January update

 I didn't bother with monthly updates during lockdown last year but I am doing one this month, mainly  to capture where I am at compared to the targets I set my self at the start of the year.  I did say I was going to aim to try and do longer runs and try and get my speed up again.  But really the weather had other plans this month and made it very difficult at times.  This was due to the amount of ice on the pavements and roads especially early in the month.  I don't really mind running in any weather but when there is ice this becomes a real challenge and can even be dangerous as my mum was to find out this month.  She unforetunatley fell on the ice just out for a walk and disclocated her shoulder.  She is fine but will take time to recover.

In terms of myself getting out I would often go out to see how far I get and sometimes due to black ice I wouldnt even make it out of my estate its been so bad.  I do have kathoola microspikes but really they only good if there is a layer of ice that the spikes can crunch into.   The other option was to go to where there is grass but for me that wasn't really feasible.  During lunchtimes I would have to take an extended, extended lunch break just to get there and back as well as run.  Then at night, even with a head torch, I don't fancy running around parks in the dark on my own.

But that's the downsides to this month, but there are plenty of positives.  For a start it wasn't icy all the time! :-) I did 11, 5ks this month.  4 of which were under 30 minutes with 3 of them coming in the last week thanks to the milder weather.  Fastest time was today where I zoomed round the perimeter of Queen's park twice, clocking 28.44.  Another 2 runs were seconds outside of getting under 30 mins. Also Including walks as well as the runs I did 15 (not) parkruns this month.  In terms of going longer I think I'll stick to 5ks just now as I still find them quite hard work so don't really feel ready to up the distance yet.  Also still in the depths of winter so who knows whats round the corner in terms of the weather.  But I'll try to keep things going like I did in January and lets hope for no more ice!

Tribute to John Kynaston

Very sad to hear the news of John Kynaston's passing on Tuesday 12th January 2021. John was such a big inspiration for me to write my own blog which I started way back in 2009 after reading many, many of his blog entries. Not only that but I have him to thank for adding me to the http://whwblogs.blogspot.com/ blog roll which connected me to so many other people in the ultra runnning community. It not only allowed me to share my experiences with them but allowed me to find all about the people in Scotland running ultras. While I still follow whats going on in ultras now, I was obsessed with ultras back then and loved the spreadsheets with splits from races that John used to produce. Pouring over them to see how peoples races developed. In the last 6 years this blog has been focused on parkruns and parkrun was where I met John a few times. The first at Pollok when John was doing his warm up while I was walking to my marshall position and he stopped for a chat. The second was at Linwood a week after he completed the Northern Traverse. He was at Linwood cheering on runners that day and I remember passing him, he gave me such a boost with his encouragement and I remember congratulating him on his previous weeks accomplishment. The amount of content John has produced in terms of blogs, podcasts and you tube videos has been nothing short of phenomenal. I will miss it. He was so enthusiastic and such a great runner too, so disiplined in planning and training for races. It's not surprising that he achieved so much in running. Thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. RIP John

2021 plans (?!)

 Yeah so traditionally this would layout exactly what I want to achieve in the year ahead but for obvious reasons this year its a little bit more tricky.  In the past few years my target has been to notch up as many parkruns as possible and by this stage I would have a number of trips booked in already for the summer. But even with the vaccine on the horizon, realistically I can't see races or parkruns happenning till at least summer at the very, very earliest.

So what to do then.  I don't think there is any point in making plans for the whole year but rather focus on want I want to do and improve upon over the next 4 months.  I did have an idea to maybe train for a virtual half at the end of April and that still is a possiblity.  But I need to change my routine to do that. The problem being I do like the routine I have got myself into last year.  And that was running 2, 3 lunchtimes during the week then on a Saturday too.  If I was to attempt training for a half that would mean I would have to extend my runs during the week which would mean I would have to run after work.  

The other thing I was thinking of doing was really trying to improve my 5k time.  What I have found in the past is though my 5k time improves the most when I train for longer distances.  So to do this again I would have to run after work and not at lunchtimes.  

I think the two aims kind of fit in with each other.  I know how easy it is though just to stay in after work.  But I think it is at least worth a try and see if I can get anywhere with the getting faster and going longer approach while keeping my 5ks on a Saturday.  If I find I'm not going out after work I can still resort to 5k lunchtime runs.

I'll still aim for averging under 30 mins for 5ks and I have another aim here of trying to run more than 20 sub 30 minute 5ks.

Happy new year and good luck with your own running goals if you have them