5 miles this month

Distance: 0.6 miles
Time: 5m14s

So in just over 2 weeks I've clocked up 8k in 8 runs. Another day off tomorrow, then perhaps a cycle ride on Friday. I'm itching to get back up to decent long runs where I'm out on the road for an hour or more, but am content that the long slow build up will make me stronger.

Like a bat out of hell...

Distance: 0.6 miles
Time: 5m06s

Ok, so not that fast... but it's still going round my head as JackFM played it on the way home and I had a good singalong in the car. Very cheesy but you can't help not singing to Mr Loaf's greatest hit.

Another quick inner lap of the village today. Almost ready to start the lunchtime 0.7 mile laps again.

Hot Diggity!

Distance: 0.85miles
Time: 9m16s

Phew it's hot today... I put off the run until this evening, so it would be a bit cooler, and it's still hot. A longer more gentle run this evening. Then a planned day off tomorrow, and back to a short one on Tuesday.

A short fast one

Distance: 0.6 miles
Time: 5m03s

Slight change of plan, or rather reverting to the planned runs from my previous training. Since I now feel up to a slightly longer run, I was going to run for around 10 minutes today. But then I remembered that my "long" run was usually on Sunday, so why not get back in that habit from the beginning this time? So today I ran out for the 0.6 mile lap past the village hall, through the churchyard, down the path, past my parents house and back up the road to home again. It's a simple route, with a slight uphill. Today I didn't push myself too much, but I did lengthen my strides and run at a solid pace, and made it an a shade over 5 minutes. Although I'm not aiming to run too fast just now, it's good to vary the pace in training, as it helps my overall improvement.

Tomorrow, Sunday, will be my first "long" run, probably not a whole mile yet, that'll be next week!

Getting there....

Distance: 0.6 miles
Time: 5m48s

A day off yesterday, and a gentle jog today. It didn't feel like such hard work today, but then I did take it easier than Wednesday. Out for a longer one tomorrow.

It's me birfdi

Distance: 0.6 miles
Time: 5m14s

Today I'm the grand old age of 37, and despite everything else going on (or not going on) in my life, I feel good. And when I'm feeling good, I like to run. The trick is remembering that I like to run when I'm not feeling so good, but that will, hopefully, come with habit as I get back into the swing of running 4-5 times a week. And I know that whatever few calories I've just burned off will be put straight back on before the 1st pint of beer is sunk, but I did say it was my birthday!

Maybe by the weekend I'll be ready to head out for a gentle 10 minute run...

I'm so unfit!

Distance: 0.6 miles
Time: 5m35s

How did I manage to be running 10 miles back in January? It doesn't feel like I'd even be able to run more than one at the moment. Still, that's not important right now - what's key is to get some regular short runs in, to gradually get used to my orthoses, and also to gradually start building up my muscles and running ability again. I don't need to rush things, and I don't need to think about running more than a mile for the next few weeks anyway. Even so, it feels a bit weird now feeling short of breath after half a mile!

2nd run this month...

Distance: 0.6 miles
Time: 5m24s

Well I finally dragged myself out for another 5 minute run this evening. I don't see why it's so hard to convince myself to get back into running. I know I enjoy it once I get going! So now I've run twice this week, I need to keep it up.

Orthoses are go!

Well, I've been back to the physio since I got the all clear from my MRI scan. He got me to walk up and down loads of times on the RunScan thingy to analyse my feet and videoed me walking and running on the treadmill to check all aspects of my running posture in order to fit me for some Orthoses. I returned two weeks later to try them out.

I've been wearing them for two weeks, and today ventured out for my first short "5 minute" run in them. You're supposed to wear these special inner soles for an hour or two the first day, gradually building up to wearing them for as long as they don't feel uncomfortable. I got used to them within a couple of days, so have been wearing them all day long for over a week now.

If I hadn't been hit with a horrible chesty infection on Friday I would have started running again then. But I'm there now. 5 minutes a day four or five times a week now, gradually building up to 10 minute runs, and then in a few weeks I'll be back in training. This time I can plan to build up my runs more slowly - so I don't overuse my leg muscles until they're stronger. And therefore I should be able to avoid the knee injuries that set me back in January and scuppered my chances of doing the 2008 London Marathon. My physio thinks I may be fit enough by October to enter the Abingdon Half Marathon, but I'll see how things go. I don't want to run before I can walk (so to speak) so am not setting any firm targets just yet!

It's good to be back in training (albeit back to square one) and this time I have nine months to get up to the 26.2 milestone.