Tag Archives: running

Sports

My year in running

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It was one hell of a year, at least in terms of running.

Last year saw me running 1,159.3km which I completed in 108 runs – an average of one run every three days. The average run was 9.6km that feels about right. I also ran the equivalent of 10km up and back down again.

Put all together, I ran for a total of five days and one hour – doesn’t seem that much, actually. In all this time, I burnt 119,000 calories.

My goal for 2018 was to run 1,000km, which I reached and surpassed by 10% – the goal for 2019 is 1,200km. It’s actually been a slow start to the year as I needed new running shoes (I now bought a pair, Asics Kayano 25s). The inclement weather has also made me stay indoors and only complete one run so far. I need to pick up.

As for the past three years, I completed one marathon in 2018. I also did two triathlons, which means I did a bit more running that is recorded as tri or brick training.

This year, I have a marathon planned for 24 February – it’s also the anniversary of my brother’s passing so we are using I to celebrate his life.

I have been preparing for an ultramarathon, but my latest runs left me with painful aches that made me doubt my ability to run 100km. As soon as the snow subsides, I’ll be going out for a sort of final test. If I can do 35km without too much pain, then I’ll go for it.

If not, I will continue training with the aim of completing the ultramarathon in 2020. I the meantime, I’m planning on a new sport – rowing.

Sports

100

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This is going to be the biggest challenge I have ever faced.

Getting to the start line will be a victory, but I’m still not quite sure I’ll even get there – but I have to do it. No, I want to do it.

Running a marathon is hard enough. I know, I’ve done three of them. My new challenge is running 100km, essentially two marathons and a bit.

In the middle of my last marathon, I had decided that I had had enough. By the end of the marathon, I was checking schedules to see when my next one will be. It apparently happens to all marathon runners.

I’ve watched hundreds of YouTube videos of people who took on this challenge and completed the grueling race. For most, finishing was the most important element. It’s the same for me, too.

My aim is to do the race in Biel in June 2019 and my ‘official’ training program started on Monday 27 August. Three weeks in and things are going fine. I have found my legs again after taking a break following my last triathlon in July.

For my marathons, I’ve always used myasics.com and I highly recommend it. The only issue with the program is that while it tells you how far to run, it doesn’t tell you what to do (fast, slow, interval, hills, etc.). It also limits the goals to a marathon.

Hence, I looked for alternatives and found a training program on the Marathon Handbook website – it’s simple and down-to-earth. And it comes in excel form, meaning it’s modifiable.

With the basics in place, I changed the plan to fit my training regime and include my triathlon training and my Insanity boot camp.

Depending on how strictly I stick to my program, and assuming my wife doesn’t find out – she’s not too keen on me being out doing sports so often, and she does have a point. This will mean a few early mornings for me to hit the road while everyone is asleep.

Then, I’ll decide whether I can do it. I’m sure that physically it’ll be fine – it’s the mental challenge that is worrying me more. And what’s for sure is that if my brother were here, he’d say I’m barking mad…

Sports

Marathon bliss, with a little help from my friends

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As the starter gun went off, I wasn’t really sure how I’d perform. It was my third marathon, but it’s still a marathon – a gruelling 42.195km. And weighing 91.5kg meant I had a lot to carry around.

It was also the first marathon after my brother passed away last February. We had been planning to run one together when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. So the minutes before the start were somewhat emotional as he was not there, physically. He did, however, accompany me the whole way. I honestly believe that his presence made me get through the marathon.

I say ‘get through’, but in actual fact it was a great performance from my perspective, first and foremost because I finished the marathon in 4 hours 30 minutes 39.7 seconds.

When compared to the first placed athlete, it is way off, but when you consider that my first two marathons were run in 4:51:57 and 4:48:57 respectively, it was a great feat.

What’s even more amazing, in my eyes, is that I didn’t stop – I kept on going, fighting my mind which was badgering me to stop. Actually, I did stop and walk for around two seconds and then just started running again. I imagined my brother starting down at me and hassling me to get a move on as he didn’t have all day to hang around with a walker.

It’s funny how I could actually hear his voice in my head – “Ejja man, move on ostja.”

He was that way for the best of reasons, of course. And that helped me in my childhood, teenage years, and adulthood. And even after he left, he’s still helping out.

The marathon itself was relatively uneventful to be honest. I had planned it out quite meticulously, but my plans did change when I noticed that there was a pace maker for 4 hours 30 minutes. I then planned on sticking to him for as long as I could. I had aimed for a 4 hours 36 minutes time, so I figured that if I managed to keep behind the pace, I’d be more or less fine to reach my goal (even though I myself thought it a bit ambitious).

But it worked – I stuck behind him all the way. And he also looked out for me, which I found quite cool. In fact, at the end, I sprinted to the finish and saw him stop and more or less wait for me at the finish line.

I’m glad I did it, but I’m very glad it’s over. Will I do another? I’m not too sure right now, but I guess my opinion will change once I regain full use of my legs. Right now, they are aching like hell – as they say, no gain without pain.

Sports

Obituary for a friend I never met

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It was a near daily experience for me to see this unassuming guy running, pounding the streets in Sliema as I waited for the bus in the 1980s. I could tell how long the bus had taken to arrive by seeing how far this guy had run. It was like a ritual.

