Category Archives: Running

Running, Training

Winter is coming

Leave a comment

Woke up this morning for my early morning run and for the first time since June the I felt the cold. Brrr! Took a bit more willpower to leap out of bed and get to it, but get to it I did and with good result.

Despite feeling the need to don a sweatshirt for this morning’s run I managed to blitz it – getting through 6.1k in 35 minutes – a full minute and a half quicker than Monday’s effort and with no ITB or even hamstring pain. Very satisfying – the average pace of 5.42 / km is quicker than I need for a sub 2 hour half – although at present fitness there’s no way I could sustain that for two hours!

If I feel this good for Friday’s run – which I might make a 7k-er – I may up my weekend distance target to 15k…

Running, Training

I wanna go fast

Leave a comment

Really getting into running again. Lovely, if convoluted, 6k today as one of my mid-week mid-length runs (pace 6m14s / km – target is 6m/km over 21k!).

Now need to resist running again tomorrow morning. Need to give myself rest days to avoid injury.

But I want to go fast! Frustrating.

Couple more 5ks and a 13k on Sunday is the programme for this week (and some house-packing, shopping for Hippo and a busy work week in between!).

The sub 2-hour time for the half marathon may be out of reach this year but I’m hoping that 2h20 may be possible. Let’s see…

LSR, Running

LSR: back to business

Leave a comment

First post-physio semi-substantial run – 10k this morning, in about 64 minutes with a 2 minute rest in the middle. Runkeeper tells me that my pace was pretty consistent, my body (so far) tells me that I haven’t exacerbated any injuries. Rolling etc., was pretty standard afterwards, although with the diet going simultaneously I feel a bit drained!

My hamstrings are pretty tight, which I knew, but that’s the one bit that pulls when I run. Need to keep stretching them out until I have something resembling a normal person’s stride!

Must make sure I take it gently now – tomorrow I’m off running and I might do a gentle 5-6k on Monday, and then build to another longer run next Sunday – maybe jump to 12-13k as I bypassed my first initial target for myself of 7k this weekend.

Running, Training

5 week LSR training for the half marathon

2 Comments

Right, here we go.

Having peaked early by running the full half marathon distance earlier in the year (twice!), injuring myself and been off running for the best part of the last couple of months, I need a running programme leading up to the New Forest Half in September. I made it out this morning for a more or less 30 minute 5k with no knee pain so think I can start to gradually build things up. Of course, I only have 5 weeks, and I’ll be moving over the course of that so I need to map out each weekend’s LSR. Here are my targets:

w/e 28 Aug – 7k (I’m still building up strength post-injury so think I need to restrain myself. May exceed if I feel able)
w/e 4 Sept – 10k
w/e 11 Sept – 13k
w/e 18 Sept – 15k

And I’ll taper off that last week ahead of the half marathon on the 26th. Mid week will involve runs of 5k to begin with, possibly upping to 10k is the strength builds (and I may struggle once the commute lengthens in mid September).

Sound like a plan? Wish me luck! Better yet, sponsor me here! I have a vague hope of making it to £1310 (£100 per mile and all that) but have a feeling my busy-ness will constrain fundraising.

Running

The ‘litmus run’

2 Comments

For those of us who don’t remember our primary school chemistry, the litmus test uses a special bit of  paper  which contains a chemical extracted from lichen to indicate if a solution is acid or alkaline – turning red for acid and blue for alkaline.

My ‘litmus run,’ as Sudhir put it, was designed to gauge how effectively the physio exercises have been at treating my injury and if I’ve learned to run in a ‘good’ way – with the right muscles activating and my poor battered IT band left well alone.

Well, I’ve done two runs in the last couple of days – in intervals of 4 minutes of running to two minutes of walking with four running intervals yesterday and five today. And I feel OK in the IT band (although the foam rolling is more painful post-run). The total distance covered – a rather pitiful 7.5k or so – isn’t indicative of much but the fact that totally different muscles to usual are feeling it – my calves and hamstrings, mainly – makes me think that I’m doing something better.

Not 100% convinced I’ve completely sorted it out, however, so the run not as effective as litmus paper. I’m going to go back to physio early Tuesday morning – but at least I’m once again blogging about running, and not, erm, not running.

The worrying thing is my fitness seems a bit poorer (probably not helped by running on diet) after the interval of not running. Hoping that I can get enough roadtime in ahead of the half in a few weeks time to make it through non stop, without injury – all the achievement I can hope for at this point.

