Sii Cockerill Perpetual Designer, Developer & Marketer.

Sunday, 29th March 2009. The sun shining, my training over. The Reading Half Marathon waiting to be run, 16,000 runners lined up on the street. A horn signalled the start…

When I waited at the start line last October, in the cold and the wet, I just wanted to last the 10 mile course around Southsea. On Sunday, in Reading, with 13 miles ahead of me – further than I had ever attempted to run before – I didn’t just want to last the distance; I wanted to give it my all and complete the course before my timing chip had chance to pass 2 hours.

In training, the hard tarmac took it’s toll on my right leg and gave me cause for concern. But some sensible training choices left me standing strong and I got off to a flying start.

If you’ve read about my training, you’ll have seen that I finished, running 5 miles in just less than 45 minutes. As I passed the 5 mile marker on Sunday, only 42 minutes had passed When I ran The Great South Run in October 2008, I posted one hour thirty-something. But on Sunday, I flew past the 10 mile flag at 1:24 and was punching the air. I knew I could make it. The challenge of the next 3 miles was a battle between my legs and my head.

And oh man – what a battle! My body wanted to stop; to have a sit down and a nice cup of tea. But it wasn’t going to happen. I was too close to my target and I wasn’t about to fail.

The absolute hardest part was getting down to the 12 mile point. At about 11.5 miles, we were running up one side of the street, while runners who had already passed 1 miles were running back towards us, just meters away! I had to really really fight the urge to cut the corner…

But then I hit 12 miles and was finally able to turn back and head for the finish line! I started to feel like it was almost over, but I had to keep telling myself to push; to keep going; not to stop!

And I didn’t. I ran into the Madejski stadium and into the roar of the crowds, round the corner onto the final straight, and I punched it. I sprinted over the line in 1:52 – even the official race clock hadn’t had chance to pass 2 hours!

I’d done it. And so had all of you who sponsored me. We’ve raised a bunch of money for a really good cause, and we can all be really proud.

See how much we raised for Jack’s Place »

Now the question on my mind is, what’s next? Will my name be drawn for the London Marathon in 2010? We’ll have to wait and see.

Training Run #9

By the end of run #8, my leg was hurting pretty badly and I wasn’t sure what I should do. So, I rested and then come Saturday (after making Garden Music) I took to the now familiar roads around Haslemere for a steady-paced long distance run.

I’d say about 60% of the route was new to me; including the 1+ miles of continous asscent to reach the common nearing the Devil’s Punchbowl – that was hard work, but worth it when I reached the top! I ran up and down a number of hills, all the while trying to keep Wey Hill within reach (should I start to struggle). Near the end of the run, I found myself in the middle of something called a ‘copse’ which is some kind of wood, within which I lost my way, kicked up a branch and scraped my right ankle. It looked worse than it was.

Happily enough, the copse came out on a road that soon joined my regular route and I was only minutes from home. 1:36 minutes since I started, with 9.2 miles under my belt and only a few mild signs that my leg had been suffering.

Training Run #10

For my last run, I stuck to my familiar route and quite simply punched out a strong 5 miles to finish my training.

5 miles in just less than 45 minutes. Job done. Now for race day!

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I ran #7 last Friday, Red Nose Day. Ouch! My right shin hurt like, well.. a lot! It felt like shin splints, but I don’t recall ever having them before – so how would I really know? Either way, the run was a real chore for my right leg, even though my lungs were sucking in strong and I felt like my fitness levels were on the up.

Unfortunately, the next day my leg wasn’t any better and just in case it was shin splints, I decided to have a few days break – I certainly don’t want to be out of the run due to injury!! So, this evening I’ve been out on #8. It’s getting much more pleasant in the evenings – lighter, warmer, generally less like winter! This evening though, I still needed my torch to fend off the zooming cars and to avoid sneaking up on ipod-plugged-pedestrians.

