The tools of the trade

Writing is not really my thing, or at least writing about me and what I am up to is not my thing, unless it is on Facebook. This blog is going to be a tough thing to keep going over the months. I might need some help from you as to what to write about. If you have some good ideas as to what you’d like to know more about drop me an email at Mark Torr. Also – I need some ideas for fund raising. My donations have started to dry up and I am not at my target… I appreciate what you have all done in donating but I never fail to reach a goal ;-)

I was chatting to someone the other day and they asked me what you need to run serious distances. I thought that would make a good blog topic especially given it is so damned cold right now in Heidelberg. Here is what I think is essential kit:

• A good pair of running shoes. I would never go for the cheapest pair of running shoes or those that looks the best. That might be good for walking around in with your friends but it could have some serious consequences as you increase the mileage. I personally run in Asics GT2150 shoes mainly as I need shoes with good stability and width and these have always done the job. If you’re doing a lot of running the experts recommend two pairs of shoes are in play alternating between runs.
  
• Inserts for my running shoes. Getting your feet properly checked including how you run and if you pronate etc. is critical. This could prevent all sorts of injuries. In fact you should get that checked before you go for your running shoes as they will help you know which sort of running shoe you should be looking for and also you should really take the inserts with you when buying the shoes and if possible put them in the shoes you were thinking about buying and get them to record you running on video and check them out to make sure things work well. In Heidelberg I am a massive fan of Pfitsch Orthopaedie for that purpose.
  
• Proper running shirts. Stop running in cotton shirts. They are simply not good. They rub against you and as you get into longer distances that rubbing can hurt especially after the run in the shower. Get the moisture wicking running shirts. They cost a bit more but they make a massive difference.
  

In reality that is all you really need to get running. Over my time running I have added a few more things to this list that I have found are critical

• Socks. Yes.. this was really something that is important for me. I tried just about every pair of running socks you can imagine and I was still getting blisters. Blisters suck big time. Not only do they hurt when you’re running but afterwards when you have to get them drained they hurt even more and can cost you days off the trails. I had to find a solution and eventually I did in the 1000 Mile Sock (http://www.1000mile.co.uk/1000milesocks.htm). These socks have two layers that prevent a lot of the friction on the feet and in the process eliminate a lot of blisters. I went from a blister a run to almost none when I switched to 1000 mile socks. I swear by them!
  
• A GPS enabled watch. Once the gadget for the affluent and professional it is now possible to pick up a GPS enabled watch for about $130. To get it at that price you need to not go for the latest models. I researched for a long time and the Garmin Forerunner 305was recommended by a lot of runners ( even over newer models. I bought that 2 years ago and without it I would not be able to run like I do. It can help me control my pace, my distance, my heart rate and a keep a record of your runs which is critical.
  
• Software. Frankly the software that comes with the Garmin is crap. You should install the drivers for getting information off your watch but then head on over to http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/sporttracks/ and spend the $30 or so dollars that you need to get some decent software. You can get it for free to store up to 90 days of training if you want to check it out.
  
• Running Tights/Shorts. I own several pairs of running tights for cold runs. You might look like a ballerina but if they keep you warm and make running in the cold more comfortable why not. They are much better than jogging bottoms which let a lot of cold air in … I also need running (cycling) shorts that help avoid chafing in certain places..…that is probably more information than you need though ;-). I buy a lot of my shorts from runners point as they are sensibly priced and my tights I buy over amazon generally getting Asics if possible.
  
• Gloves and Hat. In the weather we are running in today having proper running gloves and a hat is critical as well for making running outside more comfortable. Generally these are thinner than those you would wear when walking around because of the fact that you need to keep warm but once you’re moving allow heat to escape so you do not overheat. I buy all my gloves and hats from runners point (www.runnerspoint.de) that does decent stuff at a sensible price.
  Overall you can add these things up incrementally but running, once you have it all, is free. A lot of what is above is about avoiding injury and staying comfortable when running. You need both to run consistently and not lost motivation as soon as it gets cold outside.
  

The week just past
This last week has been a tough one really. I have managed to get a lot of running done during that week but motivating myself outside when it is cold, raining and snowing is not easy. Monday I went out and ran just over 12km, Tuesday just over 15km and Wednesday just over 13km. Thursday was a really miserable day in terms of weather and I could not drag myself out at all – that was not helped by having to get up early to take the car to the garage and more coffee could not rescue the day.

