A Huge Step In Progress

I entered and ran a race today. I ran it in blistering pace. Literally. My feet are ruined.

I don't think I am going to be able to wear shoes for a week!

It was the Hanham Horror which my friend Pete suggested on Friday. It was an enjoyable race right up to when my feet blistered. A quick stop with lots of vaseline applied to the feet meant I could run/hobble the final 3 miles to finish. I feel like a proper runner now! Lots of mud, lots of hills and a run up a what a felt like a cliff hanging off a rope.

As well as a today's run I also had a light 10.5k jog around the roads of Hanham, Keynsham and Bitton which went pretty well. Gave me a decent boost to do today's run. At the moment speed isn't an aim it is all about putting the miles in. I also put in a 2 mile run on the treadmill just to keep my legs moving when my bike was out of action in the week.

Running is enjoyable and is starting to become a routine. Next stop is to join Bitton Road Runners.

First Run Done

Warning: This post is a bit graphic.

Well I have finally done it. I got out there and put the miles on the road.

I ran a route I last ran last July which I struggled with a bit previously. And it felt fantastic this time.

It's a pretty flat 3.8k circular route around Hanham. Run 1! A nice gentle start to running and in all honestly it was a bit too easy. I felt fine for the majority of the way around and was even contemplating doing another lap. I hardly felt like I had broke a sweat (although that maybe because it is fucking freezing out there). I had a little bit of cramp in my feet after a slight up-hill but nothing to worry about in the grand scheme of things. My hamstring and knee wasn't even worth thinking about and there was no pain whatsoever. I had a little bit of a niggle in my right hip (following a cycle crash injury a few years ago) but again that was nothing and soon passed.

Now for the graphic part. I was running along the High Street at the 3k mark and passed a bus stop which showed the time and it showed I was running quicker than I thought and as I still had plenty left in the tank I thought I would step it up a bit. About 50 metres along the road after that the contents of my tea decided they would prefer to spend their time in the gutter on the High Street. It came from no where and was quite embarrassing to be throwing up in the drain on the side of the road but there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. Lesson learnt though and that's too not eat within 2 hours of running to stop that happening again.

The annoying thing about the unscheduled stop was that in meant I only managed to do the route in 23 minutes but it is a start and I know that I can run the distance quicker than that in the future.

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Me at the end of the run still feeling pretty fresh and looking a lot trimmer than before Christmas.

For my final comment on this post I really appreciate those of you who read my ramblings and give me feedback either about this or my progress. I especially appreciate the positive comments about how I am looking and it helps that people are noticing. There were some quite dark times for me in the depths of the illness and injuries and it is so pleasing to be on the right track and to be progressing now.

On to the next run on Thursday.

First Race Entered

Can't believe a month has passed since I last updated this. Too many drunken weekends means I haven't remembered to do it.

The fitness is going well. I am completely injury and illness free for the first time in a long time. Well over 18 months at least. I am now cycling ever day without fail, come rain, sun, or even fucking worse, wind. I am even cycling up Conham Vale daily which for those who know Hanham is a pretty beastly hill so my legs are getting stronger too. My average speed is also up to 12.5mph and rising.

Now onto what this blog is about. I've been doing some treadmilling recently. 10 minutes here and there just to get my legs going. I have come through this fine and am now going to step up to 15 minutes, 20 minutes and so on. Going to start going out on the road soon as well. Especially as I have now entered my first race. Roll on the Bristol 10k. I am slightly nervous about this as I haven't ran this distance in a long time. My aim for the moment is to just get near the 1 hour mark.

On a final note I have pretty much given up alcohol so no more messy nights with massive hangovers for a little while.