3 Weeks and Counting....

I did my longest run this weekend….ever! 18 miles...it was ok, energy wise I felt fine, a few little aches as I went on, but nothing serious, my worst injury form the weekend, was again a couple of points on my chest, and also my iphone strap rubbing….tres sore!

I did my normal routes; I won’t bore you with the details…however I did kill a very steep hill @ mile 15 which I was very impressed with myself.

One more week of intense runs and a big 20-21 miler on Saturday, that’s the maximum I will go to, then start to taper down…I am so pleased the clocks have gone forward…no more running in the dark…I also get to do more with the Kids….

Really concentrating on eating well and not drinking ….much….I had a few glasses on Saturday night with some pals….very nice it was too!
Also I have knocked Caffine on the head…I have done now, for 10 days…and I’m not sure how I feel about that ( if I feel better or not)?

Feralyn and the children have been fantastic while I have been training…really letting me get on with it, also letting me recover after 18 miles does take an hour or so, with an ice bath etc! They think I’m a nutter!

Must crack on now….very busy at work…as some of you will be pleased to know….the wonderful world of Mavala!

If you haven’t donated to my charity….sooner rather than later would be fabulous!

I am getting very excited!!!! I’m like a big kid.

Thanks for reading……
Jonathan

Oh I do like to be beside the Seaside!

All is going well….touch wood and keeping everything crossed!
Last week I trained 5 nights, session down the gym a rest day on Saturday (which was fanbloodytastic), and the Hastings Half Marathon Yesterday!

Trainings were ok, various routes around town, including Lorraine’s 10k, St Marks Loop, and a Tesco Sprint…these mean nothing to anyone but me, probably I will link all these together over the next few weeks to build some miles up! I can’t wait for the clocks to change; I’m a bit fed up running in the dark.

As for the half marathon I took it all very seriously, ate well, slept well, up early etc
I really wanted to beat my previous time; this is the only way to go!

I set off well and by pure fluke found myself by the 9 minute mile pacer, I ran with her for a while but I thought I could push on, so I did, quite hilly the 1st part, flattens out after mile 7, the crowds were out and cheering everyone along, I knew no one but still it really helps…any how a bonus of this race was that Feralyn and the Children were at Feralyns Aunts House (Ganty) which is on the route, this was at mile 10, I could of cried when I saw them…I’m useless like that! Really really lovely to see them, they had made flags and bought me drinks etc…I was well chuffed, so I took a deep proud breath and went on for the last 3 miles…quite hard but I put this down to psychologically knowing that your nearly finished…… I managed to wipe off 4 minutes…1.51.15secs official time…which was nice! Averaging 8.33 miles an hour I think? Tres Happy!

I picked my medal up, got my bag, changed my top and took a jog back to Feralyn for an ice bath, followed by a hot bath followed by lunch……followed by hide and seek with the kids, and yes I won, they had to get mummy to help!

2 weekends of big runs left now, it really isn’t long to go, Feralyn still is brilliant at getting me out there running and looking after the home front!

Thank you to all of you who have donated, I am up to £1200, so nearly half way!

http://www.justgiving.com/Jonathan-Hodge

Thanks for Reading…..I’m off for a run!

Grumpy!

Grumpy wasn’t the word to the way I felt on Friday night, I should be out or at least having people round, but as I’m not drinking, I don’t really feel like socializing, is that bad of me, perhaps I was just in one of those moods…….any how, my motivational guru turns up and gives me a right talking to! For those that don’t know who she is, she really is the best money or love can buy…that will be my eldest daughter Imogen (8).

In a nutshell pull your socks up and get a grip, life’s too short to mope around.
That type of talking to costs a fortune in the therapists chair!


The Martyr I am I swapped my Sunday run to a Saturday run, for Mothers day! and decided to retrace from last week, but my bloody sat nav played up a again, and whilst I was in the loo at Dunorlan park, It gave me another 2 miles!!! If only it was that easy!

Lovely run, but Saturday is clearly a different day, I was amazed as to how much busier it was, loads more runners out (maybe the Weather has an effect) and also the traffic.

The 1st part (Lorraine’s 10k) was ok, few little niggles from my shins…but again, once I climbed the hill over the A21 all pain disappears, same as last week, weird things happen at about 4 miles, your body starts doing things on its own…..delving in to fat stores for added energy and funny hormones kick in!....apparently…..?

I make my way back to the park, pick up my drink and refuel as it where, go to the loo and gain 2 miles which really bloody annoys me! I have the time from last week so I can see how I do against that, 2.06 last week, so I’m tracking ok, over the other side of Tunbridge Wells now, St Marks and Broadwater Down, cross over the Frant Road across to The Crowborough Road back up to Tunbridge wells up on the Common, to the Groombridge road, where Arron correctly guessed a face down playing card that someone had dropped, I do believe he’s still got it in his wallet for luck!

Any way I digress back along the top, then cut straight through town back up the hill to the park gates an back home! 2hrs on the nose and very happy with that!
I didn’t feel too bad, It is a really nice run, next week I have to add some miles, so I’m thinking of re – running the Lorraines 10k or another route, Im not sure yet!

I have 5 runs this week, including sprints, steadies and a 10k tomorrow, which I am looking forward to…believe it or not!

Thanks for reading, and if you have sponsored me, thanks again.