Friday (took the day off work) morning I went to the Wedding of Irina and Ronnie (congratulations again guys!) and then ate brunch with them. It was actually sunny when I got home early afternoon and lying on my sofa I was extremely close to just putting on a movie and relaxing into the rest of the day. Knowing I was flying all day on Saturday though that would have meant 3 days off running which I cannot afford so I dragged my lazy butt off the sofa and jogged a slow 16km in Sun, Snow and Rain… bizarre. Saturday I spent the whole day flying to North Carolina in the USA so no running for me.

Today, Sunday 28th, I am writing to you from the hotel having completed a 25km run this morning. I had hoped coming to the USA would mean I could run in shorts and t-shirts. How wrong could you be? It was freezing out there this morning. I nearly turned around after 5 minutes and retreated to the hotel. No hat but at least I brought my running tights and some gloves… something I know Bernard has not and we are off out running tomorrow morning at the same time.

So a tough week that started in Heidelberg, took in a wedding and is ending in the USA has seen me cover the most distance I have ever done in a 7 day period with just short of 82km covered which is around 50 miles. I am up to just short of 242km (150 miles) for the month. This is also the most I have done in a month and there are still two days to go.

This week I will be in Cary all week and besides tomorrow when I am off our for a run with Bernard Doering (more on Bernie in future blogs) and Matthew Mikell and possibly Tuesday I will be reducing the distance a little and trying to add a few speed intervals on the treadmill.. if for no other reason that I do not have enough cold weather gear to keep on running outside all week ;-).

If you’re around in Cary this week give me a shout!

Until next time… thanks for following this blog…

A peak to my past

I promised those of you who committed your well earned money to this fund raising effort a little peak into my past and that is what this post is about(there are photos throughout the blog too and I believe you can click on them to see larger versions). Of course it is not my entire past but just a peak into my sporting, and injury past, mainly since I went to university in 1993. I hope that you do not find this post too boring… Before I share a bit of my past life I want to say a massive thanks to you all again. I am now almost at 2500 pounds which leaves me just 500 pounds short of my original target (the stretch target might soom be making an appearence). You are all heroes in my eyes and I really want to say a BIG BIG THANK YOU AGAIN! This week I have had donations from the UK, Germany, The USA, Sweden, Finland, Canada, Scotland (that’s for you Larry), Australia, France, Russia and Switzerland to add to those from many other parts of the world last week.

A passion?

It may surprise those of you who have only really got to know me over the past few years but running was never a passion of mine but sports was especially until I was around 25. I did run at school for sports days but frankly I hated doing almost anything as an individual when younger and running was one of those things. I would happily run around a football (soccer) pitch with a set of friends and team mates though as that was my passion. Those of you who have got to know me in the last 2 years when I have really got the running bug might be surprised by this…

My passion throughout life has undoubtedly been football and over many years of playing for many teams, and in my free time with friends whenever I could, I got to be a reasonable player. I love football so much that I got myself qualified as a coach and as a referee along the way too (both qualifications have since lapsed) just so I could be involved even more. At university I was playing for a semi-professional team known as Hall Road Rangers, playing for the university Team, playing in the halls of residence team and coaching the university ladies football team. I probably was spending 4 or 5 days every week training, playing or coaching some sort of football.

To the extent that you run at football (mainly in training more than the games) I would run but it is not the same as the running I do today but there was no doubt I was pretty fit. After two years at university I stopped coaching the ladies team and playing for the university to concentrate on studying (that's my story and I am sticking to it) and it was then I got addicted to Ten-Pin bowling… but that is another story!

University Womens Team I Coached. Middle Row.. 2nd from right as you look at it.

University Mens Team I Played On. Front Row 2nd from right as you look at it.

