Happy 2016 - Onwards and Upwards

Happy 2016!

Here we are well into the New Year, I don't about you but I am certainly a few pounds heavier from enjoying a bit too much Christmas excess. In fact I sit typing this demolishing some of the last of my Christmas chocolates in the form of some chocolate coins. I am trying to maintain my typing while constantly having to fidget around with getting my next chocolate treat out of its metal casing.

I am not a big fan of Christmas or of New Year festivities but I was glad of  a prolonged period off work and I was looking forward to using my extra time off to get some more running in. Unfortunately it didn't work out that way.

Before Christmas I booked myself in for my for my first race of 2016 a runthrough Half Marathon in Victoria park at the end of January. Its an event I am pretty excited about as not only does it have a super cool medal as highlighted below but it also falls on my birthday!

I will be honest, I have been looking forward to my birthday falling on a Sunday so I can do a race on my birthday, what a great way to spend the day!

I have built up the race to be a race of magical proportions, surely a race on my birthday will be the most magical event and the running Gods will bestow nothing but good things on the run and my preparation for it?

Of course not!

My training over Christmas was blighted by a cold/cough that had me under the weather off and on for most of the festive period. I had penciled in the ambitious idea of a half marathon distance run before Christmas, another one between Christmas and New Year and a third between New Year and going back to work. I didn't get any of these runs in just one 14K trundle our feeling the worse for wear after Christmas.

Eager to make up for lost ground I planned to attack this week with great enthusiasm and lots of running.

Monday I got out for a great session which involved using a local motorway crossing for some hill sprints and then some strength and conditioning work on the stairs.

Since then it has gone a bit wrong, my Monday night session had obviously aggravated my calf as I awoke on Tuesday morning with a calf strain. The week hasn't got much better as I have been in agony with an infection in my tooth. After a few sleepless nights full of pain and struggling to eat all week a trip to the dentist has seen me get on the antibiotics and get booked in for some required root canal work.

So not the ideal start to the week but now both my tooth and calf are on the mend so next week will see me attempting to kick start the New Year.

I am not a big fan of New Years resolutions and all these ambitions and declarations of intent that everyone is full of at this time of year.

Other than my recap of 2015 (peak at my medal haul form 2015 below) I haven't written a post about all the great things I am planning for 2016 and all the changes I am going to make to myself, my lifestyle, my running or my blog.

I am simply going to press on with doing what I do.

In terms of running I know what I need to improve in my training and of course I will be aiming for more PBs in 2016 and if I can run consistently without too many injuries I would love to be able to run 2016km this year.

In terms of my lifestyle I know I need to keep trying to eat healthier the same as everyone else, eat a bit cleaner and cut out the carbs and the junk food.

As for the blog, it was always planned to be for me to write what I want to write, I am never going to be famous or earn a living from my blog. So I will continue to write more of the same, if you like it then great thanks for reading, I love interacting with other runners, why not drop me a line? If my blogs not for you then thats cool its not really a crowd pleaser designed for the masses but thanks for dropping by.

So onwards and upwards for 2016, I hope you manage to run off any Christmas excesses and achieve all your ambitions in the year ahead! 

Glad to be out running

After 10 days without running I got back out running today.

Not quite headline grabbing news and ten days is hardly an age but for me it has felt like weeks of not months.

After the Hackney Half Marathon I knew I needed some rest and recovery time for my calves as I have had problems with them all year and they were just so tight and painful.

So I took a week off running, applied ice at least once a day and after a few days started some gentle rolling. 

Then on Monday after I had already given my calves a week to rest I had a sports massage which was great for loosening up not only my calves but my hamstrings as well.

Then today I headed out on a lovely warm sunny afternoon for a gentle 30 minute run, no time, no pace and no real set route. And it was glorious! It was great to run after a long lay off, great not to have pain in my calves and great to just get out and run without worrying about training for an up coming race.

I will now go for a longer run at the weekend and fingers crossed I hope I will be back to full running fitness!

My weekly training update

This time last week I had just completed the Hackney Half Marathon and after some rest and recovery and some post race eating it was time to look forward with my training plans. 

Rather than looking ahead to my next event this time my focus has been on rest and recovery. 

Since the start of the year I have struggled with my calves, tightness and pain often when walking and especially when running. My calves have always been my week spot ever since I started running many years ago. A few years back I went for a sports massage as part of treatment for what I thought was shin splints only to be advised that my problems were more likely to be a result of compartment syndrome in my calf muscles. After some treatment and rest I was back up and running but I have always paid close attention to any discomfort in my calves and given them special attention in terms of extra strectching and foam rolling. 

