RunKevRun - Kevin Taylors Running Blog

Windsor Half Marathon - Withdrawal

2009-09-23T10:25:00.003+01:00

Unfortunately, I have had to withdraw from this years Windsor Half Marathon due to injury. Yet again, my back is playing up and I'm unable to run more than 2-3 miles without pain. It's extremely frustrating and has made me feel quite miserable in recent weeks. I'm visting the gym regularly (using the bikes) to try and keep up my fitness and taking plenty of ibuprofen to keep the pain away...what a bummer. I love running but seem to be plagued with injury, whether it's my shins, back or knees it's not getting any easier :(

Half Marathon Preparation

2009-08-26T12:25:00.003+01:00

I have about a month to go before my third Windsor Half Marathon. The first time was about 8 years ago and I finished in about 2 hours 10 minutes, second time around was last year when I'd broken a rib a couple of months before hand. I hardly trained but had previously ran the London Marathon in the April and felt pretty good once my rib had healed. The week before, I figured that I'd run 8 miles and if I ran that OK then I would still take part. I managed the 8 miles which was tough so decided to take part. I managed 2 hours and 5 minutes beating my previous time on this very hilly course by 5 minutes. This year, I'm in reasonable shape and have done a couple of 10k's and some regular running up to about 5 miles distance. I'm planning to step up each weekend with some shorter distances during the week. This weekend, my long run will be 6 miles, the following weekend 7 miles, then 8 miles and the week before I'm planning on a 10 mile run. In between, I'll be running perhaps 3,4 or 5 miles perhaps twice per week. If I can, I'd really love to break the 2 hour mark but the course is tough and it would be a major result if I did. I guess the main objective is to beat last years time, that will make me happy enough!!

Running In Fuerteventura

2009-08-24T17:38:00.006+01:00

It's been a while since my last post, primarily because I've been on my holidays in the Canaries. I took my running shoes and managed only 3 runs during the two weeks as my back was playing up again. So what was it like running in near 40 degree heat just off the coast of Africa?! It was seriously hot and very windy. I found a great run from Caleta de Fuste, heading north up the coast and back past some really fantastic scenery and of course the chipmonks who live in the rocks. Each run was about 5km, so not ball busting stuff but it kept me relatively in trim with the forth coming Windsor Half Marathon in September. Anyway, here's a couple of pictures of the run taken whilst running!! It was a long old run this one, great scenery but seriously tough battling against the wind!!It doesnt look it in this picture but this was one serious hill at the half way point and had my heart monitor going through the roof!!!

Training For My Sub 50min 10k

2009-07-23T09:41:00.005+01:00

My quickest 10km to date is around 52 minutes and the prospect of achieving a sub-50 minute time seemed almost unachievable until now! I've been running 4-5km at faster pace than my usual longer runs and have been gradually stepping up the distance. Last week, I managed a 6km run in under 30 minutes which was good. I felt pretty tired afterwards but OK. Last night, I set off for what I thought was a 6km run but realised after 30 mins that I was nowhere near home and still had a couple of km to go. I cracked on at the same pace and managed 8.2km in 40 minutes dead which I was really pleased with. I'm feeling confident now about the prospect of a sub 50 minute 10km and just need to organise one now!!! Here's my run, taken from my new Polar Watch.

Asics GT-2140 Running Shoes - Review

2009-07-10T14:08:00.006+01:00

I've had problems with shin splints for the past couple of years, ever since I started training for the 2008 London Marathon. Although I never realised it, previous running specialist have always recommended a structured shoe based on a quick look at me running across the shop!!

The increased intensity of marathon training caused me no end of problems, resulting in numerous visits to the physio and dissapointing marathon time having run whilst injured. I entered the 2009 London Marathon with a view to completing my unfinished business and a sub 4 hour marathon but withdrew due to injury...yes, problems with my shins again.

I've seen a podiatrist, been recommended new shoes but have still felt the need to ice down my shins after every run. Until now.....

8 Weeks ago, I tool a trip down to the Asics Store in Central London and took part in their free Gait Analysis with one of the guys there. He asked me a ton of questions, got me on the treadmill and talked me through the whole process eventually recommending a pair of shoes (Asics GT-2140). I left there £85 lighter but with probably the best pair of running shoes that I've ever had.

In the last 8 weeks, I've been running every other day and whilst I still felt a bit sore at the start the pain and discomfort I felt previously has all but gone.

I'm actually amazed, after spending huge amounts of money on orthotics, podiatry vists and several pairs of running shoes, I'm now running pain free with one simple pair of £85 running shoes.

Improving Running Pace

2009-07-06T11:57:00.004+01:00

My quest continues to increase my running pace with a view to completing my first 10k in under 50 minutes. So far it's going reasonably well and I'm running regularly at 5min km pace but only over about 4km. I ran again on Friday, this time beating my best and managing 19:36 on a day when I was tired and didn't really feel like running. I managed another 4km on Thursday in 20:01 and my last 3-4 runs have all been very close to 20 minutes. I've decided to stick with the 4km for another few weeks and then step up to perhaps 5-6km and see if I can maintain the pace. You'll see from the graph below that I barely edged outside the Max heart rate zone which shows my fitness must be improving.

Running 5 Minute Kilometres

2009-07-01T11:32:00.003+01:00

In my quest to run a sub 50 10k, I've been concentrating my efforts on running 4km at 5 min per km pace. Last night was the first time that I managed to run 4km in under 20 minutes, coming in at 19:49 which I was very happy with. My new Polar RS400SD helped me along the way monitoring my pace and heart rate whilst on the move. Here's my graph...

I found the run reasonably hard and as you'll see from the graph eased out of the 'maximum intensity' zone in the second half of the run. This is when my hear rate went above 180bpm and I was starting to feel it. I must add, that the weather was extremely hot, upwards of 25 degrees and the sun was burning down on me. Still, I made it and it gives me the confidence to build up the mileage at that pace, keeping my focus on that sub 50min 10km.

Polar RS400SD Review - There's More!

2009-06-30T09:04:00.006+01:00

I've had an absolute nightmare with my new Polar RS400SD heart monitor, seemingly being unable to connect to my PC via infrared. Well for all those silly people out there like me, the big red button on the watch is NOT the infrared port where you aim the USB stick!! I've been trying and trying since getting my new watch and only realised yesterday. Now everything works pretty well and I don't really have any complaints. Here's how you should connect your watch to the USB port.

What is the big red infrared looking button all about?!? Anyway, I'm all sorted now and happily uploading my runs and hopefully scoring vitality points towards my PruHealth cover...Hooray!!

POLAR RS400SD Review

2009-06-22T10:24:00.004+01:00

It finally arrived, after about four weeks of waiting Polar sent me my replacement watch!! It appears to work, at least the faulty button is no longer faulty. In the box you should find the following:

Watch
Software (CD)
Infrared USB Stick
Foot Pod
Heart Monitor - the band that goes around your chest.

The first thing that hit me, was the size of the foot pod. It's quite light but I wasnt expecting anything so big. However, once on it was fine and you dont even notice it.

The watch is easy to use, although the buttons can be a little fiddly. It's fine though and has a decent screen so you can see your pace and heart rate.

Off I went for my first little run, about 4km and here are my results.

My Quick 4km Circuit

2009-06-15T14:52:00.002+01:00

I have a 4km circuit that I run regularly, just to give me a good indication of how I'm doing. I ran yesterday in my new running shoes....Debbie's most hacked off that I've bought another pair. It took me 20:22 seconds this time which was OK but it was very hot and I wasn't paying much attention to the time. I'm feeling it a bit in my shins, needed to ice them afterwards which is real pain. The joys of shin splints eh....perhaps icing them after every run is what I need to be doing, and the ibuprofen and the stretching....what next?!?

POLAR RS400SD Hear Monitor Review

2009-06-15T14:42:00.003+01:00

Well, it would be nice to have the opportunity to properly review this product, but it was broken when I got it and had to be returned to Polar UK. Three weeks later, I'm still waiting for my watch and not heard a peep from anybody at Polar in that time. Additionally, each time I ring up I get given the run around and end up holding on the telephone for what feels like hours. The whole Polar customer support thing isn't looking very good. Whilst I did get a great discount via Pru Health, unless the watch works it is a complete waste of time. I'm not happy as you might guess and have just been told yet again that somebody would call me back!!

