Running with Asthma

Realistically, I'm not going to be running much more this year what with feeling and being under the weather therefore this is as good an opportunity as any to post my blog on Running with Asthma.

This blog aims to provide information to everyone but in particular asthmatics on the importance of exercise, such as running, to improve fitness and hence ultimately reduce the symptoms of asthma.  Prior to starting a programme of exercise, it is recommended that those with asthma first consult their doctor to determine whether running is an appropriate form of exercise to pursue.

Before examining what benefits exercise such as running can offer asthmatics, it is important to first understand the asthma condition which affects 5.4 million people in the UK.  When triggered by an irritant, the airway becomes inflamed and narrows, leading to symptoms such as a tight chest, coughing, wheezing and breathlessness.

If symptoms intensify and self-administered medication fails to relieve the symptoms, an asthma attack may occur.  In some cases hospital treatment is required to bring the symptoms back under control.  The severity of asthma varies between sufferers, as does the triggers.  For example, infections, cold air, allergies and exercise are common asthma triggers.  Common precautions to take when exercising will be discussed later to help avoid triggering asthma symptoms.  There is no known cure for asthma therefore, in terms of managing the condition there are a number of treatments available to help alleviate and prevent symptoms and attacks from occurring.  These include a combination of medicines such as inhalers to dispense a drug, lifestyle adjustments which include a healthy diet and exercise and the avoidance of known triggers.  Medicines usually consist of a reliever to self-administer when symptoms occur, something to take prior to starting to exercise in order to help relax and widen the airways and a preventer to reduce future occurrences.

Asthmatics are also taught a number of breathing techniques to help manage their condition by varying the rate and depth of breathing.  These techniques can then be used when exercising to help keep breathing under control.  If breathing difficulties do arise and start to trigger asthma symptoms, then it is likely that the sufferer will have to stop the activity  and use a combination of breathing techniques and a reliever until breathing returns to normal and the symptoms ease.  It is therefore vital for asthmatics to carry a reliever when exercising in case symptoms occur that cannot be controlled by breathing techniques alone.  Additionally, it is recommended that exposure to known triggers is limited to prevent onset of symptoms.  For example, if cold air is a trigger, then breathing through the nose or via a scarf warms the air prior to its contact with the airways and lungs. Similarly, if pollen or smog trigger symptoms, it is wise to avoid exercising in high pollen areas or high volumes of traffic.  Knowing when symptoms begin to advance is important when exercising as it will allow the sufferer to know whether the effort level needs to be adjusted, for example to run more slowly to avoid symptoms developing to the point where intervention from a reliever over and above the learned breathing techniques is required.

Exercise is also required in part to control weight as obesity is believed to have an adverse impact on asthma.  There are other exercise benefits for asthmatics in addition to those already listed including improving fitness, boosting the immune system to avoid respiratory infection triggers and the strengthening of breathing muscles.  As well as improving physical health, running can also improve self-belief through the setting of targets and goals and help to relieve stress.

There are many benefits and reasons as to why asthmatics should exercise. However, what benefits does running offer over other activities such as walking, swimming and cycling, etc.?  It generally depends on what the objectives of the exercise are, for example if weight loss is a goal then running is better for burning calories.  There are various tables online which you can search for on Google to compare different exercises.  This will help you decide which exercise will help you achieve your goals.

The benefits of running include accessibility, as almost anyone can start running and from practically anywhere, minimal cost, as gymnasium membership is not required, and it can improve sleep, boost wellbeing and provide an opportunity to break away from the daily routine.  It is recommended that stamina and fitness are developed gradually to allow the body to steadily adapt to the new exercise regime.  To that end it is suggested that a tried and tested programme such as the ‘Couch to 5k’ running programme is utilised with the aid of podcasts that provide instructions and music to help motivation through the programmed runs.

Exercise such as running can therefore be considered as both a trigger of asthma symptoms and a method by which the condition can be controlled as part of a healthy lifestyle. Once the sufferer has learned how to overcome the symptoms of asthma and to manage the condition correctly when exercising, anything should be achievable as demonstrated by the athlete and marathon runner Paula Radcliffe who has suffered from asthma all her life.

Further study on this topic in the future will examine the downsides to running, further detailed examination of the benefits associated with running and the advantages of cross training.

I wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Lets see what 2013 will bring.  Hopefully some warmer weather and a longer period of injury/illness free time than 2012 so I can actually run.

