All ready for tomorrows Juneathon though I wish I was running!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Cycle ride to Gt Barton Suffolk
A typical bank holiday Monday the weather being cool and overcast with some rain. My cycle ride this morning was 15 miles and took me on a loop out to Gt Barton past the Holy Inocents Church. On to Thurston, Rougham, Rushbrooke and home.
All ready for tomorrows Juneathon though I wish I was running!
All ready for tomorrows Juneathon though I wish I was running!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
A cycle ride to Lackford
At Brockley Corner I decided to veer towards West Stow rather than Ingham. I notice on the map there is at Brockley Corner a Hill of Health Tumulus. Not sure how this got it's name ironic for a burial mound.
After West Stow I followed the road past the Anglo Saxon Village. Here you are just within the KIng's Forest . Here there is a mixture of pines and broadleaf trees and you are always likely to see deer. I turned for home along the Mildenhall Road and the next village I reached was Lackford. The run for home was fairly straight taking me though Flempton, Hengrave, Fornham All Saints and home.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
A Cycle ride to Tuddenham Suffolk
I had planned to turn towards Higham and Gazeley but instead found myself 10 miles out. Rather than directly turnaround and follow the same route back I instead followed a road back to Higham, Barrow, Gt Saxham and Lt Saxham and then back into Bury.
The verge on the route between Lt Saxham and Bury was covered in poppies and other wild flowers.
Total time for the ride was 1hr 43 minutes for the 20 miles for a 5.10 mile pace
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Bad Shepherds in Bury St Edmunds
Tonight we went to see the Bad Shepherds at the Bury St Edmunds Corn Exchange tonight. Who are they you might ask ? Well they are a band that plays well known punk songs on folk instruments.
I guess a lot of people go an watch for the novelty value as punk tunes played using mandolin,uillean pipes,bazouki, whistles and pipes shouldn't work but it does. The reason I think it works is because traditional folk music is often about protest and this is in common with the classic punk song. Above all it was a lot of fun.
The only thing I would have changed would have been to remove the seats at the venue. We were surprised that seats had been layed out as this is dance music. OK one other thing I would change the bar only sold two beers neither of these being local surely we could have had Greene King!
The future of this venue is very much in doubt and there is unlikely to be any live music from this site from next year. The new Apex should act as a far better venue for music.Tonight the Bad Shepherds performed a number of the Clash songs including Londons Calling and I Fought the Law. I guess the last time their songs were performed at the Corn Exchange was back in 1978 on the 14th July when I saw the Clash in their prime on their out on parole tour. They had just released their White Man in Hammersmith Palais.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Off to Hessett
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| White Horse Beyton |
Out of bed at 6am and off for a cycle ride whilst it was still cool and before work. Yes this morning it was already lovely and warm and I knew I had to get out early before it became to hot later in the day.
My cycle ride this morning felt a lot easier and the saddle didn't bite half as much so if nothing else I am wearing my back side in! I followed theNational Route 51 out to Thurston. The cycle route is part of Sustrans one of the UK's leading sustainable transport charities.
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| Beyton Suffolk |
From here the Felsham Rd took me through Bradfield St George , Lt Whelnethum , Sicklesmere and home.
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| Railway Crossing at Thurston |
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| All Saints Beyton |
Suffolk Words, Sayings and Stories
A friend of mine was walking up Abbeygate St in Bury St Edmunds, behind two very smartly dressed girls. A woman on the other side of the street waved her hand to the girls in greeting whereupon the following remark from one of the girls fell upon my friends astonished ears :
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| Hessett Village Sign |
In a corner of Suffolk I recently heard a woman with her child and dog in a railway booking station ask for 'A houle, a half and a pup return ticket'
I had a clear out recently of race t shirts. At so many races now the organisers give out a race t shirt often with the name of the race and the sponsors and quite often these are cotton not technical shirts. I was hoarding these shirts but never hardly wearing them. I was running out of space in a wardrobe and these were the culprits so I have now got rid. This got me thinking as to what you would prefer as a race prize. Cheaper race entry and no prize? A medal? A t shirt ? A certificate? A goodie bag with some food and drink? Or perhaps you have entered a race and had something fairly unique as a prize?
