Third birthday statistics

This is more a mental note for myself, but you might also find it interesting.

Number of posts: 110 ( 102 in year 2, 156 in year 1 – I’ll report the figures this way around below to make it easy to see any progression)

Number of runs: 92 (63, 67) although to be fair I did lots of short ‘day-after’ runs this year

Mileage: 726 (538, 512) due largely to the training for the marathon

Hours spent running: 113 (84, 87)

Average run: 7.89 miles in 1.24 (8.14 in 1.20, 8.07 in 1.31).  The short day-after runs have carried the average distance down

Average speed: 6.38mph (6.05, 6.15) which is surprising as in the main I was focussing on distance rather than speed

Average minutes per mile: 9.4 (9.9, 9.65)

Worst month distance: 10.4 in May (13.6 Jan 09, 22.3 Feb 08).  I was away for a  month from 10th May this year

Best month distance: 157 in March (62 Apr 09, 68 Nov 07).  This was in the lead up to the marathon

Total mileage to date since start of blog: 1776 miles

Time spent running since start of blog: 285 hours

Visitors according to Clustermaps: 1479 (the dates don’t match up but the numbers are roughly 1496 for year 2 and 2906 for year 1, the first year being higher as a by-product of my work with Qype.com)

From number of countries: 38 (as above)  Bizarrely, the old davidjfoster.info/runs site has received 590 visitors from 47 countries since October 2009, even though I’ve not posted there at all!  I think it’s time to re-direct them!

All in all, a really most enjoyable year for me and I hope that you have also enjoyed sharing the experience, albeit vicariously!  My sincere thanks to you for reading and to all those people with whom I have run this year… you’re all FAB!

Wivelsfield Woodland Wobble results

The full results can be found here but the key data is as follows:

Foster came 136th out of 293 runners in a time of 38.14

Colin, who I met after the finish, beat me by just over two minutes and 36 places.

In first place was Louis Taub in a time of 26.41, whilst last place was taken by John Hay, from the same running club, in 64.22.  Incidentally, by all accounts John received a bigger round of applause than anyone else… sometimes it just pays to wait until there are more people to cheer you home!

Bathing

I awoke feeling particularly groggy yesterday morning and sat nursing first one, then another cup of quadspresso before I could smile enough to go out into the garden.

I had intended to get out for an early run before the heat of the day started to ramp up, but alas, it was already 8am and about 70 degrees, so I voted for a day off.

HA!

I had some tasks, started yesterday or last weekend, to complete before I could sit down and relax.  First on the list was the continuing process of painting the outside walls.  I think that, excluding the back of my neighbours garage, there are ten walls in total (seems like WAY more than that!) and I managed to paint the three largest or most complex last year (and he back of that same garage).  Unfortunately I then had wall insulation so those lovely white walls had 50-calibre bullet holes spread across them all winter.

I had painted the small garage-door wall last weekend and put one cost on the adjacent full height wall.  I had put a first coat on the front door wall on Saturday along with one on the wall that I never see… the back of the garage that only my neighbour has to look at.

So yesterday I second-coated those three walls to effectively finish the front of the house.  Seven down, three to go, but since the sun was now firmly set to BRIGHT and I had the painters version of snow-blindness, I moved to my next tasks… cutting the hedge and then cutting the grass.

Seemingly much, MUCH later in the day, I finally sank into the rare comfort of the recliner on the deck.  The sun was now low in the sky and I had ten or fifteen minutes to go before dinner emerged into the garden.

I lay there, reclining, looking up at wispy wind-blown clouds through polarised sunglasses and for a fleeting moment it was if I was laying in a warm bath, looking at the ceiling and thinking really most pleasant thoughts.

Twenty years

Life is seldom dull and this week was no exception, especially as it ended with a performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream performed in the open air near Wivelsfield for the benefit of St Peter & St James Hospice.  It plays until the 26th June and I highly recommend it, although if you go, I hope for the sake of the players, that it doesn’t rain.  The clouds were gathering as we arrived and the heavens opened mid way through the first half.  We were sitting in comfortable chairs in covered marquees, but the players got doused, not that it affected their smiles and good nature in the least.

Today is the London to Brighton Bike ride, which once again falls on Fathers Day and makes it difficult for me to visit mine!  Happy Fathers Day Dad!

I like to try to get to the top of Ditchling Beacon to share some of their pain (and delight), so I was up early to give me a chance to get there before it got too hot.  The day dawned beautiful but I confess shock when I got outside in my shorts to find that it wasn’t really all that warm!

I ran down to Ditchling via Oldlands Mill and saw my first lone cyclist, who laughed when I asked if he was a front runner… it was 8.30am and the fast guys had been through an hour earlier!

I ran up onto the Beacon… it must have been a while as it was hard work, but I stuck with it and managed to get there without needing to stop.