Runner's Knee

Unfortunately, I find myself facing another injury this year and the biggest challenge since I starting running just over 2 years ago. If my self diagnosis is correct, which from looking at the symptoms I can’t think it could be anything else then it seems that I am suffering from runner’s knee. It started to play up 2 weekends prior and progressively got worse last week. I haven’t run again and I wasn't exactly running a lot before, averaging around 10 miles a week so I’m not quite sure what caused it. However, from examining the causes that can lead to the issue, I need to consider whether my running shoes were a factor in that they may have gone beyond their mileage resulting in a reduced cushioning performance which may have translated into higher impact on my knees.  In fact they can't be as I've only done about 330 miles in them since Mar 13.  The following sites provide some further information on the problem if interested.

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/beating-injury/bodyworks-runners-knee/229.html

http://www.marathon-training-guides.com/runners-knee.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/199726-exercises-to-help-runners-knee/

It’s extremely frustrating and depressing, as the weather has improved and it hasn’t been raining but, now it looks like I’m going to have to avoid running on it for a while to give it the best chance of recovery. That means all my fitness is going to disappear and when I do start running again, my asthma is going to make it unpleasant for a while until my body gets back in the swing of things. Until then I need to do something that at least gives me a fighting chance of maintaining some of my fitness and to ensure that I don’t start piling on the pounds, especially with Christmas just around the corner and another week away at Lancaster University early in December scoffing hotel food and drink.

So I need to get a new routine up and running (no pun intended) if I am to stick at it. Thankfully, I have access to a cheap gym therefore I think swimming is my only option and leg/core strengthening exercises at the moment. So, I’m going to leave it a whole week of rest, then aim to start on Monday.

Monday Update: Started today on my new regime; jogged slowly to the pool (about 1 mile), swam for about 20 minutes continuously, got bored, ran back to work, some chest tightness as expected but, no adverse knee pain to speak of yet but only time will tell. If all goes swimmingly (no pun intended), will continue with this routine tomorrow and then Thursday. If all goes ok, I might alternate with cycling and other low impact activities before I gradually start to build up my running fitness again. The short runs to and from the gym will also help with this.

Nights drawing in

With the arrival of darker nights following the clock change and winter temperatures, one of the negatives of running in a running club at 6.30 pm has come to light (or not as the case may be). To that end I will decide each week throughout the winter as to whether I prefer to see where I’m going albeit on my own at run lunchtimes or whether I run with others in the club, but in complete darkness with poor street lighting and glare from car lights and reflections. 

I won't be able to completely avoid running in darkness this winter though as when I am working on my post graduate study at Lancaster University, the only time I can fit a run in is after 6 pm as I don't do early morning runs especially in the winter when there is a high chance of ice or slippery conditions.

Other than that, my running has been pretty steady since my last blog update, averaging between 8 and 12 miles a week depending on whether I manage 2 or 3 runs in a week.  

Because of my study I have introduced some new routes into my routine when away studying.  One particular route, involved a long climb to a wind turbine but was rewarded with views to Blackpool Tower and illuminations in the distance on the way back down, even the path of the M6 carving through the Lancashire countryside below looked serene in failing light.  

Unfortunately I didn't stop to take a photo but will endeavour to include more in the future.

What a week!

I did mean to publish this blog when I hit the 200 workout mark on Endomondo however, that number has somehow surged to 239 workouts in a blink of an eye or in my case month since March 2011 (1097 miles in total, 0.0044 times around the world - nearly there :lol:)!  Commuting to work once a week by Bike has helped the workout numbers surge as that counts as two workouts; one there and one back :)

Anyway, moving on...this week has been great in terms of exercise despite losing my 2 year old running partner to another country at the start of the week (...and what's wrong with the weather in this country!?...oh, oh right!) who usually made at least one of my runs each week more bearable.  Running Club thankfully does now help fill that gap.

Moving on again, this week I wanted to get my running mileage back up to around the 15 mile  mark but, have actually achieved 16.96 miles with a long run of 7+ miles today, my longest non stop run in nearly 12 months!  In addition to the runs, I also completed two cycling workouts (1 commute) totalling 13.91 miles.  If the calculations are correct (it's good to hope), then the Endomondo website reports that I have burned near on 4000 calories this week alone...34" waist here I come......that was until I scoffed some of my favourite chocolate...Lindt Lindor that my wife bought me today as its our Anniversary and the excess food that I'm about to consume out celebrating....

