Running diary 1984-1990 ----------------------- This diary covers the period when I ran the London marathon twice and several half-marathons, joined Oxford City Athletic Club, and (after I became a veteran at age 40) won two AAA silver medals in the Veterans' road relay in successive years (but missed out on a gold medal). Book 1 ------ 1984 February 1984 24: Top of Cumnor Hill via Wytham and Botley. Felt good. Weather not too cold, wind moderate. Approx. 9 1/2 - 10 miles. Not timed; about 64 mins. Comparable to Mt Coot-tha but hill not as steep. Thinking, coming down the hill, that then, if arguing on free will, I would have said, "It's determined that you think you have free will and I know I don't", whereas now it would be nearer to "It's determined that at the moment we express these attitudes". 25: No run. Sheila in Manchester. 26: The Bladon circuit (ca. 12 miles) in 80 1/2 mins. 38 1/2 mins at Bladon church, by the clock (where my muscle went last time I tried this circuit). Felt very heavy and sluggish all the way out; I began to loosen up in Bladon, and, as once before, the lovely Bladon turn to Cassington stretch was a joy. But I ran into another bad patch in Cassington; came back the A40 - towpath route, just hanging on. An unexpected 2 miles in the evening, when I went to Summertown for fish and chips for the kids' tea, and locked my bike, forgetting that my keys were at home! Hard work - no arm action possible - but I was encouraged that another runner, who looked very impressive, was unable to make much impression on me. Evening: yoga. 27: The reverse of yesterday's unexpected 2-miler. Similar conditions. Evening; Yoga. (Sheila in Maidenhead.) ---- Timings I don't have a very clear idea what to expect in a race. Measurements of my runs are done with the OS map and a piece of thread; better than stepping it out with the pronged cheese-knife, but not hyper-accurate. There may be a difference of 2 or 3 percent between different measurements, and even repeated measurements can't eliminate systematic error in the method. But assuming that they are correct, I am now doing about 4min/km for 10km and 4:10 for 20km. (Or 6:30 a mile for 6 miles, 6:45 for 12 miles.) The pace might be expected to get me just under 1 1/2 hours for the half marathon, and just over 3 hours for the full marathon. (Leaving out of consideration that a race might lift my performance a few minutes - it used to! - or that the half-marathon to marathon factor is probably much greater than that caused by doubling the distance up to half-marathon.) The somewhat disturbing thing is that I've scarcely got any faster since I started at Christmas. I cut my time for the Woodstock - Banbury roads loop (ca. 9.5km) from 42 mins to 38 1/2 mins, and then was unable to improve on that. Also, the faster pace feels like real running, as if I can't hope to go faster, but only to keep it up for longer. ---- February 1984 28: Lunchtime run - Iffley Lock circuit, squeezed very tightly into my lunch hour. I don't know how far it is but it took somewhere around 30 minutes. I've run this twice this term with John Burgass and, remembering this, the pace was fairly fast. It was good, though tiring. Evening: Yoga. 29: Lunchtime yoga/meditation. Deeply relaxing. Evening: The Banbury/Woodstock Road loop in 37 3/4 minutes. It felt fast, and good except for a bit just before half-way (fast and hard), and up the Woodstock Road hill (slower), and I really had hoped for a faster time. March 1984 1: Evening: About 5 miles, not too fast, down to St Hugh's for a meeting. 2: Nothing. (Rest day) 3: Nothing. (Bloody meeting; and clearing house for builder) 4: a hectic day - visit to Nettlebed, kids hyperactive, rooms to clear. When I went out at 3:45, nerves were stretched very tight, muscles too. I set out round the ring road. First my left hip, then my right calf, then almost everything else, went. Every so often I had to stop and massage my calf. Despite this, the running felt good. (45 mins to BL Cowley, by their clock.) But it got harder at the Abingdon Road roundabout, and at Botley my muscles virtually seized up altogether. Struggled on to finish in 108 1/2 minutes. Races ----- The point of all this, as I haven't yet mentioned, is that I've entered for two half-marathons and a marathon in the next 2 1/2 months. I was talked into the first, Reading, by Jim, and with my acceptance they sent application forms for Abingdon; on a wave of enthusiasm in early January, I entered for both and was accepted. This gave some urgency to my training. Reading is in three weeks from today (4 March). Hence today's trail over more than race distance. A disastrous finish, but perhaps the race won't be like that. I want to say something about this later. But the evidence so far isn't good for the full marathon in May -- this was the first time I've run over half-marathon distance, and previous attempts in that direction have been very hard work. I was really surprised by the advice bandied about in "Marathon and Distance Runner"; nowhere was the idea of running over race distance mentioned. One person doing 10-20 miles/week was told that this was perhaps a bit light for marathon training, but else, if you got in an 8 or 10 miler during your week that was quite adequate. But I know already, and it's reinforced by the last couple of weeks, that if I can't get up to 30 miles, then I withdraw from the marathon. ---- March 1984 5: Nothing. Quite stiff after yesterday. Builders in; chaos at home. 6: Afternoon yoga (fitted into a very narrow time slot) Evening: the Banbury-Woodstock loop. Still stiff, and so I meant to go slowly, and did at the start. Then the pace warmed up, and though it never really flowed, I was working at it and feeling OK. Then, just as I expected to blow up a mile from home, I grew wings. 41 minutes; OK in the circumstances. But the stupidest thing -- I blistered my heel!! 7: Nothing. 8: Lunchtime yoga. 9: Evening: Banbury-Woodstock loop. I almost couldn't start, my muscles were so seized up, in the now familiar pattern, left hip and right calf. But after some hesitation, and nearly turning back, I managed a fair pace. About a quarter of the way an ache grew high in my left hip; my finger brushed against it and left a fiery trail. I think the hip trouble is due to favouring the other leg. Anyway, the pace held: less than 39 minutes. Stiff afterwards! No heel trouble. 10: Very stiff. Muscles screaming. Bought some deep heat to rub in; instant relief but not very long lasting. Evening: Yoga and meditation. 11: A little better. Evening: Yoga and deep heat. ---- Mind and body ------------- My muscles, especially my calf muscles, feel very much tighter to the touch now, almost like balloons, and did so eve before Sunday. I've never before in quite the same way been able to touch the sensation of stiffness that I feel. It takes all my concentration to relax them so they are less than rigid. But there's more to it. Both on Sunday, and the time I did in my calf muscle in Bladon (the same one that still gives trouble), the children had spent the day in that hyperactive state that tightens my nerves virtually to breaking point. I'm almost certain that, each time, it was the fact that I was so tense that put my muscles at risk. (Intellectually I've always believed it, but it's still something of an unexpected lesson. My attitude has been unconsciously mechanistic before -- if I'm fit, I should be able to run -- but there really is more to it.) Before I set off for Bladon, I had an intimation that something was wrong. I almost turned back soon after starting, the feeling was so strong (though unfocused). After the accident, anger poured out of me, at the injury, cars that wouldn't stop, the children, the weather, Sheila, life, the universe ... ---- March 1984 12: Nothing. 13: Tried as an experiment a combination of yoga and deep heat before my run today. Still no good at all. I hobbled along in pain and revised my schedule down to 3 times around Christ Church Meadow which took me a bit under 30 minutes. 14: Nothing. 15: Yoga in the evening. No chance of running on it yet. 16: Nothing. 17: Nothing. A very heavy day decorating. 18: As above. Yoga in evening. After a week's layoff, the position is getting desperate. I still can't run but only hobble, and yet walking is quite OK now, the only pain normally coming from sudden jolts. 19 - 25: A very depressing week. Hoping against hope that I'd recover in time for Reading; I did yoga which seemed to be good for it. On Tuesday I ran round Christ Church Meadow three times, in pain and going quite slowly, and knew that I couldn't keep it up for 13 miles. The run took about 29 minutes. On Friday I set out to see whether there was any chance; after half a mile I could go no further. Later in the day, however, it seemed a little better. On Saturday I just raged at the world. ---- Injuries -------- This is a totally new situation for me. Always, before, injuries have healed quite fast; most dramatically the sprained ankle in the 1969 season, when I injured the ankle on Saturday and was competing again the following Saturday. Memory almost surely lines things with silver, and not all injuries cleared up as quickly as that. My training book mentions a recurrent stone bruise in 1966, but it didn't cause any long layoffs, and (if the truth be known) probably provided a good excuse for my natural laziness. But this time it is different. First mention of the hip trouble is in the ring road circuit on 4 March, 3 1/2 weeks ago. Before that, though I was running a lot slower than fifteen years ago, it was consistent, good, and joyful, apart from the calf muscle. But since then I've only averaged 8 miles a week. It has been out of the question to do more. And my hip isn't better. Nothing consistently improves it -- I've tried hot baths, cold showers, resting, jogging, deep heat rub, massage. The two bright points are that it is a little better every day, and that I've just discovered that stretching (e.g. lifting leg high) makes it feel better. ---- March 1984 26: Nothing -- still nursing hip; but I jogged for short distances (1/4 mile or so) and felt better than for some time. 27: Ran quite slowly to Wytham turn and back, feeling hip all the way (but not too much pain). It was nice to be running again though! Afterwards it was a bit worse, but bearable. 28: Another day off -- trip to London. Some short jogs. 29: To Wytham (T-junction) and back in 18 minutes. Felt very heavy and lifeless, but hip was bearable. Lift leg high! 30, 31, April 1: Nothing - Sheila away. Depressed. April 1984 2: To Wytham turn and back in 26 1/2 minutes. A slight improvement on last time out; I started off hobbling but after the turn I was able to stretch my stride into something like it should be, and there was no unevenness. Though it wasn't fast, it boosted my confidence a good deal, to the point where once again I can look at the map of the Abingdon course and read magazine articles about running. I even felt better after than before! The only way ahead now is to get in a lot of running every day this week, building up to something like half-marathon distance at the weekend, and continue training through at least the first half of next week, preferably the whole week. Evening: Yoga. ---- Joy --- The most substantial effect of this hip problem is to bind me more securely to the earth, to stop me flying. When I'm fit and I see runners out, or the children leaping about, I must do the same. But now it is such a strain to do that. I don't jump or scramble up things. When I am out and I see a runner labouring in front of me, I don't playfully surge past him or give him an encouraging wave. In some way the whole thing has become more internalised. I suppose that part of the function of writing this is to try to find out a little bit more into what's actually going on. Two mornings of running at 7pm also caused mixed feelings. That is definitely not my best time of day, and I suppose that part of the explanation for my laboured performance (and the accompanying mild depressions) has simply been running with low metabolic rate and low blood sugar level. But there is another side to it. An element of a struggle I haven't seen much recently crept in: the fight against flagging lungs and muscles, powering on will alone. It wasn't really that, and I couldn't push too hard for fear of aggravating my hip; but elements of it were there, and that was really nice. Much nicer than breaking my stride down the hill because of the pain and stiffness. ---- April 1984 3: To A420 roundabout and back in 37 3/4 minutes. Much the same as yesterday, though hip slightly more sore. Beautiful calm evening; the running never felt as free as it should have done, but that was partly because I've lost a lot of condition in that long layoff. Puffing and panting even while muscles were working very easily. Still on target! Afterwards hip better than I'd hoped. Evening: Yoga and meditation. Great peace (and freedom from pain!) 4: To Birmingham. No run, but yoga in evening after a hot curry and a few glasses of beer. I told myself that it was no disaster, as a rest day now was probably a good thing. 5: Out at 7am on a very frosty morning. The campus was surprisingly beautiful for such unpromising material, the fiery sun touching mist rising from the lake. After an abortive attempt to run the overgrown canal path, I did 10 1/2 laps of the lake, quite fast, but sluggish, as the cold air took my breath away. How far, i don't know, but it was over 30 minutes. 6: Another 7am start. Ran 5 x figure 8 including lake and slightly longer hill. Again short of breath and tired -- running before breakfast doesn't suit me. Hip slightly worse -- because of hill, and jolt yesterday -- but bearable. Afterwards, did yoga session; felt very stiff. 7: A tense day. At 5:30 Neill wanted a run, so I went with him to the ring road bridge and back; he went extremely well. Hip stiffer than it should have been, so I didn't go anywhere else. 8: Magic! Hester and James down with 'flu, so they slept all day and peace reigned. I spent the afternoon recovering my chair with sea-grass. Feeling looser than usual, set off on Bladon circuit, prepared to turn back at any moment. Not very fast; in fact I deliberately eased the pace down several times. Then, when I came to the beautiful back straight, I closed my eyes, crossed my legs, recited a mantra, and floated in an instant almost to Cassington. Only a couple of cars passing brought me anywhere near to "reality". On the horror stretch of the A40, I even felt so good that I speeded up a bit. Time wasn't fast (83:20) but I really feel the balance has shifted. I got an injury I never noticed before -- a rubbed patch on my right calf where the left shoe passed it. Perhaps because of my low action designed to reduce jarring on downhill stretches. Evening: Yoga. 9: To Wytham turn in glorious fiery sunset sky. Felt quite good -- managed to stretch out a bit on the way back. The time was 27 1/2 minutes. I really do seem to get slower, despite all effort. (Or was that time last week right?) The only saving thought is that it was after 3 days layoff, instead of a 12 miler. And the pace is OK. 10: Nothing. But clear indications that I'm getting the 'flu that the children had! 11: Sheila's mother's funeral. Coming back, an amazing sight: a biblical shaft of light smiting a rain-soaked steaming hill some distance away near Ipsden. Evening (9pm): The Banbury--Woodstock loop. As usual now, started cold and fairly slow but was able to push it quite hard all the length of the Woodstock Road. Felt marvellous! As Sunday, time a slow 39 1/2 minutes, but can't complain. 12: Rest day. 'Flu coming on. 13: Spent day shepherding Hester's class on White Horse Hill in glorious sunshine. Quite a bit of running about and wrestling with the kids. At 3pm, a slow run on the Swinford loop. Beautiful. Just before Kings Lock, blue water, wind-ruffled. taking a bite out of the bright green grass, with a big flock of swans, all aligned. I puffed and panted quite a lot but felt good. 14: Spent today like King Canute: the 'flu ebbed and flowed like the tide, while I did my best to fight it off. 15: Abingdon half marathon -------------------------- I woke early after a very poor night's sleep, mainly because of the encroaching 'flu. Turfed out by James' wriggles at 6:45 I went downstairs and did some yoga -- very stiff. The race day: cool, drizzling, blustery. The minutes before the start were very unreal. The start was very slow; I had to cut through the mass and run round the outside. The first four miles were hard work, into the teeth of the wind, but I moved up a few places (though it took me three miles to overtake a man in a wheelchair). But after the turn at East Hanney, the wind was behind us and the sun came out, and I started to enjoy myself, picking up a few places. The at about six miles I started running out of steam. It was intermittent at first; I struggled for a while, then started striding out again, swapping places the while. It wasn't until 9 or 10 miles that it became entirely negative; but even then, only five passed me in the last three miles, and simply hanging on I passed one. The last few miles seemed long, and the final 192 1/2 yards longest of all -- but then I was across the line. I couldn't get accurate time or place, but apparently it was about 1 hour 33 minutes; after keeping up 6 3/4 minute miles for the first half, I must have let the pace slip. But not bad considering everything. April 16 et seq: 'Flu. Maybe the worst attack I've had. One awful day I was left with the children; I lay in bed, a prey to feverish fantasies, and from time to time one of the children would come in from the garden and cuddle up; I was scarcely even sure which child it was. For a day and a half I could eat nothing. Paracetamol had no effect on the pain. Then for quite a long stretch I just felt weak. There was no question of running in the Abingdon Marathon. Apart from general feebleness, my muscles were all saggy, as if about to fall off me. I consoled myself with a run along the towpath to the Rock of Gibraltar. Beautiful, but I paid for it with aching muscles brought on by the uneven surface, after being on roads all season. From then on I ran sporadically. I was slower, had lost the ability to run over 10 miles without discomfort (I tried the Bladon loop but had to turn back at the farm in Begbroke with aching muscles), but could still beat John Burgass in three laps of Christ Church Meadow. I rediscovered repetitions and did 7 laps of the roundabout circuit (Godstow, Woodstock, First Turn, Church Lane, Osborne Close and Wolvercote Green), six of them fast up the hill. The detailed account resumes on May 26: Set off towards Wytham in light drizzle. Feeling extraordinarily good, moving beautifully; contemplated doing the ring road. (I'm glad I didn't, in the event.) Tried taking the little road through North Hinksey -- much better than the ring road, but I went a bit too far, had to climb a hedge, swing from a branch, and cross a playing field. Sensibly, turned back at that point. Found a lost road back to Botley and then up the riverbank and across Port Meadow home. The river was beautiful, the intensifying rain singing on its surface between wind gusts, but the wind in my face across the meadow made the last stage a real struggle. 63 minutes. 27: Repetitions on roundabout circuit -- 9 laps, sprinting the hill on all but the first, and the bridge on the way home. A good session -- an encouraging tiredness in thigh muscles towards the end. 47 minutes. ---- A long interruption there; I'm resuming this account at the beginning of 1985. My running was very much interrupted for the remainder of the year, both in general by the overall disintegration of my life, and in particular by a number of trips. Though, in fact, I did far more running abroad than at home. In Canada in July and August, I ran up to about 8 miles several times in the blazing sun of Winnipeg, ran round Wascana Lake in Regina, and ran up Mont Royal and down the other side from the Universite de Montreal several times. I also went on a hard mountain climb with Dugald and a gentler walk with Robert Woodrow. Then to Caltech for three months. Just before I left, I noticed a swelling, the shape and almost the size of an egg, on my throat. It was the kind of thing I felt I should be worrying about, even though there was absolutely no pain and it provided no slowing-up in my running (which now included fartlek on the Swinford loop, sprinting all the hills). So I took it to the doctor, who referred me to the hospital. It was quite comic: they brought in everyone who passed by to look at it, they all prodded it, shone lights through it, and asked me the same questions, and then on deciding to drain it made bets on what would come out (though none of them got it right). They sent me off to Pasadena with the reassuring statement that it had a 1 in 1000 chance of being something serious. Pasadena -- warmth, the feeling that injuries are just not possible in this kind of heat. In fact, the first few times out I had to stop because of pulse over the top, but I soon became acclimatised -- I think the trouble was the heat rather than the air pollution which didn't seem to trouble me. Almost all my runs were towards the mountains, and into them once I was fitter and had located the access points. This made for long runs (15 miles not uncommon), always up for half the distance and down for the other half; obviously times weren't fast but I felt very strong. Best routes Echo Mountain and Henninger Flats. Also runs to Lacey Park and work on the slope in front of Caltech. On my northern trip, runs in Eugene (up Spencer Butte alone, and by the river with company) -- people later regarded it as my trip to Mecca -- and Calgary, under-dressed in very low temperatures. Two runs since returning: ring road in 106 minutes; Yarnton-Cassington in 46. January 1985 1--5: Layoff with a heavy cold. 6: To top of Cumnor Hill and back in about 63 minutes. (Timings will be much less accurate this year because of the stupid "sportsman's watch" Sheila gave me for Christmas, a sportsman's watch with no stopwatch mode!) Running quite fast and easily to the top and down the hill, I then hit the cold northerly wind and found myself very much slowed, with both lungs and legs crying out. But on turning east again in Wytham, I was able to crank the pace up a bit. It felt like a hard workout. 7: Nothing. (Very cold day.) Cold now on the mend! Evening: Yoga (first for months, very stiff!) 8: Nothing. 9: Wytham field station in 23 minutes. Quite fast, considering the heavy covering of snow; the running was a bit untidy but not too tiring. 10: Nothing. 11: Nothing. 12: Wytham field station. Snow mostly gone; weather a bit warmer, and running felt good in my new shoes (Adidas Atlanta). Decided to use seconds timer, though only recording time to nearest 1/4 minute -- it was a fast 22 1/4 minutes. (5 1/2 minute miles or better.) ---- Pace judgement ------------- It will take a lot more running before I can slot into a suitable pace for 12 miles or more. To a limited extent, you can set out with the aim of running fast or slowly; but, especially when you're not very fit and the name of the game is survival, your body automatically chooses a pace appropriate for the distance. Running would be very difficult, and running with your thoughts on something else would be impossible, but for this facility! At the moment, my pace judgement seems to be set very high. Whether this is because I've forgotten what is an appropriate speed, or whether it is whether it is because following my conversation with Ivan Rival I've been stretching my stride (which really does increase the pace fairly painlessly) and this isn't being allowed for, I don't know. But it means that I don't do long slow runs any more; each time out is a frantic race, ending in complete exhaustion. The psychological effect of this is of course to make it harder to start out at all. Even the four miles to the University Farm and back is an ordeal. But at least my times are faster than last year, as a result! ---- January 1985 13: Banbury-Woodstock loop. Air very much colder. After a slow start, I was able to push my stride out, even in the third quarter; then I ran out of wind at Summertown and felt the effort in my legs on the hill. But I recovered my breath very quickly at First Turn and sprinted home. Time: a fairly good 36 1/4 minutes. 14-19: Nothing. (Excuses(!): Sheila away; blocked drains; downtown with kids; etc.) 20: Bladon circuit (slightly longer version, avoiding towpath) in 78 1/4 minutes; 35 1/2 minutes at Bladon church, by the church clock. Started quite fast, and after warming up (struggling with the first couple of hills) very sweetly. A bit tired down the back straight. The A40 was hard, with wind in my face and two inches of loose snow on the ground; the conditions were probably worth a minute or two. Encouraging. 21-25: Nothing. (Really! Effectively back at work this week, and dentist on Monday, working on both sides, was a good excuse.) 26: University Farm. A brief period snatched while Sheila was at work and the kids at various friends' places. The resulting sense of urgency (and the cold) pushed me along at a good pace all the way, except the stretch from Wytham to the farm into a stiff wind. Returning along this road, with the wind behind, was lovely! Timed at 21 3/4 minutes. Good, considering the throat I had this morning! (But re-measuring makes it just under 4 miles.) ---- Showers ------ When I'm unfit, I come in from a run aching in every joint and want nothing but a long hot soak in the bath -- to lie there, turning on the hot tap with my foot now and again, then hobble out and limp round the house in a clean track suit for the rest of the day. But a shower has quite a different effect. I've been out running, I feel good, I shower and feel even better, active, ready to plunge back into work. Unfortunately, for this comfortable scenario, it's necessary that the shower be a luxury; steaming hot water gushing out, control at your fingertips, American style. When Sheila insisted that our shower room be re-done, the builders put in what they swore was the most powerful shower available in England. Back home after America, turn on the shower: when set to maximum, it just takes the chill off the water, not even lukewarm. Call the builder back, expecting at least that some heating element needs replacing, to be told, "the water's too cold, the shower can't warm it". He put in a valve to slow the flow so that it could get a little warmer: immediate effect, the water doesn't heat at all. After some adjustment, we reach the present situation: a dribble of water, just barely warm. More than once I've taken a bath because I just couldn't face the rigours of that shower! ---- January 1985 27: Cumnor Hill in 62 1/2 minutes. I started slowly (a great effort!) and even considered turning around at the roundabout; the wind, changed since yesterday, was against me from Wytham. But I felt good enough there, and better the further I went, except that I was tired in the last stretch. Evening: Yoga. Felt stretched, in the good sense. 28-30: Nothing. 31: Cassington-Yarnton. Felt very heavy with a persistent cold, and started slower than usual. The A40 horror stretch had quite a strong wind in my face, but after Cassington it felt very good, and the pace improved a little. A slow 51 1/2 minutes. February 1985 1: Nothing. (Canterbury.) 2: Roundabout hill. 1 warmup, then 10 fast. I could have gone on longer. A good session; and I felt much bouncier. 3: Hanborough circuit. I ran in shorts, the weather being warmer. I managed to start off more slowly, but the pace crept up to a respectable rate, due mainly to overtaking another runner. 