Early morning run. I like it when the mornings are lighter and the weather's good, you can get out before breakfast!
Short run but fast, just 40 minutes. Planning circuits on Thursday and running both Saturday and Sunday. I think it's time to make Sunday a long run again and see how my ankle fairs.
Thursday, 29 March 2007
Saturday 24th / Sunday 25th
No training this weekend. Two reasons, the first is because we had a family weekend in Sennen and secondly because I'm still getting some aggravation from my right ankle!
Normal sessions to resume next week.
Normal sessions to resume next week.
Thursday 22nd March
More circuit training. Parkside school has turned out to be a most popular venue... I reckon it' sthe Space Hoppers that people come for...
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
Wednesday 21st March
6.5 mile run this morning and all is well.
Gorgeous day. Freezing cold. I felt like I could have run twice that distance without effort this morning. It's great when you get one of those days!
Gorgeous day. Freezing cold. I felt like I could have run twice that distance without effort this morning. It's great when you get one of those days!
Tuesday 20th March
Resting today.
I attended a meeting of the Dudley District Business Club in the evening and was very pleased to see the speaker that evening was David Healey a blind marathon runner.
Not only did he have a great story to tell he was very interesting to speak to and offered some great advice (this year will be his seventh consecutive London marathon). Next year he's organised a triple seven event for himself, following in the footsteps of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Seven Marathons on Seven consecutive days on Seven different continents. Amazing! He's raising money for a different 'blind charity' in each country.
Dave is a real inspiration, he makes you realise that nothing is impossible, you only make it so when you think it so....
I attended a meeting of the Dudley District Business Club in the evening and was very pleased to see the speaker that evening was David Healey a blind marathon runner.
Not only did he have a great story to tell he was very interesting to speak to and offered some great advice (this year will be his seventh consecutive London marathon). Next year he's organised a triple seven event for himself, following in the footsteps of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Seven Marathons on Seven consecutive days on Seven different continents. Amazing! He's raising money for a different 'blind charity' in each country.
Dave is a real inspiration, he makes you realise that nothing is impossible, you only make it so when you think it so....
Monday 19th March
Cold, wet, icy, snowy weather.... circuit training indoors. You have to draw the line somewhere...
Some great speedwork in this session, sprinting and turning for nine lengths of the Dolphin Centre sports hall is a tough speedwork session for anyone!
Some great speedwork in this session, sprinting and turning for nine lengths of the Dolphin Centre sports hall is a tough speedwork session for anyone!
Sunday 18th March
Decided on a more regular short Sunday run with Cliff, just seven miles to test out my new marathon kit.
The water belt is a huge improvement over carrying a bottle, I expected some discomfort but it was just fine, it sits around your hip line and I can honestly say I hardly noticed it was there. You do get a sense that you're always running next to a small brook though... it's the water sloshing around in the bottle!
I tested a Go Gel too about halfway through the run. Easy to open, easy to consume, managed to do it with out getting it all over the place and although it really does have the consistency of frog spawn it tastes OK. The main thing was that it stayed put, no nausea, no tummy upset. That will do me for the marathon.
Sunday was too cold for running in shorts if you ask me... cold legs!
The water belt is a huge improvement over carrying a bottle, I expected some discomfort but it was just fine, it sits around your hip line and I can honestly say I hardly noticed it was there. You do get a sense that you're always running next to a small brook though... it's the water sloshing around in the bottle!
I tested a Go Gel too about halfway through the run. Easy to open, easy to consume, managed to do it with out getting it all over the place and although it really does have the consistency of frog spawn it tastes OK. The main thing was that it stayed put, no nausea, no tummy upset. That will do me for the marathon.
Sunday was too cold for running in shorts if you ask me... cold legs!
Saturday 17th March
Hard circuit training class, good to find my ankle much improved and no bother whatsoever!
Also made a quick visit to Decathlon (a runners mecca if ever there was one) and purchased a water belt for a fiver and a handful of carbohydrate gels called "Go Gels". Both of these purchases came about a result of my experiences on the long run last Sunday. Testing tomorrow!!
Also made a quick visit to Decathlon (a runners mecca if ever there was one) and purchased a water belt for a fiver and a handful of carbohydrate gels called "Go Gels". Both of these purchases came about a result of my experiences on the long run last Sunday. Testing tomorrow!!
Friday 16th March
Ankle is now much better after some expert sports massage from Marie. It never ceases to amaze me just how much aggravation you can suffer simply due to tight muscles!
Friday, 16 March 2007
Thursday 15th March
Just time to test out my ankle injury with some gentle circuit training. Seems OK to be honest, no pain just a sense of something wrong and a bit stiff. I suspect it's the sort of thing that responds well to physio.
No Space Hoppers in circuit training this week, disappointing obviously...
No Space Hoppers in circuit training this week, disappointing obviously...