After some banter with the marshals, who were running around trying to fix the PA system to give encouragement to people as they cycled, or walked up the hill, I headed back via Sporting Cars of Brighton, East End Lane and the path that goes to Ditchling Common Industrial Estate.

I was looking forward to running down the Magical Path, but by the time I got there the clouds had rolled in and it was cold, dark and miserable.  I guess everyone is entitled to their off days!

So 10.75 miles in 1.51.  6mph on the way there (which is pretty good as it includes the Ditchling Beacon climb) but only 5.66mph on the return which reflects how little I have been running lately… also suggested by my need for a nap on the sofa when I returned!

That would be that, but I am reminded that it is twenty years since I actually rode in the London to Brighton bike ride and I thought I would reflect briefly on what has changed in my life, since that time.

I had just bought my first house in June 1990, with the help of my sister. It was a first rung on the housing ladder which I intended to keep for three years.

I valiantly defended my two handkerchiefs of grass from my green-fingered father: one at the front with two small shrubs and one at the back with a shed. Not for me all these plants and stuff: give me grass any day of the week! There were two runs of concrete on which to park my red company Ford Escort and once inside the thin porch, the dominant colour was professionally applied magnolia with expensive curtains, one benefit of buying the house from an ambitious young banker.

I had a lodger, Dawn, who initially slept on the floor, as did I, the only furniture in the house being a sofa that came from my best friend and a wooden coffee table from an antique shop. The latter supported the Rega turntable that half my music revolved around, the other half involving my twelve-string guitar.

I sold Commercial Finance for NWS, which entailed me visiting the myriad small & medium sized businesses across West Sussex and providing the finance for them to buy cars, vans, machinery.  Even then I had a greater interest in what these companies actually did (which often made my work frustrating), something that I had picked up from both my father and from another Mr Foster, Ken, who had employed me in his art gallery a couple of years earlier. Ken had been the FD of a well known travel company and had eventually negotiated its distressed sale for one pound Sterling… a startling and fascinating concept for someone like me, who knew little of business at the time.

Each week I borrowed a lawn mower from my very kind neighbour, Pam (who I went to visit only this week) to cut my grass, me not being able to afford to buy one. I often also cut the grass of the attached house on the other side as it was generally unkempt due to being sporadically rented out. My skills with any other tools, garden or otherwise, left much to be desired.

What has changed since then?  Life in the intervening years has certainly been interesting and there have been both high and low points, the latter including losing three really very good friends, one to Cancer, one sadly to suicide and another to his own avarice.

I sold my first house after 15 years (remember, I had intended to stay there for three), although I also bought, lived in for four years and sold a London flat during that time, enabling me to study for an Executive MBA at London Business School. I have now lived in my current house for five years (with my girlfriend of ten years!).

My father patiently (oh so patiently!) taught me to garden which, aside from considerably enhancing my surroundings at both houses, has instilled a much valued patience in me too. My treasured hi-fi has been sold and replaced with the kind of micro system (now itself old-fashioned) that I would have laughed at before. And I have stuff, lots of stuff, which for someone who is a minimalist at heart is fascinating. I wonder if we are hard wired to accumulate things until we have filled every nook & cranny.

I now work with the type of companies I visited twenty years ago, getting to ask those more searching questions and adding value by helping them to overcome their challenges or develop differentiated business strategies. My own current business is young and I earn even less than I did back then but my life is evolving, just as Charles Handy suggested it would in his book the Elephant and the Flea, into a portfolio of interests. Each of which I’m really passionate about in a driven way.

My Porsche of eight years sits on the driveway that I designed, while I sit and read (and once again today, type) in the tea-house that I also designed and patiently made.  I have time to read and to think, which is how I perceive I add the greatest value to my clients.  It’s the kind of lifestyle I might have only dreamed about twenty years ago. Not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m very happy with it.

Though I really wonder what life will be like for me in another twenty years time?

Ah thank you!

We often don’t get the opportunity to give credit where it’s due… particularly for the really simple stuff in life!

So this is a really quick thank you, in no particular order, to a few of the people who have encouraged me to run over the years.

My dearly departed friend Mike Spencer and the rest of the PE department at Falmer, who forced us to go out cross country running through the winters 1976 to 82.

John Burke, sadly also departed, who was a Scout leader at the 19th Brighton and as a Police Diver was the first to explain to me how to breathe efficiently whilst running.

Scott Desborough who circa 1994/5, prompted me to go out and buy a new pair of trainers to run around Kensington Gardens after work in the evenings and later joined me each morning on the running machines at the Hogarth Health Club in Chiswick.

Barnett Fletcher (strange as it is for me to mention his name) whose work ethic inspired me and a whole generation of his employees, later to become the bosses of a large number of Brand Experience agencies, to spend time in the gym as part of their working day.

