Monday, January 31, 2005

What's the h*ll is wrong?!

Went for the Sunday ride with the club. Again did about 90km. Legs still pretending that they have done some hard work recently despite the fact that they clearly haven't. Neither spinning nor pushing gears felt right. At least there were no signs of anything hurting. This must be what overtraining feels like but I haven't really done anything last week. I think I should just give up and vegetate...

Location 52°N 2°W

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Running is *)^$&^"*%

Original plan was to go out on the canal, run south along the river, cut back across the fields in St Peter and then do a few hills. Legs really sluggish even at the start along the canal. Path next to the river was very muddy and slippery. Slipping and sliding all over the place. Shoes covered in mud felt like they weighted a ton. If I wanted to do mud I would have come in my cross country shoes.

Still couldn't get my legs to wake up in St Peters. Had done about 30 minutes by now and decided to cut the run short and head for home. Didn't think I could last the full distance over the hills. Totally no spring in the step to burst up the sharp little hill past the Little Sauce Factory. Worried about my knee so again took it easier on the downhill.

Practically crawled up the last steep bit to the apartment for a 45 minute run. Running is sh*t! I hate running!

Location 52°N 2°W

Friday, January 28, 2005

Another plain old run

Usual Thursday evening run with the club. It was starting to drizzle slightly when we set off. Thought of going back to the car to get a rain jacket but decided not to bother in the end. Regretted it in the first few minutes as it got progressively colder. I didn't know which route we were taking today, but I wasn't bothered anyway. I just want to hide in the back and get pulled round by the group.

Still a bit of heaviness in the legs. Don't exactly know why as I haven't been running all that much. Have felt this for quite a while, indeed since my IT-band first started acting up. Coming up to a mild uphill. Grovelled up the hill feeling sh*t but still overtook almost everyone. Regrouped and continued on near the back.

Foot of the big hill. Think light feet and float up the hill. Quads a little bit more tired than usual but still breathing well. Started pulling away without trying all that hard. I cannot believe this - everyone must be taking it really easy. Got to the top and turned round to jog back to "collect" everyone. Not huge gaps but certainly gaps have opened up.

Long downhill to follow. Now I am taking it extremely easy in constant fear of the soreness that might resurface on the outside of my left knee. I can just about sense it in the background, trying to make an appearance. I wish the uphill could go on forever, just continue climbing up and up.

Got back to the club in around 46 minutes. A bit shorter then I expected. Hoping for something closer to 1 hour. Doesn't matter. Tomorrow is the last working day of the week. Yay!!

Location 53°N 1°W

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Running at 2am in the morning, or so my body tells me

Landed at Manchester Airport at around 1530 after an 11 hour flight from Shanghai to Copenhagen, 90 minute stopover at Copenhagen Airport and then a further 90 minute flight. Got through immigration, collected my bag and was out by 1600. Found the car at the car park with no problems this time. Yes I now take great care in noting down where my car is at airport long term car parks having spent nearly 30 minutes trying to track it down once in freezing cold rain.

The sky was a leaden shade of grey, the sort where it seems to make everything else dull. Traffic was fairly bad and it was nearly 1700 by the time I arrived in Glossop at the foot of the Snake Pass. Just noticed through the gloomy drizzle that it wasn't totally dark. It is now just over 1 month since the shortest day of the year when it gets pitch black at around 1600. At least the days are getting longer now.

Had a nice drive up the sweeping bends of the Snake Pass, getting stuck behind a slow driver for a bit. This was quickly rectified through the long straight section at the summit. A quick glance at the horizon, drop it into third, foot down, pull back in to the left, dab on the brakes to set up for the sharp right at the end. Down the sharp bends on the other side, lightly touching the brakes before each corner, taking care not to be too heavy on the pedals on the roads glistening with moisture.

Didn't take too long to get into Sheffield. Well I suppose time passes quickly when you are enjoying yourself. Dropped my bags off at the B&B, had a quick chat, got changed into running kit and was back in the car to get to Hillsborough for 1800. I should really run down to the club but hey it's been a long day and it takes nearly 15 minutes to run back, the last 10 minutes of which is uphill.

