Back day at the gym today, and a new routine to shake things up a bit. Focussed on technique more than weight today.
2500m row to warm up.
Deadlift 4 sets of 10
Lat Pull Down 4 x 10
Bent Over Row 4 x 10
Reverse Flye 4 x 10
Good Mornings 2 x 10
Single Arm Row 2 x 10
Crunches with 8kg weight 2 x 10
Reverse Crunch 2 x 10
Russian Twist 2 x10 (both directions)
Finished up with 10mins on the bike, 1.5mins moderate (level10), followed by 30s flat out (level 12), repeated 5 times.

Took a rest day yesterday as too many things happened to fit in a decent session, and rather than stress about it just called it a rest day.
Back in the gym today though for Back and Biceps, slightly different today.

Running with Stotfold Runners on Tuesday night. Half a mile warm up then 600m easy, 600m hard with 60s recovery at the end of the hard leg. I thought I ran the first one too fast but then one of the other runners started really pushing and left me behind. This was the best thing in intervals as it meant I pushed hard all the way to avoid getting left behind by too much. It turns out I wasn’t going as hard as I thought in the …

This weekend I will be running the anchor-leg for Team Fetcheveryone.com at the Round Norfolk Relay. This is a truly remarkable event, my favourite race of the year. The premise is simple, teams of 17 runners each run one leg of a relay to pass a baton around the circumference of Norfolk, about 192 miles.

This week I really wanted to up the mileage to get my body in condition for the rigours of the Round Norfolk Relay at the weekend. Following a steady 5 miles on Tuesday night with Nick, I added 8 miles on the treadmill at the gym on Thursday morning. Nothing strenuous, just under 9:00 pace. That evening though I ran with Stotfold Runners, as some of our beginners wanted to try the upcoming Standalone 10k course.
We completed the course at 11:00 pace which felt nice and easy but …

A new running club Stotfold Runners has just started, with special emphasis on beginners. If you found the prospect of joining a running club was a bit daunting then this informal running club is for you.

The idea behind the club is very much to make running open to all, not just the speed demons and marathon runners. They have runners of all abilities and even cater for the run/walker. So if you are hoping to run your first 5k, or simply looking for someone to run with as the winter nights start drawing in and safety in the dark is an issue then this is the club for you. Click the headline for more details.

The Midsummer Munro is a half-marathon that climbs and descends Surrey’s Box Hill 10 times for a total gain / loss of 3000ft. It is promoted as Britain’s hardest half-marathon and rightly so.

Click here for the race website

After yesterdays speedy exertions it was time for a nice and easy slow run. Legs were a little stiff to be honest but I concentrated on form and slowing down and ended up with a respectable 56 mins for 6.01 miles – 9:20mm pace and average HR of 18 or 63%.
In the morning went to Letchworth gym for a back session. Having only had porridge for breakfast on the back of last nights run I was clearly under fuelled and struggled throughout the session.
Chin ups – 10,7,8
Dumbell Row – 10 …

Feel confident that I am building a solid base so decided to put in a first speed session of the year. 1m warm up and aiming for 4m at 8:00 pace then 1m warm down. Route was out and back to Letchworth so uphill for miles 2 and 3, and into a headwind which was very hard work. I managed to put in a 7:42 and a 7:52 to make it to the turn completely knackered, but a 20s walking break sorted that out and hit the next 2 …

Left it late for this weeks long run as went away for the weekend, so 10pm on Sunday had to do. Longest I have run since Abingdon Marathon in October, and completed 33m for the week, highest since September 2008.
Headed up to Letchworth and then downhill into Hitchin before turning round at 6m and reversing the route. This meant a long mile and a half incline from 6.5 to 8miles which hopefully will form the start of my hill training.
Kept a very steady pace at 8:47 a mile, …