"Running like a Jedi"

Another brilliant quote and lesson learnt from today's Run Bristol event. It refers to the 'triangle' of factors to key into training to aid each other - training, recovery and nutrition. It's compared to as a triangle because if one faulters others are effected.

I've learnt that the amount of rest and recovery training I can give myself allows my body to 'recharge' and recovery to continue to physically train, as well as decrease the risk of injury.

The other lesson I learnt is eating more and more often is better than either calorie counting or storing carbs'. The idea is that you fuel yourself to be able to train for longer and harder in order to achieve goals. Having said this the 'fuel' I'm putting into myself has to be healthy and also provide enough protein and carbohydrates. This should be constant as well, including days of physical recovery to be able to aid the body to recover. This has really helped me understand what I should be eating and stop being paranoid of eating too much, but actually make sure I'm eating correctly and the right amount to help my training. My new eating schedule is - A large breakfast of either eggs, bagels or cereal and fruit, followed by a mid morning snack of fruit and oak cakes (what I used to eat for a full lunch!), followed by lunch of salad, pasta or jacket potatoes, then an afternoon snack of rice cakes and yoghurt and finally a normal sized healthy dinner. Other good advice I got was to eat within a hour of exercising - eating within the first 5 minutes will help reciver quicker - to stop sugar crashing. The only thing I then need to change is the day before the race is cut out prootein and eat only carbs'. The target is to eat often and well, not to feel hungry and to fuel my body to achieve better, so therefore fuel it well.

All of this should aid the phsyical training and I've learnt to see them all together and not separate matters that could help - they are one and if you get that right you become a running jedi!

"Don't be a slave to the distance"

I've been putting a huge amount of pressure on myself and causing anxiety for myself thinking about the distance of the runs I'm doing at the moment in order to get ready to run a half marathon. Yes a half marathon is essentially about a certain distance, but my training has now got a new rhythm thanks to the 'Run with us' coaches at the Run Bristol event today - increase your amuont of time running rather than distance and you will progress, rather than set and distance and then push yourself to run it and feel bad if a) you don't or b) you don't do it in the time you want. This way I can get my body used to running for longer over time and with that will come running faster and covering more ground.

Run Bristol's training session

Today was my first training session with run Bristol. It included a 5k run around ashton court and then a few hours of advice by runners, trainers, physio's and nutritionists. It went really well. It was lovely to be running with a group and the advice was fantastic. Recently I've been feeling unmotivated and uninspired by running. This event has given me the kick up the bum I needed. I now know what training reschedules I should be doing, what and when I should be eating and how often to sleep. I'm also going to learn how to strap up my ankles with a physio and know the stresses I should be doing, properly and why. I feel like a pro... all I have to do now is increase my running. Sorted its starts now.

This week has been a really good week for getting over the 3 mile hurdle, running with a group and learning about how I should be doing this correctly in the terms of running and for myself. I'd recommend anyone to go to a run bristol event.

I've also found a couple of new groups today. One of them is called Park run and they happen all over the UK. They're brilliant.  As you may know by now, I've always felt a bit anxious about running and my running style. I've always felt pressured in groups and given up and walked to lower my shame in not going fast etc. However, today I found that this is all in my head. Running with a group was motivational and provided me with goals that I was working towards in a group. I feel inspired to run with groups now and not feel pressured to keep up or not be allowed to run at my pace.

First 4 miler

I ran my first 4 miler last night. It was hard braking the 3 mile barrier and I must confess that I did allow myself to walk for 2 minutes (1 minute each twice). Over all though I'm pleased to have done it and I did it in 47 minutes. So, if I keep doing 4 miles in 45 minutes I'm on track for running the half marathon in 2 hours and 30 minutes - hurray!

4 Miles

I'm breaking the 3 mile barrier, which I'm finding really hard to do, not because I find the distance hard, but I'm finding the motivation to run for longer hard. Plus I'm confortable running 3 miles now..... time to step it up. So the grand plan is two four milers and one 3 mile group run this week.

Joining running groups

It's got to the point in my running where I'm not puching myself and getting anxious about it. So, I've decided to start running with groups and group training sessions through Run Bristol to give me something new and exciting to do rather than just running on my own. So my first group run is going to be a 5K this coming Saturday at Ashton Court, followed by a training session with coaches from the Run Bristol team in preparing for the half marathon.