The session today is 3 sets of 3 efforts consisting of about 400m (last 200m uphill), short recovery, about 800m, short recovery and finally about 600m (last 200m uphill), making it 9 efforts in total. Felt a bit slow on the 10 minute jog out to the hill. Probably jetlag or just plain stiff from having being on the long flight.

Took the first effort fairly steadily to gauge how I am feeling. Hmmm maybe I am not feeling too bad as I am still about where I normally stand in the pecking order. The finish never seemed to appear for the first long 800m effort. Legs were a bit uncoordinated for running fast on the flat. Was certainly gasping hard at the end of the fast section. Floated the first part of the 600m effort, then turning on a bit of a kick on the uphill section. 1 down 2 to go. And so it continued. I felt a bit better on subsequent sets except during the recoveries where I was worried that the light meal on the flight over from Copenhagen would revisit itself.

Finally finished everything feeling a bit more tired than usual. Not really in the physical lactic acid sense, more like a general dullness of mind. Hey it is about 0300 in the morning where I started the journey from so it is hardly surprising. Should be able to get a good night's sleep in tonight. I find that getting a good first night's sleep in does wonders for jetlag.

Location 53°N 1°W

Saturday, January 22, 2005

Long way round

I am sat in the airport in Hongkong waiting for a connecting flight to Taipei. It has been a really long day which started with waking up at around 0630 and won't end until way past 0200 tomorrow morning when I land in Taipei.

No direct flights between the two sides means taking a big detour via Hongkong. It takes around 5-6 hours in total for Shanghai to Taipei. If direct flights are allowed, it would be around 90 minutes. To understand how much air traffic there is, there are around 300 flights daily between Taipei and Hongkong (and they don't fly 24 hours a day).

Over the Lunar New Year period there will be "direct" flights to get people back. However, "direct" is still not direct because I believe the planes still have to fly over Hongkong to maintain a pretense of no direct contact between the two sides.


Hongkong Airport ---------------- Pudong Airport (Shanghai)

Location 22°N 114°E

Friday, January 21, 2005

Meetings and traffic

Had a great night sleep and got through the day without any apparent jetlag. No running on this trip. Want to make sure that my IT-band recovers properly. Interviews this morning in Suzhou, meetings in Shanghai in the afternoon. Went to a Xinjiang (a big province in the far west of China, predominantly Muslim) restaurant in Shanghai for dinner. Mmmmm lots of good lamb, big leg of lamb.

Had a lot of trouble getting a taxi to go back to Suzhou at around 2130 because it seems that many taxis in Shanghai are not allowed to go out of the city after a certain time at night. Just when we thought we might have to spend an expected night in Shanghai, a taxi turned up and took us back.

The ride back good as there wasn't much on the roads which was a change from the usual. Traffic in China is pretty chaotic. There appears to be no concept of give way and right of way. It just seems to be a case of whoever gets a nose ahead wins. Pedestrians and cyclists cross in front of traffic. Vehicles of all kinds move too close to one another. The only saving grace is that cyclists move very slowly so there is less chance of serious injury when they are knocked down.

Location 31°N 120°E

Thursday, January 20, 2005

What time is it?

Landed at Shanghai airport this morning about 0745 local time after an 11 hour flight, so my body thinks its just around midnight. Managed to catch some sleep on the way. Just what I need for the day ahead.

Queues in arrival were fairly short for this time in the morning so I breezed through all the formalities and was out of the airport within around 20 minutes. A big difference from my last trip when it took over an hour just to get through immigration at around midday because lots of big planes landed within an hour of one another.

Got on a taxi to get to the centre of Shanghai. Traffic was flowing well until we got into town. Made a few calls to work out where everyone was. Got to the hotel where we were having the meeting. Everyone turned up within about 10 minutes so we started early at around 0915.

