A cross country run at Hartest Suffolk

Hartest

 To recap for anyone not aware Janathon is a free event in which you aim to run, cycle swim or walk and then blog about it everyday in January. Signing up at the Janathon site is easy completing a Janathon is a little harder. However today I did just that to complete a running streak of 31 days which is a personal record which I won;t be extending as I am having a rest day tomorrow.

pathway to Somerton

To finish Janathon I wanted to do something slightly different and I chose a cross country route at Hartest in Suffolk. Hartest is a village in what is known as "High Suffolk" because it is quite different from the flatter heaths, forests and fens in a large part of the county.

Two chairs in the middle of nowhere

I parked my car behind the Hartest Institute and set off up the Somerton Road. At the top of the hill there was a track which is known as Smithbrook Lane which I took downhill to a stream. The pathway was thick with mud and I did well to keep my shoes on my feet. From here I was running through fields or on the edge and either running up or down hill.  I was breathing hard but was making regularly stops to check on my map as there were often several choices of direction to follow. 

Hartest

As I approached a house called Manor Farm I noticed a dog hanging about at the entrance. My path took me straight past the entrance of the farm and I thought if I slowed down I might get past the dog without it worrying about me. Wrong! There was no chance as I climbed the hill towards the farm it spotted me and started to belt down the hill. I don't know what type of dog it was but it looked as if it wasn't at all friendly so I reluctantly did a u - turn. The dog gave up the chase and I gave it a couple of minutes before trying again this time aiming to walk past but same result and again another chase the dog thankfully giving up at some invisible boundary to its territory. 

Hartest

Of course the dog was only doing what it was supposed to do and protect its home but it was frustrating. All to often dogs which are not controlled by their owners present a problem to runners. Do you carry on past the dog and hope for the best or get bitten like Paula Radcliffe did this month on a training run in Monaco.  I tend to take the avoidance route.

With my plan out of the window there was nothing else for it but to concede defeat and do a u turn back to Hartest. So a bit of a sorry end to Janathon as I didn't complete my intended longer run out to Somerton. It was more of an out and back run for a total of 4 miles of stop start running.

With my run complete my stats for Janathon are

31 runs , 134 miles

Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles
Day 19 - 4 miles
Day 20 - 3 miles
Day 21 - 4.3 miles
Day 22 - 5 miles
Day 23 - 4.21 miles
Day 24 - 3.3 miles
Day 25 - 1 mile
Day 26 - 7.5 miles
Day 27 - 4 miles
Day 28 - 5 miles
Day 29 - 6 miles
Day 30 - 4.26 miles
Day 31 - 4 miles

Total 134 miles

Time spent running 20.3 hours.

Would I do Janathon again?

Yes it is a great way to start a new year with a clear goal and I lost a couple of kilos in weight. I will decide nearer the time but may well give Juneathon the sister event another go. I failed to complete it last year due to injury. It will be interesting to compare the two and decide which is the hardest. It has also been good though time consuming to record a blog post for every run. Best of all was visiting other runners blogs and seeing how they were doing with Janathon. I will certainly continue to follow those who made contact with me.

Whats next after Janathon?

A rest on Feb the 1st and a couple of white Russians to celebrate. As for running events I have nothing planned or booked at the moment. I will plan my training tomorrow for the next couple of months probably based on running 5 days a week with 2 rest days.

What did I talk about during January in my daily blogs ?

Running gives you time to think and subjects are often diverse. I talked about The United States Streak Association, Greene King Brewery, Bury St Edmunds, Ramblings with Clare Baldwin,Ouida,Pentland Hills,Jeff Bridges, White Russians,The Big Lebowski,Christmas Trees,Phedippidations, Frodo, Are Runners Respected , lower back stretching, The Suffolk Regiment, Slade, Inovite Shoes, Ickworth Park, Marathon Talk, Mt Kilimanjaro, Toby Tanser, Mombasa, Running from the Reaper, Sacking of Roy Keane at Ipswich Town, Fornham,Squirrels, Blackbirds,Cineworld, The Next Three Days , Russell CroweTonbridge Angels, kitchen gardens , Sir John Hervey, River Linnett, cross country, Energy foods for running, The Kings Speech, Tokyo Police Club, Jantastic, chickens, Rolf Harris, Running to Music, Audiofuel, YouTube, 127 hours,Buried, plantar fasciitis, The Green Hornet,flooding, Innocence Project, The Green Mile, Sam Rockwell,Hilary Swank,Conviction, 4 feet running, vinyl records, Ron Hill, hill running, IPOD, running with glasses, Neovite, Colostrum,Nathan Lowell, Podiobooks, The Morning Parade, Sicklesmere, interval runs and Hartest to name a few.

Well done to everyone who took part in Janathon, award yourself a medal, put your feet up for a day and don;t forget to celebrate with a White Russian.

Day 30 of Janathon

 The penultimate day of Janathon 2011. I ran slowly today but did another 4 and a bit miles. I am going to complete the event which is a nice feeling but with time short this is a short post


Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles
Day 19 - 4 miles
Day 20 - 3 miles
Day 21 - 4.3 miles
Day 22 - 5 miles
Day 23 - 4.21 miles
Day 24 - 3.3 miles
Day 25 - 1 mile
Day 26 - 7.5 miles
Day 27 - 4 miles
Day 28 - 5 miles
Day 29 - 6 miles
Day 30 - 4.26 miles

Total 130 miles

Six Mile Interval Run for Day 29 of Janathon 2011

Day 29 of Janathon and with the end in site  I decided to do an interval session alternating faster and slower miles in to a six mile run. I did fairly OK for 2 of the 3 faster miles but slowed on the last one as some how all of my faster interval miles seemed to coincide with hills.

