Fornham Suffolk - Seven Mile Circular Run

This was my 6th day in a row of running and I was pretty tired. I completed the run, the first of week 6 which actually sees me have a little respite after 5 weeks of increasing mileage. There are no quality runs at all this week by this I mean no long run and no tempo or speed work. The total mileage this week is consequently down and I hope to feel the beneficial effects of this and complete a few more push ups which have suffered over the last week as I haven't done as many.

My 7 miles today were completed in 1hr 1min and 43 seconds. It was cold breezy and we had a mixture of sleet and snow showers.

Last week I bought from Amazon a copy of Rosie Swale-Pope book and I am just a few chapters into this. Her husband died of prostate cancer and to remind people to go to doctors for check ups she decided to run around the world as by staying at home doing the weeding  in her backgarden no one would have noticed.


So in October 2003 she set off from her home in Tenby, Wales on a solo run around the World. A five year journey over 20,000 miles using 53 pairs of running shoes and storey to tell. Sheer madness yes but also very inspiring and truely a journey of a lifetime that most of us will never do or even contemplate doing.Sleeping alone in the middle of a Siberian forest with temperatures down to -60 is not everybodies cup of tea.

Ickworth Park Suffolk - Seven Mile Run

I tried to pick the best time to run and listening to the weather forecast this suggested lunch time onwards. It certainly appeared that way as I set out towards Ickworth Park for an easy 7 miles. This is day 26 of my 11 week half marathon training programme and after being cooped up in the car for a lot of yesterday in a trip to the Birmingham NEC I was glad to be able to get out for a run.

Half way into the run the weather which had been breezy turned from a drizzle to hail and this was fun as my visability reduced and the ground around me turned a little white. The breeze soon took the dark black clouds away to be replaced by bright blue sky and a little sunshine.

A lot of this run took me of the road and on to the fields and pathways around Horringer and Ickworth Park. At times I was battling over thick mud and up and down hills.

My time for the 7 miles was 1hr 1 min and 54 which was a pb for the year, not that I was aiming or trying to do this and only represents a 5 seconds a mile improvement but as I pile on the miles I am looking for some small signs of progress.

I think all the training has also resulted in a reduction in my weight since Christmas as I am now down from 86.5 to 85 kilos. However as I am 5ft 9 inches tall according to the Body Mass Indicator Calculator I am overweight as I have a BMI of 27.6. Body Mass Index is defined as a person's weight divided by the square of a person's height, using the metric units kg/m^2.

It is also said that those who like to exercise such as runners may weigh a little more as they will have a stronger composition of muscle to fat. A number of gold medal winning athletes at the Olympics would be considered obese based solely on their BMI. A skinfold thickness measurement with calipers is used by some trainers and doctors when judging an athletes body fat ratio.

Online BMI Calculator

To get to a healthy BMI figure I would need a BMI under 25 and to do this be 76.5 kilos or 12 stone. That would mean losing 1 stone 4lbs or 10 kilos! Unlikely as I like a beer or two and I am not dieting in any way.

One of the alternatives to the BMI Calculator is the halls.md body mass index calculator. According to this they have slightly different definitions of weight.My BMI of 27.6 would make me marginally over weight - sounds a little better but not a lot!

The Snowman's lost his carrot

The slow thaw continues in Bury St Edmunds Suffolk and snowmen all over are shrinking and losing their eyes and in the case of this one at Fornham All Saints his carrot nose.

Although the roads are clear the pavements are a variety pack you just don;t know what you are going to get ice slush snow and clear sections. All of which meant that for my tempo run today I did a warm up in search of a fairly clear section of pavement which I found out at Fornham All Saints.

This was day 10 of my Runners World SMART Coach schedule which hopefully will gear me up for a crack at a half marathon at the end of March. Yesterday was a total rest day no running or push ups and I felt strangely inactive after 4 continuous days of running. Today called for a tempo run of 7 miles including a warm up 3 miles at 7.24 mile pace with half mile jogs in between before a warm down mile home.

How did I do?  Warm up of 1.73 miles in 15.08  Tempo miles in 8.11, 8.17,8.17  . I did the half mile jogs and then ran home 1.33 miles in 11.49 A total of 7.12 miles.

Ok again I was nowhere near doing my tempo runs in the pace suggested by the schedule I am just not in that condition and it was still slippery in places. However taking the positives from this my 4 tempo miles last week were between 8.30 and 8.53 so perhaps there has been some improvement. Perhaps I am increasing my anaerobic threshold or it was just less slippery than last week

Felt good today after my rest yesterday which was needed as I had been feeling a little pain on the outside of the knee. A sure sign of Iliotibial band syndrome. It didn't affect my running and I only felt pain by pressing it. But seemingly gone today though something to watch out for in the coming weeks. I have never had this before so not sure what may have caused it but I suspect overuse brought on by the sudden regular running in this training schedule, running on ice, overpronating which I do or running on hills which I do.

