I sit writing this on my phone overlooking a mountain and that may explain why w3 of training was can celled…much like last year I incorporated a week of skiing into my training schedule however unlike last year I haven’t even done one run…the promise of a treadmill at the hotel made me think I would at least get in an interval run but the day I tried (Tuesday) the treadmill proceeded to cut out and restart every minute. After about 10mins and 1km later I gave up and that was my training! I am hoping that the stresses and pressure on my legs whilst skiing can’t have done a disservice and perhaps I will be able to resume into w4 without issues!

Just before flying to Andorra on Sunday I did manage to fit in a Saturday morning long slow run. The snow had finally melted and it was the first opportunity in weeks to get out onto the roads. However, whilst the snow had gone the rain came down and I possibly was out in the wettest conditions I have experienced (including last years training!).

I opted to try a new route, which turned out to be a bad idea, the first 8 or so miles went pretty well albeit on a really dull set of roads. However at about the 8m point I managed to hit a forest trail. First instincts told me to turn round however I didn’t and 1m further I found myself on a muddy path leading onto a waterlogged park(snow had just melted). My trainers now weighed double and my socks were sopping. I took this as a sign to find the quickest and shortest route home as not sure I really wanted to get more blisters which seemed poss given how wet I was! » Continue reading “W3 Cancelled (Includes W2 D5 The Long Run)”

Finally back inline with the schedule I set of to the gym for my allocated interval session. I always intended on doing a number of my interval sessions on the treadmill as I believe I can push the speed a lot more than I would be able to do on the streets.

The RW schedule is actually quite a toughy with the splits having a distance of 1.5miles armed with the worst case speeds I headed for a lunchtime gym session across the road from work. I have had to tailor these plans a little to fit into the hour that I’m allocated and have sacrificed the warmup and down distances to allow me a run of less than 50mins giving me 10mins or so to change and get back. The run today went as follows:
1km warmup @ ~10.5km/h
3×2.4km fasts @ 12-15.5km/h (800me recovery @ 10.5)
1km warmdown.

I really tested myself on the fasts today, breaking them into 3 sections 1km@ 15km/h, 1km@14.5km/h and 0.4km@15.5km/h. I’m aware none of these speeds are achievable on the street but it’s worth pushing myself and my heart rate! On the final interval I even put in a bit more raising the speed to around 17km/h but not for too long!

Good session today, worryingly I can feel a blister starting to form on my left big toe so need to watch that, but in stark contrast to yesterday. Did the 10k in under 48mins and baring in mind that includes a 1km warmup that’s not too bad!

6m slow run tomorrow, hopefully won’t be too bad, only concern is my lack of a rest day!

Ok so I’m not massively experienced in this field like some but I have been running for a little while and entered the field from a very unhealthy state (see blog). I was the sort of person who would get out of sport whenever possible and until a couple of years ago running was not something that fit into any part of my life.

I can offer limited help and advice for all newbie runners, what ideas I have picked up, tech I have used etc. These worked for me but may not help you at all, that said I have been asked similar questions again an again so thought I would note them down.

Kitting yourself out

If you are seriously considering taking up running in any serious way getting the right kit is a must. It doesn’t always come cheap but if you calculate how much time you spend in the item vs the cost it prob won’t seem too bad.

What you should buy…

Clothing

Trainers: your trainers will be one of the few items you use during every run, unlike a t shirt or shorts you won’t change these depending on what colour mood you are in on that day. Invest wisely on a pair of trainers, if you are going to run for more than 2 or so hours a week I would highly recommend finding an INDEPENDENT running shop (eg. sweatshop) which offers gait analysis. These guys will recommend a pair of shoes which will work with your running stride and should reduce future impact risks. I suggest an independent shop as if you go to somewhere like Nike they will only sell you their own product which may not be suitable. With these trainers, forget brands you may know there is a chance you will be sold a pair of shoes by a manufacturer you have never heard of…

Socks: a good pair of running socks also essential ones that absorb sweat. I have used Sky Run Socks by X-Socks and had no issues again not cheap at about £10 a pair however these should reduce blister problems and athletes foot when combined with a good pair of trainers…

Other clothing: this is up to the runner, over time you will find what is comfortable. If you are a blokeand running in the cold winter don’t be embarrassed to wear leggings keeping your muscles warm will only help you in the long term, also, wear gloves, its common sense really. Cotton is probably not advisable, perhaps look at dri-fit or clothing that is built with sports in mind…

Running Aids

Vaseline/BodyGlide: Whilst chafing may seem a comical issue to discuss and chuckle about in the pub with your mates, not until you experience it will you want to do something about it. Key areas of chafing are the nipples, where your tshirt rubs as it moves and between your legs. In order to combat this chafing, which can lead to bleeding and incredible pain both during and after your run invest in some Vaseline or bodyglide. Apply to the sensitive areas, and if you suffer from blisters then consider applying on your feet too, Vaseline is a lot more liquidy and slightly harder and greasier to apply however I think it probably does roughly the same…

Part two to follow shortly where I will discuss stretches, key ways to work your muscles and also running with technology…