PB - be damned

One of my goals in 2010 is to lose a wee bit of weight - not much, just half a stone or so. Carrying less weight will probably go a long way to helping my knee. However, I've been at a loss as to why I've remained at a constant weight. Despite not overeating and also running a fair bit my blubbery bits have persisted. At the start of last week I found out my answer. I love peanut butter. I looked at the back of the jar for calorie content. Holy crapola! Then I learned 2 things:

- if I stop eating PB for a week I loose 3 lbs.
- PB would be brilliant to eat on a long training run or an ultramarathon where you need lots of calories crammed into a small space. 

This weeks running.

Mon 2nd August: 50 mins at gym lunchtime XTraining, 20 mins evening core exercises

Tue: 5 miles at Stonehaven Running Club in the evening - Interval sessions

Wed: 40 mins at gym lunchtime XTraining, 20 mins evening core exercises

Thu: 10K Tempo run at the beach at lunchtime

Fri:  10K Recovery Run at the beach at lunchtime, 20 mins evening core exercises

Sat: 11.5 mile trail run at Feteresso forest with Gavin Irvine at 7am

Sun: 7 mile recovery run around Stonehaven 7am.

After the previous weeks 27 miler on the trails with the guys I was feeling a little fragile this week - although it gave me a real mental boost running for 4hr 45mins. Monday, Wednesday and Friday were going to be cross training days at the gym to give my knee/foot (psoriasis) a rest. I hate the gym with a passion. By Friday I realsied that my knee was just as sore running 3 times a week as it is running 7 times. Great news - gym abandoned!

Tuesday's interval session at the club was brutal on my knee. I wish I'd done what George Reid was doing and tempo ran it instead. As it stands I think the 27 miler followed by this tough session did my knee no favours.

The tempo 10K on Thursday was also tough. I think I need to only have one hard session per week now (preferable tempo or hill training). Friday's recovery run was awesome as I'd forgotten my Garmin and was simply running on feel rather than by technology.

Saturday's run up the forest was the highlight of the week as it was offroad in great misty/drizzle conditions. We kept the pace far too high for my liking but we did walk the inclines. I've not been eating as much this week and was out of fuel within the first few miles! Still, a great weekend run followed by beer and BBQ round the Irvine household :)

Sunday was a gentle 7 mile jogette around Stonehaven. Nice and easy - I only looked at my Garmin for distance rather than pace (I have it set to only show miles ran). Again, I ran on feel. Turned out the average was 9 min miles which was encouraging.

I started core exercises 3 times a week. These were taken from "Advanced Marathoning" by Pfitzinger and Douglas. Enjoyable and I feel they are helping my running posture.

Next week should hold a 30 miler on the Deeside Way (Friday) with Vikki and I will give stamina sessions a miss for the timebeing.

Bum Bag Blues

This week I've been on a gear splurge. I needed new shorts and a new bag which had easy access to food when running. I ended up getting an OMM bum bag instead of a rucksack which was what I really wanted but I could not decide on model.

The bum bag was too bouncy and annoyed the hell out of me. However, I was looking at John Kynastons race reports on his blog. A damn fine read. I noticed from some of his pictures that he wears an OMM bum bag but at the front. Could this be my bag nirvana? Bum bag at front and small rucksack at back?

Tried it this morning on a trail run with Gavin Irvine. The bum bag can attatch to the lower strap of your rucksack (on tummy) so it is secure at the top. 

It was still bouncing about a good bit though and tightening it only aggravated my skin which would lead to serious chafing on a longer run. A real shame because it is perfect for carrying food on distance runs.

Should have bought the bloody rucksack.

Obligatory first post

Hopefully this will be a regular blog featuring my attempts at off road running, training preparation for ultra-marathons, race reports and other running related gubbins.