Ice Marathon

All this running in the snow got me thinking about how cool it would be to run at the North or South Pole.

Potential futue challenges for me include

The North Pole Marathon April 2012

http://www.npmarathon.com

The Ice Marathon- South Pole Nov/Dec 2011

/http://www.icemarathon.com/


How cool would that be.....................

Watch this space...............................

Weight

I thought I should weigh myself before I really start training.

I weighed in at 12 stone 7 pounds which is 145 pound and just under 80 kgs this is about 3 pounds more than when I ran New York but it is just after Christmas.

Training run 30th December

Ran my usual 3 mile run tonight, unfortunately the battery went on my Garmin so I do not know the time, but felt I was running slightly faster than previous.

I am looking forward to Knacker Cracker New Years Day, although I know it is going to be tough

Bananas

Bananas contain 3 types of natural sugar; sucrose, fructose and glucose as well as a significant amount of fibre. Bananas have more digestible carbohydates than   
all other fruits making it a great snack when you are feeling low on energy. Your body needs carbohydrates for energy and bananas are wonderful performance enhancing foods for athletes. Just two bananas provide enough energy for an intense 90 minutes workout as well as providing other necessary ingredients.

Diet

Calcium - Bones - Milk/Orange juice/Broccoli

Iron - Haemoglobin in the blood- Red Meat/Broccoli/Fortified Cerals

Vitamin C - Natural Antioxidant - Oranges

Zinc - Immune system- Seafood - Fortified Cerals

Omega 3 - Anti Inflammatory - Salmon

Training run 28th December 2010

Due to run with running club but decided to go for an early run tonight so that I could spend the evening with my family. I ran 8 miles it was a good steady run.

I was very hungry, I had only eaten a bowl of soup today and this made me think about the need to consider my diet especially before I go for a run.

Every journey begins with the first step

Today was the first day of my training programme for London.  Initial run was 3miles in 27.07.It is still very slippery. Definitely like these short runs.

Avoid negative thinking

Following on from my thoughts of motivation and energy it is important to avoid negative thoughts as this will destroy my motivation and focus. I experienced this a bit whilst I was training for New York Marathon. I was worried that I would cramp up and not be able to finish. If this had happened I would have been really really disappointed. This actually made me very cautious during my training and I held back because I did not want to injure myself. I am not going to do this for London.

It is also interesting to note that the negative thoughts tend to  grow in you mind and mole hills can become mountains.

The important point is to stay focused on the goal.

Boxing Day short run

I ran my short course today - just over 3 miles. Still very icy under foot which made me cautious  as I did not want to slip over. I really enjoyed the run changing my training programme to include short runs is going to benefit me greatly. Then went out for a walk over High Elms with the whole family again very slippery.

Energy and motivation follow thought

If the mind is the key driver for  moving energy around the body then it will also be key in determining my motivation. Positive thoughts will create positive energy, this will follow through into my overall enthusiasm and  body language.

It is therefore important for me to create a clear vision in my mind of me achieving the desired result. (see previous blog posting a few minutes meditation).

The vision is running London Marathon in a good time but I feel like there needs to be another prize- A reward even!

Hold that thought and think about how good it will be when I have achieved this.

Club Run 21st December The Longest Day

Really excellent club run last night. We ran around High Elms in the snow. It was pretty cold but I soon warmed up. The Golf course was covered in mist and was absolutely silent. The view was so peaceful and magical. One of those experiences where I really appreciate how lucky I am to be able to run.  After the run I ran back home making an effort to concentrate on:

Lifting my head
Running from the centre
Engaging arms
Relaxing

It really felt good so I must work on this plus incorporate the speed work and find a hill to practice on.

Motivation back!!!!

Motivation in winter

One of the basis of Tai Chi is living in harmony with nature and natures energy. In the current  current dark snowy conditions I have mentioned that  my motivation to go for a ran has reduced. Last night I went for a walk in the snow, it was very quiet. There was no wildlife to be seen. I suddenly realised that I am not suffering from lack of motivation but rather my body is tuning into natures cycles and is keeping itself warm and preserving energy and this is reflected in reduced motivation.

Thinking

Since New York marathon I have lost focus plus the weather has been bad and now I have a cold. I have also been reading all the training people are Tweeting about and my lack of training makes me feel like a wimp. I should be building on my  New York training and not sitting around letting it all go to waste.