Also this week, I have finally made the step back to an Apple iPhone (albeit an older 3GS model as it was what I wanted and could reasonably afford).  It also fits in my running armband to so bonus, no new accessories required!  Although I think the Android Operating system has come on leaps and bounds in the last couple of years; music management or lack of is where it lets the side down.  Most of all with Apple, I like being able to rate songs (on a 5* scale) when I'm listening to them (apart from when I'm running to them that is :lol:) and then syncing back to iTunes to help me form smarter playlists that may help improve my running playlists; something that in my opinion works best on Apple's software at the moment. 

Considering my 2nd hand iPhone 3GS doesn't have as good specifications and is a year older in terms of when it was released than my Android albeit budget handset, its amazing how much more slicker, smoother and faster the whole Apple experience is.  I just need a faster computer now to be able to cope better with iTunes because it does run slowly on my 6+ year old computer....

Things may change with what Android and Windows will offer in the future and I will revisit the competition if they introduce similar music management systems that can rival iTunes and Apple's software, but at the moment I'm glad to be back with an iPod/IPhone.  Only downside I can see at the moment, is that you can't get Andoku Sudoku for iOS but, I'm hoping I can find something in the app store which is close enough :).

From my statistics, by the time I post my next blog, I would have run over 200 times since Mar 11 and covered a distance of around 825 miles.

Mixing it Up

The last 30 days or so has seen me record 16 miles of walking, 22 miles of running and 66 miles of cycling.  I'm still trying to work out when to throw the odd swimming and gym session into the mix to complete the set!  And most importantly, I need to find some time to play golf as it has seriously been neglected so far this year and I'm not exactly expecting great things from my last two society games of the season, although in my defence we haven't exactly had the weather for it!

The running mileage is down for the month, but I missed two running club sessions mainly due to our summer Holiday which I intentionally went on without my running gear, but to compensate I did manage to do some walks...

Although I clocked up a lot of cycling miles this month my bike has pretty much been condemned by the specialists so I'm not sure how much further its going to get me.  I spent more on new parts for it this month than what I originally bought it for to try and make the riding position more comfortable and that was before I was quoted an eye watering £85 to get the gears into better working order (almost twice what the bike originally cost me from ebay!).

So enough is enough, I'll try and eek out its usefulness for as long as I can, hopefully giving me enough time to decide whether its an activity I want to continue with and therefore enough time to save up for a replacement!  In addition to this, I will be continuing to run, hopefully upping my running to pre holiday mileage and trying to add more gym/pool work into my fitness regime to shed the last few pounds and inches around my waist whilst still finding time for some golf before winter sets in!

Not for Me

I have been running now for nearly 2 years; in that time I have slowly built up from 0 to 5k, 10k and half marathon distances with the latter being the most difficult in terms of requiring the most energy, focus, motivation, will power and raw determination to complete.  I have come to the conclusion following a long run last week that I always struggle to muster the required motivation or focus for the longer runs.  Yes, I'm sure if I persevere it will come, but the bottom line is that I simply do not enjoy running for long distances enough to warrant me continuing on with my current plan of reaching the Marathon distance.

I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't reach the full marathon distance but I can already feel the pressure that I felt I was under lifting.  I can no divert more time, energy and focus into hobbies that I currently enjoy more including golf, walking, cycling and photography.

So what about running?  I fully intend to continue running and I’m now looking forward to returning to more enjoyable and relaxing distances (10k and under) without the pressure of a plan.  I am also looking forward to adding some variation / cross training now that our work has access to the local gym and swimming pool at a vastly reduced rate.  I will also try to get back in the saddle of my bike to add some further variation.  These activities and training elements moving forward should enable me to maintain my fitness, loose some more weight (aiming for a comfortable 34” waist, currently at 36”), improve my core strength which still feels weak since by back injury earlier in the year and to enter the odd race up to and including the half marathon distance with the aim of beating my Personal Bests.

As always, I’ll keep updating this Blog with my progress and experiences as I go.

Final Attempt

Every time lately, no sooner that I start feeling positive about my running, I end up feeling injured again afterwards which has put doubts into my mind as to whether my current goal of reaching Marathon distance for me is attainable.  To that end I've decided that if I can’t do it this time for whatever reason, then I will be more than content to return to distances under 13.1 miles knowing that these better match/suit my natural ability and fitness levels.

