OK - whilst half the country was grinding to a halt yesterday, I managed to do an 8-mile run in the morning before going to work. I can't believe schools in the West Midlands are closed today either, there's no snow on the roads any more!
Anyway, back to the running. The new trainers are excellent, very comfortable and a lot lighter than my previous ones. They do have a design flaw though, and small stones can get wedged into the sole. So I'm going to fill the problem areas to stop this from happening. When people design these things do they not think about how or where they'll be used? As it's something I can sort it's not a major issue so never mind.
So now I'm clocking over 25 miles a week, and as I start to build my long run up slowly from where I am now to the 23 miles that's scheduled for 3 weeks before the marathon, that will increase. I'm also finding the 8 miles a lot easier and I'm doing it at 8 minute/mile pace as well, even yesterday in the snow. Today I went out to do a run at a faster pace, so I went for 4 miles and did it at 7m 38 sec pace, which is quick for me. I have the Silverstone Half Marathon on 15 March, and I'd love to do that at 7m 45 sec - but I'll be happy with 8 minute miles to be honest.
Is it weekly mileage update time?!
Sort of done above.
What do you train in clothing wise, cold and warmer weather?
Obviously my new trainers. Then a decent pair of running socks. Either a twin layer sock or a specialist sock with extra protection to prevent rubbing and blistering. Other than that bloody stone, I've never had a problem with my feet when I run, and that's obviously important if you're running a marathon.
I always wear shorts when I run. Even if it's -5, the cold doesn't really bother your legs. I now also wear a base layer under my shorts and top. These are excellent (and I wear them for any sport). They help to wick sweat away from your body in the cold or when it's hot, and the layer under my shorts helps prevent chafing if my shorts get wet (and I've seen people with blood pouring down their legs from their thighs chafing against wet shorts - it's not a pretty sight). Lots of people wear running tights in this weather - but they aren't really my thing.
On top I wear a 'technical' top, one that's 100% synthetic that allows breathing and doesn't get damp. Again, I've seen people run in cotton t-shirts and the rubbing on nipples that makes them bleed just isn't pleasant. In weather like this, I have a running micro-fleece top that keeps me warm enough when I start, but makes sure I don't overheat when I've been running a while. I also wear running gloves if it's colder than freezing, otherwise I don't bother. Again, these are same material as the technical tops.
When it gets warmer, I might ditch the base layer under my top - I'll see how that goes. I'll be running the marathon in an NSPCC running vest, so I'll be wearing that for training as well (when it arrives).
My running stuff is a combination of brand stuff and cheap stuff from Aldi (which does a brilliant range of running clothes every so often).
So that's my running kit, which is finished off with my Garmin Forerunner to monitor the pace and distance, and my MP3 player. I much prefer running to music than without it. I'll dig out the MP3 player and post up the tracks I listen to when I run. Any suggestions would also be appreciated.
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