My running journey

I often talk about running and it's time I blogged about my running journey.  Some of my friends will already know about this and others might be a bit surprised.

Reckoning most of my early running was out of desperation, not that I ever used to think of myself as being a runner.  For a brief time in my early twenties, I sometimes felt a bit lost in life, so I would go for a run in an old pair of trainers.  I would run a few miles, turn around to head home and then sprint as fast as I could.  Then as I was at my limit, I would force myself to go another 10 strides and even faster.  Then another 10, faster again, until finally I was panting uncontrollably and my heart was firing like a machine gun.  It felt so good.

Without knowing it, I had become a runner.

Roll forward to my mid 40s

Perhaps there's a theme forming here.  By now I had been working in the Probation Service and had been in the ranks of the management team for a few years.  A hit a stressful period at work and things were starting to get on top of me, so I went to see the HR manager.

Having explained to the HR manager how I was at my wits end, she kindly put forward a few suggestions.  Things like demotion, a sabbatical, unpaid leave, sick leave, reducing hours, sending me on a stress management course and so on.  While those were quite good suggestions, none of them quite hit the mark.

Also at this time I was putting on weight, I think I weighed 13st 8lbs at my heaviest.  So I decided to join a gym to lose weight and burn my stress away. At the gym I did a bit of everything but quickly found I enjoyed running on the treadmill.  However as soon as I got to like it, I had knee and ankle problems.  The solution was visiting a specialist running shop, a gait analysis, a proper pair of running shoes and BINGO!  I COULD RUN!  It felt so good.

Racing

After a while I decided to enter a 10k race, it seemed the obvious thing to do.  I remember my mother disapproving, flagging up all kinds of reasons why it was a bad idea for a man in his 40s.  I pressed on and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The actual "race" turned out to be a Britsh Heart Foundation fund raising event at Knebworth Park, Stevenage.  I think my time was about 55 minutes and I was pretty pleased, though not much of a race as such.  Later I managed to get my 10k time down to 45 minutes.
So next was a Half Marathon and this was at Bath. I have run a few Half's since, all with a time between 1hour 40-50mins which I was pleased with.

My favourite race is the Ridgeway Run, organised by Tring Running Club and I have run this a few times.  It is just under 10 miles and mostly off road.   As with many races, I latched onto someone ahead who had good form and was a bit faster - and I used them to drag me along out of my comfort zone.  Generally it works well for me.  One year I followed a tall, lanky man who was running well.  I was behind him most of the way apart from the last half mile when he shot ahead and lost me.  Afterwards I chatted to him and he explained he was in his 70s and, owing to being on a yacht for a few weeks beforehand, he was slower than normal.  I was amazed!  He, and others like him, are always an inspiration for me.

Like many runners, I suppose we like to have a go at a marathon, my first being when I was 50 or 51.  Again my mother was horrified, suggesting I would have some terrible injury.  So being stubborn, I ignored her and have now run a few marathons, each a little bit faster with my PB being 3hrs 50minutes.

Running alone

In spite of the rewarding buzz from racing others, I think my most significant runs have been on my own.  These could be training runs, or running just for the hell of it, or running to deal with the immense stress I have felt at times.

There were a few times when I had been so unhappy at work, I was at the verge of quitting but then "saved" by an incredible run.  Like those times in my early 20s, I would run and run as fast as I could, then push myself further so those problems melted away.  Some of my most memorable runs have been after work when I would stop off in a hilly area and run - I came to enjoy running up hills so much and managed to bag a few Strava segments.

Other times I would go for a run, feeling the burden of many problems. Even in those slower, longer runs, those problems would all be dealt with, one by one.  The miles would drift by, almost unnoticed as I mulled things over.  I found there was something so positive about running, often coming up with more imaginative solutions and ideas.  Those runs certainly helped me get things straight in my mind.  It is the amazing Runner's High I am talking about, the utterly amazing feeling you get after a good run - perhaps only runners will really understand this(?).

Apart from the mental health benefits, I became quite lean through running.  I quickly went from over 13st to 9st 7lbs and stayed like that for quite a few years.  I'm a little heavier now at just over 11st with a BMI of 23.

And these days

Having had a few health issues (kidneys), my running these days is less ambitious.  Mostly I run 2 or 3 miles every other day, with the occasional 7 or 8 mile run.  I thoroughly enjoy Parkruns for the social element and how it is such a marvellous way for all kinds of people to run, or walk, together on a Saturday morning.

I still dream of getting back to where I was in terms of running, or at least somewhere close.  I can only accept that the best is still to come; I just cannot accept that, at 58, I am inevitably heading downhill.  Perhaps that is the perpetual optimist in me, or perhaps the Type A personality surfacing a little?

In the cold light of day, I know I have run my fastest marathon.  Whether I have run my last marathon is a different matter altogether!

Blogging about running

On one of my other blogs (long retired) I used to talk a lot about running and had quite a following as it peaked at 20,000 page views a month.  I even used to get samples of clothing, coffee, energy gels and snack bars sent to me for reviewing on my blog.  All that, combined with running some decent times and some unforgettable runs, has seared itself on me forever.

While there is something so fantastic about the simplicity of running, it is also a complicated thing to do with so many different aspects - mental strength, personality, planning, being disciplined, nutrition, hydration, resting, sleeping, slow/fast runs, getting lost, falling over, injuries, shoes, clothing and the list goes on for miles.

All this adds up to be something so fascinating, so compelling, I hope and pray I will be a runner for many, many years to come.

BBC 3CR Health Show

Myself and Nana Akua

I've been on the radio again!  This time I was the guest of Nana Akua and her excellent BBC 3CR Health Show which is broadcast at 1:00 - 2:00pm on Sundays.

The topic this time was all about managing stress and, as you know, this is something which I've experienced and was the catalyst for all of this running, cycling and blogging.

Nana was such a lovely person to be interviewed by.  We started the conversation off with me explaining the nature of the stress I was under.  This was all about workplace based stress and how the stress levels were affecting me.  The conversation flowed through taking  up cycling, running and joining a gym.

Also Nana surprised me by commenting on my skin and saying how nice it was - now that was a first for me!  I don't think anyone has ever commented on my skin before.  The funny thing is that this happened TWICE - once in the off-air sound check and also once we were on the air!

I must admit to feeling a tad nervous (dry mouth etc) to start with as I didn't know her at all but once the conversation was underway it seemed to run okay.  It's always fascinating being in a radio station and being interviewed live, even though it's a little nerve wracking to start off with.  In fact I'd say I love having opportunities to talk about dealing with stress and healthy living.

Just after my slot there was the show's regular smoothie challenge.  This is where guests and callers pick which ingredients go into the smoothie - now some of these are a bit weird (coffee granules, pesto sauce, mustard) and it is either down to the Producer or Presenter to drink the smoothie.  You know what, this really did happen, it wasn't simply sound effects!

Related:

Hitting the Three Counties Radio airwaves, again

Talking about the Busway on 3CR

Nana Akua's website

Work-life update

I can hardly believe it is around 7 weeks since I last blogged here.  So much has happened.  Seeing as a blog is, quite literally a web log, I will treat this post as just that: a log of what's been happening.  Then I hope to resume normal blogging.

Work changes
My last post was about having complete faith and trust.  I also vaguely referred to something I wasn't in a position to share.   On that day I was interviewed and offered a new job which remained in management and I would maintain my salary.  I was also asked not to say anything as the unsuccessful candidates had yet to be notified.

I felt so thankful I had future employment lined up with security of a decent salary, pension and so on.  But it wasn't quite what I wanted or felt I would be best suited for.  I had also applied for another internal job as Partnership Manager.  This was a role I have already done but I knew would be tricky and I blew the interview.  I knew that was the case from 5 seconds into the first question.  My colleague who got the job will be fine.  It took me a while to find out I hadn't got the job as I think there were a few behind-the-scenes suffling around taking place.

