I’m unable to run on a Monday or Tuesday evening, so once again the alarm clock went off this morning at 5.50am.

It wasn’t that difficult to get up though as I had a pretty bad night’s sleep… so was awake anyway at half 5.

I spent a good 10 minutes doing gentle stretches and roller exercises before going out as I had quite a tight tendon on the outside of my left ankle.

The target was 3 miles at 9:24, and as always I’m beginning to think that 9:24 is too slow a pace for me. I couldn’t have run much slower than I did really without it being completely un-natural. In the end I averaged 9:03 (with an average heart rate of 137).

Tomorrow will be a rest day to give me time to recover for my speed session on Wednesday.

I’ve had my Garmin Forerunner 305 for several months now, and just as I bought it the new Garmin Forerunner 405 came out. I’m glad I bought my Forerunner when I did though, and I certainly have no regrets about buying it… but I can be ever so impulsive, and so now I’m considering a Garmin Forerunner 405!

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I went on my first long run of the new training plan yesterday… a steady target of 9:24 for 7 miles. You may not believe this, but it ended only slightly outside that - at 9:21 for 7 miles. This was also the first time I’d ever run over 1 hour!

It was a pretty hot day, but there was quite a bit of broken cloud and a nice stiff wind at times, so it wasn’t too hard going.

We were at the gym, so my route was around the West Malling area - which doesn’t normally motivate me too much for a long run…

The first 2 miles is along a dual carriageway - quite a nice wide path, but not the nicest view in the world! I then turned towards a village called Larkfield, where I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many petrol stations in the space of 1 mile. Other than that, nothing much to write home about.

On the way back I cut across some wheat fields on a bridleway, which although quite pretty, was quite hard , as the ground was dusty and slippery (and also uphill).

The last couple of miles were back along the main road, and also were uphill.

It felt much loner than 7 miles, but I think that was due to the fact I didn’t have a clue where I was. I think a route is always longer when you haven’t been there before.

I was worried about my left ankle before I started, and it hurt a bit during the run. Every time I get a pain in that area now I wonder if it’s the start of another stress fracture. I think I’m starting to understand what’s a muscular twinge now though and on this occasion I think it’s all right.

When I got back to the gym my Mum and Dad met us, so after some lunch I played my Dad at tennis. It was the first time I’d played tennis for at least 20 years, and it was also the first ever time I’d beaten my Dad!

After tennis is was nice to hit the outdoor pool.

An easy 2 mile recovery run. Nothing more, nothing less!

I’ve been off of work this week (on holiday), so spent yesterday lounging by the outside pool at the gym. I wasn’t there for long and I did put on some sun tan lotion, but obviously not enough! I felt very light headed last night and woke up this morning with some sore bits!

So, I was in two minds as to whether or not go for the scheduled run this morning. But as it was due to be the first tempo run of the 11 week plan, I thought it wouldn’t be the best of starts if I didn’t bother.

The first mile to warm up was due to be run at 9:24 pace, but as always I found it difficult to run that slow to start with - so ended up running the first mile in 8:58.

The next 3 miles were to be run at 7:54… which was tough going. However, averaging things out I managed 7:59 - which I don’t think is too bad at all. The actual running felt OK, but every time the clouds disappeared and the sun came out it was just very very hot and hard going.

I was supposed to warm down wit a mile at 9:24 again, but due to the route I planned coming right past my house after 4.5 miles, I thought I would call it a day!

I went for a swim this afternoon too to work on the front crawl drills I got yesterday at my swimming lesson… but that’s a-whole-nother post!

Today was the first day of my 11 week training schedule - as prescribed using the Smart Coach system on RunnersWorld.co.uk.

It certainly started off as an easy day, with just a 2 mile easy run. Target pace was 9:24 a mile… but I went a tad quicker at 9:03. Average heart rate was 139.

It was a lovely day for a run… nice and hot with blue skies.

I’m off of work this week, so I went to a Pilates class before the run, and had a massage after it. It was the first massage I’d had since the SheRunsHeRuns Bluewater 10K last week… so my calves feel a whole lot better now.

When the alarm went off this morning at 5.45 I really didn’t feel like getting up and running my first 10k race of the year. It is amazing how quicker you get up though when you know you really have to, as opposed to being able to hit the snooze button several times!

