Horsecroft Suffolk

I started the 2nd week of my Runners World SMART Coach schedule with an easy 6 mile run again at 9.20 mile pace. At lunch time when I ran it snowed persistantly for the whole hour that I was out on the run to the point where I was better off without my glasses.

The road I chose was probably not sensible. It was fine in being quite with little traffic but being a minor road the snow added to the previous layer and it made for a slippery but very enjoyable run.

My time for the 6 miles was 9.09, 9.44, 9.29, 8.48, 8.18 and 9.09. The times reflect the fact that I was generally running up hill on the way out and downhill on the way back. Mile 2 being the biggest hill climb and mile 5 being the reverse running down that same hill.

I also continued with my 100 push ups programme where I am on week 4 day 3 which consisted of 5 sets of 29, 33, 29, 29 and a final 40. My son Tom reclaimed  the world record in our house when he trotted out 60 in one go beating my record of 41 by a country mile!

Risby Suffolk

The end of my 1st week of the Runners World SMART coach schedule called for a long run of 10 miles at a 9.20 mile pace.

Where to run? With the current snowy conditions  I am happy to run 5 miles up and down the same piece of road or in a park but didn't fancy doing the same for a long run.

Luckily over night there ws no more snow and there had been something of a thaw. It being a Sunday morning and very little traffic I ventured out running on the minor roads to Risby in Suffolk. As can be seen from the photo the roads were partially clear. I was able to run around two thirds of the way on the roads and switched back to the snowy paths and pavements when traffic approached.

I ran out 5 miles to my turning point just beyond the Highwayman's Vineyard.  
This is now a bed and breakfast .

My time for the 10 miles was 1 hr 29 mins 06 seconds mile splits 8.52,8.53,9.18,8.39,8.51,9.04,9.11,8.51,9.00 and 8.27

My pace was fairly consistent throughout and I was able to complete week 1 for a total of 31 miles. For the last mile I put in some extra effort and I switched from the Phedippidations podcast ( Steve Runner talking about his ambition to run a marathon in under 4 hours) to the Lillingtons The Too Late Show which always gives me a boost to run a little quicker.

Having completed Week 1 of my schedule I recognise that on paper that this is the easiest week.  I am reasonably tired so I am going to have draw on reserves of energy. Another way to look at it is that Week 1 of a running schedule is one of the hardest because it is the first step out of the door which is the most mentally difficult especially in the current weather conditions.

You'll Never Walk Alone

Day 6 of my Runners World SMART Coach schedule was a repeat of yesterday another easy 5 mile run at 9.20 mile pace. I found today harder than yesterday  though partly as I was feeling a little tired but also because overnight we have had another 5 cm of snow.

  Running this morning required a higher lift of the legs to go forward because of the depth of the new snow.This morning as I ran it again snowed heavily for a while and visability became quite poor for a time.  Sledges which for many years have really been "white elephants" only coming out for the odd day in Suffolk are actually getting a proper use this year.

On the ipod this morning I listened to the 'A Mile with Me' podcast episode 35 which had a focus on Antarctica which was very apt. What was great to hear and was inspiring when I most needed it most was the Celtic fans singing You'll Never Walk Alone.

If you are not familar with it you can find out more about the history and tradition here , these are the words  - When you walk,through a storm hold your head, up high and don't be afraid, of the dark At the end,of the storm,is a golden sky and the sweet silver song,of lark. Walk on, through the wind walk on, ... Video below

My time today for the 5 miles was 45.44. Mile splits were 9.05,8.52,8.55,9.16 and 9.32.

Fitted in my 100 push ups programme where I have reached day 2 of week 4. Today I did 25,29,25,25 and 41. My 41 was enough for me to take the lead in the push up championship at home until my son Tom has a go when I am sure he will regain the title.

Also went to see Avatar today and wore the 3D glasses over my own glasses which was ok . Verdict good film well worth watching. It has already taken 1.2 billion dollars world wide and is set to overcome Titanic. Rather than being a very alien film the storey line is very much an every day occurence of nature versus profit. You don't need to go to Pandora as the storey is happening some where in the world all the time where tropical rainforests and native people are ousted by giant corporations or desperate locals wanting the land for farming. Although a lengthy film the time passed quickly and I would be happy to watch again  I give it an 8 out of 10

Run in the Abbey Gardens Bury St Edmunds Suffolk - January 8th 2010

This lunch time between snow showers and with a little blue sky I fitted in a five mile run. This is day 5 of my 11 week Runners World SMART Coach Schedule which called for an easy 5 mile run at a 9.20 pace per mile.

Most of my training last year apart from the interval track sessions was run at the one pace that being dependent on how I felt and what I could run which varied between 8 and 9 minute miles.