But now the problem has returned and I know I will need a period of rest before I am ready to resume with my running. 

So this week instead of enjoying the light and warm spring evenings out running I have instead been indoors on the sofa looking a bit like this:

I have a sports massage booked for tomorrow so I know that will help and I will see what I am advised in terms of when I should get back to running. 

Away from training the other notable news from me is that I have now set up a Facebook page for my blog, if you would like to follow me on Facebook here's a link to my page, thanks! 

Nutrition wise I have been more relaxed in my diet and have enjoyed a few homemade pizzas this week. Comprising of a whole grain wrap as a base, whatever veggies and bits in the fridge I have for toppings topped off with cheese they are a really tasty snack and a slightly healthier option to a takeaway or frozen pizza. 

I am also in the midst of a food addiction at the moment, it's not the unhealthiest of food addictions so I have not fought to curb my addiction. It is however starting to dominate my fridge: 

My addiction is yogurt! I just can't stop eating it! Whether it's a few spoonfuls as a snack, as part of a smoothie or with yogurt I am loving it! Especially Yeo Valley Vanilla and Blueberry flavours and Icelandic Skyr yogurt not only because it reminds me of my recent trip to Iceland but because it's so high in protein and so low in fat! I would definitely recommend trying it out! 

Thanks for reading and I hope everyone is out enjoying the early summer sunshine. 

Tunbridge Half Marathon 2015

My first run of 2015 The Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon was taking on a grueling and hilly 13 miles amongst the scenic villages in and around Tunbridge Wells.

The race was the scene of my triumphant PB run last year but this year I knew such a performance would not be on the cards. 

The early part of 2015 has seen me move into a new flat and take on a new job which all in all has disrupted my training somewhat. Added to this my troublesome calves which have been playing up since Christmas.

The race was always going to be a struggle and just about getting round rather than aiming for a certain time, but in the days leading up to the run I was doubtful of running at all. Being busy with the flat move logistics had meant having to squeeze in runs to my schedule where possible and with time being constrained I was in the bad of not warming up or cooling down properly leading to my calves getting worse. 

On the Friday before the run I was so concerned at not being able to run the race on the Sunday I started making inquiries with local sports massage establishments to see what they could offer at short notice. I managed to squeeze in an early morning appointment at a local physiotherapist where I received a gentle sports massage to try and ease the tightness but without causing too much damage to prevent me from running the next day. 

Come the day of the race I just about felt well enough to run but didn't feel particularly fighting fit to take on 13 miles. 

I was running with my main running buddy my brother in law Tom who was raring to go for this years race after having to sit out last years event through injury, as this is his local event he was more keen to run and do well. 

We headed off at a gentle pace meandering our way through the other runners. It was nice to enjoy a bit of a company and a bit of a chat. Around a mile and a half a bottle neck of runners going into a tight corner meant that we got split up, it was also a slight downhill bend which Tom decided to take full advantage of and put his foot down and accelerated away. Not being in the greatest shape I knew I couldn't speed up to catch him so I watched him run around 50m in front of me, however every time I looked up he had sprinted further into the distance.

After 3 or 4 miles my calves felt better and I felt like the race had started so I started to concentrate on my strategy. 

I was conscious of not pushing to hard and making sure I just finished in one piece and I was of course spurred on by trying to catch Tom up.

This year I found the hills much harder than last year but the genius of the race organisers of positioning bands and musical entertainment at the summits of hills was incredibly motivating. 

As I moved into the second half of the course my thoughts turned to trying to catch my running partner Tom up, I wondered where he was on the course and how far ahead he was. I was chugging along with the aim of finishing in around 1.50 which I knew Tom was more than capable of matching and probably even going a bit quicker. 

As the miles past I expected to see him and overtake him but with every mile that I didn't pass him I was more concerned firstly that he was going to beat me by a sizable time and secondly concern that he might have pushed to hard and dropped it.

As the race entered the final stages with still no sign of Tom I had feelings of both feeling pleased that Tom looked on for a great finishing time matched with the anguish of fearing he had pulled out. As my own chances of a good time faded the thought of knowing Tom was achieving a good time kept me motivated and I hoped I wouldn't see him again until the finish.

