This post is dedicated to fellow runner and blogger Phil - a bad day today and an injured knee, hope you fix it in time for London. See his blog at http://philrunslondon.blogspot.com/ and also his links to other bloggers detailing their trials and tribulations. It seems like Proclaimers song titles are what gets you noticed, not Tom Petty ones, so if you can't beat 'em ... Enjoy them all ... and if you are inspired, come back here and sponsor me, not the others!!
Back to today - after the euphoria of last Sunday's long run, was time to get running again. I went for the treadmill option as the easiest way to try more interval training. Armed with my iPod and an album lined up, I decided that every third song I would up the pace and run faster.
This I did for 35 minutes, with four faster stints. I would estimate that I probably ran 4 miles or just under, as my faster stints should have taken me under ten minute mile pace. It certainly felt like a good workout as running indoors on the treadmill happens in an enclosed space and I always work up more of a sweat - certainly I was more sweaty, if not more exhausted, than after my much longer exertions at the weekend.
So far all joints, legs, feet, muscles, and pretty much everything, holding up, touch wood ...
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Wrong turning - half marathon by mistake
Well I set off on my run this morning - advice from my Marathon-running doctor was to take an isotonic drink with me and run on the roads, rather than the pavements, much better on the feet. I really wish that Lucozade Sport in a clear plastic running bottle didn't look quite so much like I was carrying a full specimen bottle with me, but never mind, in my day-glo polyester people won't notice what's in my hands.
As mentioned yesterday I had my route planned, and ran into Launton. Unfortunately there's a short steepish hill to go over a bridge into the village, and half a mile into my run I already felt ready to stop! Once that was over though, I turned towards Stratton Audley, with the intention of then heading back to Bicester and then running my usual routes within Bicester.
However I missed my turning. I knew immediately I was doing it, but didn't really care. For possibly the first time, I really enjoyed (most of) this run. Because I was out in the country, everything was quiet, it just felt like a Sunday morning drive, without the car!
One scary moment on the road to Stoke Lyne - I hit a pothole in the road and turned over on the outside of my right foot, the same part of the same foot that I had checked out recently. I kept going and felt no ill effects, so thankfully that was a false alarm.
From then on though, at no time did I have any idea how far I'd run, or what the time was, so I made the whole thing up. I was running well, but was determined not to turn back to Bicester too soon, I just knew I'd be devastated if I got back and found my route was only 9 miles for the third week running. So I continued to Stoke Lyne, onto the B4100, back towards Bicester and then on to Bucknell.
See my route here
I knew I'd gone miles, just not how many, and halfway from Bucknell back to Bicester I stopped to walk. The part I was most please with was that after a mile and half or so walking, I was able to start again and run the last mile and a half with no ill effects. Previously when I have stopped to walk, I've felt unable to run again for much more than a short distance, but in this case I was fine all the way home. On the map above, I had run 11 miles, then walked from 11 to 12.5, then run from 12.5 to 14.
With no internet connection when I got home, and then a long lunch with friends, it was a long time before I could get online and find out just how far my run had been. To my amazement it was 14 miles, all covered in 2 hours 30 which seemed a fast time considering the walking stint. So I'm delighted with this, I've run a half marathon by mistake! And on schedule for a 5 hour marathon which would be just fine by me.
As mentioned yesterday I had my route planned, and ran into Launton. Unfortunately there's a short steepish hill to go over a bridge into the village, and half a mile into my run I already felt ready to stop! Once that was over though, I turned towards Stratton Audley, with the intention of then heading back to Bicester and then running my usual routes within Bicester.
However I missed my turning. I knew immediately I was doing it, but didn't really care. For possibly the first time, I really enjoyed (most of) this run. Because I was out in the country, everything was quiet, it just felt like a Sunday morning drive, without the car!
One scary moment on the road to Stoke Lyne - I hit a pothole in the road and turned over on the outside of my right foot, the same part of the same foot that I had checked out recently. I kept going and felt no ill effects, so thankfully that was a false alarm.
From then on though, at no time did I have any idea how far I'd run, or what the time was, so I made the whole thing up. I was running well, but was determined not to turn back to Bicester too soon, I just knew I'd be devastated if I got back and found my route was only 9 miles for the third week running. So I continued to Stoke Lyne, onto the B4100, back towards Bicester and then on to Bucknell.