There was a lot of lying snow on the ground which has been regularly added to with snowy showers. A thaw isn't due until the middle of next week according to the Met Office weather forecast so it is a case of getting used to it and running the best you can in the snow.

I can certainly feel new muscles on my inner thighs that I didn't know I had as a result of running in the snow. I find you have to work a bit harder in snowy conditions to look where you are putting your feet and when the snow is shoe depth you can tend to slow. As a workout running in snow must be equivalant to running on sand providing resistance training.

Keeping warm hasn't been a problem as long as you layer up well with clothes. The one area that inevitably tends to get damp is the feet and this could be a problem over a longer run. Perhaps double up on the socks anyone else have any ideas on avoiding damp feet in the snow?

Choosing a route to run in the snow is difficult. On the one hand choosing to run in a built up area near traffic and people is safer than running a trail in the country. I largely prefer to do the later but realise that it is all to easy to have a trip or turn an ankle and this isn't something to do in below freezing conditions. The trouble with running near roads is the potential for drivers to lose control and spin off the road , you can also get a lovely wash of slush so I tend to run as far as I can on the inside of pavements.

A good compromise is to find a park or field to run around. Here you obviously avoid the traffic and there will be people around to watch your embarrasment if you take a tumble.

I got most of my run in the Abbey Gardens and avoided one or two snowballs. My speed was slow. The snow actualy helped in this respect as I ran the 5 miles at a 9.20 pace as required. My mile laptimes showed splits of 8.52, 9.23,9.30,9.39,9.14 making for a 46.38 time overall.

One other great preparation for running in the snow is to fuel the body with porridge oats! I did this morning . 
The right breakfast can keep your energy levels high for the rest of the day, says nutritionist Natalie Savona.

The author of the Kitchen Shrink says 'My favourite winter breakfast is a bowl of porridge. It's warm, satisfying, comforting and is a great source of B vitamins, which help convert food to energy in the body, and play a role in making serotonin, the feel-good chemical, in the brain.'

Breakfast may even keep you healthy. Scientists at Cardiff University have shown that breakfast eaters are less prone to winter ills than those that grab a coffee and run. I must admit I generally do the later due to lack of time!!

One Hundred Push Ups Programme

I have just started week 4 of the hundred push ups programme.

Today  I did my 5 sets training programme which included 21, 25, 21,21 and a final set of 35 making a total of 123. I allowed a 1-2 minue  rest in between sets.

My aim is to train through week 4 before I have another assault on the world record in our house which is currently held by my son Tom (who has now admitted to doing some secret  training and has recently achieved 56 ) with 40! My best is currently 36 so we are both likely to improve our records

This is day 4 of my 11 week  Runners World Smart Coach Schedule which calls for another rest day. Just as well really as we have had a further heavy snow fall in Suffolk and the temperature is 22f or about -5C at the moment.

Tempo Run in the Snow - Bury St Edmunds Suffolk

Day 3 of my 11 week Runners World Smart Coach Schedule saw me venture out in the snow. Compared to much of the country I think we have got of lightly so far as snow fell in Suffolk today at lunch time and for a while was heavy but at the moment I think we have had around 7-8 cm so not too bad. The Met Office forecast for tomorow in Bury St Edmunds is much the same with the possibility of more heavy snow and icy roads.

Once I had layered up with hat and thick gloves two tops and tracksters my schedule called for me to do a "warm up" mile! Which I did and to be honest apart from the inevitable slipping effect the snow was ok to run in.

I then had a go at the 4 mile tempo run but to be expected I couldn't run at the suggested pace which was 7.54 miles. Instead overall I ran 8.45 miles. I did put in tempo type effort in to the run but a combination of my lack of fitness/sharpness , lack of previous tempo running and the snow conditions lead to my downfall. However I am taking the positive from this run firstly I got out there when it would have been so easy to giveit a miss, running in the snow must effect your pace so perhaps my 8.45's were worth a little more and practice makes perfect so each week I might see some improvement in my tempo running.

Times were warm up 8.56.Tempo miles 8.30,8.44,8.50,8.53. Warm down mile 9.35

So I definitely slowed on the tempo miles as I tired.

Day 2 of 77 of the Runners World Smart Coach Schedule

Day 2 of my 11 week half marathon schedule called for a rest day. I can do that and to be fair I have just completed day 3 , week 3 of the push ups programme. Tonight I did 5 sets of push ups which included sets of 22, 30 , 20, 20 followed by a final set of 30 . Grand total of 122 for the 5 sets though don't think I could do much more than what I am doing in one set at the moment.

