Reinvigorating my running

You know when you put something off a few times and then before you know it you have been putting it for ages, then all of a sudden it's been so long since you did the thing it's hard to go back to it? 

When you keep procrastinating, become perhaps a bit lazy and start making up excuses and all of a sudden it's been months since you did the thing you were meant to do? 

Well this happened to me...

For almost the last year I have been in the lucky position to work literally opposite Regents Park, I can actually see the park from my desk. A runners dream right?! (I am open to discussing job swap opportunities!)

Then early last year I started running in Regents Park in the morning before work most often accompanied by at least one running buddy and the run usually consisted of a track session using the running track on the north side of the park. 

The track is a better setting for an early morning session than any gym

Back in the autumn for one reason and another I stopped going, it's so easy to fall out of a good routine and life can throw so many things to get in the way.

Last week I finally got back to running an early morning session. I loved it, it felt amazing, I loved being in London so early, I loved exercising before work and feeling great throughout the day.

A pre dawn shot of London overlooking Regents Park

I was annoyed with myself for having missed out on so many of these sessions over the last six months. 

Then on Saturday I took part in a run with UK fitness bloggers which departed from near Liverpool Street and explored a little area nestled in between Wanstead, the river and the City. 

I really enjoyed the experience of exploring, running somewhere new and taking in some sights.

I realised I had gone a bit stale with my running. I remembered how fun running can be when you use it as an opportunity to explore and for adventure.

So last night after work I embarked on a partial run commute home, leaving my work near Great Portland Street I ran through the City and along the river back to Liverpool Street to catch the train home.

It felt great! I ticked up sub 5 minute KMs despite a back pack and a heavy laptop.

London looked epic lit up in the winter night.  

I hadn't run in London for over a year and not even spent that much time walking around either. So many regular places I used to pas have changed, larger buildings disappeared, new modern structures cropping up all over the place. 

I suppose the point of my story is the idea that usually you won't regret doing things but you do regret not doing things.  

It's a notion based on a quote from a wiser man than me.

Year of running 2015

The end of 2015 a time to look back, reflect and celebrate. I have enjoyed looking back over my year of running, have a read through and explore any previous posts if you wish.

Looking back over 2015 my year seems to split into distinct sections:

Early part of the year, starting off injured with calf trouble and not running much due to starting a new job and buying our first flat. 

Mid part of the year, marathon training and marathon running. Firstly learning through how not to train and running my slowest ever marathon at Vanguard Way in August and then running my marathon PB at Chelmsford in October. 

Spring, improving over three half marathons while still struggling against injury and not coming anywhere near PB territory as a result. Tunbridge Wells 1.51, Hampton Court 1.48 and Run Hackney 1.42 were all great races which I really enjoyed.

End of the year, shorter mileage but faster training for a sub 20 minute 5K which didn't end up happening but the emphasis on speed work at the end of 2015 will see me in good stead for 2016.

Overall 2015 has seen me run in excess of 1000 miles including 2 marathons, 4 half marathons and one 24 hour relay. On top of the events I have also experienced running in different places on my travels including Manchester, Birmingham, Reykjavik and Venice. 

There are many ways to summarise the year and every blogger more or less will be doing it in some shape. I have decided to follow the format of Courtney at Eat Pray Run DC who is hosting the 'Year in Running 2015' link up again, so here we go....

Best race experience:

The obvious choice is my marathon PB at Chelmsford marathon in October and more specifically feeling strong in the final miles. 

Making a friend with a fellow runner in the second half of the Vanguard Way Marathon was also a great experience as it was great to pass the time chatting as we ran.

Best run 

I suppose my 5K PB of 21.00 had to go down as my best performance but there are few other training runs that go down as being enjoyable as well as successful in other ways. 

Recently I headed out for my first long run in 2 months and tried to get into the mentality of a long run of just taking your time and enjoying the run and the surroundings you pass.

There was also a long run back in the summer as part of marathon training where I covered around 26K and really felt great and enjoyed the experience of running long and running strong.

It's funny how certain runs and certain sections of runs stick in your memory. 

