Wednesday 29 December 2010

Tupper#6

Saturday 18 December 2010

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...




















The Boys, The Dog and Me Today

With one week to go till Christmas, more Snow has fallen on our Shores. 2010 has given us quite a downfall, we were hit early in the year and now with just a couple of weeks to go till the new year we've been hit again.

It's already taken in toll on my scheduled races with The Grim, only my second race of the year, postponed until mid January 2011.


This has probably been a blessing in disguise though. As you will know if you follow the blog, I have spent a good portion of the year sidelined with an Achillies Injury. So the extra weeks will give me more time to up the miles and be in better shape.

That said I've still managed to clock up 600 miles this year (or at least I should have come December 31st!). I had planned for 1000 but it was not to be.

So that's one of the goals for the New Year, another is the The Fleet Half Marathon. This is one of the oldest Half Marathon's in the Country and is used by many as part of their training for The London Marathon, taking place a month later. The Half takes place 7 days before my 40th Birthday, so this will be part of the Celebrations!!!

The Fleet Half Marathon

Goals for 2011:
  • 1000 miles
  • Complete The Grim
  • Complete The Fleet Half Marathon (Under 2 hours)
  • Beat my PB in a 10K race (49:02)
  • Beat my 5K PB time (24:49)

Thursday 9 December 2010

Home Run

This Post is all about my Staple Run, My familar old run that's like a favourite pair of worn out slippers. It's a run I do 3 times a week, and have done for about the last four years. Yikes! you must be thinking, the same run day in day out over that amount of time! Well yes it's pretty familiar, I could probably run it blindfolded and I know every old Silver Birch to every bend in the Path.....But it's home.

 Canal Boats on the frozen Canal Waters

Well not quite home, but it's where I venture out at Lunchtime from Work. I think that's why it's not become a chore or bore to run. It breaks my day up and let's me refresh the Old Grey Matter for half an hour.

One of the many Locks along the Canal

I work in Woking, England at an Architectural Practice. I'm lucky that the office backs on to the Basingstoke Canal. It's peaceful and in places beautiful, and where I head usually with Friend and colleague Brian every other Lunchtime.
Woodham Lane Development along route. An Architectural project that I worked on

The run is just over 4 miles long (4.12) and from the Office heads West towards the Village of West Byfleet. The Canal itself runs from the Hampshire village of Greywell to the Surrey Village of Woodham. My home Village of Ash Vale is also on the Canal, 12 miles away from the Office. So as well as my regular run the canal also forms the route of my long run where I can run from Home to Work.
The Route


The Lock in the distance is the halfway turnaround. Not sure who that menacing Hoodie is approaching....Oh it's only friend Brian!



Back to Base and some Stretching to finish

Thursday 2 December 2010

What a difference 6 months make!


Me Running Today.........

And the same Scene 6 months ago.......Roll on the Summer!!!

Wednesday 1 December 2010

An Alternative approach

OK, So I've had this Achillies injury hanging around for a while now, and it seems like I've been harping on about it forever. I've tried a lot of things from Stretching to Rolling to Icing to Ibuprofen. Now all these have definitely helped....but not cured.

My son had a problem with his knee from playing football, It had gone on for some time so we resorted to getting some Physio. By chance we seemed to have found a bit of a Miracle worker. It turned out that although the pain was in his knee, it all related to tightness in his back.

So impressed by the results I booked myself in for some treatment. My Physio (Jane Shatlock) uses two approaches to her work, Traditional massage and also the use of Chinese medicine and Acupuncture. I was intreagued, and before long was lying there with needles in my feet, calfs, upper legs, back and even my head!! Like my son the problem is not with my Achillies but within my Back. I also have blocked Gallbladder and Kidney Meridians!

For thousands of years the Chinese have believed that there are energy lines running throughout the body which your life source energy or Chi runs through. With the use of Accupuncture these energy lines or Meridians can be unblocked to allow the flow of chi to run smoothly through the body promoting a healthy balance to the body.

So I guess I've split the camp, There will be some of you saying "Bah Humbug" and the rest believing in this alternative approach.....and Me....Well I think I've been sold. Afterwards I felt incredibly relaxed, but I guess most people are after massage. The Achillies Injury, well it's getting there. I've been to two sessions, I would love to go to more but this kind of thing is not cheap, £45 for 45 minutes. But my back feels more free and with the combination of the massage and the continuation of stretching, the Achillies is feeling better.

The biggest thing though, is I seem to have been less tired over the last couple of weeks and had more energy which I put entirely down to the Accupuncture. I was also told that Yoga would help so I've dug out the never been used before Yoga video that gathers dust in the bookshelf and will give it ago.

 If someone 20 years ago had walked into the Pub where I used to sit and Drink with my Mates, and told me that I would having Accupuncture and doing Yoga....Well........