Review of my Running in January 2010

It has been a successful start to the new year for many reasons for my running. I have largely been injury free just a slight IT band ache on the outside of my left knee but only when I purposely try to stretch it to see if it is still there. It doesn't affect my running at all at the moment.
My stats show

•  a total of 152 miles for the month 
• I ran on 22 days 
• My biggest mileage week was 39 miles for this week beginning the 25th of Jan
• My longest run has been 11 miles on the 24th and 31st of Jan 
• Fastest paced run was my tempo run on the 20th of Jan 4 miles in 33 mins for 8.09 pace
• Slowest run was an easy run on the 8th of Jan 5 miles in 46.41 for a 9.20 pace
• My average weekly rate is currently 34.3 miles
• My target for the year is 1400 miles and I am currently up on this by about 30 miles
• I have run 4 tempo runs and 4 long runs
• My weight is down from 86.5 to 84.5 kilos in this month
• No hill sessions recorded which is a weakness for me at the moment
• No races in January

For England and East Anglia January 2010 will be remembered by many as an unusally snowy month. Certainly for the first 2 weeks any runners venturing out had to combat the elements. Snow in Suffolk in recent years has often been confined to February.

I have practically started  again with my running after losing all my fitness following sciatica and then a cracked rib meant my training was patchy and non existent for many weeks at the end of 2009. It will take many months to build up a base of miles but January has been a good start.

For my long run this morning I did 11 mile on road to Risby and then on to Barrow in Suffolk. I did a 5.5 mile out and back run. I don't normally take a drink with me but today decided to take an isotonic bottle. To be honest it didn't work well carrying a bottle in one hand , it was too heavy and at about 8 miles it was a relief to bin and suddenly my arm felt free to move unburdened.

The round towered church in the village of Risby is St Giles
 and th pub shown is the Crown and Castle

It was bright and cold this morning and it was good to see so many other runners out training on their long runs.

The views of icy roads and fields are looking towards Barrow in Suffolk