Personally I go with the medal which has some what gone out of fashion in recent years. Let me know your preference.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Aparently it is in its 4th year and for the thousands who sign up you commit to at least try and do some form of exercise every day for the month of June. You can run,cycle,walk,lift weights or any other form of exercise. You just need to talk about it every day as well on your blog or on face book.
I intend to either be cycling or doing press ups and sit ups whilst I can't run. With the football world cup starting on the 11th of June in Sth Africa there is a big temptation to reside on the coach of doom for a month and eat and drink. Not saying I won't be doing this but the exercise should help combat the beer and pizza!
Friday, May 21, 2010
A cycle trip to Hartest Suffolk
This was a lovely sunny lunch time cycle ride out to the village of Hartest. With the weather being so good I was keen to get back on the bike and go for a spin whilst I am unable to run.
What I am finding is that cycling requires a little more pre planning on a route to follow - firstly to avoid any of the major roads and secondly because in the space of an hour or two you can go a lot further in distance and need to ensure your route takes you back home and not leave you 20 miles away. I like maps and have a number of the ordnance survey explorer maps of Suffolk which have a scale of 2.5 inches to a mile. The map I use most often is the Explorer 211 for the Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket area which shows all of the public rights of way and paths and walkways.
The route I decided on was Bury St Edmunds / Nowton/ Hawstead/ Lawshall/Hartest/Brockley Green/Whepstead and back to Bury
The saddle soreness was immediately noticeable when I got on the bike today but is no big deal and was soon forgotten once I had gone a mile or two. After 3 miles when I reached Nowton there was very little traffic. From Lawshall I took a turning along Hartest Lane which was a narrow minor road which was pretty much a down hill section for nearly 2 miles.
Hartest green was around 10 miles in to the ride and the ideal place for a short stop for a drink and a banana and to take a few photos. Hartest is part of Suffolk which is little more hilly than most and is an area known as High Suffolk. I came down Hartest Hill into the village and I think this may be one of the steepest hills in Suffolk. Surrounding Hartest green are many bright coloured cottages. As with virtually every village there is a war memorial to commemorate those from the village who died in the 1st and 2nd world war the memorial
was unveiled by Capt. E H W Backhouse on 24th October 1920,
it cost £20.
My return to Bury was along the Brockley Road and here between Brockley and Whepstead there was a yellow carpet of oil seed rape fields.Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil is said to be possibly the healthiest and most versatile cooking oil you can get.
My cycle ride totalled 18 miles in 1 hr 40 Min's. I was about 10 seconds a mile quicker than on Wednesday.
What I am finding is that cycling requires a little more pre planning on a route to follow - firstly to avoid any of the major roads and secondly because in the space of an hour or two you can go a lot further in distance and need to ensure your route takes you back home and not leave you 20 miles away. I like maps and have a number of the ordnance survey explorer maps of Suffolk which have a scale of 2.5 inches to a mile. The map I use most often is the Explorer 211 for the Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket area which shows all of the public rights of way and paths and walkways.
The route I decided on was Bury St Edmunds / Nowton/ Hawstead/ Lawshall/Hartest/Brockley Green/Whepstead and back to Bury
Hartest green was around 10 miles in to the ride and the ideal place for a short stop for a drink and a banana and to take a few photos. Hartest is part of Suffolk which is little more hilly than most and is an area known as High Suffolk. I came down Hartest Hill into the village and I think this may be one of the steepest hills in Suffolk. Surrounding Hartest green are many bright coloured cottages. As with virtually every village there is a war memorial to commemorate those from the village who died in the 1st and 2nd world war the memorial
was unveiled by Capt. E H W Backhouse on 24th October 1920,
it cost £20.
My return to Bury was along the Brockley Road and here between Brockley and Whepstead there was a yellow carpet of oil seed rape fields.Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil is said to be possibly the healthiest and most versatile cooking oil you can get.
