Sunday 4 August 2013

The end of July

Monday 29-July-2013 – Today there had been torrential rain during the day which would have made my normal route very muddy and wet. I had been looking at alternative routes and decided to adapt my 4 mile route around Hinckley by extending the run for a few more miles.

I had still not fully recovered from all the running I had done last week and had a slight ache in my left knee and hip. Because it had been raining all day I had dinner and then I noticed the cloud was breaking up, I just could not believe it. I waited a couple of hours after dinner until 9pm. I started off the run trying to keep relaxed as possible to keeps the muscles as loose as possible.

I took a couple of miles for the aches and pains to stop so I carried on at a steady pace as it was all about getting the miles in and not setting a personal best time. I was surprised that the temperature was still a bit warm considering the amount of rain we had and the sun disappearing fast.

Once I had reached the 3 mile mark I was in new territory for running, I had been only been around the area in a car and could not really remember what the route was like. I carried on and thought to myself that I am half way around now so whatever is ahead will only last half an hour.

I ran past B&Q and then a pub call the New Plough Inn, I noticed the pub was very quiet as I went by. I carried on along the road which had houses each side, the further I went along the road the houses seemed to stop. I passed the Golf Club and noticed the light was going and the street lamps had stopped, as I looked ahead the road disappeared into the darkness. The path narrowed and I could barely see where I was going and I was aware that I had no reflective gear on.

As I carried on the road went downhill and the only time I could really see where I was going was when a car passed me, luckily there were not many cars that came towards me to blind me with their headlights. Once I had got to the bottom of the hill the light appeared as the road was not covered by trees, and I felt a bit happier. I ran past the Rugby Club and a bit further on the Football Club, this area was very quiet and still which was a bit creepy but not as creepy as the dark road I had run through.

The road came to a roundabout which is on the A47 and was a familiar sight. I carried on left past the roundabout and up a slight hill that just seems to go on for ages. When I got to the brow of the hill I noticed another runner coming along, nothing was said and it was fairly dark on this part of the road. I noticed a couple of shadows in the distance that became apparent when I got closer that it was a couple of people out walking their dogs.

I knew I did not have very far to go now and the run was going to come to an end. I looked at the Garmin and noticed that I had come to 6 miles of the 7 mile route. I reset the Garmin thinking that it would give me a 10k time that I would be able to use as a bench mark in the future. When I got home I uploaded the Garmin data to Garmin Connect and wondered why a 10k time was not showing, I then realised that 10k is 6.2 miles and not 6 miles. I had reset the Garmin too soon so I still do not have a 10k time on Garmin Connect.




Tuesday 30-July-2013 – I looked out the window and thought I had better get out and do a run before all the rain comes along and stops me going out. I thought what I would do is the same route as I did last night.

As soon as I set off I felt my hip was quite painful on the left and also my left knee had a bit of an ache as well. It took a couple of miles to mute some of the pain and then all of a sudden I got cramp. The cramp was very painful indeed, I tried to run through it but it was just too painful. I walked for a while which eased it up a bit. I started off running again and found that my hip and knee were also hurting now, it was like this for the remainder of the 7 mile route.




Endomondo Monthly Challenges

Running Rotten Egg Award May (Most km - Running) - I managed to get in to the Elite Egg Awards and got to Gold which was for people who had run 155.3 miles plus. I had achieved 162.8 miles.

Rotten Egg Award May (Most calories - All sports) – I got to Silver which is for people who burned 25,000 calories or more, I burned 25,770 calories for July.

Monday 29 July 2013

The most miles I have run in a week

Monday 22-July-2013 – I thought it would be best if I started this run a couple of hours later than my normal time due to the heat. After a couple of hours the temperature had not moved much, it was 29C.

I hydrated myself all day and mentally prepared myself that this will be a slow and uncomfortable run. I made sure that I had a litre of squash to leave in the car for when I finished the run. I took a couple of mouthfuls of water before starting the run.