See my route here
I knew I'd gone miles, just not how many, and halfway from Bucknell back to Bicester I stopped to walk. The part I was most please with was that after a mile and half or so walking, I was able to start again and run the last mile and a half with no ill effects. Previously when I have stopped to walk, I've felt unable to run again for much more than a short distance, but in this case I was fine all the way home. On the map above, I had run 11 miles, then walked from 11 to 12.5, then run from 12.5 to 14.
With no internet connection when I got home, and then a long lunch with friends, it was a long time before I could get online and find out just how far my run had been. To my amazement it was 14 miles, all covered in 2 hours 30 which seemed a fast time considering the walking stint. So I'm delighted with this, I've run a half marathon by mistake! And on schedule for a 5 hour marathon which would be just fine by me.
Saturday, 28 February 2009
Interval training
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Well I went to an injury clinic on Wednesday since my last blog - the foot is fine, just have advice on what to do if it flares up again. Luckily my doctor has run the London Marathon before so I have plenty of advice on training schedules, stretches and advice right down to getting my name put down on my running vest.
She also advised me to do interval training - on the shorter runs, to vary the pace more, stepping it up a little for short stints, so as to increase stamina and help run at the slow pace on the day.
I ran my 3.5 mile loop, not knowing if I intended to run more or not. As always the first mile was hard to get going, so it was only in the latter stages that I thought I might vary the pace. Admittedly some of it was forced on me - I think at least four times I had to stop dead because of traffic pulling out of side roads.
When I did step the pace up a bit it felt OK, but it did leave me with stitch when I slowed back down again. The idea was just to run a little bit faster for two or three lamp posts, then back to normal again. I did do it, and certainly felt a little hotter and sweatier at the end of each stint than I otherwise would have done, though probably just got about three short bursts in.
I finished in a little under 35 minutes for my 3.5 miles, so difficult to justify that this made any difference. Motivation for the shorter runs is a little difficult because I have just one thing on my mind (well, two - Silverstone and London). Each week is about the long Sunday run and whether or not I can go a mile further than the previous week - whether my shorter runs are 4 miles or 6 miles seem to make little difference. This week is no exception - I know that tomorrow (Sunday) I have to try 11 miles again.
I've mapped out a brand new 10 mile route so as to avoid the monotony of three loops round a loop I now know very well, which will take me out and back into the surrounding villages. Another word of advice is to run on roads, not pavements, so just maybe this will help ...
Well I went to an injury clinic on Wednesday since my last blog - the foot is fine, just have advice on what to do if it flares up again. Luckily my doctor has run the London Marathon before so I have plenty of advice on training schedules, stretches and advice right down to getting my name put down on my running vest.
She also advised me to do interval training - on the shorter runs, to vary the pace more, stepping it up a little for short stints, so as to increase stamina and help run at the slow pace on the day.
I ran my 3.5 mile loop, not knowing if I intended to run more or not. As always the first mile was hard to get going, so it was only in the latter stages that I thought I might vary the pace. Admittedly some of it was forced on me - I think at least four times I had to stop dead because of traffic pulling out of side roads.
When I did step the pace up a bit it felt OK, but it did leave me with stitch when I slowed back down again. The idea was just to run a little bit faster for two or three lamp posts, then back to normal again. I did do it, and certainly felt a little hotter and sweatier at the end of each stint than I otherwise would have done, though probably just got about three short bursts in.
I finished in a little under 35 minutes for my 3.5 miles, so difficult to justify that this made any difference. Motivation for the shorter runs is a little difficult because I have just one thing on my mind (well, two - Silverstone and London). Each week is about the long Sunday run and whether or not I can go a mile further than the previous week - whether my shorter runs are 4 miles or 6 miles seem to make little difference. This week is no exception - I know that tomorrow (Sunday) I have to try 11 miles again.
I've mapped out a brand new 10 mile route so as to avoid the monotony of three loops round a loop I now know very well, which will take me out and back into the surrounding villages. Another word of advice is to run on roads, not pavements, so just maybe this will help ...
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
rush hour
Went for a 4.5 mile run this morning - as I decided to run at 8am I hadn't taken into account the rush hour and the school run. As always, the first mile was horrible, heavy-legged and hard work.
