1. Break the world record for the marathon in the 50+ age group, when I'm 50 in 2015.
2. Never wear compression socks.
Personal:
Married with two girls (6 and 10).
The Qwer Old Fella's Marathon Method is a four year experiment.
The first year (2012) was about getting back into running, staying off the smokes and booze, while sticking to a healthy eating plan and shedding mountains of lard. All boxes ticked.
Year two (2013 - age: 48) Injured Jan through March. Build back up and work on my 5k speed. Goal 15:45.
Year three (2014) will be about doing my first marathon in the spring. (Just for the experience and on a tough course - maybe Tralee; goal time, 2:30ish.) Then begins the prep work for Berlin 2015
Year four (2015) is all about breaking the world record for the marathon in the 50+ age group - it's only 2:19 :).
The above might sound nuts; it is, but then I'm nuts. Please do not copy any of the training I do: if you do, you are likely to end up running like me - not a good idea.
The idea is to have a laugh along the way. If I fail, I don't know what I'll do - my whole belief system will crumble and I suspect that this little rock might just stop spinning for a couple of seconds. Jakers, I better not fail for all our sakes. That's some burden, even for SuperBam.
5.30 am - 3.6 mile pootle, including the Fat mile.
Normally, I’m up and out of the scratcher and flying before the hullabaloo of the alarm clock but this morning, the cheeky dream-snatcher clipped my wings and gave me a good hiding. Bamboozled – didn’t know what was what. All those miles (7.2) I’ve clocked up have reined me in. Now, alarm bells are tinkling in my head: I know that the road to the 2013 Cork marathon podium will be a slog rather than the once-upon-a-time imagined saunter.
I felt a chill in the air as I set off down the road. Autumn’s on the way and with it, all the connotations of transience – prolepsis, perhaps. But the chill soon wore off as I shuffled up the ever so gentle rise that takes me from my house to the Fat mile.
I’ve often wondered why people call the stretch of new road, which flanks the northern side of Tralee, the Fat mile; perhaps it’s where all those people that I see power-walking in the daylight hours give it some welly and shed pounds of lard.
As I trundled on along the Fat mile (8.30[ish] miling) I noticed clusters of posters trussed to lampposts: presidential candidates – all of the pictures airbrushed and strapped with vacuous slogans. And I was minded of a not so well known phrase: beware, for if you dream, the full phantasmagorical power of the darkness that lies within the soul may be unleashed. Shudder.
When I finished the ‘run’ and gathered myself, I felt an eerie silence and before dawn, it dawned on me that I was not coughing and spluttering and yaking. An improvement. Dare I dream?
Tomorrow, I will fly in my new pair of Nike Pegasus trainers - without a hangover.
Resting heart rate 65.
Night Sleep Time: 8.00
Nap Time: 0.00
Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Weight: 170.00
Comments
From ACorn on Tue, Oct 04, 2011 at 13:12:46 from 68.66.168.22
Glad you got the shoes! It'll all get easier with time.
From Bam on Tue, Oct 04, 2011 at 15:55:28 from 86.42.122.91
Can't wait to try them out tomorrow. I've been running in tatty NB 1060's. I know it'll get easier with time - as long as I stay injury free. I think I've cracked the booze and cigarettes, which is the main thing. Thanks for the encouragement - it really helps.
From Russ on Tue, Oct 04, 2011 at 16:53:39 from 74.114.3.253
Nice one on the shoes and the quitting the booze and smokes. Fun to read your posts - look forward to hearing how your journey progresses.
From Tom Slick on Tue, Oct 04, 2011 at 19:17:05 from 69.171.160.28
Do you have a goal race in mind to help you get a focus on your training. If you don't know whee your going, how will you know when you get there? Keep up the good work.....when is the Cork Marathon?
From Bam on Wed, Oct 05, 2011 at 09:32:35 from 86.41.118.147
@ Russ - thanks for the encouragement; it helps, especially after this morning's disaster.
@ Tom - the 2013 Cork marathon is in June. My plan is to get the weight off over the next few months while/whilst [US/UK] gradually increasing the miles. When I get to 142lbs (based on previous experience, this is a good weight for me to start banging in harder work without getting injured - ideal/racing weight is 133lbs and 6% body fat) I'll be more structured in my approach; ergo, my short term goal/focus is to lose weight and then get stuck in. Thanks for the encouragement, it helps heaps.
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