My schedule really begins to get going tomorrow night with a tempo run weather allowing. Tempo runs were absent from my training last year so I am really looking forward to this at the moment. According to Toby Tanser tempo runs are the single most important session you can do to improve your speed for any race distance. Interesting to me is the view from Tanser that tempo runs trump track sessions for the longer distance runner as it obviously trains your body to sustain speed over distance.

I would normally attend a track session once or twice a week but will cut this back to perhaps just the one for the period of this schedule. It would seem that tempo running is more important than speedwork for the half and full marathon

What is a tempo run? From what I have read it is a comfortably hard run for 2-4 miles. It is not race pace but if you could you would slow down. A good easy warm up and cool down with the tempo run being the meat in the sandwich.

An interesting site on Toby Tanser and his work can be found here

Runners World Smart Coach

Apart from when I ran the London Marathon I have never followed a running schedule. There's an omission but I have always seen a timetable as something that will tie me down and doom me to inevitable failure.

There was one other time I tried a running schedule and that was last summer and soon afterwards I was injured with sciatica and then a broken rib. So with mixed feelings and no experience of choosing race schedules I am going to give the Runners World Smart Coach a try.

Looking at the Runners World website the forum comments on the Smart Coach are very mixed. Certainly those from the earliest days of the smart coach in around 2007 were quite dismissive and pointed out some strange paces and distances to be run just before the race you were planning to do. However more recently comments seem to be more positive and generally are moaning more about the overall look and feel of the Runners World site.  I generally have to agree with the sentiments that the previous version of the Runners World website looked better.

That aside how do you use the on line Runners World Smart Coach? You are asked to fill in some information on a recent race time, a distance you are training for , how hard you want to train and the length of the schedule. Simple and up pops a schedule to follow. I chose to down load mine into Word so I could adapt some of the training to fit around days I know I can't run.

And of course because it is always easier on paper (then doing the actual running) I chose the hard option rather than moderate. The hard option means your mileage increases by about 15% per week though pace only moderately.  The very hard option is also a 15% increase in mileage but your pace also increases dramatically. Whilst I would like my pace to increase dramatically I only really have one pace so this option was a non starter.

To be honest  the moderate option would have been the best seeing a 10% increase in mileage which probably leads to less liklihood of injury.

Any way the combination of  it being anew year, having a race schedule to work to and my renewed interest in keeping a diary on this blog should hopefuly provide the motivation to try and see this schedule through. I fully expect to have to miss some sessions after all it is winter and if injury doesn't get me a cold might.

Based on my last half marathon time which was a 1.45.37 time  much of the pace of my training schedule is set for around 9.09 to 9.20 miling. The tempo runs between 7 and 7.54 miles. The long runs increase from 10 to 14 miles and the number of days running from 5-6 leading to the peak training week being 51 miles.

Being as I haven't run this much in a few years this is going to be a challenge. An 11 week challenge - 77 days but Day 1 as you would expect was reasonable and required a 5 mile run at an easy pace.

The 11 weeks completes for me with a half marathon hopefully the Joe Cox Half Marathon at Stowmarket and I would like to also amend the schedule so as to do a 10k race.

Running Race Diary for first half of 2010

I have yet to enter anything but looking at the 1st half of 2010 I am not planning to do anything over and above a half marathon distance

Possible races will include

1. Cross Country at Nowton Park Bury St Edmunds 24th January 
2. Adnams Great East Run at Bungay 10k  - 21st February 
3. Joe Cox Half Marathon 28th March 
4. Sudbury Fun Run 5 miles 2nd April
5. Bungay Half marathon 18th April
6. Trip up to London to watch the London Marathon on 25th April - i did enter the ballot but didn't get a place
7. Breckland 10k  3rd May 
8. Woodbridge 10k 16th May 
   

I don't suppose I will do half of these events but time will tell and in particular if my confidence improves from my training. Some of these races sell out so you have to be quick with an entry form.

100 Push Ups Programme

I have just started week 3 of the push ups programme and I am little better than when I began. My initial exhaustion test ( how many good push ups you can do ) resulted in 16.

Last night I did my 5 sets training programme which included 14, 18, 14,14 and a final set of 25 making a total of 85. I allowed a 2-3 rest in between sets.

My aim is to train through week 3 before I have another assault on the world record in our house which is currently held by my son Tom (who is not doing any training ) with 40! My best is currently 36 so perhaps next week end ?

My Running Year 2009

At the beginning of 2009 I set myself a target to run 1400 miles in the year.
This works out at around 27 miles a week for every week of the year.

As I ran 1218 miles in 2008 this target didn't seem out of reach requiring me to up my mileage by 3-4 miles a week.

