Janathon, run, fail, repeat.

So yeah, my Janathon is a fail yet again. I might finish one one year. Maybe. 

It's all probs for the best though as I was getting pretty sore in the legs, which is never a good thing when you decide to enter a half marathon. 

Yep, I filled in the guff online and have entered Reading Half for this year. If I get through the training and actually complete the race, it'll be the first race I've finished for a good few years, and I hope I do. I quite enjoyed the Reading Half last time I did it, I think back in 2012. 

I have a target time but I'm not going to share it, you will have to settle for "I wants to get a new PB."

I'm not depressingly unfit so I'm fairly confident of hitting my target, providing I stick to and follow my training plan, which starts on Monday. The bugger will be dragging my arse up out of bed at 4am every morning and out the door. 

It is only a short 10 week training plan but there is plenty shoved in there considering there are only 4 sessions per week. I can always tuck another gentle run in there somewhere if necessary. 

Speak again soon bods. 👍🏻🏃🏻

Glasses or Contacts?....

I've worn glasses now since I was about 6 or 7, maybe before, I can't remember, so you'd think I'd be used to them wouldn't you? I've worn contact lenses since my 18th birthday (thanks mum, very memorable that was!) so you think I be used to them wouldn't you?

Turns out I am! 

The trouble starts when I want to wear one but have to wear the other instead. 

Because of the stupid hours I work, if I want wear contacts I have to put them in around 5am and if I'm playing TT then they poss won't come out much before midnight. This in itself isn't much of a bother, except they may start to dry up a little during a match and start going all foggy, the trouble comes the next day if the weather is shite! Wearing glasses in heavy wind and rain is an absolute swine as any specy's out there will already know, so I want to wear contacts again, but I can't as my eyes will simply not allow me to put them in as they have not recovered enough from the previous day's wear. Ouchy!!

The new pair I picked up the other weekend were supposed to stop this, but guess what? They have nae. 

I wore my lenses for just a few hours on Sunday, from around 3pm until 10pm that night then left the little effers in their pot until yesterday afternoon thinking that would be enough time. I did play one game in them at the match last night but I had to take them out after as my vision was shite, and ended up wearing my specs for the rest of the match, which actually improved my game a fair bit as my timing was better because I could see the ball better. It would seem I will have to stick to specs for ping pong. 

But from a safety PoV I will be sticking with contacts for outdoors stuff and Taekwondo. Not so much out of choice in TKD as you're not actually allowed to wear specs in a Dan grading!

Looks like I'll be forever stuck with having to carry my glasses with me, and not on my face either. Bah. 

Today's run was brought to you in dark and grim bespectacled vision. Just the little toddle back home via picking eldest Walker spawn from Cubs. 

https://www.strava.com/activities/469695149

Cheers. 👍🏻

Massage needed!

I'm Howdy doody. 

Yes, early run this morning for number 12. The legs are starting to feel it, especially after last night which was very slow - 9+ min miles. More time spent out running equals more foot strikes to the ground equals more stiffness. This morning was sore and tight and just not pleasant. Will try and keep them moving around a bit today to avoid seizing up completely and getting cramp at TT tonight. Still, nice long rest till the next run tomorrow evening (apart from the ping pong match of course), so plenty of time to get the little blighters loose and rating to go. 

https://www.strava.com/activities/468556355

Am starting to look at new running boots too, not sure my current pair will last the training for Reading Half as well as the race itself. Don't know whether to go back to Kinvara's or get another pair of Zealot's. Hmmmm, quandaries everywhere. 

Going well so far....

Probs just put a massive kiss of death on my Janathon effort this year by typing that. Ah well. 

No I've not run yet, that'll be tonight and be a little bit longer than usual, I should think just a tickle over 4 miles. Have to go and pick up the kids from a chums house while the mrs is off out pilating. The challenge after getting them home is then getting the little bleeders into bed and a-kip at a reasonable hour. But the promise of a cuddle and a Mr Man book usually does the trick for the youngest. 

Since the start of this Janathon jobby this year, I've been trying to eat a bit healthier - not lots, just a bit better. I was going to try and keep an eye on my weight as a lot of training apps require you to put your weight in, especially if you're tracking calorific burn, it helps with the calculations apparently. 

Well I can't. My scales are knackered. So much for the wonders of the digital age. 2 sets of scales I've gone through in the last few years now. Think I might resort to getting a set of the old spinny dial type scales next time, they last a damn sight longer, or at least they used to anyway. 

So instead of weighing myself, I'm going to use a very basic means of tracking my fat loss - when my running trousers waist band no longer rolls down under my gut over-hang, I'll be happy. 

One other thing. I'm hoping to get an email tomorrow that will make me "squee" a little bit. I'll let you know tomo. 

Cheers ears. 

Edit:

As promised, today's run. Not as far as I thought it would be. Nice and slow though, 9+ mins/mile. 

https://www.strava.com/activities/468265078

Double run post - cos I can't be arsed to write 2 posts.