Justgiving/jonathan-hodge

I’m off for a rubdown!

Frustrated of Tunbridge Wells!

A Cracking week of running last week…well I lie a little, Monday was a rest day after the ½ marathon and I was ill on Tuesday so that was off…..then I did a little on the treadmill @ the Gym on Wednesday….Soooooo Boring!

On Thursday I went out and was quite looking forward to a mid week 10k, but my shins where killing me, and rather run with an injury, I came back in early, I was really peeed off, and starting to worry a bit as I really want to run a sub 4, so I need to train!

Any how I rested on Friday which was nice…..and went for a gentle jog on Saturday morning, with a LSR (Long Sunday Run) in mind! It went ok, I could feel a little discomfort but ok…..

So Sunday dawns and it was a cracking morning, really frosty, I was out at 6.30 , I had my new power gels for my run,(like frube yoghurts, but concentrate lucozade) and stashed a few on the way out at a cross over point about 10k in.
The first part I was really nervous about running (shins) so took it really easy, it went well, loving it, at the top of the hill by the A21 which is very steep, all pain had gone! And I made the hill no problem at all……I hate to say it but I’m really felling the benefit of not drinking! (normal service will be resumed)…any way on I go, pick up my gels and drink, and off I go on anther 10k, I felt really good….not fast at all, but I was thrilled with my fitness, and my recovery…..how I will feel over the next few weeks, I don’t know, as I have 4 LSR’s left 15, 17, 19, 21 miles then 2 weeks taper down….then the big day!
Very excited, must stay injury free!

My fundraising is going ok…wasn’t a good week last week as my mum was ill and I was all over the place…but I’m up to £780…. I would love to break the £1000 soon, I need to start talking to people direct….

If you have sponsored me already...Thank you very much!
If you haven’t I’ll look forward to speaking to you soon!

Any how gotta dash……

Thanks for reading!

Come in number 952 your time is up!

Well it was wet, windy, and it didn’t look like it was getting any better…if anything worse! I checked the website, and the race was on. I had invented a pre race routine, eaten carbs like a horse the 2 days previous, no alcohol, which was very testing as we had the lord and lady over for supper on Friday night! Up early on Sunday morning, few stretches little bit of breakfast, sports drink and off I go, kissing everyone goodbye as if this is the last time I’ll ever see them!
It was bloody miserable out, soaked on the start line, we all started the race with Dame Kelly Holmes on the foghorn, off it went! We all ripped off our waterproof ponchos and we all stood there getting wetter….. it took us a few minutes to get over the start line with a couple of thousand runners. I must say there was good banter amongst the runners, which did make up for the terrible weather…..

I must say I felt for the marshals and the spectators as at least we were running and keeping warm, they must have been freezing!

For those that don’t know the course it is lovely, (when the sun shines) 1 lap through the garden of England, starting from Tunbridge Wells, through to Southborough, left along Bidborough Ridge to Penshurst down Rouges Hill, through Penshurst, up Spring Hill to Fordcombe..(I’ll come back to that) out to Langton Green, and basically back in to Tunbridge Wells.

Well I got going fine, and was really enjoying myself, chatting away to a few people along the way, I then spotted a friend (Cliff) and decided to keep him in my sites to pace myself. I was having a ball, speeding up every now and then, dancing through puddles, and running through floods ( really, we were all drenched) I didn’t actually catch up with him until through Penshurst, I grabbed a sports drink in preparation for “The Hill”, which made me feel sick and threw it away.

And on to Spring Hill, now this was the focus and chat for a lot of the runners, and I think I focused on this a little too much, in my mind, get to the top of the hill and your home Jonny boy, no probs, bobs your uncle and so on!
I actually made it up there fine, and as an added bonus Dad and Jean were at the top waiting and cheering me on, (well Jean got out, Dad sat in the car and wound down the window! Ha ha!) This was great!

However I didn’t really realize, even though Feralyn had told me (how she knew I don’t know) that we were only really just over ½ way…….. Well I struggled on from there, I found it really hard work, I was listening to spectators saying nearly there, not long now, last hill etc, I was seriously flagging. I ate a Jelly baby and nearly choked! I was getting bored and the mile signs weren’t coming quick enough.
I saw a few friends on the home straight, which kept me going the last mile, (Clive, Helen and Tonto the dog) they said I looked awful, but we were dodging traffic at that point so I was concentrating on not falling over, getting run over, not walking or passing out! I nearly stopped to stroll for a bit, but I kept on and finished in a respectable 1hr 55mins.04secs…and Dad and Jean were there to see me over the finish line, wooohooo! I was very pleased to finish but a little disappointed. I was pleased with my time, but felt rubbish, no way could I have gone on much further, I have a lot of work to do for London! But I’m thinking a lot lot flatter and maybe the weather won’t be that bad!

The money we are raising for sparks will keep me going, your support and comments will encourage me, so, as I have missed 1 run this week, as I was sick! I need to push on with your help, only 8 weeks to go; I got some miles to do!

Donations are coming along a treat, thank you to all who have donated so far, really really appreciated, if you haven’t…I know who you are…… you can of course donate 2 ways, http://www.justgiving.com/Jonathan-Hodge or you can call me and I will add you to my sponsorship form.



Any how, cheerio for now! I’m off to see to my bleeding nipple!....Nice!