37 minutes at Bladon church. Slowed a bit on the hill but still going when, at 50 minutes and about the furthest point, my calf muscle went. I kept going at a hobble -- no alternative -- and gradually the pain ebbed, but it flowed again along the A40. Time was 91 minutes -- very good considering -- but now it hurts a lot. ---- Family ------ Sheila, on a good day, can run to the University Farm and back in 30 minutes. That's good going for her: before last season I don't think she'd run more than about two miles without stopping. And she enjoys it too. I thought a runner's radio might encourage her, since she does virtually everything else, from washing dishes to falling asleep, to the radio; but it's been sitting on the piano unused after one tryout. The surroundings, by the river and towards Wytham, are sufficient reward. Both Hester and Neill have been for short runs with one or other of us a few times. As in everything, they differ. Hester runs with great style and impressive speed for a short distance, then needs a short breather before she can carry on; it is very much stop-start. Neill is more dogged, needs fewer rests, though perhaps longer ones. Now Hester is talking of tackling the Oxford fun run (10k). She is sufficiently keen that she agreed to run back from ballet instead of walking with her friends. She certainly could do it, given a bit of work. ---- February 1985 4-16: A long spell with no running -- a combination of very heavy snowfall (with even the roads treacherous) and a very bad cold. 17: Started out for a run feeling very very sluggish. I slipped on the ice in the first quarter-mile and immediately the same muscle went. But I kept on at a slow painful pace and got to the Cumnor roundabout and back in 37 1/4 minutes. Still full of cold. 18-23: Nothing, again. 24: After ice skating, a beautiful day with a feel of spring. We drove to Woodstock and I started out through the park, intending to take the Combe gate and go back through Hanborough. Instead, I missed the turn and found myself in the Lower Park. About a mile from home, on the A40 bridge, the inevitable muscle failure, but not too painful this time, so I carried on at reduced pace. Altogether I ran for 78 minutes, having taken about 42 from Bladon church, i.e. faster than January 20, although it felt terribly sluggish still. 25: Ran to pick Hester up from ballet, and ran back with her. An easy run, but she did remarkably well. No leg trouble. 26: Cumnor Hill roundabout. I started out stepping high, because the niggling muscle seemed to prefer that. The inevitable outcome was that I started much too fast! But though the run was very tiring, I was in control all the way, and even speeded up in places (including uphills). I finished in 34 3/4 minutes. If my measurements last season were right, this is within a whisker of 6 minutes a mile -- but if I'm aiming for 80 minute half marathon, I'd have to have turned right around and run it again, and then back to Wytham, at the same pace (which I certainly couldn't have done today). 27: A re-run of yesterday, though a bit stiffer; that run yesterday took the edge off me. 36 minutes, quite tiring. February 28 - March 2: Nothing. (I spent all of Saturday digging the garden and this, combined with a row with the woman over the back fence about my bonfire, left me very wrung out.) March 3: In desperation, I set out for a run, starting quite slowly, very stiff and heavy indeed. It was raining and windy when I started, but fortunately the wind dropped. I made Bladon church in 36 minutes, having speeded up remarkably. But then the wind got up, the rain dropped (to increase the chill factor) and it was in my face all the way along the dream stretch, a real struggle! Fortunately it was consistent and helped me on the nightmare stretch; with even a patch of sunshine (reminiscent of the Abingdon Half last year). I got the pace up a bit and finished in 80 minutes, remarkably good in the situation. (I was down because of yesterday, on several levels.) 4: To ballet to pick Hester up. Back slowly. 5-8: Nothing. 9: At Thorley, IOW. We came down yesterday. Only at 5pm was I able to get out. Starting was terrible: limbs too stiff to move, gasping for breath. But it came easier in time, and I had a delightful run to Calbourne and back, finishing quite fast. Beautiful scenes on the way, as the sea fog spilled over the southern hills, a scarecrow cast a long shadow in the mist, and cowbells tinkled in the quiet. 10: Nothing. (Home again.) 11: To Wytham farm. Still a bit sluggish, but for all it felt slow, I couldn't avoid some disappointment that the time was not faster than 22 1/4 minutes, half a minute below my best. 12-15: Nothing. (14 and 15: on the plane to Sydney.) 16: After arriving in Sydney at 6:30am, went running at 2pm to Tamarama Bay. It was hot and, understandably, I didn't go too fast, and slowed to a walk once or twice. It was nice, though, to get to the sea. I paddled, soaking my legs in the seawater (the muscles were very tight y then) and did some stretching before starting back. I was going quite well until my gut started grumbling (delayed after-effect of the flight, as much as anything) which slowed the pace down. By Redfern Park, I had to stop in the public toilet and manage with a couple of scraps of paper. I walked home from the University. Total time, not much under 2 hours. 17: morning: yoga. Later: I started off in the same direction, not expecting to get so far. I got to the far side of Centennial Park and turned back, getting home in 74 minutes. A much less bad gut ache, a much better run. 18: morning: yoga. Later: Ran in the other direction, to Hunter's Hill. Still not too fast, but much better running again, with a touch of speed near the end. 67 minutes. But the traffic was terrible! 19: morning: yoga. Later: Felt like a holiday, but still went out! Did five laps of repetitions in Victoria Park (equal distances fast and slow) and home in 41 minutes. Shoes gummed up with sticky leaves. I felt looser today, though a bit tired. 20: Morning: yoga. Later: Set out, late, after 2 hours lecturing, for a longer run, around the harbour (over Gladesville and back over the Harbour Bridge). Felt good, and kept running, most of the way. But after Lane Cove, several things took their toll: the dark; headlights dazzling me; busy roads without footpaths, or footpaths laced with invisible branches; the roller-coaster terrain; and losing my way in North Sydney, losing a lot of time. I still felt OK on finishing, but disappointed to measure the course and find it only 24km -- it had taken over 2 hours, with 33 minutes for the first 7 which had felt like good running. My pace judgement must be all askew, my increasing fitness an illusion. Later the prospect of running in the Sydney Striders half marathon tantalised, but it's fully booked (perhaps as well). 21: An easier day, 12 laps of St Paul's oval (about 3 1/2 miles -- maybe 6 miles including there and back and warmup). Where is that renowned loping stride of mine? I was flat-footed and stiff on the hard-baked oval (probably as a result of yesterday) and didn't go terribly fat, but at least did 12 without slowing. 22: Nothing. (Rest day -- for once, I think, a reasonable excuse!) 23: Morning: yoga. Later: Set out for a longer run, heading for Maroubra, but took a wrong turning and ended up at Coogee instead. Ran in the water and up the cliff path to Tamarama Bay (pauses to take shoes off, put them on, and sit on the rocks just looking). Home in just over 2 hours for about 25km. 24: Morning: yoga. Later: We went to the beach. I contented myself with an exhausting 3 laps of Gregory's Bay, sprinting the (10) hills, and a quick swim. Wonderful! 25: Morning: yoga. Later: Before going into town for a concert, I did 6 laps of the park down towards the harbour (about 1 3/4 km per lap) in 41 minutes, with another 8 minutes there and back. Not fast for someone who once ran 10km in 31:20, but I felt good and finished fast. 26: To Hunter's Hill and back in 61 minutes (cf March 18). Felt great most of the way, just a bit tired uphill and into the wind. Then a long delay crossing with the lights infuriated me so much that I came home like an express. 27: Morning: yoga. Nothing else -- rest day. 28: Nothing (except yoga and walk into town) -- I felt in need of a run but was held up at work. 29: In view of the likely hold-up this afternoon, I went out in the morning and did 3 laps of the park in 20 minutes. Felt very sluggish and tired. A depressing performance, though it may have picked up if I had persevered. 30: A long run, via Gladesville Bridge and the Harbour Bridge, with a detour through Balmain to look for the house of Ewan Wallace Cameron (which no longer exists). It felt good. I went at an easy steady pace, one which felt as if I could keep it up forever, ad I had no trouble keeping the pace up, though in terms of time and measured distance it was very slow. I took a better route than last time: after Fig Tree, up that very long steady hill to the relatively level Pacific Highway. 31: Nothing. (But I did a reasonable walk near Middle Head.) April 1: 6 laps of the park in 41 minutes, in the gathering dusk. Much better than last time I tried this run. 2: Nothing. 3: Nothing. (I really meant to, but we had a cracker storm!) Not such a good week: work is taking its toll, and travel will do so for the rest of my time here. 4: (7:15am) Ran to Tamarama Bay, had a splash and a stretch, and ran back. Despite my aversion to morning running and my intention to run slowly, the running felt very good indeed. 41 minutes out; a little more back, because of several very long waits for traffic lights. But I've done in another toenail! 5: Back in Toowoomba. Ran up Long Street to Picnic Point and then decided to go to Table Top. The path below the hump is fenced off, so going out I went over the very stony hump, while coming back I braved the lantana and fences (there is a fairly new stockyard there). Going out I was very tired and pulse very high, like the first time out in Pasadena -- was it the thin air? -- but felt strong coming back, no trouble running up the range. 6: Mt Kynock in 91 minutes. If I compare this to earlier times, I reckon I can knock off 5 minutes for going to the reservoir, having a look at the view, and going to the toilet -- much nicer than Redfern -- but I felt very weary, and it was a slow run. (Tired in the legs after the hills yesterday.) 7: A lap of Prince Henry's Drive in 46 minutes (I really can't remember what I used to do; but I was bedevilled by a slow start again, and found the hills hard going, so I don't think this was fast, though better than yesterday.) Tummyache again -- but I set off straight after getting back from lunch with Betty and tea with Helen. 8: Nothing. (In transit back to Sydney.) 9: Nothing. (At Macquarie all day.) 10: Hunter's Hill in 60 minutes. Looked good, felt good; a pity I didn't run faster. In fact the improvement over March 26 is illusory, because (i) my timings are only guaranteed to within 2 minutes and (ii) I had much quicker crossings of Victoria Road, only a minute or so wasted. Even if it is 15km, this isn't lightning-fast -- and my fear is it's slightly less. 11: Nothing. (Brendan McKay's visit.) 12: Ran the Gladesville to Harbour Bridge circuit in the other direction, starting at about 3:30. The idea was to get the nastiness of the city over early (I reckon I spent at least five minutes waiting at lights, excluding time spent dodging pedestrians.) The other advantage was that after climbing the hill out of North Sydney it was essentially downhill all the way. A lovely easy run in 1 hour 46 minutes. Back from Hunter's Hill I was able to put on a bit of pace; that stretch took just 30 minutes. Excellent. 13: Paid the price for yesterday. Set out for the beach. Despite feeling bone stiffness and running slowly, I reached the cliff at Tamarama Bay in 42 minutes. Then a tendon in my knee went. Somewhat foolishly, I went round the cliff path to Bondi. The, stiffened up, knee hurting, adrift in the back streets, wind and rain in my face, coming back was unpleasant. 14: Nothing. (To Canberra.) But walked about 15km in the day, resting(?) my knee; and, as a result, blistered the other heel! 15: (7am) Reluctantly, because of knee (still slightly sore), I didn't run up Black Mountain, but set out along the lake path instead. Beautiful run in beautiful scenery, including a timed 3km (courtesy of Sri Chinmoy, I believe) in 11 min 19 sec. Not fast in absolute terms, but for the 9th to 12th kilometres of a 14km run in which I didn't deliberately lift the pace it was very encouraging. (The whole run, perhaps a shade under 14, took 52 mins.) No knee trouble, or heel trouble either (with two pairs of socks). 16: Nothing. (Flying home.) 17: Nothing. (Could have gone out, but very tired.) 18: Nothing. (Headache, lethargy -- later, symptoms of cold or 'flu.) 19: Started out to run Bladon-Cassington loop. At the Bladon roundabout, I knew, very suddenly, that I should turn back. Halfway back I started to struggle, and by the end I'd completely run out of steam. Considering this and the sore throat, just an hour for 15 1/2 km wasn't too reprehensible. -------------------- Book 2 ------ Started 1 August 1985 Preliminaries. The last running book goes almost to the end of April. At the time I was fitter than I've been for many years, largely due to a month in Sydney during which I covered something like 325km in four weeks. A decent marathon time seemed on the cards. But I had to go into hospital for the removal of a thyroid cyst. Though I only stayed in for a few days (amazing the nurses with a pulse rate of 45), the effect of the operation (and probably, more than anything, of the general anaesthetic) was to knock me back a lot. This was followed by a re-emergence of the swelling, a painful carbuncle on my back, two very alcoholic conferences, general work-induced depression, and appallingly bad summer weather. Despite all this, amazingly, I haven't totally lost the fitness I built up and still seem to be able to run reasonably fast, on two or three outings a week. At the British Combinatorial Conference last week, I massacred Bill Jackson, John Sheehan, and Geoff Grimmett. However, my running is very unfocused at present, having no race to train for. Now read on ... P.S. Last two days, about 12km each day (Wytham-Hinksey-Osney-river towpath; and canal towpath to far side of Kidlington and back.) ---- August 1985 1: To the top of Cumnor Hill and back. Tired at start, but got second wind on the hill. Coming down, I knew what was going to happen; the pace took its toll but the effect was delayed until the bottom. After the roundabout I went slower and slower, finishing in 62 minutes -- still my fastest time, more or less. About 15 1/2 km? 2: Bladon circuit. On a cool day, windy (but with the wind helping me on the nightmare stretch), it felt steady, slow and dull (I mean "not sharp" rather than "not interesting", the effect of four long runs in as many days, two babysits and a night out.) But the time was 79 3/4, faster than I expected by quite a bit. 3: Started off down the river towpath with Sheila, quite slowly. After she turned back I speeded up but felt very tired, so turned back across the meadow (into the wind) at Medley. Also, inspired by something or other, I bought two magazines and decided to enter the Witney half marathon (Sept. 15) and the Banbury marathon (Sept. 29), with Milton Keynes on the same day as a fallback. 4: After being very tensed up, on a day of appalling weather, I feared the worst as I headed out towards Wytham into the wind; I deliberately cut the pace, feeling tired. But by Cowley, I was filled with strength, and put on speed up Shotover. I slowed a bit over the final stages, but finished in just over 104 minutes. 5-8: Paris. 5: Flew to Paris. Walked to Les Halles and Pompidou Centre. 6: Walked to Tuileries, Champs Elysees, Etoile, Tour Eiffel, St Germain. Then ran about 12km, not terribly fast, dodging pedestrians all the way and wondering whether I would get lost. I didn't, but encountered a heavy downpour. 7: Walked to Montmartre, Pigale, etc. Meant to run but did mathematics instead. 8: Walked to Notre Dame, St Germain, etc. Flew home. In the evening, I took Neill for a run to the ring road bridge and back, then Hester to Banbury Road roundabout and back, and then (after the longest warmup ever) ran repetitions to Wytham turn and back. Out of breath, for the first time for ages. 9: Hanborough circuit. Not in good shape after yesterday: legs very tired, stitch, etc. Ran out of strength just before Eynsham roundabout, and struggled home slowly and painfully in 90 3/4, only 1/4 minute faster than the time my muscle went on this run. Low blood sugar, perhaps, after very light lunch. 10: 12 laps of roundabout hill; 1 warmup, 10 fast, 1 warmdown. A good session for making me puff and pant! 11: Nothing. (Took children to Poole -- a tiring day!) 12: Nothing. Excuses this time: a fluid gut (from the run 2 days ago, or something I ate in Poole?), a downpour in the afternoon. 13: Bladon circuit inn 77 1/2. Despite my gut still being delicate, I started strongly, and overcame sick emptiness to put on pressure on the dream stretch (I felt a marvellous feeling of floating and power coming down from the railway bridge), and even put on some effort on the hills. No discomfort afterwards. This is 85 minute half-marathon pace. 14: Nothing. 15: Same as August 10, but omitting the warmdown lap because it was time for Ruth to go. 16: Same as yesterday. A strange week -- four outings, three of them long-recovery repetitions (about 400m up the hill, 700m recovery). 17: Started off to have a long run, as marathon preparation: round the ring road, then (if up to it) Eynsham, Cassington, etc. After dithering on the way out about whether I could manage more than the ring road, I felt so sick at Horspath Road that I turned back at the roundabout, covering the 21km in a disappointing 89 minutes. 18: Today's run redeemed yesterday's. After cycling the children to Shotover for a picnic, and walking all over the hill, I set out in the rain for the Cumnor roundabout. It was running all the way, except up the hill to the roundabout where my legs turned to jelly (but recovered very quickly). Time 34 1/2 mins. Also, five minutes after finishing, I felt good enough to set out again. 19: Nothing. 20: Starting late (after 8:30pm), I did the roundabout hill, but only managed warm-up ad eight fast, due to growing cold, wind and dark, and shin and ankle soreness. But I made the last a real lung-buster. 21: Bladon circuit in just under 77, including time spent directing a party of tourist to Churchill's grave. I ran well until just before the canal bridge, when I died. 22: Nothing. 23: Nothing again, despite good intentions. (Sheila bought her boat and persuaded me to go after lunch to learn how to operate it. I waited all afternoon and nothing happened; then I was too furious to run.) 24: A beautiful session. I ran the Swinford loop, with some hill work on the way, including 15 repetitions on the dirt-track hill, fast jog down for recovery. It was lovely, battling up between ripe wheat and dark forest, and coming down looking over the river valley to Cassington spire putting forth a peal. I intended 10 but felt so good I put it up to 12 and then 15. The rest of the session had a semblance of resistance work too, what with muddy paths, long grass and stubble fields. The session took 85 minutes. For about a week I've had some soreness in my left shin. The effect is that I have to start out slowly, but once warmed up I can put on a reasonable pace. 25: Apart from a jog down to the boat in the morning, I ran down the river towpath and back on the canal towpath with a diversion to Binsey church. 26: Nothing. (Bank holiday -- excursion, and boat painting.) 27: Botley-Farmoor-Eynsham-Cassington (about 19km or a little more). As noted above, a slow start, but the rest at a good pace -- I speeded up, thinking to run bursts, but held the pace almost to the end. It took about 76 minutes. But the road (pathless, and far too much traffic for its width) from Botley to Eynsham was trying. On the other hand, Eynsham to Cassington was a delight. 28 (at 7:45pm): Repetitions: 15 x roundabout hill, with shorter recovery than before (just down the hill again), and one complete loop each for warmup and warmdown (about 15km). The shorter recoveries had a more dramatic effect than the extra number -- early on in the session, my legs were turning to jelly before reaching the top. Today (28 August) I bought and read Eric Newsholme's and Tony Leech's book on running. Their main theme goes roughly like this. The main limiting factor is not respiration or circulation, but metabolism for energy release. There are two main mechanisms involved. (Others occur in sprinting or explosive sports but are not relevant here.) These are oxidation of, on the one hand, glucose, derived from glycogen and ultimately from carbohydrates, and on the other, fatty acids, derived from triglycerol and ultimately from fats. Each is limited, the first by the quantity available, which is only sufficient to sustain about 90 minutes of hard running, and the other by speed of transfer, which means that it will only supply about 50% of the power requirements (though the quantity is effectively unlimited) because in the bloodstream it must be bound to albumen. The muscles preferentially burn fatty acids, using glucose as a reserve supply for emergencies; but after 90 minutes the glucose runs out and you must keep going at lower speed on fatty acid metabolism (the wall?). Some conclusions -- build up glucose by eating lost of carbohydrates for 2-4 days beforehand (glucose before the race does no good, since it stimulates production of insulin which burns up existing glucose); take dilute glucose solution when reserves become depleted. August 1985 29: Up towpath to Thrupp and back the same way. Not terribly fast, but the uneven surface made it hard going (and I was probably tired after yesterday too). About 15km in about am hour. Aug 30 - Sep 1: Boat trip. (This involves standing for as much of the day as we are actually travelling.) 30: Went up to Newbridge, then walked up to Standlake for petrol, and back carrying 20 litres. Then I ran a little circuit to Appleton -- lovely running by fields, woods, country roads, and hedges, then a disgusting half mile through horse-churned mud. Splashed in the river to clean off -- cold! 31: Went on up to Tadpole Bridge, where we walked to Bampton for lunch. No 4-star there, so I ran over to Buckland and back (couldn't get any there either). Then back down to Newbridge. Tired after the day's exertions, and with just a short time before supper I didn't run. September 1985 1: Down to Bablockhythe, walked into Stanton Harcourt and back, then home. Again I was weak and didn't run -- it was late and I was tired from the holiday. 2: Nothing. (I intended to, but after standing for an hour in the cold rain without a key, I couldn't face the rain again.) 3: Bladon circuit. The effect of a few easy days very noticeable; I ran beautifully until the A40. Good conditions - black and white clouds, rain and sunshine, only a short stretch into the wind -- and real running for mile after mile. On the A40 I was still hard at it despite legs giving out, but made myself slow a bit to keep a reasonable pace most of the way home. The time was 74 minutes. Now a sub-80 half-marathon in 12 days doesn't look quite so impossible! 4: Nothing. (James' party) 5: Sandwiched between drinking whisky with Tim and Dave after their vivas and going out to dinner, I set off for the University Farm at a terrific pace, and came back in under 21 minutes. Real running most of the way. 6: Nothing. Very tired and unusually stiff; and Sheila away didn't leave me an easy time for it. This is the week it has all fallen apart. 7: 15 shorter-recovery repetitions of the roundabout hill, with a warmup and warmdown lap. A good session, in a minute or two under an hour; numbers 9 and 12 were especially fast. Not much quantity this week, but good quality. 8: Down to Medley and back with Sarah, a nice warmup, and then around the University Farm circuit, the ploughed field being even looser than last time. Despite a morning session after an evening session of repetitions, I didn't feel as down as I expected; but there was a niggle in my left calf. 9: Nothing -- took kids to St Giles' Fair, and waited an hour for a bus back! 10: Feeling a bit stiff, started off up the canal, intending to get to Gibraltar and back. But I was running so easily when I got there that I kept on going as far as the bridge after North Brook Lock. Though I was tiring on the way back (due as much to the uneven surface and the nettles as anything) I certainly didn't hit any "wall", real or imagined, in 33km (though who knows what just a little further would have felt like). The run took 2 hours 29 1/2 minutes, about 4 1/2 min/km, or 3 hr 10 min marathon pace; no ill effects apart from nettle stings. Encouraging! 11: A bit stiff, but not too bad. Ran round the University Farm circuit with Sheila, or rather jogged -- I measured it later at about 9 1/2 km, and it took just under an hour. Then I couldn't go any further, since she demanded a bath drawn. 12: Nothing. I'm quite worried about my leg now -- the pain in the muscle is worse, and there is a little shin soreness too. I rested it up self-consciously. 13: Ran 13km or so, not very fast (river towpath - Osney - North Hinksey - Wytham). The stiffness and soreness at the start never really left me, and though I tried a couple of stride-throughs and lifted the pace once or twice, I felt very earthbound all the way. I ran thinking that I had mistimed the exercise by a week! What ill-luck has dogged my racing attempts. Used Deep Heat after the run. 14: Another rest day. Today it was quite a bit worse, the most ominous being that the stiffness has gone into my hips. I wandered around all day wondering if I was stupid enough to dose myself with paracetamol before the race. Why does it hurt less after warmup? Is it the warmup, or the pain-killing effect of the endorphins? Did a couple of sessions of yogic leg exercises, which helped a bit. September 15: Witney Half Marathon In the morning, before we lest, Hester and James had a long, bitter fight; I reduced the tension building up on me by learning the Lovin' Spoonful's "It's not time now" (a lovely, peaceful, peace-inducing song) and a little chanting. The song (which I only rediscovered yesterday) inevitably came to be the one running through my head during the race -- perhaps a luckier chance than I realised. We drove over in Frankie's van and arrived in plenty of time. The fun runners (including Sheila and Frankie) were off first. I started warmup about half an hour before the race -- jogging and stride-throughs, few exercises (the kids hug off me at every opportunity). My aches were still noticeable but not intrusive. Right from the start I found myself running a bit faster than the group I was in, and I was never permanently passed during the race. The first couple of miles seemed long, but I found my rhythm and enjoyed most of the first lap. At the half-way point, I felt that I was running very close to the limit, and went through in 34th place. Then my feet grew wings. The third quarter was probably my best. I felt a little nervous, and tried to take it easy, but couldn't; it was just too tempting to keep going. In the fourth quarter, the pace began to tell a bit, bit it seemed to tell ore on the others, whom I was picking off quite regularly without effort. From the eleventh to the twelfth mile, things didn't feel so good; I thought of hanging on, but the pace didn't drop. One runner I passed tried to stay with me, and challenged me for quite some time, it was on an uphill stretch that I finally buried him. I don't know my place or time yet. The children say I was 12th, which seems a bit too good to be true -- I was estimating the low 20's. It also seems that my time was 80 minutes, plus or minus some. But I won't know for certain until the results come through. Incidentally, I passed Frankie around the 4 1/2 mile mark, and Sheila half a mile or so from the finish. They were both elated with the event. Afterwards we went on to the Open University Fun Day, where I lay in the sun under a stone wall drinking Lowenbrau at 50 pence a bottle and feeling like an emperor. September 16: Nothing. A genuine rest day. The various muscle and joint pains seem to be getting better. 