Janathon 2013 Day 3 - The medium on which you practice

Gym - various weights + 17.5m running, 3.5km, Time - 1 hour, Weather - irrelevant

Last year I toyed with the idea of base training and limited my speed to stay below a specified heart rate. It was slow and frustrating as I kept on having to slow down or even walk but the idea was that the training effect gradually increase the speed I could run at that heart rate, as I gradually became more efficient. It never happened. The only result was I got used to running slowly and anything else felt like an effort. In other words it was boring and it messed up my head. From this I will not say base training does not work, as many other people have used it successfully and it could just be I didn't run enough miles or gave up too soon. However I will not be trying it again.

Looking back at the year when I ran at my easiest my approach was completely different. During the winter months I combined strength work with running short distances (2-3 miles) at varying speeds, on a treadmill. I then moved outdoors for the endurance training, with a weekly long slow run and other runs at mixed pace. I have no clear idea why I abandoned this approach. Perhaps I fell prey to a false idea that real runners had to keep up a higher weekly mileage, or perhaps I just wanted to try a different approach. In the end  I forgot what had worked.Now though I am now back with the old way and we will see if it still works.

There are a couple of lessons in this. The first is the famous quote of George Sheehan that "you are an experiment of one". In other words try things out to find what works for you, which might well be different to what works for your neighbour. But do not do this haphazardly, give each method a fair go and learn from the experience. The other lesson is related (or perhaps a different way of formulating the same idea) and is my Stoic quote of the day (again from Zeno):

"The goal of life is living in agreement with nature."

I will amend that slightly for the purposes of this blog and make it 'living in agreement with your own nature. You should not try to fight yourself, force yourself to cut against the grain, instead you should be trying to reveal yourself.  Or in the words of another Stoic quote, this time from Epictetus:

"Just as wood is the medium of the carpenter and bronze is the medium of the sculptor, your life is the medium on which you practice the art of living."

New Beginning

Run - 3.96 miles, Time - 44min, Weather - milder but still grey and bleak

Now there are no excuses - snow and ice have cleared and the temperature has risen a few degrees. For the first time in 8 days conditions are good and it is time to resume training.

Obviously the benefits of some of January's work has now dissipated - but no matter. Always the motto is onwards and upwards. So back to the base training with a gradually build up, every other day. Sometime I will eventually reach a reasonable weekly mileage.

The trouble with base training is that there is no much to report. You chug along, concentrating on your pace to maintain easy breathing, and that is all there is.  You can look around and try to notice something about my surroundings but on many days there is nothing particular. Today was one of those days. I passed a few pedestrians, sometimes I went into the road, sometimes there was space on the pavement. This is hardly the stuff of a gripping narrative!

I beginning to wonder whether I should change my habits and run with music. As my tastes veer to the miserablist most of the songs on my iPod are probably suitable. At the moment I am listening to Gillian Welch. I don't think any of her tracks would make it onto a compilation of best music running music but in the world of base training she might just do a job. We will see.

I didn't take any photos today so I am posting the picture of the moorhen on the slushy ice as a memory of what it has been like this past week.

Janathon 2012 Day 29: A Blank Day

Janathon 2012 Day 29: Run - 2 miles, Time - 23min, Weather - grey and a bit chilly

I took this picture a couple of days ago but as I have been playing about with it today I thought I would post it.  

Today I needed  some distraction as the run was a complete non event - another day were my heart rate was just crazy, about 10 to 15 beats above the norm. I decided to cut the run short, ignore my watch and chug along at the pace of all my recent runs but it was not much fun. I had no idea what was wrong, especially as I had felt I was making some progress. Now I am not so sure.

We shall see. I the meantime I am putting it down as one of those days and not worrying about it.

Janathon 2012 Day 25: Resolve

Janathon 2012 Day 25: Run 5.2 miles, Time - 1hr 3min, Weather - Once more grey and bleak

Another picture from yesterday but as it is still grey there is no discontinuity.

Today’s run was all on the road as the canal was still wet and muddy. The problem with roads though is finding a route without too many hills. Hills mean I have to walk to keep my heart rate down. Hemel is full of lumps and bumps. There is the option of an out and back along a road which follows the path of the River Gade - but as that is one of the busier roads it is not ideal. So all my road routes have hills.

It was on a hill towards the end of the run that I had a mini crisis of resolve. I had slowed as much as I could and than started to walk as the only way of keep below my HR limit. “How tedious this is” I thought and as I thought it I felt like stopping. Not stopping by rebelling and running fast and breathing chest-achingly hard but stopping, stopping and then sulking. Going slowly and then slowing can be demoralising.