Only this time it never really seemed to change. As a seasoned runner of nine miles now, then 4.5 miles was never going to be too difficult, but it was a challenge to keep going. My runs just seem so slow - it's difficult to change pace because any slower would be walking. If I now see a pedestrian in the distance on a long straight road, it can be minutes before I catch him/her up and overtake.
But the run was done, and I did cover the 4.5 miles in 45 minutes. Nice to get a run completed before 9am too and not to worry for the rest of the day about when to squeeze it in.
Only this time it never really seemed to change. As a seasoned runner of nine miles now, then 4.5 miles was never going to be too difficult, but it was a challenge to keep going. My runs just seem so slow - it's difficult to change pace because any slower would be walking. If I now see a pedestrian in the distance on a long straight road, it can be minutes before I catch him/her up and overtake.
But the run was done, and I did cover the 4.5 miles in 45 minutes. Nice to get a run completed before 9am too and not to worry for the rest of the day about when to squeeze it in.
Sunday, 22 February 2009
10 miles?
Sunday afternoon and I set out to run the furthest yet. I hoped for 10 miles, and rashly ptomised to push it up to 11 if anyone sponsored me today on http://www.justgiving.com/neilrichards1, which duly happened. In the end I hoped for three laps of my 3.5 mile route to get to 10.5 miles total.
I set off without my iPod which I seem to have lost, so was running late (trying to look for it) and not in the best of moods. The main problem of running without music is not just boredom but the fact that a stupid song will then otherwise fill your head the whole time. In my case it was a Dulux pait advert from the 1980s ("May the gloss in Ross be a good gloss" ... remember it?)
I felt so heavy legged during the first lap right from the start - it's just so difficult to get started. ("May the windowsills of Winchester shine"). I was feeling more comfortable as it wasn't as hot as Saturday, and the foot pain from earlier in the week was missing, but the run was a struggle from start to finish.
("May doors in Wales dry hard as nails") - the second lap then started, and though I couldn't really pick up any impetus, it wasn't necessarily any worse at this point, I was fine to carry on. ("May Derby's halls dry even"). Runners were thin on the ground but those that were out sped past in both directions.
But the third lap was really hard - running slowly past my house once again after seven miles when it would have been so easy to stop. ("Celings cover well in Motherwell"). I was willing myself on towards a second wind here, and managed to trudge a couple of miles in. The problem is that I started thinking where I could stop, how much it would all hurt when I got home, where I could turn round and run back home, and how much nicer it would feel to walk rather than run - it seemed I was running so slowly that I was generating far too much effort for little gain. ("And the skirting boards of Fife have a long life ...")
There had been times when I was thinking so negatively I actually thought I was walking, only to look down at my feet to realise I was still running (just!). But anyway the point came when I stopped, and walked. As I walked, I didn't feel out of breath, or overly exhausted and sweaty, just had run out of steam in my legs. Walking briskly was fine, but I just couldn't bring myself to run. I walked a while, ran a little, then walked the rest. I think I probably did run 9 miles, but was disappointed not to have raised the bar to ten or eleven. ("So brush in hand, decorate this land with the best paint").
As I write now on Sunday evening, I feel stiff, but not as stiff as the last time I ran nine miles. My worry is just that I might have hit my limit, or at least a barrier that is going to be hard to break down, with Silverstone just three weeks today!
I set off without my iPod which I seem to have lost, so was running late (trying to look for it) and not in the best of moods. The main problem of running without music is not just boredom but the fact that a stupid song will then otherwise fill your head the whole time. In my case it was a Dulux pait advert from the 1980s ("May the gloss in Ross be a good gloss" ... remember it?)
I felt so heavy legged during the first lap right from the start - it's just so difficult to get started. ("May the windowsills of Winchester shine"). I was feeling more comfortable as it wasn't as hot as Saturday, and the foot pain from earlier in the week was missing, but the run was a struggle from start to finish.
("May doors in Wales dry hard as nails") - the second lap then started, and though I couldn't really pick up any impetus, it wasn't necessarily any worse at this point, I was fine to carry on. ("May Derby's halls dry even"). Runners were thin on the ground but those that were out sped past in both directions.