My mile splits were 8.46,8.27,8.57,8.33,8.52,9.12. for a 52.50 for the 6 mile route out to Fornham All Saints.

The month of January seems to have flown past and it has been good to have been part of the Janathon event. Hopefully I will able to take part in Juneathon this year and then have a chance to compare the two. Which is harder I wonder? January with its extra day in the month and colder wintry weather or June one day less but potentially hot and humid weather.

Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles
Day 19 - 4 miles
Day 20 - 3 miles
Day 21 - 4.3 miles
Day 22 - 5 miles
Day 23 - 4.21 miles
Day 24 - 3.3 miles
Day 25 - 1 mile
Day 26 - 7.5 miles
Day 27 - 4 miles
Day 28 - 5 miles
Day 29 - 6 miles

Total 125 miles

A five mile run on Day 28 of Janthon 2011

 Nippy this morning but there was a job to be done and that was to run for the 28th day in a row. Fortunately I am not feeling any aches or pains and with just a long week end to go I am not finding it is a problem to get out the door and run.

Running everyday and then blogging about it gives you a purpose , a reason to get out of bed and be  motivated and to see just what your body can stand up to. Its not a bad habit to have and I can certainly think of far worse habits . However on February 1st I don't think I will run, instead I will have my first rest day of the year. Part of me thinks well why not just carry on and extend the running streak beyond 31 days. However a better training programme that isn't a total obsession does allow for rest days to rest the body and mind.




My 5 mile run today was enjoyable and I am running a little quicker than at the beginning of the month.

Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles
Day 19 - 4 miles
Day 20 - 3 miles
Day 21 - 4.3 miles
Day 22 - 5 miles
Day 23 - 4.21 miles
Day 24 - 3.3 miles
Day 25 - 1 mile
Day 26 - 7.5 miles
Day 27 - 4 miles
Day 28 - 5 miles

Total 119 miles

Janathon Day 27 - A four Mile Run

 For some reason day 27 of Janathon produced my fastest run this year. I didn't set out to do a speed or interval session but felt pretty good despite the cold edge to the weather which lead me to wear gloves and a jacket over a thermal top.

I ran my 4 miles in 34.37 for an 8.39 pace which I am happy with in comparison to most of my training which has hovered around the 9 min mile mark. Looking at my diary I am still 2 minutes down on a year ago when I would regularly do a 4 mile training run in around 32 minutes. Since having both sciatica and then plantar fascitiis last year  I have never felt able to reproduce this level of performance and I have come to conclude that I just might be able to again.

The 4 miles gave me a Janathon running total of 114 miles which puts me around 20th in the table if you count just the running. I am 260 miles behind the leader so I might not catch up!

I have got into the habit of taking the Neovite after each run and got more used to the taste which is quite refreshing.

 Just 4 days left and I am already beginning to get withdrawal symptoms. What am I going to do instead? I need to find a new challenge any Janathoners have any plans? Still haven't decided what to do on Monday the final day of Janathon. Though I think it needs to be something different or special.


Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles
Day 19 - 4 miles
Day 20 - 3 miles
Day 21 - 4.3 miles
Day 22 - 5 miles
Day 23 - 4.21 miles
Day 24 - 3.3 miles
Day 25 - 1 mile
Day 26 - 7.5 miles
Day 27 - 4 miles

Total 114 miles

Janathon Day 26 and The Morning Parade

Sicklesmere

My running streak continued with a 7.5 mile run this morning on day 26 of Janathon. It was another overcast day and after yesterdays short run I felt suitably revived to do a longer run and decided on an out and back route to Sicklesmere.

Sicklesmere is really no more than a street you pass through on the road between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury. As soon as you venture of the main road in Sicklesmere you enter Lt Whelnethum or
Gt Whelnethum.Sicklesmere also has a pub named the Rushbrooke Arms although the village of Rushbrooke is a  mile or two away.

Running along the pathway besides the main A134 road can be noisy so it called for use of the headphones this morning to drown out the traffic noise.  Listened to one of my favourite new bands that I saw last year Morning Parade. About to tour in February in support of their second single  video below.

Morning Parade at Latitude Festival


 

I got my run done with no problems or aches and pains and with just 5 more runs I am beginning to think and hope I might just complete my first Janathon. I hope that is not tempting fate.














Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles
Day 19 - 4 miles
Day 20 - 3 miles
Day 21 - 4.3 miles
Day 22 - 5 miles
Day 23 - 4.21 miles
Day 24 - 3.3 miles
Day 25 - 1 mile
Day 26 - 7.5 miles

Total 110 miles

One Slow Janathon Mile and Podiobooks

Day 25 of Janathon and this morning with little time to spare I managed to fit in a mile between needing to visit the town centre in Bury St Edmunds and then drive over to Ipswich.

This is the lowest mileage I have done in a day in January and perhaps the wheels have finally come off as we enter the final straight of this Janathon event. I hope not. Tomorrow I am hoping for renewed energy and to do a longer run .

Thanks for your comments and interest yesterday in the Neovite product -  Midgie, Martyn, Lena and Ian I have never taken a food supplement  before and am open minded as to whether this will achieve any results. I would presume it would take a few weeks/months before I would expect to notice anything. From what I have read some claim a noticeable improvement in running performance with improved times, some just noticed a better resistance to colds and others were not sure if it achieved anything. Pity really that I am only now trying it as I need the pick me up right now in this final Janathon week.

