The Qwer Old Fella's Marathon Method

08:00 - 8 miles easy. Ran without my watch but was probably sauntering along at about 7.30 pace - nice and gentle - followed by a hardcore core workout.

17:00 - 6 miles relaxed. Nothing special - just ran relaxed - probably 6:45 pace.

This rounds off  'another' 100 mile week. Since I've been away I've been building. I'm now up to 100-102 mpw in 13 sessions plus core and strength work. Tomorrow I start training for the inaugral Tralee International Marathon, which kicks-off on St Patrick's weekend 2013 - the race is on the 16th March 2013.

I've been keeping an eye on the site and have been inspired by many of the performances and improvements. Jakers, I could feel the Boston heat through the computer screen as I watched the race.

My goals have changed and I'll fill you in on how I've built up and how I intend to attack those goals. The weight's great - 133lbs (all solid muscle; now, the kids call me muscularites rather than lardyboy). I haven't done any workouts yet nor have I raced. My long run is 14 and I do drop in the odd progression, where I'm getting up to 5-5:10 pace - only for the last mile or so.

Anyway, I'm back and looking forward to catching up...

13 easy miles (1hr 36 mins) in the morning rain. Felt strong and relaxed. No structural problems or twinges, in fact, when I finished, I felt like I could've done the run again - slight gilding of the lily there; maybe I could have run another few miles before feeling tired.

That's the first 'session' of my first microcycle out of the way. Next session is a workout on Wednesday (10x300m hill reps with jog back rec) and then a 10 miler on Saturday in the mountains, including 3 miles savage climbing at threshold effort. The first macrocycle will last four weeks, so that I can accommodate a two week holiday in Portugal. Subsequent macrocycles will last three weeks. The whole foundation period is 25 weeks - 8 macrocycles. Then I'll get serious with 12 weeks specific marathon training and a 2 week taper. Everything's geared towards the Tralee International Marathon on March 16th 2013. My first marathon. Haven't got a clue how I'll do. I am certain that I will not be running sub 2:23:). The course is tough. The wind will be giving it some welly and the rain will tumble down, for sure. Even on a pancake flat course, with perfect weather I realise now, that breaking 2:35 would be a serious achievement, especially given my age and that I only started 'running' 9 months back. But we'll see...

5:30 a.m. - 8 miles easy (7:30 ish pace). What a glorious morning in The Kingdom (County Kerry). The sun gave it root-toot this morning: shafts of light seared through the morning mountain mist and glinted off the placid Atlantic. Blebs of dew on blades of grass bubbled and blistered and burst. In the early morning heat, the soft lap of the shore sighed and simpered as it swished over pebbles and shells and stones that lay insouciant to the water's frotting affections. The whispers of distant mountain streams sluicing silted beds carried through the still air. Like a mother's hushed shushes in a once upon a time lullaby. Beasts ferretted in gorse and thicket for vittles. A crystal pool fringed with silver birch saplings and weeping willows shimmered in the sunlight. The ends of a willow's branches tickled the pool’s surface. About the water’s edge, canopied by a willow's far reaching branches, a fuss of gnats skirred. Birdsong trilled. Bam jogged. What a load of waffle. Basically, I had a nice run this morning and I'm looking forward to an easy 6 miles tonight.

5:30 p.m. - 6 miles relaxed (started at about 7:45ish and ended up around 6ish). Legs wanted to go much faster but the sight of the mountains looming across the river made it easy to hold back: tomorrow I hit the hills for my first 'speed' workout - 10x300m hill reps. I'm a tad nervous. I'm hoping I don't go off too fast and wreck the session. I keep thinking about Jake's bank deposit analogy. I need to deposit this workout and not go overdrawn. I need to lay down a marker to build the confidence. I feel like a teenager waiting to go out on a date with a girl he's had his eye on for 9 months. Hopefully I will not mess up tomorrow: no injuries; no wasted session. That said, I've gradually built up to 100 miles a week and coped with it without too many problems. I feel strong. I have, in the last three weeks, been doing 8x8 sec hill sprints - more for form and strength than anything else. They've gone well but tomorrow's another cliche...

09:30 a.m. 10 miles all told - give or take a few metres, including 4.75 mile warm up (7:35 pace on the Garmin) 6x100m strides and 6x300m hill reps with a jog back rec and a 3.3 mile warm down (7.50 pace). Not quite what I planned. But I'm pleased with the workout; I revised it last night, based on a re-reading of Pete Magill's Running Times article on hill reps. It seemed to make more sense to have something left in the tank to build on and as it turned out, I doubt I would have managed 7 reps never mind 10; I also have the rest of the week to go...

The session was hard. Very hard. I cried for my mummy on the last 50m of the last rep. She didn't help. It was great to have that lung bursting feeling and all that fire rushing through every fibre of my body. I suppose I can stop calling myself a guy who jacked the smokes and drink and lost weight; now I can call myself a runner.

I noticed that for the first 250 metres or so of each rep that I felt good and that my form held but in the last 50 metres I struggled - the incline does get steeper over the last 50 metres. I feel like I have gained something from the session and although I wasn't bleeding out of my eyes, I worked hard. Next week I'll aim for 8 reps: I'm repeating this week's cycle because of my holiday in Portugal. The splits were: 1:10, 1.09, 1.08, 1.09, 1.10, 1.10.

I feel tired now and tonight's 6 mile recovery run may be a tad slow...

5:30p.m. - 6 miles recovery run. Could feel this morning's session in the old legs but wasn't as bad as I thought it might be.

6:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Legs felt a bit heavy and tired for first 2 miles but then things began to improve. Should have fully recovered for Saturday's 10 miler in the hills, with 3 miles climbing at threshold effort.

On the training front, for the next 24 weeks I'm doing base/foundation training. The miles will range between 100 and 115 per week. Each block is three weeks. A long run on Mondays (14 at the moment building to 20; there will be some jiggery-pokery in the second half of 2 out of 3 of the runs: progression to marathon effort/ sustained effort). Tuesday is an easy day (8 miles + 6 miles, building the morning runs to 12???  - help/suggestions required - + core work after morning run). Wednesday is speed day: efforts in the 3k - 10k range, including strides for form. Thursday and Friday are easy days: (8+6 and building + 8x8sec hill sprints on one of the days, supplemented with core on one day and strength on the next). Saturday is Threshold day. Week 1 - hill climb at threshold effort - starting with 10 miles with a 3 mile climb at threshold effort, building to a 6 mile climb). Week 2 - Threshold run, starting at 24 mins, building 2 mins each time. Week 3 - Aerobic threshold/Marathon Tempo effort, starting at 45 mins and building. Sunday is an easy day (8 + 6).  I think this touches all/most bases. All runs are preceeded by 20 mins A.I.S. and 5 mins gentle dynamic stretching. All runs are finished off with some gentle short hold static stretching to align fibres. My nutrition is pretty hot. I'm also lucky that I can drop in lunch-time naps - don't be jealous.

The above is to get me in shape for 12 weeks of marathon training plus a two week taper. The marathon is in March 2013. It wil be my first marathon. I intend to start racing around Sept/Oct. In an ideal world I wouldn't do a marathon until I had 3/4 years aerobic work under my belt. But the kids want me to run the Tralee marathon next year so I have no choice. Any comments would be appreciated. I've built from nothing to 100 miles per week over the last 9/10 months - mostly easy running and the odd progression. I've now done 6 weeks of 100 mpw and seem to be ok on it. Prior to the 100mpw I did a 4 week block: 2 wks x 90, 1wk x 84, 1 wk x 90. Then going backwards, a similar picture with 80 and 70 and 60 and so on.

2:30 p.m. - 6 easy miles.  

6:00 a.m. 8 miles easy. I was 5 miles into the run when I suddenly thought - how did I get here? I don't mean here on earth or anything profound like that. I mean, I think I was sleep running. I'd done all my stretching stuff and remembered going out the door etc but it was kind of spooky. When I was awake and aware of it, rather than in some sort of Cartesian false awakening syndrome, I thought about my quads. They hurt. Nothing like Russ's birthing quads problem, just DOMS from the hill reps. Then I thought about Jake's big picture thingymajig and the best laid schemes of mice and men and all that stuff, and decided to tweak the remainder of this week's training...

I dropped this morning's post run strength work and did a cheeky little core work-out, which included my quotidian 20 x Jaycorns - a little name I coined for push ups in reverence to the push up kings: Jake and Acorn. No point hammering the legs with squats and one legged dead lifts etc on sore legs. I've decided to drop tonight's 8x8 sec hill sprints. Instead, I will do some strides tomorrow, prior to doing the planned 3 mile threshold climb.

The County newspaper, Kerry's Eye, has a spread on the Kerry's Eye Tralee International Marathon. Interesting read, for locals. The race will include the Kerry County Champioships, so the race should attract some half-decent runners. I'll have to join a club at some point, if I'm going to enter the County Champ's, as well as the overall race. The organizers are making the race into a whole St Patrick's Weekend shindig and it's part of 'The Gathering' - where the Irish return home; they'd be better off staying away: the country's banjaxed. On that positive note, I'll leave you, for now...

11 miles - 3 miles warm up, 6x100m strides, 2.53 miles climbing (1053 ft in 22:14, Avg Pace 8:48, threshold effort), 4.5 miles easy/steady and 1 mile shuffle.

Enjoyed this. Managed to work hard on the climb without tipping over the threshold. I was blowing from the off but never got the full-on burn and I recovered within a minute or so after the climb and was able to finish the remaining 5.5ish miles without struggling. The climb was shorter than I anticipated but I ran out of hill. I'll start a bit earlier on the climb next time. After the workout, I kept the running honest (7ish pace).

What I liked about this was the 22 mins of constant effort - felt a bit like a race without killing myself.

6 miles tonight will take me over the 100 for the week. Pleased with the week as it was a bit of a trial week with the workouts and I've got through it without feeling completely wrecked. Better not speak/write too soon as I've a 6 to get through...

6:30 p.m. Easy 6 miles. Legs didn't feel too bad but I did feel a bit wibbly-wobbly towards the end of the run - probably needed more carbs. Suffice to say, after I got home and showered I pigged out on a feast of wholegrain rice with tumeric and raisins and apple mixed with tuna and chillies with a cheeky watercress, rocket and baby leaf salad. Washed it down with coconut milk. Prior to scoffing the aforementioned, I had a shot of beetroot juice. Yucky. Now, beetroot juice is recommended before runs because of vasodialation or something like that. But Gramps takes it after training, before a meal. The nutrients get around the body and aid recovery - don't tell anybody. Try it, it works and you will notice a huge difference. I promise.

7:30 a.m. - 8 recovery miles. Plodded along thinking about nothing in particular. Felt tired and needed a recovery run. I'm hoping that I'll recover in time for tomorrow's long run.

When I was out doing a sluggish 6 last night I spotted a couple of runners warming up for the Tralee Summer Solstice 10k. Got the juices flowing and I had this urge to race - not there and then, but soon. I can't wait to get fit enough to give it a lash in a race. It'll be interesting to see how things go. I suspect the first race will end up being slower than what I aim for (deluded about age not mattering a jot and that my body's recovered from the years/decades of abuse).

Anyway, whatever happens I think my times will improve. 

10:00 a.m. 13 mile progression run - of sorts. I'm not a happy bunny. In fact, I'm hopping mad. I took the Garmin out for a twirl today and discovered that my 14 mile run was a paltry 13 miles. Furthermore, or I should say, shorterless, I''m not as fit as I thought I might be. Here's the mile splits:

1. 7:37  2. 7:27  3. 7:29(incl stop for jimmy riddle)  4. 7:13  5. 7:00  6. 7:02  7. 6:49  8. 6:55(brutal 84 foot climb)   9. 6:43(long pull)  10. 6:28  11. 6:12  12. 6:14  13. 8:39(cool down).

Although miles 7 through 9 were climbing, I thought miles 10 through 12 would have dipped under 6 pace; not so. And I have to admit, mile 12 was hard work - I wasn't bleeding out of my eyes but I felt like a rabbit being chased by Glenn Close. Mile 11 was downhill.

As I was building up to 100mpw I often did 5/6 mile progressions where I'd be touching 5:10ish pace towards the end of runs (probably, if I'm honest, the last half mile or so), so I'm a tad disappointed with today, even though it's a longer run. Ho hum.

So, I now have a better idea of where I am and what I have to do. First off, I've got to read my Garmin correctly when I measure runs. I must eat more carrots and I need to take 1 mile off my weekly mileage totals for the last few weeks - that hurts. Secondly, getting fit isn't about writing schedules and giving it the big chat and plodding out miles (although plodding out miles is part of it). I've got to make sure that I work hard in the workouts - I don't mean mam-be-pam-be breathing hard, I mean working gut-wrenching hard and staying focussed.