Dorney Dash 2009 - Results

2009-06-08T11:47:00.005+01:00

It was a wet and windy Dorney Dash, very different from last year!! I headed down there for around 9am and waited around in the wind and rain, managing a little warm up just before the start. There were around 500 people I think which is half the turn out from last year, perhaps the weather had something to do with it...

At 10am the race began and off we went along the right hand side of the lake as you look away from the Boat House. It lashed down on a few occasions and on the first run back to the Boat House, the wind was strong and horrible but I was doing reasonably well according to my watch. At 4km, I was just over the 20 minute mark but I was pretty tired and by the time the half way point came I had dropped off the pace a little. The half way point left me with one more trip up the side of the lake and then the return leg which seemed like an eternity!!

I ended up finishing in 54:03 which was 1:30 quicker than last years race so I was actually quite happy. Still nowhere near 50 minutes but improving all the same!!!

Here's the official results: http://www.sportsystems.net/Dorney/files/ResultsDoDash09All.pdf

Pictures to follow, if I can find any!!

2009 Dorney Dash 10k - Preview

2009-06-04T09:40:00.004+01:00

It's only a couple more days until the 2009 Dorney Dash 10k, a race held at Dorney Lake, the rowing venue for the London 2012 Olympics and home to Eton School's rowing club. It's a fantastic venue, very flat and pretty and ideal for a personal best. Not that I will be looking at a personal best, being a little out of shape this year. I did manage a gentle 4k last night which took me just over 21 minutes and after the Staines 10k, I should be reasonably OK. My worry is the heat, after last years scorcher I was absolutely shot to pieces. Fingers crossed, things will be OK.

POLAR RS400SD Review Part One

2009-05-29T09:45:00.005+01:00

Well, there I was planning to do my review of my new Polar RS400SD Heart Monitor and what happened? The thing doesn't work!! I've had to package it up and send it back to Polar...not quite what I had in mind. To be fair, the guys at Polar were pretty good about things and without hesitation gave me all the info and I duly dispatched it to them. I now have to wait between 5-7 days for it to come back, hopefully in tip top condition!!

Improving My 10k Pace

2009-05-27T10:51:00.003+01:00

In my quest to complete a sub-50 minute 10k, I've done a couple of 4k training runs at under 5 minute per km and have been pretty whacked by it!! With my new heart monitor, I've been banging on 190 bpm towards the end of it. At one stage I hit 197 bpm and thought my head was going to come off!! It appears to be getting easier and I'm feeling slightly encouraged by that. Let's see how the next run goes (Thurs).

POLAR RS400SD HEART MONITOR & WATCH

2009-05-26T09:01:00.004+01:00

I've been looking for a Polar Heart Monitor for the last few months, primarily because as a Pru Health member the Polar watch can monitor my activity and earn me vitality points. I had a good look around and finally selected the POLAR RS400SD which I managed to get for only £135, substantially cheaper than the RRP of almost £300. It arrived on Saturday so I promptly opened it and started setting things up. In the box comes the optional footpad which monitors distance covered along with the USB infrared adaptor which allows you to upload your data from your watch to the PC and training software that comes with the package. It appears to be relatively easy to set up, and I manged a 4km run on Saturday afternoon and successfully recorded my distance but also my heart rate which I guess is what they send to Pru Health. I'll reserve judgement on it so far and will write a more complete review once I've used it a few times.

Training for a Sub-50 Minute 10k

2009-05-23T23:27:00.004+01:00

I'm determined to beat 50 minutes for a 10k at some point this year. My personal best is aroun 51 minutes so I know I'm in touching distance. My plan is to run my usual 4km circuit around the streets of Ashford until I'm regularly running 5 minute per 1km....easy peasy it is not!!

I ran my usual 4km today at a pace of just over 5 minutes per km but was pretty wasted afterwards. It was a good work out and good fun, but I've got far more work to do to reach the sub 50 minute mark!!

2009 Staines 10k Results

2009-05-18T09:04:00.007+01:00

I hadn't really been looking forward to this years Staines 10k as I haven't been training at all. I've hardly run since pulling out of the London Marathon in February, coupled with the fact that on Saturday I was filling my face at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and drinking a fair amount of wine in the process. Anyway, up I got at around 7am had a cup of coffee and some breakfast and started contemplating the race ahead. The sky was blue, the sun was out and all looked rosy. I made my way down to Staines at around 8.20am and lined up with the rest of them. At this point somebody announced over the PA system that there would be no rain until about midday - great I thought, so I removed my waterproof top and decided to run in my very thin Adidas running top.

The race started at 9am and within about 5 mins, the heavens opened and whilst it wasn't particularly cold we all got very wet. I found the race harder than normal but kept focused and tried as hard as I could. I even managed a little burst at the end for the crowds although in reality nobody noticed. My official time came in at 54:13 slightly slower than my normal time but considering I've done nothing, I was quite happy with that.

Here's the official results:

http://www.sportsystems.net/staines10k/Downloads/ResultsStaines10k09All.pdf

I got the usual free t-shirt and a rather expensive looking medal. Roll on the 2010 Staines 10k - I'm determined to crack 50 minutes then!!

2009 Staines 10k - Preview

2009-05-10T10:00:00.003+01:00

Yesterday my entry and race number for the Staines 10k arrived. This year I'll be wearing number 223 and as I haven't been running properly for ages, I thought it a good idea to start today!! So today I got up at 5am, took my eldest son to work and went out for a 2.5 mile run. What a beautiful morning, blue skies, sun shining and not a car on the roads. I'm planning a few more gentle runs this week just to get me up to speed...bit late I know, but better late than never!!

Virgin London Marathon 2010

2009-04-29T09:55:00.006+01:00

The ballot for the Virgin London Marathon 2010 is open and I've just entered.

I'm not entirely sure why, but something is drawing me to do it again despite my injury problems the 2 years running.

Maybe it's because of the funky clothing range this year....is red my colour?!?

The chances of getting a place are very slim, but there's no harm in trying. I'll found out in September / October time as to whether I have a place so we'll just have to wait and see!

Running The Staines 10k

2009-04-28T13:57:00.003+01:00

It's only a couple of weeks away now, 17th May to be precise and whilst I havent entered I am planning to take part. The day before, I'm off to Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for a Masterclass in cooking followed by lunch with Debbie my wife! Let's hope the rich food doesnt hamper my progress during the race.

I'm running the Staines 10k this year just for a laugh and not really bothered about doing a time. I have a couple of friends who are planning to run also, they have persuaded me to take part.

In preparation, I ran 2.5 miles on Sunday and really enjoyed it....it's been a while since I've done 6.2 miles but I'm sure I will be OK!!

2009 Flora London Marathon - It's all over...

2009-04-23T10:31:00.002+01:00

Well this years London Marathon is right around the corner, this coming Sunday in fact and I sadly won't be there. I'm having all sorts of problems with my feet and havent really been running very much at all. I was planning to run the Staines 10k which is coming up soon but honestly dont feel up to it. I'm booked in for the Windsor Half Marathon in September which is something I'm going to work up to and then who knows, perhaps another Marathon. I'm off to Rome in a weeks time and very much looking forward to it - I won't be taking my running shoes...

I'll be back posting just as soon as I'm out running again...Good Luck to everybody who is running on Sunday, I'll be perched on my sofa watching you all!!

Running With Music / Headphones

2009-02-26T12:51:00.003Z

There's quite a debate going on within running communities as to whether or not competitors should be allowed to run with headphones on. Personally I can't imagine running without my trusty ipod, it helps keep me motivated can often give me a real boost during a race. Having said that, I recall reading an article about the Windsor Half Marathon 2008 where a couple of ambulances were having trouble getting to casualties because of a couple of runners listening to MP3 players who didn't hear the ambulance trying to come through. I myself may have been one of these people, although as soon as I heard a toot or a horn I moved over to one side.

I think there's a number of pros and cons but personally I would be a bit disappointed if the events I enter banned the use of headphones. Would it stop me running? Nope, no way and I'm sure I'd get used to it.

I managed 4 miles last night (with headphones) as I'm getting back into things following all the problems with my shins. I used my new orthotics and things were fine, but the odd 4 miler means nothing. I need to get back into some serious training to see how things pan out...watch this space.