To that end, I’ve settled on another of Jeff Galloways plan which I have adapted (see below) to fit in with my preferred running schedule.  To determine where I should start, I pushed myself last week and managed 11 miles which sees me slot onto week 5 of the adapted plan to commence this week more or less.  All runs less than 60 minutes will be run in their entirety as per normal and longer runs will be completed using Galloway’s Run-Walk-Run technique.  The exception to this rule is running club runs on Tuesday evening as I enjoy these runs the most and the distances run on these days will determine how far I want to go.

Week No.	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thu/Fri	Sat/Sun
5	40 min	40 min	Off	5 miles	Walk
6	40 min	40 min	Off	13 miles	Walk
7	40 min	40 min	Off	5 mi MM	Walk
8	40 min	40 min	Off	15 miles	Walk
9	40 min	40 min	Off	4 x 1	Walk
10	40 min	40 min	Off	17 miles	Walk
11	40 min	40 min	Off	6 x 1	Walk
12	40 min	40 min	Off	6 mi MM	Walk
13	40 min	40 min	Off	20 miles	Walk
14	40 min	40 min	Off	8 x 1	Walk
15	45 min	45 min	Off	7 mi MM	Walk
16	45 min	45 min	Off	23 miles	Walk
17	45 min	45 min	Off	10 x 1	Walk
18	45 min	45 min	Off	6 mi MM	Walk
19	45 min	45 min	Off	26 miles	Walk

So there we go, my final plan laid bare to see whether I can go the distance.  Regardless of the outcome, I am looking forward to redirecting the energy and time used to up my running mileage in the last 12-18 month to my other leisurely and more enjoyable hobbies that I have neglected as well as continuing with just maintenance and running club runs.  

After all, I’m almost at my target weight and size so I just need to continue maintaining fitness and building core strength to help minimise future back and neck related injuries which have dogged me this year. 

Getting somewhere...

Right, after another osteopath session and no more serious injury issues I feel like I'm getting back into things a little better again despite feeling inadequate when running in the wrong group at my local running club this week.  When suddenly your running the fastest mile you've run this year...you know that your in the wrong group and that pace over anything more than 1 miles is unsustainable!  

It's a shame because even when I dropped back to a slower group, they were still gunning it a little too much for my liking.  I hope this was just a blip and normal club support services resume next week as it was certainly the hardest run I've done in a while and I could have done without the fastest mile segment at the start which I might as well use for my most recent Magic Mile.  It took me quite a lot out of my legs and I didn't feel like running for the rest of the week!

I still want to try and get up to full marathon distance this year and I'm looking at attempting some longer runs shortly to try and get back into routine.  I've actually walked further the last two weekends then I've run for sometime so hopefully that work will help keeping me upright for longer when I attempt longer runs.

I still intend to use the Galloway walk break technique for the longer runs and the running club follows a similar technique with regular short stops to regroup which suits my style of running and helps me to enjoy them much better as they feel less of a slog!

Then if all goes well, I can start introducing some core strength exercises into my routine and perhaps some cycling commutes when the weather improves.  This week I'm looking at starting back at Week 15 on the Galloway programme but I will attempt the long run with the view of just seeing what I can do.  For this I'll plan a long 14 mile route but will ensure that if I'm struggling that there are opportunities to bail out if required.

I was almost back!

Pun intended.  Its been almost 4 weeks since my last blog and I haven't posted as I didn't want to tempt fate as I was doing OK.  My fitness was improving albeit slowly and although my flexibility was still limited I was returning to some kind of normality by running 2 to 3 times a week and certainly last weeks runs had pushed the distance covered north of 4 miles which was the longest I had run since doing my back in.  I even attended a local organised running club run this week as I was up for trying something new to improve variety and motivation.  

It was all going so well then for no reason whatsoever, I could feel something wasn't quite right with my back on Sunday...a weakness, a twinge and then on the Monday and Tuesday its been much worse.  I've been keeping mobile but its just so frustrating!

I'm hoping its just going to be another blip and it won't keep me out of this game for too much longer as its been hard enough as it is to get back into a routine and I was almost there!

I'm planning a trip to the Osteopath soon which may help to speed up the recovery this time around and then promise myself that if I feel any twinges or issues with my flexibility/mobility over the coming weeks to go back despite the cost as it may keep another relapse away and give me enough time to recover some much needed core strength!

Hopes of a quick return to fitness dashed!

My back wasn't getting any better without running and as I needed to regain my fitness and start building up some more core strength I decided to start running again this week…slowly. 

