Hartlepool Half
Part Three

Working in the morning so it's the usual routine.

Up, downstairs to see Murphy and light some candles and wax melts to make the house smell nice for clients. I'm a bit obsessed the house doesn't smell of 'dog' when people come round so instead I make sure it smells of wax melts, usually very sweet ones. This constant sweet smell in the house is possibly one of the reasons I constantly crave sweet and sugary food.

That and the fact I'm just a fat greedy pig.

In the afternoon I'm off to North Shields to try out a new run analysis system, get ready for a shameless business plug.

I'm going to be offering the Runeasi gait analysis system on Monday afternoon and evenings. This is a huge step up from what data your Garmin gives you. I tested it on myself and was pleasantly surprised that my imbalance and stability was pretty good and got even better the faster I ran and had minimal changes with different shoes. My impact absorption on the other hand was pitiful, and when I say pitiful I'm probably being generous. So what does that mean I hear you ask. Well basically every time my foot hits the floor my body takes a battering, no shock absorbing through my muscles, my joints just get hammered.  

Now this could be for many reasons but let's be honest, it's because I do absolutely no strength and conditioning. I hate the gym and I do no body strength or plyometric work and if I did I'd probably be a slightly less shit runner than I am.

So..... I've joined the gym, again.   Well, I haven't actually joined but I have given joining some serious thought. I might even go on Wednesday but I probably won't.

I run home from Shields and my foot still hurts, I think it's just a bit of lateral plantar pain and shouldn't get worse but I'm keeping an eye.

Start work at 10 and then working through til 7pm so I've got the morning free for a run, waking up this morning and my foots pretty sore and I'm limping a little bit so decide I'm not ready for 2 days in a row and take a lazy morning sitting in the sunshine instead.

Try the shockwave thing on my foot again, no idea if it's helping but it'll take a few days. Then full day of work and be 7 I'm absolutely wrecked and my feet are killing.

I've been thinking about why this has happened as it's been a long time since I've had plantar. So, there a few things. Firstly I usually work wearing a pair of very flat New Balance trainers but I chucked them recently and have instead been wearing an old pair of EVO's which are very squishy and don't offer a lot of support, great for running but not so for working. Then my slippers are a bit knackered and I've realised when I walk round I constantly claw my toes to stop them flying off and that pulls through my foot. Naturally there is only one solution here and that's to buy some new shoes that I can wear for work and round the house and it just so happens I've had my eye on some Adidas purechill sliders for a while and ice still got some Christmas money left from the lovely people at the Poly so I order myself a pair of bright and Iean bright, pink Adidas purechill recovery sliders.

Friday evening and it's kitchen table drinking, eating and boozing time as always. I've ordered pizza as I haven't got time to cook and we managed to get through a lot of wine and then bed as I'm hoping to parkrun tomorrow.

And this week I was not subjected to that awful waka waka song.

Up at 8 and have a satsuma and a cup of coffee whilst sitting in the sunshine with Marvin and then head out for my run. Plan today is about 13-15 miles but after a mile I realise it's not happening. My foot feels okay but I feel wrecked, I'm tired, and there is nothing in the legs or the tank and it's going to a real slog to even hit double figures.

I do the usual Tynemouth loop and just ignore my watch and pace and just run. It feels stupidly hard and I make sure every time I get to a road crossing I have to stop to let cars through and get a minutes rest. Heading back along the coast and the Chemical Brothers come on and I get a short lived boost before slowing up again. 

I think about stopping at co-op but I'm only on 9 miles and if I keep going til I get home I should at least hit double figures.  

Manage to get home and I'm still not on 10 so have to run past my house and down the street and then turn to come back and stumble a bit and get a very stern look from an old fella in his car who thought I was going to run straight in front of him. I wasn't old fella, I was turning back so wipe the arsey look of your face.

Then back up the street and back home.

And I'm still short and need to run past my house again and back up the other end of the street and loop back and then home. Pleasantly surprised to see I've averaged 7:58 pace, about 10 secs a mile slower than last week for roughly the same distance but last week felt easy and this week felt hard.

Home, coffee, shower and a stroll round Tynemouth market and then off to Aldi for the big shop and then a bath, foot shockwave thing again and a glass of wine whilst watching a movie.

Diet fell away big time this week and I still haven't been anywhere near the gym.

Hartlepool is in 3 weeks and at the moment I'd guess I'm at about 1:35 pace for it. I'm hoping my foot keeps easing off and I can train properly for the next two weeks.