17: Now, today, the depression hits. I started off for a run feeling like a clumsy wooden toy, or as if I was running in water. I could neither develop rhythm nor put on pace, had my life depended on it. I staggered to the Cumnor roundabout and turned back; it didn't even improve substantially on the way back. It took 40 3/4 minutes(!) But there was one positive thing -- just before I went, I'd shot a lovely argument of mine (on blowing up A_4) and holed it below the waterline; but while running I did the groundwork for a complete repair job. (Ivan Rival told me that he never thinks about mathematics while running, and was surprised that I was different. I have sometimes wondered whether brainwork does burn up available energy needed for running, and it is true that if I'm very tired I can't work, but some of my best runs have produced good mathematics.) 18: Better today. I set off up the canal, still a bit ungainly at first but getting into some semblance of running later. I ran to Thrupp, and detoured to Yarnton on the way back to avoid the nettles, in 66 minutes. 19: I bought new shoes today, Adidas ZX250s, in the hope that by reducing the pounding I'd make it easier on my legs, which are still in a bad way. I didn't go far in them, just round the meadow with Sheila, but it was painful all the way, and the shoes didn't help; they felt clumsy, unlike the last pair which made me walk on air, and they blistered my heels. 20: Took a rest day in the interests of my legs. 21: Again in the new shoes, I set off towards Wytham. Still pretty bad, the same symptoms as four days ago but not as badly. I reached the Cumnor roundabout in 18 3/4 minutes (new stopwatch as well), not fast but quite an improvement on last time! then continued to Hinksey and Osney, back on the route I took on Sep 13; as then, took 54 minutes for the circuit. 22: Round the University Farm in about 45 minutes. I wore my old shoes and felt much more comfortable in them. Though I was in pain all the way, and though starting was pretty terrible (and I went very slowly out, into the wind), I was able to get into some semblance of rhythm and stride on the way back. The pain has now localised to a point outside my left knee, though I feel it also in my shins and a little in my thighs (and the tied-down feeling) when I run. 23: I realised, on waking this morning, that unless I got a lot better quickly I wouldn't be running the marathon. So I took a rest day, with yoga in the evening. 24: Again no run, yoga in the evening. 25: Improved, but not clear yet; but I went out anyway. Started with the now-familiar "no stretch, no bounce" syndrome, but it eased into proper running fairly quickly. Ran up Cumnor Hill and back without too much discomfort in 63 minutes, though I was quite tired on the way back. September 1985 - May 1986: Lay-off I didn't run the MK marathon (the injury took a long time to clear up), then inevitably things started getting busy and running slipped for quite a long time. We had a very long, cold, depressing winter. I went out spasmodically, wrapped up in lots of clothes to avoid recurrence of last year's misery. In the Easter vacation I tried to get into the habit of running at lunchtime. I went out quite often, around Christ Church Meadow four or six times, or down to Iffley Lock. During a week in the Netherlands, I ran nearly every day, despite incredibly strong gales. The sensation of running down a long straight beach, on firm sand, with the fearsome wind behind me, was uplifting, but the stretches on the roads weren't such fun, especially crosswind, when there was a real risk of being blown under a car while I had both feet off the ground. On May 11, the Gaymer's Cider series of city centre races came to Oxford. We skipped church and watched some of them. I was sufficiently inspired to go out that day for a run, around the University Farm. It was not too windy, and very pleasant when the wind was behind me, and I ran a good run, tiring myself without any ill effects, in 42:21 by my scarcely-used sports watch. The best part was the short grass in the furthest field, just after turning for home, with the wind right behind. At the races, there was an Oxford Past and Present v Cambridge Past and Present v Oxford City AC race as a curtain-raiser. As we walked around, Hester said, "There's Mr Starkey", referring to her social education teacher, who was warming up for the race. Bells rang. We didn't catch him, but I told Hester to ask him if he was in the Oxford University cross-country team in 1969. Sure enough, he was. Even more coincidentally, as I was cycling to work on Wednesday, 14 May, he overtook me in the Turl, and we had the chance to exchange a few words before going our separate ways. He mentioned to me the Otmoor Half Marathon on, I think, June 7. Can I get fit in 3 1/2 weeks? May 1986 14: After getting home at 7:15 in the pouring rain, I tested my new-found resolve by setting out for a run, back the way I'd come (the Banbury-Woodstock Roads circuit). It wasn't the most brilliant run ever; several times I felt too tired to keep on really stretching out. But there were patches of good running, including something I've often noticed: after turning at the point, tiredness melts away and stride lengthens effortlessly. On an ill-starred course for me, a creditable 37:07. 15 (lunchtime): the Iffley Lock circuit. I felt a bit sluggish but it wasn't a bad run. Strange weather: mostly sunny though a lot colder than it looked, and one short, intense, near-freezing deluge. Felt good afterwards. 16: Last night a sore throat came on; I had a bad night. (Perhaps yesterday was pre-cold euphoria.) Today, after that and a day's punting, I felt very sluggish, but went out and ran up the hill behind the University Farm and back via Hester's Bridge in 25:28, slowly. 17: Yesterday, a wine-tasting (12 bottles among 20 people, I had my share and a fair portion of Sheila's), and continuing sore throat, weren't ideal preparation for Bladon circuit. Weather wet and windy. On the way out the wind was behind me and I overheated! Saw another runner way ahead coming into Bladon, but overtook him very soon. 36:34 at the church. That stretch was lovely. On the dream stretch, the wind strengthened, the rain turned into downpour. But I kept going. No dead stretches. Just over an hour on the bridge, and home in 79:43. This was better than expected. Compare 2/8/1985, when, however, I had twice as long until race day as I do now. 18: In complete contrast to yesterday, a calm sunny evening with a light northwest wind. I started out to do repetitions, but felt bouncy and ran to the Cumnor roundabout. Quite a good run; legs died up the hill to the roundabout but recovered, and the return journey was faster than the outward: 18:30 out, 18:06 back. 19: A slower run up the canal towpath to the bridge on the far side of Kidlington. Starting too soon after supper, I felt sick on the way out. Coming back I felt better and thought I opened up a bit, but unlike yesterday the difference was negligible: 27:20 out, 27:11 back. 20: The Iffley Lock circuit at lunchtime. Again my legs didn't want to move too fast starting out but they went more easily coming back. Yet overall it wasn't fast. 21: Back home late after eating in College, ran out to the Wytham T-junction and back, at a fair lick (around 16:05 by the kitchen clock, about the same as my fastest to Cumnor roundabout and back) but without any distress apart from the inevitable from running so soon after a big dinner! John Burgass told me today that the Otmoor course involves running up Beckley hill and is reckoned 5-10 minutes slower than a typical half marathon. 22: Broke the longest consecutive run ever by not going out. Sheila was out till late and by the time I'd put the boys to bed I'd a splitting headache and lots of work to do. 23: Again nothing. Still with headache and also ache in shoulders and back. 24: Ring road in 104 1/2 minutes. Started off fine, despite same symptoms as last two days. Twinge of stomachache at half way, but it wasn't until the top of Shotover that I knew trouble of a different sort was coming. The run down the hill did in my legs, and the stomach pain returned at Marston so that I had to stop. Then the wind got up in my face. The last couple of miles were a struggle. 25: We'd driven to Cassington earlier for an Art Week exhibitor (Neil Tregear, a potter) and so I decided to seek out the footpath (which is signposted at the Cassington end). The intermediate course isn't very clear and is quite overgrown. I ran for 51 minutes. It was enjoyable -- a striking day, bright but cloudy. I doubt that I saved any Africans, unless I raised the consciousness of any motorists on the A40 (this is almost certainly impossible). Now, after my shower, the effects of the nettles are boiling away in my legs. 26: (After work) A quickish and good run round the Iffley circuit. On returning, I noticed a pulling in my shoulder when I raised my arms. 27: Nothing. (No time.) 28: Late evening, after a terrible day and late dinner (with Don Taylor), ran the B-W circuit. Anger drove me at the start, so it felt faster than it was, though still better than last week, at 36:49 (19:34 at the point). Actually quite an easy run. 29: Nothing, again. 30: In a short gap between Sheila getting home and my going out to babysit, did repetitions on the roundabout hill (one lap warmup and 12 repetitions with short recovery). I managed to keep up effort on the last pinch by not starting too fast, but my legs locked up in the 12th. A good run. Later: Yoga. 31: Bladon circuit. Didn't start until 7pm, much later than expected because Sheila went out to look at pictures. I was incredibly sluggish at the start -- was it yesterday's effort tying up my muscles, or the unexpected start time? -- and, in light drizzle, was soon puffing and panting. 37 minutes at Bladon church. I felt almost too dead to carry on at the top of the hill, but recovered a bit on the dream stretch -- the rain now stopped -- and kept a reasonable pace home to finish in 78:30. Do these excuses account for the slow time, or am I really running 5 minutes slower for half-marathon distance than last August? June 1986 1: Fartlek on the Swinford loop Didn't go very fast (45:43) because of legs still stiff and non-responsive, mud, clay on shoes, and long grass. Not at all tiring on lungs or heart. 2: Legs even stiffer when I got home from work. I almost decided not to run, but went out for a jog on the Hester' Bridge circuit. Sprinted up the hill, and ran fast (timed at 7:33) back from the T-junction. The last is not disappointing. (Of course, I could have set out to run a timed course but didn't have the courage!) 3: Started out after a lot of very strong coffee. If I'd known what was coming, I mightn't have! Very bouncy, so set off for Cumnor roundabout quite fast, 17:55 at the turn. Coming back, it felt as if I blew up, and yet in fact I got even faster, 7 3/4 minutes back from the T-junction to finish in 35:32. Beautiful evening, just about sunset, but it was real work. I felt exploded and slightly sick, but it was general condition rather than legs that went, in contrast to the last few days. After stopping, pulse very slow and irregular. But a very hopeful run by contrast with the last few. 4,5,6: Nothing (apart from pushing it hard cycling to work and back). Given twinges of my Achilles tendon, and Sheila being out most evenings, I took the easy way out. June 7: Otmoor Challenge half-marathon Spent the morning carrying heavy bags of shopping, and then cooked lunch for myself bit later than I'd planned - I didn't eat until 11:45 though I'd hoped it would be nearer 11. At the field, nothing was wrong, but I didn't have the bounce I should have done. The day was fairly hot and humid, with only a very gentle wind. The course started up the steep hill to Studley. I was running too fast. I got to the first mile marker in 6:12 (despite the hill), was under 12 at the second, and under 37 at the sixth. Absolutely beautiful country to run through. There is nothing I'd like better than to run that race when I was really fit. But even from 3 miles I was feeling the strain. However, I kept up this goodly pace until Oddington, when we switched onto the Otmoor tracks, quite rough (though very flat), and my pace dropped right down. There was a bad patch on the stretch between Noke and Beckley when I thought I'd have to pull out. However, I kept going, not too fast, saving myself for the dreaded Beckley hill, which I ran quite well, not fast, but never tempted to stop. There was another bad stretch along the mad mile back to Horton, when my feet overheated. But I passed one in the sprint (though one passed me). About ten people overtook me between three miles and the finish. I had expected it would be much worse. One was Linda West, the first woman home, who went past early (in Murcott); the second woman caught me on the moor below Beckley. I was 60th in 93:08. I could do much better, and hopefully will another year. I was in the Iffley Road Strollers B team, but I haven't heard about the team result yet. Next month: It wasn't just reaction from the race; rather more, it was a combination of work closing in, and a worsening twinge in my right Achilles tendon which I'd noticed before and during the race. Typically it would come on gradually so that after twenty minutes I was running with a stiff foot, and then after thirty I began to limp. Even extended lay-offs didn't seem to help. A couple of days of Deep Heat improved things a bit, but no sign of a final solution. But as from today (July 6) I'll try keeping daily records again. July 1986 6: To Cumnor roundabout. I intended to go slowly but made the fatal mistake of passing a runner just before the Trout. That lifted my pace, so that I hit Wytham in 8:10 and got to halfway in 18:10. Coming back, no sign of heel trouble, striding very nicely, the pace even lifted (27:55 in Wytham, and 35:46 home). Amazingly good after layoff. Afterwards, slight tenderness. 7: (lunchtime) The Iffley Lock circuit. Stiffness in both heels on starting (the result of yesterday) and slight tenderness after finishing. I think my shoes are not blameless. The run itself was steady, not too fast. 8: Nothing: School trip, Sheila away. 9: The farm circuit. Not too fast, but it felt much better than lately; I kept moving nicely all the way. 41:43; no bad effects. 10: (evening) In light drizzle, a shorter run, to the Wytham turn and back in 25:06. Coming back was real running, not the least bit tiring (pulse 95 after stopping). 1 1/2 minutes faster than last time I tried it, but that means nothing, just look at the context! Same comment applies to yesterday. 11: Cassington-Yarnton look in 48:25. A much harder run (105). Ran well until just before Cassington (anticlockwise), kept rhythm but not pace along the nightmare stretch. How I ever did it in 46, I can't imagine! 12: Nothing. (Roger's party; pouring rain.) 13: River and North Hinksey circuit. I started slowly, feeling quite sluggish. Spent a minute or so talking to Dave at Medley. But I felt better the further I went (apart from a niggle in my right foot) and came back in 18:10 from Cumnor roundabout. A runner ahead just past Wytham gave me something to chase. Overall 54:06. (100). Seemingly par for the course (see 13 and 21 September 1985). Last year I was complaining that I'd lost the ability to run fast. Now it seems as if I've lost the ability to run far. This was the furthest I've run since Otmoor, and the thought of going further at present fills me with dread. But the real problem is that I haven't the basic fitness at the moment. But I'm better off than I was at the beginning of August last year; I think it would be reasonable to aim for Witney again, and possibly MK to follow. 14: Nothing. 15: A very hot day, spent tidying the front room (at last) At 5:30, ran down the river to the station and back on the canal, in 35:51. Good running, felt worthwhile. I passed many people going the other way. 16: Even hotter. Set out for Cumnor Hill, slowly (feeling very sluggish, despite feeling good all day) but decided to cut it short because of concert at 8pm. Ran to the roundabout (18:18) and back (36:18). Felt OK once I was going, but obviously not fast. 17-19: Nothing. (Various excuses, none of them very convincing -- but I felt desperately tired for a couple of days.) 20: Bladon circuit. I started badly; heels, not sore, but stiff and immovable, helped keep pace down. It went better on the dream stretch (37:55 at Bladon church, 60:20 at the bridge) but again I seized up on the last bit. A very slow 79:52. 21: Nothing. 22: Farm loop. The now-familiar wooden start. Once I got going it felt OK except for the breaks in rhythm caused by the terrain, and blistering on my right heel. Some nice running around Kings Lock and after, but the time was a slow 41:54. 23: River-Hinksey-Wytham loop. A good run apart from the accustomed bad start. I was going nicely down the towpath and out to Hinksey. I slowed a little to Cumnor roundabout but got into a lovely rhythm there, coming home from the roundabout in 17:16 (50:35 overall). Even allowing for the time spent talking to Dave, this is good compared to July 13. Encouraging after recent slow runs (though I didn't think so when I started!) 24-25: Nothing. Boat trip. July 26 - August 7: In Canada. 26: On checking into my room just before 6pm (local time) I felt the need for a run, so set off up Mt Royal. Got lost on the way down and spent a while scrambling on the rocks or running along narrow muddy forest paths. But the running was good. I was out for 46 minutes. 27: The long route up the mountain. Good running up, but seized up a bit on the way back, partly because of taking the steps down and having a break later. 63 minutes running. 28: Ran with Peter Frankl. We ran much slower than my usual pace, or so it felt (though we covered the ground OK): up the mountain the long way, back the short way, in 64 minutes. This is a better run: the downhill is not followed by a long uphill to get home! 29: Over the mountain, but skipping the circuit to the top, in 42 minutes. Rationalised by the fact that I have to be back to chair the afternoon session and that I've done in 4 days the equivalent of a good week's training, but in fact I was tired -- it was hot and humid at 1pm and I ran fast. 30: What I meant to do yesterday, and almost what I did two days before, in 54 minutes, 11 1/2 of which was for the extra loop. On a cold, windy day, I started woodenly, unlike recently, but as usual went better when warmed up. So good and easy, in fact, that I poured on the effort both on the last stretch to the top and on the last stretch home, yet pulse only 95 after one minute. 31: Same route as yesterday, in the same time (take a few seconds) -- slightly slower start, but made up for it on the mountain loop. Cool weather, and lots of runners to chase, helped. Felt as good as yesterday. August 1986 1: Same again. Warmer than yesterday; I ran consistently a little faster on all sections to finish a minute faster overall. No problems, apart from an incipient stitch as I hurried down the hill, something I hate and shouldn't do. This has been a very good week. In particular, to run a tough course on three consecutive days getting faster each day, knowing well each time the pain of the time before, is pretty good. 2: Nothing. (But what a tiring day, pounding the streets of Montreal for presents and then enduring People Express to Columbus.) 3: Ran out along the road to the river and back again. Dead straight, flat except for downhill to the river and uphill back again. This was much less good than recently because of (a) heat (b) not knowing the ground (c) tiredness from yesterday (which I could feel in all muscles). 50 minutes running. 4: Ran from the OSU gym. Mostly by the river, which was beautiful when it was going well, but I spent quite a lot of time being lost. Out for 43 minutes. It was very hot again. Not a good day. Very laboured start. 5: Nothing. 6: Ran at 8:30am. It wasn't good. At the start, my ankles were so stiff that I shuffled along. I got into a better stride but never went really fast. I ran in the same direction as three days ago but not so far, going round the grounds of the deaf school and then back again. 37 minutes. 7: Nothing. (Flying home from Columbus: some exercises in the terminal at Mirabel.) 8: Nothing. 9: To Wytham turn. Heels bad on starting -- not as unspringy as sometimes but they hurt. 12:58 out, but much faster back to finish in 25:12, and still not tired. Much less hot than last couple of weeks. Not a sensational place, but look at the difference in the splits. 10-15: Boat trip. 10: Jogged for 30 minutes with the boys (Pigeons Lock - Kirtlington) and then for 25 minutes by myself (Pigeons Lock - Tackley via a few fields). A very easy day, the best one can expect on such a trip. 11: Ran for 30 minutes at Aynho. Not so fast along the towpath and beside a busy road (continually jumping into the grass), but tendons less sore. 12: An excellent run, up the canal from Banbury to two locks above Cropredy and back, in 84 minutes. No bad feeling from my tendons at all, and I could have kept going much further than I actually went, even though the pace was good, except for slowing down a bit after a fall on the slippery towpath twelve minutes from home. Very encouraging. 13: 28 minutes running, on the towpath (very unpleasant) through fields (aimlessly), and strongly back on the road from Kings Sutton to Twyford. No twinges after yesterday. 14: A beautiful 61 minute run through the Heyfords, Somerton, and the Astons. Glorious scenery, but cruel hills, despite which I kept up a reasonably good pace, and enjoyed it thoroughly. (For the record, if I ever run it again, 55:15 for the road loop.) 15: Nothing, owing to our mishap with the engine coupling. But quite a bit of walking and hard work! 16: An excellent run. Set out faster than usual towards Wytham, no ankle trouble. As I ran on I felt strong and the running fast and easy, even on the rough stretches of the farm loop. I tired a bit towards the end, finishing in 40:47. Heading for the farm, I saw a new pillar-box on a white post. Then I decided it was a woman in a white coat tying up the laces of a girl in a red coat. That stayed for quite a while, until it became two motorcycles. Pulse rate a minute after stopping was a remarkably low 75, strong and even. Evening: Yoga. 17: Nothing. (I guess it was a rest day, but I swam with the boys for 1 1/2 hours.) 18: Bladon circuit. It was raining, harder than a drizzle, with a light wind in my face on the way out. I felt OK but sluggish; the running didn't come good until Bladon, and never as good as two days ago; and the last stretch was tiring, with sweatshirt heavy with rain. Finished in 76:39. Disappointingly slow, despite being my second fastest ever. Afterwards, pulse irregular, shifting between a strong slow and a quiet fast rhythm, settling to the latter (80-90) after a couple of minutes. This calls into question all such measurements. 19: Nothing. 20: Ran to Gibraltar and back, ostensibly to check on the boat. It was a bad run; not too fat, but by the end I couldn't push it, in addition to having blistered my left sole and stiffened by right tendon. 93 minutes running. Evening: redeemed things slightly with a good session of yoga and kum nye. 21: Legs tight after yesterday, but feet fine. Set off for Cumnor roundabout, intending to run slowly, but felt fine so went faster, and better and faster as I went. Out in 17:45 and back in 16:57. A good run by any standards, especially after yesterday's debacle. 22: Lunchtime run round the Iffley Lock loop. Not very fast; I was full of aches ad stiff spots, and the slow speed wasn't voluntary. But not a disaster. 23: Trip to Bath. 24: Bladon loop. A mild day, cloudy sun, breeze against me on the way out. I started too fast and slowed before the roundabout, but got second wind at the church (36:15 at the church) and had a beautiful spell of running until just before Cassington. Then my legs tired, I got a stitch, that upset my breathing, and that made my legs more tired. I hung on (56:30 on bridge); the last stretch really hurt, and I found myself involuntarily stopping a couple of times, but I didn't slow much until just before the end, coming home in 74:09. A run I can be pleased with. But compare 3/9/1985. It appears that I'm fit to run 9 miles, not 13. Pulse afterwards, a solution to the mystery. I've trained my heartbeat to couple with my breathing; so, when I breathe easy, my heart slows and beats peacefully; if it can't quite cope, it decouples, and beats soft and fast until it catches up. Evening: Yoga. 25: Swimming with the children, then a non-serious (but very hard work) run to Summertown in the pouring rain for fish and chips. Quite a few aches and pains! 26: Nothing. (Rest day, or laziness?) 27: Ran from College, down the muddy towpath to the ring road, around to North Hinksey, back to Osney and along the towpath, with a lap of Christ Church Meadow to finish. A bit stiff at first (left knee?!) but running easily when warm. Filled the last couple of miles with short-recovery sprints. 55 minutes. 28: Fifteen repetitions of roundabout hill. Average 1:15; slowly but consistently improving, from 1:19 (for the first) to 1:12 (for the last two). Average recovery 2 minutes. Total time for session (with warmup and warmdown) 62 minutes. Left knee hurt for about the first six, noticeable all the way through. A good session. Late in the season to start speed work, but maybe it doesn't matter. Having a stopwatch on it really means no slacking! 29: A slow (55 minutes) run round the Osney loop. Felt quite lame -- left knee and above playing up. So it was harder than it should have been at that pace. Don't crack up now, please. 30: Nothing, justified by resting my knee and hip. 31: (morning) Warmed up by helping James ride his bike across the meadow several times, I set out for a longer run. I hadn't definitely decided on the ring road, but by the time I passed the Cumnor Hill road it seemed natural to continue that way. The pace didn't seem too fast, and the running very strong though I was worried by the slowness. But at halfway I had inklings that it would be fast. Despite beginning to struggle at Headington I kept the pace up until Summertown, and though I slowed after that I finished in 98:07. (afternoon) Swimming with the kids. Mostly play but I did a few lengths. A touch of cramp, but it doesn't seem to have done any damage. Hip and knee seem much better. September 1986 1: Nothing. Hip a bit stiff. 2: Ran river and canal towpaths to station in 36:25. Noticeably slowed by my hip all the way, though coming back was a bit better. But an easy run. If this continue, my planned hard week will come to nothing. 3: Started off quite stiff, and found even a modest pace (8:20 to Wytham) tiring. So I changed plan and did fartlek out on the farm loop to the hill, three hard runs up the hill, and fartlek back. 42 minutes running. Not brilliant, but the hills made me work. 4: Left leg a bit better, warmed up by cycle ride home. When I set out, it felt not like hobbling, but more as if I was carrying it, running on the right leg. But I kept a reasonable pace, 7:45 at Wytham. Then, all of a sudden, something happened; I changed gear, my stride went right out, I flew. Then it just got better and better: 17:10 at the turn, 26:10 at Wytham, and home in 33:25. Pulse 85 a minute after finishing. I'm elated! Evening: Yoga and kum nye. 5: Nothing. My leg was worse, and I really thought a rest was the best thing. 