Pain free running

Since the age of 1 I haven't been able to touch my toes - stiff as a board I am but that doesn't stop me taking on daft challenges like running 152 miles across the Sahara Desert in April 2013. So when I pulled out of the Aberfeldy half Ironman (my first even DNF) due to severe cramp and a hamstring that was about to blow, I decided it was time to take action. I found a yoga teacher who took on "lost causes". 3 weeks later, having practised every day, I have pain free running for the first time in my life. It's only a 15 minute daily session with a 1 hour 1-2-1 session. The proof came when I ran 25.2 miles on Sunday and on Monday not only could I walk down stairs but went running, after my yoga warm up,and felt great afterwards. This is a revolution and as I approach 51, if anyone can get me touching my toes and running injury free then I'm sold. Check out http://www.pamelayoung.co.uk/. Namaste.

Local holiday

I woke at 8am and only because for some stupid reason I'd set an alarm. But this was a major sleep in for me. The weather forecast for today was windy leading to rain and then heavy rain and gale force winds. So I decided it was best to get up and finish my training early. I knew my legs had done some heavy mileage the day before, 25.5 miles, but they were in good shape. My yoga session had them feeling even better before I went out for a short and reasonably fast 3.26 miles. When you run long distance your average pace slows so it's important to mix it up with shorter faster runs. The wind was strong and I could feel it hold me back but it was the threatening rain that concerned me. Fortunately I got in before it started but I felt fantastic. Being on holiday is allowing me to rest so I'll be fit for the weeks work and training ahead. Batten down the hatches as the weather is building into a storm tonight!

Going long

Following last weeks training camp in the Trossachs I went out with a group of ultra runners for a 22 mile run today. They included Scotland's number 1 woman Rosie Bell and 2 West Highland Way vets (95 miles in 1 day). We did an 11 mile out and back (22 total)in an undulating track through Whitelees Wind Farm (the largest in Europe). We got plenty of strange looks from walkers and cyclists as it is really wild out there. I learned very quickly that the pace was slower than anything I had done before as this lets you go on and on. However on the way back they explained that I needed to walk some of the hills as an important part of my training. Starting to run after the walk wasn't easy but I started to cool down too quickly so agreed with them I'd run on and keep running back to town and they would pick me up. So it was a total of 25.5 miles for me in 4 hours and 7 minutes. It's not about the pace but about the miles on your feet. I'm extremely pleased with my performance as this means I've reached my marathon fitness 1 month early. So I'll continue with my yoga, swimming & cycling but these long runs will become very important. I'm excited already and have so much to learn from my "new found ultra running friends"!

Benefits of hill training

Yesterday I put in a short but intense hill training session. They are always tough but now that I am practising yoga every day my hamstrings don't cramp up and make me walk like a cripple afterwards. Mentally I don't look forward to hill reps but when I ran today it was easier and faster than normal - that's the pay off! But tomorrow I am hoping to run a long distance with some ultra runners. I'll keep you posted on the progress tomorrow. But now to enjoy the rest of this beautiful day.

Summers back!

Woke up to be beautiful morning. There hasn't been one like this in a long time especially on a holiday weekend! So practising yoga as the sun streamed in the windows was uplifting! Then out for some hill reps where each climb repeated had to be faster. I think this may become a regular routine and as there is a 2 metre wide grass verge I can run on that to prevent injury from too much road running. I'll increase the number of reps each time. Last night I had a "bike fit" where I was wired up and filmed on a 3D camera. It allows you to check all the angles to improve your efficiency. Some important adjustments were required and later on today I'll take the bike out to test it. The adjustments might explain the severe cramp in my last race. One more lesson learned.

Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres

Today I was visited by Elizabeth, a community fundraiser for Maggie's just to catch up and see how I was getting on. It's easy to forget that Maggie's is not funded and requires hundreds of thousands of pounds each year just to keep it's doors open so that anyone suffering from cancer can walk in and receive support and advice. If you haven't visited a Maggie's Centre before then you should as you'd instantly understand why they deserve our support. It also makes it easier for me to step out into the pouring rain today to run because at the front of my mind is the bigger picture - raising funds for Maggie's. The Marathon des Sables is going to take a huge effort on my part but the journey will be amazing. Linking that to Maggie's just increases the pleasure and in today's tough economic climate I feel an even greater need to raise funds. Elizabeth and I came up with a few ideas and I'll let you know what these are in due course. In the meantime, check out Maggie's http://www.maggiescentres.org/about/what_is_maggies.html or pay them a visit. It could be life changing!

Shattered

As expected I had a fantastic nights sleep but by 6am I was on the yoga mat. 6.30am I was on the road for a 10k run dressed as though it was winter. Hat, gloves and running tights were required as the temperature was marginally above freezing. The sky was clear blue and the sun was rising so it was a privilege to be out. I meet lots of people who think I'm mad doing what I do but you'd understand it better if you went out for a walk / run before getting on with life in the morning. By 8.15 I was dropping the kids off at school and heading off to Perthshire for some client meetings. However I felt drowsy and had to stop and get a can of Red Bull to keep me awake - not my usual brew! I was shattered so also had a 15 minute power nap at lunchtime. The intensity of the training since Friday has caught up and my body is struggling to keep up. Well it better get used to it as it's only going to get worse. So early night again and I can start all over again in the morning.