What I hadn't mentioned at work at all was an external job with my Local Authority I had spotted and decided to go for.  Normally we can attend interviews in our work time but as I didn't want anyone to know about it, I took a day's annual leave.  When I found the job advert I wasn't actively seeking another job but it struck me as a job I could do.  It took me a few evenings to complete the on-line application and then fine tuning it on a Saturday.  Rachel double checked I had covered everything and cross referenced it to the job description.  Pressing the 'submit' button felt good and the day before the deadline as well!

Another interview
A few days later I had an email inviting me for an interview and, as is often the case nowadays, to give a presentation as part of the process.  I was very pleased to do this as I feel more in control and it's a good way of putting things across which might not easily fit into the remainder of interview questions and answers.  The interview itself went fairly well and I felt that I had given my best.

At the end of the interview I was asked if I had any questions to ask myself.  I breathed out heavily, smiled and asked "do I lose marks if I don't ask anything, I'm exhausted!".  The interviewers both laughed with me and reassuring said I didn't.  Actually I followed this with saying sometime thing about time scales and when I'd know the result.  In the nicest of ways it was explained that although they had been interviewing through the day (it was a Friday), there was one further person to interview on the following Tuesday.  Because of this, the earliest I would know would be on that Tuesday afternoon or possibly on the Wednesday.

Tenterhooks  on Tuesday
From the interview on Friday, the days went slowly and I kept thinking about the interview.  I was almost replaying it in my mind, going over the things I remember saying and trying to match this against the questions I could recall.  The rapport seemed fairly positive between myself and the interviewers and I was left feeling it had gone fairly well.  I knew I had done my best but naturally he big question was "was this good enough?  Was there to be someone else better than me?".  Perhaps?  I just didn't know.

Friday went, Saturday, Sunday and Monday crept passed slowly.  Tuesday and then Tuesday afternoon arrived.  Luckily for me I didn't have any meetings so I was just working at my desk, which is in an open plan area.  My phone was there on my desk and I'd listen out for it overtime I got up and walked across to the printer or tea station.  I even took it with me when I went to the toilet; I just didn't want to miss THE phone call.

Five thirty came and there was no phone call.  Running through my mind was the thought of the successful candidate having a phone welcome conversation followed everyone else the following day, myself included in that.  I was a little philosophical but not giving up either.  I changed into my running gear and went for a post work run around Stevenage and that's when things changed!

I was almost back to the office and jumping into my car when my phone rang.  I took the call and was amazed, thankful, surprised and totally flabbergasted I'd been offered the job.  Forgive me for not going into all the details.  I did, however, apologise for being a tad out of breath and for the noisy traffic in the background through explaining I was having a run.

"You're putting me to shame Doug, I'm at home now and I thought it would be better to call you after you would have finished your work for the day".

I became a little cold having stopped running to take the call and so I ran back to my car with that extra spring in my step.  I called home to share the good news once I was at my car and drove home with the most enormous grin on my face.

Keeping quiet at work!
I knew my new employer was wanting to move swiftly to all the pre-employment checks which would include references.  I also knew that it would be bad form on my part not to say anything to the CEO before a reference request arrived in his inbox.  I waited until the Thursday to tell him, I was just wanting to savour the moment for myself for a little while.

The CEO genuinely was delighted for me and was generous in the things he said.  I also agreed I wasn't going to announce the news widely until I had the contract and I was actually handing in my notice formally.  I shared the news with a very small number of close colleagues, of whom I trusted.

Is it really happening?
It took about 4 weeks for all the pre-employment stuff to take place.  Occupational health, DBS check, references, bank details and so on.  It was, at some point, slightly surreal.  It was helpful that the new HR department kept in regular touch with me about all the different steps taking place.  Eventually all the checks had been done and I knew my contract was coming and I had to give some thought to how I might announce the news more widely.

I was a fairly regular attendee at SMT, the senior management team.  Although I wasn't quite in that club, I often had business there of one kind or another.  And so as I was giving a general update on some things, I left staffing to the last bullet point.  I updated SMT on my small team and then shared the news about myself.  Many seemed surprised, especially as I'd been offered the internal job.  Afterwards quite a few came up to me wanting to know more and then the news spread more widely.

The last few days
I managed to negotiate a slightly early exit on account of the informal notice I had already given.  Gradually I shared the news with external people, some of whom had heard on the grapevine.  I sent a round-robin email to everyone.

A Director thought I needed a bit of a "jolly" before I left and I got asked to go to Anglia Ruskin University to represent us at the employment fair for criminology students.  So I went there on my penultimate day with a colleague having spent a couple of days clearing my desk etc.  I liked that as it wasn't much fun moping around in the office.

The last day came, last Thursday.  A colleague from Norwich came over to see me as she's picking up some of my work.  And then the last few emails and sorting this and that including my final "out of office".  The CEO took me out for lunch which was nice, though we were both slightly guarded.  Back to the office I produced cream cakes for everyone and at 3pm came my farewell.  The CEO was very gracious and said some lovely things.  I also wanted to thank my colleagues around me and say how many positive memories I was taking.  I surprised myself by referring to the tough times in my work.  These were the times when I had learnt the most and had generally benefitted myself.  I could think of the tough lessons I'd learnt, the stress I'd had on occasions and how this had pushed me to the edge.  I held back on those things, there are times when it's best to do this.

I handed the CEO my ID card, phone, iPad and door pass.  We shook hands and I went downstairs to Offender Management and said farewell to a number of colleagues individually who hadn't realised I was actually leaving there and then (a couple of others are going on Christmas Eve).  I said my farewell to the receptionist, asking her to finally sign me out.

Running and so on
Well everything has been going okay until 10 days ago.  My mileage for the year stands at 970 miles and I managed to pick up the most awful cold about 10 days ago.  You know this has happened before after a flu jab and I'm not convinced they serve me very well!  It's only today that I'm really anywhere near ready to run and I know I'll go around the bend if I don't get out there for a few miles today.

I suspect I need to take it easy as it must be 10 -14 days since I last ran.  I also guess I need to run a bit everyday now to hit the 1000 mile mark before the 31st.  It would be nice to have a few miles to spare and I'm sure I'll reflect on the 1000 mile challenge over the next couple of weeks.

Related:
Washing smelly technical fabric
Bison Hill
MK Marathon race report

Running Bison Hill, again

Harry, myself, Andrew

After my last attempt at running up Bison Hill, I couldn't resist another go as I was determined to improve my time.  I could go on about increasing my lead on the Strava course record; that would be bragging as there's only a handful of runners that have done it and I know there's some faster ones around here.

I had talked to my good friends Harry and Andrew about escorting me up as a kind of pace setters as I knew this might make all the difference.  Besides, it's fun.  We had a vague arrangement for Wednesday last week which I then forgot about (on this occasion I will blame my day job and the demands of that).  I got reminded via a text message while I was out having a post-work run somewhere else, also involving running up a steep hill.  I drove as fast as I could, grabbing a sports drink on the way, and arrived at Whipsnade Zoo at about the right time.  The arrangement was I'd leave my car there (at the segment finish) and run down the hill to meet Harry and Andrew.  This all worked fine.

Tackling Bison Hill

I've mentioned before, this climb is on the road and 0.8 miles.  Three sections: a) approach with a gentle slope b) main steep climb at 1:5 followed by c) final flat run to the finish.

We planned it so Andrew would lead the way just in front.  Harry would ride alongside me giving me a running commentary about speed etc.  On this occasion I gave him permission to yell at me using whatever language he thought was appropriate.

