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

Lower Back Stretching

Newmarket Rd Bury St Edmunds

Today's Run - 4 miles
Janathon Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Total 18 miles

Physical Condition - Fairly Good- a couple of aches and pains this morning. A slight ache in the lower back must have been walking a little stranger than normal as Sarah noticed. Also a slightly tight left  hamstring though not painful. Neither of these were painful and didn't prevent me running but may be an early warning of sciatica. As I have had this before I know  this can be agony so something I want to avoid.

Gibraltar Barracks

Mental Condition - Very Good - still early days isn't it. Four consecutive days of running isn't something I have done since February last year when I did 6 days in a row but so far keeping runs short.

Today's run was an out and back run  turning at the 2 mile point next to the Gibraltar Barracks in Bury St Edmunds. I quite like this as a regular route to run and because I run this often it provides a gauge as to my fitness and speed , timing it as I do. It was certainly a notch cooler this morning and I had resort to hat and gloves. With running I always find that it is my hands which suffer most in cold weather and as long as I keep these warm I am OK.

With the run over I just had time for a quick look at possible exercises for the lower back and found these. They are now on my schedule for a while at least. I am definitely in the camp of being poor at doing stretching.  There is a lot of advice out there and more recent advice seems to be to avoid static stretching before a run when your muscles are cold and to stretch after your run.

On many of my runs I pass the building in the photo which is the Gibraltar barracks built in 1878. The Suffolk Regiment was based for long periods in Gibraltar during the 18th century particularly during the siege by the French and Spanish. So when a new barracks was built in Bury St Edmunds, it would have seemed appropriate to name it after one of the Suffolk Regiments main campaigns.

The regiment was formed in 1685 originally to fight off a rebellion by the Duke of Monmouth.

The Suffolk regiment saw action at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland in 1690 and Dettingen in France in 1743.

One of its major campaigns was at the Battle of Minden in 1759 when the Suffolk Regiment won a major battle attacking French positions without aid of supporting artillery against cannon fire. Apparently soldiers plucked red and yellow roses from hedgerows to wear in their hats and every since this battle is annually remembered by a parade. Just along the road the local pub has been called the Minden Rose.

The Suffolk Regiment were involved in many campaigns in many parts of the world including India, New Zealand ,South Africa and of course during the 1st and 2nd world wars.

However all that remains now of the Gibraltar Barracks Site is the Keep. The rest of the site has largely been built over with the Bury Sports Centre and College facilities. I can remember as a child often playing on this site when there was the remains of a shooting range. At one end there was a large sandpit against a brick wall with lots of bullet holes. At the other there were shooting positions often built into the ground so that only your head was above ground level. Playing with friends you could often find bullets mostly spent but some seemingly still intact.

Are Runners Respected or laughed at?

Day 3 of Janathon and my quest to run 31 days in a row throughout January and so far so good. Calling it a quest makes it sound like a bit of a journey and a parallel perhaps to Frodo although I am not carrying a ring, just the extra 2 kilos following Christmas.

Today on reading another Janathoners blog post I thought about how runners are viewed by the general populace? Are runners respected or laughed at? I can recall the times when cars have passed by and passengers have wound down the window and shouted or screamed and yeah that can come as a shock and make you stop in your tracks. I have also had car drivers on a wide road deliberately drive through a puddle and lots of laughter and waving from the passengers as they zoom off leaving me soaked with the taste of puddle, not good. I guess we have run past a group of people who feel a need to call out to you 118, hup 2,3,4 , the London marathon was last week mate. More recently since the smoking ban inside pubs I have had one or two challengers from smokers outside pubs - you want fresh air breathe this in mate as one guy said as he exhaled a deep breathe in my direction to gales of laughter.

The other side of the coin might be the silent majority. Most people I suspect don't have an interest in running or taking part in any physical activity at all. This is fine and we all have interests which make us a minority in some form or another. Steve Runner on his podcast Phedippidations often talks about the running community. He often suggests that by lacing up your shoes and getting off the coach of doom that by our actions and being seen we may just sow a seed of thought and  inspire 1-2 people to take up running.  Any of you have any interesting things shouted at you?

These days I often wear my IPOD so I don't hear any shouts of encouragement or abuse!

This morning I listened to the Bravery


My run took me in the Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds. Very quiet this morning, weather overcast but good to see so many runners out and about. The 14th century Abbeygate has been closed since before Christmas following a number of masonry falls brought on by the coldest December for many years. Along with the footfall following a very successful Christmas market and the passing traffic the Abbeygate is suffering from wear and tear.

What to do with your Christmas tree? For many it is a trip to the dump to recycle but clearly for some it is just to throw it out on the path and leave it to some else to clear up!

The Big Lebowski & a White Russian

After yesterdays first Janathon run we relaxed in the afternoon by watching another in the boxed set of Coen Brothers films - The Big Lebowski. of those I have seen my faves so far would be the Hudsucker Proxy , Blood Simple and  No Country for Old Men.