My cycle ride totalled 18 miles in 1 hr 40 Min's. I was about 10 seconds a mile quicker than on Wednesday.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
I give in - lets try cycling!!
I can't rid myself of the curse of plantar fascitiis and several others have told me that I am doing myself no good by trying to run every few days.
Its because I love my running that I don't want to give it up but at present it is just not working for me. Even after a break of a week, if I run I am ok over a short run of a few miles but the next day I am hobbling and limping. The Scholl orthotic inserts will help but I was deluded if I felt this would provide a major wand cure. The spring is here and summer dawns and with it a great selection of road races but my winter training will now count for nowt. The 12th of April was my last proper week of training and a month on from this my level of fitness will have slipped. I will have to start all over again from scratch when I eventually get over this injury.
So for now I am taking up cycling. This has the great advantage of not causing me any further damage to my foot.I have a road bike this was given to me and is very much an ordinary bike and definitely not one of those fancy Dan £2,000 jobs More's the pity!
Several folks have suggested to me why don;t you try cycling including Revrunner, Darren Baker and finally my better half said to get out there and do it
I am going to stop running for 1 month and then see if I am ok to run again. I think I will know if this is the case. Like a lot of people with plantar fascitiis I find my foot can be painful first thing in the morning when I stand up on it. Hopefully in a month perhaps this will have healed and I can run again but there are no guarantees with this and I know this can linger for many months .
So today I switched my garmin forerunner to the cycling function, got a back pack ready with a spare waterproof jacket , a map and a drink. Pumped up the tyres and set off.
Cycling isn't something I have actively tried before. I have of course used a bike to get from a to b , pop into town but as a form of exercise no apart from the stationary cycle machines in a gym. I have also been a bit wary of traffic and know that bikes always come off second best in a fight with a car, I am therefore a real novice - totally green so this makes this a bit of an adventure and something exciting to do as a temporary replacement for running.
I put on my ipod and listened to Mark Kemode and Simon Mayo's Film Review podcast. The episode I listened to included a review of the latest Iron man 2 film. As a boy I was a fan of all of the Marvel Comics including Ironman, Spiderman, The Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer to name a few and this latest offering is definitely a precursor to the launch of the Avengers as a film. The film introduced the Black Widow character played by Scarlet Johansson. The film is worth a watch if you like comic book character films.
The miles passed by on the bike fairly easily but at no great pace. My route took me through the villages of Fornham All Saints, Fornham St Genevieve, West Stow, Ingham and Timworth all to the north of Bury St Edmunds. Obviously you can get a lot further afield on a bike and travel further than on a run. I stopped a couple of times for a quick drink but other than that I just kept going. I wasn't sure what I could do and how far to go and I wasn't prepared if I had of got a puncture.
But I did 14 miles in 1 hr 20 Min's for an average speed of 11 miles an hour.From what I can see this is very much an average speed for a complete beginner. Club cyclists spin the wheel at around 18 miles an hour.
Road-bike.co.UK indicates the following as a guide with all of the provisos concerning weather , hills equipment, traffic etc
I forgot to take my camera so along with a puncture kit and a phone I will be better prepared next time. Did I enjoy it? Yes as a substitute for running it wasn't bad and I will want to make it competitive and give my self some challenges and improve my speed and the distance I cover.
Did I get bum ache? Yes my backside just isn't used to sitting on a bike.
The only other problem today was the amount of green fly in the air. There must be some outbreak of the pests at the moment and cycling meant keeping the mouth closed and wiping away the green fly every so often.
Its because I love my running that I don't want to give it up but at present it is just not working for me. Even after a break of a week, if I run I am ok over a short run of a few miles but the next day I am hobbling and limping. The Scholl orthotic inserts will help but I was deluded if I felt this would provide a major wand cure. The spring is here and summer dawns and with it a great selection of road races but my winter training will now count for nowt. The 12th of April was my last proper week of training and a month on from this my level of fitness will have slipped. I will have to start all over again from scratch when I eventually get over this injury.