Pulling Out of The London Marathon

2009-02-23T15:02:00.002Z

Hmmm...I'm most disappointed that I've had to postpone my second attempt at the London Marathon. Basically I keep picking up injuries everytime I reach about 25 miles per week - it's like my body isnt designed to cope with it. I've been to see John Guthrie again and he's made some alterations to my orthotics but until I've had the chance to really up the mileage, there is no telling whether or not they are going to work. Anyway, I've pulled out for this year and will spend the next few weeks getting back up to speed without the pressure of running a marathon like I had last year. Fingers crossed....

Running - Training Back to Back

2009-01-07T08:52:00.003Z

Last night marked my first in a long line of back to back runs. As part of my training for the London Marathon, I'll regularly be running day after day. This can be quite tiring when you get up to the longer runs but I feel good this morning after running 3.2 miles at a very steady pace.

3.2 miles covered - 30 minutes

5th January 2009

2009-01-06T08:59:00.004Z

It was back into my training schedule after over a week of the lurgy during the Christmas break. It was absolutely freezing last night so I stuck with the treadmill and did a 40 minute jog covering 7km or 4.3 miles. It felt really good getting back into the swing of things and I'm looking forward to my 30 minute run tonight, a nice slow jog so I'm not too tired for my hill work on Wednesday.

4.3 miles covered - 40 minutes

Happy New Year - 2009

2009-01-05T13:17:00.003Z

Well after a really nice Christmas and Boxing Day run, I picked up the Flu and havent run since. I've been feeling really under the weather and not up to running at all but thankfully I'm over the worst of it. I'm planning a 4 mile run tonight as I start stepping up my activity in preparation for this years London Marathon!!

Boxing Day Run

2008-12-30T15:08:00.004Z

After a good old Christmas Stuffing I decided that it would be a good idea to go for a run on Boxing Day. I shoved the kids in the car and drove down to Bedfont Lakes.

http://www.bedfontlakes.co.uk/maps/mappark.htm

The circuit is about 1.7 miles around and I managed to go round twice in what I could only describe as a gentle jog. It was absolutely freezing and very windy but it blew away the cobwebs and I quite enjoyed myself.

3.4 Miles Covered

Right now I'm a bit under the weather and not really feeling up to running. Let's hope I start getting better and can manage some running this weekend. I really miss it when I'm not running :(

21st December 2008

2008-12-22T14:04:00.003Z

With only days left until Christmas 2008, I've been studying my planned training schedule for a sub 4 hour Marathon. Looks like a lot of hard work to me!! Anyway, in my pre-schedule training I managed a relatively gentle 5 mile run yesterday around the streets of Ashford. It took me 44 minutes in total and I felt pretty OK afterwards. Rest day today and then some fartlek training tomorrow, followed by a 3-4 mile run on Christmas Eve!!

5 miles covered - 44:30 seconds

Improving Speed

2008-12-18T10:18:00.004Z

It looks like I'm slowing improving my speed which is good news. I managed 5km / 3.1 miles last night in 25:49 which is 11 seconds better than I've done before. It's a rest day for me today and I'm off to London for a meeting then meeting up with the guys from work for the Gravytrain Christmas drink up in All Bar One, Leicester Square. Me and Debs are off Christmas shopping tomorrow and I'm planning an evening session of speed and hill work - probably on the treadmill as it's a bit cold!!

3.1 miles covered - 25:49 seconds

17.4 Miles So Far Since 1st December

2008-12-17T08:55:00.004Z

I managed an easy 5km run last night, using my new shoes with the orthotics supplied by John Guthrie. I havent really been getting on with the shoes on their own and have had a few problems with my shins - hence trying out the orthotics in these new shoes.

16th December - 5km - 27mins 5 seconds

That makes my total since 1st December: 17.4 miles

I supposed that's just over 1 mile per day, maybe I need to step it up!!

Running With Shin Pain

2008-12-15T16:07:00.004Z

I've been suffering a little with my shins again, despite my new shoes. Because of that I've didnt run over the weekend and wont be running tonight. I have a sports massage booked for tomorrow and then I'll see how things go. I'm planning on running tomorrow night using my new shoes with my orthotics, to see how I get on. Fingers crossed....

Back to Back Training

2008-12-11T08:43:00.002Z

Yesterday was my first back to back training session although I wouldn't have known it. As part of my schedule, I'm running 4 times per week which means that at some point I have to run two sessions back to back. Yesterday was it, and I managed a 5km run in 26 minutes dead, the quickest I've done on the treadmill and pretty good considering that I'd set the machine with a slight incline. That's 11.2 miles covered this week and I've still got Fridays run to do.

Back In The Groove!

2008-12-10T10:08:00.002Z

I'm slowly getting back into the groove and enjoying my running again. I managed a 30 minute speed / hill session on the treadmill last night, running 5k or 3.1 miles. I didn't get on the treadmill until around 9.45pm so was in a rush to get it over and done with. The good thing was after sitting on the sofa for a couple of hours after dinner, I still managed to motivate myself and get going...might have been a different story if I was faced with going out in the cold!!!

First 5 Miler For a While..

2008-12-09T11:25:00.002Z

On Sunday, it was time for a longer run than usual. My plan was to run 2 x my 2.5 mile circuit around Ashford. It was freezing cold so I wrapped myself up and set off at around 3pm finishing in 42 minutes which I was reasonably pleased with.

5 miles = 42 mins

That's an average of 8:24 per mile which was quite an easy pace really, but I enjoyed the run which is good. At the moment I'm not too concerned about speed but more about building up the miles and getting back used to running frequently and building up my strength.

Under 4 Hour Marathon?

2008-12-05T09:18:00.003Z

Over the last few weeks, I've been looking at what it takes to run a sub 4 hour marathon. Effectively to run under 4 hours, you need to average around the 9 minute mile mark. I've not managed this in any run more than about 10-11 miles so far, however my current pace for a 10k is well under that. According to my research to achieve a sub 4 hour marathon you need to be running 20-25 miles per week already!!! I'll probably manage around 15 miles this week, having done 2 x 3.1 earlier in the week and an easy 2 miles yesterday. I'll probably do 3 tomorrow and a longer run on Sunday.

Being really optimistic as I usually am, I think under 4 hours is achievable although a friend of mine who I consider to be extremely fit and a regular marathon runner has never broken the 4 hour mark!!

144 Days to London Marathon 2009!!

2008-12-03T18:24:00.003Z

With only 144 days until the 2009 London Marathon, my training has already commenced. Whilst I'm not fully into any kind of structured training program, this will start 16 weeks before hand, I'm building up ready to commence the plan in January. Basically I'm going to be upping my weekly running to 4 times per week with varying distances. I've run 6.2 miles this week already as follows:

Monday 1st December - 5km - 26.17 mins
Tuesday 2nd December - 5km - 26.08 mins

I'm probably going to rest tonight and do another 5km or 3.1miles on Thursday with a rest Friday, light run on Saturday and a bigger run (maybe 4 or 5 miles) on Sunday.

I'm into new running shoes which appear to be OK and touch wood injury free.

Back on the Road

2008-11-28T09:00:00.004Z

It's been a while since my last post and that's primarily because I've not been running. Not since the Windsor Half Marathon anyway, instead I've had a couple of trips away including Paris and Las Vegas with a short stopover in Santa Monica, Los Angeles where I purchased a new pair of running shoes!!

I bought a pair of Ascics Nimbus 10's under the guidance of my Podiatrist. Hopefully they will do the trick and keep me relatively injury free.

Anyway, I'm back running again with almost 9 miles covered this week and feeling pretty good about things. I've got about 5 months before the 2009 London Marathon and very much looking forward to it.

The Computer Says 'NO'

2008-10-09T16:27:00.003+01:00

I got my letter the other day from the organisers of the London Marathon 2009, they've told me that I was unsuccesful in the ballot and that if I want a place I will have to run for charity again. It's not the end of the world, but I would have prefered to have got my place and simply made a donation to African Revival personally.

I've been a bit poorly recently with a stinking cold, been off work too which is most unusual for me. I'm recovering slowly and can't wait to get back out running and improve my pace. I really want to complete next years marathon in under 4 :30 who knows maybe even sub 4:15 or less!!! I'll need to put in some stonking training to achieve that but providing I'm injury free I'm willing to go for it.

Windsor Half Marathon 2008

2008-09-23T09:52:00.009+01:00

It's Tuesday morning and I'm still feeling a bit sore. Although I am quietly contemplating a gentle run on either Wednesday or Thursday depending on how I feel. In the meantime, here'a couple of shots taken during the race, aparently there is a video somewhere on the web but I'm struggling to find it.

