Happy New Year!

Good morning, good evening and hello to you people.

I apologize for my lack of posting but I have had far to much to drink over the festive period and forgot my password. An embarrassing state of affairs I am sure you will agree.

In the last few weeks I have continued to run, less road more trail, and train and generally enjoy running about like a tiny child.

Not that I am a tiny child I am a fully grown Meerkat man, or something.

I have enjoyed my Santa outfit during the festive period but as the new year approaches I feel I now need something more suitable to wear for our next race - Hell Runner Hell Down South - sounds daunting doesn't it.

Anyways something I didn't realise until a few weeks ago when I went for a little trail run with Geoff and Chris is that I am a barefoot runner. I thought everyone ran like this.

It turns out that people don't run like this. Apparently you all cover your feet for protection. This is fine and I understand this but what I don't get is how it changes the way you run. When I run I mostly run on the front of my feet bouncing from step to step. When you all run it seems you stamp from heel to heel. Or thats how it looks to my untrained eye.

This became more apparent when running with Chris and Geoff and they were sliding about all over the place. I was placing one foot lightly and skipping between mud and they were sliding with the increased weight and force they were putting down. It meant Chris actually fell over and twisted his knee - he needs putting down and turning into glue.

When we went running on Christmas Eve Eve we went with Geoff, Chris and Dave. Dave runs very steadily like a man who is a veteran of many races. Light short steps allowing him to maintain a very consistent pace and still have enough in the tank to beast away from us all towards the end of the run. It is enjoyable to run with different people and see how they approach running.

It made me think, a lot of advertising and people who do run subscribe to this 'just run' mantra. But isn't running like any other sport? There is technique and training and practice. If you don't do something right then you will get hurt or go slow or not as far as you wanted. If you get it right then you will go faster, smoother and better.

Which means surely everyone who runs needs to think first about how they run. More than anything. After all when we are pups we run in a very different way to which most people run when they are adults. So why the change? If you spend the first 10-12 years of your life running about in one way why do you suddenly change that way of running when you get older?

Is that better? I run the same way I have always run - being that I don't wear shoes to change the angle of my foot or the position I am in.

Doesn't this mean that my muscles and tendons and other fleshy bits are now just moving and responding in a way in which they always have?

Doesn't that mean I won't get as injured as if I change the way I run due to some piece of equipment I am wearing?

Just some thoughts anyways.

Not that I know much, after all I am just a Meerkat that runs.

Love

Nick

Maidstone Turkey Run 2013

Hello dear readers! It is time again for another update to my running world.

So after last weekends fun with the Grim I decided to join in with Chris and his friends (Tom and Sharry) and run the Maidstone Harriers Turkey Run. Unlike last week I was really very chilled about this race with it being a shorter distance than the Grim.

Here I am on Saturday night relaxing ahead of the Turkey Run.

Now the Turkey Run is an annual 10k run starting at East Malling Research and running along country lanes, single track paths and through woodland areas. Having completed the longer Grim run the week before (and beaten Chris) I was fairly confident that the Turkey Run would not prove too difficult for me. 

However Sunday morning came and Chris sprung a giant surprise on me! He insisted that we run in fancy dress, we both wore Santa outfits although Chris looked more like a member of ZZ Top than Saint Nick!

I look awesome as Santa, Chris looks like a ZZ Top tribute act.

We arrived early for the race which gave us enough time to warm up, take on last minute fuel (food like bananas) and a bit of water. It also meant that we got chance to have a chat with competitors who had run in previous years. Tom was very good at chatting with people but I am not sure they understood what he was saying all the time! 

Here I am pre-race fueling up. 

Tom dressed as a reindeer, here we are all ready to set off.

We found out from the marshals (I assume that is a position not a name, or else it would get very confusing). That the course was the driest that it had been for years. Chris was naturally disappointed at this (there is something wrong with that boy) but Sharry and Tom were quite glad as it meant they would not have to wade through slick mud. Personally I was happy as hopefully it meant I would not have to de-tangle my fur again.

The course was amazing. A great mix of uphill, downhill and flat and enough off road sections to keep everyone from getting bored. There was a lot of running through woodland which was a little muddy and I had to be careful I didn't slip and fall! It was a very quick route as well and suited Tom and Sharry (who both ended up taking off away from Chris and I) as they are quicker runners.