Wish me luck!

Injuries, Running

VICTORY IS MINE

Leave a comment

At least, a kind of fleeting victory over this ITBS injury. Today, I jumped for Sudhir. First horizontally in some kind of monstrous modern-age torture-rack-pilates equipment-type thing, then for realz… then I ran on a treadmill… and it all seemed to be OK! Yes, the right leg is still a little unsteady but strength is building, I’m pain-free in the knee (so far), and tonight’s rolling was only slightly painful!

Which means… I’m ready for a “litmus test” run – 15 minuter with gaps – to see how I hold up. The foam roller unfortunately must be a constant companion for me, but the fact that — come Saturday, anyway — I could be jogging it up again fills me with excitement and not a little satisfaction that the pain and tedium of the various physio exercises is paying off.

And Sudhir does seem to be earning his keep, yay for good physios!

Anyway, wish me luck.

Guest post, Running, Training

Guest post: sk on preparing for the new season

Leave a comment

This post comes courtesy of  fellow B2L-er and ‘True Lad’  Sam Kane – always an inspiration… Follow him on Twitter at @SamKano.

I’ve loved sport all my life. You name it, I’ll try to play it. In the off-season though, I’ve never really done much training in preparation for the new season come September-time – I’ve always much preferred Red Stripe, crisps and Nandos (because I really am a True Lad) if I am honest. However, last season, I had a bit of awakening. I always used to be able to go out drinking on the Friday and still turn in a half-decent performance on the Saturday. The past season, I found that this was no longer the case… any boozing on a Friday meant sheer fatigue on a Saturday. I’m sure turning 30 and a visibly slowing metabolism is nothing more than a mere coincidence.

So this summer, I thought, for once I am going to make sure I am in some sort of shape for the coming September. And naturally, working in such close proximity with James and Armo meant running was front of mind. So I have been attempting to do a couple of runs a week to help with the upcoming season. The main sports I play (football and rugby) are very stop-start, and when it comes to running are much more about pace over 40m than any distance. As a result, long distance, which for me is about 800m, has never been a forte.

However, after talking with the LSR boys about their running exploits and the fact that a certain other person recently smashed a 10k run (it’s either talk “running” with them or actually try to have a conversation with them… the former always wins). The Charminator put me on to a really useful app, RunKeeper, which uses GPS to monitor your distance, heart rate, calories burnt, pace and speed. Despite the new advertising campaign for Adidas’ miCoach, starring SK-rejects Jessica Ennis and Victoria Pendleton (unlucky ladies), I can’t recommend this app highly enough. I have been running for about two months now and was taking on 7k runs. I’ve got my time down to 31.26 from an initial 34.50. This week however, I hit a true personal milestone.

I knew I was meeting a friend for the football last night, am going to a pub quiz tonight, have a birthday tomorrow and wedding reception on Saturday, meaning running won’t be too high on the agenda for the coming days. So I decided to do two laps of Wandsworth Common instead of the normal one, which transpires is a 10k run (ok 9.8km, but I’m new), to justify the impending drinking. I’ve only ever run as far once before in a Nike 10k, when the aforementioned age was considerably lower and the aforementioned metabolism was considerably faster. I got round then in 48.17. I surprised myself with the result (and believe me, my ego is often off the Richter). I clocked 44.28.

Now, I’ve seen what James and Armo do on this blog, so here are my mile times or “splits” as I believe people in the know call them:

Mile                  Pace (min/mile)

1                                             6.33
2                                             6.26
3                                             7.59
4                                             7.20
5                                             8.15
6                                             7.30

I think it’s fair to say I went off too quickly, but was pleased to almost keep under eight minutes a mile. There’s no doubt that the regular running has improved my fitness and probably put me in better stead for the upcoming season. And there are two other points to end on. 1) I’m now obviously completely ripped and 2) it is undoubtedly completely down to the sheer inspirations that are Armand David and James Coyle… Both are gospel truth…. Obviously…

sk

Running

Running and fatherhood

3 Comments

Wait, wazzat? A post not about my injury? You better believe it.

In a little under 10 weeks, all things going well (fingers crossed, touching wood etc) I become a Dad. I’m vastly excited at the prospect of it and we’re busy preparing for the little one’s arrival. A lot of people, aware of my current obsession with running, have asked me two things:

1) Am I going to stop running and turn into a slow-moving, sleep-deprived vegetable when it happens
2) Am I going to go running with a buggy

The answer to both, I’m hoping at least, is no.