I started off slowly and got in to a nice slow running pace and then ran through Ambion Wood, by the time I got through the woods and out the other side was only 0.5 miles. At this point I felt out of breath, the heat was taking its toll already. I continued with the run down to the canal and tried to keep in all the available shade when possible.

After 2.5 miles I had to break down into a walk for a short time, my breathing was all over the place and I really felt tired. I continued on along the canal and had to fall back down to a short walk after another 0.5 mile. I decided to not do any hills and to carry on up the canal until I got to just over 5 miles and then turn back.

There seemed to be more flies than normal along the canal, I am not sure if this is because I was running 2 hours later than I normally run. I was battling with the flies sticking to me and trying to go into my eyes and mouth, I found it very off putting. For the majority of the remainder of the run I ran 0.5 mile and then walked for a short distance.

I was very glad to get back to the car and finish the run, it had been a very uncomfortable run and I was feeling exhausted and washed-out. I sat on a bench and drank the 1 litre bottle of squash that I made earlier. I spent all evening feeling very washed out, running in the heat had really taken it out of me.




Wednesday 24-July-2013 – The day was a bit cooler at 26C, but it was still fairly hot. I felt okay and did not have any aches or pains, but as soon as I set off I had a pain in the knee, hip and ankle. After around a mile of a gentle pace the aches went, but I thought I would walk up all the hills so as not to strain the weak areas again.

Running along the canal was fine until I tripped up over a tree root, I just took my eye off the path for a little while and tripped, luckily I did not fall down and cause any injuries. I got back into the slow steady pace as quick as possible, I did not feel any injuries or muscle pulls from the trip so I was lucky.

The remainder of the run was fairly uneventful and went by reasonably quickly. During the evening I had a lot of pain on my left hip and knee which made walking around fairly painful.




Thursday 25-July-2013 – Today’s temperature was much the same as the day before. I had recovered quite a bit during the night but still had a few aches in the left knee and hip. When I set off I could immediately feel the hot air on the intake of air, it just dries the mouth out.

After running a mile I felt quite out of breath so I know I would have to try and sort out the breathing quickly to last the run. Running along the canal I managed to overcome the heat and concentrated on the running pace and breathing. I looked at the Garmin (Forerunner 610) I noticed the heart rate was all over the place and reading at times as much as 220bpm, this was a bit annoying as I use the heart rate to help me know how I am doing.

I walked up Market Bosworth hill as not to aggravate the injuries I had and continued on once I was at the top of the hill. I checked the Garmin for the time and noticed that I was a couple of minutes behind which I thought was not too bad as it was hot. I continued along the single track road from Market Bosworth and headed towards the Bosworth Battlefield Centre. There was another hill that I walked up and continued afterwards. I ran over a few fields, past the Bosworth Battlefield Centre and back along the canal.

Once I reached the point where I normally leave the canal I decided to carry on until I reached a viaduct that ran across a road. I joined the road for a short while and then ran across a couple of fields that had cows in. I find the cows always look at you as if you are mad or something like that!
I reached Shenton Railway Station and ran across the railway tracks and up a couple of hills along a track. This takes you back to the Bosworth Battlefield Centre where I followed the track down a hill and back into Ambion wood which led me to the gate that I started from. I had covered 11 miles which I was happy with but I was very tired and glad for the run to be over.




Friday 26-July-2013 – I started off the run with a few aches but these soon went over a mile or so as I settled into a steady running pace and breathing pattern. I kept the breathing generally long and slow which helps to keep the heart rate down as much as possible. The only trouble with the long and slow breathing is the flies along the canal which tend to go in to the mouth and eyes which can be very off putting at times.

Running along the canal I felt really good and finished 4 miles not even out of breath which was quite strange for me. I left the canal and ran most of the way up the hill that leads into Market Bosworth. It did not take long to run through Market Bosworth and along the single track road towards Sutton Cheney, the time just flew by. Most of the single track road is a gradual decline which helped me have a slightly longer stride and keep the breathing long and slow at the same time.

