Holiday run at beautiful Yorkshire coast

Photo 1 (see map marker), facing North

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Photo 2, facing South

Long beach and sand dune run

This 5 mile run cleared my head and helped my knotted shoulders relax.

Extremely enjoyable with flora and fauna bouncing around like a Disney film.

This little fella was smaller than my little finger nail.

Shame about the power station....

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Death of a pair of good friends

It had to come to this one day...

The soles were gone, the sides ripped and my feet finally felt flat and unsupported running in them. Goodbye faithful Karrimor trail shoes... Into the bin you go...

Sniff.

Bartlow Challenge: 9 mile run

I had never run 9 miles before so I was a little apprehensive. More so when I saw that there were only about 40 runners, most of which looked like pros...I was going to be at the back or even last so I had to accept it, relax and run. Before the run PP advised me to start at a slow pace, saving my energy and this helped immensely. It helped me also get into a steady rhythm.

92 minutes 23 seconds through wind and rainy conditions in beautiful undulating Cambridgeshire countryside...

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PP and I about to enjoy a breakfast roll, cuppa and muffin. The spoils of victory.

Post run relaxation

Easter run

What a beautiful day! We all had lamb roast dinner (made by yours truly) so, much later, when I felt like going for a run I was well fuelled up and had a lot of energy. It's often a struggle to get out of the door to go running and today, despite the lovely cool Spring breeze and blue skies, was no exception. So instead of putting it off, once I had the idea in mind, I set to and didn't stop getting ready till I stepped out the door.

Mostly rural run passing along the river and Baits Bite Lock.

6.5 miles with a time of 1 hour 5mins. Not so great, could do better.

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Shoes may have changed how we run

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8483401.stm

Wearing cushioned running shoes may have changed the way in which many of us run, new research suggests.

Using slow-motion footage, scientists have discovered that experienced barefoot runners land very differently from runners who wear shoes.

Snow joke run

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Ickworth House run

A pleasant post Christmas run around the National Trust's Ickworth House in Suffolk with EP.

3.5 miles on googlemaps but if felt like 5 or 6! Lots of mud and I was carrying a few too many mince pies...

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Me striking a Brucie pose and EP (comically) pointing out the round house on the map. Phew. We're not lost...

20 mile cycle ride and 3 mile run

Absolutely whacked now...


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Milton Park and River Cam run

On my way round during the river leg I overheard a rowing coach say to his ladies four boat to just maintain balance, don't worry about anything else and enjoy the beautiful morning. What sound advice! A lovely October morning: bright and cool. I tried to enjoy this lovely morning and to forget about the other runners I saw who I was convinced were: a. running faster than me (even though they were running in the opposite direction!) and b. were ridiculing me for my shuffling speed.

Enjoyable too as you pass through the Country Park, pass Baits Bite Lock, the river Cam and a Local Nature Reserve called Logan's Meadow.

Final tally: 4.71 miles at 47 minutes. No change on my speed, but I didn't stop!

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Mudrunner 2009

Ten kilometres of real hell and pain mixed with comedy, laughter and occasional breathtaking scenery! Amazing where you go to in your head on a long pound like this. Occasionally I found myself counting in Japanese up to ten repeatedly just to keep a rhythm going. One step in front of the other.... Keep on going, keep breathing...

6 miles of the Land Rover test course over rough terrain, sharp and long inclines, mud baths, fording becks and slog, slog, slog. I made it in where all the fairly fit non-runners came: 279 out of 400 competitors in a reasonable time of 1 hour 34 mins. Way more (in my naivety) than I thought I'd make.

Roll on next year.

This is a photo link which will probably expire sometime soon.

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Wimpole Hall 10k run

I started today's run in the front section, encouraged by EP to start in the 'those who think they'll finish under 1 hour'. This was ok as we set off and I felt good running with the lead pack. At the back of the lead pack, I grant you. Slowly over the course the rear pack one by one or in pairs would overtake and jog on by. I really had to stay focused and not worry too much about other people's races. This was me and the course and the time: that's it. It was good to have people all around to keep me on track and enjoying the day.

View Wimpole Hall Run: 10km in a larger map

It was much hillier than I had thought. I know Wimpole Hall and the surroundings and I imagined slightly undulating wooded areas. It turns out I don't know the area so well. Lots of (what I consider) gruesome hills, through woods and over fields. At one particularly sadistic part of the course it descended sharply over a grassy slope for two hundred metres or so. At the bottom: turn round and get back up the slope. Gasp.

I plodded on and didn't finish last. My time was curiously a little worse than last week but with hindsight I reckon this week was a hillier.

Final time over 6miles: 65minutes.

First 10km run...ever!