You won't be able to tell but I had think for ages there for what to write! (Stolen from Alan Partridge).
No really, I've got shed loads to write and not entirely sure where to start. So I may as well load up the links for my runs.

The Saturday run home from work was disgusting - wind n rain n massive puddles - but probs no worse than a lot of people had to put up with at Park Run, they had mud to deal with too. I had to deal with foggy glasses. Far, far worse I think you'll agree. It was however quite fun. :-)

https://www.strava.com/activities/466716632

The Sunday run was far nicer and a lot more restrained and boring, and was just me going back to work if only to pick up my laptop and bike, but at least it was daylight and not windy and raining.

https://www.strava.com/activities/467337664

A couple of other things to report though.
Friday evening I had the first Taekwondo session of the year. It wasn't a particularly heavy session, maybe because it was quite a big class and there was a new starter. The best bit however was intact the cycle home. There was no wind and rain again, the sky was clear and I had tunes in my ears. It was really a wonderful ride home, I was wide awake and absolutely buzzing from a good TKD session. I felt like I could have just kept on riding. Sadly I couldn't. Bah!

I have entered Reading Half Marathon too. Provided I don't break between now and April the somethingth, it will be my first race for bloody ages. I'm looking forward to it.

I was going to mention today's TKD session too, but won't. I'm going to be sticking with the runs to and from work for the mo so that I don't smash my legs off, so nice and boring maps n such.

Cheers all.

Whiskey is fuel right?

I only ask cos that's I put down me last night. Finished off the Jim Beam after a shit TT match. We lost and I said lots of naughty words, nuff sed innit. 

So a late night with whiskey plus having to get up at 5 is a bloody stupid thing to do I have decided. 

Needless to say I didn't get up at 5, got up at 6 instead. Commence rushing about like fewl and not being able to find anything, getting out the door a few mins late, attempting to run to work with knackered legs and dodgey guts, and having to stop in the garage to get food. 

Turned up 15 mins late. Arse. 

https://www.strava.com/activities/465527619

Got Taekwondo training tonight so that should ensure my legs are smashed to shit ready for tomo. Glad I have ibuprofen. 

Ta much. 

Crap food day.

I've eaten nothing but junk today. No really, I have. More so than usual, apart from the couple of bananas and apple, it's been choc and crisps.

Pranny that I am and being in a bit of a hurry to get m'butt out the door to work this morn, I forgot me chuffing lunch. I also forgot to pick up something extra to eat before my TT match tonight. "Luckily" I had some cash on me so I could raid the vending machine at work. 

And there was me thinking that my "eat less crap" diet was going well. Buggered that one up today a bit didn't I?

At least I got my run done this morning, that's the main thing. Legs are quite tight now but I'm hoping that will ease a bit at TT. They best do, as I've got to run in again tomo morning.

https://www.strava.com/activities/464836140

Hopefully mrs wifey will let me bring the laptop to work tomo so I can have a play and edit the vids I am planning on filming at the match tonight. 😁🏓🏓

Toodle pip. 👋🏻

And.... I'm struggling again.

Ha, not with the running though, thinking up post titles! Running is the easy bit in this challenge.
No, it was a fairly steady wallop home from work tonight, probs a bit sharper than I should have done seeing as I will only have 12 hours to recover. Yes I know it's only 3.4 miles but the legs still take a bit of punishment ya know, they pavement things can be a swine on the shins. Though I am incredibly happy I changed my running style to help avoid shin splints, it seems to have worked very well.

https://www.strava.com/activities/464444287

Had a bit of happy news from a company called 2Pure, a distributor for all sorts of running and cycling gear.
I won a Nathan Zephyr 100 in a Men's Running magazine comp in December 2014 and have started to have what I've found to be very common problems - not charging, constant emergency siren - and 2Pure being the distributors for the Nathan brand here in the UK told me to return it from whence it came and they should replace it under warranty. I told them I couldn't do that as it was a competition prize so they're going to send me a shiny new one as a gesture of good will. Yaaay for 2Pure.

Popped into the new gym on the way home last night. Don't think I'm going to bother tbh. It was a bit too small for my liking and was looking to cost around £5 a visit. It will cost me a bloody fortune if I can manage to get in there just 3-4 times a week, and I'm in no position at the mo to spend £50+ a month on gym membership.

Run too is the plod into work via the garage to get me a spot of grub. Also have the first TT match of the new year too night to look forward too, and also the first chance to have a proper play with my GoPro. Expect to see a little video of a spot of ping pong on here in a couple of days time.

Cheers m'peeps.

In kicks the hurts.

So this morning came round far too quickly for my liking. Legs were still aching after the last few days efforts. I know I haven't done massive mileage but my scrawny little body supports just aren't used to it. I do hope they can recover enough before the next run tomorrow evening otherwise I might be very hurty come the weekend. 

