Monday 21st January 2013

Morning...stayed up to watch the snooker, so...

Lyrics: The snow is snowing The wind is blowing

Most will know the lyrics, but I struggled with the title! Don't bother with the singer: well and truly covered!

Actually, its still like New Zealand here in that there has been no snow! Rather different to other areas.

What: physio
Why: check on progress.

Will, subject to phys, legs etc, get in a decent walk with some running included. What is to be decided.

Morning.

Yesterday's lyrics were Things I Cannot Change by The Mavericks.

emzap - that sounds like an energetic and enjoyable way to spend your weekend.

Hope it goes well with the physio Alehouse.

More snow overnight but not as much as predicted - maybe another inch. Will find out if that's made a runnable surface or not when I walk Grace. I have a bit of a dilemma though as I would really like to get a LSR in and my options seem to be the treadie, the most I've ever done is 14 miles and I think it exacerbates any niggles you may be carrying as you can't subconsciously alter your gait and compensate or trail shoes and laps on the snow/ice, furthest I've run in my trail shoes is 14 miles, they don't have quite the same support/cushioning as my road shoes and the conditions underfoot alter your gait - which is worse?

What:              hopefully a LSR
Why:               back to VLM training
Last hard:       last year
Last rest:        15/1

Lyrics - nope.

Morning.

What: a slow 5km plod
Why: it's in the plan, plus I need something short and slow after the weekend!
Lyrics: nope

LMH when I did my long snowy run the other day, I stuck as much as possible to foresty trails, I don't know if countryside is an option for you?  Maybe it's possible to find a shorter route that's ok then do laps of it?  Not ideal I know, but maybe better than exacerbating any niggles?  Oh and I was running in road shoes and it was fine (the snow came over the top of them in places though!).
Ale sounds like you had a successful run yesterday.  How are you feeling today?
Donaldo don't blame you for trying to get some fun into your weekend and not being stuck in the school all the time! 

Have a good one all.  Stay warm

Sorry to hear about the back pain Tom - that must be very frustrating indeed. 

Nice racing RFJ - especially in the conditions

Sounds as though most of you are coping pretty well with running in the snow (or on treadmills to avoid the snow!) and also with the race cancellation disappointments.

skiing! you lucky thing emzap.  I love it but havent been for ages (not quite as long as 10 years though!)

hoping the progress is good alehouse

good luck with that long run LMH

what: 11k easy with a couple of short sprints at the end
why: recovery run.   and working out whether I can remember how to sprint (I can so long as its not for too far!)

Well I may have underestimated the amount of snow we had overnight and it's been falling steadily the whole time I've been out with Grace so the good news is that the trails are fine underfoot - if a little deep in places!

emzap - I shall stick to the trails. I have a cunning route of laps and loops worked out that should leave me no more than a couple of miles from home at worst so I can bale out quite easily. May stick to my road shoes too as grip isn't an issue, the trail shoes are better if it's a little icy - and much warmer though! I shall do what I can and come back when/if it gets too much - too nice out there to be stuck in the gym instead. No such things as bad weather etc etc - superfurrywarm tights here I come

I may be gone some time...................

Good luck LMH! 

Snowing heavily now here as well, I shall also try and stick to some trails!

morning all,
enjoy the run LmH , Emz - glad you enjoyed skiing. Am I the only one whose never done it?
Managed to get out for 6 miles yesterday, mainly on pavements and it was ridiculously mild - despite the snow. Got some strange looks as I was wearing shorts, but at worst was around zero degrees, some people dressed like they were in the arctic.
Today - well London streets slushy and snow covered, but I think that would have melted off by lunchtime, so hopefully 6 tempo along Embankment.
Why - ease back week, Southern XC on Saturday
last rest - Friday
last hard - last week

have a great day 

hi dustin - was planning on heading down to the embankment this evening - would be interested in hearing what the conditions are like...

Lyrics: still no idea
Dustin if you want some really strange looks you should try outdoor swimming in winter
never skied outside Scotland but still no snow in far North

What: undecided
Why: see how work goes. Still a bit stiff after Saturday
Last hard: Saturday
Last rest: yesterday

Have "screwed" an old pair of running shoes in preparation for snow - it seems to have frightened the snow away completely!

LM.H good luck with  the LSR
AH hope all goes well with physio and exercise

hi DaveG...embankment fine, bit slushy near Blackfriars but Westminster clear. The Southbank between London eye and Southwark is mainly snow covered still. Have to be a bit careful but not slippy yet, although I imagine that will change when the temp drops.

17 miles run with only one near fall. Not my fastest but then it was never going to be with snow around 4 - 5" deep and still falling. Beautiful out though and I saw four or five other runners making the most of the opportunity - all men though.

Hi guys - back from the sickbed . Norovirus hit our family and I was out for the cound for a few days. Yuck.

Sorry to hear about all those race cancellations. It really looks like the UK is bearing the brunt this time around. Northern Germany is virtually snow free albeit very cold and the wind is nasty.

Good long run banked, LMH.

Tom: bummer about back pain - like others said: it may have to do with the set up of your bike.

RFJ: great racing yesterday - I guess yours must have been one of the few races that actually went ahead.

Managed a couple of very short (1m) runs over the past couple of days to fulfill my Jantastic commitment (Marathontalk listeners will be familiar with the campaign). And I'm hoping to resume my training plan tomorrow. Luckily I built 2 spare weeks in, so I'm still on schedule. Just wondering how long it'll take to get back to pre-illness fitness. Things had been going rather well and I am dreading to be back in the slow & shit camp

what: something short after work
why: getting back into it
last hard: being ill
last rest: Thursday
lyrics: don't think so

Dustin: thanks for that, i was hoping it would be like that down there - pretty clear in moorgate where i work so hoping i can have a clearish run to blackfriars and then do a few very easy laps to westmister and back - looking at the forecast its supposed to stay above freezing til 7ish so hopeful its shouldnt be too icy - thanks again

Well done LMH
Chicka  sorry to hear you've been ill;

I think that was the slowest 5km I've ever ran!  Snow was over the top of my shoes though, so I'm just happy I got out there!

Afternoon

What 8.5 easy
Why Monday
Lyrics no

Didn't get out yesterday as I slept in. Started off on my noermal 8 mile commute only to find some of the side roads that I normaly had turned to sheet ice. Instead kept to the main roads using bus and cycle lanes where possible. Apart fro a bit of dressage along a small section of the A40 this seemed to work out quite well.

Glad you're on the mend chickadeee - don't rush it though.

emzap - it was over my shoes too - very cold in the sheltered slushy bits which soaked my feet. I did consider hanging on for the extra 3 miles to make it a 'real' long run but I was getting cold and tired - don't know whether that was the cold, the extra effort or the lack of recent long runs showing. I was making a conscious effort to stay 'easy' though - and not to injure myself.

postie - only the main roads were clear here on Sunday and they are not as good today with wide slush/snow 'verges' having formed. I'm ready for a thaw!

Well done to get your LSR in LM.H

Well done to PP and emzap too

Some snow now but not settling.
Chill factor significant with strong winds

5 miles easy XC in the snow tonight, started in the fading light and finished in the dark. Took the dog who loves the snow and ran himself silly throughout.

Lyrics- nope!

Great news Alehouse. I don't really hold with this 'snow miles being worth more' thing  my HR was quite low throughout so any extra effort was purely muscular rather than cardiovascular. I have a plan to make the best use of the bad conditions by introducing some speedwork when confined to the treadie - so I hope I'm not prevented from running outside for long!