Auviour Paris: So long and thanks for the cobbles

Ten make sure your batteries are charged up properly. How far up the hill do you run Oscarr?

mcs - i think tonight it is what they nickname Kenyan hills (cos thats what they do) where you go hard up AND down - pick a reasonable slope - go up and down for a total of 6 mins - 1 min recovery - do another 6 mins and try to get beyond the point you finished the first one - etc for 3 or 4 reps.  As i remember from the last time we did it i got half way up the hill for a third time in the 6 mins which will give an idea about the length of the hill - about 600m or so.

Sounds like hell, all the best. I am going to have a hill session tomorrow lunchtime as a mile hill outside the office, which is where the GG goes, though there is a road for a mile up hill alongside the woody off road path that is all mud at the moment. Probably stick to the off road path and try out the Speedcross 3s get them muddy and dirty.

Hi folks

Talking of Kenyans - thought I'd share this with you (taken from a book called More Fire - How to Run the Kenyan Way by Toby Tanser):

15 things to learn from the kenyans:

1. Injury prevention.. the best way to avoid a spear is to stand out of range...Kenyans are excellent at resting up if a possible injury pain is noticed.

2. Simple methods are executed with imposing intensity. (don't over complicate things!)

3. Train with a group

4. Try to eat 3 meals a day - Kenyans rarely eat between meals and seldom have desserts ()

5. Don't look for perfection - Kenyans do not get down in the dumps after a bad performance or session.  Being out there and trying, means you are a winner and that is the Kenyan way.

6. Don't add up your weekly mileage.  Most Kenyans only know their mileage to satisfy Western journalists.  The ethic of the focus is to concentrate on the given day.

7. Choose one coach or training plan, and stick to it!  If you chase one chicken, you stand a better chance of catching it than chasing after two!

8. Utilise blocks of training with non-active rest periods.  Kenyans are excellent at realizing the most scientific, effective, superb form of resting the body is to do absolutely zilch.

9. Don't push the body when tired. There is always another day.

to be continued...

10.  Run off-road...too much time on hard surfaces...kills the speed and the natural spring in the legs.

11. Be optimistic.

12. Strengthen your ankles.

13. Lightweight, flexible shoes to keep feet as strong as possible

14. Run to improve running! Too much cross training strengthens non-running muscles that pull Westerners out of natural alignment.

15. Nothing comes easy is another slogan of Kenyan running but what is achieved by pushing your own limits is life's richest reward.

Discuss ????

mcs wrote (see)

Ten make sure your batteries are charged up properly.

My headlamp doesn't take rechargeables   I take the point, though.  I could take spare batteries, but I'm still infamiliar with the torch, so changing them in the pitch black could be a nightmare!  I have (just) decided that I will carry a wind-up hand torch as a backup in an emergency.  It would be difficult to run using it, but it would get me out of some deep doo-doo if my headlamp suddenly cut-out in the middle of the trail.

Sleepy Bear wrote (see)

7. Choose one coach or training plan, and stick to it!  If you chase one chicken, you stand a better chance of catching it than chasing after two!

This is the one I've really taken to heart this time around.

I'll happily read around the subject and see what people say about aspects of the plan, but my aim is to stick to it as written as far as is possible.  I won't change it for the sake of change - only when it becomes necessary.

Of course, it helps that I am really enjoying the plan that I'm following.

I'm claiming numbers 5, 7, 9, 10 - 15 as things I can relate to - the rest I'm not so good at...

That does indeed make a huge difference Ten - enjoyment is always 90% of motivation for me! Possibly also why I don't achieve number 4

I think the wording for number 4 should be "Kenyan's rarely eat".

or get eaten

Hi all 

Just caught up after another day of multiples this time involving Alter G - a steady 7, bit of a strength session from the Brain book, even some of that mad jumping up the wall, Mc Millan drills in the kitchen, and then I had to sit down because my sister made me enter the York marathon, made me do it I tell you!

I'm feeling a bit despondent - both feet are now a bit sore, as are both hips.  Nothing major but not right.  I did do a double 5K progression spectaular on Monday after Tad on Sunday, then just Aqua Jog and Pilates yesterday.  

Bo I really feel for you, I gave myself sciatica doing chi running in the snow in York a few years ago.  I do know a Thai Yoga therapist and sculptor called Lucinda who can sort it in two of the longest hours you will ever live if you fancy the direct approach. 