When I got to the ten mile mark I found it tough as usually I would summon up what energy I had left and push for the finish line but not on this occasion. This time I went to look to see what I had left in the tank and the answer was 'very little!'.

I still didn't see Tom in the final miles and felt excited to find out how well he had done but was still concerned he might have pulled out.

After I staggered across the finish line feeling as bad as I probably have after any race I worked my way through the finishers area where I spotted a disorientated but jubilant looking Tom who had finished a few minutes before me and smashed his PB to run a blinding 1.48! 

I was kind of disappointed with my own time of 1.51 but at the same time I knew I couldn't have worked any harder during the race I just simply wasn't fit enough on this occasion. 

I couldn't be too downhearted as the memories of my own triumphant PB in the race last year came flooding back. 

It was great to revel in the enjoyment of someone elses achievements and a pleasant afternoon was spent recovering, refueling and suggesting how much faster than our PBs either of us could go. I suspect these predictions became more fanciful and less realistic as the beers flowed! A cracking Sunday lunch at the Duke of York pub was heartily enjoyed to wrap up a great race weekend.

Getting on with 2015

Now that the Christmas break is over, the New Year festivities long passed and hopefully the Christmas chocolates all eaten it's time to crack on with 2015!

One of my last posts about running in 2014 mentioned that I feared I would be 'limping' into 2015 as I had been struggling with my calves (lower legs not cattle) and that has unfortunately been the case. My last proper run was an 8K run on 30th December, I attempted another run on the 1st January but had to abort after 1.25K as I was struggling with a bad back and my calves. 

The problem with my calves is compartment syndrome which was diagnosed by a sports therapist a few years back when I though I had shin splints. 

From what I understand it's basically lactic acid and waste products not exiting muscle tissue because of poor blood flow which then cause cramp like pain when the muscle is used for exercise. 

From what I have read it can often come on after a period of intensive training followed by a period of low or no exercise. Athletes can suffer with it in the off season when their training stops after intense periods of competition. That has certainly been the situation with me as I completed my 30 day run streak before doing next to no training and very little walking around while away over Christmas.

So the last week I haven't done any running or any impact training that have affect my calves, really scaled back my walking and just tried to rest my legs as much as possible. I have stretched my calves everyday and used the foam roller as well as icing my calves as much as I could. 

I still did plenty of training during the week, sessions on my stationary bike at home along with plenty or circuit work including upper body and core stability exercises. 

One of my regular circuits to do at home is squats, pressups, crunches and dips, my normal circuit is 25 squats, 25 pressups, 15 crunches, 15 dips x 3or4. 

I have also been working on core strengths through mountain climbers and other plank exercises. Through in some leg strengthening exercises and it has been a busy training week! 

Today was time to get back out and run, and I was so thankful to be able to get out and run successfully. I covered a very leisurely gentle 4.5km where I just tried to enjoy running again and focused on my technique. 

So after feeling no ill effects I am ready to crack on with my 2015 running aims, first up on the agenda the Hampton Court half marathon definitely booked for March and the Tunbridge Wells half marathon pencilled in for the end of February. 

Watch out 2015 here I come!

Day 6 Pre Rugby Run

Today's run: Morning - Gentle/Recovery - pavement - 5.16km - 30.23mins

Today as it is a Saturday I had considered heading over to my local parkrun as I haven't done one in months, but as it has been rainy the last few days I decided to give it a miss as it will be wet and muddy. 

So instead I opted for a short little gentle run ahead of a planned longer run tomorrow. I headed out this morning so I had plenty of time to crack on with a few weekend chores before settling down for an afternoon in front of the TV watching a great sporting lineup. The line up this afternoon including Wales v New Zealand and England v Samoa in the rugby autumn Internationals and Manchester United v Arsenal in what promises to be a tasty premiership fixture.

I chose my running top this morning with the rugby in mind.

A little something to provide some extra motivation for my run!

The run itself was very straightforward a gentle little jog round trying to maintain a nice steady pace. My legs did feel somewhat stiff and struggled to get going until after a few kms but towards the end I was feeling good.

My only slight injury concern is a bit of a niggle with my back as it is feeling painful and stiff in the mornings and takes some time warming up to feel normal. I am sure its nothing major but I will keep an eye on it and make sure I stretch it and warm up properly before each run. 

Thank you for reading this short and sweet post to read further about my runstreak challenge please read here and for my latest incredibly exciting running news please read yesterdays Day 5 post. 