Looking back on 2009 I didn't make this target my total for the year was 1222 pretty much the same as 2008.Main reason why was persistant injuries from around the end of July which meant a long lay off from running. When I returned I had lost all my stamina and felt as if I was starting from scratch with my mile times being down by anything up to a minute on many runs.

My 2009 statistics show the following

January 2009           143 miles  22 runs

February 2009         132 miles  18 runs
March 2009              129 miles  18 runs
April 2009                 133 miles  18 runs
May 2009                  139 miles  19 runs
June 2009                 139 miles   21 runs
July 2009                    82 miles   14 runs
August 2009               10 miles    2 runs
September 2009       31 miles    8 runs
October 2009             92 miles    17 runs
November 2009        98 miles     17 runs
December 2009        88 miles    16 runs

The week of the 25th May when I ran 40.7 miles was my top mileage week. I had six blank weeks where no running was achieved due to injury or heavy colds.



Total Runs for 2009 - 190 out of 365 days.

My average distance that I ran in 2009 was 6.43 miles.

My longest run in 2009 was 13.1 miles on 13th March at the Stowmarket Joe Cox Half Marathon.

I ran 4 races in 2009 these being the Stowmarket Joe Cox Half Marathon, Breckland 10k, Bury 5 and the Stowmarket 5


Looking at my pace statistics for easy runs a slowest month in August of 9.04 a mile with April being the quickest at 8.23


I only did tempo runs between January and April and just recently in December. April was my quickest month again at 8.05 per mile.

My interval training at the West Suffolk track was patchy with 4 months of the year showing no intervals. June was my fastest month with 6.42 interval miles being recorded. December being the slowest.


As for long runs I didn't achieve any in August and September when I was injured but have long runs for the rest of the year. My slowest month being December at 9.06 a mile, May being the quickest at 8.37 miles.


My quickest race pace was for the Breckland 10k in May which was a 7.36 pace for a 47.19 time.


My running log for 2009 only shows 1 hill session back in July.


Keeping a running diary obviously does enable you to reflect back on your training and consider what went well and what went wrong.


Too much of my runs have been 'filler runs'. By that I mean runs within my comfort zone though they haven't always felt like that! What I mean is that it is clear more of my runs need to be quality runs to include more long distance runs, hills and tempo runs. I also haven't had a set purpose or focus to my running due to a lack of races in my diary.


Now to plan 2010 and set out some objectives!

High Green near Nowton Suffollk

It was just a little to icy this morning for my run .

I ran out of Bury St Edmunds on the Horsecroft Road through Hardwick and Horsecroft. Instead of running across fields to reach Nowton Park  I continued on the road which takes you round to High Green. This is a small hamlet which is familiar to runners who take part in Saint Edmund Pacers Friday 5 as being the high point up a long drag from Nowton Park.

You could never be confident of your footing and consequently I couldn't run to my normally stride and had to pad along at a slower pace.

Lovely sunshine this morning, though the temperature was 0C.

My run was a 6.41 mile effort and I felt tired as this was third consecutive day of running.

1st January 2010 - New Year Day Run in Bury St Edmunds Suffolk

As I set out for my run a heavy snow shower had just begun.This if anything hastened me out of the door not knowing if we would get several inches of snow thus making the pathways too slippery to run on. As it turned out it was just a shower and blue sky arrived 10 minutes later.

My route through Bury St Edmunds is depicted in these photos below . The water meadows along Cullum Road are  still frozen as temperatures continue to hover around freezing.

There was no problems with slipping this morning despite the tiny covering of snow if anything temperatures were a little warmer than of recent.

It was good to get in my first run of the new year. I still haven't got round to planning out a training schedule and haven't yet signed up to any races but I want to do that in the next few days.

Last night I believe more fireworks went off in our area than on the 5th November bonfire night. Eventually these ceased around 1.30am ,so I should have felt a little jaded for this run as theses kept me awake but I didn't have any problems.

I am continuing with my push ups programe and have completed week 2 of the training which finishes with what is called an exhaustion test . Basically you do as many push ups as you can until your arms won't do any more.

It has turned into a bit of a competition with my son who isn't doing the training programme. As he had recently done 35 that was my target and some how I managed to just do 36 to become the champion for all of five minutes. Until that is Tom did 40 oh well it gives me a new target to beat and hopefully I can do this in a week or so.

As I get further into the run the snow continued to melt and I stoped to take this photo of St Johns Church in the centre of Bury St Edmunds - you can just see the spire.

My last photo is taken along Eastgate Street and has a view of St Edmundsbury Cathedral

Tempo Session - Newmarket Rd Bury St Edmunds Suffolk

Enjoyed a quick lunch time session without any nagging pains

I did an initial warm up to my starting point in Newmarket Rd Bury St Edmunds of 1.28 miles in 11.05 an 8.40 pace.

