Vanguard Way Marathon Report

I was excited to run the vanguard way marathon for the second time following last years run which went down as one of my most enjoyable running experiences ever despite getting lost three times! 

Heading over to Lloyd park in Croydon bright and early on Sunday morning I joined a group of runners ready to hit the trails. The group was a mix of elite looking ultra runner types with their high tech running belts and specialist trail shoes mixed with the less professional looking but eager all the same marathon runners of a range of ages.

As we set off from the park the sky was pretty cloudy with the summer sun struggling to get through making for quite cool conditions this changed over the coming hours though as the hot August sun shine on runners making for tough running conditions and leaving me red faced by the end of the day!

The course of the marathon is incredibly varied, extremely hilly (750m+ of elevation over the route!) and very scenic so much so that the races website describes the run quite fairly as the beautiful marathon.

Heading out of the park the course covers a range of paths, trails and roads before heading through forests and woods and out deep into the North downs.

It was in one of the wooded areas where I along with a few others lost the marked trail, easily done when there is no clear path and the woods quite dark and dense. After some deliberation, discussion and retracing of our steps we found it back onto the trail, this turned out to be the only time I got lost which I was pleased with. 

The race is very low key and understated with only two drinks stations one at 6miles/20miles on the return and at the halfway point. This breaks the marathon down nicely into four quarters which really helped me mentally conquer the challenge.

The first 6 miles is all gradually uphill which then makes the last 6 miles all downhill which is just what you want at the end of a marathon. This had been my focus through the week focusing on how easy the last 6 miles would be! Yeah right! 

The second quarter then takes on the real hills of the course with two massive downhills and one monster climb before flattening out around halfway for runners to turn back around. 

At the halfway point I was glad to refuel at the drinks station which was well stocked with water, juice, cola, fig rolls, cookies, jelly beans and more! Anything a runner could want for fuel! I don't eat mid run so opted for a glass of fruit squash and a glass of water, I am not sure if it was the volume or drinking it too quick but my stomach then felt like a washing machine for the next few miles.

The next quarter is then even tough this time with the opposite of the last section so one big downhill and two massive climbs. 

The drinks station at around 20 miles came around pretty quickly which was a relief and after a quick drink I headed off feeling confident about the downhill trails that lay ahead. 

The problem with a there and back route is that you know what's coming, you can't trick your mind into thinking it will be easier or that there isn't that far left when you can remember and visualise the sections still to come. 

The last 6 miles dragged.... They felt so long, I was incredibly glad of the company of fellow runners as a small group of us struggling along at similar pace ran a few miles together chatting about our running experiences and how tough the course was.

Meeting and chatting with other runners is one of the highlights of these kind of small scale events and I was fortunate enough to run along with and strike up conversation with fellow runner Mark at around the halfway point and we ended up running together on and off for the second half of the race. 

As a veteran of 70+ marathons I was keen to getting his opinion on how he rated the course against other marathons and was surprised to hear he felt that the vanguard way was actually the toughest marathon he had ran including the much feared Beachy Head marathon. 

Having someone to run with in the final miles really pushed me on to run harder than I would have had I been on my own so I was very grateful for the company and the chat to keep me going. 

Heading back into Lloyd park and seeing the finishing funnel in the closing few hundred metres was a much welcome sight and I was relieved to be able to lie on the grass in the sun while watching other runners finish. 

There's no doubt that the vanguard way is incredibly tough nor is there any doubt it is a really beautiful course to experience and for me that's a great combination that will see me plan to come back next year! 

Massive thanks to everyone that mad this race possible, it really is a special event I would recommend to anyone and I look forward to running again next year! 

What Target Asics 26.2 means to me

Tomorrow I will be taking my place on a Birmingham running track alongside 49 other runners as one of the lucky 50 to be selected for the final stages of Runners Worlds Asics Target 26.2 competition.

For anyone who doesn't know what its all about it a competition to select 5 lucky runners across 5 different finishing times with a prize of a training plan, training advice and support and training kit alongside entry, travel and accommodation for the Paris 2015 marathon.

Quite an awesome prize, in previous years the competition format has included a public voting process alongside the initial boot camp stage which ha earned the competition the tag of Xfactor for runners!

What does it mean to me

When I entered I never really thought I would get selected for this stage, sure I wanted to but I never thought I actually would! 

For me the prize consists of several more than desirable elements:

• Being part of team Target 26.2
• Attending boot camp for training, advice and meeting other like minded runners
• Runners World and Asics freebies
• Free entry into the 2015 Paris Marathon including accommodation and travel

But it is the money cant buy aspect of the prize that really grabs my interest and no doubt the attention of the thousands of other runners who entered the competition.

The chance to be trained by professional running coaches and to receive advice from dedicated professionals to me that is living the dream! 

Since I got into running some ten years ago I have always vaguely dreamed of becoming an elite runner. 

I recently wrote an article for RunningJunkies about it here entitled 'Do you dream of being an elite runner?'.

The article was mainly motivated by the story of Steve Way who in the last few years has transformed himself from an obese non runner to an elite runner representing England in the marathon at the recent Commonwealth games in Glasgow.