I did reach and pass the 100 mile mark yesterday for miles run in January. Thanks for words of encouragement from Midgie,Martyn,Lena and Ian above and also There's a six pack under here, abradypus.

 Thanks to Eating trees for the advice on wearing glasses in the rain. I don't own a baseball cap but perhaps I need to get one. I can see the advantages in warm and wet weather. I will certainly give the washing up liquid trick a go before tomorrows run and feedback after a while.

Over the last few days while I have been running I have been listening to an audio book.  I really do recommend a site called Podiobooks.com. It is totally free to download audio books with the typical range of genre from Fiction,Fantasy,Historical Fiction,Mystery,Factual,Science Fiction to name but a few.  The blurb from their site states

"Why are authors making these versions available for free? Many authors do this to get exposure for their work, others do it in the hopes you'll buy a physical copy of their current or perhaps next work in development. Still others simply do it for the sheer joy of writing. And while it's not required, you have the option to donate money to the author of your choice."

You can click and listen to a book on your computer or click the Itunes button to subscribe for free to receive chapters of a book when they are released.

Listening to a book is good fun on a run and If I can recommend one author to you then it would be Nathan Lowell. The genre is science fiction and his stories of the golden age of the solar clipper are excellent.



 Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles
Day 19 - 4 miles
Day 20 - 3 miles
Day 21 - 4.3 miles
Day 22 - 5 miles
Day 23 - 4.21 miles
Day 24 - 3.3 miles
Day 25 - 1 mile

Total 103 miles

Neovite - Food for Health & Performance

Day 24 of Janathon and I am feeling physically quite tired now. After 24 days of continuous running, today was one of those runs when I had no problem getting out the door but I found myself going through the motions. My energy levels seem all used up and I ground to a halt after 3 and a bit miles.

So probably a good time to try a product which arrived in the post over the weekend called Neovite. As a runner with a blog I have been sent this product to review.

I have not heard of it before but it is said to be a food for health and performance. Neovite is in fact something called colostrum which is cow's milk collected in the first days after calving and is said to be an exceptional source of nutrition. Colostrum is rich in bio active protective agents , antibodies and repair factors. From what I can see the benefits listed on the web from taking colostrum include

:-Anti-Inflammatory,Allergy Relief,Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive disorders, Antioxidants, Anti-aging, Arthritis, Asthma, Athletic Performance, Autoimmune Diseases, Cancer, Detoxification, Diabetes, Heart Health, Pain Management,Skin Health and Wound Healing

Pretty impressive if it can do even 1-2 of those listed. I can't see there are any side effects unless you have a diary intolerance .

After to days run I opened a rather large 300g sachet  of the protein powder and added a table spoon to a half point of water and gave it a good stir. I drank it and it has to be said it is rather tasteless. If anything the closest taste would be drinking powdered milk which is of course what it is. Not unpleasant but obviously comes as a neutral flavour so you can add the product to other foods such as mixing with yogurt or porridge .

I don't know how long you are supposed to take Neovite before you notice any effect but if it helps as it suggests to neutralise toxins and destroy bacteria and viruses, repair cells and help you recovery from injury and effort then as I say this has got to be ideal after 24 days of running.

I will continue to take the recommended dessertspoon full once a day and see how it goes and report back if I notice anything though I imagine it might take a few weeks and hopefully will just help me to avoid a cold whilst my energy levels are quite low at the end of Janathon.

From what I can see a 300g sachet of Neovite would set you back around £20-25. 

A Successful Week of Running

 The end of another weeks running and my running diary shows 7 days of running for a total of 32.5 miles. I got in a short interval session and a hill session and most importantly I recorded runs for everyday and so I am still on course to complete Janathon and run every day in January.

There are just 8 days to go now and barring an injury or illness I hope to be crossing the finish line on January 31st. If I am lucky enough to get that far I will have to think what kind of running session I will do next Monday week. Anyone else thinking about how to sign off Janathon in style?

Today I ran an easy paced 4 and a bit miles. It was grey but milder than yesterday as I didn't need any gloves and hat. Good to see so many runners out and about in Bury St Edmunds.

Tomorrow I should pass the 100 mile mark for my running in January. I realise that this is low compared to many and more than some but the main target for me has always been just to try and complete Janathon.

Next week I would like to run at least 32 miles and ideally 34. However it is set to be a busy week with a lot of commitments so it is going to be tough on some days to get the runs in. By hook or by crook I will do it though! Good luck to everyone who has got this far and for the remainder of January


Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles
Day 19 - 4 miles
Day 20 - 3 miles
Day 21 - 4.3 miles
Day 22 - 5 miles
Day 23 - 4.21 miles

Total 98.5 miles

Running in the Rain with Glasses

St Johns Bury St Edmunds

 Day 22 of Janathon and this morning as I stepped out doors for my run I was enveloped in a sea of dampness. It was one of those penetrating damp mornings that called for a second layer over my thermal top and  I wore a windproof jacket. I popped a hat and some gloves on strapped my IPOD on to my arm and I was away.

It soon began to lightly rain as I set out out on a 5 miler around Bury St Edmunds. I don't mind running in the rain. For me it is preferable to windy, icy or hot conditions. The only downside for me is that I wear glasses. As the rain became steady and I warmed up my glasses  fogged up and were wet. Your vision is then rather limited and occasionally as I run I have to try and find something to dry the lenses on even if it just gives 2-3 minutes of clear vision before they become smeary again. At some points I give up and run holding my glasses as I can see more. There isn't really a worry about tripping and falling over with smeary glasses its just that you can't see as well and take in your surroundings so you are almost running blind.