Stopped to reset my Garmin Forerunner 205 before do a mile from the top of Newmarket Rd junction of Oliver Road to the Falcon Pub at the bottom of Victoria Street. This is a mile only problem being the need to cross some busy junctions which canmean you have to stop.

My mile time was 7.47 which gives me a target for the new year which I can and will beat.

I then jogged back to the bottom of Westley Road and did a 2 mile tempo run around Westley Rd, Oliver Rd and Newmarket Rd.  My 2 mile time was 16.47 or 8.24 miling. Again I am sure I can beat this in the new year health willing

To finish up my final tempo spin was a Half Mile run along Westley Road. My time was actually a slower pace than for the mile which shows I was tiring doing a 3.55 or 7.52 miling pace

Gives me targets to beat for the new year when doing tempo runs. Will look to add a 3 miler when I found a good circuit to do this.

Photos are a view from the top of Gibralter Barracks looking along out Risbygate Street and towards the town centre. This was part of my run today when doing the mile tempo run

Shropshire - Who has the best Running Club Website in the County?

In my post on the 26th December I said I would start to review Running Clubs websites around the country  and today I start with Shropshire.

Shropshire in England is an area not well known to me but we had a vacation there two years ago. We timed it well as it coincided with the severe floods in the west midlands region.

Shropshire in a nutshell - The Ironbridge Gorge is often known as the birthplace of industry and this is probably the most visted place in Shropshire though if you do visit take time to also take in  Much Wenlock to visit the museum and follow the Olympian Trail and visit Wenlock Edge. It is also home to Shrewsbury Town which is where Charles Darwin was born.

As far as I can tell there are 10 running clubs within the county of Shropshire. These being:-
Ludlow Runners
Mercia Fell Runners
Newport & District Running Club
Oswestry Olympians
Shrewsbury AC
Shropshire Shufflers
Telford AC
Telford Harriers
Whitchurch Whippets
Wrekin Road Runners

Comparing the clubs websites is based on the criteria I set out in my post of the 26th December as follows:-

1. Evidence that it is regularly updated
2. Ease of Use
3.Functionality
4. Attractiveness
5. Beginners are Welcome
6. Photos
7. Community / Social Feel


Ludlow Runners

1. 6  Some evidence good news page some race results
2. 7  Easy to navigate from front page
3. 5  There isn't a vast amount of fuctionality
4. 5  The site is kept simple and clean with just 3/4 colours
5. 5  There is a line or two on the opening page welcome to encourage new comers
6. 5  There are some photos on the home and news pages of club runners and awards also links to further photos on other sites
7. 6 Looks as if club members meet up once a month for a social evening drink and chat.

Score 39  Liked the low membership fees of just £10 per year for an adult. Also like the idea of the club championship with one race to enter per month with prizes for club spirit for atttending a lot of races being a big plus.

Mercia Fell Runners

1. 7 Initially from the front page with the entries dated 2006 and 2007 you can be forgiven for thinking this hasn't been recently updated - however this isn't the case and there are lots of updates on races and results and blog updates.
2. 6 the navigation is detailed in a menu - front page could do with being more of a welcoming page with general information  for all runners
3. 7 Club members have a log in and can blog updates , good race information and links pages
4. 5 the colours principally being grey and a dark blue
5. 5 There is a line or two on a blog entry on the opening page to state all welcome
6. 6 There is an images gallery with loads of photos, however it generally doesn't appear to have been updated too much in the last 6 months.
7. 5 There is a visit to the pub after the training session in my short visit couldn't see much else

Score 41 This is a fell running club and has good links page to other clubs and associations, useful fell maps. Just £8 to join plus the £5 for England Athletics - free for under 18.

Newport and District Running Club

1. 9 Wow someone is clearly looking forward to 2010 , the Club Calendar 2010 is all set out. There is even a weekly newsletter
2.  8 Good bold use of font in club colours draws you to the links
3. 8 Lots to look at but not overpowering
4. 8  Good banner on the front page and just as an example on the our races page - also like the menu column with the small photos
5. 9 Clearly beginners are very welcome In big bold on the opening page It states whatever yourpace and experience come and join - you are left in no doubt
6. 4 Good use of photos within the website , I couldn't see a link or page with club photos
7. 9  There is a social events forum with clear evidence of activities such as dances, awards evenings, quiz evenings etc

Score 55 For a club of 120 members Newport & District are very lucky to have such a good website. They even have their own covers band called Running Wild that plays gigs!

