Running Blog

Today's stats

• Time Taken : 00:31:21
• In Zone : 00:31:04
• Distance : aprox 3.06 miles
• Average HR : 158
• Zone limits : 180/97
• Weight : 80.1Kg

Well I did it, 2 runs in 2 days, and feel surprisingly good about it, I've got the normal aches and pains but nothing more than usual. Weather was damp but warm and I took a slightly different out and back route.

Today's stats

• Time Taken : 00:31:46
• In Zone : 00:31:40
• Distance : aprox 3.05 miles
• Average HR : 153
• Zone limits : 180/97
• Weight : 80.1Kg

Took todays run nice and slow as I want to repeat the run tomorrow. Weather was windy but at least it was warm'ish.

so I guess tomorrow it is.

Today's stats

• Time Taken : 00:31:43
• In Zone : 00:24:42
• Distance : aprox 3.4 miles
• Average HR : 173
• Zone limits : 180/97
• Weight : 80.0Kg

Today's run was freezing, cold enough for the puddles on my run to still be frozen over.

Went out at what felt like a really comfortable pace but my HR was over 180 for a portion of the run mainly due to the hills that are on my route, without them it would be a whole lot easier but I suppose they will do me good in the long term.

Looking to do my first 30 minutes non-stop at the beginning of the new year which means I've got to go out on Wednesday and New Years Eve.

...and a Happy New Year.

Today's stats

• Time Taken : 00:36:46
• In Zone : 00:31:28
• Distance : aprox 3.64 miles
• Average HR : 166
• Zone limits : 180/97
• Weight : 80.0Kgs

It was bloomin windy today, struggled with the long run that is about half way through my route, as I was running into the wind, which accounts for my slightly elavated heartrate.

Today's stats

• Time Taken : 00:36:28
• In Zone : 00:36:28
• Distance : aprox 3.44 miles
• Average HR : 158
• Zone limits : 180/97
• Weight : 80.1Kgs

Took it nice and slow and had no problems with the run.

Looks like I'm going to wait until the new year and get the Garmin Forerunner 301 which is supposedly being released in the new year. Might also get a cheaper MP3 player than the iRiver to try a beat the boredom that is starting to set in during the runs.

iRiver iFP850 mp3 player or Garmin forerunner 201 for christmas... decisions... decisions

Today's stats

• Time Taken : 00:37:17
• In Zone : 00:30:54
• Distance : aprox 3.9 miles
• Average HR : 168
• Zone limits : 180/97
• Weight : 80.5Kgs

Ouch! that's gonna hurt in the morning :o)

Had to push the boat out a bit as I had to get back to pick the bairn up from school at 15:20. Finishing work at 14:00 get home about 14:30, doesn't leave much time to warm up.

Today's stats

• Time Taken : 00:32:18
• In Zone : 00:31:22
• Distance : aprox 3.2 miles
• Average HR : 156
• Zone limits : 180/97
• Weight : 80.6Kgs

Cold and damp, had a late night last night which meant I was absolutley knackered on today's run...

12 minutes run, 1 minute walk next week, going to have 2 days rest before attempting it.

Today's stats...

• Time Taken : 00:32:00 - Bet I couldn't stop my watch like that again.
• In Zone : 00:31:28 - Slower run kept my HR down.
• Distance : aprox 3.2 miles - Went out slower and so didn't get quite as far.
• Average HR : 157
• Zone Limits : 180/97
• Weight : 80.7Kgs

Enjoyed todays run, the weather was cold and crisp and the new Ronhill long sleeve t-shirt that I bought yesterday works well to keep the worst of the chill off.
The last 30 secs or so of the last part of the run I went all out and ran as fast as I could and it felt bloody good, I haven't ran like that since school.

I've noticed as well that my flexability is increasing with every warm-down. I now have no problems touching the floor. Six months ago I couldn't get anywhere near my toes nevermind the floor!

Just entered...

Just realised what I may have let myself in for!!! Not that I stand a chance of winning.