Best new piece of running gear 

The two pieces of running gear I have bought this year that have made a big difference to my training are my zipper sweatband and my tuvizo vest.

My zipper sweatband I spotted on Amazon for about £1 and is a simple but incredibly effective piece of kit. Basically it is a sweatband with a zip in it that then allows you to easily carry your keys or cash. Simple but effective, genius! 

And then my tuvizo vest is a high vis piece of kit that keeps me safe in the winter darkness. Its easy to wear, light and doesn't bother me at all when running and has fast become a piece of essential kit for dull and gloomy mornings or dark winter winter evening runs.

Best running advice received this year 

Not so much a piece of advice more a motivational saying 'Pain is temporary pride is permanent'. It was on a banner during the Chelmsford marathon and really hit me and had stuck with me as motivation both in races and for training. 

Most inspirational runner 

Two rather cheesy answers for this one I'm afraid. 

Firstly so many runners from #ukrunchat, social media or from blogs I read. There are a few that stand out as true inspirations but I don't want to name names as there are so many great runners and it is the strength of the community of runners that is the true inspiration.

Sickening I know, vom fest over. 

Secondly, this is probably also a bit cringe worthy but since moving into our new flat I often walk past the field at the end of the road popular with dog walkers and there is one particular dog that always catches my attention. It's a young spaniel who as soon as he is let off the lead sprints around the perimeter of the field with such exuberance it always makes me smile. He just goes for it ears flapping in the wind and tongue hanging out of his mouth with a slightly crazed look in his eyes as he sprints across the grass. 

It reminds me to enjoy life and enjoy running and not be bogged down by training plans and split times. Or maybe it just remind me of my own running style! 

Favorite picture from a run or race 

I didn't buy any race photos this year and there haven't been many great photos of me running. 

The ones that spring to mind as being my favourite running photos are these three: 

Running the last lap for #ukrunchat #teamred at Spitfire Scramble. You can read about my race experience here. 

A photo with my running buddies from Asics Target 26.2 Tony and Chris, at one of our regular Hackney Marshes parkrun meet ups. This year it has been great to have the camaraderie, support and advice of these guys. 

Surely the most fun I have ever had running, fancy dress running Bacchus half marathon with my brother in law Tom. I think the photo captures the race really well, so much fun! 

Race experience you would repeat in a heartbeat

It goes without saying that I would love to do Bacchus again as it was so much fun but at the same time you know you can never recapture the same experience again. I know a lot of runners have the rule of never repeating the same race in consecutive years just to keep things fresh and to have new experiences and I think that is a good idea in most cases. 

So in that case I would pick the feeling of running strongly in the final miles of the Chelmsford marathon. I hope that I am able to recapture that feeling and finish future marathons wherever and whenever they may be just as strongly. 

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words...

First part of the year frustrating, painful and injury filled. Middle part of the year The word would be progressing and successful. End part of the year would be summed up with not as good as I would have hoped, struggling to see progress. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you had a successful 2015 and I wish you many happy miles in 2016!

Week 5 of sub20 5K training

Firstly I will be honest, sub20 is not happening, well not anytime soon. If you are reading this blog for advice on how to run a sub20 5K this is not the place for you I'm afraid. However if you by some weird choice of reading materials are looking for a blog about how not to improve your 5K time and run a sub20 5K then welcome this is very much a blog for you!

The start of December this week has seen me embark on an #adventrunning challenge. I am aiming to achieve the standard advent running goal of 30 minutes of exercise, in my case mostly running on every day between the 1st and 25th of December, yes that's right, running everyday on the run up to Christmas and also running on Christmas Day itself. Running on Christmas day I know is not everyone's (including my wife who is yet to be fully happy with my running endeavours) idea of fun but whats 30 minutes before the festivities kick in?

At this time of year it seems everyone is embarking upon an #adventrunning challenge or a festive related #runstreak of some sort. I suppose it is a bit tedious that everyone on social media seems to be doing the same thing and runstreaks are not the unheard of phenomena that they once were.