So for now I am taking up cycling. This has the great advantage of not causing me any further damage to my foot.I have a road bike this was given to me and is very much an ordinary bike and definitely not one of those fancy Dan £2,000 jobs More's the pity!
Several folks have suggested to me why don;t you try cycling including Revrunner, Darren Baker and finally my better half said to get out there and do it
I am going to stop running for 1 month and then see if I am ok to run again. I think I will know if this is the case. Like a lot of people with plantar fascitiis I find my foot can be painful first thing in the morning when I stand up on it. Hopefully in a month perhaps this will have healed and I can run again but there are no guarantees with this and I know this can linger for many months .
So today I switched my garmin forerunner to the cycling function, got a back pack ready with a spare waterproof jacket , a map and a drink. Pumped up the tyres and set off.
Cycling isn't something I have actively tried before. I have of course used a bike to get from a to b , pop into town but as a form of exercise no apart from the stationary cycle machines in a gym. I have also been a bit wary of traffic and know that bikes always come off second best in a fight with a car, I am therefore a real novice - totally green so this makes this a bit of an adventure and something exciting to do as a temporary replacement for running.
I put on my ipod and listened to Mark Kemode and Simon Mayo's Film Review podcast. The episode I listened to included a review of the latest Iron man 2 film. As a boy I was a fan of all of the Marvel Comics including Ironman, Spiderman, The Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer to name a few and this latest offering is definitely a precursor to the launch of the Avengers as a film. The film introduced the Black Widow character played by Scarlet Johansson. The film is worth a watch if you like comic book character films.
The miles passed by on the bike fairly easily but at no great pace. My route took me through the villages of Fornham All Saints, Fornham St Genevieve, West Stow, Ingham and Timworth all to the north of Bury St Edmunds. Obviously you can get a lot further afield on a bike and travel further than on a run. I stopped a couple of times for a quick drink but other than that I just kept going. I wasn't sure what I could do and how far to go and I wasn't prepared if I had of got a puncture.
But I did 14 miles in 1 hr 20 Min's for an average speed of 11 miles an hour.From what I can see this is very much an average speed for a complete beginner. Club cyclists spin the wheel at around 18 miles an hour.
Road-bike.co.UK indicates the following as a guide with all of the provisos concerning weather , hills equipment, traffic etc
- Beginner, short distance (say 10-15 miles): average speed 12 mph. Most cyclists can achieve 10-12 mph average very quickly with limited training
- More experienced, short-medium distance (say 20-30 miles): average speed 15-16 mph
- Reasonable experience, medium (say 40 miles): average speed 16-19 mph
- Quite competent club rider, some regular training likely, medium-long distances (say 50-60 miles): 20-24 mph
I forgot to take my camera so along with a puncture kit and a phone I will be better prepared next time. Did I enjoy it? Yes as a substitute for running it wasn't bad and I will want to make it competitive and give my self some challenges and improve my speed and the distance I cover.
Did I get bum ache? Yes my backside just isn't used to sitting on a bike.
The only other problem today was the amount of green fly in the air. There must be some outbreak of the pests at the moment and cycling meant keeping the mouth closed and wiping away the green fly every so often.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Orthaheel Gel Heel Orthotic for Plantar Fascitiis
After another week of no running I attempted to run on Saturday morning and I did manage 3 miles but with pain afterwards. In fact on Sunday I was still feeling enough pain in my heel so that the walk in to town was only managed with a limp.
It was worth the mile limp to attend the 'The Real Food and Beer Festival at Greene King’ in Bury St Edmunds. This was a really good event and I hope is repeated on an annual basis . There were lots of local producers providing samples and selling their products including Suffolk Food Hall, Jimmy’s Farm, The English Whisky Company, Yum Yum Tree Fudge and Rodwell Farm Dairy.
A few pints of Greene King and the pain in my heel was at least temporarily relieved!
On Saturdays run I inserted 3 insoles in my left shoe to try and help obsorb some of the shock when my foot hits the ground. It didn't work but was slightly better. So after the festival a trip to Boots the Chemists resulted in the purchase of a Scholl Orthaheel Gel Heel Orthotic.