After running across a couple of fields and passing the Bosworth Battlefield Centre I headed through Ambion wood to join the canal again. Once I got to the canal I had covered 8 miles and still felt pretty good at this stage so I decided to carry on up the canal for 2 miles and then turn back. On the run up the canal I managed to keep it together okay, but after reaching the 2 miles mark and heading back down the canal this is when I really started to feel tired.

The last 3 miles along the canal towards Sutton Cheney Wharf was quite tough going, I could not understand how I could feel good right up to 10 miles and then after feel so tired so quickly. The sun was out and I am sure this took its toll on me. I was happy to see the finish point but also glad that I had completed a half a marathon distance, I have only done this once before just over a month ago. I settled down with a 1 litre bottle of squash and sat on a bench for over a half an hour to recover.

The 10 miler, 11 miler and 13 miler without any rest days in between had taken its toll on me, during the evening I could barely walk.




Sunday 28-July-2013 – My legs and hips had been feeling the toll of the amount of mileage I have done during the week, I have just been aching like mad. Yesterday we had a lot of rain which turned our road in to a river for a short time. According to the weather reports we had just over 60mm of rain. The forecast for today was heavy rain again during the afternoon, so I thought if I do a 4 mile run then that may help the recovery process.

I got ready and headed off, looking at the dark clouds coming over it looked very threatening indeed. It was quite windy as well and I thought that I might get caught out halfway around in the rain. My legs and hips were quite painful for the first half a mile and seemed to settle down the further I went. This run seemed to go by very quickly which I was quite pleased about as it started to rain on the last half a mile.


Tuesday 23 July 2013

A week of not much rest

Tuesday 16-July-2013 – When I started this run it was 28C, the temperature had dropped a bit but there was no wind. I started off and got into a nice steady pace but just could not get the breathing right no matter how much I tried.

By the time I had done 4 miles I was fairly tired and my knees had started to ache a bit. I thought it would be best if I walked up the hills so as not to aggravate my knees any more. The heat was getting to me as well at this point as I had been running in the direct sun with not much shade. I kept on sipping water and was careful not to drink too much or I would run out.

Running down the single lane road from Market Bosworth I had to drop down to a walk for a short distance as the knees and hips were aching. I was extremely hot at this point but carried on, thinking the temperature will be dropping a bit and I will have some shade soon.

By the time I got to Ambion wood it was a Godsend with all the shade, it really did make a big difference and felt cooler. By the time I got to the canal I felt a bit better, but knew that most of the remaining journey would be in the direct sun and I would be suffering with the aches still.

By the time I had finished the running I was so glad, it really was an unpleasant experience running in the direct sun and it seemed that nothing had come together making the run an ordeal. I drank a 1 litre bottle of squash over a short time, I must have been dehydrated.




Wednesday 17-July-2013 – I went out in the morning before it got too hot, the temperature was already at 18C and rising quickly. The idea was to do a steady recovery run as I was getting knee pain in my last run. A mile into the run I had to drop down to a walk, I was totally out of breath. I was wondering if this was because I had not had any breakfast and not drunk much to rehydrate myself.
I carried on a short way and had to drop back down to a walk again as my knee was starting to ache, so I thought I will do a quick walk and then go back to a run again. The rest of the run consisted of dropping back to a walk and doing short runs.




Thursday 18-July-2013 – It had been another very hot day so I spent most of the day hydrating on water. By the time I went out running the temperature had come down to 27C, which was still hot in the direct sun, but better in the shade.

My knees had been playing up but they felt okay, right up to the point where I had 3 miles left. My right knee started to ache and was getting progressively worse. My hips that I had some aches with during the week were okay. The run consisted of running and dropping down to a walk, I just could not control my breathing today and my heart rate climbed fairly quickly resulting in me falling back into a walk for a short distance until the heart rate had recovered enough to carry on.