The Big Lebowski stars Jeff Bridges who plays Lebowski but is known as the Dude. The Dude  is a big fan of White Russian cocktails and there is hardly a scene in the film where he isn;t downing one! After watching this film Sarah and I both had a craving for White Russian and after a  quick google  to remind our selves how to make one we found we had the right drinks to mix one. There are several variants but basically it is half vodka a quarter coffee liqueur (Tia maria is fine) and a quarter fresh cream or milk. Pour on to ice a little stir and yeah a nice way to celebrate the new year and completing day 1 of Janathon.

Day 2 of Janathon no colds and no injury so no excuse not to get up and run. This morning was a notch cooler and I regretted not wearing my gloves for the first 15 minutes until I warmed up. I ran another 5 mile loop around Bury St Edmunds and listened to Ramblings with Clare Balding in this particular episode she was walking in the Pentland Hills near beautiful Edinburgh and for 30 Min's I was transported to Scotland and the run was almost forgotten.

Still has time to take a couple of photos. This one is a memorial to Ouida

Its design is to provide a drinking trough for dogs and horses. Her real name was Louise Rame and she was born in Bury St Edmunds in 1839 died 1908.This memorial stone was placed in 1908 from funds raised by national newspapers . Apparently several thousand people came from all over the country came to pay tribute to this author who was one of the most popular novelists of her age.

Has anyone ever read one of her stories? They appear to be romantic tales perhaps a bit Catherine Cookson and include Under Two Flags (1867), Moths (1880), and In Maremma (1882). Her stories for children include Two Little Wooden Shoes (1874), Bimbi (1882), and the Dog of Flanders (1872).

One of her quotations was "A cruel story runs on wheels, and every hand oils the wheels as they run."

She made a lot of money from her books but apparently squandered it in London at Langhams where she held large parties. Apparently she wrote a number of her books at Langhams surrounded by candles writing with a quill on purple paper. She died in near poverty in Italy.


The 2nd photo is another from the Water Meadows in Cullum Rd Bury St Edmunds. 

That's day 2 of Janathon completed and hope everyone taking part is faring well so far.

My New Years Resoloution Is to go for a Streak

This morning I stepped out of the front door and went for a streak. I was largely unnoticed as half the country battles with morning after hangovers. Still there was the odd twitching of a curtain and I could feel eyes upon me.

What kind of nutter goes out for a streak on New Years Day especially when it is drizzling? I do and I wasn't alone as I know that another 150 or so folk around the World who are joined together by something called Janathon are also planning to streak.


To be fair to call it a streak would indicate that I have either taken my clothes off or I have run on consecutive days for a period of time. I cannot claim either at the moment. However my aim is to run every day and blog about it throughout January and this I think would qualify me for the latter of the two types of streak. However I guess the rules of Janathon don't mention any need for wearing clothes so as long as you run and you don't get caught I guess that would also count. Any Janathoners want to comment on this ? try it ? and if so don't forget the photos!

The reason for me talking about streaking was the realisation that I have probably never run for more than about 10 days in a row so to try and do 31 is a challenge that I will probably not achieve though I am going to have fun trying. Of course everything is comparable and some of you will know of Ron Hill who hasn't missed a days running since December 20th 1964. Yes 46 years and around 17,000 days of non stop running so how hard can 31 days be? Well hard enough I know.

There is even a United States Running Streak Association with many members having a running streak of up to 40 years. A quick look at their rules to qualify you need to run at least 1 mile every day and to be listed on their website you need to have completed a 1 year streak.

The first day is always the easiest and my 5 miles around Bury St Edmunds Suffolk were completed in around 45 minutes with out any problems. The photograph is an area of water meadows which are prone to flooding near the Greene King Brewery in Bury St Edmunds.

Janathon 2011

I have signed up to Janathon 2011. What is it? Well it is the colder version of Juneathon which I failed miserably at earlier in 2010 due to injury. one the wiser what I am talking about?

Along with 150 others or so I have signed up to try and run and blog about it every day in January 2011.If you are interested the rules are to be found here  . You don't have to run you just have to exercise in some way every day so swimming and cycling also count.It is totally free to enter.

It isn't really about the winning and I haven't even looked at the prizes but yes there are some for those that stick it out the longest. For me it is more about the opportunity for social networking having some banter and fun and exchange of blog posts as we slip and slide our way for January. I am hoping the virtual link up with other participants will help me get through January and be in a  fitter state.

Mentally I believe it has also come at the right time for me as I was made redundant recently from a job I held for the last 15 years and I am now searching for new employment. This is why my blog posts have been sporadic of recent weeks as I have come to terms with being unemployed for the 1st time in my life.

So Janathon is ideal for me as I have come to realise that I shouldn't feel guilty about going for a run whilst I am also looking for work. It is a case of remaining fit and ready for when a new opportunity arrives.