Windsor Half Marathon

2008-09-22T08:55:00.008+01:00

Well I made it...just about, but the prospect of a personal best was so far from reality that is wasnt funny. The weather was pretty warm for a September lunchtime, that coupled with the fact that the course was extremely hilly and I wasnt 100% fit meant that I finished in just over 2 hours and 9 minutes. I found the race extremely tough, both mentally and physically and I'm pretty sore this morning. However, I did reach the end and beat my previous time on the same course by over 5 minutes, which was done 7 years ago. Anyway, here's the my race as displayed in Nikeplus.

3 Days Left

2008-09-18T14:02:00.002+01:00

It's now only 3 days until the Windsor Half Marathon, and I'm feeling OK. At one point I thought I was going to have to pull out with a nasty cold that appeared to be on it's way. It's never really got there and I'm hoping I'll be fine on Sunday. I'm pretty nervous as it's the furthest I have run since the London Marathon but I've been running a fair bit since, including some seriously hard sessions in searing heat whilst in Spain. Fingers crossed I'll be fine but what would really make things special is a sub 2 hour time, unlikely at the moment with my rib injury and lack of intense training recently but there's always hope!!!

2008-09-17T11:55:00.003+01:00

At last, the video clip of me on the BBC doing my interview with Jonathan Edwards shortly before running 26.2 miles. Looks like African Revival will be showing this clip at the forthcoming Pink Elephant Ball at the Hurlingham Club in London as I've just dropped the DVD down to their office. Half Marathon Sunday and I'm not feeling too good, fingers crossed I will be OK to do it!!

2 Weeks to RunWindsor Half Marathon

2008-09-08T08:46:00.002+01:00

With only two weeks to go until the Windsor Half Marathon, I thought it about time I stepped up my distance. I've been running maximum 6.2 miles since the London Marathon so yesterday was my attempt at upping the distance to 8 miles. I had a good run, fairly easy and in a respectable time of 1 hr 13 minutes which I was pretty happy with. My ribs are still a bit sore but with some ibuprofen inside me, it wasnt too bad. Although my legs are a bit sore today I'm planning to do some serious running this week building up to 10 miles next Sunday. Fingers crossed it will all be OK!!!

3 Weeks to Windsor Half Marathon

2008-09-04T18:46:00.003+01:00

I've been struggling over the last few weeks with my rib injury, this has prevented me from training at all. However, things have improved in recent days and with a few pain killers I've been able to get back to running. I managed a 10k run a couple of days ago to see how things would be and despite some discomfort, I did OK. It took me about 8 or so minutes longer than normal but I was running uphill on the treadmill and hurting a little....well done Kev :)

Anyway, I have just over 2 weeks left until the Windsor Half Marathon which is a little worrying but what the hell, in for a penny, in for a pound. Talking of pounds, I'm happy to say that since returning from Spain I've lost 4-5 pounds in weight, hovering very close to the 13 stone mark which is really what I'd prefer to be my maximum!!! With next years London Marathon fast approaching, I want to be in the best shape possible to achieve my goal of under 4.5 hours!!

Bad News...

2008-08-28T16:47:00.004+01:00

It's looking increasingly like I have a broken rib from playing footie which is hampering my pre-half marathon training. I'm currently unable to train at all, despite taking rather large doses of pain killers and anti-inflammatory. The hospital have told me it will take 3-4 weeks to heal and during which time I shouldnt do any major training, instead sticking to light jobs perhaps in a couple of weeks when the pain has eased off. It seems that the area around the ribs has a very low bloody supply and doesnt heal very quickly - it's also constantly being moved whilst breathing and never gets the opportunity to heal.

It's pretty painful and breathing deeply is a nightmare (something you kind of need to do when running). I'm going to see how it goes, re-look at the situation in another weeks time and then make a decision from there. What a bummer...

Broken Rib or Bruised Rib??

2008-08-26T14:07:00.002+01:00

Whether I have a broken rib, or bruised rib I really don't care - either way, my ribs are hurting big time and preventing me from training. I played football last Wednesday and after a heated 3-1 bashing my ribs were left a wee bit sore. I've taken it easy for the past few days and despite lots of pain killers I'm still struggling. Not really what I needed with the Windsor Half Marathon coming up in about 4 weeks. Fingers crossed, the pain will ease and I can get back into my training regime!!!

Back On The Treadmill

2008-07-30T09:25:00.004+01:00

I'm back on the treadmill now, running 2.5 miles last night at what I would call a decent pace. I'm starting my training for the Windsor Half Marathon which I have run before - my plan is to break the 2 hour mark!! My quickest half marathon was 2 hours, 23 seconds which I ran at a relatively flat Silverstone Circuit - current home of the British Grand Prix. the Windsor run however is quite hilly to say the least, but I'm upping my training to increase my pace over the distance.

This weekend I'm off to Spain for some relaxation but also some pretty intense training. I've got Alex and his friend coming too and I'll be doing my best to get them out of bed early and out running with me before the sun comes up!! They should be as fit as a fiddle with all the pre-season training they have bee doing with Staines Town FC. We'll have to see....

Not Much Running Lately

2008-07-15T12:10:00.003+01:00

I havent really done much since the last 10k where I whipped Will's butt around Ham. I managed a 5k the other day on the treadmill at a steady 5 min per km pace in my quest to break the 50 min barrier on my next 10k outing. That was fun but I fell slightly short on my time so I guess I need to keep trying.

Dysart Dash 10k - Personal Best!

2008-06-30T10:23:00.005+01:00

I ran the Dysart Dash on Sunday, a 10k run around Ham, Richmond. It was an early start (9am) and after an early night with no alcohol I felt in good shape! Will from work was also running and we met up with him just before the race. I went off at a reasonable pace, settling down at around the 2k mark. Will on the other hand had raced off into the distance, never to be seen again I thought....how wrong I was...after about 4k I caught up with him and he looked a little worse for wear. We stayed together for another kilometre but then I eased away slowly and finally finished in a personal best time of 52:50 mins which I was really happy with. It was quite a tough race for me, a few more inclines than I'd like and the undulating surface made it a bit tricky. Roll on the next one....

Official Results: http://www.ranelagh-harriers.com/results/080629.html

Dysart Dash - Here We Come...

2008-06-26T11:17:00.004+01:00

My next race is Sunday, starting at 9am in Ham, Richmond. Debbie, the kids and my parents are all going to show up and support me. I'm also going to be running with Will Martinez from Gravytrain Limited, he's agreed to take part and seeing as he's only in his mid 20's is probably going to put me under some pressure!! He's already ran the circuit a couple of weeks ago but is insistent that he's not been training that much recently. I'm really looking forward to it, not having done a proper race for a few weeks. I did a quick 3 miles yesterday, and will probably leave it now until Sunday....might squeeze in a steady mile tonight but that's it. Rock on Sunday!!!

Keep on Running...

2008-06-23T09:36:00.003+01:00

It's just under a week until my next race - the Dysart Dash, a 10k in Ham, Richmond. I've received my race number through the post and have been allocated number 256...my lowest number ever!! This weekend I've managed 3 runs...as follows:

Fri - 1 mile
Sat - 4 miles
Sun - 2 miles

That's seven miles in the last 3 days, and I'll probably do a couple tonight. I appear to be relatively injury free so very much looking forward to Sunday's race. It's a 9am start so no drinking and an early night on Saturday.

Dorney Dash - 10k

2008-06-18T15:10:00.005+01:00

The Dorney Dash took place a couple of weeks ago at the Eton College rowing centre at Dorney Lake - a fairly nice place for a run!! The circuit was almost two loops around the lake, nice and flat and somewhere a personal best could be achieved. Not for me though, although I came reasonably close...it was a scorcher of a morning and whilst I didnt make a personal best, I did enjoy the race coming in at a respectable time for me of 55:30 mins, in 582nd place out of around 1000 runners. Roll on the next event....

My Treadmill Has Arrived!!

2008-06-02T11:10:00.005+01:00

I ordered a running machine / treadmill a few weeks ago and it finally turned up on Friday. Saturday morning was spent trying to put it together which all in all took about an hour...maybe slightly more but it wasnt particularly hard. One thing to remember though is that you will need a minimum of two people as it weighs a ton!!