6: I started out to run the Bladon loop. But I was so lame that I revised my expectations down to the St Giles lop, and in the event turned back at Moreton Road. My leg hurt all the way, not badly, but it made it impossible to run fast. About 25 minutes running. And what had started out to be a very good week has fallen flat. 7 and 8: No alternative but to rest my leg. Some exercises. 9: I took it out on a trial run, to the station on the towpath. The pain didn't slow me as much as on Saturday, but the increase in speed since a week ago wasn't enough to lift the depression: 35:08. 10: Nothing. Slightly worse again after yesterday. 11 (morning): the best yoga and kum nye session for ages, lots of positive thinking. The turnaround? (afternoon): I decided that of the two possible gambles, resting was most likely to work -- for all the positive thinking, a jolt to my leg still gives a nasty twinge. 12-13: Nothing. 13 (evening): A session of yoga and kum nye. September 14: Witney half marathon (11:15am) I woke up early but feeling very tired. Breakfasted on pancake, toast and coffee, and played music until we left at 10:10. Arriving at the ground, my throat was very dry, from the cold that's been threatening all week; I had a cup of tea. My leg didn't feel too bad warming up, but I got more tired than I should have. The start was quite fast. I was well back, but still passed the first mile marker in 5:25 (though I'm sure this was inaccurate -- without noticeably slowing, I reached the second in 11:44). Around the first lap, I kept a pace of around 5:56/mile, very even, reaching the halfway in 39:12. It never felt really easy or joyful, but still was quite OK. But then came the steep pinch at 7 1/2 miles, and my legs turned to jelly; the name of the game was endurance from that point. The next couple of miles were my slowest; I reached the 10 mile marker in 2 seconds over the hour, and was beginning to wonder whether I'd get in in under 85 minutes. But I pulled the pace up to 6:10/mile after that, though it was still hard going. One runner passed me here, the only one on the second lap, and I passed one soon after. (I passed many in the first lap.) As usual, the last half mile, after the sharp rise on the main road, stretched on and on and on, but I gritted my teeth and got the pace back to a reasonable level, coming in all done (with no pretence at a sprint) in 79:39 officially (a second slower on my watch), in 22nd place. My leg twinged a bit but didn't really affect things. I think it was the cold, and, even more, the week off, that slowed me. Positive thinking is no substitute for fitness! Later: No hint of trouble from heels, but my left knee is quite bad. Stretching exercises give some relief. 15-16: Nothing. Considerable improvement to knee each day. 17: Gently to Cumnor roundabout and back (39 minutes). Quite awkward but certainly not as bad as a year ago. 18: Nothing, though I could have gone out. 19-29: Very little running in this time. The pain comes either when I run or when I get a sudden jolt. Once I got up the towpath to Kidlington at reasonable pace; another time I had to turn back at the village green. 30: North Hinksey loop in 49:39. More insight into the pain: I watched it start, it didn't begin until after I started running, so I was able to get my stride working fast! Also, it moves from knee to hip as I go. A good run; coming back by the river, especially, I felt strong and fast. (cf. 27/8, 23/7, 13/7). And cheering to turn in my best time yet under the circumstances. October 1986 4: Ran around the farm circuit, not too fast, on a breezy day. Leg still better; I was aware of it but untroubled. Didn't time the run, but it wasn't much under 45 minutes: a jog! 8: At 8pm, after a hard day's sanding, painting, electricals, and mathematics, I tempted fate and ran the Banbury-Woodstock loop. It felt quite fast but not too fast, and somewhat flat-footed. On the way back, a cyclist paced me from Plantation to Frenchay, without so much as acknowledging me, but it lifted the pace no end as well as my spirits. Still, the time, 35:38, exceeded all expectations. 11: Through Wytham Woods to Swinford and back along the river in 53:14. A pull over the hills, but felt OK. Leg a bit troubling at the start but then fine. 12: Wytham woods circuit in 51:54. Autumn has come since yesterday -- calm day but with a smell of fog in the still air. Demanding run; my muscles felt the steep downhills. Felt good afterwards. 15: Ran the Wytham woods circuit again, on a beautiful morning, but with the slopes a bit slippery after the heavy rain. Despite a half-minute wait for a film crew, I had a good, demanding but not exhausting, run, and got the pace up at the end (7 1/2 minutes back from the T-junction) to take 2 minutes off Sunday's time (49:56). October 19: Carterton Squash Club Fun Run, 10km I wasn't exactly wound up to bursting point for this one, in view of my easy-going training over the last few weeks, and the fact that they hadn't sent directions to the race, so at 10:30 we were still driving around Carterton asking bemused passers-by if they knew where it was! I got to the start with 20 minutes to spare, leaving Sheila to park the car, and managed only a perfunctory warmup. The weather was beautifully clear and sunny, cool but not too cold (remarkable after a deluge yesterday) and with quite a strong wind. From the start I let others run as they would, and kept my own pace, but inevitably it was lifted by the occasion; we went through the first mile in 5:18, and as if to prove it was no fluke or mis-measurement, the second came up in 10:43. I didn't see the 3 mile marker, but the pace began to tell a bit, and the wind and a hill slowed me, so that I passed 4 mile in 22:38. Clearly then I smelt the finish and put on some pace. Abut there, I and someone else who had caught me caught two others in front and I almost held them, and did succeed in dropping one. But the fifth mile came in 28:38, and I crossed the finish in 36:11. Though obviously I am capable of much better than that (just imagine what I would have done if the leg trouble hadn't come on and I'd done a month of speedwork!) it's gratifying that I was only eleven seconds slower than I'd predicted before all that trouble hit. October 27: After a idle week, ran the Cassington-Yarnton loop. The day after I'd sent off my London entry and the clocks went back, it was gloomy when I set out, running beautifully easily along the A40, and pitch dark as I pounded against the traffic along the very narrow road to Yarnton and then back beside the busy A34. The conditions made it much harder than it should have been. 49:26. Then an easy month-and-a-half, only a couple of outings (though I had half-heartedly hoped to go out three times a week). What nudged me into action was getting my acceptance for London on 6 December. Must be careful not to overdo it too early! December 1986 7: To Cumnor roundabout and back in 36:21 (18:21 out, 18 minutes back). It felt quite steady, though I could feel that I'd lost a lot of fitness. I could have gone further, but it was getting dark. (evening) Yoga. 8: (evening) Yoga. 9: An hour's running on the Regent's Canal towpath. Got to Islington High Street, dithered around there a bit through not finding the way to the other end of the Islington Tunnel. Felt good. (evening) Yoga and kum nye. 10: Wytham Woods loop. Not timed, but the pace was consistent with three days ago, i.e. probably low fifties. Very enjoyable run. 12: In the morning, fell of my bike on the icy road. Evening: To Cumnor roundabout, quite late, too dark to run hard. Twinges from knee. 13: Knee a bit worse. Evening: Yoga and kum nye. All OK except that I couldn't sit with legs crossed. Rested knee (with a little yoga) until 23: Cumnor roundabout ad back, after work, and without lunch; not timed, but it felt wonderfully rhythmic, and there were no ill effects. Evening: Yoga and kum nye. Knee a bit difficult to bend but not painful. 25: To Wytham turn, too soon after Christmas dinner; not fast, and a slight stitch coming back, but felt easy and good. Evening: Yoga etc. Knee stiffer. 27: To top of Cumnor Hill, 64:02. Very easy until a few miles from home; I had to work harder into the headwind. 29: Osney-Hinksey-Wytham loop in a comfortable 54:32, including about half a minute redirecting a mislaid motorist. January 1987 1: Bladon circuit. Felt very stiff and sluggish, but the run wasn't exhausting, though very slow: 81:10. (evening) Exercises. Managed to bend knee, with some discomfort. 3: Ran from Bladon, through the lower park, Combe gate, and Hanborough, and back on the A40 (11 miles?) in an hour and a quarter. Slightly faster than Thursday. 4: Cumnor roundabout in a slow 37:23. Legs stiff after two long runs, and quite a strong headwind out (19:11 out, 18:12 back). But still felt easy, and I recovered quickly. 6: Regents Canal from Mile End to Little Venice (66:31 to Paddington including getting lost in Islington and running into the wind all the way) and back from Whitechapel to QMC. 7: Cumnor roundabout (18:24 and 18:26). A bit stiff; and breathing was hard in the frosty air. 10: Cumnor roundabout (18:53 and 18:46). Air bitterly cold; roads treacherous with ice; knee hurting. A depressing run. 11: Bladon circuit, on a clear icy day with light wind, in a remarkable 76:48 (35:11 at Bladon church, 58:12 at Cassington bridge). No knee problems but, considering breathing difficulty and slippery ice, it was extraordinary. Then a week of appalling winter weather; only sprints to work and exercises, until 18: Bladon circuit. Conditions very difficult, e.g. a couple of inches of loose snow all along the A40. Time 80:31 (36:12 and 60:40). 20: Cumnor roundabout (18:12 and 17:33). Slowed somewhat by snow and slush; but some real running where conditions were good. 21: Osney-Hinksey-Wytham loop in 54:29. A much more easy-going run than yesterday (18:25 back from the roundabout). Slippery in places. 22: 50 minutes running on the canal towpath up to the other end of Hackney Marshes. 24: Cumnor Hill in 61:37. (18:27, 31:25, 43:47). First stretch beautifully easy, though not fast; but the hill, and back from Wytham, were an effort. 25: Cumnor-Farmoor-Swinford-Cassington Mill. A fairly easy run -- I ran with Sheila to Wytham -- in 95 minutes. Felt good. 27: 50 minutes good running on the towpath near QMC. A bit interrupted by locked gates, etc., but finished fast. 28: River-Hinksey-Wytham loop in 52:11. It felt a bit sluggish but not hard until ear the end (17:57 from roundabout). Beautiful sunny day! 29: 47 minutes on the canal. Another dead-end, but I finished with a lap of Victoria Park. 31: Banbury-Woodstock circuit. Starting at 5:20 on a bitterly cold day, I ran easily but strongly in 36:42 (19:52 to the point). February 1987 1: Ring road. Started quite early (10:15) with heavy frost, running very easily (Cumnor roundabout in 19:15) and, striding out at halfway, only tired a bit in the last couple of miles for an easy 100:41. In the succeeding week, I was devastated by a bout of 'flu, worst on the 3rd, and I didn't run again until 7: Did the Osney-Hinksey-Wytham loop in reverse order, so that I could turn back at the roundabout if necessary. Most of the run was a jog, though the river towpath was a stride; I was never distressed and finished in 53:41, remarkable under the circumstances. 8: Ran to West Way, then round a little circuit, up the hill past Westminster College and back down Cumnor Hill. Not fast -- muddy and slippery -- but quite tiring. About 10 miles. 10: From work to the other side of Tower Bridge and back. 55 minutes brisk running in quite a strong wind. 11: 5 x Wytham hill (to car park) -- recovery was jogging straight down again, roughly 5 1/2 mins per circuit, total run 47 minutes. 12: Repetitions in Victoria Park (6 x 4/5 lap, jog 1/5 lap -- 1 lap slightly under 1km?) Running there and back and 1 lap warmdown, 41 minutes. 14: In my new shoes, ran Cumnor Hill in 60:14, including 35:20 to and from the roundabout. Hard work! Shoes felt OK, not absolutely perfect, but much less damage than usual for new shoes. 5 mins warmdown afterwards. 15: A long hard run. Out past Kidlington (on the soft verge), through Islip, and out to Merton church; then back through Charlton, Oddington, across Otmoor to Noke (fairly muddy), through Prattle Wood (absolutely disgusting) to Woodeaton, Sescut Farm, and back on the ring road. 20 miles in 2:20; not too tiring at all, despite all the mud! 17: Ran from Paddington to QMC with my clothes and books in a rucksack on my back, in an hour. Hard labour! 19: Repetitions in Victoria Park, as Feb 12 but 8 instead of 6 repetitions while the snow fell. 21: Bladon circuit in 75:10 (35:55, 57:15). Not easy conditions -- headwind and drizzle except on the dream stretch, quite cold -- but felt flat, and disappointingly slow. 22: A slower, longer run in the same general direction -- Bladon, Lower Park, Combe, East End, Church Hanborough, and back on the A40. About 20 miles in just under 2:20; tiring after yesterday, but lovely run. 24: Paddington to QMC, this time with a lighter load (because of better organisation), hence slightly faster. A biting cold day with a touch of snow. 25: 6 x Wytham hill, 54 minutes for session. Not so fast, but very enjoyable on a cold, still, sunny day. 26: 8 x Victoria Park, plus 1 warmdown (48 mins) in drizzle intensifying to steady rain. Recoveries slightly quicker than last week. 28: Cumnor roundabout. Fast, partly because of going in T-shirt and shorts for the first time this season -- 33:15 (16:50, 16:25). March 1987 1: Newbridge circuit, about 23 miles, in about 2:40. I'm not sure about distance -- I times 3 marked miles in Appleton in 6:42, 6:42 and 6:40, and didn't slow until the last quarter, so it may have been further. On target, anyway. 3: Paddington - QMC in just under an hour. (57:20 to my "finish line" just off the towpath.) Quite a good run, into a bitter wind. 5: At Birmingham, ran for 3/4 hour, including ten laps of the large front oval. Not repetitions, but with some pace variations and finishing fast. This at 7am after a very late night! 7: To Botley Road via Wytham and back via the station, in a bit under 55 minutes. There was a lot of snow on the ground and it was falling heavily. 8: The ring road, with a detour to Horspath and back over the top of Shotover (not quite what I intended). Another runner picked me up at Marston and paced me home, quite fast although I felt very relaxed. 2 hours 17 minutes; about 100 mins for the ring road, very good in the conditions. 10: Paddington - QMC, 15 seconds slower than last week, in a south-east wind that opposed me more the nearer I got to the end. Also some pounding up and down the Woodstock Road as a result of a puncture. Stiff after cold shower! 11: 7 times up Wytham hill, in the afternoon of a sunny but cold day. Loafed on some, but several were sprints! Pushed it coming home too; little trouble from fatigued muscles. 12: Repetitions in Victoria Park, 9 plus 1 warmdown in 50 minutes. The increased speed was due to pushing it there and back. A good session. 13: An unexpected run along the canal towpath home from the station, in ordinary shoes and with a backpack of books, after having forgotten my keys. 14: A scorching run on the river-Osney-Hinksey-Wytham circuit, in 48:53. It felt fast, but I didn't let the pace slacken. 16:46 back from the roundabout. 15: Around Otmoor: about 22 miles by my cotton thread on the map, in 2:36. I had hoped to do better, but the measurement may be way off, and the two killer hills and a wind resolutely against me on the way back took their toll. 17: Paddington - QMC, two minutes faster (55:28 to the "finish line"). I found myself running strongly for a good bit of the way, roughly from St Pancras. 19: 8 repetitions of Wytham hill; it felt very easy, my mind was elsewhere, but it wasn't slow. Blizzard started just as I finished the last repetition. 21: An incredibly marvellous run: Bladon circuit in 71:12. Apart from a bit into the wind coming up to Bladon roundabout, and finishing into a downpour, I flew; and it wasn't at all tiring. (34:08, 54:13.) 22: 2 1/4 hours running, round Blenheim Park. I was very tired by the end! 25: 8 times up Wytham hill, on a pleasant enough morning after rain, plus a little extra on the way back. A good session; floated easily and fast home. 26: Cumnor Hill, with a strong wind blowing in my face for most of the way out, hence the splits: 18:30, 31:50, 43:06, 59:18. Ran a measured kilometre(?) on the way back in 3:34. 27: In an absolute gale, did a session of fartlek in Victoria Park, running for 52 minutes in all. A good, varied session. 28: Yarnton-Cassington circuit, in much reduced wind (behind me back along the A40) and a sunshine shower, in 46:22 (29:44 at Cassington bridge). 29: 20 miles through Eynsham, Farmoor, Cumnor, Boars Hill, Hinksey, and up the river towpath. Started badly (into the wind, after a very late night), then some beautiful running with the wind, then a good struggle with wind and floods. 2 1/4 hours. 31: 8 times up Wytham hill. I felt slow at the start, and the second was an absolute killer, but it went better after that, though not fast. April 1987 1: 6 repetitions Wytham T-junction to farm or reverse, short recoveries. Very wet conditions. 2: Just a family jog, round the streets and on the meadows, a couple of gentle miles. My knees felt as if they needed a rest. 3: To Shipton-on-Cherwell, on a fairly muddy canal towpath, with a strong crosswind, in 63:53 (32:36 at halfway). Ran strongly in third quarter but tired in fourth. 4: In heavy rain, jogged twice to Wytham -- once with Neill, once with Hester -- and, each time, ran a fast lap of the cricket field. 5: Ran the ring road in 96:14, i.e. about 6:10-6:15 per mile. Started fast, so had the experience of fighting fatigue for the last few miles; good practice for the race! 6: 8 times up Wytham hill. A fairly good session, but I didn't push it on the way back -- this is my rest day, after all! 8: Bladon circuit, in the reverse direction and without taking splits, in rain and moderate-to-strong wind, in 73:05. OK, but I wish it had been quicker! 9: Jogged through Wytham Woods. Sluggish at first, but enlivened by a hailstorm. 11: An easy run (apart from a battle with a stiff wind) to Kings Lock and back. Very beautiful under sunshine and blue sky; but the wind is very bad news for tomorrow! April 12: Abingdon half marathon, 10am The portents were almost as bad as possible. I went to bed very tense at 10pm, to be awakened at 11:30pm by loud music from next door, at 12:30am by James saying he'd been sick over the bathroom floor (necessitating cleaning it up and finding him a tub), at 5:30am by James again, having been sick in his tub, and at 6:30am by Neill who'd just discovered that James had been sick over his panda. It was all I could do to wrest 20 minutes relaxation time; but I didn't feel very well prepared when John Burgass came for me at 9am. Then the start had been changed; and, though we got there with 25 minutes to spare, there was little warm-up time, as they started marshalling us almost immediately. The race started in a busy road with traffic coming the other way! But the weather had relented, and conditions were near-perfect -- a light breeze, a sky with light cloud and much sunshine. Apart from a first mile in 5:29 (which I'd feared was suicidal but hurt those around me much more than it did me), I settled into a remarkably steady 5:42 per mile from the second to the seventh miles, gradually improving my pace, though nervous that at any moment the sleepless night would begin to tell on me. But after mile 7, I did the unthinkable: I stepped up the pace, passing a lot of strong runners with devastating bursts. I still thought it was dangerous, but I felt full of running. At about 10 1/2 miles I began to tire, and the pace dropped a little, from under 5:40 to just under 5:50, no disaster. In fact, the finish came up sooner than I expected; I was concentrating on fighting the fatigue and slight headwind, and didn't notice the finish line until I was across. I stopped my watch a few seconds after crossing the line, on 74:32. I think I was 26th. Marvellous! April 13: To Wytham and back, fairly easy, with Sheila and Neill coming part of the way. A couple of stiff spots, but nowhere near as bad as after other half marathons! 15: TO Bishop Kirk with Neill, then the farm circuit with a bit extra (towards Eynsham, until stopped by mud) and once up Wytham hill. Sort of fartlek, sprinting the hills ad back from the T-junction (in 7:15). 16: 8 x Wytham hill, followed by a run through the lower part of Wytham Wood and back on the road at 6:20/mile pace. The repetition session was quicker than usual but it all felt easy. 17: Bladon circuit. On a hot day, I started much too fast, and spent the last 8 miles hanging on, getting more and more tired (splits 33;10, 5:31, 72:40). A terrible warning but, at the same time, good practice for the last 8 miles in London! 19: Newbridge in 2:35 (cf. March 1). Started at 6:45/mile pace to Cumnor roundabout. Deluged with hail on top of Cumnor Hill, soaked through. Marked miles in 6:19, 6:21, and 6:27, into wind and rain. 1:18 at the bridge. Nice weather coming back. Tired badly in Eynsham. 22: Cumnor roundabout. I didn't decide until after Wytham that I'd turn back there -- I had been thinking of going up Cumnor Hill -- with a result that the split were very uneven; 17:12 and 15:50. 23: 8 x Wytham hill, on a day hot enough that I could run, for the first time this year, without a T-shirt. A good session. 24: Cumnor Hill in 58:06 (splits 17:37, 30:05, 41:27). A good run -- not killing, but tired at the end -- on a hot day. The measured km was 3:46 out, 3:35 back. 25: A few miles jogging with James and Neill, and then the Hester's Bridge circuit, at easy pace but with a couple of very fast sprints on the way back. 26: In good conditions (mild and misty), ran the Bladon circuit in 70:29, with splits 33:47 and 53:37. I went well until the canal bridge, but kept working even then. 28: 8 x Wytham hill. Another hot day, but a marvellous session, fast but floating. 29: After having severe indigestion all afternoon, and too soon after eating, set out at 9:00 to run the Banbury-Woodstock Roads circuit. As a result, I ran with a stitch and stomach cramps. The dark and uneven surface didn't help either. I did a good 34:51, but it could have been much faster. 30: 3/4 hour on the canal towpath from QMC, in the Hackney Marshes direction (slightly further than 22 January). Good apart from a blistered heel. May 1987 2: Jogged a couple of miles with Neill, and then ran round Wytham Woods in an easy 47:11, despite a very strong wind. Back from T-junction in 7:01. 3: Marston turn-Woodeaton-Islip-Kidlington, not too fast, in about 82 minutes. Leg trouble -- blisters, a touch of cramp on the left calf, and usual stiffness -- slowed me. 4: An easy run out along the Cassington footpath to the A40 and back on the road and canal towpath. Evening: Back to yoga and kum nye. 6: A very fast 8 x Wytham hill -- I seemed to change gear for the last two -- and then a long run on forest paths in the woods. Evening: Yoga and kum nye. 7: To Wytham ad back over Hester's Bridge with Neill, and then a few miles briskly on the canal towpath and Port Meadow. 9: (Lunchtime) Yoga and kum nye. May 10: London marathon, 9:30am Arriving at Greenwich Park soon after 8:00, and having to have my bag on the bus by 9:00, made for a protracted warmup. But I felt good, and not too keyed up. I stood at the 2 hour 50 minutes board, and found myself surrounded by a lot of people who clearly weren't going to get anywhere near that -- clowns, OAPs, etc. So, when the start came, it was predictably slow. I passed the starting line after 1 min 4 secs, still moving below walking pace, and reckon that altogether the start cost me 2 minutes -- I reached the first mile in 7:55, the second in 13:53. All this stretch, I was working my way forward, taking small gaps between slow-moving runners in front. I must have moved up a huge number of places in this way. I got a shock at the third milepost, having apparently taken nearly 6:40 for the preceding mile. I was worried for a while, but later realised that the post must have applied to the blue start -- we were then running parallel but hadn't merged. Anyway, by mile 4 I was back on just over 6 mins/mile, which schedule I kept for the first half of the race, reaching 12 miles in 1:14:12. Up till then I had been passing people quite steadily. But after this point the pace dropped a bit, deliberately at first (to about 6:05) and then involuntarily. From mile 18, it was something of an ordeal, a one-leg-after-another job, an the pace went down almost to 7 minute miles, though I picked it up a bit in the last mile. By then my brain really was addled, and I had a lot of trouble working out how I was doing; but from mile 25 to the finish took (I think) about 7:50, so I had lifted the pace quite a bit. I crossed the lie in (according to my observation of the official clock) 2:46:59, having struggled quite hard to beat the minute counter. This is 6:22/mile on average, and 6:17 if you allow for the start. And in the last day or two I'd publicly committed myself to expecting 2:45, as it would have been but for the start, so I can't really complain. Afterwards I hit the drink of all kinds (water, orange juice, Isostar, beer, milkshake), but couldn't face the Mars bar until I got to Paddington. The stiffness mostly wore off quite quickly, but my toes are slightly blistered. Crossing Hungerford Bridge, my left foot went into mild cramp a couple of times. Monday's Times confirmed the time and placed me 957th. Notes: I can contemplate another marathon. What has greatly improved, but still needs more work, is my pace beyond the "wall", rather than the earlier pace -- i.e. training in pushing home at the end of a long run. I'm sure short-recovery repetitions help, psychologically if not physiologically. I can't keep going at the present level (and shouldn't, anyway); but I'd like to continue at low level, say 20-30 miles per week, for the sake of general well-being as much as anything. I've closed down the London diary; my training book now reverts to full coverage rather than the recent telegraphic style. May 13: Official results arrived from Abingdon today. My time was (as I guessed) 1:14:30, and I was 27th out of 975 finishers -- a better relative performance than London. Ran to Wytham and back with Neill (13:24 out, 14:00 back with about 5 minutes rest) and then did about 2 miles on the canal towpath. Recovering fast, but still too stiff to move smoothly! 15: Cumnor roundabout in 32:12 (splits 16:28, 15:44; measured km 3:27 out, 3:28 back). I was still a bit stiff, in left calf and right ankle, the spots I'd noticed in the marathon; it's gratifying to go so fast so soon afterwards. It was fast early, and I was tired by Wytham on the way back, but didn't slow much. In the evening, my Windrunners, left at Abingdon, came back, by someone connected with the organisation, who delivered them to the door! 16: Hester's Bridge circuit with Neill in 36 minutes (no rests). Sheila said she'd go for a run with me later, but chickened out. 17: Bladon circuit in light drizzle and breeze. Still feeling stiff, but ran surprisingly fast -- 72:45 (split 34:48, 55:48) -- and surprisingly even pace. An enjoyable run -- I noticed how things had changed on the dream stretch, with cow-parsley shoulder-high in places, etc. 19: Evening (because I couldn't get out earlier), a good run round Banbury and Woodstock Roads in 34:06 (18:15 at the point). Though quite fast, it felt clumsy and bottled-up -- too soon after eating? cf. 29/4/87. 