I can tell you, I really appreciated the running commentary with my speed - that was reassuring on the step bits and towards the end when "you're in double figures" as I ran as fast as I could towards the end.  I hoped he was talking about my speed and not my time!

I found I could happily talk as I started on the approach slope and we chatted.  As this was the first time we'd done this,  Andrew and Harry were keen to make sure their pace was right and took care to avoid shooting ahead.  Once I'd turned the first corner and the gradient increased my conversation dried up apart from the odd gasped word.  Like before I found getting into a good rhythm of swaying my arms from side to side was helpful and I was almost on tip-toes as I ran the steep part.  At this point I remember feeling really good and I had a pretty good idea my time would improve.

Once we passed the Bison Hill car park on the left the road levelled out ahead of a gentle turn to the left and then a final sprint to the end.  Although it was on this final sprint I was over 10mph and at full speed, I knew I should be able to go faster.

My time was 7:02, some 13 seconds faster than before.  Wow.  We stopped, I took the above photo by the zoo entrance.  We talked about bikes, running and bike rides.  I was coughing quite a bit, not sure why and so without hesitation Andrew offered me his water bottle.  Excellent, thank you.  As a teenager Harry is so keen and increasing his strength and speed all the time and coming on nicely.  Andrew is a quiet but highly disciplined cyclist with considerable endurance and speed; far more than myself.   I couldn't wish to have a better pair of pace setters on that climb, so a big 'thank you' to both.

One of my all-time great runs

In my mind I have some specific runs filed away of all-time great runs.  They tend to be long runs which are often early in the morning and always on my own.  This run, which MUST be in those all-time great runs, was completely the opposite: short, fast, with others and in the evening.

Harry and Andrew cycled back home, while I felt a fraud by driving.  I did comfort myself as I'd come straight from work and I had already had another run that evening (Charlton Hill Road, near Hitchin, Hertfordshire) which I will blog about another time.

I felt on top of the world, elated and thankful.  My worries from the day in the office were blown away and once again I could feel my mind and body buzzing with the endorphins and that Runner's High feeling.

Definitely, without question, a great run.  Trouble is, 7:02 simply begs to be beaten and complete the run in under 7:00 seems an obvious target for another time.....

Once again, thank you Harry and Andrew.  I'm so thankful I have been blessed with a good pair of lungs and legs.  Praise the Lord!

Harry, Whipsnade Zoo entrance

MK marathon training update

Well, well, well would you believe I am behind with my training, yet again.  Nevertheless I'm looking on the bright side and hoping it'll all come together on the day.  As usual these things are complex but it can be broken down into two main headings:

Work pressures

My work is pretty tricky at present and I've not had so many opportunities to run after leaving the office and driving home, although this week I've managed a couple of runs.   Other times have found me spending some time at our other offices which are a little further away.

Although I sometimes feel I just want to get into my car at the end of the day and drive away as fast as I can (i.e. escaping work) I have never, ever regretted a run.  Surprising how even a 30 minute run can bring so many benefits.

Injury!

Yep I have picked up an injury.  Some might say it's "about time" as I have been pretty lucky in my running career through having been almost completely free of injuries.  This time it's a bit more involved....

Dr Doug reckons I have strained, or over used, one of the calf muscles in my left leg. This might be the generic and classic "shin splint" but I don't think it is quite that.   This in turn has led to my gait changing and this has had a knock-on effect with my left ankle, knee and hip all having a grumble.  Having my new shoes do help; these are Asics something-or-other and a little more neutral than my previous Sauconys.  

What helps?

Well I'm back on the Cherry Active as it is pretty good for a post-run dose of good things to help with muscle soreness.  I'm still not over-keen on the slightly tart taste but it is an effective medicine.  

Resting more is always a good thing and I'm making sure I don't skimp on sleep.  Funnily enough, this seems to be in the media far more these days; good sleep seems to be the latest fad in the healthy living circles and probably much to the frustration of those marketing men.

The other element in trying to help myself is simply knowing my own body, reading the signs and judging how far I can push myself.  Now I know that I have the marathon about four weeks from now and I should be peaking now followed by tapering.  Instead I'm still building up!  It is often a tricky balance between training and taking it easy: too much training will aggravate any injuries.  Doing too little will mean my body isn't quite ready for the distance.  Normally I'm pretty good at judging this and so I hope I can continue - but I can tell you, it is a tricky balance.

And then my run yesterday morning

Yesterday was my latest long, slow run.  I like my long runs best of all although they are the most difficult to fit in with family and work life.  Here's my run in numbers:

• Distance: 16.1 miles
• Pace: 9:24mins/mile
• Calories: 2172
• Pee stops: 1
• Other runners: 0
• Cyclists: 8
• Elevation gain: 928feet

Setting off felt as if I was hobbling and I must have looked a very awkward runner.  After 20 minutes I was staring to get warmed up and by 40 minutes I finally felt loose and running in a fairly fluid way.    I could feel my injury a little now and again but as it seemed better than I expected, I decided to run further and it's just as well I did.

The route was one I had run before although I added the full Bison Hill climb, rather than leaving the road half way up.  This is a serious climb around here and I love it!  

Although 24 hours later I do feel a little creaky, I am better than I was with last week's 14 mile run, so that's pretty good.  Suddenly all this makes me feel a bit more optimistic about the MK Marathon.  Already next week's long run is falling into place with arrangements for running while my eldest daughter has her tap dancing lesson: this should give me a 3 hour window to run around those country lanes between the grotty Luton and the okay Stevenage.

So, it's all coming together!

Sometimes, the harder the better?

I am not sure if any of this will make any sense.  My gut feeling is that this might strike a chord with some runners.  Here goes.

We all like to run on nice sunny days in perfect conditions and through wonderful scenery.  In some ways you could justifiably say "nothing could be better".  All this is true but sometimes I think there is a place for a really hard run when the weather is horrible - perhaps it's cold, wet with driving rain and high winds.

I remember some runs in the past when my face has been blasted by icy rain and sleet.  I have been wet through to the skin and the only thing keeping me warm is my on-going movement; if I had to stop for anything I'd instantly freeze.  Once I remember having a little bit of a tumble and looking down at blood dribbling down my legs, mixed in with muddy water and into my socks.  I can remember times when I have gone too far and I have been hurting all over.

A handful of times have seen me running around Stevenage in the dark, after work, in freezing conditions.  The heavy traffic with its noise and spray seems to make running harder.  Perhaps even worse is when you run against a traffic jam in those horrible conditions and people are watching you.

These are all important runs to me.

Stress, mental well-being

From time to time these hard runs are important mentally and for my well being.  The importance often seems to be related to work and the stresses and strains which seem to crop up occasionally.  Having a hard run seems to be a great way of overcoming those issues and simply rising above them.  It's almost a case of "I don't care how unreasonable, stressful and awful it is at work, you won't break me.  You can try as hard as you want but you won't beat me".

After a hard run, I invariably feel fantastic.  Those problems are still there, running doesn't change that.  The difference is being able to face those challenges, head-on and work through them one by one.  Sometimes this means letting somethings go, dropping them, letting someone win the argument even though I believe they are still wrong.  There are times when it's simply best to step back and allow someone else to feel a sense of victory and for me to know a sense of humility (even though I'm still right!).  It goes without saying there are times when I might look back on my part in things and if I am honest with myself, I might need to say "sorry" or to put something right myself.  This is about reconciliation and it's amazing how running can help make things clearer.

What's going on?

Naturally a hard run, of a decent length, will open the Runner's High tap.  Mentally I feel good, sometimes absolutely on top of the world and unbeatable. The Runner's High is the release of those feel-good endorphins which bring that lovely feeling and can last for several hours.