Is it possible for a 48 year-old man who abused his body for years with bad food, booze and smokes to run a 'decent' marathon off 18 months training? Time will tell... so long as some spiteful rabbit doesn't bite me and give me some rare form of human myxomatosis - because then I'd really be bleeding out of my eyes...,

6:00p.m. - 6 miles easy. First two were very sluggish but then came the strangest metamorphosis (no, I didn't suddenly turn into a fly - with apologies to Kafka). Over the final four miles I felt strong and as though I were running more economically or more efficiently. Bizarre. I thought I would have been trudging along feeling wibbly wobbly, but no. Anyway, I'll see how I go tomorrow on the back of my highest mileage day so far. An 8 and a 6 tomorrow and for Russ, I'll keep the write ups short and sweet:) but I'll be running with carrots to throw at crazy leg biting bunnies.

5:30 a.m. 8 miles easy (1:04:08; AP 8:01). Legs felt fine but I seemed to be putting in a bit too much for a recovery run - should have eased off by 10 secs a mile. Think I'll be taking a cheeky little nap today to help the recovery process:)

6:00 p.m. 6 miles easy. AP 7:20.  Took the Garmin with me on both runs today to make sure the runs were accurate. The morning 8 miler is bang on the button and the 6 is in fact 6.27 but I tend to round down the runs. Phew, at least my two main runs are not a mile short.

The kids are sick today - some sort of throat infection with a temp. Have been dishing out loads of TLC and medicine but most importantly making sure they stay in bed. I was going to do a session of 8x300m hills tomorrow but the kids being off school has scuppered that idea. So I'm going to knock out a 6 in the morning and then in the evening I'll do a decent warm up, some strides, 4x1mile off a 1 min jog recovery on a measured stretch of the marathon route and a warm down. Haven't got the foggiest how it'll go but I'm aiming at keeping all reps under 6 mins. If I do them all in 5:59 I'll be happy with that as a benchmark.

7:30 a.m. - 6 miles easy. Feel like I’ve recovered from Monday’s 19 miles and looking forward to tonight’s workout.

6:30 p.m. - 10 miles: 3 mile warm up including 6x100m strides, 4x1 mile off 90 sec jog rec, 3 mile warm down.

Gotta say, I'm a happy bunny. I'm hopping with excitement. This morning, during my 6 miler I measured out a mile (using my Garmin) on the canal towpath. I re-measured it to make sure it was accurate and then tonight, during my warm up and cool down, I measured it 4 more times. I decided to do the workout on the towpath because I realised the road would be busy with traffic. The towpath isn't ideal: it's gravel and bumpy and plagued with dog walkers but flat.

So the session. Mile 1 - 5:33 (slight breeze behind me) too fast. 2. 5:42 (back into the breeze - oh no, Ithought, the session'sgoing downhill - I can't hold this pace). 3. 5:38 (with the breeze - hold on this is starting to look decent. Felt sick at the 0.75 mark but held on). 4. 5:42 (back into the breeze - worked like a Trojan from 0.25 onwards, but held form).Average mile rep = 5:39 on a slow track equates to a sub 17 5k = 35 mins 10k. Not too bad at all. I know I haven't run these times, but this session, in the past, always worked as a yardstick for predictions for me.

I know it's not earth shattering but I'm really pleased. I know soon enough these will be down around the 5:00 mark and, if I stay healthy, I'll be back in the game...

8:00 a.m. 8 mile recovery run. Could feel last night's workout in the the legs, but after 3 miles or so, everything felt tickety-boo.

After the euphoria of last night I have to tell you that I feel a complete plonker. Of course 4x1 mile in 5:39 off 90 secs doesn't equate to a sub 17 5k and, by extension, a sub 35 10k. The session suggests a sub 17:30 5k and a sub 36 10k. Gutted. But, if I'm honest, still pleased.

I'm re-visiting the training schedules now that I have a better idea of where I'm at etc. I might focus more on VO2 Max sessions (2 per week) and move the threshold stuff into the second half of my long runs. This way I'll have the necessary marathon speed by the end of the summer and then can work on extending marathon race pace over the winter months. But We'll see.

5:30 a.m. - 8 miles easy. Just pootled along, like a somnambulant in high heels.

Going on holiday on Monday (two weeks in Portugal) and I'm dreading running in the heat. I'm dreading traipsing around shops. I'm dreading sitting in restaurants late at night, working out how many hours sleep I'll be missing. I'm dreading the food: having to eat junk. I'm dreading the search for an internet cafe so that I can keep y'all up to date with the things I'm dreading and how I'm suffering in the heat from the things I dread.

On a lighter note - I'm looking forward to whipping off  my top (apologies to aleph and allie and Fiddy) and getting a year's dosage of Vitamin D in two weeks. Must remember the sun cream. I suppose I'll come back looking like a skinny, bronzed Adonis - albeit, a rather decrpit God.

I'm hoping to find a running shop with decent priced trainers. 145 Euros (that's like a thousand U.S. Buck-a-rooneys:)) they want in Tralee for a pair of Asics Nimbus 13. 160 Euros for the Nimbus 14. On yer bike. They only last me four - five weeks. Granted the Nimbus is a cracking shoe for the neutral machine of perfection that I am, but they're having a giraffe at thoses prices. I bought two pair of Nimbus 13's from the same place, about 9 weeks back, and paid 200 Euros for the pair of them -100 Euros each pair; expensive, but they are so comfortable and there's only one way to get injured in the Nimbus: you'd have to trip over a dead cow festering in a field. The manager of the shop said that it's the cost of materials and other nonsense. Materials smearials. I'll wear my wife's high heels before I pay those prices - better go try them on:)

6:00 p.m. 6 miles including 8x8 sec hill sprints off 2 min rec. Great little session. Favourite of the week. Gets the C.P. juices fizzing, recruits fibres, improves economy and best of all, it’s over quickly and is relatively painless. But I wouldn’t recommend doing it in your old lady’s high heels.

7:30 a.m. 6 miles easy in the rain. Beautiful. What a joy to run in soft rain. The scent of wet grass. Through the mist, the pulchritudinous mosaic of Tralee’s majestic landscape. The splish and splosh of puddles as the sprightly Bam zings along sodden paths in stilettos with the zeal of a teenager. Now there’s a secret you’d like to know all about: Bam’s teenage zeal. But sure as cows in the far corner of any given field mean rain’s coming in, you’d only mock me if I were to share my little thing with yee. Perhaps ‘tis better I keep it to myself until I know yee a little bit better.

To round the week off, I’ve a nasty session of 300m hill reps, at mile effort with a jog back rec. Looking forward to doing those tonight. Deep joy. Last time I did this session – the first time – I managed 6 reps averaging about 1.09-1.10. I am hoping that tonight I’ll manage 8 in about 1.10…

7:30 a.m. 8 mile recovery run. Gentle enough run to clear away last week's work. Felt tired from the off but as the run went on things improved.

Got to get a long run in tomorrow morning. I normally have a bagel before my long run and wait 2 hours, but tomorrow I'll be going out on empty. The plan is to get in something between 13 and 16, depending on time and how I feel. I was also thinking about the workouts I need to get in while away: 5x0.5 mile with 90 sec rec on Wed; 3x2 mile with 90 sec rec on Sat. Then the following week: 4x1 mile off 90 sec on Wed and 10x1 min off 90 sec rec on Sat - I'll be doing these early doors: 5a.m. - what a nightmare. Holidays, who needs them?

6:00 p.m.  6 miles easy. Felt a bit weak - glycogen stores low. Sorted now: rucks of wholegrain rice, grilled skinless chicken breast and a medley of vegetables. I'm about to tuck into a pineapple while I watch the football - Spain v  Italy in the final of the Euros. Spain are 1 up and looking good. But never write off the Italians. On the pineapple front, did you know that you should eat pineapple and strawberries on their own, an hour before or after any other food?

a.m. 8 easy

p.m. 6 easy

a.m. 8 easy

p.m. 6 easy

a.m. 3 easy miles

0 miles - rest day.

a.m. 8 easy

p.m. 6 easy

a.m. 6 easy

a.m. 8 easy.

p.m. 6 mile progression.

a.m. 14 miles easy (1.40)

a.m. 8 miles easy

p.m. 2 mile w/u, 4x100m strides; 12x 70secs hard on grass with 70 sec jog rec, 2 mile w/d. (7 miles-ish)

a.m. 8 miles (v. tired)

p.m. 6 miles easy.

a.m. 8 miles easy on grass - left hammy v. tight.

p.m. 6 miles easy.

a.m. 8 miles easy.

p.m. set off to do an easy 6 but tanks was empty so I didn't run.

a.m. 5 miles easy. Left hammy tighe. Day of binging on carbs.

6 a.m. 16 miles easy - 1.52. Out in an hour and back in 52.

5 p.m. 8 miles easy. Back in Ireland. Was up at 4 a.m. to get ready for early flight. V. tired.

7:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Put on few pounds from eating too much ice cream and general rubbish. Now weigh 135lbs:(

Another 8 planned for tonight. Had a great holiday but the running suffered. Time to get stuck in. The Tralee marathon website is up and so is the map of the course. Undulating with some good climbs. I know every inch of the course and  I run on it everyday. More to follow...

6 p.m. 8 miles easy in the evening rain. Nice to run in the rain again. Managed to tick over on holiday but family fun got in the way of the training and my eating was pants - ate so much rubbish.

Anyway, back into the swing of things already (with a tan, I hasten to add). Left hammy's a bit tight so I'll have to just do easy/steady/progression runs until it settles. It started playing up after I did a session of 70 second efforts - I thought I was a teenage middle distance runner rather than a crumbly.

Now that the website is up and running, I'm massively excited about March's marathon. The course is tough - harder than I thought - but scenic. I'm now fretting about all the carb drink stuff you have to take and water and hitting the wall etc. What'll I be like the night before the race?

Good to be back and I've heard mention of some cookies that don't need baking...

7:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Went out in shorts and long sleeve top and within a mile the rain came tumbling down; I was worried my tan might wash off. Luckily, my bronzed body withstood the onslaught. If only my left hamstring would loosen up, then I could knock out some workouts. I think I might make tonight's 8 miler a very gradual progression (please excuse the tautological content of that phrase). Toes crossed the hammy doesn't ping tonight...

7:00 p.m. 8.5 miles. 2.5 miles w/u to mile 20 of the Tralee marathon route, then 1.5 miles @ current marathon pace effort (all up hill), 4 miles @ current half marathon/threshold effort. Splits: 6:04, 6:14 (into savage wind), 6:07 and 6:04. Then 0.5 w/d. Good session. Felt comfortable but was working. There's still a very long way to go, perhaps even a marathon.

7:30 a.m. 8 mile recovery run - A.P. 7:30. Left hammy felt fine. I neglected the daily A.I.S. routine while on holiday but I'm back in the swing of things and slowly the old legs are starting to respond. An easy 8 for tonight. I'm coping pretty well with the 8 milers - as easy runs - and if all goes well, I will probably up the evening runs to 10 milers. More importantly, and to get under the skin of the mileage monster, Bret the globetrotter Jardine - who is one of those guys that is so blessed that he just finds money on the pavement when he's out running - I must remember to take my quotidian 40 winks. In fact, today, I think I'll make that 50 winks.  

6:00 p.m. 8 tired miles. Got my 50 winks in but still felt sluggish. Hopefully a good rest and a mountain of nosh tonight will recharge the batteries and I should be good to go tomorrow.

6:00 a.m. 6 miles easy. Tired.

As I was sauntering along, something bit me (metaphorically) - why is it that luggage is such a nightmare on flights? Everything about the whole process from weight to size to pulling off your case at the other end is troublesome. The whole thing's such a palaver and a rip-off. But, of course, then you have those travel experts like the globetrotting Bret Jardine, AKA Alligator Jardine (the U.S.'s answer to Crocodile Dundee) who know how to milk the system. Oh yes, the snappily dressed Alligator Jardine has the whole luggage malarkey sussed. You see, it's his business. Or should I say, nefarious family business...

So, how do I know about the shenanigans of the mileage monster, Alligator Jardine? Well, when I was on holiday in Portugal I took the kids to a place called ZooMarine - the usual sort of tourist thing: dolphins doing tricks, rides, ice creams and all that jiggerypokery. But something bit me (metaphorically, again). Near one of the mediocre rollercoasters were some pens and in them were a selection of alligators, all of which I hasten to add were having 40/50 winks. How did these large semiaquatic reptiles slither over to Portugal from the US?

They didn't. There was no slithering or sliding but there was plenty of conniving. The snappily dressed, Alligator Jardine has a huge emporia, which profits from anything to do with alligators. 'Tis true. Honest. Even his Asics Nimbus trainers are made of alligator skin. You might even recall he recently complained that he was suffering from tendon problems,  which he attributed to wearing business shoes and walking around some large city. Well I'll tell ye for free, they were alligator skin shoes and his briefcase, with all his dirty business dealings inside, was made of baby alligator skin. His suit - yep, pure alligator skin. Don't even ask... I've been informed by the Feds that even his underwear is made from luxury female alligator tail.

So how does our mileage monster do his business? In his youth he traipsed around the swamps of Florida (Bowie knife in hand, and although I can't categorically confirm this, but 'tis rumoured that a certain Mr Rob Murphy assisted Alligator Jardine - they were known to drink cheap beer bought with money that old ladies lost outside drop-in centres for lonely aged folk) and set traps for all moving alligators. (The setting of traps and general hunting skills were taught to the Gator Master by the huntsman, Russ - AKA, The Elk Hunter.)