My body is telling me to rest and take it easy and that is what I will do. Hopefully it will give my body plenty of time to repair and then I will hit the training hard after Christmas.

However, this down time has given me a bit of time to reflect on my running and how it links with Tai Chi.

Tai Chi is driven from the centre of the body (a place about 2" below navel- very important in combat as this is where you generated your power) and I need to bring this concept into my running. At moment I seem to be running more with my legs and my attention tends to be looking down slightly and I am not relaxed. I must make an effort to start driving my running form the centre of my body, lift my head so attention is looking forward (as in Tai Chi focus always on your opponents head), this will straighten my body alignment and I will be running more naturally. I will also engage arms to help with momentum.


Remember for next run:

1. Lift head. This will straighten the body
2. Run from the centre
3. Engage arms
4. Relax

Results to follow.........

Karate Concept Number 1

I live in this world which no matter how insignificant, I have helped to create. I cannot help what has passed, however, I can, through my practice of Karate modify my future actions to bring about the improvement of all things.

Some 10k Maths

I ran my 10k last night in 52.30 which is a lot slower than my personal best of 47.50 and if I am aiming for a sub 45 I have alot of work to do.

At 52.30 I am running a mile is 8.75 my PB is just under 8.00 and to beat 45.0 I will need to be running at 7.50 (7 mins and 30 sec)
minutes a mile.

I ran fairly consistently last night and I was happy with my technique so I know I can start improving my time.

Fantastic quote by Joe Simpson

Nobody grows old living a number of years,
people grow old by only deserting their ideals,
years wrinkle the skin but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul,
worry, doubt, distrust, fear and despair.........
these are the long, long years that bow the head and turn the growing spirit back to dust.

Joe Simpson's book The Beckoning Silence

The Knacker Cracker 1st January 2011

Just entered The Knacker Cracker Britain's toughest 10k which is run on 1st January 2011, what a way to start the New Year.

http://www.trionium.com/knackercracker/

This will undoubtedly be a tough race but going down with a few other guys and it will be good fun (if you can call running up and down Box Hill fun!)

A few minutes meditation

One of the great enjoyments in life is wonderful relaxation. During relaxation the mind finds the ability  to still itself and the stillness reflects in the conscious mind which then reflects into the physical body. Concentration of mental energy then allows for greater focus and the body will become more relaxed. Each time you meditate you draw powerful healing energies  through your body (mentally, physically and emotionally). During the period of relaxation listen to what your body and intuition are telling you to do. If you want to achieve a goal use a visualisation of you achieving that goal this will create powerful images and will be retained in the sub conscious mind.

I only really need to sit quietly for a few moments, relax, listen my body and I can feel the benefits immediately. Meditation is excellent if you about to do something that is important or you are nervous about doing something. This is why you athletes relax before an event and visualise the end result, but if you are not relaxed, the energy will not flow freely through you body and performance will be reduced.

Running in the ice at night 7th December

Decided to go for a run with running club tonight. Brian was leading a small group, we set off about 20.00pm through High Elms and the fields around Farnborough. It was a bright night so visibility was not too bad. The running surface was terrible-The paths were covered in compacted snow/ice and were quiet slippery my feet were slipping and rolling all over the place. Over the fields you could run in the snow to the side of the paths but this was very tough- like running through treacle- strange. We ran up hills across the field and this was very tough- I thought OMG I cannot have lost so much fitness in a month but found out that everyone thought it was tough. Running in the snow was like have some weights on your trainers.
We run just over 5 mile in about 1 hour. My right knee was really painful so will need to rest for a while!

Training programme for Virgin London Marathon April 2011

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I have now worked out my training programme for VLM. It is a 16 week programme which starts on 27 December. In summary the plan is to run 540 miles which is a 71% increase on the mileage over the same period for my previous two marathon. Plan is to do a 3 mile fast run  on a Monday, Tuesday club run say 6- 10 miles, Wednesday Tai Chi, Thursday 6 mile run incorporating some hill work, Friday Tai Chi, Saturday 4 mile  run incorporating Farlet and finally Sunday will be long run and finish off the week with Karate. During this training period I will also be looking  closely and diet and fitting in regular massages.

It is snowy

Unfortunately due to heavy snow I have not been able to go for a run for a few days and I am starting to get very restless. Decided to go for a long walk. It is amazing how quiet and still everything was. I am going to hold the memory in my mind ready for when I am next running in the sun.