My dream to be an elite runner has been a long standing aspiration as I figure with the correct training and support I could improve my running performance significantly enough to be able to represent my country at international level at a major competition such as the Olympics or World Championships.

It is a wild dream that at the very least would require me to win the lottery to allow me to give up my day job to allow me to commit the time and resources into this plan.

The Target 26.2 competition is however one way of achieving my elite runner aspiration on a smaller scale. 

I would love to be selected in the final 5 and to have an awesome few months training and preparing for the 2015 Paris marathon with the support and guidance of the Runners World coaches behind me. 

I realise all the other 49 runners all hold similar aspirations and I am sure we are all equally deserving of the prize and will all be giving of our all to try and win this once in a lifetime opportunity.

All I want to do is give of my bets at boot camp and the rest is up to the Runners World judges, they know who they are looking for and I think it is then a case if I fit that profile in terms of my running ability, personality and having the right 'look' they are after. What every the criteria for selection I will have to just give it a go and see what happens!

Good luck to all my fellow boot campers and I look forward to meeting you all and experiencing what I am sure will be a special day. 

Three marathons in three months summary

Three marathons in three months completed, the challenge I had myself as a physical ambition before my 30th birthday, my aim that I have worked towards for the last eight months, finished, completed, all done and dusted.

Three marathons in three months has certainly been tough and challenged me which is exactly what I wanted, OK so it's nothing when you compare it to other marathon challenges you might have seen in the media over the last few years such as Eddie Izzard's 43 marathons in 51 days, Amy Hughes running 53 marathons in 53 days and Rob Young currently aiming to complete 367 marathons in 2014. 

These accomplishments are well ahead of my own and all deserve so much praise and recognition for their incredible physical achievements.


So how do I feel now that my focus for so long is now over?

On the one hand I am pleased to be able to relax and not be concerned with the demands of training. On the other hand I feel disappointed and empty to not have something to work towards at the moment, I am definitely in a typical post marathon slump experiencing some post marathon blues. 

Don't worry though I am already making plans for 2015!

I am planning a 10K in January so I can focus on getting stronger and faster over the winter months to be able to then put in a speedy race in the new year and make a competitive attempt at breaking by PB!

Aside from that I am also aiming for at least 3 marathons next year and these are likely to include Halstead, South Weald and Vanguard Way again and who knows what else....

Here is a recap on my three marathons:


1/2 - The Vanguard Way Marathon - 3rd August time: 4.55

Race report here

In summary a great run, with terrific scenery exploring an unfamiliar part of the country with some tough hills and terrain. My training and preparation was good and during my training I had established a good card loading fueling strategy for the race which worked well. Obviously getting lost (not once, not twice but three times!!!) really frustrated me and curtailed any chances of a competitive time. I am fairly confident that without the detours I could have ran a time of around 4.30. Realistically this kind of event with its tricky terrain was never going to be about PBs and it was more of a run about enjoying the scenery and the challenge of the course which I feel I did on both counts.



2/3 The Robin Hood Nottingham Marathon - 28th September - time: 4.10 - PB!

Race report here

A proper large scale mass participation city marathon such as this is such a different proposition to an off road trail run and in honesty not one that I enjoy as much. Although it was a relief to run on nice flat tarmac roads where I could just get on and run rather than worry about steep hills or muddy conditions underfoot. 

My training had progressed well since the first marathon and although my challenge was a marathon every month the timings of the first two meant the gap was actually 8 weeks so I had ample time to recover and then kick on with my training again. 

Although my diet and nutrition were not as strict as they had been in the build up to the Vanguard marathon I had trained hard and felt I had progressed well. However the week or two before I really didn't feel good and struggled to train and was not in the greatest shape on race day. Over training, illness, mental/nervous/anxiety issues, poor diet/nutrition or a combination of some or all of these I am not sure. 

The race itself went really well though and I put in a solid performance which I was pleased with aside from the PB time which of course was very satisfying.

3/3 South Weald - 27th October - time: 4.34

Race report here

Easily one of my most enjoyable events, in terms of the route, the scenery, my performance and my overall race experience. A really tough route that rates as the second hardest course of the five marathons I have ran so to come away with my third faster marathon time and my fastest off road marathon time felt really rewarding. I definitely noticed an improvement with my marathon running and my mid race strategy and mental planning. 

The magical sub 4 hour mark

As well as the challenge of completing three marathons in a relatively short period of time and keeping up with the demands of training over a several month period my real goal was to try and break that magical sub 4 hour mark. 

Although in my second marathon I managed to smash my PB by 16 minutes to a time of 4.10 the elusive 4 hour barrier was not to be beaten. The main reason for this however is not my fault as the first and third marathons in my challenge were incredibly demanding off road trail marathons which are the type of events that are PB black holes. If all three marathons had been on nice flat roads and if I had performed in the same way I think I would have been pretty confident of running a sub 4 hour marathon as I improved my training and continued to get stronger and gain a better understanding of the marathon distance. 

