Building the milage

Starting to get the miles and time on me feet into a repectable area again. The strange thing is I'm running slower. Looking at the times before the injury layouff they were around 1min per mile quicker.

The BHF training day was very worth while, started off with a quite short but hard session in Regents Park. Followed by lots of advice on running style, training techniques etc. Found out just how hard the training session had been when I went out for a run the next day - legs didn't want to move. So hopefully adding some sessions like that will really help push the fitness along in the last few weeks before the GNR

On the 'Route to Newcastle' map I've just gone through Scunthorpe - famous for being a banned word in the AOL obscenity filter in the early days of the internet - it was the four letters after the 'S' that did it apparently. I'm propably 50 mile behind where I should be and that's showing in the training and will be very evident on the 20th September. I'll run across the start and the finish line but not really sure what will happen in between.

Gettng in the long runs at last

Now over half way on the map to Newcastle, and it's about where I am in the training too, long run only 6miles instead of 10 but have managed to push on reasonably well over the last couple of weeks. The walk run strategy for the long runs seems to be working OK (20mim run/ 1min walk) though I adjust it so I walk up the bigger hills on the training route.

Sunday I'm off to a training day in London organised by the British Heart Foundation. Lots of talk + some practical work too.

I won!

I've just been notified I won a prize in a Runners World competition. Free entry to the Royal Parks Foundation Half-Marathon + some Mizuno shoes and Tshirt. The Royal Parks half is on Sunday October 11th, so I'm now doing two half marathons in three weeks. (I could enter the Felixstowe Half in between but that would just be silly).

There was another competition for a new car - didn't win that one though, just the one that requires some effort and training

40 days to the GNR - Don't Panic!

The training the last week has gone OK, the calf hurt after Thursdays run so didn't do the 5m run on Saturday to allow it to recover. With just 40 days to go I know my current state of fitness its not really good enough but I also know over-training is likely to make things worse rather than better. Will just have to put up with what's achievable and try for a time next year.

Last night I did 4 miles including some interval training and it survived OK, so on bike tonight (about 14 miles). Cycling seems to be helping - getting fitter while not aggravating the left calf and I not getting quite as saddle sore as I was ;-) Hopefully I can do 2 five mile runs on Thursday and Saturday and stay something close to the shedule this week.

New shedule

I went though some of the stuff I'd been sent by the British Heart Foundation and sorted out a new training schedule for myself. It's based on a beginners schedule and hopefully 3 runs and a bike ride every week for the next 5 weeks will be enough for a 'get you round' type run.

The long runs don't seem long enough but they are tougher (faster) than the gentle jog I'll be doing on the 23rd September, and with in my current capabilities.

Time to find lots of sponsors - go to
http://www.justgiving.com/malcolmsilburn and donate lots of money to this great cause

Running once more

A couple of OK runs hopefully means I can get back in to training properly - though as I've missed the best part of a month in training and gone slightly backwards instead of forwards the target is now just to get round somehow instead of run for a target time.

By now I was hoping to be able to run 9 or 10 miles - I'm managing about 4. I should be able to get that up to around 8 miles in training before the GNR but that is still along way left for the crowd to inspire me for. I'm now looking at around 3 hours to complete the 13.1 mile course instead of the 2:15 I'd hope for.

I'm trying a change of strategy on the training too - more bike and rowing machine work to get the aerobic abilities up while putting less stress on the joints. Basically trying to balance the need to train with out overdoing it and injuring myself again.

August is going to be a hard month

The non running runner

A couple of weeks ago I had a problem with my left calf – a real tight knot inside, a bit like cramp but came on gradually and took a couple of days to fully disappear. Rest for about 4 days and tried it once again, rested a few more days then got the bike out. I was able to cycle fine – though legs and bottom not really used to it and as the bike has lain virtually unused for a couple of years it wasn’t quite right either.

The nut that holds the left crank on has decided it wants to undo itself as you ride along. I just about got home on the first ride out (5 miles). I did it up with a socket before the second ride and it lasted about a half a mile so rode back, tightened it up again this time with a box spanner which enabled me to get it tighter. Much better but it only lasted about 7miles, still 2 miles from home. I’d brought the spanner with me but only a short bar rather than the long one I’d used before to tighten it up. This time is was only about a mile before it started to come loose again but with careful nursing I managed to get home before the pedal and crank fell of completely – time for a more reliable solution.

Between the rides I when on the rower at the gym so hopefully my fitness won’t have gone too far backwards. It does mean it hasn’t moved forwards at all for about a month and it’s now unlikely I’ll complete the GNR in anything like a respectable time. Now it’s just a case of trying to get some running in and do enough work to get two thirds of the way round and then see what’s left from there.