Well my focus has changed since I last posted. I have signed up for a Half Marathon! I can't believe I'm going to do it! Having decided I can do one, I was looking for one next year in the summer, giving me plenty of time to train. Then I saw an ad on Facebook for one in London. It starts at the Allianz stadium (Home of the Saracens rugby team) and runs down to Wembley stadium, through the grounds of Wembley and back up to the Allianz. The idea of running through Wembley really appeals to me so I signed up. The down side is that its in March. This means I've got about three months less than I'd hoped for to train and also that the weather will be more unpredictable. Hey ho, minor details.
And so, with that in mind, my training is now more focussed towards running. I am still looking to do runs of varying lengths including sprints and hills but now I am looking to increase my max distance in preparation for the 21km (13.1 miles) Half Marathon. After a couple of months of training I am able to run 16km now (that's just short of 10 miles) and my 3,5 & 10k times have all improved. I have also signed up for a 5 mile Santa run in a couple of weeks. It's in Southend and raising money for Action For Children. I recently came across a deal on Groupon for the gym I was looking to go to and got 10 sessions for £13.95, which is fantastic. I must admit I'm a little nervous about working out in a gym and looking silly on machines I don't know how to use, I've got so used to doing my own thing indoors.
My diet has still not changed (regrettably). Like everybody, I find it harder to resist the comfort food in the colder weather, but I really must make more effort. If you want any more proof of how important diet is, I can tell you that I have run nearly 45 miles this month and I have not lost a single pound!
My joints are coping admirably with all the running. The pain kicks in around the 8k mark in my knees and hips. I tend to be in a lot of pain in the evening after a long run and some pain the next day. Runs of 5k or less do not bother them too much anymore, which is a great improvement. I am still not taking any full term medication. I take Co-codamol before long runs and then Ibuprofen gel usually suffices afterwards, though occasionally I still need Paracetamol or Co-codamol in the evening.
All in all, I'm feeling pretty good about how things are going. Obviously, Christmas is coming so I need to limit the mince pie intake. I'm bulk cooking some Mediterranean chicken and a Turkey sausage casserole so I have some healthy, low fat meal choices in the freezer.
Onwards and Upwards!
#FasterHigherStronger