Performance wise my marathon running over the three marathons definitely improved, in comparison to the other two marathons I had ran prior to this challenge I feel my third marathon of this sequence represented my best running performance of any marathon I have ran.

So what now?

Well I have rested and reflected and I am now itching to keep running to maintain my current fitness levels as well as working on getting even stronger and fitter.

I plan on working on my strength and speed work over the winter, I plan on becoming very accustomed with my new training partners Mr Lunge, Mr Squat and My Burpee. 

I haven't entered any races as yet and am eagerly planning what events to enter throughout 2015. I hope to manage o fit in at least three marathons along with a couple of half marathons as well as maybe venturing into the world of ultras and longer events.

First stop is going to be a 10K in January so I can put my winters strength and conditioning work to the test.

Watch this space for more running challenges and adventures on the horizon! 

Brentwood South Weald Marathon

Sunday marked my third marathon in three months as I completed the Brentwood South Weald Marathon organised by Go Beyond in the leafy Essex countryside.

The appeal of this event was its proximity to where I live, just a 15 minute drive away. After I entered I however became less enthusiastic about the event due to it being 12 laps of a 3.5km course and I was somewhat apprehensive this would be a dull and boring monotonous event that would be a depressing mental grind.

The reality was thankfully far from the truth.

Race intro

The marathon forms part of the Brentwood Running Festival which also comprises of a 10K and a half marathon, so provides a challenge for all abilities.

The marathon is a complete off road affair, a real trail marathon, suitably tough, muddy and grueling for even the most experienced runner.

Before the event I knew to expect a tough course as I have visited South Weald Park before and so was aware of the terrain, but it wasn't until completing my first lap that I fully appreciated what a tough event this marathon was going to be.

The course

Somewhere into my second lap I quickly established my race strategy, aim for under 5 hours which would be incredibly respectable, be prepared to walk the hills and inclines and conserve energy for later in the race and keep my trainers as dry as possible for as long as possible.

I also broke the course down into two halves, one half was around the main park field where running on longish grass that was very tough on wet heavy ground. The hill up to the wood then marked the transition into the second half where the trails zig zagged in and around the woods, although undulating and technical the path here was mainly downhill I figured and was a section that I should try to move through as quickly as my legs would allow.

Interspersed in the forest were sections of treacherous muddiness where a slow to a walk was advisable. There was also the tricky ravine with a sheer drop down a root riddled bank and a muddy scramble up the other side slowed most runners progress down to a walk or a crawl.

Out of the woods a nice water sodden muddy, marshy patch awaited before the second hill climb completed the lap and took you down to the finish line.

How did I find it?

In summary; tough, muddy, tiring, scenic, challenging, autumnal and rewarding are the words that spring to mind.

I decided to run without a watch so throughout the race I had no real idea of pacing or my race time apart from the snippets of other runners completing the 10K or half marathon I heard over the loud speaker as I passed through the finish line after completing each lap.

This decision made the finish all the more satisfying as I was really pleased with my finish time as this was my fastest off road marathon.

The course was so demanding though, having completed Beachy Head Marathon this time last year I am no stranger to tough off road marathons and although the hills in South Weald Park don't quite rival the seven sisters this is still a tougher than average marathon.

As some kind of perspective I consider myself to be in much better shape running this marathon than my last two but by the half way mark my legs felt like they did at the 20 mile mark of the last two marathons.

Overall I really enjoyed the event and would class this event as a special event as it stands out for its excellent organisation, brilliant marshaling on an interesting and inspiring location and setting.

The event was very much a slick operation which included a thorough briefings given before the start of the three different races, enthusiast marshals offering encouragement on the course and a plentiful supply of refreshments available after every lap. The race represents terrific value as for the £16 entry fee you received a medal and t shirt as well as a print out of your split lap times provided to you within seconds if finishing. 

The only negative I can recall from the experience is a minor one relating to the playlist being played at the finish line, some of the songs were not what you would call your obvious choices, hearing Elton Johns candle in the wind 3/4 of the way through was extremely odd and although it didn't inspire to me run it did make me chuckle! 

On a personal note I was very pleased with my performance, I didn't find the multiple laps a drain or a bore but instead found it quite comforting to know what was coming up and to have a clearer understanding of distance covered and distance left to run.

I coped with the slight repetitiveness of running the same path over and over by talking myself through the route that lay ahead of me on the course in the same way a rally car drivers navigator talks the driver through the obstacles that lie ahead in the next few hundred metres. 

Physically I did start to tire and ache from around lap 5 and the going got harder as you would expect through laps 6 and 7. I was as ever glad and thankful for the support of my wife who was on hand with lucozade and support to keep me running into the final laps.

The last few laps were understandably all the more difficult but thankfully went by relatively quickly and I continues to feel buoyed by the growing number of multi coloured bands I was collecting to count the number of laps completed. 

Finish line

I most admit a strong feeling of elation approaching the finish line for the final time, no musical fanfare, no cheering cheerleaders or cheering crowds that you get with larger inner city marathons but instead the strong sense of satisfaction of having completed a demanding challenge with a handful of other hardy souls.