Monday (1^st run) – It was OK however, no matter what I tried I just could not run slow.  However, when I stopped I realised everything wasn’t OK as my chest was extremely tight and I had to use my puffer to help my breathing return to normal.  This was expected though as it was my first run/exercise for over 4 weeks.  My back didn’t seem to problematic either as long as I kept sharp turns and inclines to a minimum.

Wednesday (2^nd run) – This was different…breathing seemed easier and my back felt better but, my legs felt dead and it was a struggle to keep them moving.  Chest was tight on stopping but, not as bad as Monday’s run.  Too hot for a long sleeve top now though when the Sun makes a rare appearance.

Thursday (3^rd run) – Prior to the run, back didn’t feel quite right but my breathing and legs felt normal…but unfortunately as soon as I started trying to run my back wasn’t playing ball.  I could feel my Back locking and Jarring after every stride and impact with the payment or with the grass verges making continuing extremely uncomfortable/painful.  So to avoid damaging my back further, I turned back and when I had finished I had barely managed a mile.  At least it was a slow mile….

So there we have it, that’s 4+ weeks now with back trouble and no real let up, even sitting down and typing this is painful at times!  The hope of being able to get back to normal has been dashed before it even began!  I’ll now leave it until Tuesday and if there is no improvement after a rest then I think it will be a trip back to the Osteopath for further treatment.  Here's hoping for some improvement soon...  

Frustratingly, no change!

Back from holiday, back to work and still I'm off running thanks to my back and other injuries.  I had hoped to restart running this week, but that is now a distant memory after what appears to be a relapse.  I visited my Osteopath last week and after a couple of days things seemed to be heading in the right direction but then another injury appeared and then just to add more misery my back pain and lack of mobility came back with a vengence.  

Considering I ran a Half Marathon last month, I can't believe I'm not running after the great half marathon I ran last month @ Yeovil -  No fun at all when I'm itching to start running again.  I've even had to pull out of a work Golf society match that was planned for Friday!

Back off track literally!

My lower back decided to go into Spasm at the weekend, its been a fun couple of days of excruciating pain followed by the inability to move/walk normally, let along even think about running.  It's getting better but I need to take it easy as I'm jet setting off on an exploring Holiday on Thursday so I'm postponing any running until my return the following week.  

Then hopefully I will have a clear path in front to have a stab at marathon training again!

Yeovil Half Marathon Race Report

Well, that was a much better Half Marathon!  Everything just went right.  I felt really comfortable for the majority of the run, it only started to get tough around the 11/12 mile mark but by that point I could hear the crowds, music and radio chatter at the finishing point so that kept me focused and determined to finish.

Yeovil Half Marathon Route & Pace (Click to Enlarge)

Out of 780 runners that finished I ran on average 09:58 per mile, came 619th and achieved a new Personal Best of 2 hours, 10 minutes and 28 seconds for the Half Marathon, beating my previous time by a whopping 15 minutes!  The time was also quite close to my Galloway Magic Mile predicted time of 02:09:26!  I also managed to chalk up a new Personal Best for 10 miles too while I was at it!  For the King of the Hill section I came 399th with a time of 3 minutes and 59 seconds.

I didn't have a pace strategy on starting this race, I just wanted to vary my effort depending on how comfortable I felt throughout.  This seemed to work really well.

The walk breaks, when I finally started them as I lacked the confidence to do so at the very start really helped to break up the run into manageable chunks.  Despite no music, I amazingly didn't get bored or lose much motivation during the run.  This was also helped by the excellent atmosphere and buzz all around the course.  The event organisation was excellent and even running along busy Yeovil roads and around an industrial estate didn't deter my enthusiasm!  The finishing medal was ace too...

My food intake and refuelling strategy seemed to work well.  I certainly benefited from the extra drinking station at mile 9 and the handful of jelly babies that I snatched at the last station.  I had the start of the odd stitch at various places but they didn't come to much and the walk breaks helped to shake them off.  The other runners were friendly and it might be the push I need to join a local running club as I can certainly see the benefits of a running community who can support you at these events, out on the course and in training.


I also suffered no chafing this time around thanks to my excellent running shorts that I bought this month and my new shoes seemed to perform well although some blistering was evident after the run.  I'm hoping that this is just a sign that they are still wearing in...


The only thing I wasn't keen on was the horrible drink they gave out at the finish line (pure coconut water, Go Coco)...thankfully there was water available too!  

So not a bad day at all.  The finishing medal was the icing on the cake...a great memento!  Looking back now I can't remember running through particular segments, a sign perhaps that I found a good groove during the race which helped the time and miles fly by.

