Getting back into it

Since the start of the year I have been trying (desperately trying) to get back into stride, my ankle (and other linked injuries) have caused me to be a bit stop start this year, but now is the time to start a fresh and I have a “reason” for the running.

That “reason” is still under raps but that is due to my lack of confidence of my injury, when I feel I am totally over it I will divulge and I be taking you all through the preparations, the hard graft that is required to compete.

This week is week one of the build up to October and I have achieved a massive total of 11 miles (oh yeh!! look out Mo (Farah) here I come!!). This compiled of 3 easy miles on Monday, then met up with Phil Parry on Thursday for a run round the BAWA field. Then today thought I would have an easy 3 miles until I started running and the easy run ended up being a tempo and achieved a totally unexpected 18 mins 30 for 3 miles. Ok not the best (2 mins off of my PB) but its a start and its a start in the right direction.

Its my sons 4th Birthday on Monday so I am taking the weekend off running, but I am totally looking forward to Monday and running again.

All I now have to say is “BRING IT ON!!!”

Happy running to all

One Step Forward.....

It has been well over a week since I last blogged, the reason?……. wait for it…………. doh you guessed it I have picked up another injury (don’t worry I am yawning as well!!!!)

What happened? Well nothing really, as planned I went to the BAWA field to undertake an effort session and 1/2 way through my 2nd effort it felt like someone had stabbed me in my left quad, luckily for me my office was only 2 minute walk away. As for my running that is that, nothing more to report, I tried a light jog a couple of days later but the same thing happened, so I have just rested.

The frustrating thing for me is that I am now spending more time warming up and down and less time running, and yes don’t get me wrong you do need to do both but not to the extent that you don’t want to run because of this.

Where next? That one is easy fall in love with the sport again.

How? Get the strength back into my left leg and gain confidence back (so I don’t start a run thinking I may pull up)

What’s the plan? I have been looking into how I can run and build up the strength and endurance and not put pressure on my left leg, after much searching the answer appears to be aqua jogging. Easy you may thing, well no most pools won’t let you and there aren’t many qualified people in these parts, which doesn’t help me, but I am working on that and hope to provide more details soon.  Aqua jogging is not just there for rehabilitation but a great addition to your normal training programme, it will ensure you have an equivilant session without impacting on your joints. Let me know if you are interested.

A week has gone already

It has been just over a week since the Bristol 10k, things are still positive, I hoped I would be blogging again about racing, but Harry has kindly passed on a cold and although it is not overly heavy I decided to rest over the weekend, it also gave my knee time to rest. The knee has been niggling for a couple of weeks I have spoken to a Physio, who after a few quick test tells me I have a twisted pelvis, so after I have been prescribed even more stretching exercises to do.

Back to training, last Monday was a 4 mile mile easy run, which helped my legs and by Tuesday morning they were back to normal. So Tuesday I decided to do a hill session sandwiched between two two mile runs (both at sub 6:30). The Wednesday came my plan was for a steady 9 miles at lunch, but within the first 1/2 mile my knee was hurting that much I turned around and went back to the office. That night I strapped up my knee and by the morning the pain was totally gone so I joined Thornbury RC for their Thursday night training.

They do group runs for differing speeds even catering for a walking group. They now also do a coached efforts session led by Craig Carscadden (who has been advising me on  my training over the past few weeks, thanks Craig).

The sessions were around the Hackett, the effort works out to be 0.9 mile long with 0.2 mile recovery. I did 5 efforts, which apart from the first one were all don between 4:45 - 4:49 per effort (the first one was done in 4:34).

Today was the next time I went out and given it was such a nice afternoon I went through the Blaise Estate, I really enjoyed it today, 8 miles at a steady 6 - 6:30 pace. Tomorrow will be an effort session, followed by a steady 9 - 10 miles on Wednesday and on Thursday I may go to Glouster to do the fast White Horse 5k, but we shall see.

Too close for comfort

Well its been a while since I last blogged, time has been a rarity of late with family and work taking the fair share of my time. Training has been sporadic to say the least, yes I have had a few good sessions but unfortunately there has been too many non training days.

I have to admit I have been chasing peak fitness a bit too much, and slaughtering myself every time I go out not the I intend to but when I am out I push and push thinking that I may not be able to fit in another run for a number of days, so I got to a stage that my legs were dead but I still pushed to the extent that my body and mind were at the total low, I even thought about pulling out of Bristol 10k.

I am not ready to any extent for next weeks race, only one race since November 2009, which was a 5k mob match between Thornbury RC and Chepstow Harriers (yes I am still with B&W just 2nd claim to Thornbury) I came home in 3rd place in a time of 16:52, but it did hurt.

Anyway, to next weekend, I am not looking forward to it at all, but we shall see all that it will be good for is a competitive tempo training session, but I will be no where near any sort of PB, but hey that’s life and family does come before running!!!! doesn’t it?

Its getting easier....

Well actually its not and that isn’t because my fitness isn’t picking up it is because my fitness has picked up very quickly now so I am starting to push myself, so the as of yesterday I am starting back on my training programme that was set last December.

Yesterday, I did a 45 minute steady run, I used my normal route for this and surprised myself in completing it quicker than I had before, so it ended up being a 41 1/2 minute run, which is good, but it I should have kept an I on my pace, Mondays session is about not pushing myself too much, I have other sessions for that.

Today, is my efforts day, and I decided to do my old favourite mile efforts around the BAWA field (2 min rest between efforts), admittedly not as I am not as quick as I was before Xmas but not far off:

• Mile 1 - 5:35
• Mile 2 - 5:37
• Mile 3 - 5:38
• Mile 4 - 5:38
• Mile 5 - 5:41

Tomorrow, is my 9 mile recovery run, followed by a 6 mile tempo on Thursday.

Oh yeh, you will be pleased to know I am looking at racing very soon, but I haven’t decided on the race yet.