I bought the NordicTrack C2500 a mid range running machine priced at under £800. Here's what it looks like...

It's a great machine, has lots of cool features including an i-pod dock and competetive racing mode where you can run against little stick men on the screen...I really like that bit, sad I know. The whole family spend the weekend on it, I did a few runs just to get the hang of it, Archie appears to be addicted to it and Alex decided to be a tough man and go for a run with a rucksack on his back!! Pictures to follow....

Dorney Dash - Another 10k Race!!

2008-05-23T14:59:00.003+01:00

Despite a few niggles from my last 10k run, I've entered a few more recently. The first one is in a couple of weeks and is the Dorney Dash, a reasonably flat 10k run at the Rowing venue of the 2012 Olympics!! Who knows what will happen there, another personal best???

Staines 10k - Personal Best

2008-05-19T08:42:00.007+01:00

I ran the Staines 10k yesterday in just over 53 minutes, that's about 5 mins quicker than I've ever run 10k. That's probably because I've never actually raced that distance, only run it as part of my training for the marathon. It was a good run, a lovely sunny day and an early start which meant I could enjoy the rest of the day once the race was over. Here's a pic of me on the route! I'm planning on some more 10k runs over the summer and in preparation for my winter training, I purchased a running machine yesterday!

Staines 10k - Runner No. 511

2008-05-13T08:40:00.004+01:00

I got my race number through the post this morning, number 511 is by far the lowest number I've ever had. Only a few days left until the not so big day, but I'm looking forward to it. There will be about 600 runners taking part, some quick and some slow. I'll be looking to post a time in just under an hour - if I can manage 55 mins or something like that, I'll be really chuffed!!

The Running Goes On - Staines 10k

2008-05-08T09:22:00.005+01:00

I've been a bit slack in the last week - primarily because I've been really busy at work. I have however managed a couple of games of footie for the Gravytrain team and planning a 5 mile run tonight providing I can get out of here at a reasonable time.

To keep pushing myself, I've entered the Staines 10k in a couple of weeks (9am 18th March). It's a reasonably flat circuit around Staines so I'm planning to go for a personal best - my current best for a 10k stands at 57:47.

Two Weeks Later..

2008-04-28T16:03:00.010+01:00

It's just over 2 weeks since the London Marathon and on Saturday, I was back on the streets running. I put in a reasonably solid 5 miles in my new shoes and with my orthotics, all went well and I've already lined up a half marathon in September and have re-entered the London Marathon in 2009....now that seems like a lifetime away!!!

For those of you interested, here's a link to my Nike+ runs:

http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?l=runners,runs,1693117138

You'll see the big one, you can't miss it really!!!

Here's a few pics of the big day too....

The Race...

2008-04-14T08:56:00.004+01:00

The sun was shining as I made my way to the start. I was feeling good, ready for the challenge that lay ahead of me. I went through my usual routine, massaging my shins with Deep Heat, generally warming up and doing a few stretches. It wasn't long before we were on our way, heading out at about 9 min 30 second pace - my plan was to stick as close to a 10 min mile pace as I could and after the first mile things settled down and I maintained 10 min mile pace with no real problem for the first 12 or so miles.

I passed Debbie and the boys along with the rest of my supporters at about 9 miles and felt pretty fresh and strong with no signs of injury or pain. Things were going well, at least they were until I reached Tower Bridge.

It was about 12-13 miles when the pain in my left foot arrived, I knew exactly what it was and decided to carry on as hard as I could. It slowed me down bit with my pace dropping by a minute a mile. Not the end of the world I thought so I plodded on listening to the shouts and cheers of the crowd, giving high fives to people and generally enjoying things. It must have been about 14-15 miles or something like that when my other foot went and all I could feel was an intense burning in both feet. It was agony and I started to drop off the pace considerably, walking at some points feeling desperately like I wanted to quit. This pain continued until the end of the race and is hurting me right now despite lots of pain killers.

The last few miles seemed really slow and dragged on and on, despite lots of encouragement from the crowd I was in agony. By the time I reached the 24 mile marker I was wrecked, absolutely wrecked and hadnt seen Debbie, the boys or anybody else I knew since 9 miles. I picked up the pace slightly knowing that the end was in sight. The final mile and a half was great with the crowd giving everybody a lift and pushing us towards the end. By this time I was running with a girl called Helen who had given me some encouragement earlier in the race. She spurred me on a lot and for that I'm grateful....she even persuaded me to go for a sprint finish....well, maybe not sprint but I was going for it as I could see the finish in 200 metres!

I made it in just under five hours - my official time is below:

http://results-2008.london-marathon.co.uk/index.php?lastname=taylor&firstname=kevin&club=&gender=&nation=&event_id=MAS&start_no=53075&position=&split=FINISHNET&Submit=show+results+%3E%3E&a=s

4 hours, 59 minutes, 35 seconds

It was a nightmare and I would certainly not recommend running with an injury - I was actually really disappointed with myself after the race. I've since accepted the fact the just running the Marathon is real achievement and something to be proud of...I just wish that my feet had held up and that I could have posted a time under 4 hours 30 minutes....but hey, there's always next year!!!!

Race Morning...

2008-04-14T08:39:00.005+01:00

It was an early start yesterday, getting up at 6am to catch the 6.50am train from Walton on Thames in an attempt to reach the red start by 8.30am. African Revival had arranged for me to take part in a live interview with Jonathan Edwards for BBC TV at 8.50am. Unfortunately I missed the 6.50am train by about a minute and ended up having to wait half an hour for the next.....still, I had plenty of time surely??

At the station, I bumped into an old friend who I hadn't seen for about 10 years - Jeff Hawkins, he's an experienced Marathon runner so we chatted away on the train to Waterloo which resulted in me forgetting to eat my breakfast!!

Once at Waterloo we rushed off to Waterloo East and then onto a train to Greenwich - it was chaos and with people moving so slowly I was beginning to worry about not making it to the interview on time. I made it with about 2 minutes to spare, shook hands with Jonathan Edwards and was straight into live television.....scary!! I did OK (I think) and did my best to talk about African Revival, the two projects they are running and how much money we are raising.

Once the interview was out the way, I made my way back to the start along with Jeff and Luzanne who I bumped into just after the interview.

One Day to Go....

2008-04-12T08:54:00.003+01:00

I've just got out of bed - in under 24 hours, I will be lining up at the start of the 2008 Flora London Marathon with over 30,000 other people all planning to run the 26.2 miles to the finish. I feel OK about it right now, positive and looking forward to getting on with it. The weather forecast looks OK for me, but perhaps not ideal for spectators.

So what's the plan for today? Well I didnt pack my back last night so it might be an idea to do that. I'll be taking a few drinks, change of clothes for after the race, some carbo gels to help stop me hitting the wall.

I get the train up to Waterloo tomorrow at about 7am, then to Waterloo East where I get the DLR to Greenwich which is the closest station to Red Start.

Wish me luck!!

Only 2 Days to Go!!

2008-04-11T15:43:00.004+01:00

With only 2 days to go, I'm really starting to look forward to the big day. My start time is 9.45am and I'll be starting from the Red Start along with approximately 10,000 people, the other 20,000 people will be split into the Blue & Green starts. I've just eaten a big pasta lunch from the local Italian and guzzling water all day. I'll be packing my bag tonight, making sure I have everything and putting my feet up...whilst drinking water and probably eating more pasta...hmmph.

For those of you who don't know, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the 26 mile 385 yards distance, first run in the 1908 London Olympics. I know it's a bit sad but I've been reading up on it decided to share it with you - if you want to know more, here's a link to an article on the Times Website: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article3723766.ece

Only 3 Days to Go....

2008-04-10T23:14:00.006+01:00

Oh my god, it's only 3 days until the London Marathon, I can't quite believe it.

I had a reasonably good day today, no training, lots of water, plenty of carbs and a sports massage to loosen up my muscles ready for Sunday.

I also went up to Excel in Docklands today to collect my runners number 53075 so keep an eye out for me on the telly. It was pretty exciting up there, I know that sounds sad but seeing so many people who have all been working as hard as me (probably harder) made me feel good. I did a bit of shopping, bought some London Marathon running gear, grabbed a bite to eat and then Debbie and I headed home on the train.

I'm in the 'red' start on Sunday and tomorrow will start thinking about packing my bag ready for the main event. It's so close now, it's quite scary - must check the weather forecast!!