Now, Alligator Jardine devised some brilliant way of stuffing alligators into cases and exporting them around the world. Hence his many business trips and why he's run in so many of the world's big marathons. You wonder why your luggage goes missing on trips - alligators eat it or the Gator Master pinches your luggage and stuffs Gator products in it. Simple.

Following a chat about the price of running shoes, he even had the audacity to try and sell me a pair alligator skin crocs - to run in. I ask you - alligator skin crocs!

But what about his family business/dynasty I hear you cry? I refer you to his recent comment to his post (Thur July 19th) where he proclaims - bold as brass for the whole world to read, "Both are fighting Florida Gators..." What more proof do ye need, folks?

I'm telling you. .. You heard it here first, on Bam's blog, where Bam the man tells it how it is.

*Since the publication of this blog post, Bret Jardine (reformed Alligator exporter) has made a significant monetary contribution to the Angry About Alligator Antipathy Association. He is also now the chairperson of the World Wildlfie Foundation and has dispensed of all his alligator products - except his swanky Alligator Nimbus trainers. 

**Note to self - Get out more. Talk to people. Stop sleeping so much. Go see Dr and get meds.

6:00 p.m. All joking aside, I needed meds after tonight's workout - what a killer. 9.5 miles in total with w/u, 6x100m strides, 10 x 50-53 sec hill reps with jog back rec and w/d.

I'm pleased on several fronts with the workout. I did this workout 3 weeks back and could only manage 8 reps (the first 2 reps were in 56 secs and the remaining 6 were in 54 secs). This week they went: 52, 53,51,52, 51, 51, 50, 51, 52, 51. That's a substantial improvement in speed and with two extra reps thrown in for good measure. I feelt good and strong for the first 6. I went a bit quick on 7 and struggled to keep my beautiful and elegant form for the final 3 reps. I dug deep in the final 3 reps - more grit and guts than grace and plenty of rasping at the end.

I need to recover tomorrow and prepare for Sunday's 17.5-18 miler on the Tralee marathon course. This will be my longest ever run and I'm going out early doors on empty - could be interesting.

I'd like to thank Bret for taking the alligator post in good humour. Bret's my virtual training partner (even though he doesn't know it) - in that he helps me get over the 100 mile mark and gives mature encouragement, unlike my childish prattle. Thanks Bret. I'd also like to thank my wife for this oscar. Ooops wrong place and I haven't even written the script yet. I do get carried away sometimes... "If only he would," I hear you say.

7:30 a.m. 8 miles recovery run. 7:30 pace - nice and relaxed. Felt much better than anticipated. A cheeky little 6 tonight to round off the week. 102 miles in 12 sessions with a LR, a LT and a body smashing hill session. Good stuff.

If you're racing today, good luck and give it some welly. But hey, remember, be careful out there; (Hill Street Blues - what a classic.)

6:00 p.m. 6 miles easy. Bring on next week, where things will get a tad more interesting - on the training front.

6:00 a.m. Thought I'd be doing 17.5 - 18 miles on the Tralee marathon route but it turned out to be 16.95. I'm having problems loading my Garmin, so I can't get all the splits. But I did the first mile in 8:14 then the next 4 averaged around 7:30. The next 5 miles averaged around 7:10 pace. The next 5 miles averaged 6:30 pace - fastest 6:14. The final 1.95 miles were a jog/warm down.

The run felt relaxed the whole way and there were no mechanical problems, which was good. On the downside, I've decided not to run the Tralee Marathon or any marathon for that matter, until I'm 50 (2.5 years away). I'm going to concentrate on developing a good aerobic base and gaining strength and speed. So, I'll focus on 10k races over the next 12 months, then up to 10 milers and half marathons, before tackling the London or some other Big City marathon when I'm 50, in 2015.

So why the change of mind? Well, I decided the Tralee marathon is a bit of a con. They have the map of the route up and it looks undulating but okay. The fact is, the first 15 miles are a slog fest of glycogen depleting hills - I ran it this morning, excluding a couple of miles that loop off the main course and have some sneaky energy sapping hills. I don't fancy this as a first marathon. Also, I don't want to just run round in 2:35-2:45. I want to race hard (2:20 ish) and I don't think that's feasible, given I've only been running a short while (11 months). If I were to run a marathon next year,  I think I'd end up getting bogged down in a mire of mediocrity- not for me folks: I'm not running 100+ miles a week with workouts to plod around marathon courses for a Tee-shirt, a medal and a master's win. I'm in it for the long haul and to mix it up with the youngsters.

My thoughts and reasons might seem arrogant or disparaging to those who work hard to run 3hrs - 4.5hrs or whatever, but we're all different beasts, with different motivations and aspirations. Anybody who laces up a pair of running shoes and gets out the door deserves credit for taking action and getting on with life and striving to attain their goals, whatever they might be. My goals are driven from a deep sense of unfinished business and wasted opportunities and for good measure, I'm pretty competitive and now armed with some serious life experience. Behind all the japery lurks a serious predator. For now, miaow:)

 

7:30 a.m. 8 miles recovery run. Felt fine and dan-day; should be okay for tomorrow night's workout: 5x0.5 mile @3k pace - whatever that is - with a 90 sec rec.

Today I want to share a little bit of magic with you: Bam's Breakfast Bar. This comes with a health warning. This bar will seriously change your life. The only thing I'll add is that if you don't want to do the whole bar thing then you can try Bam's Breakfast Booster. Both recipes have a powdered version of the Peruvian root vegetable Maca - and I'm telling the men folk, Maca does what it claims:).

Anyway, Bam's Breakfast Bar:

1. 0.5 cup of raw organic oats.

2. Healthy scattering of milled flaxseed, brazil nuts, almonds and walnuts.

3. A good sprinkling of natural whole Chia Seed.

4. A scattering of milled sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds and goji berries.

5. Here's the daddy - A heaped tablespoon (don't be greedy, this is all you need; trust me.) of powdered Peruvian Maca.

6. A shuffle of shelled hemp.

7. Organic banana (fair trade would be nice too) - sliced.

8. A glutton's scoop of raisins.

9. Splodges of wholegrain peach (or any other flavour) Probiotic yogurt.

10. A few shakes of raw organic cocoa powder.

11. Drizzle Agave Syrup over everything and finally, pimp it up with a shaking of ground cinnamon.

Mix it all together and form it into a bar. You can eat it straight away or leave it for 5 mins. This will sort you out for the morning and you might not finish the bar. Save it for later and enjoy it when you're peckish. 'tis lovely with a cup of coffee, which leads me into Bam's Breakfaster Booster. The Booster is great if you're trying to quit coffee. Simple:

1. Cup of skimmed/low fat milk.

2. Add a tablespoon of raw organic cocoa powder and a tablespoon of magic MACA powder.

3. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top and stir or give it a quick fizz in the blender (this is the better option.)

4. Heat up in the microwave or on the hob.

Drink and enjoy.

The rewards of Maca are pretty quick.

6:00 p.m. 8 miles easy. A touch of DOMS in the quads. Hopefully tonight's run will ease the discomfort.

After I finished my housework, I sat down and planned my training paces for the next few months. I’ve become an expert at dividing by 0.93, 0.9, 0.87, and 0.75. I’ve also mastered the fortnightly improvement in Horwill’s multi-tier interval training – how 1,500m pace works on 3k pace, which works on 5k pace, which works on 10k pace. I remember doing this many years back. By my estimations, if all goes well, I should see a 4 second per mile improvement in my fortnightly 4x1 mile sessions, which roughly equates to a 12 sec improvement over 5k, each fortnight.

In the middle of all these frenzied calculations, my two new pairs of running shoes arrived – Asics Nimbus 14 and Asics hyperspeed 5’s. I now look quite the dandy in my new runners. Ran in my usual Nimbus 13’s tonight as the rain was hammering down. But the light and swanky Hyperspeed 5’s will be out for a test drive tomorrow  â€“ they’ll be ripping up the half miles at 3k pace…

9:30 a.m. 10 miles incl 5x800m @ 3k pace off 90 sec jog rec. What a beast of a session. Doesn't sound like much but it's a real gut churner. I'll enjoy my lunchtime nap (sorry Bret).

Warmed up 4 miles incl 6x100m strides with jog back rec and a 200m stride to tune into the pace of the session.  Based on my 4x1 mile session three weeks back, I should've been looking at knocking out each rep in or around 2:42. But after my hill session last week, I knew I was a touch fitter and planned to do these in 2:39. But they went 2:39, 2:36, 2:38, 2:38, 2:36. Happy as Larry. So later in the week, when I do my 4x1 mile @ 5k pace off 90 sec rec, I think I'll aim for 5:32 pace (83 sec 400m's) rather than the planned 5:36 pace. I doubt Mo's quaking in his spikes but I'm pretty pleased with the way things are progressing.

Did the whole session incl the warm up and 3.5 miles warm down in my new ASICS Hyperspeed 5's. What a pair of shoes. I think I'll be buying a few more pairs of these little puppies. Tonight, the new ASICS Nimbus 14's get to go through the motions as I amble round for a slow 6 miler...

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYBODY DOING DES NEWS TODAY AND HAPPY PIONEER DAY, WHATEVER THAT IS - I'M GOING TO GOOGLE IT IN A MINUTE. SUSPECT IT'S SOMETHING TO DO WITH HAWKEYE AND THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS:)

Oops - just read what it's all about. Enjoy the parades, fireworks and rodeos. Learn something new everyday.

7:30 a.m. 8 miles in my ASICS Nimbus 14's. Well, I have to say, ASICS have out done themselves with the Nimbus 14. What a shoe. The 13 was clunky, comfortable, cumbersome and cushioned; the 14 is saucy, sexy, sleak* and snug and you can actually feel that IGS thing working. Great shoe. Well worth the wonga. That's the end of the alliteration.

The legs are heavy this morning and I'm hoping they recover in time for tomorrow luchtime as they have a rearranged date with 4x1 mile @5k pace off 90 secs. I've switched my An. T.  run and my 5k pace session because of the weather. Thursday's supposed to be less windy than Saturday. So, although I'd prefer waiting until Saturday to knock-out the mile reps, I've moved them forward to Thursday. Tonight's easy 8 miler should help shift the fatigue...

*see comments apropos of the meaning of this gobbledegook word.

5:30 p.m. 8 miles easy. Ran without a watch but had to keep pulling the pace - youthful exuberance and all that.

Went food shopping tonight and took the rapscallions. What a mistake. Got to the checkout and there was all kinds of everything in the trolley. They fleeced me. But I did manage to get the ingredients for my leek and potato soup, which I'll make tomorrow.

With the olympics coming up, I'm sure everybody's looking forward to all the distance stuff and I suspect all of the track and field. But I'll give you the heads up on something super special. The women's boxing. Yep, the women's boxing. The star of the olympics will be Katie Taylor - you heard it here first, on Bam's blog. She plays football (soccer) for Ireland and she's the world champion in her weight at the old fisty-cuffs. Even if you're not into pugilism you must watch Katie Taylor - she's a once-in-a-lifetime sports person. She spars with the Irish men's national team - they'll do very well too - and they go hell for leather at it with her. She'll be carrying the flag for Ireland.

11:30 a.m. 11 miles incl. 3.5 miles w/u, 6x100m strides with jog back rec, 4x1 mile off 90 sec's, and 3.5 miles w/d.

I did this session before I went on holiday and averaged 5.39. I planned to do today's session in 5:32's but thought, after Tuesday's 800's, that I might sneak in with sub 5:30's. Here's how they went: 5:30, 5:20, 5:27, 5:19. A.P. 5:24.

Apart from the wide range in times - I'll get better at pacing with more workouts - I was vey pleased with this workout; my progress is rapid (ok, maybe not rapid, but I'm getting quicker.)

The old body felt as though I'd been weighed-in by 10 geezers with baseball bats - I don't half exaggerate. And now, I'm off swimming with the rapscallions.Tonight's 6 mile plod should ease the pain...

 6:00 p.m. 6 miles recovery run. Nice and easy. Legs felt better than anticipated - might have been the freezing cold water at the Tralee swimming pool. Tired tonight. Early to bed and get ready for the Olympics to kick off, plus the two 8 milers scheduled for tomorrow - one of which will have a cheeky little 8x8 sec's hill sprints thrown into the mix.

7:30 a.m. 8 miles recovery run. Legs know they've done some work this week. But here's some big news for you: I'm going to learn to drive. Ho, ho. Beware if you're on holiday in Ireland - Bam might be on the road. Yep, at the age of 47 I've decided to have another go at learning to drive. Why? So I can drive the 20 or so miles over to Castleisland to use the track. There are other reasons too but the track's the catalyst for change. There is no running track in Tralee, in fact, there are very few in Ireland.

I did start learning to drive in my early thirties. I took my test three times and failed each time - obviously. The first test I thought I'd made it, but no. Failed because of many small things and a general lack of confidence. On my second (with a massive hangover) I failed because I let go of the wheel on a roundabout and screamed, thinking the truck on my inside was going to smash into me. The examiner wasn't too pleased. The third time, I was having a blinder. The examiner told me to pull over and then told me to drive on. I came to a junction and waited for instructions. It was a dual carriageway and I should've just driven straight onto it. He told me he was taking me back to the centre to pass me. He'd told me to pull over so I would see the sign showing the dual carriageway. After this, I gave up.

