Long Run

After Berkhamsted last week, this is another week I’ve been really looking forward to. That’s because it’s the one week of my training where the words ‘long’ and ‘run’ take on more than one meaning. For those familiar with racing, I won’t need to explain that’s because this week is Cheltenham Gold Cup week.  

Having bagged my ticket (only just, by all accounts) I’m off for my annual outing to the races with a massive group of my school mates. You might think I’m a bit old to be getting excited about things like that, but for those that have never been my words here won’t even begin to do it justice. All I’ll say is that if you experience it once, you’ll be hooked for the rest of your life. The atmosphere and camaraderie you get in and around Cheltenham on Festival week is truly amazing, and has been responsible for some absolutely awesome days out down the years.

Anyway, before I go all misty eyed, here is a quick explanation of the first meaning of the words Long Run.  

Long Run Mk I

The staple diet of any marathon runner is the weekly long run. To the uninitiated, the prospect of running 14, 16, 18, 20 or even 22 miles, just sounds like sheer hell. But in a bizarre way, I actually look forward to them. And here’s why…

During the week, you have to flog yourself half to death doing different types of high intensity work whilst holding down a decent job. A typical week for me includes the following;

-       Tuesday AM: Four or five mile long intervals run practically flat out, with short 2 minute recoveries in between;

-       Wednesday AM: A midweek long run which is anything from 10-13 miles normally undertaken prior to work;

-       Friday AM: A tempo run which is normally 6-10 miles, with a 40 minute segment in the middle where you run virtually at full tilt

I don’t mind admitting that I find these sessions pretty tiring. So by the time you get to the weekend you would think that running long is the last thing you want to do. However, in a quirk of fate you are told, nee forced, to run your long runs at a really slow pace. So actually, all you’re really doing is going out for a pleasant jaunt into the countryside where you’re doing a slow plod.

The other thing that the long run has in its favour, is that I can do it in the Hertfordshire countryside, as opposed to jumping off of the train at Finsbury Park and setting off in a not so salubrious suburb of London at 7.10AM.

Whenever I mention at work that my weekend is going to entail a 20 mile run, everyone looks at me as if I’m mad. So I thought I’d let you enter my world, and see the lovely villages that I end up running through on my leisurely Sunday morning jaunts...   

The Cricketers at Ickeford

Letchworth Lane

The picturesque village of Preston

The view from Wymondley

The duck pond at Willian

I'm not entirely sure that these photos do my run total justice, but they give a little insight all the same. Now onto the other Long Run that is at the front of my mind this week...

Long Run Mk II

I should say at this point, that I don’t think I’ve ever won any money on the Gold Cup. That’s generally because I’m not a favourite backer. I love a plucky outsider, and plucky outsiders don’t generally win the Gold Cup because the best horse pretty much always wins off of equal weights. That is why I was a bit surprised that Long Run won it last year, being the first horse under the age of 7 to triumph since Mill House 48 years ago.

I have no idea if he’ll follow it up this year as everything was pointing to the resurrection of Kauto Star. That was, until he had a bit of a fall a couple of weeks ago. As for me, well I won’t be backing either of them. I’ve got to go for Midnight Chase again as I love this horse as he’s a brave front runner. He hasn’t had a great season this time out, but he rolled back the memories, making all from top weight in his last run at Cheltenham in January. I am sure he won’t win, but as he’s a front runner you generally get a decent run for your bet, and if he’s placed I’ll be happy as anything.

As for the rest of the week, I’m no tipster me, but it does look like there are plenty more ‘bankers’ than usual. And I’m not really one for ‘bankers’, as you don’t tend to win any decent money on them unless you’re prepared to stake a huge amount, so I’ll be steering well clear. I would love to see Big Bucks win the World Hurdle again, and I’d also like to see Zarkander upstage Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle (which is always my favourite race of the week) although I highly doubt it will happen.

My final hope for the week is that Alan King and his stable jockey Choc Thornton get right back in amongst the winners. I’ve definitely won more than I’ve lost following those two in festivals down the years (Katchit and Voy Por Ustedes being two of the best), but they both had a bit of a lean time of it last year. King’s stable was under the weather, and Choc is pretty much the unluckiest jockey ever, having had more serious injuries than anyone I can think of. So I really hope they have a good one – fingers crossed they can get the Festival off to a cracking start with Montbazon hosing up in the Supreme Novices at this time tomorrow.   

And I’m telling you this because…
I’m running the 2012 London Marathon for the Hertfordshire Community Foundation (HCF).

If you feel inclined to sponsor me to help the Hertfordshire Community Foundation continue their great work, you can do so here:  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BenWood2