It was a meeting with contractors to sort out the technical details of furnaces and negotiate the price. Some areas went very well while others we a bit like pulling teeth out slowly. The last sticking point was basically price for one of the two sets. With a bit of haggling, sweet talk as well as some give and take, everything was completed at around 1600 amidst much stamping of documents and signatures. Well we have now made a commitment to buy several furnaces. Hope they turn out fine...

Need to catch some sleep now to get rid of jetlag.

Location 31°N 120°E

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Snow traffic

Bl**dy hell. Snow overnight in northern England. Just what I need when I have to get to Manchester airport to catch a 0950 flight. Heard on the radio that radio that Snake Pass and Woodhead Pass (roads between Sheffield and Manchester) are both closed. Luckily I decided to stay in Worcester overnight instead of in Sheffield.

Traffic was good for the first 80% of the journey north up the M6 motorway until close to Manchester. Everyone then slowed down because it was snowing lightly. Got to the junction to turn onto the M56 and everything ground to a halt. Split decision to get back onto the M6 to continue on north and turn off at the next junction to get to the airport via small roads.

The country roads were a bit slippery but otherwise fine. Was feeling rather pleased wih myself until I got stuck again... It was stop-start for over 30 minutes and I felt time ticking away. Am I going to miss the flight and hence the next connecting flight in Copenhagen?

Got there eventually, parked the car and got to the counter with around 1 hour before takeoff time which was plenty. Had a walk round the shops in departure but the only thing I bought was a book. Airport duty free shopping is so overrated (especially soules Dubai). Nothing really useful to buy, and quite often you can get electronic / PC items cheaper on the net anyway.

10 minutes before takeoff time but still no sign of the plane. Where the h*ll is the plane? Only have 45 minutes transfer time in Copenhagen. Eventually the plane turned up and got me to Copenhagen about 1 hour late. As it turned out, the connecting flight to Shanghai will also be about 1 hour late so I still had a chance.

When I saw the plane for the next flight, it had one of the engine cowlings open (SAS A340 with 4 CFM56 engines) with people working on it. Hopefully it isn't something related to the thrust reversers. Thrust reversers are deployed only during landing to slow the plane down (basically blow some air from the engine in the opposite direction). Not good if they accidentally deploy in flight as this results in severe damage to the wing (has been the cause of a few crashes).

Anyway, once everything was cleared we were on our way. Same old routine of switch off (Blackberry and phone), click in (seat belt) and settle down (peace and quiet). Business class was full (about 54 seats). This has often been the case on recent flights to China, perhaps an indication of the number of people wanting to go there.

Location - Somewhere over Siberia

Sunday, January 16, 2005

Odd effect of cycling

Still a tiny bit of soreness when I woke up this morning but only when the knee is bent at around 30°. Very typical sign of the IT band syndrome. Strangely it doesn't really hurt during cycling, which is what I decided to do today. If I feel it get worse I would probably turn back home. Anyway I am planning to have a week off because I'm travelling in a couple of days.

Went out with the usual Sunday group. It was a warm winter's day with some sunshine. Some areas were quite mucky from the past few days of rain which had washed the soil from the field onto the road. Got sprayed by the wheel in front despite mudguards. Face covered with spots and had a big brown patch running all the way up from overshoes to the knee. In the winter it is common practice for cyclists to wheel out the "winter training bike" which is usually an older/cheaper frame and fitted with mudguards. This saves wear and tear on the good bike for when the weather is better.

Legs felt rather sluggish. Unlikely to be due to the IT band unless it is causing me to change my pedalling stroke. A very short climb on a bad surface to get to the cafe stop. Had to engage bottom gear but still got up ok by spinning. Got cloudier and very windy on the way back. It is disconcerting when you are going along a wall or hedge and suddenly get to an opening such as a gate. You get a sharp sideways knock from the wind. Legs got progressively heavier as I got nearer to home. I know the feeling - just on the edge of blowing up. Still managed to ride up the steep hill to the apartment, very slowly though.