Grant Finney, who in addition to being my gym-buddy for several years, famously goaded me into running the Berlin Marathon with him in 2004 before pulling a sickie to get out of it!  I really do hope that you manage to shake that thing sometime soon Grant!

Dai Thomas, who cajoled me into leaving the safety of the London sidewalks for the beauty (and the mud) of the Downs and was also highly instrumental in the foundation of the Foster Runs blog site.  And also for introducing me to Tom, Kurt & Fred at The Run Shop (see below).

Kim Storey for being constantly supportive in so many, many ways, but in this context as the person who pushed me to run on the Downs each week through the Spring of 2004, patiently dragging me along in the early weeks and then being magnanimous once I finally gained enough stamina to run on ahead.  Also, more recently, for investing in a running machine that allowed me to train right through our last snowy, icy winter in the comfort of our own home and for generally pushing me to run even when my inclination is otherwise!

Andrea Wright, my amazing physiotherapist, who sorted out my aches and pains and also showed me how to run efficiently and to stretch properly.  If ever there was a case of teaching a man to fish…

Cliff Dargonne for, well it’s difficult to know where to start, but let’s say a constant source of inspiration and a valuable grounding influence.  We’ve run so many miles together and I hope that we’ll run many more… and if you ever need someone to pull you up a steep hill with icy wind driven hail in your face, I guess I owe you one!

Kurt and Fred at Run in Hove (and Tom who is now one of the organisers at the Brighton Marathon) who have faithfully supplied Kim and I with our running gear for the last six years.  You have a brilliant business there guys and it’s a REAL pleasure to shop with you!

Nick Broom, the Bok himself, who forced me to run outside at 7am every week through an entire winter (and more) and drove me to be faster… and more sadistic:  On the few occasions when his heart rate monitor beeped to indicate that he was overdoing it, I would gently up the pace to see how many more times I could get it to beep!

Daren Packham, who kindly introduced me to Nick and whose own adventures have driven me to push myself to the limits on more than one occasion (for example, the Sussex Grouse Grind).  I love running with you man!

My Mum and Dad, again for many, many, MANY reasons, but most recently for allowing me to use their place as a training base and thus allowing my smelly, sweaty body back in through their front door after my numerous 14-23 mile training runs!  You are both totally FAB!

Andy Swan, the Remedial and Sports Massage Therapist, who has patiently worked over my legs (and my psyche) in the last couple of weeks to get me ready for the big day.

Mark Johnson for being the most engaging of all the folk I have bumped into on the Downs over the years and for hopefully dragging me around sub 3.45 today!

There are many many more, for example the irrepressible Pete Brett (where do you get all your energy man?), Andy Pumphrey and the other runners from Martlet Kayak (soon to be Running?) Club, Phil Stupples (who I’m also grateful for selling me 31 Valebridge Drive in 1990), the people (from here and around the world) who have given me a constant buzz over the last two and a half years by spending time reading my musings on FosterRuns, and so on.

And if there is one person to thank for my baring my soul to the world in this way, it is my dear friend Richard Marsh who died tragically on the 22nd April 2009.  I grew up with Richard from day one and shared many formative adventures which became a joyous thread of folklore through our lives.  More recently I toast him, with a glass of Hepworth’s Old Ale and a tear in my eye, whenever I make Spaghetti Bolognese… don’t know why, it just seems appropriate.  Long may he remain in my thoughts!

May we each have the opportunity to thank the people who cajole, support and inspire us, while they can still derive a quiet pleasure and sense of satisfaction from knowing what they have done!

And as far as my running is concerned and all the fun that surrounds this aspect of my life, I really do thank each and every one of you!

Good Luck Marathoners

Well now!  This time tomorrow, we will all hopefully be in the closing stages of the inaugural Brighton Marathon and if the weather is a facsimile of today, it’s going to be a fantastic run!

I thought I would unveil my running gear (my thanks to Matt Ingram at Sussex Sign Centre) in advance in case anyone wants to encourage FosterRuns with a cheer!

And if you’re running along looking at this ahead of you, you really do need to increase your pace a little!

I will hopefully be running with Mark Johnson, but also worth looking out for are Cliff and Pete who should be obvious as they are each running in a kayak (size really is NOT important, boys!) and Andy Pumphrey in a Scooby Doo costume.  These guys are running for a really great cause, so please be really generous by donating a few pounds at http://www.justgiving.com/martletkayakclub

Daren made an excellent suggestion, which is that the rankings of the Sussex Men’s Fitness League should reflect the finishing order of the marathon.  Of course this is an inherently risky play, as it means that Claire (Mrs Daren to you!) will end up with either a higher or a lower place… and I’m not certain which is of more concern to Daren!  Go Girl Guides! Go!