I was glad to have finished the run as the heat really does take it out of you. When I got back I drank a 1 litre bottle of squash while sitting on a bench overlooking Sutton Cheney Wharf.




Friday 19-July-2013 – This run was a recovery run as I have been having some aches with my knees, when I started the run the sun was out and the temperature was already 21C. It was a case of trying to run in as many shaded areas to keep cool, I found that keep sipping water while running was helping.

I managed to get around without any aches or pains so I was very pleased with that. By the time I finished the run the temperature has soared up to 26C.




Saturday 20-July-2013 – The temperature was 21C but it was sunshine and cloud, there was also a nice cool breeze. I changed the route slightly to extend the 3 mile route into a 4 miles route. I kept running in all the shady parts of the path to keep out of the direct sun, but the cool breeze helped.
I had a couple of niggly aches in the legs that soon disappeared after a mile, but mostly the run was ache and pain free. I will use this route in the future during the winter months as it was quite a nice route.




Sunday 21-July-2013 – The day was overcast and the temperature was very cool compared to what it had been during the week. I set off getting into a nice running pace, I was trying to maintain 6mph. I managed to get the breathing sorted out quite early on in the run and this kept the heart rate down. I felt a few spots of rain but the cool still morning felt quite strange as I have been running in the hot sun feeling drained most of the time.

Another runner caught up to me and ran along with me for about 0.3 miles while we had a chat, it was nice to be running along with someone. He had already done nearly 10 miles and still looked quite fresh, he said that he was going to do another 4-5 miles. He upped his pace a little and went off into the distance while I was still maintaining my 6mph pace and breathing.

I managed to get round the 4 miles route without any problems which I was fairly pleased with. I found a bit later on in the day that I had developed an ache behind one of my knees, I gave it a little massage to loosen it up a little which did seem to help.


Sunday 14 July 2013

Running 3 x 10 miles in the heat

Monday 08-July-2013 – The day was very hot when I started my run, I made sure I was hydrated throughout the day which helped. The goal was not to get any personal bests, but to complete the mileage. The air felt very dry and I had to keep on taking a sip of water every so often, the downside to that was that it was making me feel a bit bloated and sick.

I was keeping to a steady pace and listening to the music on my iPod to pass the time away and at times running to the beat when the tempo was right. I got to around 3 miles along the canal and saw a guy sat on a deckchair reading his paper opposite his barge, next to him was a big black dog asleep. I approached giving the dog as much of a wide berth as possible, but as soon as I got close he woke up looked around at me and let off a couple of deep barks. I am sure I lost a couple of pounds in weight at that point in time and thought if he bites it going to be messy. I don’t normally have any problems with running by dogs, sometimes they run along with me thinking it’s a game. Anyway the owner called his name and the dog settled down quickly, I suppose I must have startled him a bit.
I tried to run as much as I could in the shade that tall bushes and trees were giving and there was a breeze as well, it did not feel as hot as it actually was which is the ideal time you end up getting sun burnt.

Generally the run went fairly well, but during the evening at home I felt really washed out. I drank a couple of pints of squash and was weeing light yellow so I knew I was hydrated. The following day I felt okay apart from the usual aches in the legs while recovering.




Wednesday 10-July-2013 – It was cloudy with not a patch of blue in the sky, but it was still warm and more of a stuffy heat along with a slight breeze. I started off at my usual pace and found that after a couple of miles my left knee was aching, I carried on through the ache but had to stop for a wee. I think I must have drank too much during the day. I got back in to the run and my knee was still aching for another mile when the ache disappeared.

I got up the hill heading in to Market Bosworth and had to drop down in to a walk, the hill just blew me out for a bit. I got through the square at Market Bosworth and found it to be extra busy today with people using up the complete path, they were just standing there talking which forces you in to the road with on coming cars.