20: In the morning, did 6 x Wytham hill. It felt lumpish (presumably too soon after last night), but the turnaround time was as fast as ever, and certainly not due to quicker recoveries. But it tired me (hence stop at 6). In the evening, ran the canal circuit with Neill (up to the second swing bridge, and back on the other side) in 11:47 -- much faster than his recent runs. 22: Ran the river-Hinksey-Wytham loop. I started off at a great pace, with the wind behind me and the sun on the buttercups and dandelions; but the wind freshened, bearing rain, as I turned into it, and the rain came down hard on the way back to Wytham. Still it was quick -- 47:12, with 30:45 at Cumnor roundabout, and 3:34 for the 1km. 23: My only running today was down to the squash courts for dinner. Slight shin soreness, maybe the result of running in the rough stuff yesterday (simulating Otmoor). 24: In lieu of the East London Half Marathon, I ran the Hanborough circuit, for the first time in nearly two years, nearly two minutes faster than last time. The pace was probably a little faster than last Sunday -- it was 34:52 at Bladon, 16:51 back from Cassington bridge into the wind, and a spell of remarkably fast and flowing running between the two. Time 81:15. 27: After three days of exhausting sightseeing (Stonesfield on Monday, Goring and Streatley yesterday -- with a walk up the hill -- and Worcester today), I got around to running, at last. I went to Kings Lock with Sheila and Neill (in 14 minutes), then did a fartlek session round the farm (with 3 times up the hill), up Wytham hill once, and back via Hester's Bridge. A good, long and varied session with efforts uphill, level and downhill, long and short distance, and long and short strides. 29: Indigestion yesterday afternoon still persisting. I ran Neill's canal circuit with him (12:01), and then 6 x Wytham hill, a good session, the last two very fast. 31: Ring road, on a warm, humid day, that had me swimming in the aura of wet grass in places. Though I didn't intend a record, I started fast and easily (17:19 at Cumnor roundabout, km in 3:34), and kept the pace up fairly well through fatigue to finish in a great 94:00. I'm still getting faster! Very good stretch from Hinksey to Cowley. (There were two small changes: the underpass at North Hinksey (whose existence I've disbelieved for years, despite Sheila's claims) and the new cycle track at Marston; both slightly longer but more pleasant.) June 1987 2: Just a run with Neill, along the towpath and up past the school to the roundabout. 3: 6 x Wytham hill. Slight indigestion (result of not chewing lunch after a filling by the dentist) disrupted numbers 4 and 5, but I got it back together for the last. Results from London arrived, confirming what was in the Times. I was 142nd in my age and sex. (Does that mean 40-49? If so it's out of about 6000.) On the 5th, my Abingdon photo arrived, showing that I am very round-shouldered at the point where my legs cross (but I checked, and that's so in old photos, too), and that I really look my age! June 6: Otmoor challenge half-marathon, 2pm After a lot of rain, the day was incredibly windy, with showers coming over all around (though fortunately they all missed us!). I arrived early because Sheila had a meeting. I had a touch of a cold and a touch of an upset stomach but felt good before the start. I found myself in the front rank, and was tenth or eleventh when the field settled down. I couldn't put much faith in the mile markers, and didn't want to anyway because of the hard part yet to come; but I reached the 6 mile marker in 34 1/2 minutes, which is probably about right. The wind was intermittently against us from before Murcott, and determinedly so from Charlton; but I was still running easily at Oddington, where I overtook Hugh Starkey. As I expected, I slowed quite a bit on the bridlepath, but still managed to open a gap which was never breached. I ran on the shoulder of one runner, but he got away beside the wood, though I ran quite strongly there (the wind behind me at last!). Up the hill to Beckley, I was very tired, but obviously many sessions on Wytham helped me keep pounding away! I caught another runner up the hill; though his downhill and stile-crossing technique was much better than mine, but when we hit the road he just folded, whereas I surged along at a very fast stride. Though I made no impression on the guy ahead, I came in a comfortable 8th in 1:20:17. Best of all, I was 2nd vet, and so won a "special award" (though I had left before the prizegiving, so John Burgass had to bring it round). June 8: Cumnor roundabout, in light rain. I decided soon after setting out that that would be the target. Tie 33:01 (16:58, 16:05), very good so soon after Otmoor. 9: To Wytham with Neill and James. Both ran very well; Neill solo in under 12 minutes, James with me in about 13:45. We came back together in just over 14 minutes. 10: 6 x Wytham hill. It felt a stiff session, though fast. In the last effort, I felt fatigue like a band tightening round my legs. I drove myself on thinking of the last mile at Otmoor! 11: I didn't intend that to be all the running for a week, but today I came down with a stinking cold. June 14: Cotswold Classic 10 miles, 11am A nasty moment before the start. In a crowded toilet, with a hot air dryer running out of control, I nearly passed out; I found an empty cubicle (without paper) and cracked my head on the wall before I could get seated. I seriously considered not starting; but after relaxing in the car park for ten minutes, I felt better, though resolved to take it easy. For the first mile or two, I was sure that the progression of good runs had come to an end. The first mile seemed absurdly long, and many people (nearly 30) were ahead of me; but I went through in 5:16. Then the pace dropped; 5:28 for the second mile, 5:48 for the third (where I spent a while tucked in behind someone). Then, out on the open road, I felt much stronger, and pulled the pace back to about 5:30 a mile for the next three miles, passing quite a lot of people on the way. But the worst conditions lay ahead: the seventh mile and the start of the eighth included four stiff hills in quick succession; I slowed (though only to 5:55) in the seventh mile but didn't lose ground, except for two who passed me at about 8. Off the hills, we hit a busy road, the air thick with exhaust fumes; i got the pace up a little bit, but this stretch was mental torture. Finally came nine miles and the underpass; I covered the last mile in 5:43, nervous of being overtaken and believing I had nothing left to resist with (probably not true). I finished 14th (out of nearly 600) in 56:05. This is good for the circumstances -- but for my cold I might have been under 55 minutes. And I carried away more loot, as 3rd vet, only a few seconds behind the second vet. Of course this meant we had to stand around waiting for a much delayed presentation! Bob Forster, a place ahead of me last week, was a place behind today. Sheila and Neill ran the 3 mile fun run; they ran together and, despite Neill getting a tummyache, Sheila thinks they took under 27 minutes, which is excellent. After lunch I took the boys swimming, but my muscles kept cramping. June 16: After an hour's delay for a thunderstorm (more thunder than storm; when I went out it was steamy but roads were mostly dry) I ran low-key around Wytham woods. A bit stiff. Finished in 49:02. Buttercups and cow-parsley flowers are almost over, elder is out, and rose-bay beginning. Saw two large red deer. Staleness has been creeping up on me since after Abingdon, and has hit now I've no more races planned. 18: A good session of 6 x Wytham hill. Blood and thunder in the first three left me tired for the rest. 19: Results from Witney, in the form of a copy of the Witney Gazette (emulating the Times!) Sheila and Neill did 28:01. 20: The river and canal towpath circuit, faster than I intended, though impeded by puddle, flying insects, and people. 33:27. 23: Part way up Cumnor Hurst. Plagued by dogs (the gypsies both ways through Wytham, and a huge, very fierce and very paranoid dog, fortunately behind a huge gate that blocked my path up the hill). Easy run, finishing fast in 61:37. Browsing a copy of "Today's Runner" at the newsagent, I had the satisfaction of learning that I beat all of their "magnificent seven". 24: 6 x Wytham hill. The first four were slower than usual, but I pulled out the stops for the last two. 26: A quickie: to the farm and once up Wytham hill. 28: A long run that started well but ended in disaster. I started from Kidlington (where Sheila and kids went swimming) and went to Hampton Poyle, Deddington, Kirtlington, and Lower Heyford, so far so good except for the oppressively hot and humid weather. Then I turned for home on the canal towpath and had to face a terribly uneven surface, nettles, brambles (I cut my head ad made it bleed), a headwind, hundreds of fishermen, and (worst of all) a tummyache! Limped home in 1 1/2 hours from Heyford after getting there from Kidlington in just over an hour. July 1: To Wytham with Neill, James and Matthew (in 12:45), two laps of the playing field, and back again. 2: At lunchtime on a hot day, 6 x Wytham hill. The first three easy, but I made up for it in the last three. 3: Osney--Hinksey--Wytham. Started with Sheila and James as far as the nunnery, for which probably 3 minutes can be deducted from the 53 minutes it took. 16:50 from the roundabout. Quite an easy run. 5: In the heat of the day, a long run, up the river to Bablockhythe Ferry and back over Eaton and Cumnor. I got a bit dehydrated and tired by the end, but it was nice. But another time, I'll miss the worst bit by taking the road from Swinford Bridge to Caribbean Cruisers. 7: Out to Cassington Mill on the A40 and back on the Cassington to Wolvercote footpath, through the high grass, bejewelled with flowers and butterflies, of the water meadow. The nearest to resistance running for a while. 10: 6 x Wytham hill. A gentle session, preoccupied with the Hausdorff dimension of Sf, until the last run which was really fast. Coming back, though only an easy stride, was surprisingly quick. 11: Ran down the river towpath to meet Hugh Starkey just above Medley, then Binsey Lane, river towpath, a lap of Christ Church meadow, and back home via St Giles and canal towpath. Though he'd just recovered from 'flu, it wasn't slow! A good 62 minutes' running. 13: (At Goldsmiths' conference) I managed to squeeze in a 25 minute fast run round a couple of parks near the college, between the last talk and dinner. 14: Ran to Hilly Fields, which lived up to its name very well, and round the park a few times -- 40 minutes, quite fast. 15: The "official" conference run, with Bill Jackson, Ray Hill, and Arrigo Bonisoli -- an hour, quite slow, to Greenwich Park and around, including the various sights. 16: Much the same as yesterday (except for getting lost) with John Sheehan; much faster, even though he had only just flown in from New Zealand and hadn't had any lunch. 45 or 50 minutes. 18: Back to 6 x Wytham hill -- but this session was much faster, and easier, than ever before, including the run back. Very encouraging to note that I can run so well after a hard week's conference. Also, I sent off an application to Oxford City today. 21: Went along to club training session, and allowed myself to be persuaded into running a 5000m at Crawley on Saturday. Help! -- I'll have no experience of the pace. Did 4 laps warmup, 8 x 400m with jog 100 recovery, and 2 laps warmdown. A good session but I think I can increase the 8 to 12 without difficulty. This is an encouraging sign. 23: To help my pace judgement, I went over to the track and ran a 3000m time trial. Running 2 lanes wide, I took 9:56, probably about 9:36 for the true distance, which is 16 minute 5000m pace. July 25: OCAC v Crawley, division 6 The team event was a two-horse race after both Taunton and Maidenhead failed to tr up. But in the longer events, they put us in with the five clubs in Division 2, giving reasonable fields. 5000m (3:10pm) About what I expected. A beautifully even-paced race (laps 37, 75, 76, 78, 77, 78, 78, 78, 78, 79, 79, 80, 76), and quite uneventful -- I was first to finish in division 6, and if I'd exerted myself I might have caught a Crawley runner (though it would have made no difference) -- but I just didn't have thee pace. Time: 16:09.1. Place: 8th out of 13. Recovered quickly afterwards, I allowed myself to be talked into running the steeplechase, for the sake of points. 3000m steeplechase (5pm) I started at the back, but by keeping a steady pace, overtook one. Without a doubt I could have passed a couple more had it not been for my total lack of hurdling technique, especially in the water-jumps. I didn't get lap times, but my first 1000m time of 3:41 suggests that it was again very even. Time: 11:03.9. Place: 12th out of 13. Never again (if I can help it!) But at least I had the satisfaction that we won by two points, and would have lost by one if I hadn't run. It really is clear now that my limiting factor is speed -- even in a half-marathon that is true, and in the 5000m I was running as fast as I could go. Track work is indicated! July 26: Hanborough circuit. It started out to be a jog but developed into a fast easy pace. The A40 was hard work, and felt as if I'd slowed down a lot, but the splits show I hadn't: 35:35 at Bladon church, 65:25 at Cassington bridge, and finish in 82:30. Allowing for stiffness after yesterday, a very good run indeed! 28: A much stiffer, slower, more laborious run, down the river towpath as far as where the cycle route crosses it, back on the other side, and across Port Meadow, in 52 minutes. 29-August 1: In York. Whatever was slowing me down on Tuesday continued until Thursday evening; with that and a lot of walking, mostly round museums and/or with a load on my back the only run I did was on July 31: about 52 minutes of steady running including, near the end, 15 furlongs on Knavesmire racecourse in 11:17, mostly uphill into a strong wind. August 2: Cumnor--Farmoor--Eynsham--Cassington. I started fairly slowly, but once down Cumnor Hill new strength came to me and I speeded up, reaching a sprint on the last stretch from the ring road underpass. About 86 minutes including 17:06 from Cassington bridge. 4: 6 x Wytham hill. This was actually the most leisurely and comfortable session for a long time (in other words, I didn't feel bad about running slowly) -- I was thinking hard about residuality in permutation groups! 6: A good session of fartlek around the farm loop -- lots of short sprints (which have been lacking in my training up to now!), with some longer stretches, especially back from Wytham turn in 6:48! Total time 40:14. Then 7 minutes warmdown. 10: Feeling tired yesterday, I missed my Sunday run, and today was a kind of substitute. With 66 minutes until Ruth left, I ran around Wytham hill (Hester's bridge, top of farm circuit to Swinford, past Farmoor to Botley, back through Wytham) and made it with 1 1/2 minutes to spare. Started fast because I felt good; middle section fast from traffic-induced adrenalin; end fast by keeping up the pace (16:22 from Cumnor roundabout) despite stomach cramp. 11: Repetitions at Iffley Road: 5 laps warmup, then 10 x 400 v jog 100, then 1 1/2 laps warmdown. I started the repetitions very fast, having just watched Larry Mathews and friend doing repetition 300s; though I slowed a bit, I didn't cut the session short. 13: Around Wytham wood in 48:24, though it felt as if it should have been faster. On a humid cloudy day, with showers coming over, I made a good start, fast up the hill; along the top I felt as if I was slacking, though the pace was still good; and I was a bit tired at the bottom of the hill, though I came back from the T-junction in 7:18. I noticed my shoes slipping on the wet uphill roads. August 14--23: On holiday at Llangranog (and to and from). 15: A beautiful run, an hour, along the road to Llangranog village, along the cliff path over three very big hills, and back on the road with a very long steady hill. One of the most beautiful and dramatic runs I've had for quite a while! The next day, we walked essentially the same route (with extras) and I didn't run. 17: An unscheduled mile to look for Hester's swimsuit, then a lovely half hour at Mwnt, including four times up the hill, which reduced me almost to a walk! 18: A very painful 2 1/4 hours to New Quay along the cliff path, and back along the roads. Apart from a couple of miles at the start it was all up and down, too steep up to do more than stagger, and so steep down that no advantage is gained. By the end, the dread of meeting yet another stream valley made the run nightmarish. 20: Started off very slowly, indeed the whole run was slow -- if I lived here I'd be very strong but very slow -- and went over to Lochtyn. The run, on the cliffs and over grass into the strong wind (50 minutes), also left time for 20 minutes swim from the deserted beach and meditating under the cliff. 21: To Penbryn and back on the roads, but with the addition of going up to the church and then along the footpath to the beach. A very nice run, and not too slow -- a reasonable part of the road was quite level! 26: After a long break (Sheila has the amazing "hand, foot and mouth disease", and I think I've had a touch of it), ran Wytham woods, on a day of breeze and light rain, in a remarkably good 46:22, with 7:03 back from the T-junction. Seems that the holiday has done me some good! 28: Too soon after supper, and too quickly (in half an hour before Neill and James returned from Matthew's), ran to Cumnor roundabout and back. Perhaps helped on by residual adrenalin after a very tedious trip home from London, ran out in 16:04; but ankles were nagging, and after turning, my left went so badly that I thought I'd have to stop. In the event, I kept going, well below the pace I could have managed (especially at the end), but finished in 32:07 -- worth under 32 but for the injury. Now it's to be seen how bad it is! August 30: Independent State of Wolvercote 5 mile fun run, 10am It was a hot and humid morning. After warmup, I had the Witney symptoms again; I felt so faint I had to sit down, sweating profusely, and then no sweat at all. Why is this? I felt fine otherwise, and can only suppose that blood is being diverted elsewhere and the brain is left short. I led from start to finish. I knew after a hundred metres that there were no tearaway fast men in the field. Someone sneaked up to my shoulder when I ran wide turning into Rosamund Road, but he didn't respond to a touch of pace. I ran beautifully down the river towpath. After that, it got to be hard work. I didn't drop the pace too much although, from the Trout or before, it was entirely solo; but there wasn't the ease I might have hoped for. But I ran in a very easy winner in 28:04 or so. (The race was supposedly 5 miles; cotton and thread suggest that that was about right. So it was slow!) The prize was a weekend at the Moat House leisure centre -- not the most useful thing for me! Book 3 ------ Started September 1987 A new book is an opportunity to take stock. On the positive side, I seem to have achieved sustainable fitness -- having dropped from 50--60 miles per week before the London to 20--30 now. I'm still improving my times for training courses (two best times last week, including Cumnor roundabout, one of my most well-worn tracks). Against that, there are signs just recently that it is beginning to fall apart a bit, perhaps partly due to lack of goals -- I have no race in prospect now -- and partly to staleness after a hard season; and also I have a lasting stiffness and mild pain in my heels, perhaps tendons. The right has been noticeable for quite a while, since before the London in fact; but the left has just begun, and is now the worse of the two. I have been trying the cold water treatment on it. My overall feeling is that speedwork, especially on a track, will do me a lot of good. Joining Oxford City AC was to a large extent with this in view. I've missed the last two Tuesdays, but perhaps this month will be better. September 1987 2: After feeling depressed all day, I started off for a longish run, and found a nice rhythm. But rain came down and mist brought the evening in early; it was so depressing that I turned back at North Hinksey and came back on the canal towpath. An undistinguished 50 minute run. 4: Started off up the canal; I wasn't running well and could feel my left heel and a stomach cramp (which later went), and I turned back earlier than planned. By doing so, I found a lovely footpath from Thrupp to Kidlington church. Some quite solid running in the later part. 66:56 for the circuit. 7: 42:45 of fartlek round the University Farm circuit. I started quite well, but tired a bit and couldn't put full effort into it; I found myself a bit flat-footed when my heel became troublesome too. But 7:10 back from the T-junction isn't bad, especially since it wasn't at full throttle. 8: 10 x 400m v jog 100m recovery at Iffley Road. I was a it stiff, even after long warmup; but it was a good session, despite left foot, and I could have done more. The worst thing -- I forgot my keys! I haven't started timing repetitions yet -- that's a slippery slope I want to avoid as long as I can! 10: A nice, gentle 90 minutes running, on new ground: along the path below the sinister Hurst Hill, and down the amazing Chilswell Valley. Pleasant. 12: A short family run, only a mile or two -- Neill had a stomach ache. (Worrying.) I sent off London entry today. 13: The same general direction and distance as Thursday, but faster, and different in detail: up the beautiful but difficult Hurst Hill, then across the fields and along the bridlepath to Henwood, and back down Cumnor Hill. Not terribly fast though -- 29 3/4 minutes from the top of Cumnor Hill. Ankle not so bad but makes me flat-footed. 15: Disaster! Went to Iffley Road to do my usual session. Warmup felt slightly wrong. Then after one 400 in a depressingly slow 80, my left hamstring went in the second. It wasn't too serious -- after a good rub, I was able to walk without discomfort, and cycle home OK. Reading old notes on treatment of injuries later, I found I'd got it all wrong; it should have been ice packs, pressure bandages, and back to jogging as soon as possible, instead of massage, a hot bath, and a day off; but it is recovering anyway. 17: A not-too-fast, not-too-pleasant 30 minutes round Port Meadow -- but only the slightest twinge from hamstring and ankle on the way back. Later, an unscheduled mile at easy pace with Sheila. 20: Marston--Woodeaton--Islip. For most of the way, an easy, flowing run. Lovely view from the hill above Woodeaton, early autumn softness over the distant lowlands. But when the sun came out, it was hot and humid, and I tired. 78 1/4 minutes. 22: Track session. After last week, I was very careful -- long slow warmup, doubled the intervals and halved the numbers. Thus, 5 x 800, walk 200 recovery, in average 2:32 in lane 2, but increasing speed. By the end, I'd used everything. But a very good session. Felt marvellous afterwards. Then, I was struck down with a bad cold. With that and Sheila away, I didn't go out again until the 27th. So much for sustainable training level. 27: A good run. Up Cumnor Hill and along the footpath to Boar's Hill, back through South Hinksey and the river and canal towpaths. A bit over 90 minutes running, and a good clearout. 28: Fartlek out to the Rutten Lane roundabout, then gently along Sandy Lane to the canal and fast (for the terrain) back. A good run of about 45 minutes. October 1987 4: In the meantime I had a bad week, with a cold and Sheila still away -- and Saturday out for various reasons. SCAAA Road Relay, Luton, 11:00 After a late (after 1am) and sleepless night and a sluggish cycle ride to Headington followed by a car journey on my least favourite road, I wasn't expecting too much. The circuit was about 4 1//4 miles involving roughly 1 mile undulating, 1/2 mile up a tough hill, then a flat 1 mile loop at the top, back down the hill, and along the undulating, and a 1/4 mile loop so that the directions didn't reverse. I ran 4th leg out of 6. When I started, we were averaging about 24 minutes per lap and, although some way back in the field, were 3rd vets team. I started quite fast; the pace told a bit, and the hill was a grind (about 6:05 for the second mile), but I grew wings at the top. I passed several on the way up. The last one I got was just starting the downhill; I really jumped him, and ran the third mile in about 5:10! The fourth mile was a struggle, with no-one to chase, though I think I could have responded if need be. My time was 23:09, or about 5:27 a mile; not bad, considering, though I'm sure I can do better, and it was third fastest in the team (close to the first two and well clear of the other three; faster than one in the first team and close to a couple of others). The last man I'd taken was the then-leading vet, so I brought us in first with a lead the last two consolidated, to give us a win, and a tinny 35m camera each. Once again it's very nice to win something! but I can't rest on my laurels. Soon John Exley will be a vet and Hugh Starkey may be recovered, and I'll have to work at it to keep clear. Oxford Mail, 7 October 1987, "Victorious Vets setting the pace", said: "Oxford City Vets scored a great victory in the Southern Counties Road Relay at Luton, even though they were without Shel Cowles, the National Vets 10,000m track champion." "The prospects for City Vets look excellent with John Exley turning 40 next month, new members Pete Cameron and Roy Treadwell showing good form, and another outstanding vet, Pete Lindsell, moving to Oxford from Guildford." October 1987 6: An abbreviated session at Iffley Road, because of Sheila going out and a twinge in my calf. Did 8 x 400, recoveries 100, slowing from jog to walk. The first 6 averaged 72, then I accidentally reset my watch. 7: At work, up the towpath to Victoria Park, then 6 laps of the lake at solid pace and back more gently. About 36 minutes. 8: Paddington - QMC on the towpath. Helped by a tailwind, it felt easy and was quite quick (54 1/2 minutes), against all expectations! 9: Didn't run, but walked Charlbury - Oxford with Hester's class. 11: Out past Westminster College, up that disgustingly slushy bridlepath, and then along the bridlepath to Henwood, also pretty muddy after yesterday's non-stop rain. Then I got second wind and came back fast, including a detour to Cumnor church for extra mileage: 28:05 from top of Cumnor Hill, 83 minutes overall. Then a mile warmdown on the towpath. 20: After a depressingly long gap: Ran to Wytham and did 6 x Wytham hill. Felt bouncy after the long layoff, and the run was quite fast, despite being preoccupied by my talk for Thursday. I'd avoided this for a while because of tendons, and there was a twinge on the way back, but it wet after a bath. 22: Paddington - QMC on the towpath. This was a good run -- 52 3/4 minutes (quite a bit faster than two weeks ago, and much above last year!) and flt really good until the last mile, when I tired a bit. Filled in my London Marathon application today. October 24: Chiltern League cross-country, Kingsbury Beautiful autumn weather, thank heaven, but the going underfoot was absolutely disgusting. The course was one short and two long laps, probably something over 5 miles, though nobody seemed to know for sure. Parts were deep under water, and almost all was a choice between long wet grass and slippery mud, or else the first option didn't exist. A lot of people went in front of me at the start, and when I tried t put on speed, I just slithered all over the place. (Almost everyone else had spikes.) On the hill in the second lap, about the only bit of decent running, I pulled up a lot of places, and consolidated my position in the next lap and up the hill again. Then I found myself duelling with a couple of locals -- I'd pass them whenever there was a slightly drier or uphill stretch, and they'd go past again as I floundered in the mud. Inevitably, the finish was the worst part of the whole course, and they both went past. But I came in 61st out of 174 (7th Oxford man out of 13) in 29:37, forty seconds adrift from John Exley. The team came 4th. It wasn't the race to change my views about cross-country! October 25: Kidlington - Islip - Beckley turn - Elsfield - ring road. I felt stiff at the start from yesterday's exertions. and then had the Kidlington verge to contend with, so didn't get moving until I turned off for Islip. I ran well until the Beckley turn, then tired a bit, finishing jut under 89 minutes. November 8: A two-week lay-off. In part caused by honest excuses like a twinge in my left knee and a busy spell at work -- but in greater part it is a sudden loss of enthusiasm. Since I've been in England this has been my worst time of year; I always go down the drain in October-December and start coming back when there's a chance of good weather again. Today, a slightly longer run than planned: up Cumnor Hill, along the Wootton road, over Boar's Hill on the road past the Fox, then South Hinksey village - pool - river - Oxpens - canal towpath. I started quite well and strode nicely from Cumnor to Boar's Hill, but tired a bit on the last stretch. 