6m

Route: 6m, some hills, road
Weather: Clear and fresh

Bit worried before this run as felt a couple of knee niggles, but ran with no problems.

Lovely clear, crisp night.

Midnight run

Route: 6m, road, mostly flat with one decent hill.
Weather: milder than I had expected - 6C

Had to run late as Briony late home, so headed out about 11. Ran to Pool, up Pool bank and home, about 6.5 miles. No real problems, but quite tired, especially in quads. I put this down to the increased mileage this week. Have only run 28m this week, but relatively that's quite a bit. All in all I'm really pleased wuth my first proper week back training.

I have to say how delighted I am with the SOLES (the custom footbeds I was talking about recently. They are so comfortable and seem to be helping the tendonitis I have been getting in the top of my foot. I even take them out and wear them to work now as they are so comfy. Highly recommended!

Hilly 6

Route: 6m, road, hilly
Weather: 3C

Ran a reasonably quick 6m on a hilly course. Felt fine physically; a little stiffness in the quads, but just due to increased miles I think - that kind of 'good sore' rather than the grinding sore I had a few weeks back.

Nice clear night too!

Some Research

Next Wednesday I will be taking part in some research at the Leeds Metropolitan Universtity. They are carrying out a longitudinal study looking at the bone mineral density of long distance runners and walkers. Here is the basic blurb about the study:

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Endurance sports such as running and race walking are popular and have a number of health benefits. However, some endurance athletes, particularly runners, have been shown to have low bone mineral density (BMD). Low BMD is linked with a higher risk of fractures. At present it is uncertain why some endurance athletes have these bone problems. It is also uncertain whether they are losing bone too early in life. This is mainly because there have been very few studies that have monitored bone density over a period of time. There are even fewer studies in male athletes than female athletes.


WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY?

The purpose of the study is to identify the most prominent factors that influence BMD in long distance runners and race walkers over a 9 month period. This will be achieved by measuring BMD at the start of the study and after 9 months, together with measures of body composition (% fat and muscle), genetics, bone loading patterns during treadmill exercise, muscle strength, diet and hormone levels. These measurements will tell us if these athletes have lower than normal BMD, whether they are losing bone prematurely and the reasons for changes in BMD. We intend that our findings will help inform athletes to balance their lifestyle and keep their bones healthy.

I am looking forward to the study. One of the tasks I have to carry out this week is ti record not only exercise, but a thorough record of everything I eat and drink. The study requires that you do not alter your 'normal' diet so I am being brutaly honest! It is amazing to see what you do eat in a day. Some good, some not so good!

Sounds like an interesting study and I will update the blog to the progress and results.

Club run - 05/02/08

Route: 7m, road, undulating
Weather: 6C

Good run with the club tonight, a bit faster than I have run for a while with tapering and injuries etc. Felt pretty good. Small amount of foot pain, but nothing really. Bit of cardio and muscle fatigue towards the end due to the speed, but coped ok.

Here is my route:

10m

Route: 10m, road, mostly undulating with some hills.
Weather: 6C

First training run of any distance in 2008 so quite pleased. Ran a steady 10m (1h20m)on a reasonably hilly route, although all still on road.

No knee pain at all, and although I had some foot pain during the latter miles, it feels fine now an hour later.

Fitness wise, felt quite strong, especially from about 6m when I settled into a rhythm.

A big thanks to Wendy for the sponsorship today - first person of 2008 and really nice to get the total of the 61% mark, where it's been stagnating for a few weeks. It's going to need a real push between now and June, but I'm totally confident that I can reach the £1000 target for Epilepsy Action.

7m

Route: 7m, road, undulating
Weather: sleet, 4C

Ran the same route as Thursday except I was re-routed along Pool road around Knutford Nook as there had been a fatal accident on the Pool Road. The carnage was clearly visible from the diversion and it looked horrible. Scary thought is that I nearly went out last night along this route and would have been there or there abouts at the time it happened. It's so important to remember how fragile life sometimes is and how much we need to live it.