Mixed week - Might just have to hop round!

Last week was again quite frustrating. The start of the week things were not much better with my foot still painful although no where near as bad as before. By the time Wednesday came around it was feeling allot better and I was determined to get out and give it a go - which I did.

All seemed fine with no real sign of it getting any worse. Still not back to normal but bearable. I actually felt pretty good during and after my run generally which was encouraging. Not wishing to push it and still feeling a bit of pain I did not venture out again during the week.

I am writing this very early morning on the Wednesday the week before the race as I am away on business in the USA this week. It's 4.00 am here in the US or 9.00 UK time. I am trying to stay on UK time as it's only a fairly short trip, just means long days. My foot seems to have got worse over the last three days. Not really sure why as while I have been walking around a bit I have also been sitting down on planes allot and have not run at all - Strange!!

My running kit has seen no action this week and is a passenger at the bottom of my bag which is disappointing and not the best preparation for Sunday. I will return for the week-end and go straight up North for the run on Sunday when it will be time to dust of my running kit and see how I get on.

I am starting in the green zone somewhere so will have to watch I don't get killed in the rush as all those well prepared runners come charging past me. I suspect that my approach to the race this year is going to be to get round as well as I can, which is a shame. I am missing long runs from my training which I am sure will tell on me in the second half of the event - we will see, if the worst comes to the worst I can just hop round! I am still determined to beat 2 hours but will have to see how it goes.

Good luck o everyone taking part.

From Bad to Worse!

This week has not been a good one for running, I never thought I would actually miss going running but I did. The injury to my foot seemed to get worse and in the early part of the week and I have no choice but to try to rest it. I found it difficult to put any weight on my foot without an annoying almost burning sort of pain to the front underside of my heal. It seems to be especially bad in the morning when I get out of bed .
I have been travelling in Europe a bit this week with work and the early part of it saw me in Germany where there were loads of running opportunities. The last two days of the week were in Verona and Milan in Italy. I am pleased to say I visit Verona quite allot and I usually run in the evening before dinner but not this week.
By Friday / Saturday the injury seemed to be getting a little better and at least I could walk around without quite so much of a hobble. A bit of research on the internet gave me some ideas of what it could be but I am still hoping for just bruising! Today Monday after a whole week off running there is a still a little pain but nothing like before. I will see how it goes but I am tempted to try for a light jog this evening and see what happens.
This is quite a big set back for me as I was late starting my training so lost weeks are not good especially at this stage. Just have to see what happens but I hate not being able to do things so need to get back to normal ASAP. A frustrating week!! - Simon

Good week / Bad week

Last week was a mixed week with some good running in a variety of places but a bad end to the week!

Monday and Tuesday saw me working in Irvine on the West coast of Scotland. Monday evening was magnificent with bright sunshine and the Isle of Arran framed in the low sun over the sea and a stiff sea breeze adding a little extra challenge on the home leg of my evening run. My run was just over 4 miles mainly on the beach and was followed by a further two mile walk to the restaurant for dinner (It all counts)!
Tuesday was dull and overcast but the sea breeze was still there and I enjoyed my run doing about 5 miles on a similar beach route.
Wednesday I was travelling all evening down from Scotland to Cumbria after a day in the office so it was the M74 and M6 and no run - I will call that a rest day.
Thursday I was working in North Cumbria which meant I was able to stay at my place in Cumbria on Thursday and Friday evenings. The countryside to the East of Carlisle and into the Eden valley is lovely and largely unspoilt by mass tourism. I have a route of about 5 miles that I run here close by the lower reaches of the river Eden. The weather was great and it was a joy to run, I even felt pretty good when I had completed it.
Friday I ran my 5 mile route again in the morning before work and then in the evening after work squeezed in 18 holes of golf at Silloth golf club with some friends. My golf is a little rusty and so I tend to walk along way during a round. Great way to finish the week though, sure beats the M4!!
Saturday was a busy day, I went flying in the morning from Carlisle airport up into the Scottish borders (another hobby of mine!). After a quick lunch I was off into the Eden valley for a game of cricket which lasted late into the evening. I did not manage to run on Saturday but played 45 overs of cricket instead. As an opening bowler with far to long a run up it is more physical than you might think especially on a hot day up the hill!
Sunday was not a good day for running as I could barely walk. All week I have had a pain in right my foot under the heal. Sunday it was really bad and I struggled to put any weight on it at all. I suspect it may be bruising but will rest it and see. I planned to have a long run on Sunday and then drive from Cumbria back to London. I did the drive but not the run – A bad end to an otherwise great week – Simon.

Great North Run

To say my running experience is minimal would be an understatement, recent activity is limited to running for the bus and I don't catch that very often! I play a wide variety of sports but my job involves allot of global travel so fitting it all in gets increasingly difficult. I have always tried to use running as a means of staying fit as it seems to work pretty effectively although until I decided to enter this years Great North Run this was starting to become a distant memory.
I ran the Great North Run last year but was completely unprepared, I was the perfect advert for how not to do it. I did not train at all for it, I did it the day after returning from a hectic travel schedule literally returning home the night before the race and to cap it all I had no food in the house so did not eat for approx. 24 hours before the race! Not the best preparation. I finished the race in 2 Hrs 11 mins but felt terrible and did not really do myself justice.
So this year some things will change.

• I will be training or at least trying to - I have started already as you might expect but it's still a bit hit and miss.
• I will be eating properly - or trying to (That means I need to learn to cook!!).
• I will be travelling allot over the next month with work and as usual will be flying back from the USA on the Friday before the race (something’s don't change!).
• I will be looking to beat my time and hopefully feel a little better at the finish.

I dread the training which I need to immerse myself in over the next month but no doubt it will do me good. Getting out there after a day at work is probably my biggest challenge, once I get out of the hotel or my house if I'm at home I am fine. Last year Scooby- Do passed me in the race, yes I could not run as fast as a guy dressed as a cartoon character!!, This year with better preparation I will be happy if I see a few less people pass me in the race and I beat my time from last year.