103 1/4 minutes. A nice course which I might use again. 10: Ran Wytham Woods. After rain, a lovely evening -- warm colours of sun on clouds echoed by the fallen beech leaves. Though slowed much by mud and slush, an undone shoelace, an a gut-ache, I finished in a comfortable 51:22 -- not disastrous. 12: OCAC Vets' strategy meeting. It looks as if I may be doing far more cross-country and short races than I'd like! 13: Banbury-Woodstock loop. Started fast, twinge in left calf (just stiffness, I think), kept up OK. 35:17 (18:57 at the point). 15: Hanborough circuit, on a windy day -- hard work from Hanborough to Eynsham, but the wind was a help on the first and last parts. 85:46, with 35:32 at Bladon church and 68:01 at Cassington bridge. 17: From work, ran 6 laps repetitions in Victoria Park, about 3:20 per lap (plus there and back). A fairly flat run. The reason for the flatness became quite clear when two days later a threatening cold turned into quite serious 'flu that had me in bed for four days and then left me quite wobbly for a couple of days, I could have run again by Friday but didn't in view of race the next day. November 28: Reading University Cross-Country Relay, 2:30pm After a terribly rushed morning, I went over by train with Hugh Starkey. I ran second, taking over from Peter Lindsell, who ran quite a fast first lap, though not as good as he'd hoped (12:25). The pace was quite hot up there but, to my surprise, I kept with it fairly well. One person passed me, then a group of five who'd been snapping at my heels drifted past on a downhill stretch. But even in the wood, where there were a couple of boggy stretches, they didn't get away, and not far from the end, despite beginning to feel the effect f the 'flu, I passed one. One other got past me just before the end. In the straight, I opened the throttle, but made no impression on him; like a wimp, I let things be, though I might've caught him. I finished in 12:56. Roy Treadwell did a good battling 13:28. Hugh Starkey started the last leg with fire in his eyes, but his tendon went soon after the start and he limped home in 13:27. We were 31st overall out of 100 or more teams. The officials made a mess of the results. They awarded the second vets prize to Hugh -- I'm sure it should have gone to Peter. And it was after 6:00 when the results appeared. November 1987 29: On a frosty morning, ran the Wootton -- Boars Hill circuit in 103 minutes. It felt easy and smooth most of the way, but on reaching the canal towpath I began to fold, and the last bit was a real struggle, I'm not fit for that distance! 30: Paddington - QMC. Feeling a bit queasy at the start (after James had been throwing up) I nearly didn't do it, but (with an unusually heavy load) ran quite slowly. It took 59:22 and was very hard work. The bug that James (and then the others) had, struck me down on Wednesday 2 December. December 1987 4: Still feeling shaky and not fully recovered, I ran Wytham Woods. I was very slow up every hill, as the strength deserted my legs, but encouragingly I ran the flat stretches quite well. The time was 50:56, good in the circumstances. 7: Paddington - QMC. I started quite slowly, but after Islington I poured on the pace and finished in 54:40. 10: On a beautiful day, I set off at lunchtime and ran up the Lea to Tottenham Lock. Coming back, I felt strong and put on the pace, but I really ran out of steam ten minutes out, and felt quite weak at the end. (Low blood sugar?) 80 minutes running. 12: Wytham Woods. Started fast, so tired (but not distressed) on the hill; then I got second wind and went faster and faster, finishing in 47:59 (7:15 from the T-junction). 13: Bladon circuit, first time for ages. Started slowly, speeded up on the dream stretch, and then ran out of steam on the A40, but kept going, so it was real work. A bit of a plod, 73:41, but the splits tell the story: 35:42 and 56:27. 19: River - Hinksey - Wytham. A bit dreary in a brisk breeze, but some fluent running. 48:42 (16:35 from roundabout). Before this, a busy end-of-term and a day of aches in the shoulders and back had kept me off the roads. 20: Swinford - Cumnor circuit in 90 minutes. I was stiff after yesterday, and the wind seemed against me all the way -- and I really ran out of steam at the foot of Cumnor Hill, taking 17:55 from the roundabout. 23: Cold day. 6 x Wytham Hill, easy pace but in the end it wasn't slow. A good session. 24: Cumnor roundabout in a fast 32:29. All good running except second quarter, slow from the speed of the first: 7:17, 16:36, 25:17. 25: In the too-short gap between dinner and dark, went out down the river. But so many people were drawn out by the beautiful evening that, going off the path to get past a knot of them, I hit a peg and went flat on my face in the mud. So I cut short the run (33 1/2 minutes) and came back on the road. Not stiff yet, but it will come! 26: In fact it didn't, but today I went out straight after Roger's party for an (untimed -- I've lost my watch) run on Banbury-Woodstock. With a touch of indigestion, it wasn't too fast, but respectable. 27: Kidlington - Beckley turn (cf. 25/10) in 88:12: some good running, but slow into the wind! 28: Broke my run! 29: Smitten with a mysterious ache in the back of my neck. 30: Ache worse. Some relief from yoga in the evening. 31: Despite ache, I went out and did repetitions on the roundabout hill. A good session indeed; the ten repetitions speeded up from 78 for the first to an amazing 68 for the last, averaging just over 73. New year thoughts Last year was good for me. I ran faster last year than I'd done for many years before that, posting times I wouldn't have been ashamed of as an undergraduate. But, more important, I seem to have built up a lot of credit, so that at the moment, running barely thirty miles a week (and that very intermittent) I'm running almost as fast as at my peak of fitness last year. I'm once again remembering what it is to run at a reasonable pace. Without this memory in my sinews and circulation, in my lungs and heart, all the fitness I can achieve isn't going to bring my times down. This year coming, it seems that I will be testing the theory that you can run a good marathon on cross-country training. I'm sure that's true; but last year I was so scared of the marathon that I couldn't have put it to the test. I just wish it weren't so much cross-country, in the muddiest days of winter! 2 January 1988 Morning: yoga 2:45pm: Chiltern League cross country, Milton Keynes A mild day but with a strong wind; threatening rain held off. The start was notable for two huge puddles across the track, which I didn't see until I was into them, because of the crush. The course was very hilly: four laps each containing a steep downhill and a steep uphill (sometimes in stages); apart from a couple of muddy stretches, the going underfoot was excellent, either pine needles or sand. I didn't start too fast, but I started picking up places as soon as we hit the first hill. That was the pattern from then on: I took a lot of people uphill, where I ran well, and only a few of them re-took me downhill. Just before the last hill, my legs turned to jelly, but I persevered without losing too much except for failing to catch two people I should have beaten. Time: 34:13. Place: 65th. (The course was said to be 5 1/4 miles approx.) Down a little, apparently, but I'm not dissatisfied. But John Exley's getting away! January 1988 3: Didn't get out before lunch. At sunset, ran Cumnor Hill, including loop through Cumnor village, in 70 minutes. It was a lovely evening (grey wisps of cloud, gold-tinted underneath, in the west), but windy, especially coming back; and I was very stiff after yesterday, so it was slow. But I kept working, coming back from Wytham in 7:43. 4-9: Knocked out all week by a bad cold. Rumour says the current 'flu is double-barrelled. 10: Cumnor village, in the morning this time/ The effect of the illness was to make me about a minute slower, uniformly; to make me feel weak in the legs; and, despite no symptoms of shortness of breath, to make my breathing very rapid and shallow. 12: Cold hanging on. Ran Wytham Woods in a bitter wind, and very slushy underfoot, in a good 48:04. Same symptoms as Sunday but milder. Beautiful smell of new-cut logs and view of flooded Port Meadow. 13: 6 x Wytham Hill. Started as a slow, stiff-legged, plodding, weary session; but I pulled it back quite remarkably. Coming back, I pushed the pace to Godstow Bridge. 15: Cumnor village. Started quite fast, and blew up twice -- once on Cumnor hill, and once just after the roundabout. The second time, I struggled home painfully, with the dark, mud, and traffic slowing me. But the time was quite fast: 65:58. 16: Sit-ups, etc. -- experimented with the "gut-trimmer". 17: Thick frost and fog. I started unsure of where to go, quite slowly, legs stiff, but got up to a reasonable (but quite easy) pace later. Ran Cumnor -- Swinford in 89:0. By the end, trees were dropping gobbets of half-melted frost on me. 19: Evening (no daytime running at home this week while the gas men are here) ran Banbury-Woodstock loop in a quick 35:31. Tired down Banbury Road but came back strongly. 20-22: A bad week! (gas men, mainly). 23: After the snow, during the thaw, I ran out to Wytham T-junction with Neill and Sheila, then 6 x Wytham hill. A bit slow, the hill being like a riverbed; but on the last one, instead of picking my way, I lifted my eyes unto the hills, and flew. 26: Late evening (9:00), I ran Marston Ferry -- St Clements -- Magdalen Bridge -- St Cross -- Woodstock Road in just over an hour. 28: An early morning run (Mere Road - First Turn) in the rain with Neill. Then Paddington - QMC on the towpath. It was amazingly easy, despite delays by puddles, workmen, etc.; after jogging halfway, I opened up and ran, finishing in 54:49, that was worth an even better time. 29: A long run! Ran to Botley where I met Phil Hanlon (as prearranged) under the ring road bridge; we ran round Wytham Woods, entering and leaving by the lodge gate, and then parted and I ran home, taking over 80 minutes altogether. It was *very* muddy in the woods. I had the better of it, but only just; he pushed me hard in places (especially uphill!) 30: 6 x Wytham hill. Not super-fast, into brisk breeze, but speeding up nicely. Felt easy and floating on the way home. 31: In the afternoon (3pm), ran the Wootton - Fox circuit. I changed it slightly to avoid the towpath (about 1/4 mile longer?) and it still took me 103 1/2 minutes. It was easy out, and I didn't fade quite as much as last time. February 1988 2: 6 x Wytham hill. On a cold, wet day, not a fast session. A twinge in my right calf on the way home. 3: 45 minutes on the towpath from work, not too fast. February 6: 2:45pm: Chiltern League cross-country, Windsor The course was even more disgusting than Kingsbury, being like pig wallows in places. My calf went during warmup and I knew I was in trouble. I set out to run easily, ready to pull out if necessary. But soon I was high on the effect of spikes, which made most of the awful course almost pleasant. I mud-larked with the best, plunging into puddles and streams with no inhibitions. The only nasty part was where the ooze was so sticky that I had trouble pulling my feet out, and this put extra strain on my calf, so that I nearly did pull out after a lap. But in the second lap, effortlessly, I started going past people, and had no further pain. I didn't get time or place; of course it will be slow, but I enjoyed the run more than I ever imagined. Place 77th, time 35:54 (for 5 1/2 miles), which I suppose was better than I deserved. February 1988 7-12: The injury had me hobbling for a couple of days, but even when I might have gone out I didn't, due mainly to depression. I very nearly withdrew from the MK relays. 13 February, 2:30pm: Milton Keynes 6 x 2 miles relay I planned to warm up with the greatest of care and circumspection for this. Omens were good, and I felt loose and flowing, despite the weather (quite cold, and blowing a real gale). Then when at last I ventured a stride-through, the calf injury struck again. I cursed and swore, but managed to relax the muscle enough that I could step onto the line for my stage (5th). Starting just behind someone, and with oodles of open air behind me, I lost a bit of ground early on because I was reluctant to accelerate to hard. After that, things didn't go too badly. I'm sure the injury slowed me, but I gained ground into the wind and challenged him unsuccessfully after halfway. I never caught him, but lost no more ground, and picked up (lapped?) a runner coming into the finish. I did 10:33; not bad and it could have been so much faster. Vets: Shel Cowles 9:23, Peter Lindsell 10:23, John Polgreen 10:32, Dave Parsons 10:20, me 10:33, John Exley 9:57. 1st vets team (11th overall). Prize: midweek hire of a video camera. [Athletics Weekly manufactured a controversy: the OCAC first team was just pipped by Luton, and if Shel had run for them they would have won. John Exley wrote in to put AW in their place.] February 1988 16: 55 minutes through Wytham, South Hinksey, Botley and Binsey. Nursing leg just slightly. 19: Yarnton -- Cassington loop. Despite very slow start, with stops for traffic and to tie shoelaces, flew home from Cassington bridge to finish in a good 46:50. I think my leg is OK! 20: Or is it? Warning twinges today, but they didn't get in the way of my best run for a while -- Cumnor village in 65:04. Started fast, but couldn't slow down; finished wrung out, though back from roundabout in 16:39. 21: Didn't get out until after dark. I ran Marston Ferry -- St Clements -- Parks Road in an hour. It was much more laboured than yesterday, of course! 23: Wytham woods. Nursing my leg on the hills, and fighting a sudden snow flurry on the way back, I ran an easy but depressingly slow 48:48. 26: Started a long run but my leg went and I had to turn back through Cassington water-meadows. 28: Same story, but it went much sooner this time (after 10 minutes) and much more finally. Limped back very depressed. 29: I rested it until 8/3. During this time it good better, but I'm still aware of it, and so a bit nervous. On Monday my London number came, but I'm seriously considering withdrawing. March 1988 8: Started out towards Bladon but shortened it to Yarnton -- Cassington instead (partly in case leg went, partly because I'd started too fast). It felt very slow -- I'm unfit and overweight -- but it was 46:02, best ever recorded! 9: Then, that night, my back went, and I was in quite bad pain the next day; but it gradually got better and was more-or-less OK by the weekend. 13: Set out feeling good, for the first time in ages; but various points of stiffness soon showed themselves, possibly the result of sitting in the Sheldonian for the Matthew Passion yesterday. But I ran along easily into the wind, out through Woodstock and on the Stonesfield road to the Combe turn. It was even better with the wind behind me. A lovely experience climbing a hill, where I felt the wind lifting me like gentle hands. At Bladon roundabout I ran out of steam, and the last stretch was a real struggle (though, at 34 minutes, not so slow). I took 2:09 1/2, five minutes faster than last year. A good, necessary run. 15: Cumnor -- Swinford in 91:36, but on such a windy day that the time isn't really meaningful. Hard work though. No sign of ill effects except for a little stiffness from Sunday. 16: Now a cold! It had been coming for a couple of days, but really hit today, with stiffness and a bad pain in the back of the head. Not really clear until 19/3. 19 March: TVH Road Relays, 3 x 3 1/2 miles, Cranford, 1:30 I was clearly only 6th best vet, and was put middle leg for the B team. John Polgreen brought us in 8th in 18:38. I felt awkward and not rhythmical at the start, the only bit when the wind wasn't a handicap, and one runner went past and vanished into the distance, but I was slowly gaining on the one who started ahead of me. In the back straight, I felt good, and floated past him and another who'd been coming back. But when we turned into the teeth of the gale my pace slipped. But thanks to Duncan ("He's closing!" and John Exley ("Every second counts!") I put up the pace and sprinted in, easily holding 7th in 19:05. Dave Parsons ran a brilliant run pulling us up to 5th in 18:08. The A team (John, Pete Lindsell and Shel Cowles) were 2nd, 40 seconds adrift from Aldershot. The Seniors were about 8th in a race which included Seb Coe, Mike Grattan, Nick Rose, etc. After the race, I ran twice round the course with John Exley watching the Seniors race, at reasonable pace, which felt very easy. March 1988 20: After lunch, ran Hinksey Hill -- Sunningwell -- Wootton -- Cumnor Hill. Started with Sheila and the boys to Wytham. Allowing for this it was just under 2 hours and my legs didn't tie up like last Sunday. 21: Osney circuit. Not timed; slow early on (I was tired, the path covered in puddles), but I speeded up quite well. Probably about 54 minutes. 21-25: In Cambridge. 22: 65 minutes running, beside the river to Milton and back on the road. Cold, windy and with some rain. 23: Set out for Grantchester, but a wrong turn took me via Trumpington. Then on to Coton (into stiff wind) and back on bridle and cycle paths (fast with the wind). 65 minutes. 24: Out along the same nice path to Coton then back on the road (very fast). 33 minutes. 25: A well-earned rest. Though I've been tired this week, I still felt a craving for a run today. 26 March: Southern Counties 12-stage relay, Wimbledon, 12 noon I hadn't expected to have to run this, but with two drop-outs on the day, John phoned me at 8:10, and I agreed to go. I ran the 4th leg, taking over from Shel and handing on to John, so I did a short leg (3 1/3 miles). It's a fierce course, with one very sharp hill and one long one, many sharp bends, and terrible traffic problems. I lost 6 places. Most of them zipped past me early on, but in the event scarcely got away at all. (It was a depressingly classy event, with Ovett, Coe, Harris, Grattan -- and Zola Budd watching!) But though the first hill was tough, I put in some good running later on, and overtook the man who had started just in front of me. My time was 17:48, 30 seconds better than last week according to John. The team finished about 30th. March 1988 27: A marathon trial, 23 miles or so over Newbridge in hard conditions (very windy). Going out was too good; despite the wind I reached the bridge in a best-ever 1:18, with measured miles through Appleton in 6:16 and 6:18. Coming back there were some fierce stretches right into the wind, and by the time I reached Eynsham and got it behind me I was very tired. I short-cut along the canal towpath, but t would have been about 2:39. 28: I noticed today a symptom that followed hard long runs last year -- I sweated very easily. Ran to Cumnor roundabout and back. Understandably slow (not timed, about 34 1/2), but comfortable. 29: I bought a new pair of Reebok shoes. They're OK apart from a slight problem with the laces. Ran to Cumnor village in 66:58, 2 minutes slower than my best ever but not bad considering the distances I'm doing now (100 miles in 11 days; noticeably stiff). Back from the roundabout significantly faster than yesterday (16:57). 30: A leisurely evening run (but with a too-full stomach) around Banbury and Woodstock Roads. 31: Rest day. An amazing comeback in the last two weeks; but my mood today was a cry for rest, I think. April 2008 1: Tired after wallpapering and carrying furniture, I ran Kidlington -- Islip -- Woodeaton -- Marston turn. I started slowly, but ran fast up the hill out of Islip and again back from the ring road bridge, despite stomach cramps. Though not entirely comparable, it was 4 minutes faster than a year ago! Shoes working in OK. 2: Again tired, this time after shopping, carpet-laying, and furniture-building, I ran the ring road. I started fast and didn't really fade, though I grew a bit tired, and put in some excellent spells of running. I ran it in 94:51, which after such a week (well over 70 miles) is excellent. 3--4: Chris and Ro visit. A very relaxed time of indulgence! 4: After they left, I ran up the river to Swinford, then behind Farmoor reservoir and back via Cumnor. A gentle 100 minute run. 5: 6 x Wytham hill. While I may be fitter, I'm out of practice for this -- it was hard! 8: Late evening, and frustrated again after missing two days and waiting round for a wardrobe delivery, ran Marston Ferry - Magdalen Bridge. Encouragingly, a circuit that had twice before taken about 59 minutes was covered in 55. 9: Despite a slow start, stiffness, and a wind bringing unexpected snow, I ran the Yarnton -- Cassington circuit in about 47 minutes (maybe just under). Two marathon-related dreams during the layoff. In the first, I'd run to halfway at 6:15/mile and felt so good I speeded up. The second had me with nowhere to stay, no preparations made, and likely to miss the start. (I've sorted that out now!) 10: A gentle run round Wytham woods in about 51 minutes. The primroses are out in mass. 12: Another gentle run, river -- Osney -- Wytham, in not much over 48 minutes, quite quick in a blustery wind. Easy except for chasing another runner back from Wytham (successfully). Running is good at the moment! 13: An even gentler run, around the farm circuit in about 40 minuets (with the Hester's Bridge shortcut). But what a nice day! Picked up my number, and as well as Westminster, saw two other parts of the course -- Greenwich and Isle of Dogs -- and felt literally invincible. (Helped, doubtless, by the sunshine.) 14: Just a jog, out to Wytham with the children. This time, interestingly, James gave out at the Trout, Neill kept going but was tired, while Hester just went on ahead. 16: I've a nasty feeling that I've a cold coming ... 17: Woke with a sore throat. 17 March: London Marathon, 9:30am Carol dropped me at the gate in good time (before 8) and I sat and relaxed for a while. But my preparation was disrupted by a 25 minute wait to use the toilet, so I started with minimal warmup (but it was quite a warm day). By standing in the crowd at the 2:40 barrier, I saved about a minute, I estimate; I could see the start line when the gun went off, and crossed it after 24 seconds. This also meant that the road ahead was less congested, and I was sooner able to drop into a good, easy stride. The first half of the race went remarkably easily. I reached halfway in just a hair over 1:20, nearly 2 minutes up on last year (having passed Sue Walters at 6 miles and Malcolm Lumb at 8). But then it began to tell. It was a very humid day; I suffered worse, and dropped the pace more, than last year. Varying my strategy, I took Isostar (which really works) and stopped several times at drink stations. Again, the long slog from the Tower was the worst, but the crowds were a great help. I dropped well behind last year here, but picked up a little after 25 miles. (I'd passed Dave Parsons at a feeding station in Docklands; I learnt later that he dropped out.) I did almost exactly as predicted, finishing in 2:49:24, i.e. a number of minutes equal to my number, viz. 13 x 13. The 5 mile splits were 31:10, 1:01:15, 1:31:35, 2:04:08, and 2:40:01(?) So, though I averaged 6:27 per mile, I was close to 6 minutes/mile for the first half, and well over 7 from 20 to 25. Afterwards, I had a bit of cramp, and fell int the clutches of the St John Ambulance, who made it much worse. P.S. Everyone was slower than expected, so maybe the conditions were to blame. April 1988 18: Confirmation of the harder conditions came with the news today that I improved 70 places despite the larger field: 887th. 19: University farm via Hester's Bridge and back via Wytham, at about 6:30 pace. Not too painful. 20: The Oxford Mail said only: "Oxford City's veteran runner Pete Cameron clocked 2:49:24 ..." 21: Ran Wytham woods at a reasonable pace. Felt good. 23: Started off with Sheila to Kings Lock, then did a fartlek session around the farm circuit. It was fast, and easy most of the way, but by the end I was very tired, ad changed the finale from twice up Wytham hill to a steady run to the roundabout and back (in a very high wind). 24: Sunny, mild enough for a T-shirt, and with a perceptible breeze. I ran Cumnor Hill -- Wootton -- Boars Hill -- South Hinksey -- city centre in 99:04, my fastest by 4 minutes (and I think it's slightly further). In the afternoon, a pleasant walk. A good week, but I haven't really got my sting back yet. 26: Number for the Hemel Hempstead 5k came, and nudged me into long-overdue speedwork. I had intended to run to Cumnor roundabout and back, with a recovery between; but conditions were so bad on the Wytham Lodge road (due to drainage works) that, after getting out in 15:45 (worth quite a bit better), I jogged back along the Hinksey circuit and ran fast from the Botley road (17:38). I have a lot to relearn about running fast! 27--29: Much too long a gap! 30 April: AAA/BVAF Vets 5km road race (Kodak Festival of Running, Hemel Hempstead, 11:20) The weather was cool and damp, with occasional sun and a bit of wind. The course was a 1.8km lap, starting on the flat then doing a steady climb to the finish line followed by quite a steep pinch and an even steeper downhill; what wind there was was against us on the straight. I started near the back and had to make my way up past a lot of people, hitting the first finish line in about 4:25 (for 1.4km). I'd nearly caught Hugh Starkey then, but he got away down the hill and I didn't pass him again until the straight. It was nice going now and I crossed the line again in about 10:15 (for 3.2km -- faster than the MK relays!) Pete Lindsell came into view ahead, and maybe I could have caught him, but it was then I could feel the marathon in my legs. Still I wish I'd put more in! I finished 21st in 16:15 (officially, but it was certainly 2-3 seconds faster than that). The team of 3 (Shel 3rd, John 9th, Pete 17th) won, and the next three (me, Hugh 25th and Tony 58th) would've been 5th. And compare my track 16:09 last summer! Oxford Times said "Oxford City's Pete Cameron ran a satisfying race to take 21st place in 16:15 showing no signs of lethargy after the recent London marathon. Just four places behind Cameron was Hugh Starkey, an Oxford Blue and international road and cross country runner of some repute during the early 70s, who is making a welcome return to fitness". [Of course I was an Oxford Blue in the same team as Hugh.] May 1988 1: Felt sluggish after yesterday and a lot of eating and drinking. Set out to do Swinford -- Cumnor at 6:30pm. Slow start with a sudden heavy shower in my face, but the evening turned nice when I reached Swinford, with a rainbow on the hill. After that, though it still felt like a plod, I was moving very fast, finishing in 84:48, including 16:35 from Cumnor roundabout! 2: 12 x roundabout hill, late evening. Muscles tight at the start, but I speeded up: 77, 74, 75, 74, 73, 72, 75, 73, 73, 72, 71, 70. The story of the last one: a car in Mere Road blocked my passage and cost me a second or two; in rage, I went like the clappers from there to the top. 5: Blood and thunder! 