Sadly, my leg is still hurting. I had to take it pretty easy and only managed 3.2miles. I think I’ll have to go for a longer run on Saturday, keeping the steady, relaxed pace, and just see how far my stamina will take me – at the end of the day, right now, it’s not my fitness that’s letting me down. I just don’t know what to do about my leg

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Ouch! I should have gone with my gut; turned left and stuck to the route I know.

Instead, I ignored my looming fatigue, went right, and found myself on a(nother) dark road without a foot path, but with ocassional cars tanking along at 60. My calves are like rocks. They hurt. I’m going to go lie in the bath.

Please help me raise £1,000 to buy a special door for Jack’s Place »

I’ve raised almost 10% of my target so far. Every £2 really helps – just ask my fool of a friend, Chris…

Flattest run ever!

4.9 miles of steady pace on a route that went up and down hills – a really steep one for the first stint, followed by a long shallow drop along a dark narrow lane – I don’t know how I did it!? I didn’t stop – not once, which is a first – but that first incline was hard work!

I can only explain it away as being the drum and bass influence – thank you Hospitality Podcast!

In less than a week now, I’ve managed to run 15+ miles in training for the Reading Half Marathon. Sounds like a lot, until you consider I’m going to be running 13 in just one day before the month is up!

So, it’s the 7th March, which leaves 10 more runs to go… how many miles will I rack up in total? 50 miles? 60 miles?

Whichever way you cut it, it’ll be that, plus 13 more, 4 weeks tomorrow!

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My replacement Nike+ sensor arrived today. I think I must have played too much tennis in my Nike+ trainers as the original sensor didn’t last more than 50 recorded miles. Nevermind.

So anyway, the new one arrived and I stuck it in my shoes, pulled on an extra layer (as well as some gloves) and set off for training run #3.

Yesterday’s run was hard because of the icy cold hitting my chest, but thanks to my extra Nike running top, today’s was a doddle… But then it was only just 3 miles! Still, on the bright side, the new sensor recorded the distance quite accurately, and at that pace (presuming I could keep it up for another 10 miles – big presumption!) I would get round the Readibg course in 1hr 45 – a jump under my 2hr target.

So, lots more runs to go, but I’m feeling positive.

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I had every intention of running yesterday. Unfortunately, the wind and rain had other ideas.

Had I ventured out into the ‘dark and scary’ last night, I think I would have redefined ‘running’. Thankfully, today was blue skies and sunshine (with only a few gusts of wind, rain, sleet & snow!) so I ventured out for my second training run, in preparation for the Reading Half Marathon on 29th March.

Man it’s cold out there! I really didn’t find it comfortable. Once again, my legs felt strong and I had more to give in pace, but sucking in the freezing air does no good for my lungs; it brings back memories of Saturday morning cross-country running, aged 14 – with only a hint of the once prolific asthma.

When I got back to the house, I dug out the fast-rope and finished off with 10 minutes skipping to the tail-end of my drum n bass podcast. Warmed me up though, ready for a shower, and then a good-old student-fashioned dinner of beans on toast!

My calves are feeling pretty tight right now. I think I’m going to have to search out a sports massage before too long – definitely before race day at least – anyone know of a good place I could go near Fareham?

Help me raise £1,000 to secure Jack’s Place »

Cassius Play helped me down to the beach this afternoon.

I bought the 45 minute track last September in preparation for the Great South Run, but only listened to it once. It’s quite motivating and I found it really helped step up my pace today. My main aim, in running the GSR, was to finish. I wasn’t (too) bothered about my time, I just wanted to get round in one piece and without stopping (as much as possible). The Reading Half Marathon 2009 is going to be a bit different – I want to complete it in 2 hours.

I’ve got a long way to go based on my performance, running along the wet sand, with the sun shining down on my back. I didn’t find it particularly tough on my legs, but I got really really hot and when I got back in, my chest felt tight for a good hour. I’m going to have to stick to my training schedule quite rigorously if I’m going to get this run done.

Help me raise £1,000 to secure Jack’s Place »