Oswestry Olympians

1. 6  On the members page plenty of updated information
2. 6  From the front page you are directed to adult / junior triathlon pages once on the members page there are lots of notices
3. 5 Fairly standard functionality
4. 5 It is a busy site with use of many different font sizes and links with an oswestry page background
5. 4 There is an application form for new members but in my snapshot look I couldn't see too much to welcome new comers
6. 5 The members page has a number of photos
7. 8 Club Presentation evenings social side looks healthy

Score 39 Club achieved West Midlands Club of the Year 2009 plenty of sponsorship going on

Shrewsbury AC

1. 6 On the front page clearly being updated  on a regular basis
2. 6 Its a blogger site so everything is found on the front page via links
3. 6  Some useful links to Shropshire Runners Network and an injuries and treatment dignosis page
4. 5  The site is kept simple and clean with just 3/4 colours
5. 4  In my snapshot look I couldn't see too much to welcome new comers, however this might well be because they are over subscribed in some of the  junior section age groups and there is a waiting list!
6. 7 Some photos on the website - like the link to a Shrewsbury AC flickr site with lots of photos this is really good and any club could easily follow this as an idea for a small annual charge.
7. 3 In my quick visit to the site I couldn't see anything of a social nature

Score 37 Particularly like the idea of a County Runners Network - there is a link to the Shropshire Runners Network from Shrewsbury AC

Shropshire Shufflers

1. 6 Yes this site is being updated with lots of news items
2. 7 Very easy to navigate from the menu on each page so you never get lost
3. 7 Good range of funtionality
4. 7 Like the simple use of two colours black and blue on a white background good design
5. 7 There is a becoming a member section on the site stating anyone can join
6. 7 Some photos on the website - from the gallery there is a link to their flickr site with lots of photos this is really good and any club could easily follow this as an idea for a small annual charge.
7. 7 Annual presentation evenings and regular food and drinks events

Score 48 Like the Haugmond Handicap Chase page with photos depicting the route, also the championship page must be popular with club members

Telford AC

1. 6.Plenty of news updates mostly on the blog which the website links you to
2. 5 Due to the site having a web page and a blog you do tend to flick between the two or have both open not that that is a problem but could be confusing
3. 7 good range of functionality like the athletes profiles page
4. 5 the blogger account looks neater than the website
5. 8 Like the news members FAQ's page on the blog tells you how to join and who to see when you first go along
6. 6 Lots of photos of club runners, races and awards evenings
7. 6 Annual presentation evening looks popular

Score 43 Lots of content might just be me but perhaps better to ditch original website and go with the blogger account or vice versia.

Telford Harriers

1. 6 Yes this site is being updated with lots of news items
2. 6  Easy to navigate from front page
3. 5 Fairly standard functionality
4. 6 Font size looks a little small,a lot of content on the front and club pages -perhaps add more menu categories
5. 7 Like the beginners sessions perhaps have a beginners page or make this prominent on the homepage
6. 4 Good use of photos within the website , I couldn't see a link or page with club photos
7. 3 In my quick visit to the site I couldn't see anything of a social nature

Score 37 Like the idea of including the newsletters  as a pdf link

Whitchurch Whippets

1. 6 Yes this site is being updated with lots of news items
2. 7 Very easy to navigate from the menu on each page so you never get lost
3. 7 Lots of good funtionality like the noticeboard page
4. 6 Red white and blue are the principle colours of this site
5. 7 There is a notice about joining on the front page and a further membership page
6. 7 lots of club photos on the gallery page with a link to a further picasa album
7. 7 Social page with loads of photos of awards evenings and many social events

Score 47 For a club that is only two years old pretty impressive what has been achieved. Liked the Winter Safety advice. And yes I did look at the Naked Whippets page only to be disappionted!

Wrekin Road Runners

1. 6 Yes this site is being updated with lots of news items
2. 7 Very easy to navigate from the menu on each page so you never get lost
3. 7 Loads of good funtionality like the member profiles and members birthdays are given a mention
4. 6 once you get beyond the front page the design is a lot cleaner with use of generally 3 colours
5. 6 There is welcome to new runners on the front page
6. 7 There are some photos within the web site but mostly held on a flickr website
7. 6 Social events are mentioned they have a social secretary to organise

Score 45 LIked the Lingometer page

 So the winner (and this is only in my view) of the Best Shropshire Running Club Website Award goes to Newport and District Running Club

All the websites to be honest were very good and put my blog to shame! If anything this might spark a little healthy debate and raise the profile of some of the great running clubs that we are lucky to have in this country.

The Body Shop Simply Purify

In the current sales the better half bought this product from the Body Shop which is labelled as a refreshing body gel. The price had been reduced from £4 to just £1.50.