Something I have never tried,  but thought of whilst getting wet this morning was those demister products you can get for wearers of glasses playing sport. I don't know if they work or are just a gimmick and I am not sure exactly where you would buy them from. A quick look on the Internet suggested a motorbike shop . Anyone tried a demister product for their glasses and do they work?

I completed my run as the rain became more heavy carrying my glasses as I reached home. I ran my last mile a bit faster as there was an added motivation to get home in the dry. But as I say I don't mind a run in the rain and somehow the shower always feels a bit better as I kind of reward.

I am hoping to reach 100 miles of running probably on Monday all being well. Keep on running Janathoners.


Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles
Day 19 - 4 miles
Day 20 - 3 miles
Day 21 - 4.3 miles
Day 22 - 5 miles

Total 94.3 miles

Running up Hills and Vinyl Records Return

 Day 21 of Janathon and the madness continues. I ran again today as I have for the last 3 weeks in a row. I am trying to do 2 quality sessions a week by which I mean either a long run, an interval or speed work session or hills.  Wednesday I did some intervals and today rather on the spur of the moment I decided to do some hill repeats.

One of the hills I run up is called Beeton's Way in Bury St Edmunds. It provides me with a minute of running up hill followed by a recovery jog back to the bottom of the hill. Today I did just the 5 hill climb repeats but it provided some variety to the training and when you run every day you need this.

A change is as good as  a rest. The hill was fairly busy with young students heading off to the Upper Schools along Beeton's Way. I have got to know every step of this hill, where the lamp posts are and where there is a dip or crack in the pavement.

Colder this morning and I chose to wear gloves,hat and my Ron Hill tracksters. However it was a little brighter and not so grey and cloudy which I prefer. My total miles for this (from Monday to Sunday) week so far 23.3 miles. I am aiming for 32 miles.

Reward for completing the run was a listen to some vinyl records. I never got rid of my collection of vinyl records mostly dating from the late 1970's and early 80's though they have sat gathering dust in a shed for many years and it almost got to the point of considering getting rid of them. After all I haven't had a turntable to play records on for many years and of course armed with an IPOD you can have 1000's of tracks on a tiny lightweight player. Tape Cassettes for listening to music have really bitten the dust but let me know if you still listen to tapes C30- C60 -C90! Compact Discs are fast going the same way and although I have a big collection of these it is rare I buy these now. When you can download or stream music from your PC there is much less need for a CD.

The same is true of vinyl of course but the difference for me has always been the product. With a vinyl record you often get a little bit of history detailed in the sleeve notes and sometimes on the record grooves. Flicking through vinyl records is more fun and easier then looking at Cd's in boxes. Then of course you get the different sized records 7inch , 12inch and also a few 10 inch different colour vinyl and different speeds 33, 45 and 78 rpm.

The ritual of removing a vinyl record from its sleeve and loading it on a turntable may be alien to most people born after 1990. Its much slower and less instant  and you are drawn to the revolving disc as the stylus glides across the grooves of your vinyl sometimes with a crackle.

Like books, vinyl records have a smell of their own. Smells and sounds of vinyl invoke memories which you obviously do not get when you download a track from the Internet.

As more and more people turf out there records I am hoping to have fun picking up all sorts of music at bargain prices from car boots sales this year.

Reason for all this talk of records is because we got ourselves a late 1960's record player at Christmas. It has meant all of the vinyl has been rescued from the shed and we are now able once again to listen to records.

Anyone guess what album this is from the photos above ! That's difficult but have a guess


Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles
Day 19 - 4 miles
Day 20 - 3 miles
Day 21 - 4.3 miles

Total 89.3 miles

Janathon Day 20 - 2011

 One of those more tiring days where I didn't manage to get out and do the run early and consequently felt tired. This was clearly a mental block rather than a physical one as  I  did the 3 miles at a quicker pace than I have ran for 10 days.  Odd really as I felt really washed out and it was more of an effort to get out the door and I didn't feel I was running any quicker.

 Anyway mission complete for day 20 of Janathon and out it down to one of those days. Listened to 4 feet running podcast as I ran. This used to be a regularly podcast that I listened to whilst running but they retired from putting out any new episodes a year or so ago. However they have just issued a couple of special episodes and it was good to catch up on what they have been up to in the meantime.

Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles
Day 19 - 4 miles
Day 20 - 3 miles

Total 85 miles

Running Streak Extended to 19 days

 I have never run 19 days in a row before but today this was achieved with a 4 miler. I decided half way through to include some intervals. I ran at a faster mile pace for 5 x 1 minute bursts with 2 minute recovery in between. 

Enjoyable doing this type of training session as you have a clear focus on running your intervals and as a result the time passes really quickly.  The weather was dry but cool and fairly bright so really ideal for running. There was a slight frost but nothing slippery.

My body seems to be holding up so far and I don't have any aches and pains or signs of injury at the moment. If this continues and I can avoid the colds then perhaps I can complete another 12 days of continuous running and complete my first ever Janathon.