Having a hard run is also an excellent way of keeping things in perspective, not allowing problems to become bigger than they really are.  Isn't it easy for us to see our own problems as big problems?

For all of these reasons and many others, I need a hard run every now and again.  It does me good.  As I said right at the start, I'm not sure if this is going to make sense to anyone.  Does it?  Let me know.

Related:

What is the Runner's High?
Running to save my career

My #ChristmasRun everyday

For the last week I have been on holiday from work and I have been enjoying some great runs.  One of the utterly fantastic things about my holiday so far is that I have run EVERY DAY!  To date I have had eight runs.  This is something I had been looking forward to for a while because:

• I can handle daily running for a couple of weeks
• A great way of burning up all of those extra Christmas calories
• Running in the winter landscape can be a magical experience
• A way of grabbing some much needed daylight, some "me" time, so peaceful
• Burns off the frustrations and anxieties which have built up at work in the last few weeks (things are pretty demanding and challenging right now)
• I see it as a mini challenge which I have enjoyed before

In fact I did something pretty similar around Christmas 2012 and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Last year in 2013 I continued with the theme and cycled everyday, instead of running.  So this year it's back to running and I'm thoroughly enjoying it because:

• Every run has been completely different: my mood, the weather, the route and the distance (shortest is just under 2 miles, longest over 10 miles).  Yesterday it was frosty and frozen early in the morning.  Today I ran in the afternoon over and this included some muddy tracks
• I have had a mixture of long runs (my favourite!) and shorter runs
• Running on Christmas Day, at daybreak was special.  Only a couple of cars seen; no cyclists or other runners 
• Today's run was the best.  In fact it was my second 10+ mile run during this last week and although the weather was pretty cold (including a little snow flurry), I came back absolutely glowing and it's as if I could almost feel the blood buzzing right around my whole body: it was a wonderful run
• It has been an excellent way of spending some time thinking about all kinds of things.  Amongst those thoughts have been about my next challenge and I still haven't quite made up my mind.  Could be a running challenge, or perhaps cycling, or both or even something new.  Either way it's a nice thing to chew over as I still haven't decided
• I have been tweeting using the hashtag #ChristmasRun and it's been nice seeing what other people from around the world have been doing with their own Christmas running.
• I still have quite a few more runs to do.  I'm due back at work on 5th January and I'm planning to run each day until then.

Please leave me a comment if you've been running over Christmas.  What have you done, what's been special about it?

Latest stress busting run

A few things are happening which I mustn't forget to tell you about.  First things first, we are of course in December and this time of year is not exactly my favourite time of year for getting out there to clock up a few miles and yet there is still a certain appeal.  My next couple of posts will update you on some unexpected training with Leighton Buzzard Canoe Club and coaching my friend John.

Stress busting after work

The above photo was taken in Stevenage last week while on one of my post work runs.  People might knock Stevenage for having a few areas of deprivation, questionable architecture and not in-keeping with the rest of Hertfordshire.  And yet for me, I earn my daily crust there and it's great for running around.

Stevenage was designed as a post-war new town and largely laid out in the 1950s with significant growth taking place for some time afterwards.  In the 1950s the planners had the foresight to construct decent cycle paths and foot paths alongside the main roads which are generally dual carriage ways.  Certainly they could never have foreseen modern traffic volumes and yet it seems to work okay.  This means there are plenty of traffic free routes for runners and cyclists - great!

My latest run was after a particularly tough day at work and it did include a certain amount of stress for me.  Being able to log off, sign out and change into my running gear is a bit of a life-saver at the end of the day.

The conditions for this run aren't very apparent in the above grainy photo.  Actually it was cold, drizzly and pretty miserable.  I know this might sound a bit daft, I was almost hoping the conditions would have been far worse as this would give me something to fight against.  Does that make sense?  Let me explain.... sometimes it's almost as if I need a run to be really hard... to hurt.... to make me suffer.... to test me.  I can fight my way through horrible conditions, have snot running down my chin,  my face pounded by sleet or icy rain, my hands to be bitterly cold.  And yet deep inside I feel so good; I have just run five miles at a fast pace and sprinted the last 50 yards as fast as I could and arrived at my car panting and breathless.

The result?  Hot inside + Body Brimming with Life + Endorphins = Feel Great!

Those LBCC paddlers are good runners!

You will have to take my word for it: the photo in this post is Hannah and myself.  Some might say it's badly exposed, technically poor etc.  I would say it's atmospheric and hopefully sums up last night's run with Leighton Buzzard Canoe Club.

Firstly, just to avoid any confusion, the club isn't actually at Leighton Buzzard.  It is at Linslade which is a smaller adjacent town.  Secondly they don't paddle canoes as they paddle kayaks.  Glad to have cleared that up.

Once again Hannah was keen to join in with the winter training programme which involves me, as her Dad, taking her over to Linslade.   It makes sense for me to run alongside and I need little excuse.  We are gradually getting to know the club members, one by one and they're a friendly bunch.  This time there was about 10 of us and again Reggie was the coach and led as we ran from the Boat/Club House over to a park area in Leighton Buzzard, probably a mile or so to get there.   That was enough to get us warmed up.  When we were all there together, instructions were given as to the nature of the training session.

The plan this time was to run around a set path in the park, forming a triangle.  The first side was up an incline and then a flat section - these were to be the "effort" parts i.e. to work hard and run fairly hard.  The third side of the triangle is to be taken easier, either as a jog or an opportunity to take longer strides to stretch out a little.  Running around this triangle didn't take too long, perhaps 0.25 mile at most.  Now we were there, this was the plan:

Interval training

1 lap

  Rest 2 mins

2 laps

  Rest 2 mins

3 laps

  Rest 2 mins

4 laps

  Rest 2 mins

3 laps

  Rest 2 mins

2 laps

  Rest 2 mins

1 lap

  Return to club house

Man, did I need that run

All day I had been sitting at my desk at work, periodically looking out of the window and yearning for a good run.  I was tempted to have a run at lunchtime but the thought of sitting there all afternoon in a somewhat smelly state was enough to talk me out of it.

I didn't feel I was being very productive throughout the day.  The only thing I had in my diary was a slot at SMT (Strategic Management Team) where I had the hot seat to talk over something I was working on.  After I had said my piece I sat there listening to some of the conversation and again I found myself looking out of the window with thoughts of running but only for a split second as immediately there was the "Doug could I just ask you about page 5....."  This brought me back to Earth with an abrupt bump.

To bring some tedium to the day, which was probably self inflicted, there were a few more keyboard problems.  Again this was dealt with simply enough by tipping it upside down and giving it a good shake.  You wouldn't believe the amount of crumbs that fell out.  My colleagues felt sorry for me and one went off to get a can of compressed air and instead came back with a can of Spray Mount.  Luckily he realised it was GLUE, just before he sprayed it into my keyboard; now that would have been interesting.  Phew.

I promised myself I'd leave early, which I sort of did and drove home as quickly as I could, looking forward to a run so much.  I knew that any kind of a run was what I needed; it did not matter if it was a lone, in a group, short, long etc.  I simply needed a good run to clear my mind.

A positive effect

So even though the evening's run was quite chatty, it was just what I needed.  It took my mind off work in a fantastic way and gave me a good physical workout.

Throughout the run it was dark.  There was also a certain eery beauty to the run, which is crudely hinted at in the photograph above.   As we ran around the park the mist was gathering and as our own temperature increased, the air temperature dropped.  This meant our breath was adding to the mist.  Looking at ourselves and the other members of the group, some were positively steaming and had the ingredients of us making our own little micro climate of a pea soup fog.