Anyway, off to read The Rules Of The Road - if anybody tries to overtake me I'll spike them.

6:00 p.m.  6 miles. 3 miles w/u, drills, 8x8 sec's hill sprints off 2min rec, 3 miles w/d.

Great session - can feel the speed coming and it helped cleared the fatigue from the legs. Easy run tomorrow morning and then a threshold session to round off the week.

It's time to plonk myself on the sofa for the Olympics.

7:30 a.m. 6 miles easy. Tired after staying up late last night to watch the Olympic opening ceremony - pretty pants really but the one thing I did like was the whole legacy thing. When Coe won the games with his presentation, he won it based on the children and multi-culture and legacy part - rightly so. To have the kids play such a central role, especially lighting the flame, shows he meant it and it wasn't just vacuous spin. Fair play to Lord Coe. I'm a fan of Coe but I think I could turn him over these days. If your reading Lord Coe, I'll meet you in Killarney for a 5k race...

6:00 p.m. 10 miles. 4 miles warm up (7:25 ) 4 miles An. Threshold (23:15), 2 miles shuffle (9:30).

Was not up for this, but as the run progressed I got into it and enjoyed the feeling of comfortable hard. Splits: 5:51, 5:53, 5:45, 5:46.  A.P. 5:49 -18 sec's per mile quicker than last week and I felt easier this week and that's on the back of a 116 mile week with two hard workouts and a toughish long run. Happy days. And so, on to next week...

6:00 a.m. Easy 13 miles. Was going to do a 15 but opted for 13 as I felt I needed time to recover before launching into this week's workouts. I'll do a 'cheeky little' 6 tonight, just to stretch the legs.

Although I felt that I needed time to recover, when I woke this morning and started doing my AIS, I felt much better than I thought I would. After yesterday's Threshold run I was zubed.

Strange how the body says, "Ok, this is another week, forget last week and let's go again." Well, I'm kind of hoping that's how it works - I'll see how things go tonight...

 

7:30 a.m. 8 miles relaxed - about 7:00-7:10 pace. Feel fully recovered and raring to get stuck into tomorrow's session of 6x1mile @current 10k pace (5:40ish) off 60 sec's rec. Hopefully the wind will stay settled for tomorrow.

6:00 p.m. 8 miles easy with a bit of a pick-up between miles 5 and 7. Ran without a watch but AP was probably around 7 pace.

6x1 mile @ current 10k pace off 6o sec's

v

Bam

In the mizzle, on the Tralee to Blenerville road, at hign noon under the watchful eye of the Slieve Mish mountains, a bloody battle took place, a battle that saw the pummelling of a human spirit. Bam the big chat pretender took on the venerable workout of the distance legends and he was left humiliated. Crushed. He didn't pay the session the necessary respect. He went out too fancy and too fast and was reduced to a pathetic mess. 6x1 mile @ 10 k pace - what a doddle, he thought, especially the way I'm improving. Ho, ho chaps, it was messy.

3 mile warm up with 6 fancy pants strides. The session: effort 1, 5:32. A tad too fast, he thought, but maybe not. Maybe I'm gonna pull out another one of those sessions that show how well I'm improving. Before he knew it, the 60sec's were up and he was off again.

2, 5:36, that's okay, he thought, that's where I want this session to be, just hang onto that pace and finish with a sub 5:36 and you'll have a nice session. Still panting like a dog in the desert and the 60 sec's have whizzed by. He's cheating now, perhaps 68 sec's rec. He's off.

3, 5:37, and that was harder than it should've been. No time to focus on the session, the 60 sec's are up. Is that 70 sec's? He's off. His mind wanders. His legs feel heavy. Sluggish. The road seems long. He doesn't check the splits. He ploughs on. Forms gone.

4, 5:41. That's shocking. Desperate. That's jogging. He knows it's over. There's no point slogging out a 5:5x and a 6:0x. He's quit. The shame's too much. He looks at the passing cars and trucks for answers, as if the answer's in the eyes of the drivers. Drivers, something I'll never be, he thinks. What's the point? I'm pants.

He jogs back to the gate where he left his trainers and change of clothing. He changes in the mizzle. Embarrassed. He jogs home carrying his flats. Should I even own a pair of racing flats? he thinks.

He passes workers, out getting their lunch. He knows they're thinking, Jakers, that guys running slow. What's the point of that. Some kid dressed in sports gear and a hurley in hand, smiles at him and says, "Hi." I'll give you hi, he thinks. I'll stick that hurley where the sun don't shine, sunshine. But he smiles and glances at the ground. The kid knows that Bam's a quitter.

He makes it home. The house is empty. Milk and a dollop of agave syrup. A banana. Type up this rubbish. Shower. And now he's smiling. Why? Cause he knows that after his lunch he can have something most people can't - a nap. He will not dream about doing 6x1 mile in 5 minutes and 36 poxy seconds. No. He'll dream he's doing 3x2 mile off 30 sec's and each rep will be, le't see now... ah yes, 9:50:)

7:30 p.m. 6 miles easy. Well, I've sold my soul. No, not to the Devil - something far worse. I had a business meeting (like the mtg's Bret has)today and I've sold out. Rather than me waffle on about it, I'll hand you over...

Hello folks. My name's Tiddles Maloney, cub reporter for The Sporting Universe - the biggest selling sports mag in the universe. Yep, we bring you all the news, scoops, in-depth interviews and the Under My Skin features etc etc etc.

Today, of all days, Bam signed a deal to let me get under his skin for the next three years, as he prepares to run sub 2:20 for the marathon at the grand old age of 50:) I'll be with him 24/7 and promise to give you a more objective view of his progress - I've taken over his blog.

Don't worry, I'll report his training etc. But on the non-workout days I'll be getting right under his skin and showing you the real Bam. To kick things off - tomorrow - I'll be asking Bam 20 quick fire, hard-hitting questions. No nonsense. Serious business. To give you a little teaser, here's one of the less intrusive questions:

Is it true that you cheated your way into the final of the English national 3000m championships and if so, how and why?

Let me tell you, chaps and chapettes, I go where lesser men fear to go. I ask the hard questions and demand honesty. Stay tuned and find out the truth about the looper who truly believes that he'll break the world best time for the marathon in the 50 + age group.

Hey, lace 'em up, get out there, and put the miles in your smiles:)

Hey, hey, folks. Welcome to Bam’s Blog. My name’s Tiddles Maloney of The Sporting Universe – the top selling sports magazine in the universe. Wow, have I got a scandal for you today. But first, I have to tell you that Bam and I were up nice and early this morning (6:30). Bam dropped out a cheeky little 8 miler, as I followed on a bike.

Yesterday I left you with the 20 quick questions teaser thingy-ma-bob. Things have changed. Bam’s candid recounting of his bamboozling and scandalous escapades have flummoxed me. His duplicity has left me dumbfounded. I didn’t get round to asking Bam the other 19 questions. But I will...

Before we set out on our 8 miler this morning, I watched Bam doing his AIS. He took care with each and every movement. Disciplined and precise. Rhythmic. He told me he felt tired and that his legs were a bit stiff, but overall he was fine. It was strange to see him sprawled out on the floor, nonchalantly stretching in the same living-room where he had only hours earlier told me something that he’d never told a living soul. A secret he’d carried for over thirty years. And perhaps, buried somewhere in the subtext of his words lies a clue to what makes this complex man tick.

Here’s what happened last night:

I was sat at the computer in the corner of the apple-green coloured living-room, having gone over my notes and Bam was sat on a sofa, watching the Olympic boxing. It was about 10:30 p.m. Bam’s wife and kids had hit zed-land. I thought I should get my first question in. So, after some small talk, I fired off the question:

T.M. - Is it true that you cheated your way into the final of the English national 3,000m championships and if so, how and why?

(He carried on watching the boxing and answered after about two or three seconds)

Bam.- I was only 16 and it was the English Schools Track and Field Championships in Yeovil, Somerset in 1981. I was on a four man team representing the British Forces Education Services in Germany. The other three lads were doing field events. In fact, I was the first ever person to represent the B.F.E.S.  on the track in the English schools. The qualifying standard for the 3,000m’s was 8:57. If you had the standard and won your respective county championships, you qualified. Only 14 people qualified, so it was a straight final. (There were many more than 14 who had done the time but they might have been in the 1,500m or the 800m or they might not have won their relevant county championships. If you were coming from the British Forces Education Services Abroad – you just had to do the time.)

T.M. – So you did the time and qualified. I don’t understand – where’s the cheating?

(He turned and gave me a hard look. His dark eyes revealed nothing. A skill, perhaps, he’s mastered over the years.)

Bam – I didn’t say that I’d done the time.

To be continued…

Hey, hey, Tiddles here. Sorry to leave so abruptly but I had to nip into town with Bam and the kids. He bought Running Times (not a jot on The Sporting Universe) Nearly 6 Euro and I believe that folks in the US get it at a smidgeon of that price.

He did a 6 miler this evening. About the same pace as this morning, although he did appear to be moving with more fluency. Anyway, where were we? Ah yes…

Bam – I didn’t do the time.

(He looks around the room. I notice photographs on the mantelpiece above the open fireplace.) Bam’s a chunky fella in the shots. He’s shed some lard since those pics were snapped. His eyes come back on me.)

Bam - I ran 9:48 in a local race and changed the certificate to 8:48 and then took it to my teacher – he wouldn’t have known 8:48 from 10:48, he just knew I was the best runner in the school and the best runner in Germany  (in a B.F.E.S. school - not hard) and he duly sent off the certificate to whomever. Next thing I knew, I was selected and told I’d be staying with a family in Taunton – near Yeovil – and given the dates when we’d be flying etc.

T.M. - Hold up. Whatd’ya mean, you changed the certificate?

Bam – This was back in the days of typewriters; there were no computers. I used Tipex paper – you know, you pop the paper over the character you want to remove, type the character and it’s gone. Vanished. So I removed the ‘9’ and replaced it with an '8'. Abracadabra, I’m on my way to the nationals.

(I haven’t the foggiest about these typewriters and magic paper, but I nod.)

T.M.- So nobody authenticated the time and it was as easy as that?

Bam - Yep.

T.M. – But why did you do it. Surely you knew you’d be found out, didn’t you?

Bam – I did it to impress a girl. You know, so that she, along with the whole school would think that I was some sort of cool track star. Didn’t work. When I got back from England she was going with one of my mates. But I didn’t get caught.

T.M. - How come you didn’t get caught? Surely when you ran, they knew you hadn’t done the time. Where did you finish, or did you drop out feigning injury?

Bam – No, I didn’t drop out – I’m not a quitterJ. I finished 13^th – a lad dropped out. The race was won by Adrian Passey, who later went on to run in the Olympic 5,000m or 10,000m, I think in L.A. He nearly lapped me. I remember the crowd, about 15,000, cheering me in the blazing sun on the cinder track. I suspect they thought I was brave and gutsy to carry on. Afterwards, Passey told his grandmother that I got a bigger cheer than him. He seemed pretty peeved about that. The guy lacked grace. I never got caught. Never told a soul. But I got a taste for the old running malarkey. Anyway, I’m off to bed. Early start tomorrow.

(Off he went. I sat there gobsmacked. Then something struck me and I called him back)

T.M. - Did you feel guilty?

Bam - All my life.

T.M. - How come you were in a British forces school in Germany and running in the English champ's and all that, if you're Irish?

Bam - Now that's a good question, but I'm too tired to sit here and explain it all at this time of night.

Now as I look over my notes and see some of the things that I’m going to broach, I'm starting to wish I hadn't accepted this assignment. This Bam fella's a complete and utter bampot.

Hey, hey folks. Welcome to Bam's blog. Tiddles Maloney here and as I'm sure you well know, I'm a cub reporter on The Sporting Universe - the top selling sports magazine in the universe.

Wow, what a scoop yesterday. First day on the job and I drop in a front page head turner. I've been thinking of headlines and straps: GOTCHA! Bam the bamboozler busted for pulling a fast one.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch. This morning, Bam did his usual 8 mile recovery run. Not a drop of rain. But the cornucopia of clouds covering the sky would have had Bret the alligator Jardine heading indoors for his comforter: the treadmill:)

I've settled in to Bam's house and I have to say, I've been made to feel like one of the family. The nosh is good and healthy and plentiful. The kids are entertaining. And of course, with the Olympics on the television, every second's a joy.

I've been busy working out how to bring all the news and gossip from Bam's life to you and I've a few gems lined up...

Last night, I spent time chatting with Bam and his family about his training and his goals. I had to be careful, as I nearly revealed my true identity. Must shoot, something's cropped up. This is Tiddles Maloney, for now, saying toodlepip from Bam's yard.

...Back again. Wow, that Bam can sleep. Takes an afternoon nap. This evening he ran 3 miles out to a boreen on the Slieve Mish Mountains and banged out 8x8 sec's hill sprints off a 2 min walk rec. Then he ran the three miles home.