Over at Cineworld , Sarah and I saw another film called Conviction starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell.  Sam Rockwell is well remembered for playing a murderer in The Green Mile.
This film is based on a true storey of an unemployed single mother who spends  a life time working to free her wrongfully convicted brother some times to the detriment of her family. She attends law school and graduates as a lawyer in an effort to free her brother  Quite a feel good film , though might not be every ones cup of tea. Stand out points are the brother and sister friendship and strong bond to overcome anything. Also the focus on the  Innocence Project which indicated that the use of DNA matching had freed over 250 innocent people from prison in the United States since 1989. Good performances from both Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell and I personally liked it and thought it was worth seeing though won't particularly live in the memory for too long. A 7 out of 10


Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles
Day 19 - 4 miles

Total 82 miles

Another Six Mile Run on Janathon Tuesday 18th January 2011

 I enjoyed today's run far more than yesterdays. I did the same distance 6 miles but whereas yesterday was a trial and I wanted to stop today I felt I could run even further. Why should that be? I have no idea,the weather today was cooler and bright and I did manage to get my run in a little early than yesterday so that would be a part of it.  Time seemed to fly by and I didn't look at my Garmin until 45 minutes and 5 miles had passed by.

I only meant to do 4 today so I am up on my weekly target of 32 miles  with just 20 miles to do over the next 5. I have a busy few days so having the miles in the bag should pay off as I do some shorter runs starting tomorrow.

 Thanks Maggie, Lena (fellow Librian) ,Ian, Martyn,Stan,Shaz,and Kenley for stopping by and commenting on my blog over the last couple of days. Its always good to hear from fellow runners. Regardless of whether I do manage to complete the Janathon event and succeed in running every day in January it is this contact and the  sharing of  thoughts and progress that makes it all worthwhile and feel like a community. Keep on running.

Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles

Total 78 miles

Week 3 of Janathon & The Green Hornet

Horsecroft Road

 A six miler today. Not bad but I had intended to run a 9 but due to the heavy rain I didn't get out until 2pm. Some how the odd time, as I normally run mornings or evenings left me feeling a bit flat in my running. So I called it quits after 6 miles as I was progressively slowing down in my mile times.

There was also the problem of the flooded road which I suppose I could have waded through but I would have got wet feet and knowing my luck a car would have come at the same time if I had tried.  I was planning an out and back but instead ran into the centre of Bury St Edmunds and along by the River Lark. This was muddy and sticky and the water levels were high.

River Lark

I will now look to do a long run towards the end of the week. As it is, 6 miles is more than my average run. I am hoping during this 3rd week of January to do 32 miles after my 30 last week and 26 before. I am hoping a steady progression will help improve my running. At the moment when I get beyond 4 miles or so I begin to slow and run out of puff basically. Not sure why or how to correct it but hoping that it will improve by running longer distances more often.

At Cineworld we went to see The Green Hornet. We had hoped to see the film in 2D unfortunately it was only available as a 3D film. What a pain 3D is! Apart from Avatar I haven't seen another film that I thought was worth the effort of donning the glasses. I just don't get 3D I really think it is just a ploy to charge more on the ticket price. There was no point to 3D with the Green Hornet film it added nothing.

I like the comic book hero type films such as Iron Man , Spiderman, Kick Ass, Scott Pilgrim v The World , Fantastic Four but Green Hornet was a disappointment. The side kick Kato is fine but The Green Hornet is a dufus and I realise that it is meant to be this way as this is a comedy. But he is such a meat head all of the time. The cars designed by Kato are great but the film is lengthy and there are not many laughs. A 5 out of 10 for me not helped by the awful 3D.

Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles

Total 72 miles

Over half way on a Janathon Journey

Norman Tower Bury St Edmunds

 I enjoy a run around the town centre of Bury St Edmunds especially on a Sunday morning when there is little traffic.  It feels as if you have the town to yourself whilst most people are still in bed.

It is great to get the daily Janathon run in early in the day and not have it hanging in the back of your mind knowing that at some point you have to fit it in . It becomes a chore then rather than an enjoyment.

This morning was warm and spring like and I didn't need any tracksters leggings so just shorts and a long sleeved shirt.

After 16 days of running I am averaging around 4 miles a day. Just 15 days to go and whilst the end isn't in site we have passed a landmark in our journey and having come this far I am determined to complete the event as long as I remain injury free and don't have an illness.


Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles

Total 66 miles

Janathon Run Day 15 - 2011

 I was a zombie this morning , my run was slow as I had a stiff lower back. I only intended to run 3 miles this morning and I duly knocked it out as planned. It puts me up to 26 miles which is what I ran last week and I have tomorrows run to come. the plan is to do a 4 miler so I have a round 30 miles for the week.  I haven't run 30 miles in a week since last April prior to my plantar fasciitis injury.

If I avoid injury and sickness I hope to repeat this level of mileage next week and perhaps do a couple more miles so aiming for 32 miles next week.

Paid another visit to Cineworld this week to see 127 hours. This is a Danny Boyle directed film based on a true storey of a climber who becomes trapped in a remote desert region in Utah. Some parallels to last years film Buried but I enjoyed 127 hours far more probably because of the scenery and the ending. There are some scenes in 127 hours which are uncomfortable to look at and I found myself half looking and gritting my teeth!  I would give it a 7 out of 10

Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles

Total 62 miles

Running to Music

Another ticking over kind of run today. Having got in a long run on Wednesday and done some faster intervals on Monday the rest of the week will see me just ticking over with 3 or 4 miles each day to bump up my weekly mileage to 30.

Today was very mild but there was also a blowy wind and light drizzle. No aches or pains and I got the job done in 36 minutes.

If you listen to music while you run what do you listen to ? There is a good case for running without any headphones and listening to your surroundings but I also enjoy listening to podcasts and music on a run. Much research points to an improvement in your running performance when you run to music check out Audiofuel and run to the rhythm.

