After a long lay off from running it's so good to be feeling fit and strong again,although still not totally over my calf and plantar isssues they seem to be getting better all the time.I am learning more and more about listening to my body and am getting better at knowing when to ease off.After my nine miler last saturday my calf reminded me that it wasn't quite ready for that just yet and when i tried to run 7 miles on the road on tuesday it flared up quite bad,which resulted in me walking the last 2 miles.I was fearing the worst and was very pissed off!
After a bit of a rethink i decided to ease off the pace and distance and keep off the tarmac for a while.So the last 5 days i have been out running every day on the local trails and footpaths and through the fields up and around hartshead pike running between 2 and 4 miles with some nice steep climbs but keeping the pace nice and easy so as to focus on my form.My old mentality was that unless i was running fast or long it was a wasted run. I have to admit though it's so enjoyable to be out running everyday and feeling good that i think my plan over the winter is to try and get out everyday and gradually build up the distance,not worrying about pace and concentrating more on the enjoyment factor.I will be throwing a few races in but certainly won't be worrying about position,that will be for next summer.Got a physio appointment next wednesday to try and loosen up my calf and i have added some calf raises into my daily stretching and strenghtening routine.
Already looking forward to tommorows run......
Sunday 25 September 2011
Saturday 17 September 2011
Rain!
Been a positive week in my attempt to get back into the world of fell running,4th run of the week today,a very wet 9 miles of mixed terrain including some good climbs (the 600ft climb to the phone mast on wharmton hill being saved until last).This followed 12 miles in 3 runs during the week and a 16 mile cycle.What was extra pleasing was it was totally pain free which i was worried about after my foot flaring up again on thursday,but a rest day and some really good stretching and foam rollering sorted things out,i'm learning to listen to my body now.
Hopefully it's dry tommorow morning so i can get out for a decent bike ride if not then it might be a session on the turbo trainer.
Wharmton Hill
Hopefully it's dry tommorow morning so i can get out for a decent bike ride if not then it might be a session on the turbo trainer.
Tuesday 13 September 2011
Into The Wind
My god was it windy today,never have i struggled to cycle downhill before!
After a 4 mile road run on sunday and a 4 mile trail run monday,my first runs for 5 days due to feeling a bit grim(2 day booze bender the weekend before most certainly didn't have anything to do with it!) i decided to get the bike out after work today as my legs were feeling a bit tender and i fancied a cycle on my lovley steel machine.I set out without a real plan,intending to go by feel,for the first time since i started cycling again 8 weeks ago i actually felt comfortable on the bike,keeping a really nice tempo going round Greenfield village i thought i'd ride up to Bleak Hey Nook,a small hamlet above Delph and Diggle,from the bottom it rises for about 2 miles at an average of 8%,i was lulled into a false sense of security as i was shelterd from the wind going up the climb and felt quite strong but when i turned at the top to descend down to Delph crossroads i felt i was cycling through treacle while suffering from severe brain freeze! Total distance for the ride just over 16 miles,climb not sure but about 4 miles of it was uphill,time...just over the hour.Just for the record,the cold bottle of asahi with my tea went down a treat!
Plan is to try and get up to about 30 miles a week running by christmas and push on from there,looking forward to pushing on into the winter and getting some good long steady runs in at the weekends
After a 4 mile road run on sunday and a 4 mile trail run monday,my first runs for 5 days due to feeling a bit grim(2 day booze bender the weekend before most certainly didn't have anything to do with it!) i decided to get the bike out after work today as my legs were feeling a bit tender and i fancied a cycle on my lovley steel machine.I set out without a real plan,intending to go by feel,for the first time since i started cycling again 8 weeks ago i actually felt comfortable on the bike,keeping a really nice tempo going round Greenfield village i thought i'd ride up to Bleak Hey Nook,a small hamlet above Delph and Diggle,from the bottom it rises for about 2 miles at an average of 8%,i was lulled into a false sense of security as i was shelterd from the wind going up the climb and felt quite strong but when i turned at the top to descend down to Delph crossroads i felt i was cycling through treacle while suffering from severe brain freeze! Total distance for the ride just over 16 miles,climb not sure but about 4 miles of it was uphill,time...just over the hour.Just for the record,the cold bottle of asahi with my tea went down a treat!
Plan is to try and get up to about 30 miles a week running by christmas and push on from there,looking forward to pushing on into the winter and getting some good long steady runs in at the weekends
Friday 9 September 2011
First Steps.....
Well here we are,my first steps into the world of blogging.I have been thinking of starting a blog for some time,but kind of put my self off by not wanting to come across as some self absorbed tosser,but i think there are ways of doing it without being too self indulgent.I am starting a blog as a form of training diary and as a way of logging different races and training routes,and any other silly things i end up getting myself into as i think it may be something nice to look back on in time,and if anyone else gets something from it, then thats great,but really it's just an oulet for my moaning and whinging.
It's been a frustrating year running wise,and i can pin point the exact point things went wrong,August 11th 2010.Three days a after a pleasing run at the Sierre-Zinal mountain race in Switzerland (THE greatest race in the world) I thought it would be a good idea to do a 6 mile road race,which turned out not to be.After being run down and burnt out after a summer of racing for a month afterwards,and following a massive loss of motivation, i hit the beer and hibernated , not running a single step until January 5th of this year.What followed was 8 months of Chronic ITB and Plantar Fasciitis,which after hundreds of pounds worth of physio treatment and 30 mins of stability exercises and stretches every day,is finally starting to clear up.Which has enabled me to finally rediscover the simple joys of moving along at a relative speed again,although I am all too aware that it is going to take some time to regain the fitness which i had last summer and get up to the sharp end of races at some point in the future.
Frustrating as it was being injured,it gave me time to focus on other things,I have found hiking to be rather fun and going at a slower pace it enables you to actually see things you usually don't notice running.Just this week i have gone part time at work and started a college course which all being well will get me into university to study physiotherapy in the september of next year.So all in all a rewarding summer without running.This long break has really fired me up to get back out running again and for the first time i am actually excited about a winter of long steady runs in prep for the summer racing season,it's a great time of year at the moment,reflecting on the summers racing and running and starting to form up ideas for next years adventures.
Bring on the winter!!
carpe diem
It's been a frustrating year running wise,and i can pin point the exact point things went wrong,August 11th 2010.Three days a after a pleasing run at the Sierre-Zinal mountain race in Switzerland (THE greatest race in the world) I thought it would be a good idea to do a 6 mile road race,which turned out not to be.After being run down and burnt out after a summer of racing for a month afterwards,and following a massive loss of motivation, i hit the beer and hibernated , not running a single step until January 5th of this year.What followed was 8 months of Chronic ITB and Plantar Fasciitis,which after hundreds of pounds worth of physio treatment and 30 mins of stability exercises and stretches every day,is finally starting to clear up.Which has enabled me to finally rediscover the simple joys of moving along at a relative speed again,although I am all too aware that it is going to take some time to regain the fitness which i had last summer and get up to the sharp end of races at some point in the future.
Frustrating as it was being injured,it gave me time to focus on other things,I have found hiking to be rather fun and going at a slower pace it enables you to actually see things you usually don't notice running.Just this week i have gone part time at work and started a college course which all being well will get me into university to study physiotherapy in the september of next year.So all in all a rewarding summer without running.This long break has really fired me up to get back out running again and for the first time i am actually excited about a winter of long steady runs in prep for the summer racing season,it's a great time of year at the moment,reflecting on the summers racing and running and starting to form up ideas for next years adventures.
Bring on the winter!!
carpe diem
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