I don't have a computer on the winter bike. Didn't even use a heart rate monitor today. Just a simple winter ride to get a few miles in and spin the legs. I think it was around 90km. Had a second lunch at home. Eat eat eat. Usually feel very hungry after cycling but not after running. Perhaps I am not running for long enough to deplete glycogen stores and activate the feeding instinct. Strangely the IT band has stopped hurting after the ride. Very odd!!

Location 52°N 2°W

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Puncture...

What sh*t luck. Got a puncture on my rear right tyre on the way to a meeting today. Even better, my boss was riding in the car with me. We did a 10 minute tyre change. Not as fast as the F1 teams but still pretty good. Yep it was a funny sight two men in white shirts and ties stood by the side of a motorway rolling tyres around, turning the jack and undoing wheel nuts. At least we knew what we were doing as we are both engineers... Was going to be on time but ended being about 20 minutes late. Part of this was due to the spare tyre being a "special" which was limited to 80km/h. Why not a full sized spare in this car (at least better than some cars like the Mini with no spare)?

My car is slowly falling apart. Having 120,000 miles (nearly 200,000km) on the clock may have something to do with it. The CV joint on the left front wheel is a bit knackered, setting up vibrations between 64-80km/h (40-50mph) and 96-110km/h (60-70mph). Well I'll just have to drive faster than 110km/h to avoid it then. As long as it gets me to the end of March... The meeting went great. However, I will not be in charge of maintenance in the new factory.

Location 52°N 2°W

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Sore IT band

Got out of the car after arriving back from work today. Felt a bit of a dull pain on the outside of my left knee when I bent it. FAK!!!! I know this feeling. It's my unwelcome friend the iliotibial band. Took a couple of months off in early 2003 because of it. Looks like I have to take some time off...

Location 53°N 1°W

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Up hill and down hill

Today's run with the Hallamshire Harriers in Sheffield was 8x hard up a hill and jog down for recovery. The hill takes about 1:30 to run (probably around 400m) and steepens slightly for the last 1/3 after it goes under a railway bridge.

A bit worried that my legs would still be tired from Sunday but they weren't too bad. Legs felt a bit heavier towards the end of each set but I could still hold form and pace fairly well. Didn't really "kick" hard on any of the sets.

It takes about 10 minutes to get to the hill which serves as a nice little warmup. Was amongst the first to finish all 8 sets (two faster runners did more sets) and ran back to the club house with a fell running (racing up and down hills/mountains) specialist a bit quicker than on the way out.

Location 53°N 1°W

Monday, January 10, 2005

Gloucester New Year 10 mile

Didn't plan to do the 10 mile (16.1km) race today. Got chatting to Mike, a good running mate of mine during one of the runs with my old club over Christmas and got talked into doing it. Went to bed last night still undecided. Got up about 15 minutes before 9am and finally chose to race rather than go out on the bike. It was a grey overcast day and rather windy too.

Toasted a bagel and tried to sort out my kit in the meantime. Where is the stuff that I need? Decided to race in the white shiny pair of NB234 from the shop in BB Plaza instead of my ultralight blue suede shoes due to the distance. Luckily it wasn't raining so I won't get the white shoes dirty - what a poser! Stuck hand out of the window to check temperature (yes very unscientific but it works). Probably ok for shorts with long sleeve jersey. I have heard somewhere that keeping your arms and hands warm allows more blood to go to the legs where they are needed. Don't know whether this is true but seems to work for me.

Supposed to meet up at 9am to go out in three cars. Hardly surprising to get there about 10 minutes late. Sorry guys... Race was going to start at 11am so no big rush. Already a bit busy at event HQ when we got there. Nearly managed to twist my ankle on my way to signing on (yes entry on the day is allowed). What an idiot I would be if I actually did it. Stood there yakking for a while before deciding that it might be a good idea to warmup before the start. Warmup consisted of a bit of jogging around and stretching - hardly a full proper one.

Fairly simple tactics today. Planned to run with Tony who did 67 minutes for 10 miles a couple of weeks ago. I thought 7 minute miles (4:21/km) would be pretty hard to sustain over this distance. I am notoriously bad at underestimating my pace - I assume 8 minute miles (5:00/km) as my usual training pace. Hopefully I would survive till past halfway and then make a move.