This was Tom's first event and he was keen to finish in a good time so he followed the pacing of some people who were a bit quicker than Chris and I. This did him good stead and he came home in an excellent time of 52 minutes.

Sharry also ran a very strong event and came home in 54 minutes finishing 12th in her category. We were all very proud of her and hopefully the four of us can run more 10k events like this again.

As for Chris and I, well Chris settled into to his regular pace and plodded along finishing in 56 minutes (his aim was to break 1 hour). We couldn't help wondering how much longer it might have taken if the route had been as wet as people claimed it had been on previous years. Although I think I would still stick with Chris as I can keep with his pace even though his legs are about 5ft longer than mine!

Once again I managed to beat Chris, this time by a little more than a second as I had more for a sprint finish than he did (he was not impressed at this!). Although we both agreed that our next event should be a longer run (I think we are doing the Hell Runner Hell down South with Geoff and people Nick) with a little more dirt and water.

Here we are happy and proud showing off our medals.

There were a few gripes about the event though. Even though I am not an experienced runner I think it would have been handy to have had some distance markers. Chris had to work out how far we had run using the timer on his watch and estimate how far we had run. There was also a few narrow sections of run which made it difficult to move past someone running slower in front of us. This was especially true on the first major hill section, which really took a bit of the wind out of our sails as we we still feeling very strong at this point. Although it did feel like there was loads of room for people who were stronger in the latter stages of the run to ease past us and make us feel like we were going backwards towards the end (unhappy faces). 

My final grip was with my costume. While I looked dashing as Santa it was bloody hot! Felt apparently does not breathe when you run in it, I know Chris found his hat and beard very warm to run in and they were very sweaty at the end. 

I was baking by the time we reached the finish and managed to get a cup of water or two (no water stations, odd)!

Anyways afterwards we all went for a much needed pub lunch (pie and mash for the win) followed by an ice cream (thanks Tom).

I love a Magnum.

All things considered in though two weeks I have completed two events, I think I am hooked. I preferred the longer run and I felt the atmosphere at the trail event was a bit more relaxed and less about times and more about completing the event, which I prefered. However the people on Sunday were all very friendly - with some amazing fancy dress costumes - so I would definitely do this event again (next year folks can we have a meerkat category pelase). Although I have to say I think I am a longer distance meerkat (the pace suits me better - short legs and steps you see). 

On Saturday morning Geoff, Chris and I are off out for a long morning trail run - I am sure I will let you all know how I get on. Until then keep doing what you do, or something.

Peace and Love.

Nick.

Grim Run Aldershot 01/12/13

Well hello there human people and welcome to my blog! My name is Nick and I am a Meerkat.

You may well be wondering what right a humble Meerkat has to writing a blog, well I shall explain. Last week my life was very carefree and easy. I live with Chris and Maria (who does not like me) and spent my time in their spare room reading and surfing the internet.

Chris (my friend) enjoys doing crazy off-road trail runs with his other friends. Often this involves him leaving to drive somewhere very early on a Sunday morning and returning muddy and tired on a Sunday afternoon. That and another medal being hung around a 3 chimney'd Bunsen burner in the room where I live. However one of Chris' other friends (who shall remain nameless Nick Simmons) dropped out and could not make the Grim Challenge run for last Sunday!

Now just to be very clear, I am not a runner! At least not a distance runner. The most running I do is if I have had too much to drink and need to run to the bathroom, or if the postman is about to put one of those little red 'sorry you weren't in' notes though the door. Seriously who delivers parcels to people WHO HAVE JOBS in the middle of the day WHEN THEY ARE AT THEIR JOBS and expects them to be in? Royal Mail sort it out!

Anyways, no one else could go on the Grim and Chris promised to run with me throughout the 8 mile course and so I agreed to run. I was however asked to wear a ridiculous outfit to make me look like some Meerkat from the telly. I do not watch telly so I agreed. Though I felt silly dressing up!

I must admit I was very nervous and could not eat much at breakfast on the day of the race, however I managed to get my race number on without help!