Moving to Heidelberg
In 1997 I finished university and I moved out to Heidelberg, Germany as a very young 63/64kg (that is an important number) youngster starting my working life at SAS where I remain today. I was pretty lucky on my arrival as a colleague of mine by the name of Anton Fuchs was playing for a local team known as Neckargerach. After getting international clearance (seriously… it was needed because of having played for Hall Road Rangers) I started training and playing with the team. Playing football in Germany is certainly different to playing it in England. For a start I needed to learn to scream when fouled.... even if I was not hurt as no scream = no foul. Secondly I needed to learn a different style of play which was generally slower with more emphasis on tactics and skill. I was never the guy who could do 200 “keep me uppies” but I was generally pretty good at passing with both feet, not too slow over the ground and very good at crossing the ball – I also poses a mean shot and love to take penalties. The first 18 months with Neckagerach are some of the best I have had in sport even though it was tough given I could not speak German at the start meaning that on a lot of the training exercises everyone had a head start and I got to do a lot of extra press-ups and other training fines.

It was while playing for Neckargerach that I first learnt to Ski on a legendary 2nd pre-season (after the Christmas winter break) training and ski trip. I was pretty crap at skiing and I remember being on the flat slope (:-)) before people lost patience and the black slope became my enemy. That is a story worth telling too so ask me if you run into me. The ski trips were more about drinking, team building and skiing than training though and I still can sing along to many schlager songs today!

Neckargerach Football Team I played with
Front row 4th from left as you look at it

Alas.. it was after a ski trip (not with the football team I might add) that things started to go wrong with my football life. I managed to damage my knee meaning I had to have some surgery to repair the meniscus. That injury (thanks to Thomas Chrillesen by the way that collected me after the surgery and collected my lovely purple crutches I still have to this day - PURPLE.. what were you thinking?) was the start of the end of my time at Neckargerach as I fell out with the coach, while coming back from that injury, and my football playing days for a club in Germany came to an end. I needed to find something to fill my time and it was about that time my first 2 inspirational running buddies appeared on the scene in Maunie Neal and Jason Leuhrs. This was back in 2001/2002. There was another person giving me great encouragement in Bengt Bengtsson but I'll bring him to the blog later!

Maunie and Jason – The original running buddies

Jason - No picture of him running found.. so one with a beer will do :-)

Maunie before the Karlsruhe Marathon!

Maunie and I egged each other on and I think we dragged Jason along for the ride mostly after a lot of beers and bravado.

It started out with a BergLauf (hill run) in Dossenheim in which I managed to beat Maunie and where Jason managed to just beat the Ambulance bringing up the rear and the 80 year old practically walking up the hill. Of course Maunie was convinced that was a fluke so we then took on a 10km and I managed to beat Maunie again, I think Jason wimped out of the 10km with some nonsense about his knees.

Maunie upped the stakes and we (Maunie, Jason and I) went for it in the Heidelberg Half Marathon in 2002. To be honest the fact we reached a half marathon was pretty amazing as together we probably sustained a few bars in Heidelberg and you would not think of us as runners. As far as I know this was the first half marathon we ever did and Maunie came in with a respectable 1:51 and Jason with an also respectable 2:14 (although complaining of having destroyed his knees). By some miracle I finished in 1:44 (a time I have never beaten incidentally in subsequent Heidelberg Half Marathons although the route was not the normal one that year).

In true form Maunie then upped the stakes again and suggested we go for a Marathon. I thought he was nuts but male pride was at stake and I agreed. Jason could not be persuaded ;-). Maunie and I trained together for the Marathon in Karlsruhe in November of 2002. To my horror Maunie destroyed me in that race finishing in 4:22 compared to my 4:29… I remember that marathon so much as I was in a lot of pain during it and at the end could not walk. A lot of Kudos went to Maunie for beating me but frankly I think we were both just happy to reach the end!

Of course those of you who know me also know that I am a competitor and I felt like I just had not performed on the day … so I tried to get into the London Marathon and registered myself for the Paris Marathon as a backup. As I did not get into the London Marathon in 2003 I ran the Paris Marathon finishing in 4:06. I was pretty pleased with that to be honest although I fell just short of my 4 hours target. The main thing was I beat Maunies time not that he was bothered :-)

Karlsruhe Marathon 2002	Paris Marathon 2003
My Paris Number I Still Have!