There seems to be a fair amount of criticism against runstreaks so I thought I would just explain the reasons why I am running everyday for almost a month:

• To challenge my own perceptions of what my limitations are 
• To help offset my festive indulgences 
• To keep me motivated to run during a busy time of the year 
• To get stronger and fitter from the increased amount of running 
• To get into the mindset of having running as an integral part of my schedule ahead of marathon training 

So on to what my training week this week has consisted of:

Monday - Rest day - bracing myself for the runstreak ahead

Tuesday - Runstreak Day 1. 31.45 minutes totaling 5.9K.

Another early morning 6am session consisting of a mile jog to the park, 4x300m sprint intervals followed by 4x200m hill sprints lit up by my head torch.

It was a good session where I felt strong and faster than I have in previous early morning sprint sessions.

The main talking point of the session was a fight I had with a bush, I say fight I ran into it and it attacked me with its prickly thorns, so more of an assault really. How did this happen I hear you ask? It was very dark and I was too busy checking my splits on my phone while jogging on a recovery run.

Honestly, it really is a worse injury than the photo conveys

Wednesday - Runstreak Day 2. 32.11 minutes totaling 6.6K

A 0.8K Warm up followed by a 5K session of 400m sprint/200m easy and 5 minute cool down jog.

Another good session that felt pretty good and I certainly felt some improvements in speed and strength but seriously hampered by lunchtimes pineapple upside down cake.

Thursday - Runstreak Day 3. 37.47 minutes totaling 7.7K

Working form home again I took the opportunity for lunchtime run and followed the same route as I did last week and aimed to knock a few minutes off my time.

I ended up taking over 2 minutes off my previous time with a 7K run in 32.47 which is 4.36min/km, I found this a very pleasing performance as it was a really hilly and tough route and I felt much more comfortable running at a higher pace for a sustained period.

Friday - Runstreak Day 4 - 30 minutes 5.3K a gentle recovery jog, saving my legs for tomorrows parkrun.

Saturday - Runstreak Day 5 - 21.55 parkrun plus plenty of time warming up & cooling down.

I headed off to Ilford Parkrun to put my legs to the test to see if I could translate my good training sessions into a good race time.

Ilford parkrun is my 5th parkrun venue and represents the nearest most convenient flat course at my disposal. Set in the lovely surroundings of Valentines Park its a pretty flat 2 lap route which is probably a little too twisty and turny to be super fast but is an enjoyable route.

My only grievance was the start of the run not kicking off until 9.07! I know its not a big deal and things can easily run behind time but I am quite a stickler for good time management.

The race itself was again a disappointment in terms of race time as I finished with an official time of 21.55. My 5K time was actually about 21.30 as the course went slightly over 5K, this is something I think I need to address as it is not the first time I have ventured a couple of hundred metres over 5K which is an important aspect to address when aiming for a specific time.

My race performance was OK, a first kilometre split of 4 minutes exactly followed by splits between 4.13 and 4.18 upset only by a 4th split of 4.28 caused by a shoelace malfunction.

Again as with my last parkrun at Hackney Marshes the weather was not ideal, although the rain held off it was still pretty windy which would have had an affect on times.

During the run I felt like I was really racing and pushing hard and it is becoming obvious to me now that I am obviously just not fast enough and not doing the right kind of training to deliver me the sub20 time I crave.

I still have two weeks until my sub20 showdown with my running buddies Chris and Tony, so there is work to be done, lets see what I can achieve!

Thank you as always to all the support and advice on my running from blog readers and from Twitter and especially from the incredible #UKrunchat community.
This blog covers my training week of 30 November to 6 December

Chelmsford Marathon training review

Tomorrow the 18th October I am running the Chelmsford Marathon, marathon number 7 for me, my second marathon this year and another attempt at a sub 4 hour marathon. 

Life has been busy hence the lack of blogs about training in recent weeks and months. The hard miles have still been put in mind you, maybe not in the quantities I would have ideally wished for but that's life, everyone has things on their plate and no training schedule ever goes to plan. You can never do enough running or run enough miles.