There is a Janathon 2011 Facebook page just key in Janathon in the facebook search box.

We are also logging all of our training miles at the RunningFree website. Quite an impressive site worth a visit if you are familiar with it. Loads of running groups, running tools etc

Beetons Way Hill Running Session

Instead of visiting the track at the moment I have been doing some hill sessions. The last couple of weeks the track has often been closed anyway but when it is icy it normally means running on the grass on the inside of the track.

Anyway after a year of poor training and much injury I have decided to build up my weekly mileage very slowly. Last week I did just 16 miles and I am upping it by a mile a week at the moment so 17 miles is the agenda this week.

Within this total I am including 1-2 better quality runs either a track or hill session and a longer run or a short tempo. The long run  isn't very long just 7 miles at the moment.

My run today was 2 miles warm up and warm down to get to the top of Beetons Way. Then the main hill session consisted of 10 hill repeats running hard up the hill and jogging back down again.

I run from the bottom lamp post after emerging from under the bridge to the lamp post at the top of the hill beyond the mini roundabout.

My repeat times for the hill climbs were 55,57,58,58,57,56,59,60,59,58. I was doing close to 50 seconds a year a go so I have a long way to go if I am to get back to that level.

I find this a hard session and the run home is a jog

First Snow fall of Winter

We had a small amount of over night snow leading me to dig out my Inov 8 Roclite shoes for this morning's run. The temperature in Bury St Edmunds has been sat around 0c or 32f for the last few days and snow has threatened but so far fell in the North East of England. Looks as if we could have some heavier snow showers later on this week and the cold weather is set to stick around until next Tuesday.

The Inov 8 Roclite shoes have a good studded tread pattern and I am pretty confident in running in these without slipping. As ever getting out of the front door is the hardest part of running in cold weather. The thought of the snow and cold is far worse than the actual experience which was pretty enjoyable. Only my hands were a little cold my thin gloves not being sufficient thermal protection to keep these warm.

Runability - New Specialist Running Shop

It has been some years since Bury St Edmunds has been fortunate enough to have its own specialist shop catering for runners. There are 1-2 general purpose sports shops but nothing which caters directly for the runner.

That's all changed now that we have Runability in St Johns Street Bury St Edmunds. Its down the hill on the right hand side more or less before you get to the fish and chip shop.The shop has only been open a couple of weeks or so and is still gearing it self up in terms of new media presence - website etc. However I paid a visit today as I needed a hat. It was really cold and frosty this morning and my previous hat had lost its elastication and kept falling off in strong winds. So I bought a Ron Hill beanie hat.

There is already a good range of running shoes for men and women and a gait analysis machine to help you choose the right type. Loads of  bright winter wear to keep you safe and lots of gels which again have been something often hard to find in Bury St Edmunds.

Hopefully all locals will pay a visit and support this new store as it is great to finally have a running shop in Bury St Edmunds.

Running Track Session at the west Suffolk Sports Centre

Two weeks ago I  I said that I intended visiting the track once a week every Wednesday from now on. Of course as soon as I said this I came down with a heavy cold and I missed last weeks track session.

However I made tonight's session and there was a healthy number of runners and spectators at the track.  As per usual I ran down to the track which is 3/4 of a mile and then warmed up further by doing 6 laps at a steady easy pace.

Tonight's session by the coach  included 2 sets of 4 x 3minutes followed by 2 x 3minutes and then a mile time trial. I am still getting used to being back at the track ( at least that is my excuse ) and so I dipped out after the 2 sets of 4 x 3 Min's. This gave me a total of 24 minutes of interval running at 10k pace which I ran at an average of 7.23 miles.

Two weeks ago at the track I did 20 minutes of interval running so my gradually stepping up of time on the track is logical and deliberately gradual. I did feel as if I could have done the extra 2 x 3 Min's but gave it a miss as I just want to avoid any more injuries at least this year.

Another Short Run

My run today was better than yesterday. For a start the weather was a lot better still breezy but no rain, still cool enough for gloves. My running was better I felt a little quicker and my breathing was better. All in all everything was better.

I knocked out a 3 miler in 26.38 which is just under 9 min miles. LIstened to the Zenrunner on the podcast over at Planet Tinkoff.

Wet & Windy Monday Run

After much procrastination and delay whilst I watched never ceasing wind and rain I eventually decided that I needed to get out for a run regardless of the conditions. I have just got over a week when I have had a head cold which has laid me low as far as running is concerned.

However today I finally felt better and with just the weather to contend with I decided to do a very short run. It was a hat , gloves and tracksters kind of day. It was windy enough that I lost my hat at one point and from then on I had to regularly pull down on the hat to keep it on.

I did just 2.5 miles as I felt really rusty not having run for a week. But the main thing was venturing out for a run on such a wet and windy day rather than the distance.