The product contains wasabi, menthol and bladderwrack seaweed.  Don't let either the thought of bladderwrack seaweed or the fairly uninteresting tube put you off! After my 8 mile run yesterday I wacked some on my legs particularly on the  calfs and thighs which can get tight after a long run.

What is wasabi? I recently had a bag of wasabi peas but didn't manage to eat them. I guess you either love or hate them  - a bit too peppery/ spicy and the peas were hard like bullets. Wasabi is a member of the cabbage family and is green in colour. Used to garnish noodle dishes but also known for its medicinal benefits to support the immune system and for detoxification.

Bladderwrack seaweed was the original source of iodine and is found in the North Sea of the British Isles. It is often found in kelp tablets and is eaten in some parts of the world as part of a salad. It is said to have many medicinal benefits including being an antioxidant.

In using the product what immeadiately hits you is the menthol. There was a fairly long term revitilising feeling in the legs which were grateful for a little stimulation and reward after a long run . I will certainly use this over the large winter months to come.

Definitely worth hunting down for any runner especially now as this is just £1.50

Kings Forest West Stow Suffolk

Five miles North of Bury St Edmunds in  Suffolk is the village of West Stow which is known further afield for its Anglo Saxon Village. If you want to experience what it might have been like to be an Anglo Saxon then make a visit to West Stow. There are generally events on most of the year details at the friends of West Stow site.The village has been created on the site where a major archaeological dig in the 1960's revealed a well preserved Anglo-Saxon site saved beneath the sands of the Breckland.

As this was closed for Christmas I parked further up the road at the picnic site known as Ramparts Field. This as the signboard indicates is a reminder of how much of the brecklands once were but after the 2nd world war much was put to forestry.

Ramparts Field survived as it was an  ancient gravel working site and is now used as a  good starting point for walks around the gorse and sandy lanes nearby.

 For my run on an overcast morning I wore layers to keep out the damp cold temperature it being just above freezing at 1 C. A sweat shirt and a techical t shirt over the top along with tracksters , gloves and hat kept me warm enough.

A short distance along the road from Ramparts Field towards the Anglo Saxon Vilage you can pick up the ancient Icknield Way which is said to be the oldest pathway in Great Britain predating the Roman invasion of 43AD.

What immeadiately strikes you when running this pathway is just how sandy the soil is around here with large numbers of flints everywhere. The name Breck derives from broken land and hints at how this area was never considered a great one for agriculture.

This morning there was a heavy frost and the ground even though being sandy was hard. The pathway I followed has been heavily used by forestry vechicles and hence is heavily rutted in places. At times I was running within the ridge formed by the car wheels and going up and down so although running I could imagine how bumpy a drive along here would be.

There are over 200 varieties of trees in the area known as Thetford Forest. My run took me on an out and back 4 miles to the King George the 5th monumnet in the King's Forest. Most of the trees that I could see that predominate are pines, oaks and conifers but there were also birch to be seen.

This certainly wouldn't be every ones cup of tea this run as it lonely and isolated. I say one mountain biker apart from that I was alone in the forest with the odd squirrel and a million rabbits for company.

In one section a local farmer has obviously filled one of the larger ruts in the pathway with broken bricks this provided a different challenge to run across.

At the end of the King's Forest the path meets the B1106 in a clearing, is a stone monument, with the following inscription: "This tone commemorates the silver jubilee of King George the Fifth. The Forestry Commissioners began in 1936 to afforest the King's Forest and to plant with Beeches Queen Mary's Avenue, which follows the course of the Icknield Way. P.L. Robinson, Chairman, W.L. Taylor, Assistant Commissioner."

I ran fairly slowly today but I was happy with my stamina on this run not feeling the urge to stop until around 6 miles. But by this point I was feeling a little cold and picked up the pace to complete my run back at the car. It was at this point that I realised that I had forgotten to use my jelly beans that I took with me to give me a little boost!

Push Ups

No run today. Instead just completed my push up programme for today.

Five sets were 16, 17, 14 and 14 followed by a 20. If you haven't tried a press up for sometime give it a go. As to be expected after completing 81 push ups you can feel some tingling in the shoulders afterwards. I completed the session but had doubts that I would after the 1st set. As the programme progresses the no of push ups to complete is growing. At the end of week 2 you complete an exhaustion test. Basically doing as many push ups you can do until you collapse and based on this your week 3 programme begins.

Timworth Green Suffolk

A good run this afternoon. I did a 10 mile run which consisted of a 5 mile out and back run to Timworth Green.  The conditions were a lot better than of recent with the frost pretty much gone. There was a drizzle and a strong wind that continously pulled at my hat when the cross wind hit me on the return leg.