Was talking to someone and facing the wrong way when the horn went. Eventually started my watch as I crossed the start line. This wasn't a big race, around ??? runners so there wasn't the wall of people that you see at big races. Ran together with my pace maker and start moving up.

There is a short "dogleg" about 1 mile after the start where you turn back around a traffic cone to make up the full 10 miles. As we approached the cone, the leader already had about 20m lead on the rest of the chasing pack. Mike was some way in front of me. Got to the 1 mile marker at 7:17 (maybe a bit of mistake with marker placement). Shouted out the split to Tony and told him to go faster.

Began to pull away from Tony around the 2nd mile. Stuck on to a couple of runners, ran with them for a bit, then overtook them on a slight rise. Could see Mike in the distance. Why isn't the gap closing. Eventually like a fisherman reeling in his catch, I passed several runners who were between me and Mike. Went by Mike around the 4th mile. Saw the time at mile 5 and talked to someone running alongside. Told him that this was my first ever 10 mile race. He replied that he wanted to break 65 minutes. Overtook him at the water station where he paused to get a drink.

Kept going and put in a bit more effort on the little rises. Felt pretty strong and managed to overtake quite a few more people. Mile 6 was a watershed. This was close to my usual race distance of 10km - any further and I was venturing into the unknown (strictly speaking I have raced further than 10km but only offroad / cross country). Tried to work out what 10km time the 6 mile time would equate to in my mind. I find that mental calculations is a good way of passing time during races.

Went past mile 7 without noticing it. Attacked on another slight hill to overtake more runners. Got to the top of the hill straight into a gusty headwind. Arrrggghhh don't look back keep trying. Felt like I was running in mud for a while. Luckily they probably felt the same and didn't catch me back. Started looking for the mile 8 marker with 3 more runners in sight. Got to the two who were on the back (one male one female) on an uphill just after the 8th mile. The one who was in front had started pulling away from them. Ran with the two for a bit and made my move. Bridged up to the runner in front with a decisive surge.

Decision time now. Do I run with him or make a move? Will I blow up if I try to escape now? When in doubt, talk! He asked whether I knew the finish. I said no but the 9 mile marker should be soon... which was also where I decided to make my move. Just past the 9 mile marker which I remember clearly, I upped the pace. Not a sprint no, just a gradual increase to try to drop him. Didn't dare look back but I knew a gap had opened.

Round the last corner. A bit of a headwind. Keep up the smooth flow. No need to sprint yet as the runner in front was too far gone. Keep a bit in reserve in case the one behind did anything. 200m to go, start winding it up and cruise into the finish to stop my watch at 64:37 (official time was 64:42 - so it took me 5s to get to the start line) for 26th place. Quite surprised at the timing - indeed I think I could have gone faster as I didn't feel as ill as I have felt after some 10km races.

Worrying thought - am I better at longer distances? Should I move up in distance? The thought was quickly banished when I realised the increase in mileage required. Probably keep to what I am doing for a while first. The performance may be partly due to an increase in my usual endurance runs to 45-60 minutes, often over hilly terrain. Still not bad for this early in the season. Very happy with the negative split and the amount of overtaking I did (no one overtook me after mile 1). Got complimented on my strong finish by several people I overtook too.

Mile 1: 07:17 (07:17/mile - 4:31/km)
Mile 2: 13:33 (06:16/mile - 3:54/km)
Mile 3: 19:46 (06:13/mile - 3:52/km)
Mile 4: 26:08 (06:22/mile - 3:57/km)
Mile 5: 32:30 (06:22/mile - 3:57/km)
Mile 6: 38:42 (06:12/mile - 3:51/km)
Mile 7: Dreaming
Mile 8: 51:59 (06:38/mile - 4:07/km between 6-8)
Mile 9: 58:21 (06:22/mile - 3:57/km)
Mile 10: 64:37 (06:16/mile - 3:54/km)

See here for full results. Note that the winner ran in the Olympic Marathon in Athens.

Location 52°N 2°W