Hanging up my running shoes

. . . and getting some cycling shoes.

Well that's it. I tried and I failed. My knees have given up on me and I can barely walk up the stairs without wincing with pain. The old 'thritis has come back and has let me know in no uncertain terms that its still here and is going to stick around for the forseeable future.

I was putting myself through the pain barrier every time I ran so I'm going to take up cycling instead. My buddies go for a bike ride every Sunday morning so I'm going to start joining them. During my lunch hour today i'll be looking at cycling shorts and helmets instead of running pants and outrageously expensive shoes.

So that's the end of this blog. I can't really be bovrilled writing a cycling blog so Adios, Buenos Dias. I'll be on my bike then.

A Post-Work Jog

Having bought myself some cheap black trainers over Christmas, I am getting into the habit of running from my office to the Metrolink Station. Its about three quarters of a mile. I did it for the first time on Monday and again yesterday.

I've been covering about half the distance running and then I've been walking the rest of the way. I'm giving myself two weeks to be able to cover the while distance in one go.

My main problem with all this running is my knees and feet. About three years ago, I was very suddenly struck down by arthritis which affected my joints such as knees and elbows plus my hands and feet. I was off work for three months and for a couple of weeks I couldn't walk at all. For a while I wondered if i'd ever walk again but a course of anti-inflamatory medicine and I was ok. It has only been in the last 8 - 10 months that I finally noticed that I wasn't suffering any ill effects any more. That is until I started running.

After five minutes or so, my feet hurt and later my knees and legs ache like hell. Im not sure what the solution is. I'm loathed to splash out on fancy running shoes just yet. Not that i'm sure it would make a difference anyway. Perhaps I should take up swimming or cycling . . . or watching telly.

Little and Often

I went on my usual run on Friday and did the whole thing without having to stop for a rest. The sense of achievement was quite special, even though its probably less than a mile and I was running for less than ten minutes.

But that doesn't matter does it? If an olympic athelete knocks a couple of seconds from his personal best over 10,000 metres, he feels the same thing. Its all relative and the point is that I can now run much further than I could when I started all this in November. Not only that but when I did the same run the following day, I again completed it without stopping and felt even better in the process.

I'm going to get some cheap black running shoes this week so when I finish work I can run from the office to the Metrolink and then i'll continue running from the bus stop to my house at the other end.

Little by little, bit by bit, Holty's getting much less shit.

Yeah but no but yeah but no but

At least I do it every day now and after four or five such marathons I can now make it all the way to the end of the path in one go. I actually feel fitter.

Al though at the moment I don't feel particularly fit. I do, however, feel very slightly pissed. That Stella's strong stuff.

I'd best clean up my act, the wife'll be home soon. Eek!

Marginally better than nothing

I ran from the bus stop to my house today. Half a mile. That's it.

I'm shit aren't I?

A study in beer as a pre-cursor to fitness training

I was supposed to be running a mile this weekend. I didn't go out on Saturday though, I was too busy looking after the kids and then later watching the mighty Shakers beat Accrington Stanley in the fog. Anyway, Accrington are shit, Bury are fantastic, we beat them 2-1 and if you want to know more about Bury I suggest you visit the club's premier independent website, http://www.mannyroadend.co.uk/. Besides I went out for a skinful on Friday night on my works do, I didn't really drink that much to be honest but had a curry and with a burning ring of fire I didn't feel like going for a run on Saturday morning. I then went out with my mate Tim on Saturday night and had four or five beers in The Brook, so probably wasn't in peak condidtion by Sunday morning.

Undeterred, I did the same route as last time. Its probably about three quarters of a mile to a mile. I ran a bit further without stopping than previously - managing to reach St Edmunds Hall Close and walking to Salmesbury Close before running the rest of the way.

The plan has got to be, keep doing that course until I can do it easily, then start extending my route. Sounds sensible.

I timed myself today. I was out of the house for an astonishing ten minutes. Oh fuck, I'm going to have to run for two and a half hours in less than ten months. Its a mighty challenge and no mistake.

Great Booze-Up, Edmund!

Speaking to my younger brother at a family wedding on Saturday and he's planning to do the Great North Run next year. I think i've always had a sense of rivalry with him although there's no good reason why. He's in the army, served in Iraq aswell and although still in the army, he now has a desk job in Epsom and isn't quite as fit as once he was - he does run though and in a fitness contest would wipe the floor with me, no question.

So that's my target, the Great North Run, on September 20th 2009. 13.1 miles from Newcastle to Gateshead and as such, I've realised that i'll need to plan my approach wisely.

At present I could run a mile if my life depended on it. In almost exactly 10 months time I need to be able to rattle off 13.1 miles without needing medical attention. Hmm, could be tricky.

So i've set myself targets of what mileage I need to be able to achieve and by what dates:

29/11/2008 - 1 mile
27/12/2008 - 2 miles
24/01/2009 - 3 miles
21/02/2009 - 4 miles
21/03/2009 - 5 miles
18/04/2009 - 6 miles
16/05/2009 - 7 miles
13/06/2009 - 8 miles
11/07/2009 - 9 miles
25/07/2009 - 10 miles
15/08/2009 - 11 miles
29/08/2009 - 12 miles
12/09/2009 - 13 miles

Baby steps is the way to go, so this weekend I'm going to run a mile. I am.