But then another voice kicked-in and told me that I had a plan and the only way to see if it worked was to stick to it. Base training, it said, might be easy running but it is mentally quite tough. You have to show you can be strong minded.

So at the top of the hill I sided with the voice of reason and continued.

Janathon 2012 Day 22: Overheard

Janathon 2012 Day 22: Run 5.9 miles, Time - 1hr 12min, Weather - blowy

This rather rigid form of base training is odd in that your muscles feel that they are making an effort but you are not breathing heavily, so you don’t feel you are working hard. In fact breath passes so softly and gently across my lips I am hardly aware of it. 

My pace is still very slow and I haven’t managed to up it but what has happened is that I am able to run for longer with a stable heart rate around my target level. This is actually real progress. I still don’t know how much this is going to help me in the long term but as if I am seeing some/any improvement I am prepared to continue and take the future on trust.

The run itself was uneventful except that I have another fragment of a conversation to add to my collection of parts of phone calls overheard when passing.

“And he just said UUUUURRRGGGHHH and stormed out and I then said to ....”

With so many people talking on their mobile phones there are many of these: snippets floating around. So many stories so few clues.

Janathon Day 18: Avoiding feeling bleak

Janathon Day 18: Run - 2.92 miles, Time - 32min 47sec, Weather misty moisty

Another picture from Monday as I took none today - it was too grey and oppressive. At the moment I am trying to avoid feeling bleak.

Today's run was a help, just because I did it. It would have been so easy to continue to mope about yesterday but I didn't. I adopted the shock tactics of rolling out of bed, into my running kit and out the door before my brain could start to argue. Still dazed I pushed the start button on my watch and was off. 

Just like yesterday my heart rate started to go a bit crazy but this time I decided to run 3 miles whatever and pay more attention to the heaviness of my breath. I stopped and started a few times but the heart rate eventually evened out and I ended feeling that I had achieved my goal, even if it was on average a few beats higher. Far more important than an arbitrary number was the feeling that I was doing something

The feeling you get from running links in with another Cochrane Review about the effect of exercise - this time on depression. The overall conclusion was that it has a positive effect but one that is difficult to quantify. It is hard even to say what exercise is the most effective. There is thus plenty of scope for more methodologically robust trials to discover dose and effect

It is interesting that Cochrane Reviews, which are the nearest thing we have to a summary of the current state of knowledge on health matters, seem to show that we know very little for certain. Yet people still have to make recommendations and the current one of 30 minutes a day of any type of exercise seems to be prevalent.

My next task is obviously to try and find out where it comes from

Janathon 2012 Day 17: The only thing to do is mope

Janathon 2012 Day 17: Run 1 mile, Time - why bother, Weather - clear and crisp

Another of those winter days where the air is cold but the sky is bright. I much prefer it to the comparatively mild but grey and heavy days that have dominated the season so far.

The weather was similar to yesterday so my picture can be a carry over from then and not be anomalous. It shows the colour there can be in a garden, even if the foliage is stripped bare. 

In fact it is far more pleasant to look back at yesterday, which was a pleasure, rather than think about today, which was a loss. On Sunday I had thought there had been some signs that base training was working and I could maintain a semblance of a run at the specified heart rate. Bah! Today it took no more than a few strides to know something was wrong as my heart rate bounded up.

"Stop it!" I said but surprisingly that had no effect whatsoever and by the bottom of my road the heart was over the limit. Let me reinforce that - the bottom of our road. In other words I live on a hill and always use the first part of the run to gently warm up by loosely jogging down the slope. It is no great strain and is meant to ease me into my run; so what was my heart rate doing by leaping about? It has nothing to do with fitness and training levels.

The only real conclusion is that a virus I have had is still hanging around. If so the only thing to do is make allowances.

So I aborted the run and moped.

Janathon 212 Day 15: Some progress

Janathon 212 Day 15: Run 3.17 miles, Time - slowish, Weather - crisp and cold, bright and blue

A glimmer of hope today: I managed to run most of the way without walking to reduce my heart rate. It was not fast but at least it was a sign that the current discipline might become  becoming manageable; a sign that things are not hopelessly stuck. Huzzah!

Everything I have read about base training emphasises that it is a matter of patience - and so patient is what I will be. I am now looking forward to my next run to see if the progress will be maintained.