The Lesson
A week later while playing football with the SAS guys I took off on a sprint after a ball and totally ripped my right hamstring. I guess the lesson is to trust the books when they say give your body 6 weeks to recover – I promise to be a good couch potato after London 2011…

After a period out with that injury I got back to playing football with the SAS guys and slightly-tore my left hamstring. I was just coming back from that when I went over on my ankle. As I crawled off the pitch in pain and went home in pain nursing what I thought was just a sprained ankle I remember my good buddy Davy Rowland calling me “a big girls blouse” and some other words not appropriate for this family blog. The ankle injury turned into a 16 month nightmare really as I could walk on it (but it would swell up every day) but I could not run on it and non-one could find out why.

Eventually after several different types of scans they discovered I had broken it… it only took them 12 months to find that out… after an operation to fix that a number of months followed when the ankle was so weak I would sprain it even when walking as it gave way often without warning (Brett Colley can probably remember me almost taking a total random of a stranger down to the pavement in New York when I had one of my customary ankle failures at the England vs. Columbia football game at the Giants Stadium having watched England vs. The USA in Chicago at Soldier Field..).

Eventually I got past that and a period of laziness begun that combined with the injuries and an exuberant social life had seen me climb to 92kg in weight.. a again of nearly 30kg in 5 years … It was now October 2008 and I will pick my running life up from there in a future blog. With what I have just shared you now know what my running background was and the history of my 2 previous marathons as well as my rise to fatness. Clearly it is easier to be running those sorts of races when you are already fit and after putting on so much weight getting going again is never easy!

Recap of my training over the last week
Returning to the training for the London Marathon 2011 this week has been a good one training wise even if the dropping temperatures mean going outside is not on the top 10 tings you would ever choose to do on a day.

Having done the 31km run on Sunday 14th, which I mentioned in the last blog, I took Monday 15th off as a rest day and then on Tuesday 16th I headed out and did 14.2km with Oscar in tow (freezing!!!), Wednesday 17th 10km, Thursday 18th (no run... too busy with work) and on Friday 19th I did 12km with Oscar in tow. On Saturday 20th I got my second long run in covering 29km although a bit slower than the pace of the 31km of last week. That means I have covered just over 65km this week and that I am now up to 160km for the month of November so far. I am writing this on Sunday having had a nice relaxing day recovering. I hope you all had a great weekend!

Travelling makes training harder

First of all thanks to everyone that has contributed so far to the fund raising effort. I have contributions from Australia, Germany, The United States, The UK, Russia, Portugal, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, France, Switzerland and Spain. It has been a truly global effort and as I write this I am bordering on two thousand pounds of pledges. I am humbled by your generosity and motivated by your actions.

Speaking of motivation I think the hardest part for me of training for a Marathon is the fact I have to travel so much for work. Training for such distances is as much about continuity as it is about determination. This means that even when on the road I have to find about 1.5 hours almost every day to get some form of run in and have a shower (after all no-one would want me not to shower now would they?). You would think finding an hour and a half would be easy but it is not. Let me use last week as an example.

Last week I was working in Russia. This presents a few challenges:

1. Russia is 2 hours in front of Germany which means 8am in the morning in Russia is 6am in Germany. In Germany the 6 on the left hand side of my clock simply does not work.. or at least I assume it does not as I have never seen it ;-)
   
2. Russia is probably not the safest place to go running outside mainly because I do not know the area well enough and would likely get lost down some back alley or run over by the river of cars who often drive down the very same pavements I would be running on
   
3. Russian work days tend to start a early and end late because of the dire traffic situation. It is not uncommon not to get back to your hotel until at least 8pm having left it at 7am or 8am.
   

When you add to this that most days I was meeting a number of other poeple from the team, who were also there, for breakfast 30 minutes before that departure in order to be able to head to the office, or a customer, you start to perhaps understand the challenges associated with morning runs.