6 x Wytham hill. Starting fast (first circuit 4:42), averaged 4:45 for the six. A good hard fast session. 6: Another fast run, to Cumnor roundabout. Started fast, and kept the pace well despite the roadworks, etc., but died a bit back from Wytham (not surprising after yesterday!). A very good 31:45 (15:58 and 15:47, including 7:04 from the T-junction.) 7: Fartlek round the University farm. I think the efforts were faster; recoveries certainly slower, and the overall time about the same. Not a high-mileage week, but very good quality. 10: 12 x roundabout hill, after breakfast, into a freshening breeze -- and what a session: 71, 71 69, 71, 69, 70, 70, 69, 70, 69, 68, 69 (last one estimated as I fumbled my watch, but not dramatically wrong). Good stuff! 11: Another excellent run, evening this time: Banbury-Woodstock roads in 32:56 (17:30 to the point). Very fast start; the bulk a bit laboured, but I felt very fresh coming over the canal bridge! 12: Lunchtime run -- intended 10 laps of Victoria Park lake, short recovery, but stopped after 8; it was very humid and I was tired. In the evening, a vets' get-together at Iffley. I'm running 3rd in the A team at Tring. 13: Town and Gown number came. Ran Wytham woods, solid all the way and tough at the end, in 45:46 (7:06 from Wytham). I've lost my other book, but I think this is the best ever. 14: Didn't run, did have people to dinner, not the best preparation but "It's only a fun run". 15: Ran down town for the Town and Gown. Felt sluggish, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. 15 May: Town and Gown 10km fun run, 10:30am A very crowded and confused start. I started with Hugh Starkey; I had the worst of it, and he went ahead, to lead me (and give me something to follow) for about two thirds of the race -- sometimes I caught him, sometimes I dropped back a bit. We started at 3;15/km pace but dropped to a sustainable 3:25 plus. Running wasn't pleasant -- it was very humid, and the solid mass of runners in front seemed to get worse as we worked up to the thick of the pack. At the end of the second lap, we caught Roy Treadwell, running disconcertingly strongly. The three of us stuck together for about half that lap, but I was the strongest. Another runner pulled me through a dense pack before I took him too. The most pleasing bit was the end. Coming to the sharp bend, I got on the inside, kicked coming to the bend, and made a lot of ground on someone I'd just caught, sustaining my sprint. No results were given but I thought I got a glimpse of a sheet putting me 9th in 34:19 -- depressingly slow but the conditions must count for something. Confirmation tomorrow. Ran back home at gentle pace. (It probably would've been faster but for the hard week before it -- a moral tale for the week.) May 1988 16: Oxford Times confirmed the time and place. I got into Athletics Weekly too. 17: Repetitions at Iffley Road 8 x 400 with jog 200 recovery, average about 70, with Shel, Dave Hartwell, Nobby and Sue. Also 2 miles before and 3 after. The repetitions were hard but not killing; I was nearly up with Shel at first but about 10 metres adrift by the end. 18: River and canal towpaths, an easy run but not a jog. (Around 35 minutes including a minute or so detour.) 20: Jogged 2 miles with Sheila and the boys, and then ran an easy 5 miles in the Wytham direction, with a couple of hills. 22 May: National AAA Vets 8-stage road relay, Tring, 1:15pm. I'd held James' cold off, and felt good for this one, on a beautiful day (apart from the wind). Hugh Starkey, in an immense scrum on the first leg, brought us in 18th, and Pete Morrison, despite running slower than Hugh, pulled us up to 12th when I took over. After the first bend it was up a quite noticeable hill. Everyone went at it fast, but they all faded halfway up, and I passed four on the final pinch up to the main road. That was where the real work began, into the wind, though it was slightly downhill. We kept our places along there, but obviously I'd saved something, because I overtook two more almost as soon as we turned off. This downhill stretch was the easiest. The last bit was complicated by lots of turns, so that I didn't know when the finish was coming up, but I took one more and nearly caught another coming up to the line. Shel ran a real beauty and took us into the lead. John Polgreen, inevitably, lost it to Cunningham; Dave went down one more, which John Exley recovered (Newcastle, Staffs), and Pete Lindsell held on, but Aldershot were untouchable. Still, an AAA silver medal is beyond anything I'd've expected a year ago. My time was 14:43 for a course of 2 miles 1524 yards, which scales up to 15:24 for 3 miles, or 15:57 for 5k, without allowance for courses. Shel did 13:53 and John 14:24, but all the others except Pete Morrison were in the 14:55 to 14:59 range! [Oxford Mail: "Oxford City veterans showed they are a force to be reckoned with at the AAA National Road Relay Championships at Tring at the weekend ... Hugh Starkey's first leg run gave Oxford 18th position at the hand-over. Pete Morrison picked up seven places, Pete Cameron another six for fifth place before Cowles took the team into first place at the end of his fine run. John Polgreen, Dave Parsons, John Exley, who produced the 16th quickest time of the day in 14:27, and Pete Lindsell ensured that Oxford kept Newcastle at bay."] May 1988 23-29: In Ravello. 23: Travelling. 24: Went out at 7:00 with Ted Spence. We ran up to the top of the ridge (about 30 mins, felt good) and back down (23 mins, much too fast!) Good to get the stiffness out, but the downhill may yet take its toll. 25: With Ted again, ran down (slower this time) to Amalfi, then back up, leaving him 8 minutes behind. 64 mins overall, a solid run. 26: Alone today, an easier run, through Scala and S. Pietri, along an uphill road that became a track and then disappeared. 27: Went over to Scala again, but the other way, through the village, out into the forest, and back onto the road I ran yesterday. 42 mins, finishing fast. 28: I went the other way, up the hill on whose edge Ravello perches, through the old streets, into the forest, back on the main road. 30 minutes, last five in a terrific downpour. 31: In the evening, my standard evening run (Marston - St Clements) in 52 minutes, 3 mins faster than pre-London. A very good run -- easy and smooth at first, and piling on the effort later. June 1988 1: (Without bike) jogged with the boys (on their bikes) to their singing lesson and back. 2: Jogged down the towpath to the station in the morning. Evening: Ran Banbury and Woodstock Roads circuit. An easy run with fast bursts, in about 34 1/2 minutes (about 18 3/4 to the point). Similar feel to Tuesday. 3-11: In Regina. 3: In transit. 4: Combination of waking early and the Ravello experience took me out at 6:45, round the lake and down the creek a way. A bad run -- dehydrated, and blistered heel from new shoes. Not fast either -- just short of 4 minutes for a measured kilometre (into the wind on the way back). 5: Again at 6:45, round the lake, all the way from the Albert Bridge to the Trans-Canada. I limped at first (mainly from the blister). Much like yesterday. 6: Same time start, slightly longer run (as Saturday but slightly further), an hour in all. Bits were reasonably OK, but the blister still troubles me. 7-9: Rested the blister. It has completely healed. 10: By the river in London (Ontario), 45 minutes run, quite easy. 10-11: Returning. Delayed 6 hours in Toronto airport. 12 June: Witney Cotswold Classic 10 miles, 11am No overt effect of jet lag, but when I sat down for a moment my eyelids began to droop. It was a hot day, with a strong blustery wind. The 2-mile splits tell it all: 10:52, 11:05, 11:28, 11:59, 12:04. I started quite comfortably, at the back of the second bunch (mostly OCAC vests!) The wind was behind us early on; this combined with the delayed-action effect of the jet lag to start me off at a pace I couldn't sustain. By 3 1/2 miles I knew I was in trouble, though the rest of the pack were in trouble too (the leaders of that group ended only 30 seconds or so ahead of me). Then at 4 miles we turned into the wind and got the first intimation of what was coming. It was only a crosswind then, but was full in our faces when we hit the hills, and the last two miles were a continual battle. I could have sprinted for the line, but by then I was content to plod in, in 57:40. Still, allowing for conditions and jet lag, probably as good as last year. Place: 23rd. As I expected, I recovered very quickly. June 1988 15: I'd been feeling very tired for several days. A rushed run between the bed delivery and the Festival of Voices, round Wytham woods, a lacklustre run in just under 49 minutes. 17: Swinford -- Cumnor loop. Started clumsily but picked up nicely to finish in 80:47! (cf. 1 May) - 16:27 from the roundabout. 18: Wytham woods again, another fairly half-hearted run in about 48 1/2 minutes 20: On an incredibly humid and oppressive day, I ran Cumnor village, starting quite fast (16:58). In the conditions, I was tired coming back but kept to 16:57 for 64:19 overall, my best by quite a bit. 21: Went down to the track, but there was a meeting going on, so a few of us did a 55-minute run through South Hinksey and Kennington and back on the river towpath. 23: Track again, but being delayed I missed the start of the session of three groups of 600+800+400, doing only the last group, 2 more 600s, and an extra long warm-down. 25 June: Bourton 15, 6pm Slightly upset tummy during the day, but felt OK at the start. There was a much bigger crowd than I'd expected and I lost maybe 15 seconds at the start, with hordes of people in front. I began pegging them back. When we came to the hill first time, 2 1/2 to 5 miles, I made up a lot of places, running it well, just tiring a bit at the top. I picked up speed by the airfield. Then came the downhill. Though I ran a little faster, the pounding turned my legs to jelly, as I knew it would, and I was in bad shape at 8 miles. Then, unexpectedly, we turned and were on our second time up the hill. (In retrospect I should have known from the distance that it was coming.) I ran it virtually as well as first time. But the downhill and runout was even worse than before, and my pace slowed; four people overtook me in the last couple of miles. I came in 32nd in 1:28:14. My 5-mile splits of 29:33, 29:03, 29:38 have to be read noting that the two uphills came in the first and second and the two downhills in the second and third, so I really was slowing (though still under 6 minutes/mile at my worst! and compare the 10-mile time with Witney.) By my reckoning, Oxford City team (de facto made up entirely of vets) was second, though I may have missed something. June 1988 29: After a long gap (exam meetings) I went out intending a long run, but curtailed it to Cassington -- Yarnton, extended to Rutten Lane. Not too good early on, but I speeded up (16:15 from the bridge) to finish in 50:09 -- certainly faster than I've run for the shorter lap. 30: At the track, I did a warmup and 2 1/2 x 600 (jog 200) when the others arrived; I joined them for 4 x 1000 (walk 200) and then just ran 600 of their last two 1000s. I think I have had a subliminal bug -- I couldn't face running! July 1988 3: Ran (pm) Swinford -- Cumnor, exactly the opposite of 17 June: cold, wet July day, I started fast, but after halfway my muscles tied up, though not short of wind or willpower. I took 81:25 (16:37 from the roundabout), not too bad considering. 6: 12 x roundabout hill; despite feeling easy, they were fast: 72, 73, 70, 70, 60, 68, 68, 68, 69, 68, 68, 68. I was fresh, and there was a slight following breeze, but against that I twice had near-misses with cars. Really, I just ran fast! 7: A beautiful run along the dappled path through green Wytham Woods, easy at first, then fast (6:52 from the T-junction) in 46:35 overall. 8: Ran out to Horspath Road to watch Hester in the middle schools' meeting, but it was cancelled, so I ran back again. 45 minutes each way with 10 minutes rest in the middle. 11: I felt very strange on my run today -- heavy legs, then dizziness, then extreme tiredness. Cut it short to 45 minutes. 13: Banbury and Woodstock roads in about 35 minutes. Started very slowly but speeded up. Still a bit funny. 15: Ring road to Marston turn, back on Marston Ferry Road, in 42 minutes. It's getting better, but still not going well. A terrible week! 16: Worst run for ages. I started off in the rain to do Banbury and Woodstock roads, but I was floundering so much that I turned back at St Margaret's Road. 30 minutes; very depressing. 17: Unbelievably, ran Yarnton -- Cassington in 49:39 this morning, 14 hours after yesterday's debacle. It didn't feel good -- a flat-footed plod most of the way -- but it can't have been as bad as it felt. (But cf. 8 March 1988.) 18-28: In Durham. 18: 35 minutes through the forest and by the river. 19: 30 minutes along the river path. I pushed it a bit on the way back. 20: Out at 7am. Ran for an hour, mostly on a disused railway line -- beautiful light, flowers, views ... Started plodding, heels playing up, but warmed up and ran better later. 22: No run, but some jogging on a walk through the woods. 23 July: Yorkshire Wolds Half Marathon, Bishop Wilton Show, 10am We (Alan Mekler and I) had to leave at 7am, which resulted in our missing breakfast; this was bad news later! I felt the flatness syndrome again before the race, but once I got running it was OK. The first few miles passed smoothly, and I ran the hill quite strongly, picking up several places. (This was the big 700ft hill from 3 1/2 to 6 1/2 miles.) Then came the downhill, on a track which was two wheelruts, boggy in places; my number had just come off, and I ran fairly cautiously, losing a couple of places, which I recovered when we began climbing again. But, come the big hill at the end (300ft from 11 to 12 1/2 miles), I ran out of steam and plodded up it, overtaken by someone -- the only time I was caught uphill. I lost two places down to the finish, but kept out the one runner who (it turned out) would have deprived me of a prize! I finished 17th (4th over 40) in 1:21:25, and carried off a 12 volt camping light donated by the local chimney sweep! The first three 3 mile times were 17:37 (level), 19:48 (almost all uphill), 17:32 (the steep downhill and some undulating). I don't remember the fourth; extrapolation would give 19:19, which may not be far out. 24 July to 25 August: Layoff: not really intentional, but for this month (including a week on holiday in Whitby, and two weeks looking after the kids while Sheila was away) I degenerated, running twice a week or less, and putting on a deal of weight. August 1988 26: Not certain this is the end of the layoff; but writing it up is a good sign. A slowish run round the farm circuit. Enjoyed myself. 27: A slowish run on river and canal towpaths. Put on a bit of speed coming back. 28: A leisurely run through Cutteslowe Park, Water Eaton, Woodeaton, and the ring road. Felt fine. 29: Canal and footpaths to Yarnton, Spring Hill, Begbroke, Roundhay Lock, and back on the towpath. Not fast on very overgrown paths, but it was good on the open hilltop. 30: Wytham woods, not too fast. Relaxing! 31: Water Eaton. It felt bad, for a change; I had to abandon my plan of going to Islip. Sort of sick in the stomach. September 1988 1: Cumnor Hill. Not nearly as bad as yesterday, but a slow start. It's all very much slower than before, especially at the start -- finishes are slightly better. 4: Five Mile Drive -- Woodeaton -- Islip (on a lovely footpath I haven't taken before) -- Beckley Turn -- Marston and home on the ring road. 5: Farm loop. OK, despite slow start -- but a touch of blister on my right heel. 7: Identical with 4 September but slightly faster. 10: Too soon after Ruth's farewell barbecue, I ran Yarnton -- Cassington. Slow start but not too bad until I got a stitch 2 miles out. 11: Starting in Woodstock, I ran Blenheim Park (to Combe Gate), Long Hanborough, Church Hanborough and the A40 from Eysnham in about 73 minutes. A better run than recently (including 17 minutes from Cassington bridge). I found two nice footpaths in Long Hanborough, one all-weather. 14: Lots of new footpaths, mostly bad. Mill Lane -- Sescut Farm -- Elsfield (first lost around a couple of big fields, then on a muddy path), the PYO farm (a very overgrown path), Prattle Wood (muddy and obstructed), Oxfordshire Way Noke to Islip (ploughed over), and finally the lovely Islip to Water Eaton path and home via Five Mile Drive in 1 3/4 hours. 16: Wrote off the last couple of footpaths from Water Eaton to Elsfield: one with gates wired and fenced over, the other overgrown with thorny things and ankle-twistingly rutted. 1 1/2 hour run. Then another bad spell, with a severe cold. Back to 20-30 mpw for quite some time. Began to pick up again mid-October. Sketch: October 1988 13: Kidlington on the towpath -- Begbroke -- home on the A34. 15: Slow run to Cumnor roundabout. 16: Bladon loop. This was very slow (about 79 minutes). Most recent runs have started badly ad improved, but in this one I really ran out of steam at Cassington, and it was a struggle to finish. Felt bad for the rest of the day. 19: Begbroke -- Kidlington -- towpath. A bit better. 20: A much better run: Wytham woods. Gentle start but finished really quite fast. 22 October: Chiltern League cross-country, Luton, 3pm Beautiful autumn day, quite warm. Almost dead flat course of three laps round a sports area on top of a hill -- a couple of little dips and rises, and a single-file lane. I wish I'd been fitter; I could have run well on that course. I started near the back and improved, passing huge numbers of people and only letting three past (one of whom I'd taken earlier) from halfway round the first lap (the first of these John Polgreen). And I was well within myself: I could pass people at a relaxed stride; I could feel someone's weakness to be uphill and drop him at the next pinch; and I could relax in the single-file lane while others were straining at the leash, and kick hard once we got out. Finished 79th in 34:05. The course was said to be about 5 1/2 miles, but John said times were comparable with 10k on the road. I can't be unhappy with that. Then, due to two bouts of 'flu, lethargy, and a trip to India, almost no running for more than two months. New year summary: So much for sustainable fitness! The first half of 1988 was in many ways a triumph, even though I was 2 1/2 minutes slower over the marathon; I had much greater success over about 3 miles, which must be an important pointer. In the second half of the year, though, my stars seemed to have been badly placed, not just regarding running, and I let things slide to a great extent. December 1988 31: Ran out to Wytham and back in about 16 1/2 minutes. I couldn't have gone any faster. This is my limit now! January 1989 1: River and canal towpath in about 36 minutes. I'm running very slowly, but it's all hard graft. 2: To Cumnor roundabout in about 38 minutes (19 1/2 out, 18 1/2 back). Similar to yesterday, but I lifted the pace a bit! 3: From QMC on the towpath Regents Canal -- Hertford Union -- down the Lea to Bow roundabout and back in an even-paced 45 minutes. The helpful sign is that I found it easy to keep going. 4: From QMC, down the towpath to Limehouse Basin, up to Victoria Park, ad around the lake. 33 minutes. Harder than yesterday. 7: Cumnor roundabout in 37 1/2 minutes (19 1/2, 18). I tried to come home fast but the pace wasn't there. Hard work. 8: Canal towpath to Kidlington (Roundhay Lock), then footpath to Begbroke and back on the road in 54 minutes. The towpath was very greasy, but I ran better on the road. Already much fitter after a week. 9: Evening: Banbury/Woodstock roads circuit in 38 minutes (20 1/2 to the point, 17 1/2 back). Still slow, but getting faster. 10: Glorious day, almost clear sky, cloud shadows on the field, and *bright*. Ran Wytham Woods, down to Swinford gate and back, in about 44 minutes. A very enjoyable run -- but the hills showed me I'm not fit yet! 13: Banbury/Woodstock circuit. Not timed, started slow with Sheila -- but even the second half wouldn't have been faster than 9 January. 15: Cumnor Hill in 65 minutes, 33 1/2 and 31 1/2 -- but it was faster than that, as I waited for Sheila on the way out and to read a notice coming back. 16: Same as 3 January, towpath to Bow roundabout, but noticeably faster: 22 out, 21 back. Good run. 18: After sunset, the river towpath and back on the road via the station. Very cold, and getting dangerously dark; I ran quite slowly. 19: Cumnor roundabout, not timed but it wasn't fast. The air was very cold again. 22 January: Oxfordshire League cross-country, Stonesfield, 8208m Beautifully clear day, not too cold. But a wicked course. A lap beforehand showed some of the horrors, e.g. Lovers Leap, a stile at the bottom of a steep muddy slope, but not the fact that we were gratuitously sent up and down one very steep bank twice. The course was 3 laps, and I planned to take it easily, but I found myself running at a reasonable pace, even pulling up a few places up the hills (but losing most of them to people more reckless than I on the precipitous descents). In fact I kept a remarkably even pace to finish 40th in 37:40 (but only 8th OCAC runner -- an unusual club turnout for an Oxfordshire League race). I enjoyed it more than I expected, and wasn't at all distressed after. The only symptoms were legs turned to jelly on the up-and-down. January 1989 25: Up the canal and River Lea from QMC to Springfield Park, round the park, and back. A good session of free and quite fast running. 26: Ran to Cumnor roundabout and back in a remarkably good 33:59 (17:25 and 16:34). I'm definitely over the worst! 30-15 February: In Toowoomba. 30: Rowbotham Street to beyond Spring Street. As expected with the flight, time change and weather change, it was quite slow and tiring. 45 minutes. 31: Pottered around the top of the range from the Toll Bar to Picnic Point (looking for a way down), then ran the lovely trail below Picnic Point. 66 minutes. Remarkable -- no litter on the trail! February 1989 1: Flagstone Creek Road, Blanchview Road to Withcott; but I'd bitten off more than I could chew, and got stomach cramps and had to hitch a ride up the range. Beautiful run through amazing scenery (huge caldera below Table Top?) and wildlife. 2: Prince Henry's Drive, out and back different ways, 45 minutes. Depressingly slow. 4: Towards Table Top, and down a track which dead-ended in a scrubby gully. Coming back, I took the trail and Stevenson Street and ended up on the Toll Bar! 6: Up and down the side roads off Tourist Road, then a good fast stretch out to Middle Ridge (wildfowl park, Mackenzie, Stenner and Ramsay streets). 7: Long Street to Anzac Avenue, back along South Street. Felt tired coming back against the wind blowing in fog. 8: Table Top via South Street, around the top of the mountain. A tiring run, but I finished well. 11: Mt Kynock, 87 minutes. I did feel tired, and wasn't moving as fast as I'd hoped. 13: Redwood Park (to Gatton Creek) and Picnic Point trails, through a shower. I ground to a halt several times on the fierce hills of the grasstree trail. 14: Along Mackenzie Street to past Spring Street (with detours) and back. I was running slower than I'd hoped in Toowoomba. Was it just the hills, or have I lost something since last year? I should have a few runs on the flat before deciding. 18: Cumnor roundabout in a flat-footed 36 minutes. 21: A delightful run from QMC, on a sunny day, up the towpath to the far end of Springfield Park, with a bit on the other side of the river. 64 mins. 23: Yarnton -- Cassington circuit. I had to cope with a fall (slow-motion, dreamy!) and an icy wind bringing a sleet shower; but finished well, 17 mins from Cassington Bridge (48 altogether). 24: River -- Hinksey -- Wytham. Very slow. Running the slippery towpath in an icy headwind, I was brought almost to a standstill. 26: Swinford circuit, a good run on a windy day; a bit tired towards the end. 90 minutes: 29:43, 17:35, 7:43 from Cumnor hill, roundabout, and Wytham T-junction. 28: From QMC, towpath to Bow roundabout and back (compare 3, 16 January) -- a good run in 41 minutes (21 out, 20 back) despite wind. March 1989 1: From QMC, up to Islington tunnel and back with a detour round Victoria Park. Slower than yesterday. Very windy. 3: Tired. Ran Cumnor Village in 68:40 (31:40 up the hill, 29:00 back) followed by a warmdown jog. Not a bad run. 5 March: Oxfordshire League Cross-Country, 11:40am, Enslow Had to contend with a late night, an upset stomach, and a last-minute panic when the cistern started overflowing just as I was about to set off. The course was two small and three large laps of an old quarry, with two hazards (steep gravelly drop and stream crossing) per lap -- my heart sank but they weren't too bad in the event. I tagged along on the easy laps at the start, and had enough in reserve to start putting on pressure uphill and picking people off -- nobody even resisted me. The pace increased each lap, and in the last straight I burnt off two in a controlled sprint, well within myself. I came in 32nd (4th Oxford) in 30:09. It could have been quite a bit faster; but the pace was much up on last time. March 1989 6: From QMC, to Victoria Park and 5 laps of the lake (short recovery). A good hard session. 7: From QMC, up the towpath to Hackney marshes, round the playing field. Slightly slower; a bit tired. 55 minutes running. 10: Cumnor village, on a drizzly day -- an excellent run, I got the best out of myself and kept going though tiring at the end. 66:335 (30:37 up the hill, 28:09 back). 12: Hanborough circuit in 86:28. Not fast, but there was drizzle all the way and a serious headwind from Hanborough to Eynsham. I tired in the last stretch. 35:46 at Bladon church, 69:29 at Cassington bridge. 13: A good session of repetitions, 12 x roundabout hill in 14:12 (average 71), recoveries jogging down the hill. Consistent: all between 69 and 73, despite two near misses at Mere Road. Tired by the end! 14: 6 repetitions x Victoria Park Lake. I could really feel yesterday's session; with the wind mostly against me, my legs turned to jelly. 17: An ill-fated run. Bad signs, both external (attacked by a dog; several incidents with cars) and internal (running much slower than hoped). I intended a brisk stride to Cumnor roundabout, but went slower and further, to Botley and Binsey. Then, when almost hoe, I got a pain in my left calf, so I walked home. Hopefully not too serious. Could it be the new shoes? 18 March: Swindon Road Relays, 2pm My calf had been very tense and I decided to have a slow and thorough warmup. But it wasn't the sort of day when that was possible -- bitterly cold and with a strong wind, turning later into sleety rain. The calf didn't feel good in the warmup, but it held OK. At last I was off, running 5th leg for the vets team. The course starts up a hill, to my liking; I made up a lot of leeway on a runner in front, and caught him at the top of the hill. Then as we turned down a roughish track, it went. I hobbled along in pain for a couple of hundred yards until I managed to get back into a stride pattern. Th rest was mostly downhill and without having the wind full int he face; just keeping gong, I caught him again, dropped him, and near to the end caught another. My time was 16:50; the vets came in about 25th in about 101:49. Both John Polgreen and Dave Parsons were under 16:20, and even Malcolm Lumb beat me. March 1989 19-22: Rested my calf and treated it with frozen peas, deep heat, and long baths. It recovered beyond all my hopes. 23: Time for a tryout. I ran to Wytham, Hinksey, the river and canal towpaths, including some sprints, without ill effects. The muddy towpath was the most dangerous, so I detoured round Wolvercote Green. 