2009 - Autumn

[glaconman]

Just caught-up with a couple of your latest posts E<2G. Somebody once said 'A man without a plan is not a man.' Sounds like Fred Nietzche to me. You're the philosophy grad. Anyway, you're to be commended on your meticulous approach.

I would add the following 2 points to your list.

Stay hungrier for longer. I'm not advocating fasting or missing meals. Neither am I recommending this for post-run recovery meals. Just experiencing the feeling of hunger for an hour longer than normal if you're not running that day. I think it's as important as what you eat or how much you eat.

Secondly, join a running club. I'm not really prone to joining clubs. But if you're looking to raise-your-bar then this is the most effective thing you can do. Running with somebody else can improve your performance. Running with other people during an event further enhances your effort. Pulling on a club shirt adds another dimension. This weekend I ran a road-relay and ran as part of a team. This added yet another element. I really pulled-the-stops-out.

So there are five levels of running intensity that are available to us. Others (upto running in an Olympic relay final) are probably unlikely given our age, work commitments and general tendency towards the consumption of fermented beverages.

I've been cantering back-to-base on an evening club run at a much faster pace than normal, wondering were the last hour has gone. Perhaps I'm lucky to have such great clubs on my doorstep with the likes of Keighley and Bingley. (There's an Idle Athletic Club near Bradford. How I want one of their vests.) I'm sure Berkshire has it's fair share. Think on lad.