AOPs

Back to Pollok Park. 2.3 miles, 19 mins, 8.25 minute mile, a slightly easier pace and no walking. Whoop whoop.

According to the Today programme, we ageing runners seem to be part of a trend of Active Older People - doubtless soon to be commodified at a store near you.

Reading another running blog I came across the salutary quote, about blogging, “never has so much been written by so many about so little”. Now there’s a real challenge !

Chi

Up to the Highlands for a couple of days. Heard the fox hounds on the hill when I arrived – apparently the estate keepers clearing the way for the lambing season. Not a happy thought, but at least it’s for a purpose other than entertainment.

An easy 2 miles this morning along the moonlit lochside and up a forestry track. 17.5 mins when deductions made for fumbling with gates in the dark.

I’ve been reading about chi running, which looks very appealing, so I tried to adopt some of the principles while I was out. Even after 2 miles I can see that with practice it could make a big reduction to stresses & strains.

Back to running

24 Jan

Woodland loop – approx 2.3 miles, 20 minutes (8.7 minute mile). Felt very good, though still needed a couple of minutes walking rest mid-way. Have just checked my running logs from 1999, when I was training for my one marathon (3:32). My trail running pace then was 7.0 - 8.0 minute miles, with a PB of 6.7 over 3 miles, 6.8 over a 10k race, and that’s without a dog stopping for poos.

 

So I’m maybe not as decrepit as I thought, but I should reduce the pace slightly to try to eliminate the walking spells and then build it up again.

The main change in the last 12 years is the extraordinary number of blogs and advisory websites ! The consensus of advice for returning runners in their mid 50s seems to be that the lungs get going sooner than the muscles, so care is needed to avoid muscle injury through over-exertion.

And route plotters, which are brilliant, & so much easier than fiddling around trying to measure a trail on a paper map !

23 Jan
Around the Cathkin Braes – approx 2.4 miles. Took 23 minutes – which seemed quite slow (a 9.5 minute mile). The half bottle of wine last night won’t have helped, and Morven was a bit sluggish too. Not a bad route, and the views are stunning, but the whole place seemed a bit grubby today. As ever, running on a trail is much pleasanter than tarmac though.

Jan 21

Same loop. Still good. Timed it today - exactly 15 minutes. An 8.5 minute mile. I’m not too concerned about the pace – the next step is to increase the distance.

The morning was utterly beautiful, with a hard white frost, probably -8^o, with a full moon and dawn just breaking.

Blair is facing the Iraq enquiry again today, to fill in gaps and explain inconsistencies in his last testimony.  I think he probably felt that he held the moral high ground and was arrogant enough to believe that the end justified the means. His messianic inner light seems as bright as ever – maybe he’s not bad, just mad.

Apparently over half of people in the US, and over a third of people in the UK, believe that reports of global warming are being exaggerated, though I’m not sure on what basis. A conspiracy by fridge vendors ?

 
January 20

A full standard loop in the park – 1.8 miles, with B & M. Felt good. Frosty and foggy.

Forgot to time myself – will do that next time, but guess 15 mins.

January 18

No ill-effects, so ran about 1.5 miles this morning, with B & M. First significant running for nearly 18 months, and first regular running for 6 years !! Whilst I’m obviously out of condition, it was surprisingly easy. As I write, 7 hours later, my heel is slightly sore so I must keep up the stretches.

I’ll try to take this gently, but would like to get back to running 3-4 times a week, with at least 1 run of 5 miles.

January 17

Ran about 0.5 mile, with Benn & Morven, in Pollok Park, to test my heel, and the plantar fasciitis which has been plaguing me for nearly 2 years.