Great setting for a nice session. The boreen's canopied by trees and ferns adorn the banks of the hillside road. The scent of wet foilage intoxicated and the pitter-patter of Bam's feet was the only sound. I'll tell you this, it reminds me of a place dear to my heart, a place I miss dearly.

Great stuff.

Hey, hey, folks. Welcome to Bam’s blog. Tiddles Maloney here (cub reporter on The Sporting Universe – the best selling sports magazine in the universe.) Guess what? It’s raining over this of the pond.

Bam did 10.5 miles at 10:30 a.m. including 3.5 miles of brutal climbing in the Slieve Mish Mountains. A decent workout: at about 10k race effort. He was blowing like an old woman loaded with grocery bags.

Tonight, after Bam’s 6 mile shakeout, I’ll have some decent stuff for you. But for now I’ll sign off as we’re all going swimming. Yipee – can’t think of anything worse...

Back again, folks. What an afternoon. Hit the pool with the Bamster and family and then stayed home while Bam went out in the rain for his 6 miles shakeout. Bam in a swimming pool – what a sight. He looked like a stick insect.

Anyway, while Bam was doing his shakeout I spent time considering my notes and the last couple of days. Loads to throw at you but first I’ll clear a few things up, as there appears to be some confusion.

Of course I’m not Tiddles Maloney. I’m not a lumberjack or a character either –sorry JakeJ I’m a leprechaunJJ I’m Sean the running guru – the leprechaun from Bam’s early days on the site. My mission’s to keep Bam on the straight and narrow – off the booze and fags and bad food. Yeah, okay he’s a tad nuts but that’s all part of the metamorphoses. We all know he isn’t going to run anywhere near 2:20. But he is in shape. His sessions and miles are all true (RobJ) as is the 3000m ‘stuff’ from the other day. I need to get him to trawl through the darkness so that he can come through into the light and stay there etc.

I think he’s beginning to accept that he’ll do well just to stay fit and healthy. But that doesn’t mean that I will not have him out on the roads running 10k’s and marathons etc.

I have a plan. I want him to do the Tralee marathon and set three goals A, B, & C. ‘A’  will be very tough on a tough course but you never know. ‘B’ will be hard too and ‘C’ will be realistic and commendable – all things considered. But I’ll deal with those things on another day.

Also, just to let you know, I’ll be doing interviews with members of his family and his friends etc. I’ll be ripping apart his life and here’s a real taster for you: handy boxer, studied philosophy and literature at Warwick university – even though he left school with hardly a qualification to his name,  lived in Botswana for two years and Kenya for a year; he had to escape from Kenya into Uganda under the cover of night and bribe a border guard, he was the editor of a best selling tabloid newspaper and owned a national tabloid newspaper, he retrained as a physical therapist and set up a successful clinic that’s still running today, a team of 8 close protection officers (bodyguards) were assigned to guard him and his family and then you’ve got all the gangsters and organized crime stuff. No wonder this guy hit the bottle. But can he stay off it? Can he sort out a goal and stick to it? Can I sort out a way of relaying the details of all this ‘stuff’ and keep Bam motivated, even though that might mean he gets bogged down in a mire of mediocrity?

8 miles easy. Legs feeling ok and looking forward to another 8 tonight to finish off the week.

Managed to get rid of that looper, Tiddles Maloney. Told me last night that he was a leprechaun. Takes all sorts to keep this little ball spinning. Just read over his posts - think he was on something. Although, I've been thnking about some of his points...

Had planned on doing an 8 and taking the weekly miles over 110 but opted for a cheeky little 6.

17 miles on the undulating Tralee Marathon course. Nice easy run @ 7:30 pace. Finished the run and scoffed a banana and quaffed a glass of milk, showered, wolfed down a bowl of fresh, ice cold pineapple and now, as I type this up, I'm gormandizing on a Bam bar - oh baby, life doesn't get any better than this. Best of all, I don't even feel as though I've been out for a run yet. Think I'm getting fit.

On last night's 10,000m, what made it special for me was the number of times Mo checked to see if Rupp was ok, and when Mo started to move, he made sure Rupp was ready too. Pleased for both of them.

A 'soft' 4 miles to shakeout this morning's run. Felt fine and dan-day.

Easy 8 miles. Took a few miles to get going but then everything was super-dooper.

The last couple of weeks have shown me that my crumbling body can't cope with a Long Run, 2 vo2 max sessions, a Lactate Threshold run and 110ish miles all in a week. I've, therefore, decided to slow things down and work on a 4 week cycle where recovery and adaptation are as important as the workouts.

So, the key sessions in the new week will consist of a long run (17ish with some aerobic threshold miles), 1 session of 8x8 sec's hill sprints, 1 hard speed workout: 10x1 min hills/ 5x800m @ 3k pace off 90 secs/ 4x1miles @5k pace off 90 sec's/ 6x1 mile @10k pace off 60 sec's -yuk-, and a weekly lactate threshold run of 4 miles/ 3.5 miles hill climb at 10k pace race effort. All other runs will be recovery runs. The plan is to keep the miles up around the 110-117 mark until March...

If you want to see something special today, check the women's boxing; Katie Taylor (Ire) is boxing a Brit - as long as the Brits don't get another dodgy decision in the ring, Taylor should zip through to the next round and set tongues a-wagging.

10 a.m. 6 miles easy. Opted for another rec day, following Jake's suggestions.

I think I'll try a 9 day cycle with three stress days. Day 1 - Long run with element of aerobic threshold; days 2&3 recovery days with core work and diagonals; day 4 - speed workout; days 5&6 recovery days with core and strength work plus a session of diagonals; day 7 - lactate threshold run; days 8&9 rec days with core work and a session of 8x8 sec's hill blasts. I'll see how this goes...

5:30 a.m. 8 miles relaxed. The zip is back in the legs and that's good news for tomorrow. I think that two days recovery might be on the button for the training load at the moment. 

Just watched the men's 1,500m final - what a disgrace! Ruined the whole games.

7:30 a.m. 6 miles relaxed. Legs felt good, so everything should be ok for tonight's workout...

5:30 p.m 5x800m @ current 3k race pace off 90 sec's rec. 3.5 miles warm up incl 6x100m strides with a jog back rec, and 3 miles warm down.

I did this session 2 weeks ago and averaged 2:37, with the reps ranging between 2:36-2:39. Last week was a tough week, so I hoped to match the AP of 2:37.

Here's how it went: 2:35, 2:34, 2:33, 2:32, 2:30 - AP 2:33. That's a 4 second improvement per rep. Very pleased. Felt strong. Every rep improved, even though I thought I'd gone too quick on each effort. I was bleeding out of my eyes at the end of the last effort. Warm down was a wobble home.

7:30 a.m. 8 miles recovery run. Nice and easy. Enjoyable run. Legs weren't too heavy or stiff from yesterday's workout, which is great.

Katie Taylor (Ire) boxing for gold today. Go on, girl - bring home the bacon...

6:00 p.m. 6 miles relaxed and a touch too quick. Should've run a bit easier but got carried away with Katie's win:) I'm the only sober person in Ireland:)

7:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Beautiful morning.

Yesterday was a great day for the Irish at the Olympics. One gold in the ring and one gold in athletics.With Katie Taylor mashing it up in the boxing and then Rudisha blowing away the field in the 800m and obliterating the world record, the Irish now rule the world. Bring it on...

6:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Felt fine.

No run last night. Did my AIS and set off down the road; 50m down the road and I stopped and then turned and walked home. The tank was empty. Rest and fuel were more important than a few miles. Good decision.

Off to to see some castle in County Claire today. The wife's a history boffin and she drags us out on these trips every now and then - unfortunately, today's a now...

6:30 p.m. 6 miles relaxed. Long day at Bunrutty castle. Tired. But Mo's just put the spark back in me. Mo's the man. Awesome.

8:00 a.m. Cheekly little 17 miler to start the day before the marathon, which starts in 7 mins. Should be a cracker. Just about to put the feet up and tuck into a Bam-bar...

6:30 p.m. 4 miles canter. Enjoyed the marathon and thought Meb ran an excellent and intelligent race. The 14:(11?) 5k that shook things up looked like a killer. But it was odd to see the 'gods' of the marathon reduced to mortals in a 'slowish' race.

7:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Yesterday's long run on the hills of the Tralee Marathon course didn't batter my legs as much as I thought it might, which is great. So long as I don't end up with DOMS tomorrow, I should be able to put in a decent workout on Wednesday.

6:00 p.m. 6 miles with a 'look at me joggers and dog walkers - I'm fast and I'm not even breathing hard' mile, between miles 4-5. Legs felt fine and dan-day after a sluggish start.

7:30 a.m. 8 miles easy.

At 6 a.m. the rain hammered down and woke Mr and Mrs Bam. The house was under siege from the rain. Mrs Bam got up and changed into her running togs and by the time she went out the door at 6:30 a.m. the rain had ceased its bickering and the sun was giving it, Good morning Ireland.

Every morning, the old lady goes out for a 45 min jog (if she saw this, she'd kill me for calling her morning constitutional a jog) and I do my AIS and a few chores around the house. When she gets back, I pootle off down the road, while she showers and gets vittled (US victualed), before she goes out to work, happy as Larry. This morning, however, she seemed riled.

Ever the sensitive one, "What's up with your bake?" I said, after taking a drink. "Overtraining. Yep, overtraining. You should take a few days off." Well lads, 'twas a mistake. She didn't say a word or bang the table. She didn't knock me out. She glared. That's right. She glared. A lesser man than Bam would've trembled and fled. But I stood my ground and winked.

I can't repeat what she said, but one thing's for sure: come rain or shine, when she gets home tonight, her dinner will be ready.

6:30 p.m. 6 miles relaxed. The weather's not looking too good for tomorrow. High winds and rain. So that scuppers my plan to bash out 4 x 1mile off 90 sec's. I'll do a 3.5 mile hill climb at 10k race pace effort instead and do the mile efforts later in the week.

And talking of storms, or should I say a storm in a tea cup - the wife. She came in and sat down to a sumptuous feast* and I now have her eating out of my hand. That's one of the perks of being a half-decent cook. So there may be trouble ahead (storms) but the sun is shining in Bam's house.

*fillet steak and peppercorn sauce on a bed of mashed sweet potatoes fused with cinnamon and ginger, and a medley of fresh vegetables. 

10:00 a.m. 8 miles incl 2 miles hill climb at moderate effort. A bit of a non-workout. Too windy to get in any real quality. Feel like I should do some fartlek or something tonight, but I'll leave it and just do a steady run.

I stopped the hill climb at 2 miles and if I'm honest my mind was more on the subject of doubles and singles from Jake's blog, which was about the book 'Waterlogged', at least it was until I popped up.

Jason D raised an interesting point about conflicting views on when to introduce doubles. A lot of the 'main men' talk about doing doubles after you've hit 70-75mpw but I don't agree. I know the benefits of running longer etc but I think when you're building, doubles work much better. They don't stress the musculoskeletal system as much, which lessens the likelihood of injury and therefore increases the chances of improving fitness.

Take me as an example (this isn't me giving the big chat about how great I am - I'm all for taking the hand out of myself and I don't mind others ripping me either).

11 months back I was smoking 40 a-day and had been for 12 years, drinking 1-1.5 bottles of wine a night and had been for longer than I can remember, my diet was appalling, my cholesterol and blood pressure were high and my weight was whale-like. Now I'm a lean, mean running machine:).

I've managed to increase my weekly mileage to 100+ in 11 months through doing doubles and building every 3-4 weeks. Along the way, as the weight slipped off and the musculoskeletal system developed, I got faster. Now I haven't raced yet, so I don't know how quick I am, but I think I can go sub 17 for 5k and sub 35.30 for 10k. They're not great times, especially for somebody running 100+ mpw but from where I started, that's not bad. There are many contributing factors for this improvement, but I know that the key has been doubles and keeping the majority of my runs under an hour.

I will, soon, increase some of my runs to75 mins and 90 mins respectively, but only when I think that my musculoskeletal system is ready for it and, more importantly, when the kids are back at school - so I don't have to go running at 4:00 a.m.

Another point on the theme of improvement. Speed. I think too many people spend too much time plodding out miles and not getting stuck into the business end. Speed-work is where it's at. If you run 8 min miles, you can't run 5 min miles in races - unless you're Jake. Simple.

Now, interval sessions hurt like hell. 4x1 mile off 90 secs isn't as nice as say an easy 8. Yes, the easy 8 has a role (don't know how to put the thingymajig over the 'o'). But if you want to get faster, you need to have at least one weekly workout. Yep, you've got to get the base in first so that the musculoskeletal system can cope with the speed-work. But once you have a base, you have it; you don't need to keep going back and saying, 'Oh mister man, I'm building a base'.

Yes, keep building (we're always building), but keep at least one workout in there and do some alactic work. Think about it: if I want to run 2:20 for a marathon, I need to pretty much be able to run 10k in 30 mins. Will I do this running 15 miles at 8 min pace everyday? No. I've got to get out there and feel the pain, the gut churning pain of speed. I need to make 5:20 pace feel like it's 7 min pace. Anyway, I'm off for a shower and then I'm going to have a Bam-bar.

