Back in the saddle

the new year has got off to a slow start, mainly because of the ongoing foot injuries. They are improving, but I took a slow week in my training schedule last week to rest up the joints.

I am also trying out a new training app from Tribe Sports. Not so good at letting me embed the run in the body of the blog, but it does give a good breakdown of my training runs, the latest of which was a shorter long run this morning at http://tribesports.com/users/stevef1/training_logs/790587.

This week I get back in the saddle with some more serious training runs again, and just hope and pray that these foot injuries do not flare up again!

New Shoes!

After a few weeks of excruciating foot pain for up to 24 hours after a run, tight calves and sore muscles, the signs were all there that I needed new running shoes!  I was missing training runs just to get the soreness and inflammation down before my next run - signs I needed to sort something out! Daft to have left it for so long, but I finally realised that my shoes were the problem - I had probably done a good eight hundred miles on them - twice the reccomended distance before a change.

So, here they are - Brookes (as all my running shoes have been over the last few years), Glycerins - a mid weight shoe, with a touch more arch support than my previous Brookes Ghosts. I am preferring a more minimal, less structured shoe, as it makes me run on the midfoot, which has strengthened my running technique and put less strain on my hips and knees.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating though, so (in yet another storm, with driving rain and gales) I took them out for my long run of the week, and can say that not only was it a good run, but in the 36 hours since, I have had no more than a normal level of stiffness and muscles soreness.  A salient reminder that the only bit of running kit you need to really spend time and money choosing is your running shoes!

Embankment full of runners

It's been difficult keeping up the training with Christmas and New Year festivities, but I have got in a few substantial runs - see http://www.sportypal.com/Results?user_id=40244 for a rundown if you're interested.

Today was one of the rare sunny dry ones at the moment, so a good day for a threshold run along a runner crowded Embankment.  Seems everyone was running today - for many the first day back at work after the holidays. Perhaps it's part of the January get fit kick that so many succumb to after the excesses of Christmas and New Year.  Or maybe its all the others, like me who are training for marathons and are trying to get their head back into their training schedule.  Either way, good to see fellow pavement-pounders out there by the Thames.