Although in saying that a quick look over my training log shows that I have racked up 343K in this training stint since Spitfire Scramble pretty much exactly two months ago. The last two months has included two events, firstly me having an absolute ball at the Bacchus half and then also running just the 12 seconds outside of my 10K PB at the Barking and Dagenham 10K (didn't get round to writing a blog for this one!).

So in summary here's what I have learnt from training for my latest marathon, what I have differently and things I wish I had done differently.

Speed work - since being involved in the Asics 26.2 competition last year speed work has become more integrated into my training plans and even more so in the last few months.

Over the summer I have spent several an early morning before work out on the Regents Park running track mostly with running buddies Tony and Chris.

Examples of the kind of session I have been doing include 1K aiming for 10K pace (4.30 min/km) and 1K reverting back to marathon pace (5.40 min/km), yasso 800 sessions and repeating the Asics 26.2 5K session of 400m and 200m easy repeated over 5K.

No core - One of my objective of this training plan was to really work on my core strength and to really incorporate a lot of strength and conditioning work into my schedule. But for one reason and another this hasn't happened, mainly due to working longer hours and struggling to settle my training into regular schedule.

Trainers - My trainers have had it, they are dead. They have easily covered 600km and I noticed about three weeks ago that they had quickly deteriorated from being in good condition to being past it. At that late stage I didn't really feel comfortable changing trainers so I opted to stick with them. To be honest my feet have suffered and the ball of my right foot has become increasingly sore in recent weeks and I am pretty sure this is down to a loss of support and cushioning from my trainers. Hopefully they can get me through the next 42Km before being put out to pasture.

Faster long runs - One of the changes to my training I implemented following Asics 26.2 was to slow my longer runs right down to 30 secs/1 minute slower than my target pace. I now this is quite a standard training practice but for me I didn't enjoy it, it made me so much slower and I found I really struggled to run comfortably at my target marathon pace. Maybe I didn't mix my training up enough with faster runs and marathon pace runs but for me it hasn't worked so I moved back to running my longer runs at around target marathon pace and I feel much better and faster for it. 

Race Number Clips - Long overdue but I have finally got round to buying myself a pack of these so I can stop messing around with safety pins come race morning!

Sports massage - With all the high mileage in recent months including Baccus and Spitfire scramble I thought I needed a massage to make sure I was in the bets shape for this marathon. So last week I went for a sports massage, I figured about 10 days out was the best timing for one rather than the week before and it has definitely helped loosen up my legs. The therapist was concerned with tightness in my left ITband so I was glad to have that looked at and treated. Note to self; need to have more regular massages going forward!

In the last week I have focused on eating well, getting plenty of sleep and staying well hydrated. Then since Thursday my attentions have turned to taking on more carbs, whole meal pittas, jaffa cakes, flap jacks and pasta have all been on the menu.

So after a gentle little jog this afternoon my training is complete and all is left now is to relax, focus, stay hydrated and eat plenty of carbs! 

Spitfire Scramble Event Review

For the second year running I spent my weekend camped in a field with a group of relative strangers taking it in turns to run 5.8 mile laps of Hornchurch Country Park as part of the 24 hour team relay event that is Spitfire Scramble.

Writing up a 24hour event could well turn into a long progress, if you would prefer to read my summary of the event you can do so here.

As with last year I was competing in the event as part of UKrunchat's #teamred against the fearsome opposition of #teamblue.

Our team consisted in the end of 7 runners whereas #teamblue had their full compliment of 8 runners so already competitive advantage was theirs! 

Being a local to the event I arrived on Friday evening to get the task of setting up my tent out of the way. I arrived to a much larger campsite than the previous year which made it difficult to find the UKrunchat area. I soon found the right place and was ably assisted in putting my tent up by team mate Laurence and teamblue opposition Paul, my blue tent further muddying the waters of this team competition.

I had decided on the easy option of spending Friday night in the comfort of my own bed rather than camping for two nights, a decision I was pleased to have taken on Sunday after the lack of sleep achieved on Saturday night. So I returned to the campsite on Saturday morning to meet the rest of my team mates captained by Jen and the opposition for the weekend marshaled by Jeff. It was my second year locking horns with Jeff as we were both the sole survivors of the UKrunchat teams from Spitfire Scrambles inaugural race last year.

