Day 223: Back to the canal to avoid the downhills

RUN: 8.3 miles

Today I took a trip to the lovely flat canal. Although I am usually a fan of running downhill, it's the downhill that hurts my foot, so I thought I stood the best chance on the flat for my longest run of the week.

It is a lovely sunny day, so there were all sorts of people enjoying a walk/run/cycle on the towpath.

Having taped up my foot and taken some painkillers I managed a good 8.5 miles. On the training plan, this is a 12-mile day, but I'm still pleased with today's effort. The inside of my leg is also hurting now - the shin splints return. Here's today's run



Day 222: Foot pain on a one-mile rest day

RUN: 1.2 miles

My foot is in a bad way. I watched this video to get some tips and I'll be taping it up for tomorrow's run.
I'm going to attempt 12 miles, but it's looking doubtful I'll make it that far. Tonight's one mile was pretty painful, so it doesn't bode well. Hopefully some ibruprofen and tape support will help.

 Here's today's one-miler

Day 221: Six miles and a good chat

RUN: 6.2 miles

Tonight I was joined by my friend Amy for part of my Thursday six-miler.
It was lovely to have company again. The chatting defintely helps to distract from the actual running, and before you know it you're at the top of the hill. It's all in the mind.
A few months ago I couldn't even run half a mile without stopping, let alone run up a big hill and talk. Thanks for joining me, Amy!

By the end of the run, the top of  my right foot was really hurting. I think I'll have to tape it up and hope for the best. Fingers crossed it behaves for my big 12-mile run this weekend.

Here's our run today

Day 220: A horrible, horrible Wednesday run to work

RUN: 7.6 miles

Well... that was by far the worst run I have done so far.
This morning on the news I saw there was a weather warning for wind and rain, so I expected to get a bit wet.
What I actually got was a trip into a boggy field to retrieve my hat that blew off; swept off my feet by the wind right into (almost over) a wall; stung really hard by rain, plus some hailstones thrown in for good measure.
And as if all that wasn't enough I had to shelter behind a gatepost because I couldn't see. The rain was coming down so hard it was like standing under a shower. Running into the wind all the way was pretty exhausting too, but I got there eventually. Phew!

Here's a very bad photo of the field I waded into - through barbed wire - to get the hat back (the white thing). It's taken through my hi-tech all-weather phone protector (a sandwich bag!)

Here's today's awful run

Day 219: Powering through in the sideways rain

RUN: 6.2 miles

Since I wrote on day 182 that the weather has affected my running less than I'd imagined, I think mother nature has been trying her best to make my life difficult - snow, ice, and now thunder storms, high winds and torrential rain.

Tonight it was wind and rain attempting to put me off going out. But I had six miles to do, according to the training programme, so off I went. It was a really good, strong run, actually. It's very wet but the temperature is a good 10 degrees - so no runny nose! - and the rain kept me nice and cool. Result.

Here's my route up to Yeadon

Day 218: A nice little 'rest' in a storm

RUN: 1.2 miles

On the marathon training programme I'm following, Mondays and Fridays are 'rest days', which means just the one mile (ish) for me.
Luckily today is a Monday, because it was thundering and lightning, chucking it down with rain and really windy. Glad to call it a day after just over a mile.
Here's today's run

Here's my training schedule. It looks like there are plenty of rest days with each Monday and Friday... but, of course, no rest for me!

Day 217: Marathon training begins after the thaw

RUN: 10.0 miles

Today is the first day of the 16-week marathon training schedule, and we woke up to a complete thaw! No more gym!

Sundays are the day for the weekly long runs, so I planned out my first 10-mile run and headed out into the sunshine. Here's today's run

It turned out the miracle thaw didn't reach as far as the old railway path through Yeadon...

And big thaw = big puddles....