I made my way from Market Bosworth down a single track road, the farmers were out in the fields in their tractors which seemed a bit strange as it is normally very quiet along this road with the occasional car or van passing me. This road is slightly downhill so I try to up the pace and slow the breathing down for the length of the road. My right knee started to ache now with some sharp pains shooting around it, I tried to bring my leg up bending the knee more and found this seemed to help a bit. I walked up the next hill as I was tired after the faster pace that I had been running and also did not want to upset the knee any more.

I ran across 3 fields where there were a couple of tractors out causing a fair amount of dust, I managed to get through the fields as quick as I could which blew me out. I walked past the Bosworth Battlefield Centre and headed of in to Ambion wood and then down along the canal. As soon as I got off the canal path to cross a bridge I had to drop back down into a walk and have a sip of water. I picked up the pace into a run and ran though Shenton station and along a track up a couple of short hills and past the Bosworth Battlefield Centre again and finally into Ambion wood. By the time I reached the gate where I start and finish I was absolutely knackered, I just did not have anything else left in me.

I managed to do some personal bests:
1 hour – 6.59 Miles (10.62km)
10k – 56m: 14s





Friday 12-July-2013 – It was a very hot day and I found myself sweating while putting my running kit on and wondering if this really is a good idea going out and doing a 10 miler. I had been drinking all morning to keep hydrated and made sure I took plenty of fluids with me.

I set off and tried to keep the pace slow but looked at the Garmin and noticed that I was going at my normal pace, so I thought I will just keep it at the normal pace if that is what I am comfortable with. By the time I had run through Ambion wood and reached the canal I felt quite tired, I felt very hot and just could not get my breathing sorted out, I felt like I was panting while running. I nearly turned back to call it 2 miles, but decided to carry on.

I was trying to find as much shade to run in to keep out of the direct sun which was very hot, this did seem to help a bit but most of the time I was in the direct sunlight which was just sapping my energy. I felt like I had lead boots on, I wanted to stop and turn back but something in me was keeping me running.

I walked up all the hills as I did not want to blow myself out and have to walk the rest of the way. This did seem to help, but it was so hot and tiring even walking up the hills. I found that I had to keep on sipping on water but this was bloating me out and making me feel a bit sick, I thought marvellous I just can’t win.

By the time I finished the run I felt happy that it was all over but also happy that I achieved 10 miles in the hot sun. When I sat down I started to sweat a lot and I was taking on loads of water as I felt a bit dehydrated. According to the Endomondo stats I had sweated 2.81 litres, I cannot really believe that as that is a lot of fluid to lose.


Monday 8 July 2013

A mixed week with some Personnal Bests.

Monday 01-July-2013 – I found todays run quite an ordeal, my legs were not fully recovered as my knees ached a bit which was putting me off. I could get in to a steady running pace but just could not sort out the breathing, my heart rate was also high.

I gave the run the best I could and felt happy that I had achieved it considering that I did not want to go out for a run, but on the other hand it felt like a dreadful run as nothing seemed to come together. I was very tired over the run and was just glad when the ordeal was over.

I was very surprised to find out that I had gained some personal best times, so perhaps the day was a success after all.

I managed to do some personal bests:
Copper (12 mins) – 1.44 Miles (2.33km)
1 hour – 6.44 Miles (10.38km)
1 Mile – 8m: 04s
10k – 57m: 24s




Wednesday 03-July-2013 – Today I had no aches or pains which was a really nice feeling that does not happen very often so far. I started off at the usual steady pace and managed to get my breathing pattern sorted out fairly quickly, this made the run seem just that little bit easier. I found myself wondering if I should have put a light jacket on as I was feeling a bit chilly.

I found that keeping the breathing at a nice steady pace along the canal helped me to run at a slightly higher pace than normal. When I got to the Bosworth Bridge I still felt knackered as usual though.
I had to part walk up the hill that leads in to Market Bosworth, I suppose the run along the canal took it out of me more than I thought. Once I was at the top of the hill I got back into my steady running pace and tried to keep it there as long as I could.

