All wired up and no place to go

Five down and two to go. I had the monitor fitted on Monday for my seven day retest. It's not going to get any prizes as a fashion accessory. This is a slightly different model to the previous one and has a coiled wire loop around the neck. It's difficult to hide and looks like I've got a secret service wire tap so I had to wear a tie all week to hide it. The monitor and the other wire (see picture) clip on to pads stuck to the chest.

There's a button in the middle that you press if you think you're having an 'episode' and last night I accidently unclipped the monitor and in my rush to clip it back on I unintentionally pressed the button. They'll think my heart stopped beating and whip me in for a pacermaker if I don't tell them what happened! I'll be glad to see the back of it on Monday.

Anyway the running's going well still. Did the work run (7 miles out, 8 back) on Tuesday. Didn't do it on Thurs because it was the lovely Rosie's harumpty something birthday so I had to be home on time but got out for a short lunchtime run. Will try and get out with the dog today and stretch my legs for a couple of hours on the road tomorrow.

Marathon Week

What a week I've just had. Without really planning to I've run 80km (50 miles) this week. I ran to work and back twice, took the dog for a run yesterday and today, copying the astronaut who ran the Boston Marathon on a treadmill in the International Space Station last week, I decided to run with the elite men in the London Marathon.

Rather than sit and watch the London Marathon I set up a telly in front of my treadmill and set off running with the elite men. Strangely enough even though I was running at 8mph I managed to keep up with them. Magic! Two hours, and a staggering amount of sweat later, I'd run 16 miles. I was tempted to round it up to 20 but reckoned I'd done enough for one week (when compared to my usual 10-15 miles per week in the pre-Jungfrau days). I found it fairly comfortable and like to think I could have turned in a sub 3:20 marathon which is fine for the stage I'm at in my journey to the Jungfrau, especially considering I've just been back running for three weeks.


Normally, 40 minutes is enough for me on the treadmill but this worked really well. It passed the time quickly and when the motorbike camera was facing forward the sensation of actually running with the marathoners was uncanny. I even joined them in the final sprint by upping my speed.


I drank 750 ml while running but reckon I lost much more. I was dripping when I finished and the treadmill and one yard around it were swimming. Lots of drinks and fruit and high GI carbs seems to have done the trick as I feel fine now.


So, all in all April has been a good month so far on the running front. It should give me a good base to start improving the speed and strength in May.


Off to get the 7-day heart monitor fitted tomorrow.

Mr Consistency

Sorry to leave it so long since the last post but decorating (and running) calls unfortunately.

I hate to tempt fate but things seem to be running smoothly (pun intended) now. I managed to get 40km in for each of the last two weeks. Last week I finally (thanks to light evenings) got around to running to work. Not all the way as that would be a 60 mile round trip. (I know, I’m mixing up my measurement systems but the car uses miles and my Polar HRM records in kilometres. Being a child of the great metrication conversion in the 70's I can handle these things. Apologies to you oldies or newies brought up on one system!). I park up and run 11km into work along the Grand Union Canal then 7 miles back again in the evening. My times for both ways were within seconds of each other. Just call me Mr Consistency. It gave me great satisfaction to run underneath a couple of roads on which I’m normally sat in traffic jams.

Another thing it did give me was an appreciation of how monotonous canal running is. I was going stir crazy after six miles. I soon abandoned any (albeit remote) plans of ever running the Tring2Town (30 something miles along the GUC) not to mention the Birmingham to London ultra race (a mere 145 miles of the same canal). I would need institutionalising after either of those. Some would say I’d need institutionalising for even considering them as a sane thing to do. I love running but I need variety to break things up. That’s why I love the hills. No two miles are the same.

Hopefully tomorrow’s run in will seem shorter now I’m a little used to the route.

Saw a lovely temperature inversion yesterday. Left home in the fog, ran up the Chiltern escarpment into bright sunshine. The valley below was full of cloud and the hills beyond were poking up into the sunshine. Thought this might happen so I took my camera.

The cardiologists are back on the scene. I received an appointment for the 23rd to have the monitor fitted for a seven day recording. Time to shave my chest again. Watch this space on that one. In the meantime I’ll be looking for a second opinion from a sports cardiologist.

Until the next time……

Trivial Pursuits

Another few miles in yesterday. Me and the dog through Ashridge forest. Past Cold Harbour, into the Golden Valley and back up past the magnificent management college aka Ashridge House (part stately home, part church, part castle). A bit achey after Sunday's road run; didn't get the heart rate over 140.