I completed my first ever 10km (6mile) run and I'm happy to report that I survived, although given my rough start I thought I mightn't've even finished it!

We arrived with plenty of time to register and relax a bit but at the last moment I needed to dash off to the loo and when I re-emerged they'd started! Without me! So I was running hard just to catch up with the stragglers and then the uphill struggle really started. A long slow incline stretched out ahead of me which I dutifully pounded into. As we descended into a farm I thought I might be getting in a good stride only to find another set of sharp-ish hills to get up. It was important for me to concentrate only on the moment I was in: one foot in front of the other. If I'd focused on how hard it was and how much left of the course there was still to run I may have given up. I kept at it and came out over the small heights above Royston and could see the finish line down below.

My final time was nothing to crow about but I did maintain roughly 10 minute miles. The overall route was 6.4miles and I managed a time of 62 minutes: just better than my training times probably due to other runners helping me set a pace.

Slightly quicker Gunn's lane run

Did this run again yesterday morning (lovely weather for a run: cool but bright!) and I managed to do it a bit quicker. Only by three and a half minutes quicker though, dammit! I guess I should be pleased though as I didn't stop this time for a gasp and a rest. I felt stronger and more ready to finish. So some progress there is better than none!

http://diaryofamartialartist.blogspot.com/2009/09/gunns-lane-run.html

Time was 41 and a half minutes (about ten minute miles).

Another run

A light run in preparation for my 10K in a week or so.

A disappointing 12minute mile. I had to stop a little half way round for a pee but honestly...12 minute mile!!!

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Gunn's Lane run

For the first time in ages I went for a run and half way round this 3 mile route my body told me it had been a *considerable* time since I last ran! I was pleasantly surprised to calculate the run at the end of the course at 4 miles. I'm glad it was 4 and not 3 as I only managed to hobble, spluttering around it in 45 minutes! (11minute miles!) Well...there's progress to be made!

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Stressed and strained

I seem to be having a stressed couple of weeks. Modern life sometimes goes at a billion miles an hour. But we have to find a way to get on, carry on and push through the mist.

Part of this process involved a long barefoot run along the beach. 5 miles of firm sand and a salty bite to the air. It was sunny but I kept my running jacket on as the wind was chilly.

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Sunny run and jumping kicks

I went for the lake run on Friday and as I was jogging round I tried spicing it up with some knee raises to prepare for a jumping front kick (ee dan ahp chagi). Little did I know that these exercises have a name! I was mooching around on YouTube and found this, it's pretty much what I was doing (although not as sharp) and called the Quick Step Drill :

And today I was playing with ee dan ahp chagi in the garden and was looking at distance covered. The distance I covered in a non-forced jump front kick was 2metres 25 (2 metres 50 with a walking prelude-this is more aggressive but not running). That's the distance covered over the ground (which I was going for), not in height. I was also trying to see whether getting the knee higher would make the kick higher, but my experiments seem inconclusive: I was kicking ~1metre 80 for both the normal knee raise prelude and the high knee prelude. Oh well. I think more importantly is the speed of this first action (the step up with the non-kicking leg).

Plus there has to be a fluid motion right through from the first step through the leg change and into the kick. It's ok to break it down for beginners but fairly soon they should practice the entire movement to avoid a: knee raise-pause-lurch upwards-kick off back leg. The momentum really helps. Sensei DD made a good point in that the first 'feint' should be convincing. It's pointless to make a cursory flash with the first foot raise. Maybe this is the important reason for raising that knee high in the first place. Who wants to kick higher than 1metre 80 anyway!?

Another interesting running drill to try from Jabari Pride, which may help out with kicking:

Looking at things differently

It struck me as I was gasping my way on a run along the sand dunes that some things can be seen in different ways.

Above is how I saw it on the way out: the unearthly grunting is my laboured breath as I go pelting along the narrow paths, taking sharp turns as the way is narrow and unpredictable. It's great to exercise and feel the sweat forming on your brow, your body aching, telling you to stop but really I know my body can do much more. As I descend steep dunes my legs automatically adjust to the speed and I find myself coursing down at much higher speed than I normally manage. So I know I can do it. My body has told me this. It's a frantic run though and I am tired (and a bit hungover, dammit) but I love this sharp cold North sea air pinching my at my face. 

Then there's the pay off. This is another way of seeing the same stretch of beach and dunes: calmness. 

The crashing of the waves is soothing, its pulsing is lulling me into a feeling of safety and serenity. Even the industry at Tees mouth isn't going to spoil this calm moment for me. It's the same place but different approaches. Rush through life or meditate on it. Or both.

To top it off I see a lone oyster catcher on the way back and he's calmly pondering the water's edge. Wonderful.