I always wanted to jog, but as a somewhat messed up teenager, I was more interested in smoking and other debaucheries.

Work then got in the way and any ambition I had of taking up running as a sport faded away. But this guy kept appearing, and I kept watching him stride along. And I kept thinking that someday I would run, too.

As this guy ran, it seemed as though he was made of two extra-long legs and had a stride that professional runners would be envious of. As I upgraded to a car and left ‘my’ Sliema bus stop opposite Gelateria, I still saw him numerous times, mainly in my hometown.

And each time, I promised myself that one day I would start running, too. I later saw the guy had competed for Malta, and even won medals in the Small Nations Games, and I knew that if I had started running, maybe I too could someday make it to the papers.

That never happened, but what did was that many years after I first saw Gerald DeGaetano I took up running and have completed two marathons so far, and am training for another.

I never met Gerald, but he was an inspiration. For this, I thank him and consider him a friend I never met.

Gerald DeGaetano passed away on 8 January aged 53.

Sports

No excuses

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It’s not an excuse, nor a veiled attempt at justification of a poor result – I haven’t trained anywhere close to what I should have done and the results will show. Preparation, in any world, is key to success.

So much so that for the first time in seven years, I debated whether to participate in the Zürich Triathlon. Four years ago, this would have been unthinkable. My current level of fitness, however, has cretaed some doubts as to my ability to actually finish the race.

I surveyed my performance during training (the little I did) over the past months and calculated that I should finish in a time of around 90 minutes (best 89 minutes, worst 93 minutes). My calculations do not take into account the adrenalin of the race, the nerves and tension and the inborn human competitive spirit. Either way, I doubt it’ll be that far off from my prediction.

My best time was a handful of seconds over 71 minutes, so I am way off where I should be. But you never know – if I have a good day, I may perform better than expected, which is why giving up is out of the question.

At 8.40am, I will take the plunge – literally – into the lake and give it my all. Soon after, I’ll be on my bike and then tackle the last bit on foot – hopefully running. Anything less than an hour and a half will be a bonus, but I must admit I will be disappointed if I do worse.

Thoughts

Two big negatives, a multitude of small positives

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We’re nearly there – 2013 is taking its last breaths and with it a chapter is closing. It is a year which promised so much but delivered so little. The greatest thing its closing brings is the start of another year that, all things considered, presents challenges and opportunities to behold. It will definitely surpass anything the outgoing year offered.

Let’s start with the negatives – my father’s passing left a huge void in my life. It was expected, yet shocking. I knew that the phone call that came in at 2.44am on 4 November would bear no good news. I contemplated not answering in the hope that all will be fixed when I woke up the next morning. It didn’t happen.

Travelling home to Malta for the funeral was devastating. It also made me realise that my contacts with my native country are slowly coming undone.

It also made me kick myself for not listening to Nirvana’s final recommendations about telling people you love them. I didn’t, simply because I wanted to tell my father ‘I love you’ in person. It was too late. I now make sure I tell my kids – every day, many times a day.

This year also saw me effectively losing my job – it may not be so immediate, but my days at Chevrolet Europe are sadly numbered. General Motors has decided to ‘exit’ Europe and the decision has obvious consequences. It’s a pity – I like Chevrolet, and will miss most of the people working there.

Sometimes, however, being forced into taking a decision makes you see everything in a different perspective. I see it as an opportunity to better my situation, even though right now it may be hard to see life through rose-tinted glasses. But it will happen.

What I’m sure of is that 2014 will be very interesting. For the time being, there is still a job to be done at Chevrolet, and we’ll make sure it’s done right as our customers and those who believe in us deserve nothing less.

There have been a multitude of positives in 2013 – my daughters are all healthy and are enjoying what life is throwing at them. They laugh a lot, and that sound always makes me happy. We had fun holidays with friends, went biking, played, fought and cried together.

Work wise, we had some very successful events – the Trax launch in Croatia, Geneva Motor Show and IAA, the Young Creative Chevrolet Award Night in Manchester and other small, meaningless things that mean so much to so many.

I also started my Masters degree in Media, Communication and Public Relations, ran a half marathon and am now preparing to run a marathon. And Leicester City is top of the table – go Foxes!

The two negatives of the year might have been big, but the sheer amount of small positives has been incredible – maybe this year delivered more than I’m realising. That’s what I’m taking into 2014.

Sports

Disappointing result, rekindled spirit

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To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. My triathlon result was not what I had hoped for, even though after two disciplines I was actually more than a minute ahead of last year’s time.

I dropped four places to 78th (out of a field of 110 racers) from 74th (102 participants) last year. My time was 1h21m02sec compared to 1h19m38sec – 84 seconds slower. The heat played a part, but the lack of proper training and lack of form were the real reasons.

Swimming was great with my time eight seconds quicker compared to last year, and the usual stress that has dodged every triathlon I competed in – and it’s more than 20 over the past seven years – was conspicuously absent.

The cycling didn’t feel great, but I still managed to complete the 20km in 1m13sec faster than last year. Counting in the two transitions (both exactly 2m06sec), I was around the 50-minute mark coming into the running.