I thought I did but my feet would differ I'm sure, indeed i had to laugh this morning when I heard myself bemoan bruising on the latest foot to demur, only to realise that this was caused by the sports massage guy last night, spontaneous stigmatalike phenomenon this is not.

SB I'm not going to start throwing a discus now!  Sorry I am channelling Ten tonight! 

Spitting is not good, and particularly disturbing is that very loud dredging noise that precedes it.  So long as they don't try to kiss you immediately afterwards it can be instantly forgotten I guess. 

reiki - not surprised you're sore after that lot! Don't be despondent - sounds like fatigue to me - keep at it, strength work takes time to take effect. Very jealous about York - but sticking to my plan - it's on the list for another year tho!  How 'bout a spear?

Got round to looking up sciatica as I know a few people just now suffering - interesting recommendations for its prevention :

"There are some steps you can take to minimise your risk of a slipped disc or back injury that could lead to sciatica. This includes:

• better posture and lifting techniques at work
• stretching before and after exercise
• simple, regular exercises to improve flexibility"

It's one of those things that can happen to anyone!!! How you feeling today Bo - pain easing?  Hope so. ((( )))  I forsee a yoga class in your future

Spitting doesn't bother me as long as the spit doesn't land on me!!! I guess at some point all of us has excess mucous...

We did a BOSU class last night which is good fun and basically just a swiss ball with less of a balance/stability requirement - notice I say less but not none!  That after a new yoga class in a local village hall the night before. Strength work - tick, flexibility boost - tick.

Time for a Most Efficient Pace run today (easy but not easy, easy) and then looking forward to heading back to Derbyshire this weekend for a 10.5er on the trails. Need to get a map out to see where we're going...looks like it's gonna be a chilly 'un too!

I originally planned to run my ten miles outside today, but it was very foggy this morning.  So rather than add unnecessary risk by running in the dark and fog, I opted for the safety of the treadmill.  Run done and dusted by 7:15am   Where there's a will..

Had a dark, flipping freezing minus two run 6.7 mile run to work through the Monsal Head Tunnel brilliant emerging from the tunnel to the light and the frost everywhere. Kept the pace down apart from one mile to 7.50mm and an 8.09. So cold though when I got to work, thank goodness for a hot shower!! Reminded me of school cross country though we didnt have gloves.
Free Saturday afternoon for a long run if you fancy it SB though I cant keep up with Ben?  Let me know. Heading up few hills myself as OH and daughter going to the ballet sat pm.
Wedding anniversary tomorrow so heading to florists at lunch.....no 27 tomorrow.
Kenyans sound very sensible folk, love to go out there and see them in action.  Agree with the rest up if sign of injury particularly as one gets older. Recovery vital. Do find it hard to stick to one plan as always doubting myself and ability. RE shoes I now have some Speedcross 3s for fells and trails and they are not so supportive as my Asics Kayano. Interesting read.

Hi mcs - sorry we're in Birmingham Saturday at Ben's xc - we'll be heading over to near Froggatt on Sunday. We're with Rascal so probably be a 10 minute jog, 10 minute walk so you'd probably be off on the horizon!

Are we not getting a picture of the new shiny shoesies.....

Am just starting to look for my 2nd pair of Cross Maxes to line up for The Wall so I can rotate them through training - my size is looking in short supply and the new version which comes out in February looks totally different so might need to get them sooner rather than later!

Shoes glorious shoes

That's what I'm sadly lacking Oscarr, I can't make club sessions, so I do everything on my own, and actually that's partly why I do so many races I guess. 

This morning at Pilates I felt an actual lump at the base of my 3rd toe, so rubbed that a bit and it seeemd to go down, the pain lessened - I'm sure of it!

Never Google symptoms like this!

Evening!

oscarr - I have butchered that to replicate Cyprus and will start that after June.  I am currently just making mine up and building up by 10% a week to the RW Ultimate Ultra thingy that mcs posted.  Glad I printed it out cos it's vanished now. 

I'll be using the pace charts out of Fitzgerald for my ultra training tho - mainly 10 mi, HMP and MP by the looks of it.

reiki - definitely stay away from toefallingoff.com too

Bad night's sleep, so it was hard getting up early.  I feel better after 5m recovery run on treadie, but I'm still knackered