This has also whetted my appetite for running at night time and this is handy in November with the daylight continuing to become shorter and shorter.  I have been a little apprehensive about this before in case I trip over again (I've had a few falls and injuries) but there's actually something quite nice about it.  For practical reasons, it makes sense to do it with someone else and right now there are some options - further running with my friends Nettie and John (who are new runners and I'm their ruthless, utterly harsh and unreasonable coach) and my friend Jon, who is a very accomplished and experienced runner.

Wrapping up

I really like going along to support Hannah as it means I can have a run as well.  Being the dutiful Dad I do try to keep to her pace or maybe just a little faster to egg her along a little and it's great to see her enjoying it so much - this is such a joy.

With the Kayaking Club in mind, I can see myself joining sooner or later (as a non-paddling member) as it's good to support a local club like this and to recognise how local communities really do benefit from such clubs.  Also I think the club is well respected in Linslade and Leighton Buzzard; people like seeing them using the canal in this way.

By the way, Wiggle have some great offers right now. Anything you buy will help support my blog - simply click the picture on the left.

Thanks in advance.

Being a bit "run down"

I'm a bit "run down".  How do I know this?  Four reasons:

1. I have a cold sore.  I can't remember having one like this before and I'll spare you of the details.  In general cold sores tend to emerge when people's health or resistance has been depleted a little.  Also referred to as "burning the candle at both ends".
2. I have a painful hand; though this might seem a bit weird.  In January 2011 I managed to injure my left hand - I fell over while I was running.  Click here for a blog post at the time.  No broken bones but more likely nerve damage according to the Doctor.  He said at the time it would take about a year to heal completely which ran true to form.  The crazy thing is that it's flared up now - there's no further injury or anything to aggravate it - it's just flared up and it's never done that before.  So that is another reason for knowing I'm "run down".
3. Few last minute things just done at work as I finish for the Christmas break.  This time I have annual leave booked until 6th January so a decent break.  Yesterday was my last day and I finished at 2.00pm (please no cheeky comments about public sector workers knocking off early - we work blooming' hard in ways most people will never know about).  I can tell you it felt good as I had my last 1:1 meeting with my manager, gave the Chief my Christmas greetings, watered my desk plant and set my 'out of office' and got out of the building as fast as anything.  This is all a sign that I need to get away from work and forget about it for a couple of weeks.
4. I am missing seeing daylight.  I drive to work when it's dark or just getting light and drive home in the dark.  I hate this; I need some daylight.  No, before you say it I don't need one of those SAD lights - I just need to be outside and feel the wind on my face and feel ALIVE!

Last year I ran over the Christmas break each day - and absolutely loved it.  This year I shall try and cycle instead, with the odd run thrown in.  I need to do this. Why? Glad you asked:

1. Dealing with the stress of work.  Having a decent run for an hour is such a wonderful way of dealing with those things.  If you are a runner you'll know this.  Probably the effect of the Runner's High and a chance to get out into some daylight and fresh air.  Plus the challenge of some hills.  Wonderful, simply wonderful.
2. Yep, cycling.  As much as I love running, I am going to spend more time on the bike for the next six months as I train for the Coast to Coast in a Day event in June 2014.  Heck that's not far away now and there's lots of training to do.  Because of that you might see more of me blogging on The Cycle Hub.   
3. I can tell you, drifting around at home, moping a bit is not good for me.  I get frustrated and need to get on and do something whether its us as a family or going for a blast on my own.
4. There are times when doing absolutely nothing is okay - that was the case yesterday evening.  A nice meal and watched two folios on TV.  That was then and now I need to get moving, as physically I don't want to get sucked into all those coughs and colds.  Having a cold sore is bad enough.  I just need to get moving!

Running in Stevenage

Here I am looking slightly knackered after a post work run around Stevenage in Hertfordshire.  I did this through the last winter and I'm in the habit of doing it through this winter.  I can tell you, it's a life saver for me.

My employer transferred me to a different office in 2012 and found myself based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.  Stevenage is a 'new town' and most of it is around 50 years old now.  While it is full of controversy in terms of whether its a nice place or not, it was designed with considerable foresight in my opinion.

All of the main roads are dual carriage ways which generally have roundabouts making sure crossroads work smoothly.  Running alongside these main roads is a network of cycle paths which I use for running.


My Stevenage running
A normal run in Stevenage for me is about 45 minutes and enough to easily do at least 5 miles.  From my office it's easy to get onto the cycle paths and there are a number of different routes I can take.  If there is enough daylight I normally head through Fairlands Valley; an extensive green space, complete with a yachting lake but these days I simply stick to the familiar cycle paths.

Running at rush hour time means there's plenty of cars on the roads and a handful of cyclists and other runners on the cycle paths, which is nice.  Why? I like seeing other runners and cyclists as I feel encouraged and there's a feeling of safety too - not that I feel particularly unsafe at all.

While Stevenage has some very socially deprived areas with the usual issues, I don't feel unsafe at all.  In fact the biggest worry is tripping up over the odd paving slab (this is something I do from time to time).

What the runs mean to me
After a day in the office I often feel a certain level of stress, for a variety of reasons.  I don't like that at all but the plus side is that I know a good run deal with it.  As I have said so many times before running melts away all of those stresses.

My last run was an interesting one.  It was dark when I set out and cold, at around 2 or 3C.  There was a little bit of drizzle in the air, so not the nicest of conditions.  As I ran I recalled it was the same route as  one from last December when I was seriously stressed out with a number of work-related worries.  The conditions then were awful and yet that made it so amazing.  Sometimes I need to run in challenging conditions with freezing conditions or heavy rain, snow or even blizzards to really make me feel ALIVE!  So on my last run I was almost disappointed the weather wasn't extreme or even more unpleasant - does that make sense?  The harder the run, the more I have to over come and the higher I feel afterwards.  I got back to the office and jumped into my car to drive home.  Felt good with those Runner's High helping me to feel on top of the issues.

Only runners will understand?
I hope that makes sense.  I suspect it will to fellow runners.  I remember someone once told me "….if they don't run, they won't understand what running is about".

So while some people might knock Stevenage for its awful architecture, drug dealers and roundabouts, I think its a great place to work and run to blow away all those stresses and strains.

The habit and benefits of running everyday

Just as we runners should have periods of rest, I believe getting into the habit of daily running can have some real benefits.  Here's a few thoughts:

Relevant for new and established runners alike 
If you're a new runner take care not to over-do-it and have some very short runs or power walks mixed in.  For those who are well established and seasoned runners, this can be an opportunity for some serious training.

Sense of achievement, no matter what
If you set yourself a target of running everyday for, say, two weeks, you can achieve that.  It is do-able.  Reminds me of those corporate-speak SMART objectives (specific, time limited, achievable and so on).  Once you have made your target there is a real sense of achievement: "I did this, even thought it was....." and you will have that memory to look back on.

Everyone can find time
Not having the time is an easy excuse to make and I sometimes do this myself.  But just stop and think, how long does it actually take?  In a week there are 7 days made up of 168 hours: surely you can find 15 minutes each day somehow?  If you are determined enough, you will.  Again this is where getting into the habit is useful, it becomes a part of your daily routine and you will miss it if you skip a day in an unplanned way.

Mix it up
This is important, really important.  Don't run exactly the same route, for the same length of time, at the same pace each day.  While that probably won't do you much harm if it is a modest distance, you can really benefit from mixing it up.  Having shorter, more intense runs will help your cardiovascular system while longer slow runs will help you build up endurance.

As an example, this is what I might typically do for a period of two weeks before easing back to just a couple of runs each week:

• Monday - 2 miles, easy pace
• Tuesday - 6 miles, hilly run
• Wednesday - 3 miles, easy pace
• Thursday - 7 miles, hilly run with some fast bursts
• Friday - 3 miles, moderate pace
• Saturday - 10 miles, hilly run, easy pace
• Sunday - 1 mile, easy pace

Having a schedule like this will also give your body a chance to recover after the longer or more demanding runs.  Please remember, this is just an example (of what I am going) but some will need to be considering much shorter distances and, likewise, some runners will be doubling those distances.