Finally, I'd like to thank some of the guys who have sponsored me today - they are:

Rocco - my Gravytrain Limited business partner!
Larry - a friend of ours from Spain - he's actually from Birmingham but we know him from Spain and for the record he's crap at padel tennis.
Mark Cooley - I used to work with Mark, thanks mate!
Ryan - we work together, and he's crap at football....only has one foot!

Thanks guys, really appreciate it - anybody else thinking about it, please go ahead as we havent got long!!!

4 Days to Go....

2008-04-09T19:04:00.006+01:00

I've got 4 days to kill before I do my bit for African Revival - 26.2 miles of blood, sweat and tears.....I can't wait!!! My foot seems OK, have booked in for a sports massage tomorrow and then off to London to get my kit bag and racing badge. Training is over now, so I'm resting and recovering ready for Sunday. Feet up, lots of water and carbs....great!

So what does a Marathon Runner have for breakfast....I have no idea, but I eat Quakers Granola with an Activa Yoghurt....lovely!!

Big thanks to Andrew Willis of Gravytrain and also to Martin Verity from Call Stream who both kindly donated £50 each to African Revival. Thanks guys, I really appreciate it!

5 Days and Counting....

2008-04-08T09:55:00.003+01:00

Only 5 days left....I have a quick visit to the gym tonight, a couple of miles on on the treadmill and maybe 5-6 miles on the bike. I have a big bottle of water on my desk, to make sure I keep hydrated and I'm downing pasta like it's going out of fashion to help load up my carbs.

I was at the House of Lords last night with the guys and girls from African Revival, along with many of their supporters and a handful of marathon runners. It seems I'm not the only one whose had injuries / problems along the way!!

My fundraising is going well but I'm still not there. I'd like to offer a big thanks to a couple of recent sponsors, each donation £100 online.

Izaz Ali - from Lawdit Solicitors
Andy Morton - Herts Insurance

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your support!!

6 Days To Go...

2008-04-07T11:21:00.005+01:00

Just got back from Physio after cycling about 12 miles and running 2 miles this morning at the gym. I had no pain in my foot this morning, just a rather strange feeling on the outside of my heel....wondering if that might be in my imagination?!?

I'm off to the House of Lords this evening for the African Revival reception, hopefully it will be fun. Only six days left now...

Seven Days To Go

2008-04-06T22:40:00.003+01:00

This time next week, it will all be over! It was my 39th birthday yesterday and I had a few drinks to celebrate, those were the last drops of alcohol to pass my lips before the big day. I've been working hard over these last few months to prepare for the marathon and right now, I'm nervous, excited and really keen to get on with it. This coming week will see me load up on carbs, take on lots of water and mentally prepare myself for 26.2 miles of hard work!!

I'm off to the House of Lords on Monday evening for a drinks reception being held by African Revival, really as a thank you for our efforts (there are 10 other runners raising money for African Revival). If all goes according to plan, we'll raise £25,000!!

I'd like to thank everyone who has already either donated online or pledged their support. If you havent already done so, please dig deep and make a donation no matter how small, it all goes towards making a real difference.

Good News!!

2008-04-03T08:59:00.004+01:00

The good news is that I'm most definitely on the mend, I managed a 2.5 mile run yesterday with little or no pain in my foot. I'm booked in to physio on Friday, followed by a couple of sessions before just to keep me on the right track!! I'm not going to be running any more than 2.5 miles before the big day at the moment essentially not taking any risks. Instead I'll do a couple more 2.5 mile runs and a couple of 20 mile bike rides before training stops on Wednesday.....I've then got a few days to put my feet up, load up on carbs and pack my bag!!!

I can't quite believe it's come round so quickly - I've had my ups and downs but am now really looking forward to it. Whatever happens, I'll be dosing up with Ibuprofen and any other pain killers that i can get my hands on, just to make sure I get round!!

Oh, just remembered that I'm also off to the House of Lords for a little thank you bash with African Revival...that should be fun.

Less Than 2 Weeks to Go!!

2008-04-01T18:52:00.003+01:00

Still suffering a little with my foot injury, my physio and podiatrist are doing everything in their power to get me back to normal. I'm doing everything I can too, including icing my foot, taking vast amounts of Ibuprofen both orally and via massage gels and maintaining some kind of training plan. Right now the running has been pretty much out of the window, however I'm keeping up my fitness by cycling 20 miles or so every other day.

The pain I've got is far less than after my gruelling 18 mile run, but so far I haven't really tested it in anger. The physio has given me the green light for a run tomorrow so I will be keeping my fingers crossed - probably my toes too, but that might hamper my running.

Looks like the Richmond & Twickenham Times are going to be featuring some of the guys and girls running for African Revival - me included. That being the case I'm really keen to reach my £2500 sponsorship figure but I'm still someway off with only 2 weeks to go.

Please lend your support, I'm working really hard myself and all I'm asking is for a couple of quid - if enough people spend a couple of quid African Revival can do a lot with the money!!

Recovering From Injury

2008-03-26T10:43:00.004Z

It's been a tough week or so, back and forth from the Activ8Rehab in Chertsey and still suffering with my foot. It appears that my intensive training schedule and poor running stance has resulted in aggravating my 5th Metatarsal causing me considerable pain and frustration, not to mention the fact that I havent really been able to run. I've managed a couple of 2.5 milers since my last big run and today managed 2.5 miles at 6am this morning, that went OK but I still have some tenderness and pain in my foot. I'm off to Physio today, so we'll see what they say - hopefully I'm on the mend but I am slightly worried about the main event. On a positive note, both my podiatrist and physio seem to think that I'll be OK for the big day and that I shouldnt risk doing any really long runs before hand so as to minimize the risk. Fingers crossed, I'm still hanging in there and more determined than ever!!

18 Miles of Running - 10 Miles of Pain

2008-03-17T15:53:00.002Z

I'm feeling a little down after the weekend, despite running around 18 miles yesterday in the pouring wind and rain. I've done something to my foot and it hurts.....a lot! I had a busy day ahead of me on Sunday and somehow had to fit in an 18 mile run. I got an early night on Saturday and set the alarm for 6am on Sunday, hauling myself out of bed, downing some breakfast and starting my warm up.

I left the house at around 8.15am and headed out on my 18 mile run in torrential rain, and strong winds. Within about 10 minutes, I was absolutely soaking but I kept plugging away drinking from the little drink containers in my new Adidas belt. Debbie & Archie appearing on route every now and then to top me up with fluids. It was a seriously long run, which took me just over 3 hours - over 50% of it with some pretty serious pain in my left foot. I have know idea what caused it, but as I sit here now even with a load of pain killers I hurts :(

My foot is swollen and bruised and I can't see myself being able to run for a few days which is a real bummer. A visit to the physio first thing this morning put my mind at rest to a certain extent but there is always the concern that as I step up the mileage, I feel even more pain. At the moment, it seems like one thing after another so I'm booked in to see John Guthrie the podiatrist again tomorrow - see what he has to say.

All in all, I'm a bit down but do feel a sense of achievement having completed my longest ever run of 18 miles. Next weekend I'm scheduled to run 20 miles and then I start slowing down in preparation for the big day - The Flora London Marathon!!

Adidas Silverstone Half Marathon

2008-03-11T09:32:00.007Z

The last time I went around Silverstone, it was at over 100 mph in my VW Polo G40 race car finishing in second place in the pouring rain!! This time I knew it would be very different, running 13.1 miles with over 5,000 other people.

We set of early Sunday morning, arriving at Silverstone at around 10.30am. I was hoping that was early enough but with 1000's of cars trying to get in the car park we didnt get parked up until just before 11am. It was all a bit of a rush but I got my number and timing chip and made it to the start with about 10 minutes to spare - ending up in the 3 hour category, I knew I was in for some serious overtaking going into the first corner... something I loved doing at Silverstone!!!

Anyway, off I went at a reasonably steady pace with several thousand people in front of me. There was no diving down the inside of people at the first corner but plenty of people dashing to the barriers for a wee!! Most of them were guys but I did see one lady crouch down behind the barrier a la Paula Radcliffe but what she didnt realise was that the barrier had big gaps in and everybody could see her bum!!!