After the introductions and pre race photos and briefings were completed the race was soon underway at 12 noon and the gruel ling 24hours was underway! The thrill of these 24hour events is the unknown, how many laps will I be required to run? What will it be like running in the dark? Will the team survive the 24hours intact? Will there be injuries and dropouts? All I knew was that I was scheduled to run as the 7th member of the team with an estimated starting time of 6pm. 

So quite a difference to a normal race where you get up early, get to the race and bang your off! The first few hours were going to involve a lot of sitting, chatting, cheering, clock watching, eating and relaxing before my running got under way. 

The race soon sets into a rhythm though of supporting other team members as they either complete laps or start laps, then a debrief of how the lap went before a quiet period where the runner on the course completes their lap before the whole cycle starts again.

My lap came around pretty quick to be fair at around 5.30pm and by that time I was desperate to run! I figured that as my second lap would be at about 11pm in the darkness when I would have to take things easy I might as well go for it and go flat out rather than save something for a second faster lap. The problem was when I got underway I was pretty lethargic from all the hanging around and realised I had eaten far too much during the afternoon, an easy trap to fall into! 

I completed the lap in 45.41, my aim had been to rival my first laps time from last year which was 43.40. Realistically I knew I was not as quick as I was last year so I was pretty pleased to get within a few minutes of last years time.

After lap number one I had some pasta from the onsite catering, continued getting to know the rest of the team and enjoyed watching the bright summer sun head in for the night. Around 9pm I managed to grab about 45 minutes sleep before getting ready to run my second lap. 

Head torch at the ready I set out on my second lap in the darkness of night. My plan was just to settle into a pace that I was comfortable running at both in terms of pace and where I was confident of finding my footing on the uneven trail surfaces. I also decided to take on the giant Ingrebourne hill at mile 2 a bit gentler. 

The lap was brilliant despite it being at 11pm and having already ran a fast lap I felt brilliant and felt like I flew round despite the tricky underfoot conditions. A speedy run coupled with the magic of running in the stillness and peacefulness of night combined for one of my favourite ever running experiences. 

Getting back to camp I was conscious to try and keep warm and get some rest so after a Mars milkshake and a few half hearted stretches I climbed into my sleeping bag with my alarm set for 5am to be ready to get up and run again at about 6.

Although I didn't feel tired I was soon asleep it was just unfortunate that the sleep didn't last too long! Our tents were positioned alongside the course route about 50m from the changeover point which meant we had runners coming past at regular intervals calling for their various team mates in the change over area. It was pretty frustrating to be constantly disturbed but it was made bearable by the funny remarks and commentary from Paul in the neighbouring tent who was very amusing! 

The time to get up soon came and after a pain au chocolate and a handful of jelly babies I felt ready to run despite the early hour and the lack of sleep. 

Lap 3 was again an enjoyable experience as I was heading out soon after sunrise and the course felt peaceful with the day yet to begin. Again I ran a pace that felt comfortable, took it easy on the hill and tried to enjoy the route and the scenery. 

Both before and after the lap I was surprised with how well I felt, yes I felt tired and lacked a bit of energy but my legs felt good and I felt more than capable of running at a decent speed.

My third lap completed and it was still a way off 8am on Sunday morning! 

After the initial buzz of the run faded I definitely started to feel fatigued so I did what what I need to do eat and sleep.

The eating came courtesy of a brilliantly greasy and fatty bacon bap, bacon makes everything better!

Then the sleep followed shortly after with a 40 minute power nap in my tent.

By this time it was around 10am and the event was entering its final stretch, there were noticeably less runners running around and less team mates waiting for changeovers and signs of people starting to pack up camp.

I knew our team had time had enough time left for me to squeeze in my last lap as Sarah Jane didn't want to run another lap as her back was sore from all the running and sleeping in a tent so this meant I got pushed up the order and would have a chance to run lap number 4. 

