The loneliness of a long distance hasher

KangaRuse

ruse

noun

An indirect, usually cunning means of gaining an end. A crafty stratagem; a subterfuge.
I hear they have Ruse in Aus.

posted by Winston @ 2:38 PM 2 comments

Cross training

In conversations about running training, people are often impressed at how much I know about the subject; "Jim", they say, "you're full of it!". Sometimes they can't keep up with some of the advanced topics and cry "Enough! I can take no more.".

So.

The topic of how to incorporate the festivities associated with March 14th / 20th and the latter stages of marathon training came up in the course of things. Now I normally don't eat meat (although my girlfriend does), but I thought I'd look into the subject out of professional interest.

Looking for the champion's approach I tried Paula Radcliffe's book. A whole chapter on her fiery relationship with her husband, but nothing on this subject. Next the website: nothing. Even in promisingly titled diary entries. In any case, I'm pretty sure that Paula's ice baths would render me incapable of enjoying the benefits of the March festivities and the long compression socks would make it unlikely that I should get the chance.

If the best in the business have no potted wisdom for us, we need to go back to first principles (i.e. make it up), so I referred back to the training plan I'm following, that advocates "running only 3 days a week, following a specific training plan, and cross-training" and found some pearls.

Well, jig-a-jig certainly isn't running, so it must count as cross-training, and so we have Rule 1: Planning. Spontaneity is all very well and good, but you don't want to blow your chances by failing to limber up properly beforehand, or to stretch afterwards.

Looking further down the Furman plan we find Rule 2: "intensity is the most important factor for improving the physiological processes that determine running performance" and that you should aim to cross-train for 30-45mins. This might leave you with a training shortfall; one idea is to keep a rowing machine handy in the bedroom for the other 25-40mins.

OnOn!

posted by Jim @ 2:04 PM 1 comments

The last big one

Ed, Winst and I grumbled our way out on to the last (for me anyway) big run of this year's campaign. Excuses were cheerfully exchanged as we agreed to a 19 mile route through several villages that begin with H, and then up to Madingley and back across the fields to Grantchester.

Turned out to be a great run, and we all went variously over 20 miles (shuttle running + navigational hiccoughs accounting for the difference), and were rewarded by a fantastic lunch chez McKeon.

posted by Jim @ 9:57 AM 0 comments

Time to get your mind right.

To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who's never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind - Jerome Drayton

Marathon running is a terrible experience: monotonous, heavy, and exhausting. - Veikko Karvonen, 1954 European and Boston Marathon Champ

You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming - Frank Shorter

Marathoning is like cutting yourself unexpectedly. You dip into the pain so gradually that the damage is done before you are aware of it. Unfortunately, when awareness comes, it is excruciating - John Farrington, Australian marathoner

There is the truth about the marathon and very few of you have written the truth. Even if I explain to you, you'll never understand it, you're outside of it -Douglas Wakiihuri speaking to journalists

We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon - Emil Zatopek

posted by Steve @ 7:26 AM 0 comments

ASICS Gel MarahashRacerBot

I have to agree with Steve, training is tough and time is short, it's easier to buy really loud high tech running kit. I've got an insert for my shoes that should outdo those dainty red racing flats of Steve's (and people said mine looked gay). It's the ASICS Gel DS RacerBot mk.VII. I just have to put my number on it, thwack it on the baboon and, if I've put enough pasta in it, job done. No more painful training for me.

posted by Winston @ 5:27 PM 0 comments

With less than a month to go, I have decided it is too late to do any training ..... instead, I have placed an order to buy my first ever pair of racing 'flats'. The ASIC's Gel DS mk.VII - TN620's ( see left ). These things are so light that when you're not wearing them you have to weight them down to stop them floating away. Of course they don't have much in the way of shock absorption so there is some risk that you might punch your lower leg though your knee joint, but that seems like a small price to pay. In any event I figure this will probably be my last marathon so what the heck. Guys on crutches always seem to get a lot of attention from the girls.

posted by Steve @ 10:21 PM 1 comments

Science Park or Mine Field? You Decide.

So yes, I too was very much enjoying the Boundary Run, all that sunshine and fresh air, until an unfortunate encounter with a land mine around mile 18. Stumbling upon said ‘area denial munition’ denied me the rest of the run and left a rather messy hole in my left foot. Fortunately (?) I was already dosed with veterinary strength antibiotics for a previous injury, so now I’m hobbling, healing, and shopping for kevlar-reinforced running shoes -- no more exploding feet for me! Oh, and enjoying two lovely side effects of the gorillacillin: an ‘altered sense of reality’ as detailed in the Patient Information Leaflet, and my teeth tasting like a Habit/Fairy Liquid cocktail.

The foot, Monday

posted by Julia @ 1:07 PM 3 comments

How to out geek Winston...

The results are in for the boundry run. The placings and photos do nothing to convey the pain and misery that comes from running x miles chasing Jim. Hence herewith I submit my log:

Suffice as to say it was not a natural experience.

Following Alex 'marathon' Ho for the second half was definitely a powerplay even if it did leave me only running the full planned distance and missing out on Jim's unplanned sightseeing tours of the car burning corners of Arbury and Cherry Hinton. Much respect to the man though for an excellent time for 27 or was it 37 miles?

posted by FriendToGeoff @ 8:27 PM 1 comments

Late aching news

As you can see from the boundary run results, Ed and I are both partly guilty of bringing the hash into repute, whilst JJ and Cecile left the bad name of the hash sullied by dodging the marshall's clipboard.

In related news, later today I'm hoping for a post from a ringer whose exploding feet should secure a martyrometer swing back to the left.

posted by Jim @ 9:17 AM 0 comments

Two bounders and a cad

That is, Ed and I ran the Cambridge Uni Hare and Hounds annual Boundary Run, whilst Winston SMS'd me last night from Munich to say he was snowed in at the airport. He's not really a cad (as far as I know), but I had to pick someone to make the headline.

The website says it's 23 miles, but they added an extra 2 "for fun", and my run of bad luck hashing kept going, and I got lost a couple of times, adding about a mile (yet to be googlemap pedometered). Still, all miles in the bank.

The weather was absolutely wonderful - bright and sunny, and the prevailing wind was on our backs on the way home.

Ed had a good'un, Julia set out for the return leg (Julia - how did you get on?) and JJ broke his grunty fen curse and made it around the half without incident. All in all, a good showing by the Rad Running And Drinking Club.

P.S. Just googlemapped my diversions - I added about 1.2 miles all told. Doofus!

posted by Jim @ 7:40 PM 0 comments