But enough of me. I need to return to the subject of exercise and health and the evidence of benefit

The obvious place to start is Cochrane Reviews, which are systematic reviews of the primary literature in health care and health policy. They have done a number of reviews about the effects of exercise. The first I looked at concerned its effect on type 2 diabetes.

The findings were:

Fourteen randomised controlled trials comparing exercise against no exercise in type 2 diabetes were identified involving 377 participants. Trials ranged from eight weeks to twelve months duration. Compared with the control, the exercise intervention significantly improved glycaemic control as indicated by a decrease in glycated haemoglobin levels of 0.6% (-0.6 % HbA1c, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.9 to -0.3; P < 0.05). This result is both statistically and clinically significant. There was no significant difference between groups in whole body mass, probably due to an increase in fat free mass (muscle) with exercise, as reported in one trial (6.3 kg, 95% CI 0.0 to 12.6). There was a reduction in visceral adipose tissue with exercise (-45.5 cm2, 95% CI -63.8 to -27.3), and subcutaneous adipose tissue also decreased. No study reported adverse effects in the exercise group or diabetic complications. The exercise intervention significantly increased insulin response (131 AUC, 95% CI 20 to 242) (one trial), and decreased plasma triglycerides (-0.25 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.48 to -0.02). No significant difference was found between groups in quality of life (one trial), plasma cholesterol or blood pressure.


So it had a good effect but not as overwhelming as promised in the video especially as it did not seem to improve quality of life.

Janathon 2012 Day 13: Base training as an act of faith

Janathon 2012 Day 13 Run - 4.5 miles, Time - slowly slow, Weather - clear but chilly

Another depressing run (if you can call it running). Trying to keep my heart rate down meant I was shambling along wondering when things were going to get better. “How long does it take for the training to have some effect” I kept on asking myself. So far there has been no change, not even a tiny sliver of hope to offer encouragement. “Early stages” I say to myself just keep carrying on.

So this is what it comes to an act of faith. 

But there is a big difference between running and a large scale life philosophy, whether that be religion, politics, or any other core belief. With running there is evidence - actions can be taken and the results looked at.

My plan is to base train for at least a couple of months, running every other day. If at the end of that time I am still being overtaken by old women with shopping baskets than all I have lost is 2 months. In the grand scheme of things that is nothing

Janathon 2012 Day 3: Not a good day

Janathon 2012 Day 3: Run - 2.55 miles, Time - Urghh, Weather - Gusty gales all day but I managed a run when there was no rain

This really lowered the spirits.

My second base run and I was unable to keep my heart rate low enough. Every time a ran it went above my limit. Even if I slowed as much as I could, I could not control it.

My first thought was to blame the gale, which was swirling and buffeting but that was no good - when the wind dropped my heart rate was still high. The only other, obvious, explanation is the cold I have (and colds raise your heart rate) but it was worse on Sunday and I am getting better. So that doesn't make much sense.

I  didn't know what to do when I was out. After walking and slowing and slowing and walking the only conclusion was that  If I followed my plan I would have to walk the whole way and I didn't see the use in that. So I recalibrated, allowed myself an extra 10 beats and carried on. However it still felt like a defeat.

Fitness is a long, long way away.

Janathon 2012 Day 1: Base Training

Janathon 2012 Day 1: Run - 2.35 miles, Time - too embarrassed to say, Weather - mild, a little blowy, grey clouds

Back after a lay off and in terrible shape. Time for a new beginning! 

“What else is the New year for?” I asked myself “if not to draw a imaginary line and promise yourself that from this time hence you will be far, far better, in so, so many ways.” Before the rational side could snarl back “Yes, it is surely a time of mass delusion.” I was out the door - before breakfast, before I could think.

Well actually that is not totally true -  I had given it quite a bit of thought. For some time I had been thinking about using the New Year to mark a change in my approach. 

The last couple of years have seen me running for moderate distances at the same steady/slowish pace without any great improvement in fitness or endurance. In running terms the technical term for this is: rubbish. If I carried on in the same way I would again achieve very little and be another rubbish year so something else has to be done.

My plan is therefore to go forward by going back to something I used to do - heart rate training.

Before I got my Garmin footpod I never worried much about how far I ran. The only things I paid attention to were time and heart rate. On my long runs I would try to keep around a set number of beats and on tempo runs I would try to maintain a different level. I actually think it worked quite well I I don’t know why I changed. (I think I must have been seduced by the idea of a different technology and more complete information. This is not necessarily a good thing.)

Today however I went back to the future and pace does not matter.

