a machine built to run

Nicky is now on her last few days and then she will have completed her 40 days running a mile each day for Lent. She is wondering whether to keep it going after her 40 days.

I've now done 85 days, or 138 miles, or 26 hours of running. I'm looking forward to next Thursday when hopefully I will be starting month 4 of running a mile each day.

I'm beginning to get itchy feet again to increase my running or to commit to a new challenge. It occurred to me that the marathons that I have run in the past all seem to have been triggers for other significant events opening up in my life. Once that thought entered my head it feels like I may be on a slippery slope.

The title I thought of for today's post comes from yet another quote from Christopher McDougall's "Born To Run". The full quote goes something like, "we're a machine built to run - and the machine never wears out. You don't stop running because you get old... you get old because you stop running."

Interesting!

Cut the fat, cut cancer risk

Did three and a half miles this morning, for the first time in 10 days. I really enjoyed it.

It's also been great bombing round T Wells on my bicycle today going to coaching sessions, and a school governors' meeting this afternoon. It was so warm I only needed a shirt and a gilet, which was great.

Another "Born To Run" quote today is "one in seven cancer deaths is caused by by excess body fat" according to Dr. Robert Weinberg, a professor of cancer research at MIT and discoverer of the first tumor-suppressor gene. "The math is stark: cut the fat, and cut your cancer risk."

Now I know that this applies largely to diet, but exercise will also play a huge part in reducing body fat.

New Facebook page

After struggling a little working out how to do it, I eventually managed to get a new Facebook page up - "Run a mile each day".

Completed day 75 of a mile each day this morning.

When the weather's like this sometimes it seems a shame to go so early and miss the warmth of the sun, but it does work so well to get the day off to a great start. Running later would somehow be trickier in helping the rest of the day flow.

Another couple of quotes from "Born To Run" - "Nearly all runners do their slow runs too fast and their fast runs too slow... So they're just training their bodies to burn sugar, which is the last thing a distance runner wants."

The second quote is "The way to activate your fat-burning furnace is by staying below your aerobic threshold - your hard-breathing point..."

So that seems to confirm that my running with Nicky, below my aerobic threshold, is actually good for me. Not that I would consider myself a distance runner at this point in time!

Everyone is built for running

Great weekend with lots of great family connecting, a very early run (6.15 on Saturday morning), a beautiful sunny and pretty warm one (Sunday at 8.40), and a sunny and not quite as warm one this morning, but still gorgeous.

I believe I'm at day 74 now, and I can happily say that all is well.

2 great quotes from "Born To Run" today. "Everyone is built for running", and "You don't stop running because you get old... You get old because you stop running."

I agree with the philosophies expressed in both of these quotes but I also realise that some may not agree with me.

Just got to the bit in "A Little Run Around the World" where Rosie is leaving Siberia for Alaska after almost 2 years running and some incredible experiences.

8 weeks completed

It's Nicky's and my 15th anniversary today, so lunch out, and a glass or two of wine no doubt.

I have volunteered to be part of the support team for the Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon this Sunday. Apparently, I will be in the sweep car picking up any runners who are struggling and need a lift to the finish, although hopefully everyone will make it to the finish and feel justifiably proud.

It will be great to see the inspirational Kelly Holmes again. She will be starting the race, and cheering people on. She's one amazing, and incredibly nice, lady!

Nicky asked me yesterday whether I'd be able to run the half marathon now. I haven't run anything like that distance for at least a couple of years, so the answer is probably not, at least without injuring myself.

However, I am starting to feel an urge to stretch my mile a bit further, maybe just every once in a while. I'm not sure why. I suppose half the fun of my mile each day challenge is that it's a challenge.

At the moment I'm in my comfort zone, and it's usually good to stretch that comfort zone. The trick is to stretch it whilst keeping my running easy, light, smooth and FUN!

““Think Easy, Light, Smooth, and Fast. You start with easy, because if that’s all you get, that’s not so bad. Then work on light. Make it effortless, like you don’t give a shit how high the hill is or how far you’ve got to go. When you’ve practiced that so long that you forget you’re practicing, you work on making it smooooooth. You won’t have to worry about the last one – you get those three, and you’ll be fast.” - excerpt from Born To Run

Day 55 - churning along

Nearly 8 weeks, but I guess the next milestone is 5 days from now when I start month 3.