According to the promotional material Scholl Orthaheel is an innovative biomechanical solution made from the highest grade materials and technology available to help realign the lower limbs through to the hips, to restore the feet and body back to a neutral position just as nature intended. The soft flexible moulded gel reduces impact and fatigue.
I removed one of my insoles and inserted both of the gel orthaheels although I am only feeling pain in the left foot. I suppose this is the right thing to do so that I am balanced on both sides and don't cause an injury to my right foot.
I repeated another 3 mile run this afternoon and will now see if there is any reaction. Initially it did feel a little odd as if I was running on stitles and I wondered if the inserts would slip out of position. The Scholl Orthaheel isn't cheap and cost £16.99 but if it works it will be worth every penny. Time will tell if I am limping tomorrow!
 |
| Real Food & Beer Festival |
It was worth the mile limp to attend the 'The Real Food and Beer Festival at Greene King’ in Bury St Edmunds. This was a really good event and I hope is repeated on an annual basis . There were lots of local producers providing samples and selling their products including Suffolk Food Hall, Jimmy’s Farm, The English Whisky Company, Yum Yum Tree Fudge and Rodwell Farm Dairy.
A few pints of Greene King and the pain in my heel was at least temporarily relieved!
On Saturdays run I inserted 3 insoles in my left shoe to try and help obsorb some of the shock when my foot hits the ground. It didn't work but was slightly better. So after the festival a trip to Boots the Chemists resulted in the purchase of a Scholl Orthaheel Gel Heel Orthotic.
According to the promotional material Scholl Orthaheel is an innovative biomechanical solution made from the highest grade materials and technology available to help realign the lower limbs through to the hips, to restore the feet and body back to a neutral position just as nature intended. The soft flexible moulded gel reduces impact and fatigue.
I removed one of my insoles and inserted both of the gel orthaheels although I am only feeling pain in the left foot. I suppose this is the right thing to do so that I am balanced on both sides and don't cause an injury to my right foot.
I repeated another 3 mile run this afternoon and will now see if there is any reaction. Initially it did feel a little odd as if I was running on stitles and I wondered if the inserts would slip out of position. The Scholl Orthaheel isn't cheap and cost £16.99 but if it works it will be worth every penny. Time will tell if I am limping tomorrow!
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| May blossom going over now! |
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| Walnut Tree |
Monday, May 10, 2010
A short 2.5 mile run
A bit of a trial to see what what happen when I ran 2.5 miles and would the pain in my heel flare up again? I really enjoyed the run as a short taster of what I am missing.
I ran the 2.5 miles in 21.18 though it was entirely pain free as I could my heel. So 2.5 was as far as I dared run in case I do any more damage. As i write this I am not limping but I can feel my heel and I probably did a little too much too soon.
When I returned from the run with my exercise craving unsatisfied I started Day 2 week 1 of training on my push ups my session included 5 sets and I did 10,12,8,8 and 23
I then did a session of sit ups or crunches five sets included 15,18,10,10 and 20
Now I have got to wait and see if there is any reaction and I how I feel tomorrow morning
I ran the 2.5 miles in 21.18 though it was entirely pain free as I could my heel. So 2.5 was as far as I dared run in case I do any more damage. As i write this I am not limping but I can feel my heel and I probably did a little too much too soon.
When I returned from the run with my exercise craving unsatisfied I started Day 2 week 1 of training on my push ups my session included 5 sets and I did 10,12,8,8 and 23
I then did a session of sit ups or crunches five sets included 15,18,10,10 and 20
Now I have got to wait and see if there is any reaction and I how I feel tomorrow morning
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Attempting a running comeback
My running has come to pretty much a complete halt. The dreaded plantar fasciitis has struck and I don't how long it will take for me to recover from this.
I attempted a run last Sunday and it went fairly well for four miles and then a mile from home I came to a halt as the pain in my left foot returned with a vengence. The pain is around the heel and middle of the sole of the foot. I decided to run on and I did finish my 5 miles in 43.47 . However shortly afterwards I was crippled and I limped for the next 2 days unable to put my full weight on the foot without pain.