But the third lap was really hard - running slowly past my house once again after seven miles when it would have been so easy to stop. ("Celings cover well in Motherwell"). I was willing myself on towards a second wind here, and managed to trudge a couple of miles in. The problem is that I started thinking where I could stop, how much it would all hurt when I got home, where I could turn round and run back home, and how much nicer it would feel to walk rather than run - it seemed I was running so slowly that I was generating far too much effort for little gain. ("And the skirting boards of Fife have a long life ...")
There had been times when I was thinking so negatively I actually thought I was walking, only to look down at my feet to realise I was still running (just!). But anyway the point came when I stopped, and walked. As I walked, I didn't feel out of breath, or overly exhausted and sweaty, just had run out of steam in my legs. Walking briskly was fine, but I just couldn't bring myself to run. I walked a while, ran a little, then walked the rest. I think I probably did run 9 miles, but was disappointed not to have raised the bar to ten or eleven. ("So brush in hand, decorate this land with the best paint").
As I write now on Sunday evening, I feel stiff, but not as stiff as the last time I ran nine miles. My worry is just that I might have hit my limit, or at least a barrier that is going to be hard to break down, with Silverstone just three weeks today!
Getting hotter
Saturday morning and I planned my next run - the long and short loop adding to just under six miles that I have now run a few times. It would be the first test of my foot outside since hurting it last Sunday but in all honesty it had started to feel better so I hoped it wouldn't be an issue.
Resplendant in my winter gear I began running - two layers on top (a high visibility long sleeved winter top with my Save the Rhino running vest proudly over the top of it), and my winter wooly hat on.
The run was fine but it soon became clear that the sun was out and I was overdressed. As I reached the end of the 3.5 mile loop I was very sweaty and gasping for water, but had not brought anything with me. So the easiest and most sensible thing to do was to cut short the run there, so I did. Shorter run than I intended but happy to err on the side of caution.
Resplendant in my winter gear I began running - two layers on top (a high visibility long sleeved winter top with my Save the Rhino running vest proudly over the top of it), and my winter wooly hat on.
The run was fine but it soon became clear that the sun was out and I was overdressed. As I reached the end of the 3.5 mile loop I was very sweaty and gasping for water, but had not brought anything with me. So the easiest and most sensible thing to do was to cut short the run there, so I did. Shorter run than I intended but happy to err on the side of caution.
Thursday, 19 February 2009
Injury strikes ...
Well Sunday's nine mile run really seems to have taken it out of me, which worries me a bit - it was a great achievement but have I inadvertently hit my limit?
The next few days I felt very stiff, which was fine, and understandable, and wore off after 24 hours or so. But my right foot was sore if I walked more than 100 yards or so, an ache on the outside of the base half way along.
It doesn't seem major but it has put me off training a little bit - I've had it checked out by the doctor and it seems to be just a bit of inflammation in the tendon. Biggest problem seems to be I have very flat feet indeed, and the shoes I wear (every day, not running shoes) just don't really help.
But the show must go on - having put off my next training until now I decided yesterday (Thursday) to give it a go and see if I could run through it. As it happens it seemed fine, with decent socks and shoes all seemed well supported, and as I write on Friday morning I'm feeling no after effects
The run itself - just taking it easy with 30 minutes (3 miles) on a flat treadmill. Although the foot seemed to hold up, I felt rusty already, quite heavy-legged and stiff, so it seems even three days off is having an effect now! That said, I did run 30 minutes without difficulty, and am glad to have got that out of the way. No rest for the wicked ...
The next few days I felt very stiff, which was fine, and understandable, and wore off after 24 hours or so. But my right foot was sore if I walked more than 100 yards or so, an ache on the outside of the base half way along.
It doesn't seem major but it has put me off training a little bit - I've had it checked out by the doctor and it seems to be just a bit of inflammation in the tendon. Biggest problem seems to be I have very flat feet indeed, and the shoes I wear (every day, not running shoes) just don't really help.
But the show must go on - having put off my next training until now I decided yesterday (Thursday) to give it a go and see if I could run through it. As it happens it seemed fine, with decent socks and shoes all seemed well supported, and as I write on Friday morning I'm feeling no after effects
The run itself - just taking it easy with 30 minutes (3 miles) on a flat treadmill. Although the foot seemed to hold up, I felt rusty already, quite heavy-legged and stiff, so it seems even three days off is having an effect now! That said, I did run 30 minutes without difficulty, and am glad to have got that out of the way. No rest for the wicked ...
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