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My god it was hot this afternoon!

I went out at about 5 o’clock and it was baking. It would have been very easy to just have a short run, but with my 10k race next week I knew I had to do at least 5 miles today.

Although it was so hot, I felt pretty good today, apart from a slight pain in my left knee on the inside. A couple of times earlier in the day it felt like the knee had lost its stability. It didn’t feel too good after about a mile, but about 10 minutes later the pain had gone. Pain is probably to strong a word to be honest. It was more like a dull ache.

I’ve been swimming a lot this weekend, so I think the knee pain could be down to that. Too much breaststroke!

I have actually been trying as hard as possible to learn the front crawl. I’ve always practically drowned when I try to breath doing the front crawl, as I don’t think it’s physically possible for me to not breath through my nose at all! So, I bought a nose clip. I may look like a synchronised swimmer, but at least now I can almost do the front crawl. Today I just about managed a length (25 metres).

A heavenly run tonight… it was pouring with rain!

I absolutely love running in the rain. I love the feeling of it against your face and body, I love the cars splashing puddles over you, I love it!

Apart from that, nothing really to say about tonight’s run!

I’m pretty pleased with myself tonight…

I had an away day at work today at an outdoor adventure type place… so I spent the day outside doing some very minor exercise and eating a lot of buffet style food at lunchtime. The weather was quite good too, which all lead to feeling a tad tired by the end of the day at 4 o’clock.

Still, tonight I was planning to do a speed session, so I did some stretches when I got home and then went straight out.

The first mile was average, with tight achilles tendons and rather heavy breathing.

The second mile I picked up the pace to 7:29 min/mile which felt pretty good. It’s funny, but I still find it much more natural and easy to run faster than slower.

After quarter of a mile at base pace (just under 9 min mile pace) I picked up again to 7:46. This time just for three quarters of a mile - due to it being uphill!

Down to base pace again for quarter of a mile and then another mile at 7:41, before cooling down at base pace.

All in all a good run. The weather was baking hot with little wind, and having had pretty poor food all day and hardly any liquids I think I did pretty well.

It felt like I could have held an 8 minute pace quite comfortably, so that may be my pace for the 10k next weekend. I may do the first 5k at 8minute, and then try to pick it up from there.

I warn you… this stretch can make you feel queasy!

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Another early morning session this morning…

I left home at 6.20am and didn’t exactly feel like running. To spice things up slightly (!) I ran a route I hadn’t run for months. To be honest the main reason I changed routes was because the one I did this morning has a bit more life to it. It goes in to my local town and back again, so at 6.30 in the morning there’s a few people about. And at that time of morning I find it easier to run if I see other forms of human life out and about It also makes me feel good knowing I’m exercising whilst they’re plodding their way to the train station, or even worse… standing around lazily at the bus stop trying to avoid the 10 minute walk to the train station!

My feet also didn’t feel great this morning, so I decided to curtail the run and only do 2.36 miles. I considered adding on some more, but it would have been another mile, and I didn’t really fancy tweaking something with less than 2 weeks to go until my 10k race.

I’m glad I did keep it easy as at lunchtime today I started to get a dull ache just where I did my stress fracture above my left ankle. The feeling has subsided now, and to be honest I’m not sure if it was muscular, tendons, ligaments or something more worrying with the bone. I’m going to try and block it from my mind in preparation for what will hopefully be a decent 4 mile run with tempo intervals tomorrow evening.

You know when everything just kind of feels right? Well today’s run was one of those days!

I didn’t think it would be as I had a strange feeling in my foot all morning, which I couldn’t work out as being a muscle pain or something wrong wit a bone. So, the first 10 minutes were going to tell me if it would be a long run or not, and luckily, it felt just just fine, so I headed off for my normal 10K-ish route.

It was also perfect conditions this afternoon. Slightly warm, but overcast with a nice breeze. I’d bought a new Nike Dry-Fit running vest this morning, and to be honest I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to get a vest (I’ve always gone for standard t-shirts before). It was so much more comfortable that a normal t-shirt. It ma sound funny, but even feeling the breeze against my shoulders seemed to make me run stronger!

Although I was pretty tired when I got back home I felt like I could have kept going for at least a couple more. That’s always a great feeling to have… once I’ve done my 10K race in two weeks time I’l probaby start to up the miles.