It was just the bimble into work, which I had hoped to start at around 6am, but as I didn't get my arse up till gone 6 I didn't have time for a shower at work. Ah well, huzzah for pretty smelly anti-perspiration. 

https://www.strava.com/activities/463364849

Nice little items in the post today. Got my Batman top so I can get more funny looks when I'm out running on Sunday 😃😃, and also got a lense cap type thingy for my GoPro Hero 4 Session that my wonderful friends at Taekwondo got me for my 40th birthday. Still can't believe that they did that. 

I'ma pop into that new gym place I mentioned yesterday on my way home tonight, but not in my batman top, to see what it's like. Will let you know tomo. 

Cheers. 👍🏻

I have a sneaky plan......

All this attempting to do a Janathon and ballsing it up by either being too lazy to jog, log or indeed actually blog is a right git. So I've decided to bend the rules slightly, like what the F1 teams do. 

Because I tend to lose motivation to with run or blog, especially on days like today when the run is a late one and consequently the blog is even later, I think it is best for me to write a blog (of mostly nonsense) in which I harp on about the usual guff then shove in there somewhere that I will run later stating the route I'll be taking and that I will edit in a link to it once I get home. So......

I'ma be running home from work tonight, just the 3 and a trice miles, and it'll be nice and steady too. Legs seem to be OK after yesterday's runs, which is nice. 

I was hoping to pop in to the new gym that has opened up, it's actually part of a brand new school that has been built but they are opening it to the general peasantry, outside of normal school hours obviously. It's on my direct route to and from work so would be bang on. And providing they don't charge a bloody fortune, I will probs be a regular visitor. Apparently they're going to charge pay as you go type fees which is ok. And provided they're open at 6am on the dot, I should be able to make it to work on time too. 

But as it turns out, that will probs have to wait till tomo evening now as the Mrs is out giving Pilates a go so I will have to pick the kids up and get them home to bed sharpish tonight as they're back at school tomo. 

Ah well, I'll probs let you know what it's like in Wednesday's drivel. 

Will post the link to tonight's run once I'm home this evening. 

Tuttybye. 

Edit: Forgot to put it in last night. Oopsey.  Never mind eh, here's the link to yesterday's run. 

https://www.strava.com/activities/463076704

Daylight!

So today was the first time in ages that I have actually been able to run in the daytime. Fair enough, it was windy, raining and bloody miserable but I enjoy running in the rain, the wind however, not so much.
It was only a 2.6 mile run into town to pick up a new set of contact lenses I'm trying out, but still a nice biff outside in the fresh air, with a game of dodge the puddles on the way. No doubt my groins will feel it tomorrow morning, it was jolly fun though. Even shoved a spot of drum n bass in my ears, though that could've been a bit of a mistake - went off a bit harder than I'm used too and nailed a sub 8 min mile followed by a sub 7.30 one. Lungs and legs weren't too chuffed with that.

https://www.strava.com/activities/461916610

So, now I'm in Didders with a shiny new set of eyes in my head, the difference it makes is wonderful compared even to older worn contacts, let alone dirty heavy glasses that are covered in rain and slipping down a chaps hooter. Quick stroll into Dyas to fetch away some batteries for my head torch and I was off back home. Got some odd looks in town. Can't think why, I was wearing shorts and a spiderman vest. Props should stick to wearing something a touch looser next time, at least until I've burnt the gut off a bit so there's not so much overhang. Looking forward to wearing my Batman top when it arrives though :-).
For the run home I went for Five Finger Death Punch in my ears. Give it a go if you like a spot of the heavy stuff. Slightly slower trip home, not by much though!

https://www.strava.com/activities/461957245

Back to the boring work run tomorrow evening, still a few hours for my legs to recover.
Cheers each. See you tomo.

Still going!

Woo, 2 day run streak!

Again, not the most exciting of routes, the same as yesterday in fact but in reverse. 

However, being a silly sod, I didn't cool down or stretch it out after which I really REALLY should do. Sitting ones arse down for a 12 hour shift after a cold, wet, windy run is an amazingly stupid thing to do if you're hoping to run the next day too. I really should have done some other form of leggy type exercise to stop the lactic build up. Burk. 

Ah well, it's done now, all I can do is hope they work in the morning. I'll still only be doing a shorty run but there will be 2 of them. Got to nip to the opticians and pick up a new set of contact lenses, but I may extend the trudge back home by a couple of miles just to get the pegs going a bit. 

Speak again tomo peeps. 

Resurrection!

It's that time again. 

The time when I attempt a runstreak, log streak (sounds nasty that dunnit?) and a blog streak. Which also means I have to re-animate life into this deflated dead pustule of a blog of mine. 😬

Well I shan't fill it with too much junk just yet, we'll pick that up along the "journey", I mean cripes, I haven't even done my run yet, which is the main point of this bilge, but fear ye not, once I've done it this evening I will edit hither and provide linkettes with all the guff and geekery. 

Mwah mwah. 

Edit:

As promised, the linky poo for my run. Not v exciting sadly. This is poss the same route I will take on my run tomo. 

https://www.strava.com/activities/460802621

Cheers peeps. See's ya's laters taters.