It was great to see that satisfaction on runners faces as they came into the finish to complete their final laps, a grueling 24 hours of running was over and people could start to enjoy the rest of their weekends. The sense of achievement at the large number of miles ran by everyone was almost tangible as every runner completing a lap started to get cheered and clapped home as all of a sudden everyone seemed to have a beer can providing celebratory refreshment. 

Before I knew it I was waiting for outer teams penultimate runner Simon to complete his lap, the 24 hours had simply flown by! 

There was no pressure on Simon to complete his lap although he still completed a speedy lap and set me on my way at around 11.30 to complete team reds final circuit of the course.

I wasn't sure what to expect from my final run, I kind of thought to take it easy, enjoy the run, enjoy the scenery, take lots of pictures and ease my aching legs around the course. Surprisingly though I felt brilliant after the initial stiff and achy first few hundred metres so I threw caution to the wind and thought I would just try and blast my way around the course.

After a few miles I realised I was at least matching my first lap time so decided to push on and try and beat my time set some 17 hours earlier. 

I think it was somewhere around mile 4 when I heard the distant roar of the mighty spitfire and it wasn't long before I saw this majestic fighter plane soar overhead, a sight that will stay in my memory for some time. After coming in low over the start/finish area the spitfire circled to repeat its fly past and I was fortunate to get a great view of it banking and circling back on its self right over my head as I ran, a real spine tingling experience.

As I approached the finishing straight my UKrunchat team members were all gathered so we could run in the closing metres together. This prompted a Mo Farah style sprint finish from me as we all stormed across the finishing straight, it was a privilege to have run the last lap for the team and I even got to keep the slap wrist band relay baton as a souvenir! 

Getting my hands on the medal was now on the agenda, and what a medal it is?! A shiny silver outline of a spitfire, very fitting and very attractive, easily one of my most impressive medals.

With the running all over there were plenty of congratulations all round with team mates and fellow runners before plenty of post race team photos. 

So in the end I ran 4 laps composing around 23 miles with split times of 45.19, 47.37, 47.53 and 46.00 all on only a few hours sleep.

Unfortunately I faded away in the last mile and missed out on beating my first lap time. 

The final team results were somewhat disappointing for teamred as we finished someway behind the speedily impressive teamblue but we were really pleased with our overall finish of 17th out of 42 teams. 

The weekend was then all of a sudden at an end as I started to pack up and pack up my tent. Goodbyes were said and everyone reflected and agreed on what an enjoyable weekend it had been.

UKrunchat team members you were all awesome, it was great to meet you all and teamred will be back stronger and faster for 2016!

Spitfire Scramble you were bigger, better and more gloriously enjoyable than last year! A great event so well organised in a great venue, thank you for all the organisation from the event team and massive thanks to all the marshals for their cheery encouragement and assistance throughout the 24 hours. I hope to be back again next year! 

Hopefully this read will give you an insight into the action packed adventure that is a 24 hour team running event, a grueling mix of running and fun that quickly flies by in a blur of excitement, I would definitely recommend giving one a go! 

What did you do this weekend? I got scrambled!

Between midday on Saturday and midday on Sunday as part of the amazing 24 hour team relay event that is Spitfire Scramble my weekend consisted of the following:

• Spent the whole time camped in a field with people I have never met.
• Ran approximately 40K
• Slept for about 3 hours 

           

• Ate large quantities of jelly babies and my home made chocolate and banana cake
• Didn't shower for in excess of 24 hours despite all the running and some hot and sweaty conditions 
• Got bitten to within an inch of my sanity by a variety of creepy crawlies
• Enjoyed meeting UKrunchat members from Twitter and they turned out to be a friendly bunch of runners with a range of running experiences.

• Despaired at early morning visits to the portaloo
• Witnessed the awesomeness of a spitfire flying and swooping down over me while running my last lap.
• Helped steer UKrunchat #teamred to a very respectable 17th place out of 42 teams, a top half finish that was well deserved that we were very proud of.

• Earned an amazing medal

• Overall had a blast, enjoyed some epic running experiences and reconfirmed my love of running.