By the time I got back I was really pleased to be able to sit down and relax, the run really took it out of me. When I logged on to Endomondo from my computer at home I realised why the run took so much out of me, I managed to get 6 personal bests.

I managed to do some personal bests:
Copper (12 mins) – 1.48 Miles (2.39km)
1 hour – 6.48 Miles (10.43km)
1 Mile – 7m: 57s
3 Mile – 25m: 47s
5k – 26m: 40s
10k – 57m: 12s




Friday 05-July-2013 – The day was very warm as the temperature was around 27c. My goal was to do half a marathon (13.1 miles), so I knew that breaking any personal bests would be out of the window straight away. It was all about getting in a nice pace and keep the breathing controlled and my heart rate down to around 150bpm.

I started off with the right mind set and got straight into a nice steady pace, I looked at the Garmin to find that I was not much slower than I normally am but I felt comfortable. Running through Ambion Wood and along the canal felt OK at the pace I was going, I still was running quicker than I thought I would be but the pace felt okay. I was controlling my breathing but the heart rate was up to 160bpm.
I had a short walk from the canal on to the bridge which gave me a bit of a breather as the heart rate had recovered a bit, just as well as I have to run up a hill that leads in to Market Bosworth. I managed to get half way up the hill and I had to fall back in to a walk, my breathing was all over the pace and I felt knackered. The sun was beating down and was not helping at all, I know we should not moan about the heat in this country.

Once I got to the top of the hill I got back into my running pace and sorted out my breathing. I ran through Market Bosworth square which was fairly busy with school kids, luckily most of them kept out of the way. I ran down a single track road and seemed to get my second wind, it just felt like I had not run far.

By the time I got to the Bosworth Battlefield centre I felt quite tired and I was feeling the toll of the distance and running in the heat. I rejoined the canal and knew at this point that I was not going to be able to complete a half a marathon distance. I carried on the route to the finish and was glad to see the gate where I normally finish, I was just so knackered.


Monday 1 July 2013

1st week back from holiday and the end of June


Monday 24-June-2013 – This was the 1st run since being back from holiday, so I felt that my aches and pains had gone away which I started to suffer from just before going on holiday.
 
I started off at a nice steady pace but found getting in to a nice breathing pattern was hard. I found that over the course of 4 miles that it was getting increasingly difficult, I wondered what was going on as I had only been off on holiday for a week.
 
On the last few miles I found that I was developing an ache in my knees and hips, this was quite strange as I have not been suffering with this in the last few months. The only thing I thought to myself was that maybe I pushed too hard through the run, but I did not have any personal bests to show for it.
 
During the evening I was in a lot of pain and could barely move without my knees and hips hurting so much. The next day the pain had turned to aches, so moving around was a lot better.




Wednesday 26-June-2013 – I started off in the normal way of getting in to a nice steady pace and trying to sort out the breathing. My knees and hips did not feel too bad but I found it very hard to get in to a steady pace to settle down to.
 
By the time I had done 4 miles and had reached Bosworth Bridge, my knees had started to ache a bit. From this point I decided to walk up the hills to limit the damage on the knees and hips. This strategy seemed to work for a while but the last 3 miles I found it very difficult to carry on as I was in a considerable amount of pain, I just could not concentrate on a running pace of breathing.
 
When I got back to Sutton Cheney Wharf I just collapsed on a bench and stayed there for a good 45 minutes trying to recover before I could jump in to the car and drive home. When I got home and looked at the running data from my Garmin and Endomondo (iPhone), I really didn’t think I would be anywhere near getting any personal bests, but I was very surprised to see that I had gained a few personal bests. During the evening I found myself hobbling around the house like I was on Monday evening, the run had really taken it out of me.