Monday 12th March
After a 20 mile run on Sunday clearly the thing to do is have a rest and take it easy for a day... or go circuit training...
So I decided on the circuit training, not a bad session to be honest, legs were a bit heavy but nothing to worry about.
However, at home later on I managed to injure myself! Getting up from the settee... It never ceases to amaze me just when minor injuries will creep up and get you. We'll find out what I've done in physio on Friday, something strange in my ankle.
So I decided on the circuit training, not a bad session to be honest, legs were a bit heavy but nothing to worry about.
However, at home later on I managed to injure myself! Getting up from the settee... It never ceases to amaze me just when minor injuries will creep up and get you. We'll find out what I've done in physio on Friday, something strange in my ankle.
Monday, 12 March 2007
Sunday 11th - Sutton Park
What a great day it was yesterday!
Thanks to Runners World magazine for organising an informal marathon training day in Sutton Park. 20 miles of tracks and paths around the park with Runners World pacers.
It was quite a challenge, 20 miles is a long way on foot, walking or running, but I got there and completed it in about 3 hours. I real journey of discovery it was too! I discovered that:
1) I've finally got the laces right on my new running shoes.
2) The pain I've been experiencing in my shoulders is actually concentrated in my left shoulder.
3) I've deduced that the pain in my left shoulder is caused because I carry a water bottle!
4) I've realised that you must replace lost electrolytes during long runs. I only had water yesterday.
5) Now I know that I can run 20 miles and I'm sure I can run another 6.2 miles.
I'm really grateful to all the people who were carrying GPS systems yesterday, it was the only way we were sure we'd completed 20 miles!
Thanks to Runners World magazine for organising an informal marathon training day in Sutton Park. 20 miles of tracks and paths around the park with Runners World pacers.
It was quite a challenge, 20 miles is a long way on foot, walking or running, but I got there and completed it in about 3 hours. I real journey of discovery it was too! I discovered that:
1) I've finally got the laces right on my new running shoes.
2) The pain I've been experiencing in my shoulders is actually concentrated in my left shoulder.
3) I've deduced that the pain in my left shoulder is caused because I carry a water bottle!
4) I've realised that you must replace lost electrolytes during long runs. I only had water yesterday.
5) Now I know that I can run 20 miles and I'm sure I can run another 6.2 miles.
I'm really grateful to all the people who were carrying GPS systems yesterday, it was the only way we were sure we'd completed 20 miles!
Saturday, 10 March 2007
Preparing for a big run on Sunday
I decided on circuit training again on Thursday, I'm still getting some pain in my right foot after bruising it last week... annoying.
Anyway, circuits was a laugh as usual, where else could you have an exercise station that involved climbing off a bench onto a window sill and jumping off and worse still another station that involve bouncing lengths of the hall on a space hopper? :)
This coming Sunday is the runners world 20 mile training run in starting in Sutton Park... I can hardly wait!
Anyway, circuits was a laugh as usual, where else could you have an exercise station that involved climbing off a bench onto a window sill and jumping off and worse still another station that involve bouncing lengths of the hall on a space hopper? :)
This coming Sunday is the runners world 20 mile training run in starting in Sutton Park... I can hardly wait!
Wednesday, 7 March 2007
It's Wednesday Morning!!
I've finally made it out for a morning run after weeks of darkness! Getting out of the house running at 630:am or even 7:00am is one thing but motivating yourself to do it in the dark and cold is another. The cold I really don't mind so much, but actually getting up in the dark is a challenge all on it's own for me let alone the running...
Anyway, you might appreciate just how glad I was to see that's light at 6:30am now!
This morning I decided to have a speedwork session for 40 minutes, easy jog down to the park followed by multiple laps of the various paths around the park at full tilt. It's a real killer first thing in the morning and it never fails to amuse me when I stop to stretch and I'm engulfed in a cloud of steam from my own efforts!
It's good to see all the dog walkers again too, I'm sure they all think I'm mad. They're having a lovely early morning walk, some gentle exercise for them and the dog and there's this mad bloke hurtling around the park.
Top marks to the guy that told me I'd started training too early for the Olympics!!
Anyway, you might appreciate just how glad I was to see that's light at 6:30am now!
This morning I decided to have a speedwork session for 40 minutes, easy jog down to the park followed by multiple laps of the various paths around the park at full tilt. It's a real killer first thing in the morning and it never fails to amuse me when I stop to stretch and I'm engulfed in a cloud of steam from my own efforts!
It's good to see all the dog walkers again too, I'm sure they all think I'm mad. They're having a lovely early morning walk, some gentle exercise for them and the dog and there's this mad bloke hurtling around the park.
Top marks to the guy that told me I'd started training too early for the Olympics!!
Monday... no run... too wet!
Back to circuit training on Monday because it's raining again! It's not that I mind running in the rain per se but 3 days on the trot is just a bit much...
