2010 events plan

Well it has been 3 weeks since we entered a new decade and the year 2010. I hope you all are still feeling motivated and focused on your goals for this year.

After much thought I have drawn up a list of races that I am provisionally putting on the roadmap for this year to compete in.

2010 looks like this so far.

28 Mar - Brighton Trail marathon - 27mi
09 May - Halstead marathon - 26.2mi
13 Jun - Southend Half marathon - 13.1mi
23 Jul - Lakeland 50 - 50mi
28 Aug - Ridgeway Challenge 85 - 85mi
09 Oct - Caesars Endurance Camp 50/100 - 50mi

There are some great testing races in here to say the least and entry to some of these races will very much depend on my recovery.

Entry to the Ridgeway challenge will depend solely on whether I can recover from the Lakeland 50 in time. I am not thinking about that now as I don't want to spoil the thought of takng part in that awesome challenge.

Looking at this schedule I am maybe asking a lot myself physically and mentally as it a huge leap from last year in terms of both number of races and miles covered. This has solely come from the belief I now have in running both from a physical standpoint but more importantly mental one. Both of which have been revolutionised from the amazing training experience I am getting with Mad Dog Mike. I will talk about him much more in future blog posts.

Well that's the my lot for now I am off out for a 10 mile run in the dark streets of Essex.

Running in the Snow!


Well what a week it has been for the UK with regards to the weather. I know us Brits always talk about the weather but it has been the worst snowfall in 50 years and with 100's of schools, businesses, flights and transport services affected we are being told that the temperatures/conditions are here to stay for the next week or so. I'm sure we will talk about it some more now :-)

The snow has transformed the landscape (in my opinion for the better) and it is a joy to look at. With this in mind though it has been very challenging running on the pavements/roads in order get some mileage done especially as there is an increased risk of injury due to the ice.

There is always a risk of falling over so hill repeats training is out the window. I have switched to my Roclite 315 trail shoes that are lower in the heel, have deeper treads and much better stability for the ankles all of which is crucial in these weather conditions. Stride length is shorter and running intensity has also been reduced to lower the risk of getting injured.
  • 41 miles completed since 2nd January
  • Longest training week completed yet - 36 miles
  • 10% of mileage covered in Vibram Fivefingers
  • Shortest run - 5 miles 48:36
  • Longest run - 13 miles 01:59:59
The tigtness in the calves has reduced over the last week and each run is feeling easier however with the conditions as they are I am taking care not to increase the intensity of the runs at the moment. 14 mile long run is still on for tomorrow although more snow is predicted to fall during the day so that will make the run interetsting. Will have to wrap up warm as it will be 2hrs+ out there.

Hope you have all have been getting out there during this time. Its better to get the mileage in at a reduced pace then not at all. Keep safe out there.

Peace!

Rich

A new decade has begun.

Goodbye 2009! Hello 2010!

2009 has come to a close and I must say it was a very enjoyable year having finished my first ultra marathon I look forward to 2010 being filled with ever greater challenges.

A new year has begun and today is usually the beginning of when we all start following all those new years resolution we set ourselves.
Mine are along the following lines below
  • Be a better father
  • Be a better husband
  • Learn more about the world we live in
  • Set myself greater challenges
  • Learn something new if possible everyday
  • Have more fun
As this is a blog about primarily about running we shall continue to focus on this. At the moment I only have a couple of races booked for this year although I should have a much better idea of what events will be lined up for the next 6-12 months by the end of this month.

Training was going very well in December until the snow started to fall and I made a mistake of going too fast on on the trails during this time. Due to this my left calf has become quite tight over the last 2-3 weeks and it is not helping my running efficiency or technique.

I won't bore everyone with the exact details of the runs completed however here are the highlights
  • 79 miles completed since 13th December
  • Longest training week completed yet - 32 miles
  • Fastest run - 5 miles 39:25
  • Longest run - 12 miles 02:01:39
This weeks mileage has been pushed back to 20-22 miles due to muscle tightness in my calf and hopefully I should be able to enjoy the sunshine today and go for a short run.

One difference today is that I am going to be trying out my new Vibram Fivefingers minimalist shoe. Over the last 3-4 weeks I have become very much a habitual barefooter around the house and having read a lot of new information on the subject I am going to start incorporating some barefoot / minimalist shoe running into my training. Starting off with running in the Fivefingers today.

So it's times to get out there and enjoy and see you next time.

Peace!

Rich