Songs for Runners

A miscellaneous top ten of songs with the word run in the title, some you will know but perhaps not all? Click on the link to see a video in youtube . What would you choose?  how about doing the same on your blog and posting a top ten on a future post.

1 Roadrunner Jonathon Richman
2 Runaway Del Shannon
3 Run Snow Patrol
4 Where you Goona Run Peter Tosh
5 Nowhere to Run Martha & The Vandellas
6 Run New Order
7 Running on the Spot The Jam
8 Let him Run Wild Beach Boys
9 Walk Don't Run The Ventures
10 Keep on Running Spencer Davis Group


Songs for an Interval running session 

Warm up song  - Mott the Hoople All the Young Dudes
Jogging Song  -Snow Patrol Run
Sprinting Song - The Ramones Blitzkreig Bop
Cool Down Song - Peter Tosh Downpressor Man
Relaxation Song - Darwin Deez Constellations
Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles

Total 55 miles

Keep on Running

 The 13th of January 2011 and for the 13th day in a row I went for a run. I have to say I am not finding it a mentally difficult challenge at the moment. I did more so during the first week when it felt really daunting but now everyday I am breaking new ground as I have never run 13 days in a row before. There is still a long way to go and I realise I have to avoid injury and sickness to succeed. After yesterdays long run I had a slightly tight left hamstring and anyone who saw me take my first steps this morning might have thought I was Jake the Peg but this soon improved.


My plan today was to do a short 3 miler as a recovery run taking it very easy. The weather was good and mild and there was no need for gloves and hat today. There was a strong breeze but it was blowing warmish winds so it was a very comfortable run to complete.

Last night I had pasta with a chick pea and lentil sauce for plenty of energy and porridge this morning. As Highwaykind mentioned in response to my post on energy foods on Tuesday I am drinking lots more tea than usual. Throughout the day I am knocking back far more water as well.

The left over pasta went to our grateful chickens. In fact the chickens started the morning with a breakfast of pasta, porridge and some lemon cake. This is the great thing about having chickens nothing goes to waste and any left over foods head their way. In return throughout the year we are provided with a great supply of eggs.



Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles

Total 55 miles

Tokyo Police Club & The Kings Speech - thoughts during a long run

Day 12 of Janathon and the quest to run every day during January. So far so good and I think from reading other blogs that most of the Janathon partcipants are still going strong during week 2.

I am conscious that in the quest to run every day that this can lead to a tendency to just run junk miles IE just doing a few steady miles each day. In itself this is good and will if nothing else build up a good level of stamina and base mileage. However I still want to try and do a couple of quality sessions per week if I can. By this I mean either a long run, an interval pace session or hill training. I think the variety to my training will help me to get through the month hopefully.

Moreton Hall

So today I decided on a long run. My longest last week was 7 so I set out aiming to do just a little more and run 8 miles. The weather has turned really mild but wet and it rained persistently all day. I timed my run to try and avoid the worst of it and there was only a light run when I ran.
I ran well for the first 5 miles but after this I began to slow and negative thoughts about cutting the run short started. However I over came this listening to an episode of Marathon Talk talking about new years resolutions and an event they have set up called Jantastic. This is not the same as Janathon as the rules are different.

Towards the end to keep me going I needed some music and I listened to Tokyo Police Club and my album of the year Champ


 Run completed in 1hr 13mins . 30 seconds so not the quickest of times but pleased to do my longest run of the year.

The previous night we went to Cineworld to see the King's Speech. In my view this is a must see film. It makes a nice change to watch a film that is totally believable and this is achieved obviously because it is based on real history but also because of good acting. So many films are an escapism  and you do have to ride with the film knowing that scenes and events are totally unbelievable.

The film is set in the 1930's when Edward VIII threatens to abdicate from the British throne, his younger brother Bertie played by Colin Firth knows he must overcome his humiliating stammer in order to deliver important war time speeches and rule the country.
Bertie's wife  Elizabeth played by Helena Bonham Carter enlists the services of an Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue played by Geoffrey Rush. This is the main theme of the film the relationship between Bertie and Lionel and it is full of humour.

The cinema was three quarters full and the demographics were markedly an elderly audience. I believe there was only one teenager and there were many walking sticks in use.

I give this film a 9 out of 10

Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles


Total 52 miles

Ten Energy Foods for Running Janathon

Canal Lake at Ickworth Park

This mornings run was a four miler along by the bank of the River Linnett in Bury St Edmunds. As to be expected it was muddy in places but it provided a nice soft surface to run on as a change from hitting the pavements which may just help me to avoid injury and get through Janathon.

Those Janathoners who have kept their running streak going to today the 11th of January have crossed another psychological milestone in that we are now over a 3rd of the way through the event.  If you are like me you are probably drinking more liquid on a regular basis. I am knocking back pints of blackcurrant drink to rehydrate through the day and night along with the occasional White Russian as a reward (see my post of the 2nd January).

What about foods? Today I thought about how I perhaps could help myself get through the rest of Janathon with an energy boost from what I eat. A scout about the Internet suggested a number of different  foods. The following 10 energy foods for runners would be my choice as a non meat eater.

1. Pasta

Everyone knows it. Pasta has long been cited as one of the ideal foods for runners
Pasta provides slow release energy and makes an excellent runner’s refuelling package.

2. Bananas

Again no surprises here. Bananas are said to be the healthy equivalent of fast food and therefore great for refuelling after training.Bananas contain loads of potassium, which regulates blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke. If you don't like bananas then be sure to keep up your fruit intake with some oranges, strawberries or fruit of your choice.