You will really strengthen your body
During this two week cycle, you will feel your legs ache a little from time to time.  Take care not to push yourself too hard or too far - if you do, you risk picking up an injury.  So listen to your body: pushing yourself a little makes your body stronger.  Each time you run and push yourself, you will put strain on your joints, muscles and tendons.  As the body repairs itself, these will become stronger.  Remember that if you push yourself too hard, 24 hours between runs won't be enough for those repairs to take place, so do bear this in mind - this is important.

The accumulative effect, however, of pushing yourself a little bit every day will be significant once the two weeks are completed.

You will sleep well
Well, this is a personal thing and based on my experience but I guess you might identify with it.  There is something special about being tired from having had a good run and just sliding into bed and dropping off to sleep instantly.  Also sometimes it's as if I know I'm sleeping well and finding it a true blessing.

Remember (and I know this is stating the obvious) to ensure you get adequate sleep.  You might need to have a little more sleep than normal, so please allow for this.

It can become addictive
You can take this either as an encouragement, or perhaps a warning.  I do believe running can be addictive and I have experienced some episodes like that, especially if I am prevented from having a run for some reason and then I really do miss it.  Maybe it's to do with the Runner's High which I love so much?

It can be nice to do for a specific reason
You might want to have a go at running everyday for two weeks for a variety of reasons, which could include:

• dealing with a stressful situation
• being on holiday and having new surroundings to enjoy
• weight loss goal
• coping through a difficult time
• simply because it's a good thing to do
• meeting the need to be outside

On that last point, I do value being able to run outside in the middle of the winter in a period of short daylight.  Last Christmas, for example, I ran everyday - click here for a day-by-day account of running for 12 days over the last Christmas holiday.

And afterwards
Give your body a chance to recover and rejuvenate.  Running for two weeks is brilliant and so too is having a rest afterwards.  You won't go losing that new level of fitness by missing a few runs - give your body an opportunity to consolidate and thoroughly heal itself.

Also, you can then reflect back on all those runs, reflect on the miles you have clocked up and revel in the progress and benefits you have gained.

Running and dealing with work issues (again!)

Although it's only a couple of days since I last ran, I really miss running!

I woke up at 3.30am, much earlier than normal.  I was wide awake: so I tried plugging my ear phones in and listening to the World Service on the Beeb - this is sometimes a nice way of drifting back off to sleep but alas it wasn't going to work so I "unplugged" myself.  As I lay there I could hear the flaps on our bathroom extractor fan ticking and the sound was travelling through the silent house - we've recently had it fitted and we're getting used to these new things.  The fan is ticking because it's so windy outside, as well as being so cold and dark.

I have things on my mind about work.  I can't go into the details here or really to tell you how I feel about things but I know a good run would help.  I reckon you know that as well, especially if you're a runner.

If it were summer time, the dawn might be breaking through and I could sneak out and run silently through the deserted streets and into the countryside.  I'd be the first to run through patches of cool air in the woods, the first to break through the cobwebs and leave some footprints in the dew.  I would run as silently as I could and all you'd hear would be gentle fleeting footsteps wafting by.  I'd be breathing in a nice rhythm, a steady pattern with ample in reserve.  My heart would be pumping away steadily at around 150bpm, again with more capacity in reserve but you'd never know.  I would jump over the patches of long grass, landing softly and hardly disturbing anything around me.

The sunrise would be a beautiful masterpiece in the sky; it would grow and develop in all it's glory, unfolding ahead of the new day.  I would work through these issues on my mind.  I'd run up a chalky, grass hill panting by the time I reached the top and it would all start to become clear. My thoughts would be straight, I'd have a solution - I would know what to say and to who.  I would know the counter arguments and deal with those, one by one.

And yet it is March.  It is cold, below freezing, very windy, dark and unpleasant outside.  I get up, sneak as quietly as I can to have a hot shower and get dressed.  I have turned the heating on and brewed some nice coffee - feels comforting but not the same as a good run.

I remember someone from our church saying we can worship God in all we do.  He explained "all we do" could mean while we do the most mundane things and we could seek that inspiration and to hear God's words in our hearts.  At the time I didn't take it in until one day, early one summer day I was running hard across an escarpment with far views across the rolling English countryside, I could feel those words and closeness.

These are all good reminders for me on why I started running in the first place and why it remains such a brilliant thing to do.  Never mind all those Action Learning Sets we have at work; running is a brilliant way of working through those issues and solving those problems!

Withdrawal symptoms - poor me!

Here in the UK we've had quite a lot of snow and sub zero conditions over the last 10 days.  Firstly I think "this is lovely" and there have been some fantastic frosts where everything looks so stunningly beautiful followed by the snowy countryside looking like an enchanting Christmas card scene.

Try running on it.  Even worse, try running on the compacted snow and sheet ice.  Man I'm lucky not to have a few broken bones.

Even even even worse are the feelings of withdrawal symptoms that I'm feeling.  This is bad and it is having an effect on me:

• Rising stress levels.  Nothing I can't handle but a good run certainly helps me think through some of those work related issues.  Lots going on and as I now work in an open plan office I have less space to think and even more so now as there are generally more people around these days.  They're great colleagues but we all in close proximity to each other
• My sleeping pattern has been thrown out.  I'm tending to fall asleep as normal i.e. within 30 seconds of going to bed and then I wake up at 3 or 4am - wide awake, things buzzing through my mind.  Running makes me more tired physically so I ordinarily sleep very well.  
• Weight.  I haven't weighed myself but I'm sure I must have gained a couple of pounds.  No problem shaking that off when I get going again
• A little less supple, perhaps.  Being a runner I notice those subtle changes in my body more easily, a little like the above item of probably gaining a little weight - subtle changes you notice
• I know how running helps keep my digestion running smoothly and.... well.... I'll spare you the details.

I am simply missing that Runner's High.  Simple as that.

But now I see the weather forecast is for a bit of a thaw over the next few days, heading towards the weekend.  I don't think I have ever looked forward as much to those grey, dull, miserable days as much as I am now!

Just as well really, apart from the effect that not running is having on me, it also means I'm losing out on my training schedule for the MK Marathon. Did I tell you a friend of mine is also going to enter the MK marathon?  I'm really pleased about that and I was delighted and surprised when he told me. Actually I'm really delighted. I think we might manage different times and just so good to have a friend there who is also doing it.

So, roll on the weekend!

When is the best time to run?

Knowing when the best time of day to run is an interesting question.  Like many simple questions the answer is sometimes a little more complex.  Here goes....


Many people who run are fortunate in having a choice and frequently people stick to what they know works best for them, perhaps without always knowing why it works.  For others it can be a case of grabbing a run whenever the opportunity comes along.


Morning

The big attraction of running in the morning is that it's a brilliant way of starting the day.  Somehow having a good run before the day actually gets going is forming a good foundation, getting the day off to a good start.  No matter what happens during the day, you've had your run and, in my view, are more likely to be able the stresses and whatever the day throws at me.  Myself, I think it can go further than just that.  I have "waxed lyrical" many times about the privilege of being the first to run through some cobwebs, or being out in the quiet of the day, before anyone else.  That can be a very special thing but not everyone will identify with that.

Running before breakfast is also a comfortable thing to do as I hate running with any kind of food in my stomach.  Last weekend I ran up to my Mother-in-Law's house which is just under 7 miles away.  With my Sunday lunch inside me it felt as if I was pregnant; twins at least!  That was seriously uncomfortable!  Going out before breakfast means you can have a "recovery" breakfast when you get back.  Fruit, fruit smoothies are ideal as these are full of antioxidants and these have a role to play in repairing the damage caused through training, as well as mopping up any free radicals.

