Lloyd Biddell

Since my last post the chestyness I was experiencing has turned into a full on cold. Although I could go out for a few short runs there doesn't seem to be much point so my training for this week will be zilch. I have been lucky until now and knew I was well overdue for something as I escaped last winter unscathed. Still annoyed though - if its not an injury then its an illness. Will I ever manage to put in a full months training without disruption? Answers on a postcard.

After the exertions at Mallory Park on Wednesday it has been back to training. On Thursday I went for an 8.5 mile run although I ran fairly slowly as my legs were still quite heavy from the race the day before. On Friday I had the day off work - my first full day off since mid February! As a result I went out for a 9 mile run on one of my usual routes. Although I enjoyed the run it was very warm around 26 degrees so I wilted a bit. For the first time ever though I took a drink round with me to at least quench some of the thirst. Yesterday I went for an easy 5.5 mile run but with the tiredness of the week creeping in together with the heat I had to ease off a bit. Today I woke up feeling quite chesty with a dry cough and slight loss of breath. At first I thought I might have the beginnings of a cold which is going round work, but as the day went on I had wondered whether it was the cumulative effect of the extra mileage and warmth of the last few days. It was sods law really as

On Monday and Tuesday I had two 'away days' through work which was held at Dunchurch Park, near Rugby. The main problem was that at every turn there were fresh cream scones, cakes, Mars Bars and it was hard to resist. Even so I managed to go out for a quick run on Monday covering just over 4 miles. I went a little too hard considering I had a race two days later but I don't think my pace was too detrimental. I rested Tuesday and today was my first 5k held at the Mallory Park racing circuit in Leicestershire . I was hoping for just under 17 mins , but taking one look at the circuit told me it was going to be unlikely. There was one very short but sharp hill which we had to run up twice plus a couple of other very small inclines. In a long race it wouldn't make much difference but in such a short race it can be critical. The main issue though was the wind - it was blowing very hard in places which killed any chance of a good time. Mallory Park itself is nothing like Si

Began the week by going for a short 3.5 mile run but went as hard as I could. As a result the following day my legs were just about dead and had to cut down the intended 9 mile route to a 5 mile run. I struggled in the early stage but after about half way the legs were not feeling so bad once they had got going. On Wednesday I went out to do my 9 mile route and have to say I felt great throughout so decided to extend the route slightly and did 10 miles in the end. The extra mile wasn't much in the end but it felt more than it was, and was good to break the psychological barrier having only done a max of 9 miles during the midweek in the past. Even though I was running at much the same pace as usual my heart rate was nowhere near as high so I wonder whether my body is adapting well to these runs. The week was going oh so well until Thursday where I was going to go for a short 5 mile run. I really didn't feel like it and so was going to have my rest day instead but force

Its been a bit of a strange week. As usual I rested on Monday before going for a 9 mile run through Sutton Park. I struggled a bit towards the end but was generally pleased as its the furthest I've done in training for a while. I was intending to put some good training in during mid-week but work commitments meant that by the time I was getting home I was far too tired. I also had my usual calf strain coming back so decided that going for a run wasn't going to achieve anything. Yesterday I went for a 6 mile run not on any of my usual routes and for a good while in the countryside I wasn't entirely sure where I was going or how far I would end up running. In the end it was a nice enough steady run. Today I went into work on a Sunday which is a first for me for quite a few years. It took me 90 mins to get into work by bus (rail replacement service) so decided to run home as it wasn't going to be any slower. As I don't normally work on a Sunday I get paid f

Pretty straight forward week. After my first long run for a while on Sunday I rested on Monday, did a easy to moderate 3.5 mile on the Tuesday followed by an easy 5 miles on Wednesday. For some reason this made my knees quite sore and with the state my toes are in (never really recovered properly from Milton Keynes) I rested on Thursday. If I don't lose some toe nails by the end of the month I'll eat my hat, though I'm doing my best to keep them attached to me (literally) by putting plasters on them. On Friday I did my 7 mile countryside route which was one of the most enjoyable runs I've ever had. The weather was pleasant and I took it steady all the way round at almost exactly 7 min mile pace, so I didn't really tire except for the last mile a little. Its a great feeling covering the distance feeling as though I haven't pushed that hard even though my pace was reasonable. For a change my heart rate stayed fairly steady as well. I think I need to do more qua