24: A walk/jog round the Parks at lunchtime produced some very ominous twinges! March 25: TVH relays, 3 x 3 1/2 miles, 2pm We'd expected to field the same A and B teams as last year, but in the last-minute absence of Shel and Pete, John and Dave were promoted to the A team, and I set off first for the B, followed by Malcolm Lumb and Tony Kelly. The day, surprising after a week of appalling weather, was mild with only a gentle breeze, which made warming up easier; but my calf troubled me throughout the warmup and I was in pain by the end. It was much too tense, though I tried to relax it. But by a miracle, the pain cleared away in the race. I set off at a good pace, and picked up quite a few people, running my best this year. I tired a bit at the end, but it wasn't the ordeal it had been last year, though two edged past me in the finishing straight. I clocked 18:47, 18 seconds faster than last year, coming in 14th. Malcolm lost three and Tony picked up two; their times were in the 19:30s an 19:50s respectively. The first team lost by 1 second to London Irish, with John 18:19 (I had him in sight all the way), Dave 17:53 and John 17:37. After the race I ran two laps of the course watching the seniors race; leg more or less OK, though it stiffened up when I stopped. March 1989 26-27: Didn't run, but walked about 25 miles in two days. 28: Bladon circuit. A rainy gale in my face going out, dropping when I reached the Bladon roundabout(!): the splits tell the story: 36:11, 56:26, 73:24. A good run in the conditions, especially the dream stretch. My calf is still a bit tight, but the pain has gone. 29: 6 x Wytham hill. It started as a crippling session, but got easier (and faster) as it went on, though never terribly fast -- I was watching my leg for the first sign of a twinge. (I'm slightly suspicious of my new shoes.) 30: I cycled down to Iffley road, to find the place locked up. On getting home, full marks for persistence: I went straight out to do repetitions on the roundabout hill. After a sluggish start (4 in 72), I decided to stop after 8, and averaged 68 for the next four (aggregate 9:20). Then an extended warm-down. I read my 1987 London diary. I'm only doing 3/4 of the mileage I did then. 31: 30 minutes steady running round the University Farm environs. 1 April: Belgrave Harriers/SCAA 12-stage relay, Wimbledon Common, 12 noon It was nice to be injury-free at the start of a race. On a nice day, I did a prolonged warm-up before my stage (8th, short) including a lap of the course with Ali; everything was propitious. But then I blew it. I started at a pace that felt comfortable but that I couldn't sustain, and I was all to pieces going up the long hill. I finished in 18:09, 21 seconds slower than last year. Terrible. My shoes didn't feel right -- the heels are so high that I can't stretch out downhill in them. I must get another pair, preferably light racers. Also, I took one wrong turn and nearly another. But at least I kept my place, unlike last year. April 1989 3: Started to run Swinford -- Cumnor on a cold sunny day with a bitter wind. I went quite fast at the start. Over Swinford Bridge I hit the wind head-on and also got a calf pain which moved up into the back of my knee. I slowed, short-cut to Botley, and staggered home at decreasing pace. Probably this injury was partly stress-induced -- I was so tense yesterday that I'd almost certainly have hurt myself if I'd gone out -- but I think the shoes contributed too. 4-5: Didn't run -- combination of bitter weather and knee pain. 6: Cumnor Hill, not fast -- an hour including re-lacing the new shoes at the top. I am running hills badly now! Fast back from the roundabout, 16:09 despite continuing knee pain (worth 20 seconds?) Evening: Did some yoga. It felt good and seemed to help. 7: Easy run round Wytham, resting leg; but it couldn't have been much faster, in view of the bad state of the roads. 51 1/2 minutes. Hills still hard work. 9 April: Oxfordshire relays, Abingdon, 12:15pm My knee isn't recovered but, in a lap of the course for warming up, my stride was stretching out and running was enjoyable again. I was running 3rd for the vets A team, taking over from Shel. He brought us in in 3rd place, behind the Seniors A team and Witney, and I expected to be miles out of my depth. Imagine my surprise then when, at the start, I found myself gaining on both the leaders. I had a lovely run all the way round, despite the headwind, and almost caught the Witney man, but I let him go away a bit over the last bridge. My time was somewhere around 16:35. Not brilliant, but I think it's better than last week, and anyway, it *felt* like an improvement. I was close behind John Polgreen. He also held 3rd place but Dave pulled us up to 2nd, where we finished -- this means a gold medal, since we were easy winners in the vets' race. After the race, I jogged a lap. April 1989 11: In gale-driven rain, I ran Headington roundabout -- Headley Way in about 65 minutes. Still OK but leg stiffened up at the end. 12: 6 x Wytham hill. Still tiring up the hill (minding leg), but recovering very quickly. Then ran to the University farm. 13: An easy jog with Neill and James, resting my leg (which is still stiff). 14: Bladon circuit in 71:18 -- a very good run. Lovely day with masses of dandelions, though the wind was in my face until the Cassington turn. I felt very tired on the last stretch, but managed to keep up my stride so effectively that my time for this section was my fastest ever. 34:30, 54:27. 15: Stiff today. Had a fairly gentle run over Wytham ill to the Swinford gate and then on some forest paths. 18: After too long a break, a good session: I ran 8 x Wytham hill, fast (average turnaround 4:49, much better than recently), and then Botley -- station -- Woodstock road. The last stages of this were an ordeal but I managed to keep the pace up reasonably well. 20: Set off to run the ring road, but rain and a strong northerly sprang up, and I had second thoughts, turning back at the Headington Road roundabout. In fact the decision was unconscious -- thinking about it, I missed the fence to the path under the roundabout. 21: Evening run, Marston Ferry - St Clement's circuit in 54 1/2 minutes, running well. As fast as ever on this, though it's not an oft-run or accurately-timed circuit (cf 8 April 1988). 22: Disastrous run. Started running repetitions on the roundabout hill, but the blistered heel I've had for several days got much worse and I had to stop after three. It's OK on steady runs, but sharp turns do it in; it was dodging a bike in this case. 23: With too much adrenalin in my system after watching the London marathon, I set out to run the ring road. I wore my old Reeboks, whose much lower heel tabs kept clear of the blister. In good conditions (cool, light wind, a hint of drizzle) I ran very well until after the Marston turn, but the pace kept up to an excellent 94:12. 25: 12 x roundabout hill in 74, 73, 72, 72, 73, 73, 72, 72, 69, 71, 71, 70: total 14:22, average 72. Not fast, and very hard graft, but not bad considering past year. 27: Wytham woods. Though there were reasons for it to be slow (I started too fast; slime and new gravel on the back road; wind and mud coming home) it was a quite good 47:25. In the lower wood, I put on speed up a hill, but at the top I felt as if I was running through treacle. 28-29: Fighting off the flu that all the family has. 30 April: Abingdon half marathon, 11am I felt dreadful beforehand, and nearly passed out jogging with Dave and John, but sitting down made me feel a bit better. The start was as chaotic as any I've seen. Runners and spectators milling around, cars and tractors driving through, and an official trying in vain to get us behind a nominal start line. When a gun went off, I was facing the wrong way and thought it was a joke. Of course, I started well behind where I should have been, but this didn't cost too much in time -- I missed the first mile, but passed the second in 11:25. At this stage, I was into my stride, though against the wind, and kept it up nicely one the wind was behind me in the second half of the lap. One slight hiccup when an obviously incorrect mile marker made me think I'd slowed when I hadn't. Into the second lap, I lost rhythm and slowed, then on the broken road and muddy track into the wind I slowed further, from 5:48/mile in the first lap to almost 6 min/mile. Back on the road I pulled it back a bit, and passed several; only one took me, at terrific pace. I thought I'd be just hanging on, but managed to get the pace back to 5:55. In an uneventful finish, I came in 31st in 76:31. The mile times I got were ?, 11:25, 17:22 (surely wrong), 22:58, 28:45, 34:33, 40:21, 46:11, 52:04, ? (probably about 58:05), 64:01, 69:56, ? (probably about 75:50). May 1989 1: Banbury-Woodstock circuit. After yesterday (half marathon and fixing the back fence) and a trip to London with Sheila and the kids today, I intended an easy run but I pushed it on for 35:07 (18:52 at the point), good in the circumstances. 3: 8 x Victoria Park lake. It was a hot day and the run was tiring though quite quick. People in the park helped me on! 4 May: Kidlington midweek, 4.2 miles, Charlton-on-Otmoor, 7pm On a warm and humid evening, after having had an upset stomach all day, I cycled gently out through the beautiful Otmoor countryside. I felt a bit tired in the legs after yesterday, but strong. I just ran, at pretty even pace; though there were quite a lot in front of me at the start, I consistently pulled them in, taking one (and could have had another) in the final sprint. My time was 21:39, which is 5:09/mile; a better performance than recently, so maybe it's coming right just in time. May 1989 5: To Cumnor roundabout in 15:50, jog to Botley road and towpath, back in 17:59. Compare 26 April last year; this was slower but, considering tiredness in my legs and lots of obstructions on the towpath, it was not too bad. I reckon I'm running slower than last year but not the minute per 5km that I feared a month ago, probably less than 20 seconds, My job now is *not* breaking course records, but keeping up speedwork until the middle of next week and then easing up until Saturday. 6: In spite of that, there wasn't life in my legs for speedwork today, so I had an easy run round Water Eaton and Cutteslowe. 7: 6 x Wytham hill. A bad start, legs tied up, but I improved to a turnaround of 5:07 (after 5:18 for the first three). Legs empty of speed. 8: 6 x Victoria Park lake. I felt quite a bit faster than last week -- 3:20 turnaround. I felt full of well-being afterwards! 10: Evening run, Banbury-Woodstock circuit, in 33:4 (17:49 at the tip). Not bad but I wish it had been faster. The well-being hasn't lasted. 11 May: Merton fun run, 4.23 miles(?), 6:15pm I cycled down town for this, intending just an easy social run. As well as old Merton friends (John, Barney, Lawrence and Maureen, etc.), I found Nobby, Stuart and Brian there. Everyone tore off at a great rate at the start, and after most of the way round the meadow I was lying about ninth. But I kept my pace (about 5:50/mile) and they all started falling back; by the end, only one person was in front of me. My time was 24:53. 13 May: AAA/BVAC Road Relay, 8 x 3 miles 8 yards, 1:30pm. From running round the course beforehand I knew it wasn't going to be easy; with steep ups and downs and very sharp turns, it was like a cross-country on the road. Roy came in 14th and Pete Morrison lost another 5; it really looked as if we were out of our class. I started off at what felt a terrific pace down the hill, and felt like a disaster was coming up. But round the first sharp bend I got going a bit and passed four on the hill and one just after, though one came past me very fast. The upshot was that when I got to the sharp turn at about halfway, I'd given what I had to give, and the rest was just hanging on. But only one more passed me. I finished in 15:55. But then John Polgreen, though only 3 seconds faster, picked up 8 places, Pete Lindsell another 4, and Shel took us to second; Dave took a bite out of Aldershot's lead and we finished within 40 seconds of them and well clear of Newcastle for the same 1-2-3 as last year. The consensus was that the times were worth about 5km on the flat, which is probably about right; but I was only 7th fastest for Oxford. 14 May: Oxford Town and Gown fun run, 10:30am This was a last-minute decision, hence a low-pressure run. I jogged down town, entered, and did a bit of warmup before the start. Despite getting into something of a tangle at the start, I kept a beautifully even 3:30/km, within a few seconds at each km post I noticed, and kept on passing people right to the end. I finished 26th in 35:04 (I think), not bad in the circumstances. May 1989 15: Wytham woods in 47:44, quite slow despite good conditions. My legs were quite tired! 18: A couple of miles on the towpath because of a puncture! 19: Cumnor village. The first half felt beautifully easy, but at about half way I ran out of energy (caused by lack of fuel -- early light lunch -- and the heat). From Wytham I was just hanging on. But the time was a fast 64:39 (equivalent to 56:51 to the top of the hill and back). 20: Across the fields to Yarnton (quite a lot of this was long grass "resistance running"), then Rutten Lane and home on the cycle track. 21: In the heat, set out to do Swinford -- Cumnor, but scaled it down to come back via the University farm -- I'd started fast, though it didn't feel it, and was a bit distressed. 23: At Gregynog: In the heat of the afternoon, 48 minutes at good steady pace on hilly roads, then 12 minutes easier in the park. 24: At Gregynog: Early morning run in the mist, probably fortunate that I couldn't see the two killer hills! I went further than I intended: 54 minutes. 27-28: Hill walking in Dovedale. 28: Ran Wytham -- Hinksey -- river towpath in about 51 minutes. Quite stiff and slow at the start. Not feeling good. 29: After a hard day's gardening, I ran the canal towpath to Roundhay Lock, back on the road through Yarnton, in 50 minutes. Very stiff for the rest of the week! 1 June 1989: Kidlington midweek, Bletchingdon, 4 1/4 miles, 7pm After a hot dry week, it rained. I had to cycle out to Bletchingdon, and was very soaked when I got there. Also, my right heel has stiffened again, but warmup helped. I took the run fairly easily. It's very different from Charlton, with two steep downs and ups, the last uphill quite long. I started behind John Polgreen and finished there too, but passed a great number of people on the way, especially up the last hill. I finished in good shape, sprinting for home and recovering quickly. 36th in 23:06. The twelve places lost were mostly OCAC drummed up by Dave Parsons! 3 June 1989: Otmoor Challenge half marathon, 2pm It really didn't help that I had to cycle out to this one, up Elsfield hill. At the start, I felt very weary. But I set out at a good pace, faster than Abingdon, though it's hard to be sure because of the inaccuracy of the mile markers -- 6 min for the first mile, then average of just over 5:40 for the next six, to reach 7 miles in 40:08. Then we hit the rough stuff. Amazingly, I only dropped to 6:30/mile; I thought it would be much worse. I'd been out of contact behind a group, and out of sight of the next behind me, but on the rough I closed the gap and even got ahead of one of them for a while. In the last couple of miles, I could feel the Elsfield hill in my legs, and plodded to the finish -- but one guy stopped and walked, so I passed him. I finished 15th in 81:31. John Polgreen was jut behind, having made up a lot of ground in the early stages. June 1989 6: Evening, set out towards Cumnor. Right heel hurting, I turned back at the top of the hill. Quite slow and painful. 7: About an hour mainly on footpaths in Headington, Marston and Summertown. No heel trouble, but stiffness, and then bad stomach cramps (too soon after lunch). Not a good run. Then followed a bad spell, beginning with my attempt to run the Witney 10 on Sunday 11 June. I set off to cycle to the race but was let down by a puncture at Eynsham. Started running, got a lift to get me there on time, but then my knee hurt so much that I decided it would be madness to run. It seemed to be tendon trouble of some kind, but there was also some bad shin soreness. Eventually, I decided to do short slow runs, to cut the heel tabs on my Asics trainers, and to use them in preference to the Reeboks as much as possible. Briefly, the next couple of months went badly but with slowly recovering fitness and diminishing pain: July 1989 1: Summertown -- Cherwell bridge, 4 miles 3: At UEA, Norwich: 4 miles 5: At UEA, Norwich: 4 miles 7: At UEA, Norwich: 4 miles Then a break for conferences, etc. 26: Wytham turn 27: Yarnton, plus one mile with Sheila and Neill 28: Port Meadow 29: Cumnor roundabout, 36 minutes (19, 17) 30: Canal with Neill, then University farm 31: Canal with Neill, then Port Meadow August 1989 1: Canal with Neill, then A40 -- Cassington Pit turn -- Oxey Mead 2: Paddington -- QMC towpath, and back (tube strike) 3: Canal with Neill, then: 3 August 1989: Kidlington midweek, Kidlington, 7pm I knew that, because of both unfitness and poor state of tendons, this would be slow. I started with Hugh Starkey, who went ahead. But I kept plugging, and got the pace up a bit, catching lots of people (including Hugh) on the run in. Roughly 23:20. I don't know the distance. August 1989 4: Wytham -- University farm -- Hester's Bridge 5: A few miles down the Woodstock Road 7: Wytham turn 8: Canal towpath -- Kidlington -- Yarnton 9: Port Meadow 11: Canal and Port Meadow 12: With Sheila round the new meadow on the old rubbish tip 13: River and canal towpaths, 36 3/4 15: Cumnor roundabout, 36 1/2 (18 1/2 and 18) 17: Ring road -- Marston -- Summertown, late 19: Wytham woods, 49 1/2 20 King's Lock with Neill 21: University Farm circuit (longer), 43 3/4 23: Aristotle Lane with Neill, then canal to A34 bridge 25: Roundabout with Neill, then University farm 26: To old level crossing with James, then to Aristotle Lane with Neill, then to A34 bridge 27: To Oxey Mead with Neill, then to Binsey church 28: Canal bridges with Neill, then Thrupp -- Kidlington 30: Canal bridges with Sheila and Neill, then Yarnton September 1989 1: Isle of Thorns: forest paths (7 miles) 3: Cumnor Hill -- Hurst Hill -- North Hinksey -- river towpath 4: Cutteslowe -- Water Eaton -- Islip -- Kidlington. Best for some time. Then followed such a depressing 6 months that I didn't write anything up, even when I was running. I had niggles from a calf muscle, including at the training camp in Derbyshire where I was definitely back in the second rank, mainly through lack of fitness but partly through taking it easy because of my leg. Then it went well and truly at the Aldershot relays. I kept going to finish the 4 mile course, thereby making things much worse for myself than they might have been. (Fortunately I was only in the second vets' team.) That took a couple of months to heal up, and then I had long-running knee trouble, I think brought on by typing my book on a back chair with badly perished cushion. The knee is really still affected by being kept bent, e.g. in a crowded train, more than by running on it. Altogether, though, a stormy winter and being more than usually busy didn't help me get back to running, and apart from a few outings in mid-March, I didn't really start again until: March 1990 29: 35 mins or so, canal to Kidlington, road to Yarnton, back on canal. Not very fast. 30: In Bangor. Quite a bit of walking. 31: Wytham woods circuit. Not fast (about 53 mins) and I was tired at the end: a surprisingly hot day. April 1990 1: 4 x Wytham hill. Again not too fast, but there was some kick there: tuurnaround times about 5:30 for the first three and 5:07 for the rest. 3: Wytham -- Hinksey -- river, about 53 1/2 mins. Started quite fast (18 1/2 mins to Cumnor roundabout) and then held on though very tired. 5: Canal towpath to Kidlington then Begbroke -- Yarnton village -- water meadows. Not too fast but a nice 54 minute run. 6: An off-road run: Yarnton -- Spring Hill -- Burleigh hill -- Bladon -- Begbroke -- SH and back, with a couple of detours around fields! Not too fast but I couldn't have done that a week ago! 7: A slightly faster run on the river and canal towpaths. Also a walk at Shipton-under-Wychwood. Then more trouble: a bout of gastric 'flu saw me off running until: 13: Cumnor Hill in a better-than-expected 62 1/2 minutes, under 30 mins back from the top. Not fast, but some running in there. 14: Going down with a cold, but ran Wytham -- Hester's Bridge with Neill and Sheila (remarkably good run for Neill) then 4 x roundabout hill in 72, 72, 74, 73. (I'd planned 6 but knew after the third that I wouldn't make it.) A devastating cold followed; I lost a lot of strength and wasn't back until: 20: Canal towpath to the Jolly Boatman and back in 59 minutes. Very slow out, but I was moving much better coming back and wasn't totally exhausted until the end. 21: Water Eaton -- Islip -- Kidlington in 69 minutes. Much like yesterday. Coming over the bridge, I could speed up but couldn't get onto my toes! At least, it is encouraging that despite two bouts of 'flu, I've still managed nearly 20 mpw in the last two weeks. 22; 6 x Wytham hill, with funny tummy. In fact it wasn't that, or wind, that limited me, but lack of strength in the legs! Started with a 5:45 but then averaged 5:25, including 30 seconds to take pulse after the last one (it was 156). 23: From QMW: canal and river towpaths to Bow roundabout and back in 43 minutes (22 and 21) on a breezy day. Good and tiring interspersed. 24: River and canal towpaths to the station in 34 minutes. Some quite good running, especially at the start. 25: 6 repetitions in Victoria Park and 1 warmdown. Quite slow (3:45) and I felt so sick I almost stopped. 27: Farm circuit in a slow 45 minutes (7:50 from Wytham). I feel very low at the moment. 28: Canal towpath to Kidlington, then Yarnton Lane to Yarnton village and back through the water meadows in 43 minutes. A better run than yesterday, but very exhausted halfway round. 29: Wytham -- Swinford -- Botley -- Wytham, 71 minutes. On the way, I felt so frazzled that I didn't know if I'd make it. 7:40 from Wytham. I need a rest! And in the following week I felt so low, I didn't do anything until Thursday. 3 May: Kidlington midweek, Charlton-on-Otmoor, 7:30pm During the day I felt so bad I nearly didn't run. But I decided to play it gently. I started near the back, got up a stride, and kept going. Nobody passed me after 1/2 mile and I picked up lots of places, finishing quite fresh. But the run, long warmup, and cycle ride both ways on a hot day left me very tired. I was 85th in 23:43, 2 minutes slower than last year and 5:35/mile. May 1990 9 (after a long gap): 6 x Victoria Park plus to and from and warmdown. A *much* better run than the disastrous 25 April, with average turnaround under 3:25, and very consistent except the last much faster. A good sign? 10: After yesterday, back to earth. Round Wytham woods, very slow, just a jog really (about 55 minutes), but I couldn't have gone faster. 12 May: AAA/BVAC Vets 8-stage relay, Aldershot, 1:45pm I was for the first time demoted to the B team, and ran 2nd leg. I was sent off about 29th out of 80-odd teams, having felt OK in my warmup except for this ever-present deadness in my legs. And so it turned out. I managed to keep a fairly uniform pace for the two laps, but never hit a patch of good running anywhere. There was quite a bit of swapping, and I picked up five places. The worst moment was near the start of the second lap, where I lost my rhythm when two cars cut in on me, and took a long while to regain it on the course full of sharp turns; the best, and closest to decent running, was near the end. I did 22:40. After that, everyone got slower and slower, culminating in around 28 1/2 from John Polgreen, bringing us in 60th. The A team lost an epic battle with Tipton (reinforced with Holden and Rushmer) by 30 seconds; but Tipton were disqualified because Rushmer hadn't been pre-entered. So they came away with gold, and me not among them. This race is not comparable with my nemesis there last September when my calf went after about a mile -- because of a locked gate, they'd had to lengthen the course (by about 1:20, I estimate). Comparing performances with Charlton last week, I reckon I was about a minute improved! Another minute (more than accounted for by the state I'm in and lack of race fitness) would have put me up in the A team. May 1990 13: A40 to Eynsham, Swinford Bridge then back round University farm. Not too bad -- I overheated a bit! 16: From QMW, the canal and river Lea to Springfield Park and back in 67 mins (35 and 32), as good as any run recently. 18: Yarnton -- Spring Hill -- Begbroke -- Bladon -- Burleigh Hill and back. Mostly easy pace, but I opened up nicely once or twice. 20: Quite a good longer run, starting slow but upping the pace: Kidlington -- Islip -- Beckley turn in 87 1/2 minutes, 54 to Beckley turn. Felt good! Faster than the only comparison I can find (25 October 1987). 23: Same as last week, but a bit faster, 65 minutes (34 and 31). Encouraging speed-up -- but as usual I was tired afterwards. 27: Set off to run the Bladon loop. From early on, my legs were tired, and I thought I wouldn't make it; so I switched to Yarnton -- Cassington instead. Then it started going better; still tired, I got the pace up to finish in 47:46 (17:15 from Cassington bridge). It was worth even a little better: I had to stop twice to tie my shoelaces. 28: Again, set off on the Wytham road, but I was so tired that I cut back to Cumnor roundabout (new route). Deadly slow; the best I could manage even warmed up was 7:30 from Wytham T-junction. Overall 37:20. (It's perhaps a minute more than the old route; I hope this record won't stand long!) 30: Towpath again. This time, a slightly different route, a (measured) minute longer, and I ran it in just under 64 1/2 mins -- a comparable improvement to last week, good! But still tired, and I'm *sure* something is wrong. 2 June: Otmoor Challenge, 2pm As last year I cycled to the start (and kept taking wrong turns) -- the day intermittent sun and quite a strong south-west wind. Because of the dryness, they were running the "dry-weather course", turning left in Horton and avoiding that hill, taking a nice meadow track instead. The mile markers were hopelessly inadequate -- I revised my expected time down after the first two took 6:45 and 6:30, but the third went by in 5:30! It was lovely running this stretch -- I'd tail a couple of runners for a while, then open up and drift past them. But I'd come to the head of the group by Charlton, and had no help int the wind to Oddington. I went through 6 miles in 36:50, quite a bit slower than last year (as expected). The rough stuff wasn't disastrous -- though I put in a couple of 6:30 miles on the worst of it, I speeded up quite a bit in between I took one more and was just behind another halfway up Beckley hill,, but he got 10 or 15 yards clear and held that. Apart from feeling tired at 8 1/2 and 11 1/2 miles, I ran the second part remarkably well to finish 25th in 1:21:27, four seconds faster than last year! (And, despite missing the first hill, the first half was slower, the second faster.) I was third vet, but there wasn't a prize. 7 June: Kidlington midweek, Bletchingdon, 4 1/4 miles, 7:30pm For the first time in months, I warmed up without feeling that deadening tiredness in my legs, and without any twinges anywhere -- it's just that I'm not totally fit now! Not much to say about the race. It started faster than I've been running lately; I didn't lose too much ground on the downhills, and made up much more than I lost uphill. By the bottom of the second downhill, my legs were tired, but I ran well uphill and passed several. I didn't sprint at the finish, but only narrowly lost a duel with a Kidlington runner whom I'd taken after the top of the hill. I finished 60th in about 24:20 -- slower than I'd have liked but 25 places up on Charlton.