This weekends running update

After 35 miles of running last weekend as part of spitfire scramble its fair to say I have struggled a bit to fully recover. 

After a little recovery run on the treadmil on Tuesday I was feeling a bit more energetic by the end of the weekend so headed out Thursday evening and subsequently covered 15km. It was a very pleasing ran as I was able to cover each km in less than 5 minutes and average 4.57min/km overall.

This weekend I was definitely feeling the strain mentallay and physically of marathon training continuously over the last four months. Making the time to squeeze in the required miles and the hours has been demanding and becomes too much after a while and I think I am starting to reach that point.

This weekend required some careful planning and a hefty dose of dedication and determination to get in my run as I had to fit in quite a few responsibilties and plans into the weekend and finding time to dedicate a few hours to running was a challenge.

My training plans were brought into focus  when on Saturday morning I received my Nottingham Marathon race number and information. 

This weekend marks three weeks to go and I must say I am looking forward to it very much but also to a weekend away in a great city.

At the same time that I received this and my mind started to plan ahead my body was having other ideas. Ascending a hill as part of my run on Thursday night I developed a bit of a twinge in my right knee and it has continued to linger over the weekend. 

It doesnt bother me so much when I run but bugs me on stairs and when twisting and turning. A few general applications of ibruprofen gel over the weekend seemed to help and I came through my long run on Sunday unscathed. 

Speaking of my long run on Sunday I planned covering 25-30K across two stints if necessary.

I headed out and covered 18K straight off then popped into the flat for a quick toilet break, drink, energy gel and a change of tshirt before heading out and covering another 10K.

My aim had been to cover as much of a half marathon in sub 5 min splits and then hang on and cover the rest of the distance as best I could.

With my aim of running a sub 4 hour marathon I figure I need to be qble to cover a half marathon in around 1 hour 50 and then be strong enough to complete the second half in 2 hours.

My plan worked well as I managed to knock off the first 18 kilometres in either sub or just over and my last 10K was in a very respectable 57 minutes as well! 

The start of my run was a bit hampered by my eating the night before, my wife's home cooked moussaka seemed to be sitting right in my belly like an uncomfortable weight and it took around 10K for it to shift.

I am pleased though that I am able to run as well as I did despite this problem.

I am feeling buoyant ahead of my next marathon, my next challenge in terms ofsticking to my training and diet will be my trip away with work.

I am away for four days and three nights, I have packed plenty of running kit and am sure I will get the time to head out for a couple of little runs at least!

Marathon countdown - Less than 24 hours to go

So less than 24 hours to go to the 2014 Vanguard Way Marathon.

The training has been done, the hard work has been put in and there is not much preparation left to do, a mixture of nerves and excitement as the race looms large on the horizon.

The last week has gone well, I have scaled down my training and only covered 27Km in the last week, I have eaten well and enjoyed my carb loading, kept hydrated and managed to get plenty of sleep.

So all in all its all gone to plan and now I am just left to rest, eat well and relax with just one day to go. 

I am feeling quite nicely not overly excited nor nervous. I am a bit concerned that I am a bit under cooked in terms of having only completed one run in the region of 30Km due to illness and injury but you always have last minute regrets over what you could change or have done differently.

Now my concerns are about the weather with heavy rain forecast in the build up to the marathon and I am apprehensive about how hot and humid it might be and how this will impact my running.

On the injury front I am not hampered by any fresh injuries, my big toe problem that restricted my training a few weeks back has calmed down and although it is still an almost constant pain it is minimal and isn't affected by running.

I am increasingly convinced the problem with my toe stems from my new trainers as I fear my right shoe is a fraction too big and has caused my toe injury and is also causing an issue with my right ankle as my foot moves around a little in the shoe. Anyway there is nothing I can do about it at the moment so I will hope it doesn't affect me in the marathon and will address the issue afterwards. 

So I feel good my legs feel fresh, my preparation has been good, I have eaten well and rested up so fingers crossed everything goes to plan tomorrow. My mind is a wash with thoughts about how the run will workout and what my splits should be but I am feeling quite relaxed. 

My aim is for 4.15 as I think the magical sub 4 hours mark is slightly out of my reach. Thanks for reading and for all the support given over the past few months, best of luck to everyone else racing this weekend!

Finally getting out for a proper long run

On Sunday despite my niggling big toe injury I headed out for a long run and managed to complete 29.3Km!

