Fun on the Hills

On the training calendar today was a comfortable 8.5 miles.  The target pace was supposed to be between 8.50 and 9.45 minute mile but I decided to go up onto the hills instead, meaning that my pace would be much slower, however it would still be as good a workout because there would be far more effort involved.

It was amazing! I've really missed running on the fells because for the past couple of months the most I've done up there is my once or twice a week easy/recovery run with Ruby to Two Lads.

I firstly ran up through Wilderswood and along to the Pike which I climbed with ease for a change.  I then ran cross-country to Noon Hill which, as usual, was incredibly boggy.

From Noon Hill I ran down to Belmont Road and then up the diagonal to the trig point.  I climbed there pretty well too which I was pleased with.

I then ran to Scotsman's Stump and along the flagging and up to the 'secret' reservoir.  After running to the other side of the reservoir, I turned right down the hill, coming out onto Coal Pit Road and then ran along through the farms out to the Mast Road.

It was then up to Two Lads before dropping back down through Wilderswood and home.

Great run, felt amazing to back up on the hills.  Much more fulfilling than road running!


Total distance - 9 miles

Gluten Free Trial

As you may already be aware (especially if you're close enough to me to have to listen to my constant moaning about lack of cake), I have recently been trialling a gluten free diet.  I have always had quite a few stomach issues which, if I went to a doctor, I’m sure they’d put under the umbrella term of IBS so I thought that going gluten free might help with this as many people have said it does. 

I started the gluten free trial in April and, to begin with, the results were pretty good.  The main thing I noticed was that I wasn’t bloated at the end of the day.  Usually, the difference in my body between first thing in the morning and last thing at night is quite substantial – I like it in the morning, I hate it at night!  However with the gluten free thing, the bloating was gone and my night time body looked pretty much the same as my morning body.  Happy days! 

I also did lose a bit of weight in the first couple of weeks which is probably more because I was consciously eating healthier and cutting out cakes and biscuits. 

I had also heard and read about it being good for athletic performance but I can’t really comment on that because it has coincided with a total revamp of my training plan and I’m doing a lot more structured training now so the improvements I have felt are probably more attributable to the better training than the gluten free.  To test it properly I would have to do it whilst not changing anything else. 

Unfortunately, going gluten free hasn’t helped my stomach problems at all, which is what I wanted it to do more than anything else.  Amongst other things, I still have a lot of belly ache, especially when running.

Overall, the benefits of going gluten free, for me personally, don’t outweigh how much I love cake so it’s not something I’m going to stick to although I am definitely going to cut it down a lot more than I used to and stop having sandwiches every day for lunch. 

I'm not saying don't give it a try yourself but I just don't think it works for everyone and, to me, life's to short to cut out things in your diet that you really like if it doesn't make you feel any better doing it. 

Turning to today's run, it was just a really short easy one tonight with Ruby.  It was only just over three miles long but took me 48 minutes!  This is because I spent half my time gabbing to various members of Horwich RMI I bumped into en-route.  They were all out tonight! 

Firstly, there was Sean M who was walking his multitude of dogs up by the water tanks near Two Lads.  We chatted for a whilst Ruby played with her old housemates.  She must remember them because I didn’t put her on her lead as I approached like I usually do when I see dogs up ahead and, even though she ran up to them, she didn’t bite any of them like she normally does.

We then went up to Two Lads and down to the dog kennels, turning left onto George’s Lane.  That’s when I bumped into Steve P who appeared to be running all over the show before taking the hill session later on.  I ran along with Steve for a minute or so and then Steve turned to go up to Two Lads and I turned for home.  Sean was just coming through the gate onto George’s Lane so Steve stopped to chat to him and, as I turned the bend, there was Colin J.  Obviously I had another quick natter before making my way through Wilderswood back home.

Total distance – 3.15 miles

How Much Energy is Spent Talking?

I ran along the canal at lunch with Kathryn today and towards the end I was feeling really sluggish and couldn’t wait to stop.  When we had finished, I looked at my watch to find that our pace had been pretty slow, i.e. 8.40 minute mile pace.  When I run at this pace on my own I feel really comfortable and could run at it for a good length of time, however during the 5.5 miles I run with Kathryn I find this pace much harder.  Is that because I’m using up all my energy chatting?  You’d think that running with somebody else would take your mind of the pain/tiredness, which it does to an extent however I have found that overall I run slower when I’m with somebody else than I do on my own.

Since originally typing this I have spent the afternoon feeling really ill so that may account somewhat for my poor run however I still maintain that I find a comfortable pace much less comfortable when I run with somebody else than when I run on my own. 

Also, Strava is a liar as it shows Kathryn ran half a mile more than me! 

Unless she sneaked back out and did a little extra???

Total distance - 5.3 miles 

BBC Weather - You Are A Liar!

When I set off for my run this morning, it was quite dull outside but was dry.  I checked the BBC weather forecast for Horwich on my phone and it assured me that it wouldn't be raining until this afternoon.

It lied.

A lot.

Not only did it rain whilst I was out on my easy run, it was torrential!

I had to get out of my clothes as soon as I walked through my front door and the amount of water I wrung out of them was ridiculous.  I was only out half an hour!

The run itself was just an easy one from home, down to the school, though the terraced gardens onto George's Lane, along to the dog kennels then back home via the Two Lads race route.


Total distance - 3.45 miles

Double Hangover

As you may have noticed from my previous blogs, I was out both last night and the night before so I was feeling quite tired and lethargic this morning.  I had hoped to get out with the Lostock lot at 8.00 but it soon became apparent that that was never happening.  I emerged from my pit just before 10am and went for a run pretty much straight away.

At first I was feeling really sluggish but soon I started to feel a bit more fresh and the run wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

My training plan had only given a 'comfortable' pace for this run and suggested 8.52 to 9.47 minute mile pace.  I managed a 9.39 pace so I'm quite content with that, given that I was hungover and running off road and on a few small hills.

Total distance - 11 miles

Easy Run to Two Lads with Minor Hangover

Just an easy three miler was on the training plan for today, which I was really pleased about given that I was feeling a little delicate from last night's summer party.

I just ran up to Two Lads and back down again to burn off a few calories before going out for a second night on the run tonight.

It was actually a really nice sunny run and I wanted to go further but I was still up on George's Lane at 6.30 and the party started at 7 so I had to make my way back home.

Total distance - 3 miles

3 x 1 mile at 7.35 pace with 1/2 mile jogs

Whilst I really like the idea of the speed sessions recommended to me by Gareth, I want to stick to my original training plan at the minute, rather than start going down a different route mid-plan so I'm going to save Gareth's plan until after my event and use it to attain my next goal, whatever that may be!

Today I went back to the speed session from my original plan, which involved a warm up then 3 x 1 mile reps at my goal 5k pace of 7.35 minute mile, with half mile jogs between each rep, followed by a cool down.

I managed the reps as follows:

Mile 1 - 7.17
Mile 2 - 7.34
Mile 3 - 7.37

I'm actually really pleased at how consistent they were and that the last one wasn't a huge amount slower than the first.

Total distance - 5.7 miles