I'm back! 'Oh no,' I hear you scream. 'Will he ever shut up?'

The speed thing. I believe that most people have got it wrong when it comes to the marathon and that's why, more often than not, they don't hit their goals.

Most people go out there and bang out the miles and then do some tempo stuff and some intervals closer to race - to sharpen; don't start me on this sharpening malarkey. Wrong! Absolutely the wrong way to go about it, and even though I haven't even raced over 5k, I know this is the wrong method. Ok, you might have a decent(ish) time, but imagine what you could do if you were training properly...

Think about it. What is the marathon asking of you? To run hard for 26 miles. It's not asking you to run 10 miles at predicted marathon pace, it's not asking you to run 18 miles at pmp, it's demanding you run your stones* off for 26 miles. So how do you do it? How come I know more than the great coaches? Well, I'll tell you, but not until I'm good and ready:)

* Thanks Kam, for increasing the power of my vocabulary. 

7:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Feeling ready for tomorrow's workout - the wind should have settled.

Yesterday, I posted some disjointed and incoherent thoughts about certain aspects of training for the marathon. Bret questioned my flippant remark about miles followed by tempo and sharpening intervals being malarkey and definitely the wrong way to go.

Today, I wanted to address Bret’s concerns and clarify what I meant - in a concise and coherent manner so that Mr. Murphy wouldn’t feel the need for a nap.

Rather than approach the issues in a muddled way, I think it might be better if I were to start again and explain things clearly. I will address Bret’s concerns - probably tomorrow, when I look at one of Lydiard's big problems. But for now, as a starter and a teaser, think about the energy/fuel system required for the marathon compared to that of the interval training advocated by Lydiard at the end of his plan; what is your body expecting when you lace up your flats?

In 2015 I want to run sub 2:20 for the marathon – I’ll be 50 on the 7th Jan 2015. What makes my goal all the more daunting is that the 50+ age group world best for the marathon is 2:19:XX.

To achieve my goal I need to approach the marathon knowing (as far as it is possible to know anything other than, cogito ergo sum) that the training philosophy/method is the one that best suits my needs. To this end, I’ve spent time studying many of the great coaches and methodologies/systems – Lydiard, Canova, Kellogg, Hadley, Tinman, Horwill, Daniels, the Hansons, the  Japanese, and the Spanish etc.

I think all of those that I’ve studied offer great ideas, but I truly  believe they are all flawed in their approach to the marathon – some more than others. Canova, imo, is on the right track, but still has a way to go.

Pretty much all of the ‘great’ coaches believe that you can predict your marathon time based on your 5k/10k/half marathon time. They pretty much all agree that tempo runs in some form or other (you might be surprised how they differ on this) are essential in preparing for the marathon.

So what? There’s nothing groundbreaking here. Well, I think they’d be great if the marathon were only an 18-20 mile race and here’s where it gets interesting. So many people fail to hit their goals because they follow bog standard programs, which in truth only get them to 18-22 miles – elites included. Most blame their failings on extrinsic factors like fuel and water etc, when, most likely, their inability to achieve their goals was down to misguided preparation.

Furthermore, too many people, elites included, are racing too much and doing too many marathons, which are hindering 'real' development at all levels, including the 2:03/4 guys.

There are myriad problems with how most people prepare for the marathon and by examining the key points of the major coaches' methods I hope to highlight these problems and open the door to the 'new way' of marathon training. Big claim from Mr. Nobody; back it up, lad.

I will back it up, and better still, I will present and enact the 'new way' - The Bam Method.

7:00 p.m. Cheeky little 6 to get the legs ready for tomorrow's workout.

10:30 a.m. 10 miles: 3 warm up incl 6x100m strides with jog back rec, 4x1 mile off 90 sec jog rec, 3 mile shuffle home.

Last time I did this session (3 weeks ago) my splits were all over the place -5:29, 5:20, 5:27, 5:19 - AP 5:24) and since then I've only done one proper workout of 5x0.5 miles. Based on my half mile splits - using Horwill's 4 sec rule - I should have done today's workout in 5:24's. I'd have taken that because I've been all over the shop with the training recently (trying to find the balance between miles and speed and threshold etc). So here's how it went:

1. 5:21, 2. 5:22, 3. 5:23, 4. 5:28. AP 5:23.5

I was pleased with the workout, not because of the times but because I was able to lock the splits in a bit better. I still did the first 200m-400m of each rep too quickly, which messed the session up a bit. But it wasn't too bad. Ironically, the last rep was most pleasing: I fought hard to keep the session together. I was on my hands and knees at the end.

The session has highlighted and exposed a couple of things that I already knew. I need to concentrate more on my aerobic capacity, aerobic resistance and strength. But I've got this covered in 'The Bam Method'.

'The Bam Method' kicks off from the beginning of September, as I will have been 'running' for a year and that seems like an appropriate date to start. When I start 'The Bam Method', I will highlight what I believe to be the pros and cons of the more popular methods used in marathon training today. I'll also present 'The Bam Method' so that it can be scrutinized, criticized and any thing else 'ized'. The beauty and the nuances of the system will be explained, too.

Now, this is something from Canova that Bret and Jake and the school master (Mr Murphy) might find interesting, and anybody else:

... Instead, when you want to increase your marathon at high level, YOU START FROM SPEED AT MARATHON PACE OR SIMILAR, and the first step is to use ALL YOUR CARBOHYDRATES in order to run still some minute in total depletion of sugar, for obliging muscular fibres in using THE MOST POWERFUL SOURCES OF FATTY ACIDS in order to maintain a similar speed. For example, if an athlete able running HM in 65.0 wants to prepare a marathon for 2:15 (really not difficult), he can run without big problems 28km at 3:15 pace (1:31), but after this goes to finish his reserves of glycogen, and his pace goes down dramatically. If he is able to run yet 3 km at 3:25 / 3:35 / 3:45, THESE LAST 3 KM ARE THE REAL TRAINING, because his fibres have to go to search some other hidden tank, under necessity. The next time, the same athlete becomes able running at 3:15 not 1:31, but 1:41 (for 31 km), so his long fast run must be extended to 34 km with the last 3 without glycogen.
So, in the first case we start with an empty glass that we go to fill with fatty acids, in the second case we start from a glass full of glycogen that we go to empty step by step, in order to fill the remaining part with qualified fatty acids.

When I speak about FAST LONG RUN, don't think that ALWAYS long run must be fast. If I go to prepare a Marathon, I use one specific long run every week, alternating two different ways :
a) DURATION - I don't have particular care about the pace. I start from 1:30, and in short time I move to 1:45 - 2:00 - 2:15 - 2:30. This training is at 70% of your HM pace (for ex., if you have a PB in HM of 70.20 that is a pace of 3:20 per km, and is the first time that you want to prepare a marathon, your pace for DURATION can start from 4:20. At the beginning of your training (may be 5 months before your Marathon), once a week you go for DURATION, in order to reach the ability in lasting the full marathon time, in short time, because your long run is very easy.

b) When you are able running, for example, 2:30, you can start to qualify the DURATION using a progression for the last 15:00, after 30:00, and so and so.

c) But, when you are able running 2:30 of DURATION, you start also your training of DISTANCE. Distance is a precise distance (forgive me again), that you go to run at even pace, about 90/95% of your HM pace (and this has to become your Marathon pace). So,. in the previous case, 95% of 3:20 is 3:30. You can start with 24km at 3:30, and the progression is TO EXTEND THE SAME PACE, running 26 and then 28 and so and so.

d) When you have both DURATION and DISTANCE in your program, the system is TO QUALIFY THE SPEED OF THE DURATION, and TO EXTEND THE DURATION OF THE PACE OF THE DISTANCE. You can alternate these 2 long runs, one in one week, the second in the next week. At the end, you become able to build a funnel, where your DURATION is 2:30 at 3:40, and your DISTANCE are 36 or 38 km at 3:30. When you are able to do this, be sure that you can run your full marathon at 3:30 finishing faster the last 10k, and, if you go for a HM one month before your Marathon (of course we can use, in every week, another specific workout of extension : so, no more than 2 workouts per week), your PB can move from 65 to 64 without big problems.
All the other days are for GENERAL VOLUME (many km slow or following your sensation, in any case easy) or for RECRUITMENT OF THE HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF FIBRES (using very short sprints uphill).

I love the way he says, when talking about running 2:15, "really not difficult".

7: 30 a.m. 8 miles recovery run. Nice plod along the river and the canal. Legs felt ok after yesterday's workout, which is good with me.

Missed last night's run due to a fiasco regarding the shopping and eating and bad planning. Never mind. A 6/8 for this evening - depends how tired I am after power-hosing the patio and the yard. I suspect I'll be very tired; I don't like doing work about the house and garden. I love ironing and cooking and moping. Gardening sucks and all stuff related to gardening is pure pain. Suppose the sooner I get started, the sooner I'll be finished...

Second thoughts - why is that women are so pernickety? The yard's fine as it is. I'll go out there and power-hose it so it looks a bit cleaner but who's interested and what extra quality is it adding to my life? It'll rain tomorrow and then it'll just look the same as it does now and her-in-doors will prattle on and say I didn't clean it properly and at some point - before winter kicks in - she'll have me out there again blasting the life out of every poor little pebble and speck of dirt. Women! Don't get me started.

"Yes, sweet-pea. I'm just going out there now."

Laters.

The yard is spick and span (spankers , i.e. brand new - clean). And while I was out there suffering I decided to post a follow on from yesterday's stuff on Canova. This is more of an explanation. Shortly, I'll be putting everything together in a way that is concise...

...The fundamental phase of Canova’s training attacks all the systems. (I'll explain the fundamental phase at another time, but basically it's 12+ weeks of training before you do your 10-12 weeks of special and specific marathon training. The  Fundamental stage is more like most runners marathon training and yet for Canova, it merely prepares you for the real training.)  Intervals don’t exceed 110% of M pace in general but they take on a variety of interesting forms.

One of the workouts that exceeds this pace is the all out uphill sprints (8x8 sec's with 2 min rec - as done by the Bamster). As well as stimulating cardiac output they have the effect of utilizing 100% of muscle fibres.

The short progression runs (30-45min) in this phase - from marathon pace to 108% of marathon pace - are also designed to utilize new fibres as the pace increases. This is important because even in a steady long run, only 20% (give or take a few percent) of fibres may be utilized. During a marathon, the slower twitch fibres are depleted first. As the second half progresses, more fast twitch fibres are recruited.

Training that regularly recruits these fibres facilitates recruitment during specific training later and therefore will also adapt to using less glycogen at race pace - an essential adaptation for an even or negative split marathon for a runner running to race day potential.

If these fast fibres only burn glycogen and cannot access lipid stores, the runner will slow when these fibres take over the running and burn the stores out around 30k. (Sound familiar?)

(These are an edited version of notes posted on another site - my full notes will make more sense than this snippet. Hopefully the above provokes thought and prepares you for 'The Bam Method' .

More to follow as we amble through these hazy summer days...

6:00 p.m. 6 miles easy. Legs felt tired. Probably from yesterday's workout rather than yard duties. Another good week.

8:00 a.m. - 8 miles easy.

This morning, while doing my 8 miles in around an hour, I was thinking about why 2 recovery/maintenance runs a day of an hour is perfect. Most of the top Kenyans run twice a day for an hour on their recovery/maintenance days. But that doesn’t mean that I should. Many elite â€˜Western’ runners run twice a day, but tend to do something like a 12/13 and a 6/8/10. Then I remembered an article I read by Frank Horwill outlining one of the most important reasons for doing 2x1hr and not 1.5hrs followed by something else. Cytochrome c.

So what’s this stuff? Cytochrome c  is a key compound found inside mitochondria and is imperative in aerobic energy production. Cytochorme c contains one atom of iron per mol and is a power-house of amino acids.  Here 's what Frank had to say:

In 1982, Gary Dudley, at the State University of New York at Syracuse, investigated the effect of intensity on mitochondrial production. His work was painstaking – rats were made to run five times a week for periods ranging from five minutes to ninety minutes per day, for eight weeks at training intensities which ranged from 40 per cent through 100 per cent V02 max. Dudley examined how different speeds and durations influenced different muscle fibres (fast twitch, aerobic fast twitch or intermediate and slow twitch), which no one had done before. His findings were as follows:

Training beyond about 60 minutes per workout was without benefit in terms in increasing cytochrome c. Moving from 30 minutes to 60 minutes per session did increase cytochrome c, but not increasing the workout from 60 to 90 minutes. This was true of all intensities studied by Dudley – and also with all three muscle fibre types. Mitochondrial development ceased after an hour.

Training for 10 minutes a day at 100 per cent of the V02 max (about 3K pace(ish)) tripled cytochorme c concentration.

Running for 27 minutes at 85 per cent V02 max (about 10 seconds per mile slower than 10k speed(ish)), only pushed up cytochrome c by 80 per cent.

Training at 60 to 90 minutes at 70 to 75 per cent V02 max (marathon speed(ish)), edged up cytochrome c by just 74 per centt.