What this really meant is that to run I needed to get up at 6am local time which was like getting up at 4am in Germany (I have been known to get home at 4am but getting up at that time is a bit unusual). I had to do this as I am generaly a lazy person and after a long day in the office or out at customers there was no way I would have gone running in the evenings especially since dinner often was not concluded until near 10.30pm most nights (and of course the mandatory refreshments after a long day). I do not know how many of you have had an alarm clock go off 4 days out of 5 at what would be the equivalent of 4am in the morning and questioned both your sanity and even worse your desire to go run ;-). When you add to that the fact I often did not make it to my room until around midnight (yeah yeah... all my own fault) as we prepared the next days and discussed situations that had arisen during the day you get to see the problems faced by an on the road traveller in keeping to a training plan. But enough of the whining … you put your money down and I need to get on with it… your actions and the cause are my motivation even when I do look like death at 4am ;-)

So last week while in Russia (having arrived late on Sunday) I managed to get a 10km run in on Monday morning, a 10km run on Tuesday Morning, an 8km run in on Thursday morning and a 5.25km (yes.. strange distance but I am in charge of when I stop and that was when I decidd to stop… ) run in on Friday morning which means I did around 33km while in Russia in the hotel gym on the treadmill at what was the equivalent of 4am in the morning for me and with very little sleep. It is no surprise then that on Friday night when I arrived home in Heidelberg at about 11pm CET (which was 1am Russian time already on Saturday morning) I was exhausted and that Saturday was largely spent complaining about how tired I was. So in true form I ignored the running and watched TV all day… Marathon training at its best.. I wish I could train while sitting on the couch watching football.. I would be world champion in no time!

Having recharged a little on Saturday I decided on Saturday night that the weather forecast for Sunday, sunny and 18 degrees Celsius, was so good I needed to plan a big long run. Long runs are critical for Marathon training as they prepare your ligaments, muscles and joints for the Marathon itself. You normally do these long runs slightly slower than the speed you will race at and gradually build up the distance. Having been lazy on the Saturday I set off on Sunday not to return home for 2 hours and 50 minutes. Yes.. that is right.. on Sunday I ran for 2 hours and 50 minutes without stopping covering just over 31km - I surprised myself and I must apologize to the stranger I ran by at the bus stop, just in case you are reading, that asked me for the time.. I was not stopping to tell you otherwise I might not have got going again. The good news is that the speed was actually the same speed I would run if aiming to come under 4 hours for the marathon and I held it consistently throughout the 31km. The bad news is that had that been the Marathon I would have needed to keep going for another 11km and I am not sure I could have done that yet! Still .. with 5 months to go it was an excellent check of where I am at fitness wise.

Upon returning home I was in pain… my calves were hurting like hell and required ice packs to calm them down and I myself had to lie down for 30 minutes on the floor in my living room. This would have been ok apart from my charming dog, Oscar, decided this was his cue to try to lick me to death and bring me as many toys as possible to try and get me to play with him. I can tell you this is just what you need when feeling like complete crap. Having got through the next hour I started to feel normal and I decided to take the dog for a 3km walk to try and get the legs moving.. this was a great idea at the start but by the end I wanted to be back on the sofa where I think I have a calling in life ;-).

Needless to say I took Monday this week off of running to let my legs recover and recover they have - 24 hours to get over 31km is a good sign. I am not totally fresh but I am ready to run again… today I will be heading out with the dog for a 12-15km run in the rain… this is the life of a Marathon Runner

Reasons!

Donations:
Are possible through my Just Giving Page

Nervous Beginnings

Back in 2003 I was in Heidelberg one day at work when David Hartley shared the sad news that his sons had been diagnosed with XLP. I have to say that at the time I had no idea what that was and I am sure many people reading this blog will say the same even now. After a few discussions it was clear that without some fairly major treatment all four of his boys were not likely to survive beyond their teens and that their chances relied on not just excellent medical treatment but also finding bone marrow donors that were a match. (read more about the history here)

At the time of that news I was happily living my own life enjoying the parties that accompany early adulthood and building my career - you could say I was in my own selfish bubble. I would not say I exactly passed by on the other side, as I did keep in close contact with David and provided some things along the way, but while near it still seemed so far away. Since then I have kept in contact with David as his children have one by one undergone their treatment often seeing David in the quieter times between treatments through work.

In August of 2008 I was hit with a piece of news that was personally devastating. My mother had been diagnosed with Cancer and in her case it was going to be terminal. Doctors gave her less than 6 months to live without treatment and 12 months with treatment. Hearing such news is something you can never be prepared for. I was in Hungary at the time and all I wanted to do was go home and give my mum and those close to her a hug. I think I needed a hug myself!

