non running blog

No runs– decided not to run this week – ive developed a thigh and knee pain that is not healing -so rest is best – it started when I did consecutive runs - sat and sun and has not healed since then. Doing the fast speed mile seems to have caused the problem so It'll be no weekday runs – no panic though – plenty of time to get back on course but do wonder if this trainng program is proverbial bollocks rather than dogs. Who knows – ill give it another chance.

high levels of guilt though and suddenly seems like im back to square one - reality check required its only two runs missed- positive thinking is required

motorik running

Week 11

Michael Rother lived in Wilmslow – this is the town that houses Kerry Katona, various football wives, footballer wife wanabees, coronation street stars, a hundred thousand trolley dollies and pilots and me. What this town is not is a town of culture – so I was stunned to find out that the Krautrock giant Michael Rother lived here. Okay so its only a place but hell - krautrock legend - this does not compute – and the running link –there isn’t one - but if I were to name my top five bands of all time Id have to namecheck Neu! – they are so often overlooked but not here and methinks the motorik beat of Neu! will make a brilliant running soundtrack.

run stats

thursday - 3 miles - 30mins - fourlanes

sunday 4.5miles - 45mins - fourlanes out and back

four lanes

Week10
Finally succumbed to the failing light and run the streets instead of the lovelywoods. Perfectly fine though - run the four lanes moorlane,southoaklane, gravellane and cumberlane then back to bridle paths to finish my 3mile half hour adventure – the asphalt paths are a bit of a pain - very slopey - and also the whole twowheels on the pavement thing that some folks seem to think is okay but blocks the pavement– still - other than very grumpy running man with dog it was nice and quiet - maybe he was grumpy because he was up early and does this route all the time and was pissed to see another runner.

run stats - 30mins - 3 miles - fourlanes route

You didn’t go out dressed like that !

Week 10
2 runs at the weekend - on Saturday I did a quick 1.4 mile with a 7.5min mile which was completely knackering - hardly seemed worth it as I was barely out the front door and I was back. Supposedly this time multiplied by 1.3 gives me my anticipated race pace and after a quick calculation - this means I should be on 9.75 min miles at half marathon race pace – I am still running 10min miles so will see if this improves – Sunday was funny - a sartorial disaster - I have come a long way in a short time and dont really care what I look like - I just want to run. Heres the deal - my shorts were dirty so I wore my swimming trunks – I need to confess that these are a disgrace they once were blue but are now a chlorine induced pink – they are not lovely – in addition all sports socks were out of commission so it had to be black ankle socks - yes yes - not a good look - indeed a bit of a state – my family were all vocal, I am never to go out dressed like that again – I may have brought shame upon us – to me I arrived home happy - run completed - trunks on - excellent – lucky for all - they were not speedos or pouchy things.

Run stats
Saturday – 1.4mile – I mile fast – 7min mile – short loop
Sunday – 4miles – 44mins – newgate loop with lake

Good v Evil

Week 9

Woke up this morning and thought I might stay in bed - and put off my run - however I took up the struggle between good and evil and managed to win the philosophical argument with mybadself to drag my ass out of bed and do the run – not been having too much trouble getting out in the morning but there is increasingly miserable weather and inevitably this will get more difficult especially when things get colder - for the moment the fight has been had and good has triumphed.

Run stats – 30min run – 3miles – newgate loop

Simplepleasures

Week9
Saw a fox this morning and will add that to the rabbits horses squirrels, sheep mouseratrodentthing that make up my animals spotted list. I am lucky to have a nice route for running and am hanging on to this route - even though I know its too dark now , Im sure that there are even luckier people who have lovely sandy coasts bathed in sunshine to run but this is beautiful to me – I love dodging the puddles and twigs and horse poo – simple pleasures are the best.

run stats 30mins - 3miles - newgate loop

Fuel

Week 9
Lets just say that my filling up with two bowls of popcorn and half a box of chocolate - washed down with orange juice on Saturday night was akin to sticking diesel in an unleaded engine – everything seized up and did not work properly .still run was completed it just was not fun. Remember that old computer maxim garbage in garbage out that’s pretty much how it is.

run stats - 30min run - distance 3 miles - newgate loop

Training plan

Posted to the left is my programme for running the Wilmslow half marathon in March - Ive been looking at different programmes and Ive used the Jeff Galloway as the basis for my training plan. I can only feasibly do a long run on Sunday so this works for me. Now i have achieved the whole running for half an hour in 8 weeks thing - its time for a new goal and this is it. Techies can note Ive posted a table in blogger - yippee.

run stats - 30mins - 3 miles newgate loop

Fantasy running scenario # 3

Olympic Stadium Berlin

For me this is the most beautiful stadium in the world – a great piece of architecture - and I would love to run here – my dream run would be 10 laps of this track – I was lucky to see this before the addition of the roof though the refurbishment is amazing – steeped in history too – not all good - but that befits a great stadium – a place of contest and spectacle - sublime.

Still lightweight

Week 8

Will give my self a pat on the back - did my first half hour continuous run this morning without too much drama – can now call myself a runner - I wonder though when I will be a hardcore runner – switched my run from last night as it was raining and went this morning instead – it really was dropping down – though I saw the local roadrunners still out - so I guess they are hardcore and I am not – I am still lightweight – a fair weather runner – this I can accept - for the moment I am happy.

run stats - 30min run - 3 miles - newgate loop

Why I run before breakfast

Week 8

It was a big weekend birthday bash at Blackpool for Mums 70th and I had my running kit packed in expectation of a nice Sunday run along the promenade –the running didn’t quite go to plan, in fact the plan was not approached or considered and most definitely not implemented – my only feasible excuse consisting of my imbibing a pre run breakfast of sausage, eggs, bacon, tomatoes, fresh orange, coffee, toastwithmarmalade, another coffee and more toastwithmarmalade which then rendered me inert for the rest of the day.

Run stats - zero - leaning toward abject failure

The End

Week7
End of week 7- end of training plan - end of boot camp - end of rookie runner - its time for me to try and run the full half hour – felt great again on this mornings run, felt like I had wings – good pace too – excited about doing the half hour run think I will need just over 3 miles for this. Looking back at the last 7 weeks all those early pains have gone – everything is much more comfortable and most important of all it has been fun. The only way is down.

Run stats 15min run / 1min walk / 15min run Newgate Loop 3.2 miles