In intermediate muscle cells (those which are roughly half way between fast twitch and slow twitch), a similar potency of intensity was recorded. Ten minutes of fast running per day boosted cytochrome c as much as 27 minutes daily at 85 per cent V02 max or 60 to 90 minutes at 70 to 75 per cent V02 max.

The best strategy for slow-twitch, cytochrome c enhancement was running for 60 minutes per outing at 70 to 75 per cent V02 max (around 80 to 84 per cent of maximal heart rate), which boosted cytochrome c by 40 per cent.

Cruising along for 27 minutes at 85 per cent V02 max produced a 28 per cent upturn as described above.

Fast running at 100 per cent V02 max (3K speed), lifted slow twitch cytochrome c by around 10 per cent, not a surprising low gain because slow twitch muscles are less heavily used than fast twitch cells during fast running. However, running at this speed represents, for 10 minutes work, 1 per cent improvement per minute of running compared to running at 85 per cent V02 max, which lifted cytochrome c in slow-twitch fibres by the same 1 per cent per minute rate for nearly three times the duration of work. And, further, 90 minutes of 70 to 75 per cent V02 max work improved the mitochondria by just two-thirds of a per cent per minute.

Yes, there are benefits to running for longer than an hour but the law of diminishing returns kicks in, especially on recovery/maintenance days.

5:30 p.m. 6 miles, including 8x8 sec's hill blasts. Felt sluggish before the sprints but during and then after the reps I felt much better.

7:30 a.m. 6 miles easy. 10 miler planned for tonight with 4 miles at Lactate threshold pace. I need to work on my full range of threshold runs (Lactate threshold; tempo, aerobic threshold). But these areas are addressed in the first phase of 'The Bam Method'.

I've pretty much sorted the philosophy and structure of my system, I just need to find the appropriate language to describe the various phases. I suspect the first two phases will not be of much interest to most people,but I think the third and fourth phases might spark some interest and debate. The third and fourth phases are pretty much where most people would jump in after completing their 'base phase'. Although I doubt many, if any, would adopt my system as it's pretty radical - perhaps the odd session.

Todays tip - eat a brazil nut everyday. Here's why:

Selenium is a trace element mineral. It has been associated with heart disease, cancer and a number of other complaints when the body becomes deficient of the mineral.

Its function in ‘man’ is as a component of an enzyme which protects cells against oxidative damage. Oxygen, although vital to our existence, can produce toxic substances, such as peroxide, superoxide, hydroxyl radicals, and "excited state oxygen." Selenium is therefore described as an anti-oxidant and an anti-ageing mineral. It promotes normal growth and development. Alcoholism = Deficiency.

7:30 a.m. 8 miles recovery run. Everything felt tickety-boo.

As part of 'The Bam Method' ('a' holistic and long term approach to optimizing 'my' marathon performance) I investigated and studied many areas. One of the things I found fascinating was the whole area of nutrition and blood. Here's the first part of an article that I discovered about blood - I've edited the article:

Blood bathes our cells in nutrients 24/7. Blood not only brings nutrients to our cells, it flushes out metabolic waste. It's the superhighway of nutrition and detoxification that reaches into (virtually) every organ and cell in our bodies. A typical human red blood cell survives about 4-5 months. We are constantly producing new blood and releasing it into the bloodstream to do important work: the work of carrying nutrients, hormones, water, chemical messages and information to all the nooks and crannies.

Blood is primarily made of three things: red blood cells (oxygen carriers), white blood cells (immune function) and blood plasma (a liquid solution that carries everything else). When more red blood cells are needed, we automatically generate new ones. Naturally, we must create those red blood cells using the materials that are available: materials that are circulating in our blood at the time. So the blood cells we make TODAY, which circulate throughout our bodies for the next four months, are made out of the materials being carried in our blood right now. So what's in our blood right now?

Our blood largely comprises the things we ate, drank and absorbed over the last several months. So if we ate a McDonald's cheeseburger today and chased it with a large Coke, the blood cells our body generates today are going to be made, in part, of materials from that cheeseburger and Coke - lovely stuff. If we think about where cheeseburgers really come from - hormone-injected animals, the ammonia-injected beef parts, the refined white flour in the bun, the processed cheese "food" substances, and so on, it's not exactly the kind of thing we want coursing through our veins for the next few months, especially if we're trying to break our marathon PR. Caveat – if my memory serves me correctly, McDonald's 'stuff' tastes darn good!

If, on the other hand, we spent the last several days consuming fresh living juices, superfoods and clean, energized water, then guess what our new blood is going to be made of? It will be super blood, energized with the elements and vibes of all the good stuff we've consumed.

Bad blood leads to bad health. It leads to angry, moody mental function and chronic disease. But good blood results in happy, healthy outcomes. Good blood improves your sleep, your sex, your moods and cognitive function. Good blood keeps your body free from cancer, youthful, energized and actively healing itself at multiple levels. Good blood is essential to good running. Once you understand all this, it only seems natural to work consciously towards creating good blood every single day. Tomorrow, I might tell you how to improve your blood...

6:00 p.m. 6 miles easy. Felt tired at the start of the run, but soon got going and feeling better. I think with the mixture of workouts and miles, 2x8 miles on my recovery days might be a tad too taxing at the moment. I think an 8 followed by a 6 will work better until I get used to the wokouts.

06:30 a.m. 8 miles relaxed. The two recovery days between workouts appear to be working well; they freshen the mind as well as the legs.

Carrying on with the 'blood stuff' from yesterday:

Amazing facts about our red blood cells - 

• A whopping one-quarter of the human cells in our bodies are red blood cells. But most cells in our bodies are actually non-human cells (bacteria).

• A red blood cell circulates around our bodies in about 20 seconds. The same red cell makes tens of thousands of trips around the body, transporting oxygen to cells, before it is recycled by our immune systems.

• Red blood cells in humans are molecularly quite similar to chlorophyll cells in plants.

• Our red blood cells are made partially of cholesterol. Although the drug industry has tried to label cholesterol a villain, in truth we couldn't survive without it!

How to create good blood -

We are our own blood banks. We manufacture and distribute all our own blood. Given that our lives depend on the blood we produce, doesn't it make sense to manufacture the healthiest, most life-giving blood possible? In fact, we can! We have conscious control over the qualities of the blood we manufacture. Because our blood is made of what we eat, drink, breathe and absorb, we can alter the composition of our blood by consciously choosing healthier things to eat, drink, breathe and absorb. Here are some of the most powerful pointers for making healthy blood:

Healthy blood needs healthy fats. We must consume healthy fats in order to create healthy red blood cells. This means consuming healthful omega-3 fatty acids. From the world of plants, healthful fats come from coconuts, avocados, flaxseed, Chia seeds and other similar sources. From the animal world, one of the best sources for omega-3 fatty acids is the green-lipped mussels oils in Moxxor - google it and discover myriad amazing facts. Also, we can get omega-3 fatty acids from oily fish - salmon and sardines etc. There are other quality sources, too, including fish oil supplements. Some people take krill oil to get their omega-3s. Do your research and use what works best for you.

The more healthful omega-3 fatty acids we take, the healthier our blood will be (to a point, of course).

Consuming damaging fats will harm the health of our blood. Damaging fats include trans-fatty acids and fried fats (such as those used in fried foods). Making healthy blood also requires the right minerals. Red blood cells themselves need iron, but it's handy to have all the trace minerals, too, so they can be delivered by our blood to our cells. When we lack sufficient quantities of minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc and selenium, biological functions start to go awry.

Healthy blood also needs plenty of water, of course. Water is the primary fluid of our blood plasma - it's a solvent that can dissolve and transport all sorts of crucial building blocks for health, including water-soluble vitamins like Vitamin C. Without adequate water, our blood turns to sludge blood - sticky, gooey blood that our hearts struggle to pump through our circulatory systems. The forceful pumping required to push this sludge through our systems is frequently diagnosed as high blood pressure. Human blood also needs many other elements, but if I ploughed on with this you'd fall asleep.

I think the message is clear: look after your blood and your blood will look after you. I'm off to McDonalds... Not really:)

6:30 p.m. 6 miles easy. I feel ready for tomorrow's workout, which is my favourite from my late teens/early twenties, when I ran the 1500m - 8x400m off 90 sec's. Back then I'd bang them out in 63's. Tomorrow, I'm hoping to manage 73's.

I've used Horwill's 4 sec rule to predict the times, which is bang-on most of the time. The idea is that the 1500m speed should make the 3k speed (5x800m off 90 sec's) easier, which, in turn, makes the 5k speed (4x1 miles off 90 secs) easier. I know the sessions gonna be a killer. But we'll see...

10:30 a.m. 7 miles. 3 w/u incl. 6x100m strides; 8x400m off 90 sec's jog rec; 2miles w/d.

I've decided to cut down the miles on my w/ups and w/downs so that there's no padding/ junk in my weekly mileage totals.

Well, I'd conservatively predicted that I'd do today's session in 73's. I suspected that I might do the 400's in 72's with a couple of 71's. Here what transpired:

1. 70 secs,  2. 70 secs,  3. 69 secs 4. 69 secs, 5. 70 secs, 6. 69 secs, 7. 68 secs, 8. 68 secs. AP - 69 secs.  Got a text off Mo saying he's going to skip the marathon altogether and go straight into the ultras - he fears my speed; so do I: based on today's workout, I now have to do my longer sessions much quicker, which means more pain than Humpty Dumpty felt when he fell off the wall - I wonder, did he fall off the wall, or did he hit the wall because of poor preparation?

Very pleased and surprised. This basically means that I should be doing my 5x800m off 90 secs in 2:26/2:28 and my 4x1 mile off 90 secs in 5:08-5:12, which seems tough based on my current fitness levels, but it's something to aim for over the next few weeks. The recent introduction of 'lactate threshold' runs should help...

6:30 p.m. 6 miles relaxed - probably a touch too quick. My legs knew that they'd been put through the mill earlier. Had the aches and pains associated with a good workout. Got a feeling that when I head out for my 8 miles tomorrow morning, because I'll be moving so slowly people might think I'm trying to escape from an old people's home.

7:30 a.m. 8 miles recovery run. First 4 miles were a grind but then the old body got moving and things began to tick.

Another easy 8 planned for tonight.

6:00 p.m. 8 miles easy. Felt strong and ran relaxed.

7:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Felt tired this morning, hopefully this evening's 8x8 hill blasts will shake things up.

6:30 p.m. 6 miles including 8x8 sec's. Felt as though I were scampering up the hill rather than powering. Ho hum.

6:00 a.m. 13 miles. 7 miles easy and then livened things up a bit. Nothing serious, just put a bit of effort in for the final 6 miles.  

Beautiful morning over here: sun shining, touch of frost and a bit of bite in the air. Kids are back to school on Thursday, so the routine will change - I'll be taking my naps a tad earlier:) 

7:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Legs feel good to go this week. I dropped the miles of the Sunday long run from 17 followed by a 4 to a 13 followed by a 6, so that my legs would be fresher for the week and ready for the workouts. It seems to have worked.

6:00 p.m. 6 miles easy. Well that'll teach me to say that my legs feel good. Tonight, a dead man could've moved faster than me. Completely flat. See how the old legs function tomorrow.

7:30 a.m. 6 miles slow. Probably ran about 8 min pace. Wanted to loosen up the legs for tonights 10 miler, which will include a cheeky little 4 miles at or around lactate threshold.

Was having a chat with the gaffa this morning. Asked her if she fancied doing some of the 5k races in Killarney, which are fast approaching.

'Nah,' she said, giving me one of those looks that suggest I'm pathetic. 'Why would I run 5k when my Sunday long run is 8 miles?'

I explained the whole warm up/cool down thing etc and all the race buzz stuff.

'Warm up and stretching and all that nonsense - nah, I prefer to just put on my trainers and run. I'm not into all that, 'look at me; I'm great,' stuff. Nah, you go run around the park in your shorts like some qwer old eejit, and l'll take the kids for a walk around the park.'

As she went out into the hall, she called back, 'Do you get anything ?'

'Yeah,' I said, 'I suppose, if you're in the first three you'll win something.'

'No, do you get anything for running. You know, like a medal or something?'

'I don't know,' I said, slightly bemused. 'Maybe. But why would you want a medal if you didn't win?'

She didn't answer.

6:00 p.m. 8 miles, including 4 miles warm up, 3.5 miles @ lactate threshold, 0.5 mile warm down. Disaster. Garmin played up, so I didn't get mile splits. I knew where the 3 mile mark was and hit that bang on 17 mins - A.P. 5:40, exactly what I was aiming for. I felt comfortable and decided not to up the pace but to finish off with another 5:40, that was until half a mile to go...

Felt like somebody shot me in the stomach: G.I. issues. Stopped in my tracks and did the body-popping shuffle home for the last 800m.

After I sorted out the necessaries, I told the wife what happened.

'I doubt you'll be winning any medals in Killarney, if that happens,' she said. 'That sort of thing never happens to Paula.'

7:30 a.m. 8 miles rec run. Legs a touch tired and stomach not the best, but plodded round. The wind was wicked - more like winter than summer. We've had a terrible summer. Wind and rain and very little sunshine. Hopefully, with the kids going back to school tomorrow, the sun will make an appearance.