My muscles reacted as the always do – badly. But it was no different from the past years. I calculated that I could make it as my time of 26 minutes last year was well within reach.

After the first kilometre, I realised that it wasn’t looking good. It took me more than seven minutes to complete. A quick calculation meant that at the same pace, I’d cross the line in well past the 1h19m mark I had set myself.

Try as I might, I was running on empty. I had nothing left in me. With two kilometres left, I was barely 10 minutes away from my self-imposed limit. I ran hard and dropped my time to under six minutes, but it was too little too late.

The last kilometre was my best, but around 400 metres from the end I was at 1h19m40sec. I still ran as hard as I could (and even passed another runner) to cross the line to wild cheering and riotous applause from the thousands who turned out to see me (That didn’t happen, he’s delusional – Ed).

The key take-away from the whole event was that I had fun, I really enjoyed it. And now, I feel incredibly motivated. I might even do the Zug Olympic triathlon with my mate Fergus, who clocked a fantastic time of 1h15m56sec on Saturday.

This time, more than any other time, I’ll get it right (with apologies to the undefeated England 1982 World Cup team).

Sports

Misplaced confidence, maybe

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My 2013 triathlon – the only one I plan to complete this year – is two weeks away and I feel unprepared for it, which comes as no surprise since my training program started terribly late. However, I feel that I may surprise myself this year.

My confidence is higher than it has been in some time. I don’t know why, but who cares.

I’ve done very little swimming but am optimistic this will be my best swim ever. It’s probably down to the fact that I know my limits and can therefore adjust accordingly. Two years ago, after a year of intense training, I decided to swim in the middle of the pack. It turned out to be a disaster and something I won’t repeat anytime soon..

This time, I’ll start from the side – it means a slightly longer distance, but I believe it’ll save me time in the long run.

Biking – my strongest discipline – won’t pose too many issues. My lack of time in the saddle may not help improve my time. And I can either nail the running part or drag myself along to the finish line – won’t know until I start running…

Last year, I completed the triathlon in 1h19m38s – it would be great to shave a few seconds off that time, especially considering that I completed the last kilometres with an excruciating eye injury (Only you can injure your eye, of all things – Ed). And who knows, I may repeat my staggering 2007 run, which I had completed in 21m20s – my fastest ever.

Previous times

2012: 1h19m38s

2011: 1h21m28s

2010: 1h18m41s

2009: 1h15m27s

2008: 1h16m50s

2007: 1h13m44s

2006: 1h24m36s

Sports

No Olympic glory, but 40 minutes more sleep

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Saturday sees me participate in my first – and probably only – triathlon for 2012. It was supposed to be the year I moved up from Sprint triathlon to Olympic, but there’s no way on earth that was going to happen. At least, thanks to a change in scheduling from last year, I get to sleep 40 minutes longer.

My plan was simple – train hard, eat better and get in shape in time for the Zurich Triathlon. I did none and so decided – reluctantly – to be realistic and stick to Sprint for now – I didn’t want to take on the longer distance, do badly and get de-motivated.

The thing is my running is still very weak (average 5:30 per km) and I did very little time in the saddle. On a positive note, my swimming has improved tremendously – especially thanks to my Trigether swim trainer Iris. Only this week, I managed 500 m in 10:45 min, my fastest ever. That on its own, however, is not enough to progress to the next level.

So on Saturday, at 8.40am, I’ll be joining hundreds of others in the Sprint distance – 500 m swimming, 20 km cycling and 5 km running. A year ago, the start was at 8am, so I guess it’s 40 minutes more sleep for me. I almost feel better now.

Last year, I clocked just over 1 hour 21 minutes – anything quicker will be a bonus.

Sports

Disappointing, but a happy finish

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I knew it was going to be hard, but didn’t expect it to be so hard. I hadn’t trained half as much as I should have and therefore have no real excuses to offer. But I was hoping to equal my time of last year.

It didn’t happen and I was a whopping three minutes slower. My time at this year’s Zurich Triathlon (Short) was something over one hour 21 minutes, which honestly is a bit disappointing. And as what happened last year, I am putting off moving up to the Olympic distance for now.

The swimming part was the usual disaster – my goggles fogged up, I felt out of breath and believe someone had cunningly tied a 20kg deadweight to my leg, thus dragging me down – at least that’s what it felt like. This was topped off with a kick to my chest and kidney courtesy of other competitors.

The ‘hard’ part over, I got on my bike – my strongest discipline – but once again I felt I was a V8 with just three cylinders working. My time was, however, respectable at just over 31 minutes for 20km.

Running, or moving-just-a-little-bit-faster-than-walking as it was in my case, felt as though somebody was beating me up with every stride. A colleague past me at the 3km mark and I decided to use him (he was relatively faster) as a pace maker. This plan was unceremoniously abandoned around 30 seconds after it was hatched.

The ending was surprisingly positive. I picked up pace for the last 200m and people were really cheering me (and all other athletes) on. And at the very end, six cheerleaders cheered me (as they do) past the finish line. Probably the first time someone in so much pain smiled so happily!