As the race went on, I became aware of the fact that my pace was on target for a time of around 2 hours so I kept on plugging away, grabbing a drink at the drink stations and gradually over taking people who had gone off too fast. Mentally I was setting myself little goals, one mile at a time, each drinking station and eventually the half way point. I knew at this point that my first 2 hour half marathon was within reach (just) so I kept pushing and pushing reaching the 8 mile marker where Debbie, Cameron & Archie were waiting for me. That spurred me on as we re-entered the main part of the circuit but I still had over 5 miles left to go and was feeling pretty tired.

I had my ipod blasting out all my favourite tunes and the crowd really helped, clapping and cheering everybody on. At the 11 mile point, I figured that I'd do a steady mile and then step things up for the final mile and a bit. The 12 mile board came and went and there was no way I could step up a gear, instead I gave myself a little push on the 13 mile board only to be completely exhausted with around 100 metres or so left. I made it though and came really close to a sub 2 hour time, finally crossing the line in 2 hours and 23 seconds...if only I had tried a little harder!!! After finising I was so hungry and dived straight into one of the energy bars that I found in the finishers pack!!

After fighting my way through the crowd, I found Debbie & the boys waiting for me, along with James from African Revival who gave me a pat on the back!! It was a great day and I was really chuffed to have finished in the time I did......my next big run is 18 miles on Sunday!!! Oh man!!!

Half Marathon Completed

2008-03-03T14:47:00.005Z

Yesterday was my first half marathon since the Windsor Half Marathon back in 2001. No alcohol on Saturday night, and an early night saw me up at 7.30am on Sunday some breakfast inside me and off out the door at 9.25am. Just over 2 hours later, I returned having completed 13.1 miles and a big smile on my face!

After some stretches and a quick shower, I was straight in the kitchen preparing lunch / dinner for nine people for Mothers Day!!

For those of you who fancy a look at my run, click below:
http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?l=runners,runs,1693117138,runID,417384882

Next stop - 5 miles Tuesday, 8 miles Wednesday and then the Silverstone Half Marathon at....errr....Silverstone?!?!

Life With The Runs...

2008-02-28T09:03:00.005Z

I'm feeling good - had a couple of days off after my 12 miles because I was in Ireland on Tuesday and returned to my running last night with a 5 miler....easy peasy!

So far I've run 120 miles with my Nikeplus thing and probably another 20-30 before I got that. Here's a history of my runs since getting my Nike gadget.

http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?l=runners,runs,1693117138

I have another 8 miles to run tonight, followed by 13.1 miles which I'm going to try and fit around Saturday.

Things are a bit slow on the sponsorship front but I'm getting there. If anybody fancies making a donation feel free!!

Oh and by the way, John Guthrie the Podiatrist came down from Scotland with the new inserts for my running shoes. I haven't tried them out yet as I've got to ease gently into them but will give them a shot in the next few days.

12 Miles Completed

2008-02-25T11:51:00.004Z

Yesterday was my first run over 10 miles since 2001 when I did the Windsor Half Marathon. I'm in much better shape thanks to my training this time around and found the 12 miles reasonably OK. It was tough in stages but was never a real problem - for those of you interested in seeing my run, here it is:

http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?l=runners,runs,1693117138,runID,417376363

I have the next two days off running as I'm travelling to Ireland early in the morning and wont be returning until around 11pm on Tuesday night. That rest should set me up nicely for my 8 mile run on Wednesday...., then 5 miles on Thursday, some interval training on Friday and whooopeeee a HALF MARATHON on Sunday!!

It's Mothers Day on Sunday and I'm cooking so it looks like I'm going to have to get up really early to get that in before my cooking!!

So Much For Sunny Spain - Great Weather For Running!

2008-02-19T18:19:00.004Z

Well we arrived late on Saturday night, reaching the apartment in the early hours of Sunday morning. Desperately hoping for some sunshine, we got up early on Sunday morning to find a cloudy sky and low temperatures...ideal weather for running!!!

So with perfect weather for my 10 mile run along the sea front, I set off late in the afternoon. Despite strong wind and rain, I got right into the swing of things and really enjoyed the first 7-8 miles, the next 2-3 were a bit tougher as the wind was up by then and I was running against it!!

http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?l=runners,runs,1693117138,runID,551774012

The above link is to my 10 mile run, and below is the 5 miler I have just finished. Again a good run but this time around the sun decided to make an appearance.

http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?l=runners,runs,1693117138,runID,820023637

That's 15 miles I have done in 3 days here in Spain with another 8 miles to go tomorrow before we head home to England.

Spain Here We Come...

2008-02-15T12:19:00.009Z

Right - I'm off to sunny Spain tomorrow for some relaxation ...errr... and some more training!! We're heading off to Almerimar for a few days.

While I'm there, I have a 10 miler to get through on Sunday and fully intend to run along the promenade in the picture for 5 miles and then run back again!! I'll have the sea on my left and the snow capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada on the right...and then the other way around when I'm running back. I've also got a 5 mile run on Tuesday, followed by 8 miles on Wednesday which is when we head back to the UK.

All round, I'm feeling pretty good and this week managed 5 miles on Monday followed by just short of 8 miles on Wednesday with some interval training lined up for tonight. Shins are holding up, my rest day yesterday seems to have got rid of all the aches and pains and I'm raring to go....Spain, here we come!!!

Start of Week 8

2008-02-11T11:16:00.000Z

Last week was a killer, I pulled my hamstring playing football on Tuesday for the Gravytrain Limited team. This happened within the first 5-10 mins of the match and luckily for me Simon had turned up and was able to replace me.

The next day saw me visiting John Guthrie the podiatrist from Scotland, he drew some lines on my feet, got me on the running machine whilst filming me and then put both my feet in casts. The whole thing was a bit weird and a nightmare if you have tickelish feet. I'm back to see him on the 27th Feb when my custom inserts should be ready for my running shoes. This is aparently going to sort out my shins once and for all....bloody well should for £300!!!

Anyway, back to the training schedule - with my dodgy hamstring, on Wednesday night I managed a 2 mile run, more to see how my hamstring would hold up. It was OK but I could still feel a degree of pain. Thursday was my rest day and because of my problems I went out to do 10k (6.25 miles) on Friday night. This went well left me thinking that I was back on the mend. Then...on Saturday night I decided to drink far too much leaving me with little chance of finishing the planned 10 miles on my schedule.....I didnt finish it, managing only just 4 miles feeling totally dehydrated and with cramps in my legs. I won't be doing that again!!

Injury Threatens..

2008-02-06T08:45:00.000Z

I'm off to the podiatrist today to see if he can fix my legs - his name is John Guthrie and he's aparently coming down from Scotland to see me. It's costing me an arm and a leg too and to make matters worse I played footie last night for the Gravytrain Limited side and tugged my hamstring. Right now it hurts a fair bit and I'm going to have to run on the treadmill for this chap - coupled with that I have an 8 mile run to complete tonight. I'm really not sure how it's going to be and slightly worried about the impact it's going to have on my training schedule. Fingers crossed I'll be OK but only time will tell.

Another bit of news is that I've been entered for the Adidas Half Marathon on 9th March at Sliverstone Circuit. African Revival have paid my entry and described it as a warm up!!! It seems that prior to taking part in the London Marathon I will have completed at least six half marathons....I can't quite believe that at the moment. Especially considering how I felt after my very first half marathon which was six years ago.

This Week's 23 Mile Target

2008-02-04T09:16:00.000Z

Well here I am - the start of week 7 of my training schedule. So far things appear to be doing OK but I'm somewhat aprehensive about the step up in miles this week. On Wednesday I'm jumping up to 8 miles with Friday up to 5 and Sunday I'll be doing my best to run 10....that's 23 miles this week plus an intensive game of Football for the Gravytrain Limited team!!

I'm off to see my Physio this afternoon followed by a visit to this podiatrist chap, John Guthrie - let's hope he can get me sorted. I'm a bit sore today after my 8 mile run last night but not as bad as I thought.

Yesterday's 8 Mile Run:
http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?l=runners,runs,1693117138,runID,350427436

6 Mile Personal Best

2008-01-31T09:02:00.000Z

Last night I had six miles to do which I wasn't really looking forward to. I played football on Tuesday for the Gravytrain Limited team and we got beat 7-6, this tough game left me with a pulled hamstring and some pain in my ankle..

What did I do? Instead of resting and perhaps swapping my run with my Thursday rest day, I decided to take a few pain killers, have a good warm up and get out there running. The first couple of miles were a bit of a nightmare and I wondered if I would be able to make it round. I got my head down, stuck with it, and focused on reaching each the end which I did in record time completing 6.25 miles (10k) in just under an hour.