3. Porridge

 My absolute favourite cereal providing protein, fibre and slow-release energy. This is good prior to or after training and I like to add a little honey or home made jam.

4. Rice

Rice is another great food providing slow release energy and makes an excellent runner’s refuelling package. Best to boil or steam rather than fry to avoid adding calories.

5. Peanut Butter or Honey on toast

As a  morning runner I tend not to eat before I hit the road. But if I am running a longer distance it can be tough to run on an empty stomach. You will often experience a lull in your energy levels during your training run as your your energy levels are low. I can run without upsetting my stomach if I have 1 piece of peanut butter or honey on toast. This helps you to get through the run without sagging towards the end due to the carbs and protein.

6. Low Fat Yogurt

Yogurt has protein and calcium which are  important for building muscle and recovering from tough workouts and building bone density.

7. Broccoli

Broccoli contains vitamin C, potassium and  fibre .Broccoli's high potassium level helps prevent muscle contraction. A plentiful supply of vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, asparagus, and  lettuce will all help the runner to get their fibre

8. Baked Potatoes

Another great energy booster combine with tuna for some added low fat protein

9. Fish

Choose your preference of fish - Salmon is particularly good containing omega-3 fats, which contribute to healthy cell membranes and are associated with reduced risk of heart disease.

10. Beans

Cooked dry beans such as lentils and split peas are full of protein and fibre and accompany a rice and curry dish well. For a quick and easy meal after a run baked beans are a cheap source of protein.

Hope your running continues to go well.

Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles


Total 44 miles

Running everyday has become a habit

Ickworth Rotunda House

Ten days into January and I along with many Janathoners are continuing to exercise every day. The weather although generally cloudy, grey and cool  with temps hovering around 3-4C or 37 to 40F has been favourable compared to December's snow.

Decided today to inject a little more pace and do an interval session. This consisted of 10 x 30 seconds faster intervals with a 1.30 second recovery in between so nothing too tough.

Chilly Start

I ran my 4 miles in 35 minutes which was my quickest this year so the lighter mileage of the last 2 days certainly helped. I am hoping legs willing to run close to 30 miles this week. My total last week was 26 miles.

Ipswich Harriers

Yesterday after my run in the morning I went out to Ickworth Park to watch the Suffolk Cross Country Championships. There was a succession of races over several hours for different age groups. Whilst we were there we saw many of the junior races and walked the course which was a tough one with a short sharp hill near the Canal Lake followed by a hilly drag up past St Marys Church to the finish. The ground was clumpy by that I mean not like a flat playing field this had grassy mounds and tussocks meaning unless you watched where you placed your feet you could easily turn an ankle. However the weather was pretty good for runners and spectators so it could have been even harder.

This post contains a few shots from Ickworth Park and the race.

It takes guts!

The course followed a route around the Canal Lake. Much work is underway to restore an early 18th century garden. Vineyards on the slopes are producing a small quantity of wine each year and many bee hives were introduced last year.

The Grade II walled kitchen garden is situated 500m south-west of Ickworth House
on the north bank of the River Linnet. It is enclosed on three sides and is open to The Canal on the south side. Within the kitchen garden lie a further two walled enclosures also open to the water, currently used as a vineyard. Sir John Hervey's three-bay, single-storey Summerhouse (also listed grade II) built in 1703 is situated in the centre of the main garden. It is constructed of red brick with moulded cornice and a parapet which hides a flat roof. The Summerhouse is said to have stood in the grounds of the old manor house and was retained as a feature within the kitchen garden

Downhill around walled garden

St Marys Church - vineyards beyond the lake on the rise

Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles


Total 40 miles

Janathon Day 9 - Just 2 miles

As suggested by thereisasixpackunderhere, maggiee and abradypus have kept my runs short this weekend. Just 2 miles today and to be honest not sure I felt as if I could do anymore as I am feeling tired today. Hopefully I will be refreshed for a longer run tomorrow.

This morning was frosty after a clear night. It wasn't slippery to run and it was good to have some blue skies I think for the first time in January perhaps.

 Yesterday afternoon went to a local football match between Bury Town and Tonbridge Angels. A couple of photos from this match

Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles


Total 36 miles

The Next Three Days and my Eighth Janathon Day

Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles


Total 34 miles

Today's run was a short 3.5 mile effort. I felt tired today perhaps the accumulation of running for the last 7 days or the 7 mile effort yesterday did it. Nevertheless I had no problem getting out the front door to keep my Janathon streak going, perhaps because I am entering uncharted waters. There is a sense of the unknown as I challenge my self mentally and physically to try and keep running every day during January.

I will have to look back on my running logs to see if I have run for 8 days in succession before but I think 6 is the most. From a positive frame of mind 8 days means we are now over a quarter of the way through our challenge or pessimistically we have nearly three quarters of the way to go!

I am not sure if I will make it to the end of the month that will depend upon health, remaining injury free and mentally  looking at all of the positives coming from Janathon.  There are plenty of positives the main one for me has been the getting to know other Janathoners. The on line running community grows stronger  every time we visit each others blogs to support each other with our training.  I have lost a little weight as a result of Janathon. Thirdly I feel I have started the year positively by doing Janathon. Without it there would have been many days when I would have given running a miss when it is cold , wet and windy.

