My Forum

The dreaded blisters have arrived. I always get them on my arches, particularly my left foot! When I was half marathon training a few years ago they were a real annoyance.

I have changed my trainers, laced them up looser/tigher, changed my socks, tried plasters, compeed and electrical tape wrapped around my foot to reduce friction, used vaseline! I used to run home from work and my colleagues used to think I was mad wrapping gaffer tape around my foot!! It worked ok though as it didn't slip off as easily as the plasters.

The vaseline was working this time but after my last run on Sat they have increased in size noooo! I had a rest day yesterday so I didn't go out but they might have prevented me from going as I have no plasters or electrical tape atm! Must try not to let blisters stop me from running, perhaps I need to enter a race so that I have no choice but to run on them like before!

Good luck to all running in the cold today, I will be trying to force myself out of the door soon-ish...

Woohoo nice one Susan!!

Good to hear you're feeling a bit better Katy! Being sick is no fun, especially not on a weekend!

How do you feel after sleeping Katy? Two rest days will certainly not hurt! As your motivation is also directly affected by the success of previous runs it could have done more harm than good to go out and run badly and set you back more than 2 days (and that's without being sick halfway around!). Later you may feel more up for it.

I think IF you feel better later I would go for it, as the bad weather over the next few days may mean you are stuck in whether you like it or not! Depending on how you feel about running in snow/ice?

I have never done it and manage to fall over just walking on snow...and plain concrete come to think of it...so I will probably give it a miss!

It's dry today though if a bit cold, so I managed to get out and ran into the wind on the way out and into the wind on the way back. How is that even possible?! I was hoping for a tailwind on the way back!

Susan I totally understand having just come back from a break myself. On my first run earlier this week I didn't go far or fast and I walked some of it, but when I got back in and had a shower I felt awesome. And that's what I try and remember when I need motivation, the feeling of achievement after a run.

Also when I am struggling I force myself to put my kit on and then I HAVE to go, as I will feel a total failure if I put it on just to take it off. It is hard to kick yourself out of the door after a break.

Listen to your body. If you don't fancy food that probably means you are not quite right. If you feel poorly and go out and have a bad run it might put you off going the next time, because the memory of the previous run is bad. (My motivation is always affected by how my previous run went!) See how you feel in a few hours?

Hi everyone,

I am starting again. Not quite totally new as I started running in 2010 and completed a half marathon, but since then I haven't really done any running. I have always been a gym goer so I kept my fitness up by going to the gym, but running on the road is a different beast! So I consider myself a beginner again.

Then I moved cities in October and have done no exercise at all for 4 months, plus uppedmy food and wine intake. I started running again this week, very slowly! And it is great to get back into it!  

Having a dry January too and cleaned up my diet. Currently on day 12...this is the longest I have been without a single drink in YEARS. Rather worrying when I think about it like that...!

@KateinJapan - My boyfriend has that Zombie app! He hasn't tried it out yet it sounds good! 

@SusanE Agreed! I am on the sofa in my dressing gown with a cuppa looking out of the window at the chilly greyness and cannot summon up the motivation to move just yet...