More grey snowy photos on this post. The church is All Saints at Fornham All Saints village. You can only just see that the snowman has lost his carrot.

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.

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.

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

Running in the Suffolk Snow December 2009

After yesterdays 'wimp out' I decided I was going for a run this morning regardless of what the weather was doing. I wished I had gone yesterday but didn't feel confident about keeping my footing and avoiding slipping. Running in newly laid snow is to be honest easier than a day later when it has been walked in and becomes lumpy!

Only my hands felt a little cold. I wore a hat, a sweat shirt and thermal top and tracksters. My thin gloves were ok but I could have done with a thermal pair.

After some initial caution I found I could trust my shoes to get sufficient grip. I decided to run along Cullum Road and then head for the pathway along the side of the River Lark in Bury St Edmunds. The sheep grazing in Cullum Road seemed to be enjoying eating bark of the trees presumably to get some kind of mineral intake.

My run time for 5 miles was extremely slow with a time of 46.42 but this is meaning less in these conditions.

On my ipod I listened to a new podcast called Running and Life. This is different from many podcasts as firstly it is a UK based monthly podcast. Most running podcasts are based in the USA so it is always good to hear from fellow podcasters in the UK. On this apart from the UK and the USA there are very few podcasts seemingly from anywhere else in the world unless I am looking in the wrong place as they don't show on I Tunes.

Anyway I have subscribed to Running and Life and recommend if you like listening to an IPOD on a run to give this a listen. It is also different in being more like a running podcast magazine of featured articles and news from fellow runners who have taken apart in races. The 1st episode had a feature on the Eddie Izzard run around the UK.

Snow comes to Suffolk - December 2009

No run today. I took this decision after I went down the garden to let the chickens out of their house. Flimsy excuse really but my hands were bitterly cold and I put doubts into my mind as to whether I would slip in the snow.

With the overnight snow our chickens said no thanks to coming out for a run around. To be honest with 5 inches of snow there was nothing for them to forage on if they had of come out. Instead they chose to stay put in their run. I poured hot water into the lock on the shed so the key would turn and then feed the chickens some corn. Their water was frozen in their feeder so I broke this as well so they could get a drink.

Looking back to some photos I took in February our chickens did venture out then but admittedly this was a much warmer brighter day.

Horsecroft Suffolk

1 .15pm 7.5 miles in 1 hour 3 mins.

Year to date mileage 1328

Month to date 132 miles

Average miles per month 112

Average weekly rate 25.7

Weather Sunny dry and cold.

No further snow but it has remained cold so there is only a slight thaw. I run out through Hardwick Heath and took a tumble as I missed a pot hole. Luckily I landed on my shoulder and
did a bit of a forward role which got a bit of a laugh and a round of applause from a big group of folks who were snowballing and sledging. Just for a moment I couldn't put much wait on my foot and I feared the worst but I was soon ok.

I ran across this field in the photo. The pathway was still evident from some metal rods posted in the ground.

The field was fine to run on with plenty of grip underneath. However once I reached the road to Hawstead I found the road was a skating rink. I only managed a mile or so by running in the
verge. I called it quits and returned by the same route.

Again a slow run.

River Lark & Water Meadows Run Bury St Edmunds

8.15am 7.2 miles in 1 hour 3 mins and 23 seconds

Year to date mileage 1320

Month to date 124 miles

Average miles per month 111

Average weekly rate 25.6

Weather Snow- heavy snow showers.

Course:Head out through the water meadows and then turn left at Bury Rugby Club . Follow the path through No Mans Meadow which is at the back of the Abbey Gardens returning to Southgate Bridge and then returning over the meadows for a 2nd lap.Return home up Southgate Street past the Police Station and through the Abbey Gardens graveyard then through town centre, Risbygate street, Westley road and home. The
snow that had been promised duly arrived this morning.

Very rarely do we get the chance to run in the snow here in Suffolk. as most winters I reckon we only get perhaps at most 5-10 days of snow.

As I set off the snow showers became more heavy and running into the falling snow made visibility difficult. There was a lovely crunching sound as the snow compacted beneath my feet as my shoes landed.




As the going was difficult I found I was running a lot slower. My time for running this course was 3-4 minutes slower than normal.