Last night we went to see Lady Gaga… another few drinks and another slightly bad head this morning when I woke up  (I must stop doing that). After the high of completing the 100oth mile yesterday, I needed some inspiration this morning and so dove into the pages of the latest edition of Runner’s World and decided to do a fartlek run.

I’ve mentioned these before early on in my marathon training. Basically, they are an easy way of doing interval training: pick an object in front of you and run as fast as possible to it, then slow down till you get your breath back and keep repeating. If you look at the heart rate graph by clicking on the details link below, you will see lots of little peaks, these are from when I was sprinting.

In the middle of one of these sprints, I was reflecting on yesterday’s run with David and how nice it is sometimes to run with other people, so I am extending an invite to anyone who fancies it to come on the run that completes my 1095th mile.

I’m planning to do this with a 5miler on Saturday June 26 and probably in Hyde Park… if you fancy joining me, give me a shout by clicking here, the more the merrier

Click here for a link to Garmin Connect for a route map and full details of the run

Miles today: 3
Target: 762
Miles to date: 1,003.17

Please donate to my chosen charities by clicking here

In itself, that’s not an issue, it will come back eventually. But to break four hours for the Brighton Marathon in just over two weeks time, I need to run for 26 miles at a pace of around 9mins 10secs a mile…

The latest edition of Runners World popped through my door this week though and, naturally, with the London marathon around the corner, there are loads of articles on the race. One is about the ever presents who will be running their 30th London marathon this year…

Most of them are past 60 years old and still do it with relish, they’re also obviously obsessive compulsives… it’s a trait I can now see in myself. I totally obsess about running and keeping the streak up. One of the chaps interviewed says once you give one up, it’s gone… I wonder how that will make me feel come September?

Please donate to my chosen charities by clicking here

Miles today: 3
Target: 582
Miles to date: 759.07

Click here for a Google Map and full details of the day’s run

This morning’s run wasn’t that bad but I’ve stiffened right up since so I’ve spent much of the day trying to find things to gee myself (not to mention cheer myself) up for the next few weeks before the Brighton Marathon and, indeed, for the next six months until the challenge is over.

One of the things I’ve been thinking of for a while is introducing a charity element to my running –  if I’m suffering, then someone else might as well gain – and I’m thinking of splitting the proceeds between two different charities. I should, hopefully, be able to launch that next week.

I’ve also decided to try and promote the site more so I’ve had some running shirts printed with 1095miles.com related information on them.

I’ll be wearing them most days when they come in – especially on my longer runs – but I’m also running the Water of Life half marathon in three Sunday’s time at Bisham Abbey and I’m hoping wearing one of the shirts might get some of the other runners to have a look at what I’m up to.

Finally, I’ve also dropped the editor of Runner’s World a little note – just to see if he wants to do anything on the site.

I’m hoping it will all help me keep focussed through the current injury laden blip.

Click here for a Google Map and full details of the day’s run

Miles today: 3
Target: 498
Miles to date: 631.36

Want to dedicate a run to someone or have one dedicated to you? Click here

I was reading an issue of Runners World from a month or so ago this morning and there was an article that seemed to suggest some people’s body shape and size predetermines what their maximum racing capability should be. In other words, some people should just stick to running 10ks or half marathons, rather than going for the big ones.

It’s something I’ve had suggested to me before, by the gym instructor who used to run the exercise room when I worked at Associated Newspapers. We’d been looking at ways to sooth my constantly sore shins and after resting, getting support trainers to stop pronation and trying every stretch in the book to find they only provided periodic relief, he suggested I could possibly only ever work my way up to a half marathon.

It was playing on my mind this morning and so I ran Tooting Common. which I’d found relatively easy on the leg when I was running with my pal Ben yesterday. This morning though, I did the exact same route in six minutes longer… a significant difference over a short distance like three miles.

I can’t but help think ahead though… I’m determined that by running easy for the next four days, icing as much as possible and taking industrial strength Ibuprofen, I’ll manage to do my long run this Sunday and get my training for the Brighton Marathon back on track… It’s a 17miler and should really sort the man from the boy…

Click here for a Google Map and full details of the day’s run

Miles today: 3
Target: 495
Miles to date: 628.36

Want to dedicate a run to someone or have one dedicated to you? Click here

Normally my long run would be on a Sunday but even I’m not mad enough to try and run for two hours before having to get to Gatwick for 8.30am so I shifted it to Saturday this week.

I was up at 6.15 trying to plan a route on Walk Jog Run that would see me do a round trip and also browsing Runner’s World magazine which has an article this month on how important race nutrition is.

It’s something I need to pay attention to after my run in with the runs on a run two weeks ago, so I made sure I was ready for anything when I went out.

I had a banana and two glasses of water when I got up, made sure I went to the loo, waited about 20minutes to see how the banana was sitting and when satisfied I didn’t need another visit, I decided to set off around 7am.

I took with me a bottle of Lucazade Sport with caffeine, put some coins alongside the keys in my shorts pocket in case they were needed for a public loo and tucked a bit of loo roll into my shorts, just in case I needed some at any point. The Who’s Quadrophenia album went on the iPod (we’re going to see them next month and they are playing the whole album live as a concept gig) and off I went.

At first, I was pacing myself, looking to do about 10.5 mins a mile, keen not to overdo it with 13 hard miles ahead of me but as I left Streatham and headed into Tooting (about a mile down), I glanced at my Garmin and saw I was actually doing much closer to 9 minutes a mile, it felt good and so I carried on. (Long live Lillian’ sports massage from yesterday’s entry).

At about 6miles, I went passed a Travelodge with  tramp sitting outside who cheered me on (!!!), glanced in a shop window and was surprised at my reflection… I actually looked like a runner. My stride was good, my arms were pumping and my breath wasn’t ragged.

At 6.5 miles, crossing the Thames to Chelsea Embankment, I had my first sip of the Lucazade… the sugar and caffeine giving me an almost instant rush so I gulped half and saved the rest to sip through the rest of the run.

There were times during the second half of the 13 where I started to feel a little ragged but by the time I got back to Streatham, I was still relatively flying towards home, that’s despite having to go up Bedford Hill in Balham which is not massively steep but may as well be Everest when you have 12 miles on your legs.

I made it home with no loo stops, no upset tummy from the Lucazade and got back well within two hours (1hr 59mins as you ask). Double that and I’ll be doing Brighton in four hours… too much to ask for?

Click here for a Google Map and full details of the day’s run

Miles today: 13.01
Target: 420
Miles to date: 533.77

Want to dedicate a run to someone or have one dedicated to you? Click here