It has been said that people who run in the mornings are more likely to form a long term habit of running.  Also, as there is likely to be less carbohydrates stored, you could be burning more fat than compared to other times during the day: for some, this could be a real attraction.

Another advantage is that you are more likely to sleep better the following night (I can vouch for this).

Chances are it will be the coolest time in the day too.

Lunch time (12.00 onwards)

Probably the warmest, brightest and busiest part of the day which on the face of it may not be too attractive.  However, you've probably been active during the morning and your muscles will be a little warmer and this could reduce the risk of some injuries.  Also you are more likely to be well hydrated, which, depending on how far you are likely to run, will be helpful in keeping you energised.

For some it could be a chance to escape the office for half an hour; that running space could be a life-saver in stressful, difficult positions.  It might open up possibilities of interacting with work colleagues in a different manner - relationships, status, power, hierarchies could all change.

Although I haven't been off running at lunch time when I'm at work, I sometimes go for a walk and I find I concentrate better in the afternoon.  Following that through, I wonder if running would have an even better effect on my at-work performance.

Evening

Possibly a good time of day for unwinding, as a way of dealing with the stresses and strains of the day. Chances are your body will be working at it's peak and therefore performance could be at it's best.  Your aerobic capacity could be at its best and you'll be well nourished with plenty of glycogen based energy ready to fuel your run.

Evenings also tend to be popular times for other runners to be out and about, so it could be a more sociable time of day, especially if you like running with other people.  If you're in a running club the chances are you'll be having training runs in the evenings.

Whichever you choose

The important point is to get out there and run and I think it's worth experimenting with to find something that suits you, although much does depend on the routine of other family members as well.

For myself, it has to be the morning!  How about you?

Christmas holiday run # 8

These feet have been running for a little over ten miles in about 1 hour 20 minutes, but at home.......

"Just stop right there" demanded Rachel "and while your at it, get those socks off"

It's not often socks leave a muddy trail across the floor but today was one of those times.

"You stink" was expressed in such a loving way "So the sooner you get up those stairs and into and into the shower the better"

In our house I know when I'm beaten, especially after a run.  People just stand and stare while holding their noses and point up towards the bathroom.

I took my shower, washed off all the mud from my legs and feet.  I reflected on such a great run; I had been looking forward to it so much.  In my book this counted as a long run as it was about 10 miles and included two very noticeable climbs, plus a few undulations, mostly roads (some flooded, still), muddy tracks, slimy slippery leaves and a good blast at the end.  Everything was right.

Well, nearly everything was right.  This run was during the afternoon which wasn't bad as at least I could see where I was going.  The downside was that I was not running on an empty stomach.  This made me feel a tad uncomfortable for the first half hour.

I saw a couple of other runners which cheered me and I remember saying "hi" but I was lucky to get a grunt back today.  Both were rather red faced, over dressed I thought and toughing it out from the look of them.  Why people wear those baggy thick jogging bottoms for running in I'll never understand.  This might be December but it's very mild at 10C and shorts should be the norm.  Besides, much less for the washing machine on getting back home.

So, how was I feeling?

Quick answer - not bad.

More detail - flippin' great.  My legs are, to be honest, a little tired from this run but I have now been running for eight consecutive days.  I know I'll be fine for another (shorter) run tomorrow.  It goes without saying I am enjoying nice dose of "runner's high" which is very welcome.

The runner's high is so welcome as I had such a depressing experience earlier in the day.  You see, I drove over to Welwyn Garden City to collect a friend of Hannah as they were spending time together today.  The start of the route was the same as my drive to work.  At the junction where I would normally turn right to WGC I carried straight on, as if I was driving to work.  After a couple of miles I realised my mistake and turned off to get back down onto the right road, which was straight forward enough.  I was so cross with myself as I'd been doing so well in keeping thoughts of work well out of my mind.

So all in all, a pretty good run.  I had high expectations and was not disappointed.  I love the challenge of doing something like this as well as enjoying the benefits.  My running is a little smoother and I seem to need less time to loosen up so something is going okay.

Please let me know....

....if you're doing any kind of Christmas running challenge, or any other kind of new challenge over the Christmas period.  I'd be really interested to hear.  

Just leave a comment below.

Related:

The joy of a long run

Christmas holiday run # 1

Although I have been running 3 or 4 times a week lately, I have been really looking forward to this run today.  Why?  It is the first day of my Christmas holiday and I'm planning to run each day until I return to work on 2nd January.

So the start of the Christmas holiday makes this run a little symbolic I suppose and significant for some other reasons.

Reason 1

Today is the shortest day for us here in England, I believe.  The Winter Solstice here in the northern hemisphere is when the sun, at midday, is at it's lowest point through the year.  It rises a little later and sets a little earlier than yesterday.  We're just at that point where the Earth will start to move towards those balmy longer days.  Although a part of me loathes the winter for all it's darkness, coldness and bleakness, there is a certain beauty in it and for that reason I like it.  That's not to say I don't like the summer - I do - it's much nicer but as winters go, this is okay.  So there's a novel and significant aspect of the run today.

Reason 2

I am feeling very stressed because of work.  I cannot tell you the details suffice to say I am feeling very frustrated and stressed out.  Running is a wonderful antidote and I am sure it will help over the next few days.  Those endorphins will be kicking in, my mind will be filing all those meetings away, along with those reports, papers and other things to where they belong.

Reason 3

The run started at 3.15pm and lasted about an hour.  It started with me saying it was a jog around the block (about 1km) but it ended up being my on-road hilly run of 6.5 miles.  I loved it.   I couldn't stop!  My running form was a little stiff to start with but towards the end I was much more relaxed and I was going a good deal faster.  All those after-work runs paying off.

I think running a little and often is very helpful; even a 10 minute run is better than nothing and it helps keep you supple.  Besides, a 10 minute run will be fuelled by 100 calories, maybe a few more or less depending on the usual factors.

Reason 4

I just needed to do it. My normal run is either 6.5 or 7.5 miles including a bit of huff and puff up one or two hills.  I feel in good shape for a longer run either tomorrow or Sunday.  The kids will be told they can go to bed any time they wish now they are on their school holidays  The small print is that we have breakfast together every morning at 8.30am so they must be able to wake up and be down for that.  Gives me time for a pre-breakfast run, he he he.

Reason 5

There are a few blog posts in my mind as usual and this time I'm hoping to actually sit down and write them.  Amongst these are some comment on rising obesity levels throughout the country, yet again.  Also I have been commissioned by Healthspan to review some health food supplements which I'm currently taking and will be blogging about those soon.  Running helps me work through these and other things I need to write about.

Why a tough run is good for me

I went for yet another run after work today, third time this week.  Really needed it and I must admit I skipped off early, feeling a tad guilty but I'm sure it all balances out in the end.

I covered the same ground as I did earlier in the week with my colleague Chris, except I went about a mile further and got back to the office in under an hour.  Felt quite pleased about that as I wasn't aiming for a brisk run.  The actual run is of little consequence really but what was important was the weather conditions.

The weather was horrible.  By that I mean it was cold, getting dark, about 5C, wet with a complete mixture of drizzle and a squally shower in blustery rain.  I was in an urban environment and mostly on cycle paths but I wished I was running somewhere else for a bit.  In my mind's eye I was in the Black Mountains for a while: that was good.

I know this might sound crazy but I wanted the weather to be horrible - almost to raise the game, give myself a tough run and have my face pelted with sleet and get really exhausted.  It wasn't that bad but I wanted it to be.  I had serious things to work through in my mind; dealing with work anxieties and rising above those issues.