It's funny that even when you're in a routine, having done something every single day for 54 days, you can still think "I really don't fancy going out, it looks grey and damp and I feel a little tired". How easy it would be to decide to give myself a day off, even when I know I'd regret it later.

But then again as a friend said to me recently, "can you recall any occasion when you came back from a run and regretted it?" I can't think of one, no matter what the weather was like and how I felt. And yet, the brain is a funny thing. Why does it try to sabotage me so often?

“Maybe the ancient Hindus were better crystal-ball-gazers than Hollywood when they predicted the world would end not with a bang but with a big old yawn. Shiva the Destroyer would snuff us out by doing… nothing… Withdrawing his hot-blooded force from our bodies. Letting us become slugs.” excerpt from Born To Run

The natural born runner

Are all GPS devices inaccurate?

We're running exactly the same circular route every day at the moment, sometimes one way and sometimes the other. Why then does my Garmin Forerunner 101 vary in the distance it says we're covering by about 5%?

It's not that important, but when you're trying to encourage someone who is trying to get into running and you know they have run a bit faster today but your GPS device says it's slower, it's not that helpful.

On the running in old trainers without insoles front, my plantar fasciitis is definitely getting better. I have to concentrate to identify any remaining soreness. I tell you it's working!

Today's quote from "Born To Run" is "a Natural Born Runner - someone who ran for sheer joy, like an artist in the grip of inspiration".

Now that's something to aspire to.

You live up to your own expectations

"this ninety-five-year-old man came hiking twenty miles over the mountain. Know why he could do it? Because no one ever told him he couldn't. No one ever told him he oughta be off dying somewhere in an old age home. You live up to your own expectations..."

Another quote from my book of the decade (so far) - Born To Run.

That's my goal in life - to be that 95-year-old hiking over mountains because I don't know any better. But for now it's just day 53 in my run a mile each day programme.

While I was in the shower this morning, I worked out that I have already lived more days than my Dad did. He died at the age of 54, my age now, but I am already closer to my 55th birthday than he ever got.

When I look at it like that, each day is a blessing, each run is an incredible blessing. I feel so lucky and privileged to have been given the ability and the freedom to just lace up my shoes and be in motion with nature and the elements.

Blimey, I'm coming over all profound!

So anyway, my expectations? To love life, the people and experiences I encounter from day to day, and to stretch myself physically, mentally and spiritually a little more each day.

How long for? Who the hell knows but it's a stunning journey while it lasts.

Day 50 - The wonderful foot

Apparently, "Leonardo da Vinci considered the human foot, with its fantastic weight-suspension system comprising one quarter of all the bones in the human body, a "masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.""

"No wonder your feet are so sensitive..... They're self-correcting devices. Covering your feet with cushioned shoes is like turning off your smoke alarms."

Both above quotes come from the wonderful "Born To Run" book I mentioned yesterday.

As I was working at home all day yesterday, I wore slippers (I can't believe I finally bought bedroom slippers!) around the house. I noticed this morning that my mild plantar fasciitis was slightly worse, so today only socks will grace my feet unless I leave the house.

I'm becoming more and more fascinated with the whole barefoot movement and think I'll do some research.

Anyway, 50 consecutive days of running. That feels like a milestone (pardon the pun) that is quietly satisfying.

And by the way, I can't believe it was trying to snow again during this morning's run!

Day 49 - seven weeks done!

My goal to run at least 1 mile each day for the month of January 2010 has now expanded well into February with 7 weeks completed.

It feels quite inspiring to think that I have run a mile every day of the new decade so far.

How long can I sustain this?

What will I learn from it?

I have already (almost) run through a cold, a groin strain and the dreaded plantar fasciitis (I think). Right heel is still a little sore but significantly improved. Interestingly, I threw my orthotics (customised inner soles for those non runners among you) away and am using an old pair of trainers with no inner soles at all.

Have been totally inspired by "Born To Run" by Christopher McDougall, an absolutely amazing book.

Not going much beyond a mile at all at the moment because of the injuries, but hoping to stretch it out a little further soon.