Here is me failing to eat much before the day. I have my race number on all ready though, be prepared and all that!

Anyways after breakfast we got all strapped in and comfortable for the drive from Maidstone to Aldershot. We seemed to leave far to early but apparently this it to avoid something called 'traffic' and to allow us to stop off at 'sevices'. These things are all bizarre to me.

Here I am ready to go with Geoff in the car! Notice how tense and worried I look.

As apparently is traditional we stopped off for a cheeky coffee on the way. I really like coffee but didn't want to get out the car (nerves) so I stayed with the car as my legs felt like jelly. The guys did bring me a coffee though which helped to start to settle me down. 8 miles was seeming a long way at this point and I was seriously scared as to what I had let myself in for. However the joking in the car and the coffee started to help me calm down and relax a bit.

Here I am enjoying my coffee and feeling a little more relaxed.

At the service station the guys met the BIGGEST FIBBER IN THE WORLD. A man who claimed the Grim was BORING, EASY and NOT HARD AT ALL. He apparently went on to say how disappointed he was with the course and that it was very fast and flat. 

This man was talking RUBBISH, the Grim was none of those things. This upset me a lot because when I arrived I was expecting a fairly easy jaunt around the fields and a splash through some small puddles. 

Look at the race photos below for proof of how difficult it was.

 

 

 

Notice how tough the course is but how much fun I am having. Chris is loving it as well but I think he was trying to pretend to be having more fun in order to keep me going!

The course had steep uphills and downhills, lots and lots of mud, at least a swimming pools worth of water and lots of varied ground (trail/sand/mud). In fact there was so much to focus on with the running the distance seemed to go really quickly. In fact this is the part that surprised me the most. I was expecting the run to feel like almost all of my life condensed into one long moment of pain. The opposite seemed to be true, yes there were parts that hurt and at the time there were moments where I was wondering what a slightly portly, unfit and ill prepared Meerkat was doing running with humans in an event like this. Those thoughts though were very few and far between and actually I spent most of my time smiling at the crowds and laughing with Chris as we plodded our way around the course. If you don't believe me, look again at the photos and look how happy I am!

The best things about the Grim for me can be broken down like this:

1. I had no idea what I was getting myself in for, the feeling of not knowing really added a sense of adventure to the race. That made the day a great break from the norm.
2. Everyone was really friendly. especially the crowds who were cheering for me to continue (I think they knew I needed the support to keep going). Thank you crowds!
3. The course was so different and interesting, one moment you are running up a steep hill and the next you are waist deep in water, it kept you on your toes.
4. The course was really challenging (unlike what the GIANT FIBBER SAID) which meant that when I finished I had a massive sense of achievement. I have since been out for a couple of smaller trail runs while everyone is at work and am keen to enter another event to see if I still enjoy it and can improve on my time.

Speaking of times I completed the 8 mile course in 1 hour and 13 minutes, which apparently is pretty good (I won the Meerkat category btw) oh and I BEAT CHRIS BY A WHOLE SECOND.

Which of course I have not rubbed into him at all in this week. 

"I will have a cuppa please LOSER",

"Chris you dropped your LOSER card!"

"I am sorry Chris you will have to speak up I can't hear you from all the way back there, behind me, LOSER!"

It is important to be very gracious in the victories that you have over people!

One thing I did not enjoy is having to shower in all my clothes as they were so wet and muddy that I could not put them straight in the washing machine! I also need to invest in some proper running gear and clothing for post race keeping warm. the problem with fur is that when it gets really wet it also gets really cold. 

Look at my ridiculous fancy dress costume! Look at all the mud coming off me, yuk!

I did love getting my first ever race completion t-shirt! I have worn it so much this week, can't wait to begin a collection. Here I am kicking back and relaxing in my shirt.

I was so tired later on Sunday eve.

That is all I have to say really, I would like to run more races and hopefully raise a bit of charity money maybe. 

At the minute though I think it should be recommended to anyone to grab some trainers and go for a little pad about, one foot in front of another! You never know you may love it as well.

To Geoff and Chris I say thank you for taking me and would like to leave with a song to remind you guys of the fun we had!

Until we meet again!

Nick (the Meerkat)