The great thing about Jamie's circuit training classes is the variety, they're always different, sometimes just just slightly but mostly completely different. The beauty of this is that you can never see the pain coming! If you do a regular circuit training class that's the same week in week out you'll know which bit of the class you hate because it hurts and you know exactly when it's coming every time. You can see why Jamie's extra thought and effort pays off!
Anyway tonight's class was a tough one, plenty of sprinting up and down the length of the Dolphin Centre followed by varying levels of intensity in each of the exercise stations. If you're of a mind that Gym exercise requires a room full of complicated weights machinery I can assure you that it's quite possible to achieve much higher levels of exercise with a gym bench and a mat...
The great thing about Jamie's circuit training classes is the variety, they're always different, sometimes just just slightly but mostly completely different. The beauty of this is that you can never see the pain coming! If you do a regular circuit training class that's the same week in week out you'll know which bit of the class you hate because it hurts and you know exactly when it's coming every time. You can see why Jamie's extra thought and effort pays off!
Anyway tonight's class was a tough one, plenty of sprinting up and down the length of the Dolphin Centre followed by varying levels of intensity in each of the exercise stations. If you're of a mind that Gym exercise requires a room full of complicated weights machinery I can assure you that it's quite possible to achieve much higher levels of exercise with a gym bench and a mat...
Monday, 5 March 2007
Sunday Short Run
The source of the pain in my right foot became very evident as I pulled on my running shoes for my Sunday run. It's remarkable that you can have such a painful pressure point and not notice... I can't believe how long it's taking me to get these new running shoes laced correctly, I've already managed to cause a blister through over tight lacing and this latest pain is through the same cause. Laces adjusted, we'll have to see how that goes...
Rain again! Soaked to the skin within a mile, better today though because I had company. It never ceases to amaze me that you will invariably run slower when you're soaking wet and it's still raining. You might think you would get some extra pace on and get home sooner but it seems that the cold and wet conspires to slow you down.
Great run though, no floods and great route. About 6 miles I think, maybe a little more.
I've decided to make Monday a circuit training day, I feel the need to excercise somewhere warm and dry... otherwise I might begin to evolve webbed feet...
Rain again! Soaked to the skin within a mile, better today though because I had company. It never ceases to amaze me that you will invariably run slower when you're soaking wet and it's still raining. You might think you would get some extra pace on and get home sooner but it seems that the cold and wet conspires to slow you down.
Great run though, no floods and great route. About 6 miles I think, maybe a little more.
I've decided to make Monday a circuit training day, I feel the need to excercise somewhere warm and dry... otherwise I might begin to evolve webbed feet...
Saturday Long Run
Motivating yourself to get outside for a long run isn't always that easy, it's made worse when you're going to run it alone and worse still when it's chucking it down with rain and the winds blowing!!
Still, if you can get outside for a run under those conditions then I guess you can motivate yourself to do most things...
That's how my Saturday long run started. The rain soon stopped though, and even soaked to the skin it's surprising how quick you dry off when you're running. My route for this run was out from home, over to Dodford, keep going toward Timberhonger and then right out to Wychbold. I might have known that Coley Pits Lane would be flooded!! Shin deep and about 50 yards long in two places, soaked to the skin again...
A good run in the end though, two hours on the road and covered about 14 miles, not particularly fast but that wasn't really the point. Experienced an unusual nagging pain in my right foot the cause of which became evident on my Sunday run..
Still, if you can get outside for a run under those conditions then I guess you can motivate yourself to do most things...
That's how my Saturday long run started. The rain soon stopped though, and even soaked to the skin it's surprising how quick you dry off when you're running. My route for this run was out from home, over to Dodford, keep going toward Timberhonger and then right out to Wychbold. I might have known that Coley Pits Lane would be flooded!! Shin deep and about 50 yards long in two places, soaked to the skin again...
A good run in the end though, two hours on the road and covered about 14 miles, not particularly fast but that wasn't really the point. Experienced an unusual nagging pain in my right foot the cause of which became evident on my Sunday run..
Friday, 2 March 2007
Even more circuit training!
It's not been an easy week for running, had to make do with more circuit training on Thursday night.
I'm beginning to think it might be time to join the Redditch & Bromsgrove Athletics Club... serious runners there though... :o)
I'm planning a longer run on Saturday morning, 14 miles-ish and a shorter, faster one on Sunday.
Next Sunday is the Runners World 20 mile training run in Sutton Coldfield, that's going to be a real challenge. Worthwhile though I think.
I'm beginning to think it might be time to join the Redditch & Bromsgrove Athletics Club... serious runners there though... :o)
I'm planning a longer run on Saturday morning, 14 miles-ish and a shorter, faster one on Sunday.
Next Sunday is the Runners World 20 mile training run in Sutton Coldfield, that's going to be a real challenge. Worthwhile though I think.
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