Last night saw us pay a visit to Cineworld to see the Next Three Days starring Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks. A 7 out of 10 rating from me. Russell Crowe plays the part of a desperate husband who has 3 days to break his wife out of prison. The film keeps your attention and you don't know how the film is going to finish (although you can suspect and you would be right)  until the very end. You do have to suspend your belief in the likelihood of someone planning and achieving a prison breakout but it is a good action film.The cinema was half full for this showing.

On the seventh day I ran seven miles

Day 7 of Janathon was a wet one. Steady drizzle led me to delay running until mid day when the rain had ceased. I had decided yesterday and prepared mentally to run a longer distance today after successively shorter runs during Janathon. So the seventh day of Janathon called for 7 miles though I won't be carrying this on for the rest of the month and running 31 miles on the 31st Of January.

Physically I felt fine and I was happy with my mile splits up until 6 miles when I really slowed for the final mile 8.27,8.43,9.02,8.59,9.02,9.17 and 10.15. The last mile includes a couple of hills but even so I was gritting my teeth to keep going and complete. This just goes to show my level of fitness and stamina as I am currently not doing any long runs this 7 miler being the longest.

An hour on the road around the villages of Fornham in Suffolk gave me time to catch up on a few podcasts from Running from the Reaper. Unfortunately after 4 years of podcasting he has decided to hang up his microphone. As an Itunes subscriber to his podcast over several years I will miss his running updates from down by the canal. However with the amount of time involved in doing a podcast I can understand his reasoning but a big thank you to Nigel it kept me entertained on a many run. It is a pity there are only a few UK based running podcasts.

Keane at the beginning of his reign

Also on my mind today was the sporting news one of success and the other of failure. The good news was the success of the England cricket team in wrapping up the test series 3-1. The domination that Australia has had in world cricket for many years  has hit a blip whether that is temporary time will tell.  Until England meet India and South Africa it is hard to tell how good a team England have.

The other side of the coin was the announcement from Portman Road that Roy Keane had been sacked as manager of Ipswich Town. As a season ticket holder I have watched the last 2 seasons of  poor football under Keane and backed him all the way. However the final straw for me was the embarrassing defeat against Norwich which wasn't acceptable and from then on I have wanted Keane to leave.

There were very few highlights I could pick out of the reign of Keane but perhaps the most bizarre was the recent game against Leicester a 3-0 victory played on a snow field! For me his failure to appoint an assistant manger to help support him was his biggest mistake along with his transfer dealings, the worst being the sale of the talented Jordan Rhodes.  So a sorry day for Ipswich Town and our next 2 games couldn't be much harder Chelsea away and Arsenal at home.

So seven days of running Janathon and my totals are this

Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles


Total 30.52 miles


More good news today was when I jumped on the scales and found I have lost a kilo ( 2lbs) . The Christmas excess has been burned off that is the power of Janathon !

Running up Mt Kilimanjaro

Janathon totals to date are 

Janathon Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - Total 2.52 miles


Total 23.52 miles


Short of time today so my shortest run of Janathon so far was a 2.5 mile effort. In fact looking at my training I have consistently been reducing my mileage each day.

The good news was that it was my quickest run of Janathon so far perhaps because I was in a hurry . I am also injury free so Janathon is going very well.

I had a quick listen this morning to the Marathon Talk podcast I am a little bit behind on episode 47 which was released on December the 1st.  In this episode there was mention of Toby Tanser who has just run from Mombasa all the way to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.  Take a look at this wonderful video which is truly inspirational. Its quite a challenge for a great cause and he only had the  distance,heat, altitude, possibility of being attacked by wild animals and the climb up the largest free standing mountain in the world to worry about. I was drawn to it as I went on a combined holiday in Africa in 2000 where I climbed Kilimanjaro and was then flown back from Tanzania to Mombasa in Kenya on the coast .

Simply mind boggling to even contemplate running up Kilimanjaro let alone the warm up run from Mombasa to Moshi. If you don't know Tanser he is involved with the running shoes for Africa charity.

With this in mind I hope to do a bit more than 2.5 miles tomorrow!

Running in Mud can be like being in a Glam Rock Band

Little Horringer Farm

Mud, mud, glorious mud
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood
So follow me follow, down to the hollow
And there let me wallow in glorious mud

I fancied a run off road this morning to make a chance from beating the pavements. Close by to where I live there if a farmers field that I often run around as I head out to Ickworth Park near Bury St Edmunds. However I haven't run this route for several months as I was injured with plantar fasciitis. 

This morning was lovely and bright for the first time during Janathon although there was a strong gusty wind as well. I made my first mistake by not wearing my Inov 8 roclite shoes which are ideal for cross country having good treads for grip. Instead I was wearing my normal road shoes a pair of Brooks Glycerin 7's.

Inov 8 Roclite

The field I normally run had been recently ploughed and after the melt of the snow fall the ground could only be described as sticky.
I then noticed that the footpath around the field had gone. Yes the farmer in his enthusiasm had  also ploughed up the former footpath that has been there for many years. This meant double the work and the uphill section of the run was on recently ploughed field.

I only got a short way before the layers of mud on the bottom of my shoes gave me a time warp moment back to the early 1970's as I could have been running with wedged high heel shoes on or have been in a glam rock band such as Slade. When did Noddy Holder have to run across a field! Specially for all you Janathoners the aptly named My Mama we're all crazy now- well we will be after 31 days of running.

I slowed to a crawl but breathing hard made it to the top of the field and after running through large puddles I had some respite with a downhill section where the path still remains.  


Just 3 miles today the mud was lovely but it was hard work.


Janathon totals to date are 

Janathon Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Total 21 miles