After this experience you become very wary of running in case the same happens again. It is difficult to know when to try and run again as after another week of not running I can still feel my foot and clearly there is still some inflamation and tenderness.
This is very frustrating after running throughout one of the worst winters for years and we get to Spring I want to be out running and enjoying probably the best time of the year to run. But I can't!
This morning I decided just to do a mile and see what happens. I added an extra insole to my left shoe to provide a little more shock absorbtion. It was good to get out and run but all I am thinking about is my left foot, waiting to see if the pain gets worse. A mile was enough I can still feel to much pain. I will just have to wait and see what happens afterwards and whether I get a bad reaction leading to me limping again.
What to do If I am not running?! Well after sulking and becoming a hermit from running not looking at my blog or any sites for a week or two I have decided I have gotter snap out of it and at least try and do some all round exercises.
I have restarted from scratch the 100 push ups programme. The week 1 option included five sets of 20, 12,10,7, and 7 push ups with a minute rest between.
After this not feeling that I had done a lot of exercise I took a look at the 200 sit ups logger. I have never really got on with this exercise before and looking at the video of how to perform these I have always done these wrong. I always used to return my shoulders to the floor after each sit up and would strain from my shoulders and head to sit up. Instead from the videos I have seen good form sit ups or crunches mean you start with your shoulders raised from the ground. The sit up or crunch is actually a much smaller movement than I had previously been attempting no wonder I had struggled with them previously.
Once I was happy with how to perform a sit up I did an initial test and I managed 40. Following the sit up logger this determines the level of the programme that you follow over the next few weeks.
I then had a go at massaging my foot as demonstrated in the video below
Massage Physical Therapy Techniques for Plantar Fasciitis -- powered by eHow.com
I am hoping there is not too much of a reaction to my short run today and that I can try to run again shortly in the next few days
I attempted a run last Sunday and it went fairly well for four miles and then a mile from home I came to a halt as the pain in my left foot returned with a vengence. The pain is around the heel and middle of the sole of the foot. I decided to run on and I did finish my 5 miles in 43.47 . However shortly afterwards I was crippled and I limped for the next 2 days unable to put my full weight on the foot without pain.
After this experience you become very wary of running in case the same happens again. It is difficult to know when to try and run again as after another week of not running I can still feel my foot and clearly there is still some inflamation and tenderness.
This is very frustrating after running throughout one of the worst winters for years and we get to Spring I want to be out running and enjoying probably the best time of the year to run. But I can't!
This morning I decided just to do a mile and see what happens. I added an extra insole to my left shoe to provide a little more shock absorbtion. It was good to get out and run but all I am thinking about is my left foot, waiting to see if the pain gets worse. A mile was enough I can still feel to much pain. I will just have to wait and see what happens afterwards and whether I get a bad reaction leading to me limping again.
What to do If I am not running?! Well after sulking and becoming a hermit from running not looking at my blog or any sites for a week or two I have decided I have gotter snap out of it and at least try and do some all round exercises.
I have restarted from scratch the 100 push ups programme. The week 1 option included five sets of 20, 12,10,7, and 7 push ups with a minute rest between.
After this not feeling that I had done a lot of exercise I took a look at the 200 sit ups logger. I have never really got on with this exercise before and looking at the video of how to perform these I have always done these wrong. I always used to return my shoulders to the floor after each sit up and would strain from my shoulders and head to sit up. Instead from the videos I have seen good form sit ups or crunches mean you start with your shoulders raised from the ground. The sit up or crunch is actually a much smaller movement than I had previously been attempting no wonder I had struggled with them previously.Once I was happy with how to perform a sit up I did an initial test and I managed 40. Following the sit up logger this determines the level of the programme that you follow over the next few weeks.
I then had a go at massaging my foot as demonstrated in the video below
Massage Physical Therapy Techniques for Plantar Fasciitis -- powered by eHow.com
I am hoping there is not too much of a reaction to my short run today and that I can try to run again shortly in the next few days
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Running in Suffolk