Once this week's out of the way, I'll have been running for a year and I will be launching my 'pioneering' marathon method; a method that will establish my status as a legend in the world of marathon running - I'll be able to pootle off into the nothingness, knowing that my transient but colourful stay on this spinning orb of dirt has left a mark of permanence, an indelible mark that will change the meaning of life for so many. What a crock of balderdash - that's putting it politely.

At the behest of Jake, I've changed the name from, 'The Bam Method' to 'The Qwer Old Eejit's Marathon Methed.'

9:45 a.m. (Now that's a glorious time to go running on a week day while everybody's slogging their guts out in the office.) 8 miles relaxed.

Opted not to run last night. With the kids going back to school this morning and the fact that I seemed to be battling some sort of stomach bug, it made sense to miss a run. What move. Felt awesome this morning. Might have been more to do with running after having had some breakfast rather than the usual catabolic state.

I think I might only run 13 times every third week - missing the 14th run is like taking a day off and the impact is huge. My legs felt so fresh this morning. Something to consider.

6:00 p.m. 6 miles easy. Legs felt good, which is handy as tomorrow is workout day and that means only one thing - pain...

9:45 a.m. 6 miles. Intended to do 5x800m in 2:28-2:30 (3k pace) off 90 sec, but the wind destroyed the session. Went through 400m of the first effort in 67 sec and felt like I was jogging. Slowed it right down to do a 77 sec second 400m and finish the rep in 2:24. I knew the session was a waste of time: the wind did all the effort in that rep. 200m into the 2nd rep (into the wind) I stopped. The wind was savage and slowed me to a jog. Jogged home.

I need to get the heart and lungs and legs going today, so I might do a fartlek tonight (with the wind behind me).

JasonD asked for the Bam-bar recipe, so here it is along with the Bam Breakfast Booster:

1. 0.5 cup of raw organic oats.

2. Healthy scattering of milled flaxseed, brazil nuts, almonds and walnuts.

3. A good sprinkling of natural whole Chia Seed.

4. A scattering of milled sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds and goji berries.

5. Here's the daddy - A heaped tablespoon of powdered Peruvian Maca (don't be greedy, this is all you need; trust me).

6. A shuffle of shelled hemp.

7. Organic banana (fair trade would be nice too) - sliced.

8. A glutton's scoop of raisins.

9. Splodges of wholegrain peach (or any other flavour) Probiotic yogurt.

10. A few shakes of raw organic cocoa powder.

11. Drizzle Agave Syrup over everything and finally, pimp it up with a shaking of ground cinnamon.

Mix it all together and form it into a bar. You can eat it straight away or leave it for 5 mins. This will sort you out for the morning and you might not finish the bar. Save it for later and enjoy it when you're peckish. 'tis lovely with a cup of coffee, which leads me into Bam's Breakfaster Booster. The Booster is great if you're trying to quit coffee. Simple:

1. Cup of skimmed/low fat milk.

2. Add a tablespoon of raw organic cocoa powder and a tablespoon of magic MACA powder.

3. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top and stir or give it a quick fizz in the blender (this is the better option.)

4. Heat up in the microwave or on the hob.

Drink and enjoy.

The rewards of Maca are pretty quick.

6:30 p.m. 8 miles steady. Opted to go for an honest 8 rather than chase the speed. 

I was looking back over my diary and a week today (Fri 7th Sept) I'll have been running for 1 year exactly. It just so happens that there is a 5k road race on that night - 1km up the road from where I live. I'm tempted...

10:00 a.m. 13 miles steady. First 9 miles were about 7 min pace and then miles 9 to12 were about current mp effort and a final mile to cool down.

I've decided to do the 5k race on Friday night as it seems the perfect way to mark the end of my first year running. Also, because it's just up the road from my house, it's handy enough and I know the route. The course is undulating with a decent hill at the 3k mark, so it's not a fast route. In fact, it's the route I used to run (slight exaggeration there - jog would be more appropriate) when I first joined the blog in October. But the experience of getting in there and mixing it up is what I need. And as Russ said, it'll be an old man PR - no matter what happens.

9:00 a.m. 8 miles easy. Nice easy run in the soft morning rain.

Now I'm off to Killarney with the family to traipse around Ross Castle and pootle in the national park. The joys of being shackled to a history boffin...

6:00 p.m. 6 miles easy. Was going to do 8 miles with 8x8 hill blasts but was shattered after our day out.

The day out was superb. Went on a boat trip on the lakes and the weather was brilliant. Mountains, clean air and susnshine. Topnotch. Lots of tourists having a great time:)

Woke up this morning with GI issues and decided not to run  - to run when you have the runs is dangerous. Thought I'd wait until tonight when 'things' had settled and then go out. But my GI issues have developed into something else. I now have a fever and feel pretty sick.

So, off to bed with Bam.

Through the night, my highly conditioned body battled the badness and the fever broke in the early hours - many mortals would've been hospitalized:)

Although the stomach's gurgling away like a wachine machine and I feel a bit weak and queasy, I'm on the mend. I think I'll wait until tomorrow before heading out - just to be safe.

10:00 a.m. 6 miles with 8 rather ropy pick-ups.

The bubonic plague, which hit me on Monday, has cleared and I feel fine and dan-day. So, when I set out this morning I planned to do 6 pick-ups and 2-3 miles at mp to loosen the legs. The best laid schemes of mice and men and all that flummery.

The plague lingers. Felt awful during the pick-ups and it took 200m plus to recover from my pathetic attempts at zipping across the ground like a gazelle. I felt more like a lame hippo - just as well Russ wasn't about: he'd have shot me, stuffed me and displayed me in his trophy cabinet:)

I'm hoping a 4-5 mile shakeout tonight might sort things out. Good news is that the stomach's settled.

10:30 a.m. 6 miles easy. Ran on tomorrow night's 5k course to check it out. A few pulls but nothing serious.

Opted not to run last night as I felt light-headed. I thought the rest would do the trick. But this morning I'm still not 100%.

That said, I'm going to run tomorrow night. I want to fill in one of those cheeky little red-top race reports. I'm more excited about doing a race report than doing the race.

All things being equal and that this bubonic plague hasn't taken too much out of me, I've set three goals. I'll state my goals so that tomorrow night, when my legs and lungs are on fire, I'll know that I have to account for my performance.

Based on my most recent 4x1 mile session (AP 5:24; a good KPI) the best I can expect to run is somewhere between 16:50-17:00. I'm treating this illness thing as though it's a taper. Hopefully it'll work that way and I'll feel refreshed etc.

My 'B' goal is 17 - 17:20 (around 5:30 pace). My 'C' goal is 17:20-17:34, which I should be able to manage, as I do my 4 mile threshold runs at 5:40 pace (17:45ish pace).

Although 16:50 -17:45 isn't exactly staggering, something in that range will give me a benchmark to work off when I start training properly from Sunday onwards.

Whatever happens, I'll have a PR...

10:00 a.m. 8 miles recovery run. Legs didn't feel too bad and I think I've finally got rid of the lurgy. Things should get back to normal from tomorrow...

6:00 p.m. 6 slow miles. Very tired.

10:00 a.m. 7 miles slow. Planned to start my 'proper' training from today but my RHR was still elevated (normal 38-42 up to low 60's). So I decided to do a slow 13. 4.5 miles in and I felt whacked. I remembered what Russ said about it taking longer to recover from sickness if you've had a temperature. I cut off and jogged home for a 7.

I think I'll take this week as it comes, use it as a week to recover and launch into the serious stuff from next week.

9:30 a.m. 8 miles in the teeming rain. Fantastic. Great fun leaping over puddles. Got my mojo back. I feel ready to start doing doubles again, but I'll wait until tomorrow.

Back to work tonight! I tutor a brother (14) and sister (16) in English literature during term times on Mondays, from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Two hours of bliss - Seamus Heaney and Shakespeare. Lovely jubbly.

10:30 a.m. 7 miles, including 4.5 miles @ 7:20 pace, 7x8 sec hill blasts (2 min rec), 2.5 miles @ 7:20 pace. The hill blasts were pathetic. Geriatric ambles would be a better description. Couldn't get up on the old toes as my left soleus was complaining. Cut the session one short to be safe - didn't want my leg to ping. After each amble, I reset my soleus and it gradually improved. When I got back I managed to sort it and it has now settled:)

6:00 p.m. 6 miles relaxed (7:00ish pace)in the evening rain. Top stuff.

9:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Cold, wet, and windy. Winter's on its way.

7:00 p.m. 5 miles easy. Half a mile jog up to the pub and then ran 3.5 miles with Tom - a chap I met at the race on Friday - and then jogged another mile. Tom was a handy enough 800m in his day and he's getting back into the old running. We're going out again on Friday.

That's the first time I've run with anybody since starting back a year ago. It's more interesting having a conversation with a real person than having internal monologues.

10:00 a.m. 8 miles slow. Left soleus was playing up, so I took it nice and easy. Might need a trip to the PT to get the legs stripped, which means pain. My PT was an All Ireland Powerlifting Champion and his biceps are bigger than my waist - slight exaggeration there, but hopefully you get the idea.

I need new trainers. Can't make my mind up on the Nimbus 14's: they're not as cushioned as the 13's. I might go for the Adidas Response Cushion 20's - I can get four pairs of these for the same price as 2 pairs of Nimbus.

10:00 a.m. 8 miles easy. Leg's much improved and everything should be 'A' ok for Sunday when I hope to launch the much lauded (by me) Qwer Old Eegit's Marathon Method. It somehow seems appropriate to commence my marathon training on the weekend that so  many FRBers will obliterate their marathon PR's at TOU and beyond.

Good luck to all of you competing this weekend. Get your race reports up early as I'll be waiting to read them.

9:00 a.m. 6 miles easy.

Spent the day painting the living-room. Should keep the old lady happy for few hours.

5:30 p.m. 6 miles easy with Tom.

Training starts tomorrow...

7:30 a.m.14 miles. 5 miles at a moderate pace followed by  4 miles of  ‘egg shells – technical climbing’ and 4 miles downhill at an honest pace, all rounded off with a 1 mile cool down. The idea here, is to perfect the technical element and then increase the run before the technical aspect of the session.

And so it begins and what a way to begin. That was a terrific session. Difficult (in terms of the technical aspect) but enjoyable.

The idea of the egg shells is to ever so slightly exaggerate knee lift – not like the normal high knees that most runners do. As well as focusing on lifting the knees, the 4 mile climb should be carried out – as much as possible – on the toes with minimal back kick and fast and light feet. The shoulders should be pulled back (imagine a rope pulling you back down the incline) and the torso should remain over the hips. It’s imperative not to lean into the hill and scuttle up. Technique is everything. The effort feels like mp and develops into threshold, although the pace is slow.

For the first two miles, I found it difficult to blend the different aspects. Between the second and third miles, I felt comfortable with the technique. But in the final mile, I struggled to hold form and found myself leaning into the incline.

Tonight, I have an easy 6 scheduled. Tomorrow is interesting: I’m doing Power of Threes by three.

Tomorrow, I’ll outline the 'Qwer Old Eegit's Marathon Method'. During the week, I'll explain how the egg shells fit in with 'The Method'. I'll also explain the mechanics and reasons for the Power of Threes, amongst other things, and how they fit in to the ‘Cardinal Pillars’. Now there's a cheeky little phrase 'the 'Cardinal Pillars'. What's that all about?

9:30 a.m. 8 miles recovery run. I had planned to start off with a trial run of my Power of Threes, but my legs were mashed (in a good way) from yesterday’s 20 miles (a 14 and a 6) - the 14 miler included 4 miles of egg shells, which is the likely reason for my legs feeling mangled. So, the Power of Threes will kick start tomorrow morning’s Crazy Cubans, which is a crackerjack workout.

Anyway, The Qwer Old Eegit’s Marathon Method. Here’s the basic outline:

It’s a 3 year plan. Year one focuses on developing 5k and 10k times (14:50 and 30:50 respectively are the goals by September 2013 – aged 48).

Year two (aged – 49) focuses on the half (1:05), while maintaining and developing the 10k (30ish).

Year three is all about the marathon (sub 2:20). I’ll be 50 in the January and I’ll be running a marathon in the September/October of that year - 2015.

Nothing special about that, apart from the fact that it seems to be dragged out over 3 years, when it could be done in 12-18 months. Not so. There are many reasons why I need to take three years and I will explain them over the next few days.

Although the 5k-10k, moving on to the half, before hitting the marathon isn’t revolutionary, I think that the way I will approach the three year goal of the marathon is in fact unique. The devil’s in the detail. I will, however, be drawing on the methods of others and adapting them, as well as throwing in some of my own little Bamisms.

Something to consider is my age and the apparent challenges presented by ageing. I hope to debunk many of these myths – although I do accept performance deteriorates as we mature.

Tomorrow, I’ll look at the ageing 'thing', as it will lead in to the reasons for a 3 year plan and the necessity for ‘egg shells, Cubans, Power of Threes, Cardinal Pillars, and many more unusual forms of witchcraft…