I was so relieved to be able to get a good distanced long run in before my fast approaching marathon in two weeks on 3rd August. I was also thankful my toe allowed me to complete the distance and has showed no signs of worsening since the run.

My aim was to try and cover 20K and then if my toe held up to try and push into the higher 20s towards 30.

My long distance stamina isn’t where it should be as it has been two weeks since I complete 20K and three plus weeks since I completed anything longer.

I did find it a struggle and my legs started to wain a little around the 14K mark but I dug in and completed a distance I was really pleased with.

I was also able to successful practice my race preparation and race strategy. My pre-race schedule looked something like this on Sunday morning:

My carb loading strategy worked well and I felt well fuelled throughout the run, I was also able to get some much needed experience of using my new hydration pack on a long run.

I also took along a fee energy gels and took four during my run which helped maintain my energy levels. I was happy with how they helped my performance and was satisfied I was able to digest them with no stomach issues.

The run has to go down as one of the most enjoyable runs I can remember. Firstly the relief at being able to run after injury, secondly with not being sure how far I would be able to run being able to run such a good distance felt great!

It was also such a great summer’s morning, warm and bright even though the sun hadn’t quite pierced through the clouds fully at 8.30am when I started out.

It was the kind of day where summer felt in full peak after a few days of really hot and humid weather, the grass was all sunburnt and straw like and the ground mostly dry and crisp despite some heavy downpours a few days previously.

Running through fields in the country park I was often running through a vibrant cacophony provided by what seemed like a million grasshoppers/cricket providing at times an ear piercing backing track to a lovely summer morning. At times it was a relief to leave a fielded area to get reacclimatised with the silence and you then realise how loud the cricket orchestra had been.

Post run I feel great although I have painful blister on my right heel and sore, damaged nipples which will take a few days to heal over. The run has reconnected me with why I love to run, the feeling of pushing yourself towards your limit and the physical and mental excellence you are rewarded with as a result.

I can’t wait to get out and run the marathon on 3rd of August and am looking forward to many more long runs as I train towards the following two marathons after that.

Thanks for reading, I hope you are enjoying your running and your training is progressing well.

Big toe injury update

A nightmare I am sure most of you have experienced at some point, an injury in a build up to a big event. It’s a pretty dismal time especially when there is uncertainty of the severity of the injury and what affect it us going to have on your running from one day to the next.

On Sunday I was due to run around 30K as one of the three big long runs I had scheduled into my training plan. I was really geared up for it and eager to see how I coped with the increased distance as my previous long runs have been between 22-25K. The run was also pretty imperative as I had missed my previously scheduled longer run due to illness. I was also planning to practice my race strategy, my pre-race preparation as well as trying out my new hydration pack for the first time.

Disappointingly I only managed 3.5K (run report here) as pain struck in my big right toe.

I instead took my bike out for a spin and covered a similar 30K distance on my wheels instead. 

Sunday was spent trying to RICE as much as possible and I am hopeful this will have a positive affect.

Monday and Tuesday I then decided would have to be non-running days, two days is usually long enough to assess your injury and rest a minor ailment and I could then figure out how the injury would affect my training plan so I could adapt accordingly. 

So Monday and Tuesday I hit the gym for cardio and circuits in the mornings as well as going out on my bike again in the evening. 

I also continued to ice my foot and created myself a little ice bath.

I tried researching my injury and came up with the liklihoods of it being sesanoiditis or possibly a small fracture to a metatarsal or even a tendon strain. (If anyone has experienced any of these injuries or has any advice on my injury I would be grateful to hear your experiences.)

Wednesday it felt somewhat better and I also decided to take some ibuprofen to help with the pain and hopefully help heal the injury. I was reluctant to take any painkiller as I hadn't taken any for a running related ailment in a long time following a realisation I had become a little bit too dependent on painkillers (you can read the article here). 

Anyway Wednesday I felt alot better and managed to complete a breezy 10K in 50 minutes with no pain. 

Thursday though the pain returned and my strategy now turned to resting the injury as much as possible in the hope of still being able to make a long run on Sunday. 

Not running in Thursday evening proved benefical as I was able to do some much needed maintenance on my bike and was able to successfully adjust my rear derailleur to give me a full range of gears again, I was pretty pleased with myself on this achievement! 

Not running on Thursday, Friday or Saturday is not going to limit my marathon run too much but missing my third scheduled long definitely will.