On point 1), It’ll definitely be harder to find time and motivation to go running when I’m busy figuring  out how a baby works; sleep deprivation and motivation have never been good bedfellows. However; one of the things I’ve realized about myself over the last couple of years is that if I really decide something’s important and build it into a small, obsessive routine – I make it happen. I’ve also come to realize that running is pretty much the ‘quickest’ aerobic exercise you can do – all you have to do it get out the front door and you’re away and back in the minimum time you could pretty much do anything. So I’m hoping, really hoping, that the running will continue.

On point 2), if you’ve met me you’ll know that even keeping a glass of water upright on my desk at work is something of a risky proposition. Running whilst pushing the most precious cargo I could ever carry — lunacy. I’m sure that the more coordinated amongst you could manage it, but it’s not for me!

If you’re interested in more specific Dad-blogging, I’ll be doing some over on Division6, and my friend Ricky Bobby (who becomes a Dad in the next three weeks or so!) has started writing on “how to hold a baby” – and his blog does have a section on running, so its not completely OT ;-).

Running, Technology, Training

Running at the Equator

3 Comments

In Malaysia helping prepare for my sister’s wedding. (Half)-Marathon training is easier, but not nearly as fulfilling, exciting or entertaining.

I have managed to get in a couple of runs, which, because of the 30 degree+ heat, take place shirtless, indoors on a treadmill, usually under a fan with accompanying air-conditioning. It’s very, very sweaty. But oddly satisfying.

On the plus side – am actually enjoying treadmill running for the first time in ever. Doing some moderately quick sessions with some intervals – run 1 saw me alternate between 10.5 and 12 km/h, completing the 5k circuit in 26.13, and run 2 saw me jogging at between 10.7 and 11km/h, finishing in 27ish minutes (run briefly interrupted). I’m discounting these as ‘personal bests’ as treadmill running is just so much easier than real life running…

My Dad’s treadmill setup includes a box set of ER, which you can’t really hear over the running (my Dad tends to just use it for walking so less of an issue), but is totally watchable with subtitles – good motivation to keep going for 4o minutes tomorrow as the knee recovers and strength starts to build again…

Injuries, Juneathon, Running

Clambering back on the wagon

2 Comments

I never know whether its good or bad to be on or off the wagon. I guess you want to be on it, right? Unless it’s going to a bad place? Let’s say it’s going to a good place.

Regardless of the state of that metaphor, I’ve been in a post-Juneathon haze. Having injured myself midway through the month but not modified my eating habits, I’ve been feeling fat and unhealthy. The attempts at runs have been tentative – I’ve done four or so 5k runs in the last couple of weeks, but given that my caloric intake has been disproportionate these haven’t really figured in either the fitness/training or the weightloss efforts.

The mysterious “they” say that the hardest thing is getting out the door. That’s true – but when you’ve allowed yourself to lose the routine, each step on the way out the door gets harder. Waking up. Getting ready. Getting past the first 2k. Not turning around at 2.5k when it would be a nice “5k” round number. Keeping momentum. Even dialling in Runkeeper to act as a motivational partner. Pushing to meet the optimistic target pace. And going the full distance you intended.

This morning, I did it. A 10k, in 60 minutes flat – a pretty good time when you remember that my personal best for 10k is 59.06 and I’ve been off for some time. I was flagging from the 8k mark – a mysterious pain in my lower back which sometimes kicks in when I’m doing longer distances – but manage to exert will, apply thumbs to the afflicted spot, and dodge traffic on the final stretch to maintain the 6 minute/kilometer pace needed. And then I cycled into work. AND the knee is OK.

Feels good. Going to take tomorrow off and see if I can manage an LSR on Sunday, but am at a wedding this weekend so efforts may vary. But hey – it’s not Juneathon anymore so I won’t feel too bad about it.

Next week: we may have a guest post from Claire, a colleague who is running the British 10k on Sunday as she fulfils a New Year’s Resolution, we will hopefully see @jimbocoyle return as he comes back from vacation and settles in to his new job… and we may even get a mystery, triathlon related guest post!

Oh, and we didn’t win Juneathon, unsurprisingly, but had great fun doing it. Thanks to the organisers, was great fun and good motivation!