This run from Bury St Edmunds takes me to Fornham St Martin. Just opposite St Martins the church in the village is a path known as the drifts which provide some excellent off road running on good pathways.

My route took me along the Great Livermere drift which emerges at Barton Bottom the main B1106 road. I run straight acoss this road and continue up a minor road- so minor on Google Maps it just shows as two thin lines with no detail. After about 1.5 miles you reach the tiny settlement of Timworth Green.

I began to struggle on this run around 7-8 miles when I felt tired. I had been listening on the ipod to A Mile with Me a running podcast from Steve Chopper who is based in the Christchurch/ Bournemouth area of the UK. If you are not familar with running podcasts then in my view this is one of the better listens around. Well researched informative content. This isn't a podcast diary of Steve Chopper's running it is more of a magazine with features such as interviews and history of various places that he might visit within the UK.

For the last 2 miles when I was really struggling I switched to the Lillingtons album The Too Late Show. Listen to the Lillingtons here and then download the album for about a £5 from ITUNES. Who doesn't like a zombies tune !!

I saw them crawl out of their graves,
On the night of the living dead
I saw them eating human brains,
And it went right to my head
I saw something at school today,
A-walking through the hall
Were those zombies that I saw
Over at the shopping mall?

They’re zombies
I think I see them everywhere
We’re zombies
And I’m afraid they’re everywhere
We’re zombies
I think see them everywhere
We’re zombies
And I’m afraid they’re everywhere
We’re zombies

I saw them crawl out of their graves,
On the night of the living dead
I saw them eating human brains,
And it went right to my head
I saw something at school today,
A-walking through the hall
Were those zombies that I saw
Over at the shopping mall?

They’re zombies
I think I see them everywhere
We’re zombies
And I’m afraid they’re everywhere
We’re zombies
I think see them everywhere
We’re zombies
And I’m afraid they’re everywhere
We’re zombies

Have we all turn into zombies?
Have we all turn into zombies?
Have we all turn into zombies?
Have we all turn into zombies?

Looking at my mile times for todays run my 10 miles was run in 1.29.31 -  8.23,8.32,9.06,8.28,8.45,8.54,9.32,8.47,9.10,9.50

As you can see even the Lillingtons couldn't speed me up for the last 2 miles.

How am I getting on with the push ups? Anyone else doing them? Well I have completed Week 1 on the 100 Push Ups website and today was the 1st session in week 2. This consists of 5 sets of push ups with a minimum of a minute rest in between. Set 1 is 14 Set 2 is 14 Set 3 10 Set 4 10 and Set 5 is a mimimum of 15 and I did 18. The main thing is to keep good form and complete proper press ups.

Running Club Website of the Week

 I am going to start including a review of running club websites.

What makes a good website? Well in my view it is many things but anyone who maintains a blog or who runs will know that you only get out what you put in a cliche I know but one that is true. A good web site should have the following

1. Evidence that it is regularly updated. Websites live and die if there is no evidence of the site being regularly updated. Who is going to regularly return to a site that is only updated once every few weeks.
2. Ease of Use. Some websites can trip over themselves in a bid to include every known technical gadget or feature on the planet. The viewer can get lost in a myraid of links so you end up down a  "blind alley". Or your viewers are just confused as to how to get around the website.
3. Functionality. Having said above at 2  don't confuse your customer/viewer of your site this may sound contradictory but at the other extreme a running site must have functionality. If your viewer is going to return to your website then a range of functionality is important. Unique functionality will always score highly. Hurrah for the creativity webmaster who can create some unique feature.
4. Attractiveness. This can be quite subjective after all beauty is in the eye of the beholder. An attractive website to some might be twenty different colours or very dark coloured fonts on a dark background making it difficult to read. A consistent pallete of colours for background and font will score highly.
5. Beginners Are Welcome. A running club web site surely must always be looking to attract new runners in its area to join the club. So just how good is your running club website at doing this. Is there a big welcome flag saying come on in?
6. Photos. A  picture can paint a 1000 words. Does your running club website have a good range of photos or is it wall to wall text. A good use of photos to break up text will score highly.
7. Community/Social Feel. Does your running club have a social side or is it run , run , run and no fun. If it does a running club website that indicates whats on will score more highly in my book.

There are probably other attributes that could should  be added but that is what I am going to use to review other running club websites.

Why am I doing this? My blog is a running blog if you haven't noticed!. To bring attention to the many great running clubs around the UK. Also just for the fun of it. All running websites  are a labour of love and require a lot of unpaid effort to maintain. So hopefully no reacts badly to a lower score than they would have liked I realise my own site isn't that good. It is after all my own  personal view.

To start with I will do a review of regions in the UK and depending on feedback will continue or drop. Look out for this shortly so drop back in to see