Alastair Humphreys » Running

Out of Office Suggestion

Al Humphreys — Thu, 26 May 2011 11:15:09 +0000

“That’s right. I’m out of here. Do not chase me down or text me or try to talk me into going out for lunch. I don’t have time to figure out if I have time for a run. I’m just going. The world will not fall apart in my absence. I might miss somebody’s birthday cake or a discussion of last night’s season finale. Even if I do, who cares. I’m coming back with a state of mind three coffees, two flirtatious emails and a week of vacation can’t buy.”
- Nike

Running Round the World in 400 seconds

Al Humphreys — Fri, 13 May 2011 08:51:01 +0000

The phrase Mad but Marvellous was surely coined for veteran round-the-world-runner Rosie Swale-Pope. I promise you that watching this short video will brighten up your Friday.

If you enjoyed this perhaps you’d like to come to the Scottish Night of Adventure in Edinburgh in June? If you know anyone who lives near Edinburgh please do share this link with them: Scottish Night of Adventure.
I’ve got to sell a lot of tickets and need some help!

A resource for long distance challenges

Al Humphreys — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:59:59 +0000

If you’re looking for an ultra-distance challenge in the UK then you should check out the Go Far website. It has all the big ones on there, including the Bob Graham Round which still eludes me.

If you know of anything else you can add them to this database of long-distance races.

How to run a marathon: 10 tips

Al Humphreys — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:43:37 +0000

This is the time of year when many people are training for their first marathon. So here are my 10 easy tips to running a faster marathon time. It’s not aimed at expert runners, nor is it for people who only want to cross the finish line. The list is for people like me – normal people who are willing to work hard but without being ridiculous about the whole thing!

1. Get some decent shoes. Visiting Profeet solved my knee, shin and hip pains instantly. Money well spent!

2. Cut down on the junk food and booze. Here is an article on simple race nutrition. Get your head round the fact that for the next three months you need to run five or six times a week. Sadly there are no short cuts to fitness.

3. Start stretching properly. It’s very boring (and I never do it), but it really is worthwhile.

4. Get your head round the fact that for the next three months you need to begin embracing a bit of pain. Being fit is easy, it’s being hard that’s hard. Think about thriving on the last mile. Reflect on how sweet the finish line will feel if you have given your all to get there.

5. Once or twice a week do whatever length run you feel like. Keep this up until a few days before the race.

6. Once a week sprint up a 100m long hill then walk back down. Do it as many times as you can. Next week do one more rep than the time before. This is non-negotiable. Keep this up until 3 weeks before the race.

7. Once a week go for a long run. Increase the time you run by 20 minutes each week. The aim is that three weeks before the race you will be on your feet for the same amount of time as you expect to complete the marathon in. Go as slow as you like on these runs. Non-negotiable.

8. Once a week do a medium length run at marathon pace. Increase the distance a little each week until one week before the race. Non-negotiable.

9. Once a week do some fartleks. Build up the length each week. Wind down a couple of weeks before the race. There are three aims to marathon training and fartlekking brings them nicely together:
- learning to run far
- learning to run fast
- learning to run far, fast

10. Print out a wristband calculator. During the race do not think about the 26 miles you need to run. Just make sure you are on target for each mile. One mile is easy at that pace. Repeat that 26 times and you’ve nailed your best ever time!

Good luck!

Disagree with my advice? Have your say in the comments…

Life in the Fast Lane

Al Humphreys — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:00:07 +0000

I’m in the fast lane of the motorway, zipping past all the souls in less of a hurry than me. The winter sky is blue and sharply cold. But I have the window wide open. I am relishing the noisy buffeting of the freezing air. The cold gale flays my post-race, glowing face and feels so good.
I am driving home from a triathlon and I am high on life.
My feet are wrinkly, white and still numb from three hours of winter wetness. So I have the heater on full blast at the maximum heat, coaxing some life back into them. The hot air swirling around my toes feels hedonistic.

The radio is on full volume. It’s definitely an X-fm day not a Classic-fm one. If I was less sensible I would be driving at 200mph. I’m freezing my head in a winter gale, I’m roasting my feet. The passenger seat is strewn with food and I’m shovelling it into my face, groaning with pleasure at the delicious replenishing of calories. Pork pies and Haribo and all the random health bars you get in the goody bags at the end of races.

I realise that I am relishing experiencing things to the extreme today. And perhaps this is the attraction for me of entering races or going on expeditions. I cannot even imagine what exhilaration I would be feeling had I actually won the race! But I have never won a race in my life so that is never a factor for me in entering events.

This morning’s triathlon was tough. Off-road running, mountain biking and kayaking for three muddy, wet hours. I didn’t win. Never have, never will. But I tried my hardest and I was exhausted at the finish line. I had put all of my effort and energy into the race. How often are we able to say that honestly to ourselves after a normal day?

The self-satisfaction of doing something well, the restorative energy of time spent exercising out in nature, the polished sharp focus on the world that I feel right now, the desire to feel life’s extremes. And the sweet prospect on an afternoon wallowing on the sofa reading a book, drinking tea and enjoying the tired ache of well-used limbs. I squeeze a decibel or two more from the speakers, sink the accelerator a little lower and give thanks for life in the fast lane.

(I originally wrote this piece for Tim Moss’ blog)