Then I remembered from some other runs I have done some time ago.  Running in difficult conditions can have a magical effect - the challenge, the discomfort, the aching legs, cold hands, the miles completed and the miles to come - but it really works.  Although you hate it at the time, there's just something about it afterwards that you savour, something to make you feel good about yourself.  You get that sense of achievement.  Don't care what happens because I can handle it.  Thank God for running, for helping me keep things in perspective, for helping me to eave work at work and not bring it home in my mind.

So I wanted the weather to be horrible, to give myself an unpleasant, tough run in order to maybe test myself or prove I could handle anything like that?  Makes sense to me.  Does this make any sense to you?

Surviving the winter months

Here in England I love the different seasons, right from the cosiness of the winter through to the balmy days of summer.  And yet I find my mood can drop during the winter months, especially if it drags on for too long.  I could sulk my way through in a grumpy kind of way or do something about it.  If you read my blog you'll know I achieve this by running and cycling.

This year I am not looking forward to the winter at all.  Not sure why.  Could be memories of the last two winters that brought more snow and freezing temperatures than ever.  Could be thoughts of settling back into life here at home - just a few days ago we were enjoying the lovely climate of Spain and some brilliant runs.

This morning at 6.30am, just as daylight was starting to appear, I went out for my favourite 7.5 mile hilly run.  I loved it, my running form was reasonably fluid and I stormed up a short hill on my way back.  Cold but brilliant and in my thoughts I devised my strategy for surviving this winter.  Here it is:

• Keep remembering how important exercise is; mentally and physically
• "Deal with the winter weather Doug".  This is probably my biggest obstacle.  I hate running and cycling in the dark.  It is a problem and there to be solved.  Believe there is a solution, or solutions. 
• Do NOT re-join DW Fitness Club (other than possibly taking advantage of a Christmas offer for a two week trial at a bargain price).  
• Eat well - I think I have a pretty good vegetarian diet but it does mean a bit of effort to make sure I get everything I need.  Have some enjoyment in trying out some new things (and good blog material!). It also means not eating too much or allowing some weight to creep up.  My BMI is around 22 and that's where it's staying
• Not to be afraid of spending some money if it means getting through the winter.  This is probably going to involve buying a turbo trainer to maintain cycling in those dark horrible evenings.  Could cost £100 to £200 but this outlay would last for years
• Buy some proper winter cycling clothing.  Keeping warm on the bike is my biggest challenge.  I am sure getting the clothing right is important, even though I might look a bit odd in black cycling tights and Captain Kirk-style overshoes.  But these keep you warm and dry on the bike, so just what I need.  Start with gloves and a skull cap to fit under my helmet.
• Be disciplined.  Make sure I exercise 5 out of every 7 days.  Even if it is just a 15 minute jog around our neighbourhood but ideally I need each work-out to be about an hour
• Stay healthy.  I have already had a flu jab.  Man these make you feel awful a few days later, but that's done.  Only cost £8.00 at Sainsbury's and even better my employer will reimburse me for this - this is a cost effective of maintaining a healthy workforce.  Plus we have a KPI target for this and right now it's not looking too good.  So - I'm staying warm, avoiding flu, bugs and so on.  This also means not over training - pushing too far actually can lower resistance and our natural immunity
• The countryside can be fantastic in the winter
• Look forward to Spring.  I have already signed up for the 2013 MK Marathon in May and looking forward to that.  Running through the winter will make all the difference to coming in at under 4 hours. Earlier in 2012 I did that race and love looking back on it.  All more the reason to have another go.  Naturally I'll be another year older but faster for it.

Hope shining from difficult times?

These beautiful clouds remind me there is always hope, even in the most difficult situations.

I am worried.  Worried about a couple of people I know and I'd like to tell you a bit about them here and what they're going through.  The reason for this is because I feel a lot of empathy for them in their difficult situations and reminded me of my own story (see About) from some time ago.  One is dealing with the situation in a number of ways, which includes running and the other isn't quite at that stage.  I am wanting to do "my bit" and possibly encourage them as best I can but for now I'd like to share their stories.  It goes without saying I am, for the purposes of my blog, changing their names and being a little economical with the details.

Adam

I see Adam from time to time.  We have known each other for a few years now but over recent weeks he's opened up and shared some difficulties in his life.  He's a decent hard working man, practical and realistic about things.  Certainly, from my point of view, an easy person to get a long with.

Adam has, for all the time I've known him, been a fairly heavy man.  That combined with middle age, a difficult job, a good salary means he's able to afford an "affluent" lifestyle (restaurants, foreign holidays) and with little exercise they have all started to conspire against him.  Add to that some relationship problems - which have sadly led to a separation from his wife - and the emergence of an eating disorder has compounded the problem.  I didn't know about the disorder until he recently shared that with me, along with some of the counselling he's having.

Happily Adam has caught the running bug and the weight is dropping from him.  In fact I'm amazed at how quickly he's becoming thinner.  He can run for about 3 or 4 miles, including a hill.  It is giving him courage to over come the difficulties he's living through in terms of his marriage and his eating addiction.  I've noticed him refuse food and instead sips water from a big pink bottle he carries around everywhere with him.

We have talked a little about running, fairly superficial but I have not had the right opportunity to tell him about my story.  Not sure I will tell him, though perhaps in time I may but for now it's all about him.

It is really good to see Adam making such progress; even when I last spoke to him on the phone he was more upbeat than normal.  Horrible situation with his marriage and I wish things could look brighter.  Although resolving that in the right way (i.e. restoring their relationship) is the best thing to hope for and I say that as I'm a bit old fashioned with that kind of thing and I'm sticking to that.  He's seeing some brightness on the horizon and just starting to feel the mental and physical benefits of running.  I even joked saying "Adam one day I can see you entering a race...." and before I knew it he said "now that's not a bad idea, maybe a 10k before Christmas".

Brian

Unfortunately Brian isn't at Adam's stage as yet.  Although I might be wrong, it looks like he needs to go down a little more before he comes zooming back up.  He's a little younger than me, single and a nice gentle giant kind of man.  Like Adam, he's in a tricky job but one way the demands are more emotional because of the nature of the work.  Plus he gets pulled in all kinds of different directions and it looks like those above him allow that to happen, or at least it seems that way from what Brian says.

He's going through a rough patch at work, he says.  Through some health niggles he's accumilating a pattern of needing a few days off fairly often and this has been noticed.  Now I don't work with Brian so I don't really know the deal; how his employer will play this one.  The health niggles include some depression that results in him burying himself under a duvet for a few days at a time and this, I think, adds to the weight problem.  Weight, oh yes, I'd guess and say he is about double his ideal weight, give or take a bit.  He has mentioned he takes loads of pills for this and that including gout.  This is not good.  

Not sure he's recognising there is a positive way out of this as yet: perhaps at the "pre-contemplation" stage.

Reflections

I can see myself in both Adam and Brian, or at least as I was heading a few years ago.  I was on their path in gaining weight and not dealing with stress very well.

My guess is we often have to reach a certain point when that decision is made to do something about it.  The first stage is recognising their is a problem and something needs to be done.  I remember being at that stage and thinking through different options and praying about it.  As a Christian with a strong, real faith, I can bring all these worries to God who, in His timing, shows the way.  I am now thankful I've gone through those difficult times to bounce back - all part of the great plan - but we often don't see it happening at the time.

In terms of Adam and Brian, they don't know what lies ahead anymore than I do.  Yet in terms of physical exercise and taking care of himself, Adam has turned the corner but Brian has yet to reach it.  Naturally life is complex - you can't simply solve problems by becoming a runner - but for me it helps.