I managed to do some personal bests:
Copper (12 mins) – 1.44 Miles (2.33km)
1 hour – 6.44 Miles (10.38km)
1 Mile – 8m: 04s
10k – 57m: 24s




Friday 28-June-2013 – The weather had been very dull and it had been raining on and off all day. I decided to pop out for a short run as I had been suffering with my knees and hip, so I suppose you could call this a recovery run.

After a couple of minutes running it started to rain, I hate the rain but I hoped it was only a short shower. The rain lasted for just over half of my run, I was feeling very tired but kept on pushing before the rain started again and knowing my luck it would be a heavy downpour. My knees and hips did not feel too bad, there was a slight ache, but I had developed a bit of pain in my ankles. I just could not believe it, I seem to be going through loads of injuries at the moment. I kept on pushing until I had completed the 5k and then dropped down to a walk for a cool down.

When I got home and checked the data on the Garmin and Endomondo, I thought to myself that no wonder I was knackered and aching I had done my fastest 5k.


I managed to do some personal bests:
3 Mile – 26m: 49s
5k – 27m: 46s




Sunday 30-June-2013 – This was a recovery run that was done in the morning as I wanted to watch the Formula 1 (British Grand Prix) that was going to be on TV at mid-day. I had a couple of sips of squash and got ready to go out, the weather was quite overcast. When I got outside I felt a few spots of rain and thought, I am to get wet and I hate the rain.

I was surprised how warm it was out there during the run, I felt quite empty not having ad any breakfast so it was a new feeling for me to deal with. I also felt a bit dehydrated as well, but kept on having sips of water from the water bottle I took out with me.

I did not have many aches during the run, so was quite pleased with that. I also did not break any personal bests but was a fairly good run for me.




Endomondo Monthly Challenges


Bear in mind that I had a week off on holiday, this is what I managed to achieve.
 
Running Rotten Egg Award June (Most km - Running) - I managed to get in to the Elite Egg Awards and got to Titanium which was for people who had run 77.6 miles plus. I had achieved 93.11 miles.
 
Rotten Egg Award June (Most calories - All sports) – I got to Crystal which is for people who burned 17,000 calories or more, I burned 17,064 calories for May.


Friday 14 June 2013

2 10 Mile runs, Half Marathon and 1 stone in weight lost

Sunday 09-June-2013 – The weather was sunshine and cloud, it was fairly warm when the sun was out though. I made sure I had taken on lots of fluids during the day and for lunch I had a nice light salad.

I set off and got into a nice steady pace and the breathing also was a nice steady pattern. I felt the heat from the sun when it was out and it was going to be out more than in as there were not many clouds in the sky at this point, there was a nice breeze though.

Once I reached 3.5 miles in to the run I had to stop for a wee, it must have been down to all the fluids I had during the day had caught up with me! I did not stop very long so it did not hurt the times too much, but at least I was more comfortable now and could concentrate on the run.

As the weather was nice and it was a Sunday the route was fairly busy with families out and dog walkers, this did not hinder me too much thankfully. By the time I got back to the car I really felt the toll of the run in the sun (that rhymes) and felt quite dehydrated.

I managed to do some personal bests:
Copper (12 mins) – 1.38 Miles (2.23km)
1k – 5m: 00s

Garmin Connect - Sutton Cheney Wharf, Ambion Wood, Canal, Market Bosworth



Tuesday 11-June-2013 – The day started off when I looked out the window and thought I will wear my long running trousers and long top as it was cloudy outside and a bit chilly. When I got to Sutton Cheney Wharf the sun was out and it was quite warm, I thought to myself that I am wearing the wrong clothes in the heat. I set off and tried to get in to a nice steady run as quick as I could, as this was going to be a tough run in the heat.

After I had covered 4 miles the sun went in and the wind got up, this was a nice welcome breeze to cool me down just before running up a hill into Market Bosworth from the canal bridge. I ran through the square at Market Bosworth and through a gate that leads to a single track road, when I was coming up to 6 miles it stated to lightly rain. I hate the rain but this was quite welcome to cool me down a bit, and the rain did not last very long.