Overall I reckon I’ll know more people who are running than are cheering from the sidewalk, but whichever side of the barriers you are, have a FANTASTIC day!

Pre-storm calm

I had a strange ambivalence towards running this morning.  It wasn’t a case that I didn’t want to: more a case of not being bothered about it.

This is possibly something to do with the fact that the hard work is done and the next three weeks is about comprehensively sorting out my niggly injuries and recuperating ahead of the big day.

I stretched comprehensively before I started and then again at the 5-mile mark and ran a total of 8 miles in 1.13 and 22 seconds.  It was really no bother, to the extent that I even counted up for a change rather than down.  I kept changing the pace slightly each quarter-mile, but kept within the envelope of 6 to 7.2mph.  And I stretched out again afterwards.

Of course, my ambivalence may also be something to do with the amount of running I’ve done lately.  Further my post on January 31st (in which I highlighted that I had managed to fit in 12 runs, 14 hours of running time and cover 88.1 miles in January), I have had two further bumper months.

In February I had 15 runs, lasting 18 hours 48 minutes and covering 131.9 miles.

In March I have now completed 17 runs, lasting 5 minutes short of a whole day and have covered 157.25 miles.

That means I could reach Birmingham or Yeovil on foot in twenty-four hours of running… if I were allowed to stick to the motorways, of course!  Or put another way, I covered almost exactly the distance of six complete marathons.

I have much (much) less planned in the next few weeks up to the marathon, but I already have the subsequent challenge lined up in the summer and this time it’s about running fast, rather than long, so please watch this space!

One last thing… Happy Birthday Debbie!

Fiveday again

I’ve not much to say for myself this morning.  The thought of running outside briefly crossed my mind before I climbed aboard the machine… would that the Bok was here to force me out!  I varied the speed much like Wednesday and finished five miles in 39.24, average 7.6mph.

There was no drama and the only frisson came from hearing the leader of the FSA, on Radio 4, mention that they had built up a buffer that would now allow them to be proactive rather than reactive.  I’m not certain how a government department should be able  to build up a financial buffer and isn’t it strange how everyone is suddenly thinking about how to do their job better (properly) ahead of probable budget cuts?

Running total

Kim has been encouraging me (with a pointy stick) to increase my mileage as part of my pre-marathon training as the it’s only 11 weeks away now.

I just brought my mileage record up to date (since August last year) and am happy to confirm that I had my biggest month since starting to write my blog in August 2007, beating the previous top month of November 2007.

I managed to fit in 12 runs, 14 hours of running time and to cover 88.1 miles, compared to Nov 07’s 8 runs, 11 hours and 68.3 miles

Mind you, Daren covered 49 miles in the week (one week!) to the 18th January and both Cliff and Pete must have each topped a hundred miles this month, so I daresay it’s not such a hot total after all!

But tomorrow is another month.

Happy Second Blogthday

YES indeedie, two years have passed since I started writing this blog and if you’ve been reading it all this time, you probably deserve a drink!  To celebrate, of course!

Without the enigmatic Bok to keep me going through the winter, my results have been down on the first year, but only a touch.  In fact, I have been surprisingly consistent.

A quick run down on the comparisons show the following:

Writing is down from 156 to 102 posts, reducing the weekly average from 3 to 2, but then the first year there were a series of posts about films (we’ve not been going so often) and about the building of the tea-house.

Total mileage is also down, but only from 538 miles to 512, a reduction of just 2 miles per month… but WOW, that makes over 1050 miles in the last two years!  And if you take out all the time in between (that I was probably sitting down) it only took me 172 hours… a little over a week!

The slackest months were January 09 with 13.6 miles and February 09 with 14.3 miles compared to 22.3 miles in February 08 but, in my defence, I did do quite a lot of swimming in that period this year whereas last year we were away ice driving and skiing.

There were five months this year that I ran more than 50 miles (plus one at 49.3) compared to 4 the year before, but the best I managed was 62.75, where there were 3 over 66 miles last year.

Overall my average run was 8.14 miles in a time of 1 hour 20 minutes… just over 6mph, and 0.1mph slower year on year.  Of course what the figures don’t show is that I have been tackling more challenging runs.  For example, more than half of the difference in the average speed is accounted for by just one run: The Blighty Grouse Grind on the 26th July.

Since I have not replaced my splodge since the beginning of July last year, I thought today would be an appropriate day to visit Kurt at Run in Hove.  And as you can see, I now have a bright and shiny new pair of Saucony runners to add to the other four pairs I have bought from Run (and then slowly destroyed) in the last five or six years.

Five generations of Foster's Saucony shoes... shoes with sole

So another great big THANK YOU to all the readers of FosterRuns.com, especially the people who have made hilarious comments and the myriad of amazing folk who have allowed me to run with them.  I sincerely hope that you will continue to both read and run with me as we sprint, energenetically, into year three!