So fingers crossed I can complete a good long run on Sunday and coupled with some gym and circuit work on Friday and Saturday I will still have kept in good shape.

1st run with my new camel pack

For this weekends long run the plan was to run around 30K as my major long run before the marathon 3 weeks today. 

The run was also going to be my first venture with my new addition to my running apparel, a long desired camel pack/running bladder.

I have really wanted one for ages as an addition to my long distance running gear and decided to order one from amazon. It was pretty cheap but had a high number of really positive reviews so I decided to go for it just to see how I got on with using one.

Being 3 weeks to my marathon and this being one of my last long runs I decided to focus on practicing my race preparation. 

So I put 100% effort into my preparation, Friday evening I loaded up on protein with a steak, Saturday I carb loaded and was selective in eating clean and whole foods. Saturday evening I ate my pre race meal of double carbs in the form of potato and brown rice with chicken and vegetables, completed with a protein shake before bed.

Sunday morning I continued my carb loading with an early breakfast of cereal, flapjack and fruit juice at 5.30 before returning to bed until 7.00. At 7.00 I got up and had my second breakfast of cereal with natural yogurt with another flapjack. I then prepared my gear for my run:

I took an energy drink before I set off and spent some time making sure I was comfortable with my camel pack before I headed out.

So off I went, my route was to head through Ingrebourne Country Park out to Rainham and along the Thames out to Purfleet and back.

I started off feeling so good, really feeling the benefits of my training and feeling so strong and fit. The feeling of being 'carbed to the max' felt good as I really felt I had fuel to burn over the next few hours.

I was aiming to run just over 5minute/km splits but my first Km was nicely under the 5 minute mark. I started to focus on slowing it down and settling into a rhythm, when just coming up to my second Km I felt pain in the ball of my foot. I shrugged it off as a niggle that I could run off, I soon realised I had been covering a whole Kilometer while experiencing pain with every foot strike. So I reluctantly but sensibly decided to stop, I walked for a few hundred metres and the pain eased off so I sped up to a jog only for the pain to return.

After walking for another minute or two I pulled over to sit on a bench. I removed my right trainer and started to rub and massage the sore area as I thought it could be a cramp as I have suffered from cramp in the same place before. After a bit of rubbing and mobilising of the area I set off again only for the pain to return again after a short while.

Now I was in a dilemma, if its an injury I need to stop to avoid making it worse and to hope that I could still successfully take part in the marathon in 3 weeks time, but if its not a serious injury I really need to run through it as I need to get a long 30K run under my belt.

I kept on running trying to push through the pain hoping it would ease off. It wasn't getting any better though and I noticed I was starting to twist my ankle to compensate against the pain in my foot to try and put less pressure on it. I knew this was bad news that would only get worse so I started to come to terms with the fact I wasn't going to be able to see this run through.

Continuing along the path I was reluctantly starting to think about pulling up but was so keen to keep going, then around the next corner I was confronted with this:

The path had been a little watery but now it was completely flooded where the path passes alongside the river Ingrebourne. All the way to the gate you can see ahead the path was flooded and I could see it was a good few inches deep. That was it! I decided this was a sign that the run was over and I gloomily turned around to trudge home. I had only covered 3.5Km.

It was disappointing and so difficult to come to terms with on many levels. The main two being all the preparation I had put into the run, the eating, the getting up early now all for nothing! The second being that my training for the marathon would suffer without this long run especially as I had only manged 20K last weekend due to illness.

Anyway I was soon home and starting my rest and recovery process.

Lots of RICE for me today and I guess I will just have to see how I go to see as to whether I can get up an running again soon and maybe squeeze in a long run in the next day or two or leave it until the weekend.

I wasn't resting for long though as after a bit of ice I decided I had all the energy and preparation to do something so I had to do some activity, so I headed out on my bike and covered the same route I had planned to run. I must have covered close to 30Km in just under 2 hours, as I had consumed close to 1500 calories before heading out to run I needed to do some exercise and I felt so much better for getting back out and doing something.

Thanks for reading, come back soon to see how I recover from this injury and if I can get back up and running this week.

Back to running and building up my fitness

So happy now I am back up and running after my injury.

This morning I tried out a new route, a nice 7.5K loop around Cranham. Really enjoyed it as it was such a nice, bright and sunny spring morning.

It was a bit of a struggle and found it quite tough in the last third and couldn't get a good pace going. My strength and fitness will come back in time thought and I am very much conscious of building my recovery gradually.