Trivia about Ashridge House: apparently the Bucks-Herts border used to run down the middle of the dining room!

Note for filmlovers. I was running through the Golden Valley last year to find they'd built a drystone wall along the bottom of it. Turns out it was plastic and was part of the set for film called Stardust starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert deNiro, Claire Danes, Peter O'Toole and Ricky Gervais. It's out in August.

---==={ The End }===---

Easter Runny Bunny

Still trying to get back to where I was in February. Been out twice over the weekend, one 12k off-roader with the dog and a 19k roader today. Not sure what's going on with the legs but thighs were aching on the off-roader. Calfs were a bit sore too. Maybe it's just lack of miles recently but that's never been a problem before. Strangely enough they seem ok after today's run. I paid special attention to rehydrating today. Seems to have worked.

Wore my new road shoes (Asic Gel Kayano 13's) for the first time today. Felt pretty good.

I performed the Polar Optimiser test yesterday to check out my VO2max (or at least the Polar equivalent). It's 51 which is excellent for my age group and even good for a 20 year old (compared to Paula Radcliffe's 80). I reckon I need to try and get it near to 60 before the Jungfrau.

Will probably take the dog out on an easy run tomorrow.

Back on track (famous last words?)

Cool but sunny spring evening, the Chiltern Hills bursting into leaf and just me and the dog cruising down the paths and bridleways. Fantastic. What more can a man ask for? Felt great to be back in action again. Slight hint of the old calf strain but I reckon its mostly in my mind. Looking forward to a great Easter weekend.

Still no news from the cardiologists. That's fine by me.

Ich lerne Deutsch

Well, after the inital fuss and panic from the cardiologists I've yet to hear about my seven day heart monitor. I suspect that they are trying to fit me in to their existing appointments. So, in the meantime I'm busy learning German while driving to and from work. It beats listening to the banal tripe on the radio these days. Is it me or is even Radio 4 annoying as hell, especially that John Humphrys? His permanently confrontational attitude winds me up something chronic.

Anyway, the CDs I use are excellent. They are by Michel Thomas (amazing life story). I learnt French with his CDs last year. I learnt more in an hour with them than I learnt in four years at school. Criminal!

Haven't been running since Saturday as my calves have been aching. That's what taking six weeks off running does for you. It's both my calves so I don't think it's anything to do with the recent calf strain in my left leg. I'll hopefully get out tomorrow (Wed) night.

On a more poignant and pertinent point it would have been Tony's 43rd birthday today. Indeed it is his twin brother Bob's birthday today. Happy birthday bros.

Auf Wiedersehen pet!

Heart to heart

The good news is that I passed the treadmill test. No signs of any heart disease under stress. For those of you interested in such things the test consisted of 3 minute stages at gradually increasing speeds and inclines with the 7th and last stage being 10mph on a 22%(!) incline. Needless to say I didn't make it that far. I got to stage 5 (just), 5mph @ 18%. Not bad as I'm still training at 5mph @ 15% on my own treadmill and I don't usually run with 12 leads dangling from my chest and a blood pressure collar attached to my arm (my blood pressure was perfect by the way) .

Anyway, here's the bad news. They want to give me a pacemaker. Not the sort that runs in front of you in a race, the sort that looks like a metal matchbox and fits under the skin in your chest. The 3-day monitor I wore last week showed them some scary results. Remember, I had food poisoning that weekend. In the cold light of day I can see why they are worried. The doctor said that my heart rate was in the 20's during the day (I'm not surprised as I was asleep during the day) and that in one instance it didn't beat for nearly five seconds (which just happened to coincide with the lowest point in my food poisoning episode).

Overall, he is worried that I have bradycardia (very slow heart rate) and that the danger is that I blackout especially while driving. My response is that my low heart rate is exercise induced (my resting rate decreased in direct proportion to the amount of training I was doing), I don't have dizzy spells or feelings of weakness (indications of bradycardia) and that the 3-day recording should be discounted because of the exceptional circumstances. He said he would consult his boss but in the meantime I had to inform the DVLA as they might want to suspend my licence!

So, the position is that I phoned the DVLA and they are not interested (indeed were almost dismissive) and that the consultant has agreed to a retest. They are going to do a 7-day monitoring. If that shows anything to worry about then I don't think I have any choice but to agree to the pacemaker. If it doesn't, then I'm going to refuse to have it fitted.

As regards the running, I've been out twice in the last two days and it's been great. No problems with calf or heart. Even if I have a pacemaker fitted I'm still going to run and still going to do the Jungfrau.

How can running up a hill become so complicated? Stay tuned dear reader.......