Runnorfolk – have I got this thing right?

I’ve not posted much on this blog recently. But I think about it a lot.

One of the things at the top of my mind is whether I should call it something else. After all there is Run Norwich now – and don’t people get confused?

Actually, I’m not aware of anyone mixing us up – one is a major annual event in the city attracting 6,000 people, and another is a middle aged running enthusiast posting about his runs and running related things which interest him.

But my wife thinks it’s confusing.

Why the Wissey Half took more out of me than I thought

Wissey was the one I’d be training for. After completing Run Norwich in an Ok-ish 52 minutes, it was time to press on and go for the half.

It’s a nice event at Wissey. You start very near to Oxburgh Hall and it’s pretty flat.

Until mile 8 that is.

Running, Elvis, and me

At the end there was Elvis.

The garlanded King of Rock and Roll lookalike was getting all the cheers as my Run Norwich race was drawing to a close.

But as I came up Rampant Horse Street I was reeling him in – showing a clean pair of heels to finish in 53:11.

Whatever else happened I couldn’t let him win!

Run Norwich is a great event – and getting bigger and bigger, in fact I still wonder whether the race has reached capacity and needs a rethink going forward – half marathon, marathon anyone?

Their marketing effort is very impressive, too. Have you tried to spot yourself in the videos they’ve been posting on YouTube, or looked for your name on the the running wall?

A last minute reccy of the Run Norwich route

Run Norwich 2017 is almost here.

You’ve done your training, now it’s race time.

I’ve run it for the last two years – but last year was pretty tough for me so last Sunday, a week before the race, I teamed up with a couple of ex-colleagues, Chris and Mark, to reccy the route, just to get our legs and head around it.

So how did we get on?

Meet the start-up putting Run Norwich runners’ races on the map

If you’re getting ready for Run Norwich on Sunday then good luck with your final preparations!

I’ve picked up my race pack – can’t believe I forgot to order a new running shirt when I signed up, but may pick up another, if I get a chance.

While I was outside the Forum I met Nicola Cage, pictured above, at the impressive looking marathonmaps stand. Nicola is from Norwich and turns out the business marathonmaps.co.uk is a start-up, which she launched earlier this year with the help of her brother Matthew.

Well done Catton Park Run 200! But alas another run fail for Mr Nearly Ran

8.10am – Wife: ‘Aren’t you going for a parkrun this morning?’

Me: ‘Urrgghh – yep, going on my way’

Exit for kitchen, sound of kettle being switched on.

8:21: Me: ‘Cup of tea, for you’

8:34: Me (shouts upstairs to bedroom): ‘Where’s the keys to my bike lock?’

Wife: ‘What bike lock?’

9am: 200th Catton Park Run starts

A little bit of Unthank Road atop a Welsh Brynn and why I didn’t run the Swansea Half Marathon

I’ve just come back from a trip to Wales – Reynoldston in Gower, South Wales, to be precise.

It was great, we stayed in Hills Farmhouse a lovely farm cottage with views towards the bays, somewhere beyond the mist and clouds I think, and the in-laws were there, too, all of them.

It was great…

But actually, I’ve learned something on these trips, when it feels like there are too many people under one roof – take your running kit and head for the hills!

How interval running around Chapelfield Gardens helped me run my first marathon in under four hours

Feeling unfit as he neared 40, Jon Welch, pictured above right, took up running. Fast forward five years and Jon, who lives in Norwich, has just run his first marathon and sub four hours, too.

Running less was key to it – as well as some lunchtime interval runs around Chapelfield Gardens. Here he tells me how he did it.

Was this your first marathon? What sort of running had you been doing before that and why did you decide to step up?

Yes, this was my first. I’d done seven half-marathons before this race, plus a couple of 10Ks and handful of Parkruns. A marathon seemed the logical next step, I suppose.

I remember the London Marathon launching when I was a kid. It was a massive event that seemed to capture everyone’s imagination. Even then I thought it would be great to be a part of something like that, and a real achievement to finish. But it was no more than an idle dream, really – not least because I didn’t run and didn’t have much inclination to start. Much later, once I’d run a few halfs – which once would have seemed impossible to me – I started to think a full marathon might be within my grasp.

Weight for it – my real running goal revealed

How do you incorporate weight training into your running programme?

When I signed up to the Wissey Half Marathon I had a secret running goal in mind, to shed some weight.

The training has been going pretty well. I’m managing a steady three-ish runs a week – short, middle, and a Sunday long run – in fact last Sunday’s run included a bit of August’s Run Norwich route – the steep hill at the end up through to Castle Meadow!

And I’m sort of following the TrainAsOne programme which gets emailed to me most mornings at 6am.

But there is one thing that doesn’t seem to be happening, the scales are pointing stubbornly at 13 stone (that’s 182 lbs for US readers, and 83 kg for our friends in Europe – yes they are still friends in my book!)

Has anyone got any suggestions?