 14km, then a slow 17km 4 days later and all looked promising. So the day before we return home I thought I'd run full half marathon distance of 21.1km ... at 16km my right calf twinged and by 17km I was running through pain with was a badly pulled calf muscle, potentially slightly torn.

So we move on and then in the next 3 weeks was the cold from hell as I was trying to at least keep the heart and lungs exercised, but hoping the calf would be workable when that had cleared. Finally 6 weeks after that pushing it too far was I able to gingerly run a little and now starting to follow the advice (more or less) to ensure I can get to the RPHM24 date without any further mishaps and run well.

So what's the guidance. Try 15 minutes of slow pace, leave it a day, then repeat. Do this for a week and then increment to 25 minutes every other day. Oh and no speed work, this is purely building strength. Supplemented with other calf building exercises, not forgetting that I did have imbalanced hamstrings that needed sorting (don't laugh).

Anyway .... I do have a degree of impatience, so I've been broadly sticking to the alternate running days TICK, some overall cardio exercises on the non-running days (spin bike, rower, prancing around HiiT type stuff), but then just adding bits more rapidly to the running days, albeit fearing a reaction. I've become sensitive to every slight twitch in the calf whilst running and have said to myself to stop if it is suspicious.

Pleasingly I've managed to progress the running much quicker than the advice, although taking nothing for granted. It's been 2 weeks since 'test the calf' day 1, and increasing the distance I did a treadmill 10km 2 days back TICK. And today have returned to a total of 20 minutes of interval speed training over a 40 minute run/walk. Oh and I feel like I've picked up another cold, but as I don't really do colds as they get in the way I'm ignoring this one.

Fingers crossed I hope now to be able to do weekly updates that are on positive progress rather than tales of woe.

Thank you again to all those who have already supported Accuro but if you haven't perhaps you will be able to spare something small through a donation.

Thank you.

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I've been lucky enough to be part of this event back in 2015 and in 2021, each time aiming to raise money for charitable causes.

We don't get any younger and this I feel is a great way to keep motivated in staying fit and healthy, having some 'fun' on the way.

Back in 2021 I achieved a personal best (PB) for this Half Marathon distance of 1:26:30, and although this time is now a world away from what I'm likely to achieve it still provides the motivation to commit to a solid training plan and 'see where it takes me'. I did have fun in 2021 especially before the start as I managed to edge myself to the front of the pack and the wonderful photo below is a great momento of standing there ready with 16,000 other runners behind trailing up The Mall and into The Green Park.

I'll provide some updates of my training journey.

Since getting the entry back in March 2024 I've been focused on getting some distance into my legs with some speed work in the mix. I can report that it doesn't get any easier, in fact it feels more of a struggle to get to the level I was at an equivilent training point in 2021.

There are a number of twinges and irritations so I do need to be concious of also having training breaks to ensure the muscles can rest; the time since March has also been impacted by weeks out for holiday, work and another holiday.

I did a 'test' 10k run at the end of May which was fine; whilst it was a struggle I completed it just over 3 minutes outside my PB set in 2015, but that is a good measure for where I need to focus. And out in Spain over the last week I've done some Boardwalk slow running in the heat.

My ask .... is for donations for this great Charity, Accuro (Care Services).

https://www.accuro.org.uk/

These services they provide reduces social isolation and empowers members by providing accessible social and leisure opportunities that allow members to develop life skills, gain confidence and self-esteem and make friends. If through donations made they can impact positively just one additional person then my fundraising will be worth it.

Thank you. Mark

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