When the single track road ends I turned right up a road for a short way to a car park and then this leads to a right of way on the edge of a number of fields. The grass on the field was long enough to make my trainers a bit wet, I was concerned that my feet would get wet and I would end up with blisters. As I ran through the fields I tried to pick my feet up as much as I could to help them stay dry.
By the time I reached the Bosworth Battlefield Centre I was quite tired, I think the style as I ran through the field used more energy than I thought it would do. I carried on and thought if I concentrate on the breathing then it will be okay. I ran through Ambion Wood, along a disused railway track and got to the old disused railway bridge that crosses the canal. I had done 8 miles at this point, so I thought I wonder if I can do a further 5 miles to make this run in to a Half Marathon (13.1 miles). As I started to run along the canal for the second time today I started to work out how far up the canal I would have to run. I knew that from the railway bridge to the car it was just over a mile, so if I ran up the canal for 2 miles and turned around then the mileage would work out nicely.

I tried to get back in to a nice running pace and sort out my breathing along the canal. Once I had covered just over a mile along the canal it started to rain and then gradually got heavier, this was not a pleasant experience for me but all I could think of is I have just under a mile to cover before turning around.  I kept on checking the Garmin until I reached 10 miles, I turned around and headed back along the canal in the rain. I found running along the canal in the rain was quite an ordeal, I could get back in to a nice running pace but just could not sort out my breathing. I noticed my heart rate monitor was reading a low heart rate, I tried to wipe underneath the chest strap but this did not make any difference. The rain stopped and I started to dry off in the wind, I was so tired at this point and had to fall down in to a walk for a short time to calm down. I found that I had to keep falling back in to a short walk after each half mile and was so tired.

I was so glad to get back to the car but was so happy that I had covered 13.1 miles. My legs were like jelly and I could barely walk, I had to sit on a bench for 40 minutes until I was able to drive back home. Once I got home I uploaded the data from the Garmin to Garmin Connect and checked the Endomondo site to find that I had got 6 new personal bests. Even though it was very tough going I thought the day was a big success.

I managed to do some personal bests:
Copper (12 mins) – 1.39 Miles (2.24km)
1 hour – 6.36 Miles (10.24km)
1k – 4m: 28s
1 Mile – 8m: 05s
10k – 58m: 34s
Half Marathon – 2h: 13m: 57s

Garmin Connect – 13 Miles, Sutton Cheney Wharf, Ambion Wood, Canal, Market Bosworth



Thursday 13-June-2013 – After looking at the weather forecast I decided the best thing to do was to go for a run earlier than normal due to the heavy showers that had been forecasted for later in the day. When I arrived at Sutton Cheney Wharf the day was very cloudy, windy and a bit muggy.

I set off at a slow pace as normal and found it to be very windy at times, after a few miles I had a bit of a washed out feeling. I continued on as I thought the washed out feeling would just wear off and I would be able to get in to a nice running pace.

During this run I had to drop down in to a walk for a short time to catch my breath, I found I just could not get into this run at all. I found it very hard to get into a nice running pace and my breathing was all over the place which was very off putting. I was very glad to get back to the car as I was so tired, not long after I got in to the car it rained quite hard so I was lucky not to be caught out in it. I think that I had not fully recovered from the previous run which gave me the washed out feeling, I maybe suffering with overtraining as well.

On the up side of today run, I managed to do some personal bests:
Copper (12 mins) – 1.40 Miles (2.26km)
1k – 4m: 24s
1 Mile – 8m: 04s

Garmin Connect - Sutton Cheney Wharf, Ambion Wood, Canal, Market Bosworth



On 19-April 2013 a holiday was booked and I was 14 Stone, my goal was to lose 1 stone in 2 months. I am pleased to say that I have reached my goal, I now weigh 13 stone. Once I get off holiday the next goal will be to get my weight down to 12.5 stone.