After my run I enjoyed my refuel with an excellent Saturday brunch.

Eggs Benedict on toasted muffins with a hash brown, mushrooms and spinach; delicious! 

Enjoy your weekend running!

Back up and running

After 20 days without being able to run I managed to get out for a 5K yesterday.

I was starting to get worried about writing a blog about a third runless weekend and was concerned that despite my best intentions to write a running blog that covered some food pictures the blog was turning into a complete foodporn website due to my inability to be able to run. 

So back to running, on Friday I felt that my groin was feeling strong enough to try out a bit of running so I incorporated a run of a couple of hundred metres into my circuit training over the park. 

In all I completed 3 circuits of 1 minute sets of star jumps, squats, knee highs, calf raises & rocket jumps followed by a little run. I then rounded this off with 3 circuits of press ups, dips and some sets on the upper body gym equipment in the park. 

Having no problem with this run I ventured out for a 5K on Saturday morning and managed it fairly easy at 5minute/km pace. I was just so happy to be able to get out and run again and relieved to be able to write about some running on the blog at last, so hears to more running and running related blogging! 

A second runless weekend

A second consecutive runless weekend, feels so odd not doing something that is usually the main focus of my weekend.

As is so often the case when I am not training so much my motivation for eating well falls away. This week has also coincided with a few drink fuelled nights out so that combined with subsequent hangovers has further limited my training abilities.

I decided to cook up a tasty and healthy meal yesterday though and managed to knock up a really nice fish and veg bake.

Which went done really well, nice and light with plenty of good stuff in it. 

However saturday night was a different story as opted for some indulgent comfort eating.

Nachos with tex mex dips and mounds of melted cheese. Ultimate comfort eating! Was so good as a blowout snack.

I did get out this morning for some circuit training in the park. I have been really enjoying working on circuits comprising of the usual body weight type exercise such as press ups, squats and star jumps and some skipping thrown in for some cardio as well.

Had a nice post workout breakfast to set me up for the day.

The great thing is tomorrow is a new day and the start of a new week, so a fresh slate to start again. My aims for the week are to get back eating healthier, to get a gym session or circuit session in every day and to continue working on my strength and conditioning work. I am hopeful of having a bit of a run towards the end of the week or maybe at the weekend as my groin is healing up and starting to feel better.

10 runless days

My injury setback continues into its 10th day....

I know 10 days isn't a massive amount of time compared with most injuries but its a really long time for me not to be running and doing the training I want.

Also I never really had any badinjuries in   my 10 years as a running bar a few weeks out with strained knee ligaments 5 years ago and the odd niggle here and there. 

I am thinking my injuries are definitely a sign of age catching up with me and a realisation that I need to spend more time on strength and conditioning exercises.

Since turning 29 at the end of January I have been suffering with an injury for almost 50%  of the time, age looks like its catching up with me its all downhill from here.....

A runless weekend

Disappointingly no running this weekend as I am struggling with a groin strain.

I was due to be partaking in my first away day park run over the weekend in Sheffield so am I annoyed I wasn't able  to do that but there will be other times.

Who finds that when they are injured and unable to train you lose all motivation to eat well? I have definitely found that this weekend and have rather indulged the highlight being a gorgeous pork belly with mash and beans.

Although I didn't manage a run I did get some exercise under my belt in the form of a very enjoyable 3 hour walk in the peak district. A really nice walk along the monsal trail with some interesting history and great scenery. 

While out on the walk we came across the grindleford gallop that was underway along the same route.

Its a 21mile route with around 3000 feet in elevation so if you are looking for a a challenge next spring perhaps as a marathon warm up this would tick all the boxes of being a massive challenge and a really enjoyable route as well, check it out on the link below:

http://www.goodrunguide.co.uk/RaceDetails.asp?RaceID=4226

I have already set a reminder on my phone to enter in November when entries open, looking forward to it already! 

Rugby

All geared up ready to watch the rugby this afternoon Wales v England. Should be an awesome game and its setup to be a massively intense and physical battle.

The fitness levels, strength and stamina of international rugby players is something I struggle to comprehend in comparison to my own fitness. As an idea of a rugby players fitness have a look at this clip of England's Ben Foden which is so impressive, hes on the comeback from injury at the moment so not currently playing for England but the clip gives you an indication of what the players put themselves through to get match fit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EyrPs3bhJA