My first thoughts about running/getting fit where in the middle of 2003 but, after going on about it for ages to my long suffering partner and even buying a pair of trainers that where one size too small and completely the wrong type for my feet (didn't know this at the time), I never did set foot outside the door to go running.

Fast forward to the beginning of September 2005 (only took a year) and I finally built myself up to go out, 10 mins later I was fit to drop, I had never felt so knackered and for 2 days afterwards I ached in places that I didn't know could ache.

I did this run (around a local field) for a few more times always coming back wheezing and struggling to breathe (more on that later), a different ache each time and always a very painful right toe. So after reading up on the 'net and discovering the www.runnerworld.co.uk website I realised that my shoes where wrong and promptly went out and bought a pair of Asics GT2090 from JJB Sports (big mistake!) thinking that I knew best after my internet "research". One run later and my knees where hurting like hell, I knew the problem lay with the 2090's as even when walking it felt like they where trying to make my feet/legs move in a way that didn't want to. Lesson 1 learned.

My knees continued to hurt all the way through October so as I healed I spent time reading and learning as much about running as possible. During this time I came across the beginners schedule at www.runnersworld.co.uk and decided that the sensible thing to do would be to follow it once my knees where sorted.

The schedule goes like this...

Week 1 Run one min, walk 90 seconds. Repeat eight times. Do three times a week.
Week 2 Run two mins, walk one min. Repeat seven times. Do three times a week.
Week 3 Run three mins walk one mins. Repeat six times. Do three times a week.
Week 4 Run five mins, walk two mins. Repeat four times. Do three times a week.
Week 5 Run eight mins, walk two mins. Repeat three times. Do three times a week.
Week 6 Run 12 mins, walk one min. Repeat three times. Do three times a week.
Week 7 Run 15 mins, walk one min, Run fifteen mins. Do three times a week
Week 8 Run 30 mins continuously.

To get started I needed a new pair of trainers so off I went to Start Fitness in Newcastle to get a pair fitted properly (once bitten, twice shy) and after spending some time with one of the sales assistant and a treadmill I came away with a nice sparkly pair of Nike Structure Triax 8 which I have come to love.

The hardest part of the schedule I found was going from week 1 to week 2 and had to repeat week 1. This was due to my asthma that I've had since a child, luckily I had my first visit to an asthma clinic in over 10 years round about the same time as I started the schedule and was prescribed a controller, similar to one I used as a child, and since I've started using it I've had no problems with my breathing.

So now I'm on week 5, my resting HR is down below 50, I've lost ½ a stone and generally I feel better and fitter than I have in a long time.

I would recommend it to anyone.

What a nightmare this was, didn't feel to bad when doing the run but feel like crap now. Think I've got some sort of bug as my HR was 180+ for over 12 minutes

Today's stats...

• Time taken : 00:34:07
• Distance : 3.42 miles
• Average HR : 168
• In Zone : 00:22:35
• Zone limits : 180/97
• Weight : 79.8Kgs

Going to take 2 days rest and hopefully my stomach will settle for Friday.

Todays stats...

• Time taken: 00:28:42
• Distance: aprox 2.9 miles
• Average HR: 160
• In Zone: 00:24:30
• Zone Limits: 180/97
• Weight: 80.7Kgs

Good run today though it felt harder than it probably should of, next run (Tuesday) will be run 8 minutes, walk 2 minutes the way it's going I shouldn't have any problems with it (touch wood).

Well this is going to be my running log, that hopefully will see me going from a relatively new runner, (only just finished week 4 of the Runnersworld beginners schedule) to with any luck a half decent distance runner. My personal goals are to run a half marathon at some point next year then after that to be looking at the full 26.2 miles of a marathon.

So why am I writing this Blog?

A few reasons really, the first is to chart my progress as the weeks go by in the hope that it might be of interest someone else, the second is to keep me motivated, by looking at previous posts hopefully it will keep me going and third is the totally practical reason of keeping a back up of all the data in my excel running log.