Of course my mother was a fighter and after and she had two rounds of chemotherapy, which took its toll, she decided to focus on quality instead of quantity. I cannot imagine how hard that decision was personally for her or for my father who was alongside her through this terrible time. In the summer of 2009 my mother lost her brave fight and a life was taken way too young. The legacy of that fight lives on though in a changed son. More on that shortly.

Meanwhile David and family continued the long road through treatment and setup the XLP Research Trust Charity. The linked website explains more about the charity aims than I could do justice to here. Through that charity I have watched from afar as various events have been organized including raffles, sponsored walks and triathlons to gather funds. I have marveled at how their Sons have taken part along with others in the family and what looks like an amazing group of participants.

So what has all this got to do with this blog and why I now want to raise money for the XLP Research Trust?

The experience of seeing first-hand the devastating effects for diseases that can affect anyone first hand and watching someone fight so hard, be looked after so well through the wonders of medicine along the way and being looked after by volunteers in the community and in the hospice has changed me as a person forever. Small things make a big difference. I did not realize how much unfortunately until later in life. I am not saying I am now a fund raising crusader or anything like that but I think I understand now the value of how a small part of your time, energy and life can really make an enormous difference on others. It took a big event in my life for me to realize that.

In 2010 I was fortunate enough to find the first place where I could begin to provide my small contribution to the happiness of people in a much more difficult life situation than I have ever been in. That place was the Waldpiraten camp in Heidelberg (English German) which takes children between the age of 9 and 15 with cancer, as well as their brothers and sisters if needed, and provides them with 9 days of fun here in the hills of Heidelberg. The hope is that those 9 days will remain etched in their minds for life. These camps also provide their parents with a much needed break. I have to admit that secretly I believe I enjoy the camps more than the children and I wish I had got involved a lot earlier in my stay in Heidelberg. The camps have taught me that no matter what life throws at you there is always always room for a smile. They have also introduced me to a lot of new activities I would never have previously thought about doing, as we support and look after the children, as well as an amazing group of dedicated volunteers and professionals!

I discovered recently that David and family have taken advantage of a similar program in England called "over the wall". It seems there are many more people helping others than I ever realized and that there is a bigger need for this than I ever imagined!

If I now come back to the XLP Research Trust then the work that trust is doing is something I very strongly support for a variety of reasons:

1. It is targeting a disease that targets children who should be in the prime of their life. I see no better cause than to help children overcome such obstacles.
   
2. It is targeting a little known disease that more research is needed into. If I look back at the treatment my own mother was given around cancer that would not have been possible without research over the years. Helping increase awareness and raise money to fund research into something most people do not know much about might lead to breakthroughs that benefit children for years to come.
   
3. Knowing David through work, and a little of what his family has been through, any help I can provide in raising awareness and fundraising will help them to continue their own personal journey on the brighter side of this tough time to raise awareness, improve research and hopefully help others in the same situation they were.

So after a discussion with David I am honored to be able to say that I will be running the London Marathon on April 17th 2011 raising funds for the XLP Research Trust charity to help them fight a disease that afflicts children in their prime. As of right now that gives me 5 months and 11 days to train to cover the 42.195km or 26miles and 385 yards. My target will be to break 4 hours and in future blog posts I will share a bit of my history of sports and running as that is a story in itself. Needless to say my fastest marathon was done in 2003 (also the last one I did) in 4hrs and 6mins. I am not just going to do this but I am determined to beat my best time in the process!

Besides helping the charity the fact I can run the London Marathon means a lot. It is something I had wanted to do for a number of years but was not able to for a variety of reasons. It is something I told my mother I would do one day and dedicate to her. Crossing the finish line will probably be one of the most emotional things I will ever do for that reason and I know that wherever she is right now she will be looking down and telling me that while I am a “silly sod” for putting myself through it she is immensely proud. I am also sure she would approve of that emotion being shared with doing it for a very worthy cause!

This blog is for me to write down thoughts as I train and to share with you my progress (mental, physical and anything else I randomly come up with) and any issues I run into (pardon the pun) while training so that if you choose to sponsor this you can be part of the process!

No amount is too small… your contribution not only helps a great charity but it could profoundly change afflicted young people’s lives in the future! How much more motivation do you need? Go to my Just Giving Page to make your donation.

Mark.