I'm feeling it this morning but at least today is a rest day - if you want to see my run and particularly where I pressed the 'power song' button on my ipod, take a look here.

http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?l=runners,runs,1693117138,runID,1558436492

8 Miles High

2008-01-28T10:23:00.000Z

Well, that's my first 8 miles done and I didnt find it too difficult. In fact, I reckon that I could have added a few more miles. I'm putting down the main reason for this, is the bowl of pasta that I ate 2 hours before. Having enough fuel in your body makes a serious difference and it's beginning to dawn on me that my diet is going to have a much bigger role in my training than I first thought.

Overall the run went really well and I was chuffed to complete it with no major problems. Debbie & Archie drove round to meet me along the route to give me a quick drink. It helped even though the container was abit of a nightmare to drink out of!!

See my run:
http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?l=runners,runs,1693117138,runID,887227185

End of Week Five

2008-01-25T09:34:00.000Z

I can't quite believe that I've reached the end of week five of my training schedule. Injury wise I have a couple of niggles but I'm looking forward to my 8 miles on Sunday. I've got some intervals tonight and as long as I warm up properly I should be OK.

Things are a bit quiet on the fund raising front, I'm hoping that it's because it's January and everybody is skint. I'll send everybody a reminder early next month, get you all dipping your hands in your pockets for some ££'s

Next weeks schedule? Here goes...

Sun - 8 miles
Mon - REST DAY
Tue - Gravytrain Football
Wed - 6 miles
Thu - REST DAY
Fri - 4 miles
Sat - REST

Only 18 miles in a week - what a breeze....errr, don't I have to do 26+ miles in one day?!

16 miles in 4 days....that's about 25km

2008-01-24T11:02:00.000Z

I'm sitting at my desk at work feeling the aches and pains of running 16 miles in 4 days. Sunday was a 6 mile run, followed by 4 miles on Tuesday and a further 6.2 last night. I ran 6.25 last night, as it's 10km. So that means that I've done 25km in the last four days, does that sound better than 16 miles??

Anyway, I'm feeling pretty tired and not particularly looking forward to my big run on Sunday (8 miles) but with a couple of rest days in between I should be OK.

My shins seem to be OK, although this pain in my right calf won't go away and the greater the distance the worse it seems to get. I'm back to Physio on Monday and hope she can point me in the right direction.

So What is a Podiatrist?

2008-01-21T19:59:00.000Z

According to my business partner, a podiatrist is somebody you go to when your iPod is broken...

My physio on the other hand thinks I need to see one to fix the problems with my shins. Don't get me wrong, things are definitely getting better but with every time I up the distance I seem to get more and more aches and pains.

Since my last post, I managed a reasonably swift 3 mile run on Friday, followed by a 6.1 mile run on Sunday with no major problems.

Anyway, it appears that I'm being booked in to see a Podiatrist at great expense - this guy aparently flys down from Scotland to see people, perhaps I'm paying his air fare?!?

Some stats....(Since I started the whole Nike+ iPod thing):

Distance Covered = 21.92 miles

Average times = 9.57 mins per mile

And for the record, my power song is 'Eye of the Tiger' by Survivor!!

My New Running Shoes

2008-01-19T12:56:00.000Z

My new Nike Structure Triax +11 shoes appear to be doing the job. According to the physio, they are built for mild over-pronators who require a combination of cushioning and stability.

Basically, when I run my feet land on the outside and then roll inwards. This can cause pain and discomfort in my shins, which is exactly what has been happening to me!!

The are pretty comfy and don't look too bad either - more importantly they are Nike+ which means they work with my ipod.

On The Road to Recovery

2008-01-17T16:37:00.001Z

Well after a couple of sessions with the Physio and some new running shoes, my shins appear to be on the mend. Here's what I've done since my last post...

Fri 11th - 2 miles (fast, slow, walk)
Sat 12th - REST
Sun 13th - 6 miles (steady pace)
Mon 14th - REST
Tue 15th - Football - haven't a clue how far I ran but we won 5-3 (Come on Gravytrain)
Wed 16th - 5 miles (av. 10.03 per mile)
Thu 17th - REST

At the moment, I'm looking forward to my rest days allowing myself to recover. My shins seem to be holding up but I have physio session on Monday after my next 6 mile run, so fingers crossed.

No Pain, No Gain...

2008-01-10T12:08:00.000Z

After an action packed Gravytrain football match, my shins were hurting somewhat...if I'm honest, my shins were hurting on Sunday after my 4 mile run but I figured my new Nikeplus running shoes would do the trick.

How wrong I was....off I went last night with my new running shoes and Nike's new little gadget wirelessly attached to my sons ipod nano. The new piece of kit is great, but my shins gave up after about 2 miles with me having to hobble home in the cold and wet. As you might imagine I wasn't happy and have promptly booked myself into Activ8 Rehab who looked after my knee when that went.

Fingers crossed, they will get me sorted and back running...in the meantime, I'm going to be working on my upper body strength with some work down the gym.

Gravytrain Football or a 3 Mile Run?

2008-01-09T10:26:00.000Z

What a dilema, my schedule last night meant that I should doing a 3 mile run, on the same night as the Gravytrain football match. I'm keen not to give up on the footie and let my team mates down, but equally need to keep up my training programme. My solution? I've decided to replace my FARTLEK training on Fridays with a 3 mile run and play football on Tuesday as part of my FARTLEK training...does that sound like it makes sense?!?! I haven't got a clue but that's what I'm doing.

Anyway, that was last night and the Gravytrain Limited team got a right bashing losing 9-1 to My Little Pony FC. It was a real struggle for most of us including me as my shins were playing up from all the running I've been doing. Still, with my new running shoes and an adapted running stance the pain in my shins should improve...according to Wikipedia anyway!!

Finally, I'd like to thank the guys at Mortgageplus.ie who have very kindly agreed to sponsor me to the tune of around €300 - Mortgageplus are Ireland's leading online mortgage broker and also a customer of Gravytrain Limited

End of Week Two

2008-01-07T17:19:00.000Z

Well, I'm two weeks into my sixteen week training schedule and desperately in need of some new running shoes. I popped into the SweatShop in Teddington on Saturday to see what I could find but it was so packed in there, myself and the family ended up going for lunch in Cafe Nero. Then we're off to Kingston to have a look at the new Nikeplus gear.

OK - so what is it? Well it's a tiny little device that sits inside your trainers and connects wirelessly with your Ipod nano...cool eh? Aparently it talks to you, plays you music and tracks your progress, distance, heart rate and pace etc. And it's only £20, providing you have an ipod nano (which I don't) and the required pair of Nike running shoes which I don't have either, well at least not yet anyway. So another week goes by and I finish off with a 4 mile run around Ashford which at 8.30am and with no breakfast inside me wasnt very funny. However, it had to be done really unless I was going to get up at 6am...which I wasnt!!!

Now starts a week with a rest day (today) and a trip back to the SweatShop for those sexy Nike running shoes. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Bedford Insurance very kindly sponsored me today, to the tune of £500 - Thanks a million guys, that is very generous!!

The Weather Drops - Kev Gets Cold

2008-01-03T08:45:00.000Z

I got home last night at around 6.30pm and noticed the temperature gauge in my car was showing 2 degrees, not exactly the weather I wanted for my run. Aparently we have snow on the way, thankfully I have a day off running today :) then back to training on Friday.

I checked out the fund raising website this morning, and my good friend Jim Edwards, he's a famous racing driver has made a generous donation. Thanks Jim and see you soon..

To sponsor me, fee free to visit

JustGiving.com/RunKevRun

See you soon

Welcome to RunKevRun

2008-01-02T16:32:00.000Z

OK - here goes...

I'm running the London Marathon on 13th April 2008 and it's gradually starting to dawn on me how close that really is. I started training on 23rd December and have had Christmas and New Year to contend with since...too much food, too much booze and not enough training. That said, I have manged to run about 13 miles during Christmas and New Year with short 3 miler to do tonight. All in all, by the time the Marathon comes around, I will have run approximately 450 miles...blimey that sounds a lot, I think I'm gonna have to purchase some new trainers!!

By the way, I'm running for a charity called African Revival and trying to raise £2500 for them in the process.