Come Sunday evening I felt exhausted which to be fair had a lot to do with having my tooth extracted in hospital on Friday as well as the running and the lack of sleep. On Monday morning when I got I regretted not taking the day off and wished for a weekend to recover from the weekend I had just had but by the time I left for work I had the smug glow of knowing I had done something awesome at the weekend.

Never entered a 24 hour team event? You should! They are a bit crazy but in a good way, lots of running interspersed with eating, socialising with other runners but not so much sleeping, give one a go you just might find you like it! 

Performance problems in the heat

With the British summer now in full swing, well until the rain that is bound to come now that Wimbledon and Glastonbury are upon us, running is becoming a hot, sunny and sweaty affair.

Here is a look at problems running in the summer can course:

Dehydration - the first thing you think about when it gets hotter. Drinking plenty is a fairly obvious solution but a hydration strategy is less obvious and is necessary to make sure you get enough fluids. Think of hydrating as a marathon not a sprint as you need to drink plenty and increase your fluids over a long period not just a short time before your run. My strategies include; drinking a pint of water first thing when you get up, carrying a water bottle with you at all times and eating plenty of water dense fruit and vegetables like cucumber and melon.

Rehydration tip - my quick, cheap and easy tip for staying hydrated or re-hydrating after a run is to make a pint of fairly strong fruit squash and add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar so you can replenish your salts and sugars lost through sweating. Give it a good stir and it works a treat! 

Dehydration can then lead to cramps and stitches as direct negative affects of not getting enough fluids. I am aware of a noticeable increase in cramps while running in the summer compared to the cooler months. Once you develop a cramp while running it can be hard to shift but its a good indicator that you haven't been drinking enough and you need to increase your fluid intake.

Tiredness - I for one feel much more tired in the heat and can often feel pretty drained from being out and about in the sun before I even start running. I try to keep in the shade where possible, dribk plenty and stay cool by drinking icy drinks. The main way I try to increase my energy levels in the heat is by taking glucose tablets to keep my blood sugar levels up and replace what I lose in sweat, these are so easy to pop in your pocket when you are out on a run.

Sweat in the eye - one of the most painful ailments known to man surely!?! Certainly one of my least favorite issues caused by running and can be much more debilitating than it sounds as if you cant see cause your eye is clenched up in pain then you cant see to run! There are no real cures for this other than trying to mop sweat from your head and face before it can run into your eye and being careful not to rub your eyes with sweaty hands.

Sweat - sweat is an inevitable consequence of running in the heat and sun and sweat soaked running kit clinging and sticking to you can quickly become very uncomfortable. These days there are so many materials that are marketed as 'sweat resistant', 'climate control' or 'breathable' that are designed to make running more comfortable. Try out different materials to find what works best for you. My tip is to wear a top that's a little baggier and longer than normal so you have a bit of extra stretch and material to mop sweat from your face to help you feel a bit less sweaty.

Bright sun - when we are lucky enough in Britain to have a bright sunny day we are often so quick to complain about it! I don't want to complain or moan about bright sunny days but some strong sun can cause problems when running by limiting your vision either of whats around you or of your footing below you. Sunglasses and caps are obvious solutions but not everyone, myself included likes running with these but a bit of extra care needs to be taken to avoid running into anything or any trip hazards.

Hayfever - last but by no means least hayfever, sniffly nose, runny nose, swore sinuses, swore throat, head aches, runny eyes are all hayfever symptoms that can then impact upon running. Of course hayfever can be so debilitating it can leave you housebound with a trail run in the countryside the last thing on your mind. Recently I have been struggling with a dry throat that feels coarse and makes you feel you always need to cough and this has been problematic as it has affected my breathing but I am thankful that the affect of hayfever on my running are so mild and I can still run. I suppose the best ways to combat hayfever are to take medication as appropriate and in terms of running avoid rural routes or route containing allergy causing trees, flowers or plants. Running at different times of the day can also be beneficial and with pollen forecasts now being widely available its easy to gauge when hayfever is going to be more of an issue and try to avoid those times and days accordingly. 

Summer is of course the ideal time for running with warmer temperatures, longer evenings and sunnier skies. Whatever the negative factors and problems get out there and make the most of it because after all the British summer never lasts that long!