Do I feel ready?

Yes, because I've paid and booked my spot for Sunday's Yeovil Half Marathon!

Apart from the one remaining 30 minute run this week, I've completed all my mini training plan runs to hopefully get me back up to Half Marathon fitness with a 10.5 mile run in the bag at the end of last week.

The 10.5 mile run wasn't without its challenges though.....walk breaks seem to come at the wrong time and despite my efforts to practice my pre run refuelling strategy; a stressful work day led to a 3 hour delay to my run which completely messed up what time I should eat and then during the run for some reason I only had plain water to rely on to keep my energy levels stocked up.  As a result the strategy or lack of didn't work all that well as I had the normal motivational wobble at the 8-9 mile mark and the warm weather certainly made me feel severely fatigued after some of the difficult hills!  However, I managed to keep going and even with the walk breaks, I managed to beat my 10 mile / 15Km personal bests by 4 minutes!

Despite the fact that I'm about a stone lighter in weight and what some people have said, I am certainly not as fit as I was when I completed the Salisbury Half Marathon last year as I could not of run this 10 mile run non stop and in all honesty I don't want to run those kind of distances non stop any more!  It was great having breaks as they relieved a lot of pre run anxiety/stress, they allowed me to enjoy the scenery more, collect my thoughts and refocus on the remainder of the run!

The main challenges for the race will be breathing control, motivation and energy levels.  There is no music/headphones allowed so it will be difficult for me to keep track of my pace and in the later stages music normally helps keep me going....so I'm hoping that the familiarity of the running route, the atmosphere of the race, other runners and the thought of getting a completion medal at the end will keep my determination in check!  Obviously, I will be trying hard to get my fuel strategy right on the day and leading up to the run as well so that my energy levels remain topped up throughout and don't flag when I need them most!

I certainly will be using the Galloway technique of walk breaks in the race although despite untested I may for the race to change their ratio.  I currently run 5 minutes in every 6 on longer runs but, for the race I'm may look at dropping this to 4 minutes in every 5 which is closer to what Galloway suggests for my pace level.  The added bonus of these breaks this time will allow me to keep my pace in check and to take maximum amount of water on board at the drinking stations!

Let's see if I can finish the race and if I do so, how close I can get to my Personal Best.  As always, I will complete a full race report following the run, so wish me luck and check back next week to see how I got on!

Spring in my step

Is it my new shoes, the warmer weather, better nutrition or the feeling of heading towards a goal  that has given me a spring in my step in the last couple of weeks or is it a combination of all four...?

My new shoes seem to be wearing in quite well; there is some rubbing on the ball of my right foot but I'm hoping that this will disappear once they are fully worn in and when I find the right balance with respect to lacing tightness.

So far, I'm happy with their performance and I feel that my running bio mechanics have become more efficient.  Either that or I am caught up in all the shoe technology hype!  On the last couple of runs when I have got into a good rhythm I have felt that the shoes have helped propel/spring me forward without expelling much energy whilst keeping me on a straight line...

It’s nice that warmer spring weather is starting to emerge although it is likely a certainty with this being the UK that this will bring in more wet weather in the coming months...

In the last couple of long runs I have attempted to improve my nutrition and hydration regimes to try and give me more energy throughout the runs.  It's too early to tell whether my current pre run routine consisting of a cereal bar 2 hours and 500ml of fluids 45 minutes prior to each long run is working as of yet.

I might try to introduce coffee into my pre run routine as some researchers seem to suggest that it will help improve focus, act as a pain killer for any niggles and make carbohydrates work better when running.

Hydration and nutrition is certainly an area that I will be looking to perfect and experiment with over the coming months as my mileage base continues to increase.  I will also need to start looking at which type of fuels work better for me during longer runs to help sustain and boost energy to stave off fatigue i.e. Isotonic fluids/water tablets (as opposed to hypertonic fluids which take longer to enter the blood stream), gels, jelly bean/midget gem sweets, etc.  Problem with the latter type is making them last...

I always seem to run better when I'm heading towards a goal.  It gives my training focus and purpose.  As a result, I have completed some solid runs; 3, 4, 2.5 and 6.5 mile non stop runs last week along with a Galloway 7, 3.5 and 2.5 mile run this week which has helped me to slowly build my base mileage back up leading into an important training milestone next week.

If I can complete the 10 mile Galloway run next week without any major issues then I will be booking my spot in Yeovil's Half Marathon race at the end of the month!