My normal weekend routine of a long Sunday run had to be switched round this week as a while back I decided to enter a new 10k run starting locally and heading into the Olympic Village. A few months ago I did a couple of sessions running along the Greenway and by the Olympic Stadium and love the fact that the olympics will literally be around the corner so decided this run maybe fun and unique.

A 10k run was not however helpful with regards to my training schedule so I had to bring my long run forward to the Saturday. 18miles was the distance required according to the schedule and on a blue sky morning I set off for a local 7M loop before proceeding onwards towards my nans flat in Kennington, 11M away and the other side of the river. Following Thursdays run to my dads office he suggested I run and keep my heart rate down which may allow me to push further as historically I’m not great at maintaining speed. Taking that into account I said my garmin onto ‘Heart Rate’ mode with a max H/r of 164 and a min of 155 (I think!). For the next 2hrs40 mins, bating the first mile or so stayed within the zones only dropping low whilst waiting to cross at traffic lights. The run itself went pretty well with every mile coming in at sub 8min 50, some by quite a bit. The 19th mile was a bit lethargic and slow but I think that’s cause I hadn’t prepared my brain for it! It was great to be out in the sun even though it wad still cold – I think that’s the first blue sky running I’ve done since this marathon training began! 19M conquered leaving only 3M more to do in training and 7 on the day with a few weeks to go. Amazingly this week I managed to run 55 miles at varying speeds and intensities, this was because I had to switch the days of the long run over otherwise it would have dropped down to 36 miles (guess next week will be less ) I find that incredible and I think that is the most I have run in a week.

See 19Mile Splits

Sundays 10k was a race and against my what my brain told me I should do I went for it pushed on by my male ego (plus I was running with a friend who I know wouldn’t go slow)! Another week, another race and another PB with my 10k time coming in at 46:07 taking off about 40seconds off my previous best – running 6Miles at a sub 7min32sec pace – guess you could call that a threshold run! Awesome stuff – think the next stage (sub 45) is a little way off, taking off 67 seconds over 10k is a big push – I would need to have a constant pace of 7min 15sec miles and none of my splits hit that – even the first one which felt mentally fast! Oh well, 10k’s aren’t really for now so back to the long runs! Well done for Soo on that one, incredible running coming in just behind me by about 10 seconds and also having the stamina left in his body for a 200m sprint at the end! Good Effort.

See Newham 10k Splits

Till Next time

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…