This is a very good thing because the first stage my training plan is base training, which involves running very, very slowly to keep your heart rate below 70%. It is far more difficult than you might think. Today even the slightest incline would rocket my heart rate and force me to walk, just to keep below the maximum. It was not as if I was going fast in any case - but I still had to walk. 

Progress was slow and it could have raised questions about the fine line between running and miming. But I don’t want to think about that or even worry if I am overtaken people with Zimmer frames. I have a plan and I must stick to it.


Today's picture came from a walk later in the day. The cows amused me by looking is if they were part of an identity parade

2011 Streak Day 299 (Saturday29th October): Going slow

2011 Streak Day 299 (Saturday29^th October):Run 2.53 miles, Time 27min 44sec, Weather - grey, overcast, slight breeze

Yesterday I ran with my heart rate monitor for the first time for ages and was horrified at the reading. I was about 10 beats above what I would have expected for every speed and it conclusively proved what I already suspected - I am far, far away from any decent level of running fitness.

It cannot be denied. Reality has to be accepted.  Plan have to be made from where I am, not where I want to be.

Patience, Patience, Patience! will have to be the three watchwords. It will take time to build back up. To do so I must accept a slow pace and run to my heart rate and build a base. It is difficult because part of my mind will not let go of a false pride that tells me “I should be better than this!”, or “ surely I am faster than them!”  (whoever them may be). Part of the training is learning to ignore that voice. A little humility never hurt anyone.

On today’s run I cut back on my speed, paid attention to keeping my heart rate down and started the process. When I got back I ignored the average speed (delicately averted my eyes, if you will) and concentrated on my average heart rate, which was 18 beats less than yesterday. Huzzah! there is always something to give satisfaction.

My French observation of the day concerns design, thinking through a workflow and cultural differences: 

We had to take some rubble to the tip. At my local tip, and every other English tip I know, there are big skips with steps you have to climb up. If your load is heavy or awkward then too bad, it something you just have to manage. This local French tip was much smarter because it was on two levels. The higher level was where you drove in. The lower level was where the lorries delivered and took away the skips. This has two advantages: the first is that skip lorries can go in and out of their own gate without obstructing the cars and causing the tip to temporarily close; the second is ease of use - as the skip is below you, all you have to do is drag the rubbish to the edge and let go. 

However I don’t know if it is an example of something being better thought-out or diferent design priorities. With the French design it would be much easier to topple over the edge when letting go of your load. It could be that in England we are more concerned with health and safety and aware that there will always bee the idiot user who must be protected from himself.

The picture of the day comes from Matha. I only went there to pick up the day’s bread (there is a particularly good bakers/choclatier in the town) but was fascinated by the towers of pallets piled up beside the distillery. 

2011 Streak Day 295 (Tuesday October 25th): Going backward to go forward

2011 Streak Day 295 (Tuesday October 25^th): Run 2.75 miles, Time 26.08 Weather mild but the sky is a mixture of different types of cloud

The sky behind the tree is not blue- it is slate grey however it is lit up by bright sunlight. It is a day that does not know its own mind. Is it a pleasant, sunny day where you can relax and feel happy about how mild the weather is this late in the year, or is it overcast and threatening serious rain. In the end it did a bit of both (though the rain was not serious).

It went out when the sky was light grey. Good running weather but that did not make any difference, I am still running through treacle. I don’t know what to make of this. Should I be worried or should I just carry on in the belief that persistence will bring its reward and I will get fitter. One of my underlying principles, and one I have constantly repeated on this blog, is that consistency is everything and you have to keep on keeping on. But, and this is quite a big but, another underlying principle is that you should listen to your body and at the moment my body is telling me something is not right.

I will think on this but my feeling is that I will have to swallow some pride. I will have to admit to myself that things are not as I would like them and for the moment I am only able to run very, very slowly. If I want to maintain consistency I will have to use my heart rate as a guide and ensure most of my miles are easy.

Photothon 17: wilderness and order

After the lapse of yesterday it is time to be strict. My plan is to run to bridge 156 and so my photograph will have to be of something very close to this bridge. In the event it could not be closer – it is a small detail of the bridge's fabric.

It is not that I am obsessed by brickwork but in just looking closely at something you begin to notice all sots of oddities. In this case a brick is missing, somehow soil has been carried into the gap (by wind, by birds, who knows) and plants have started to grow. It is amazing how life can survive in the cracks and no matter how much we create order wilderness will always manage to poke through.

After looking at the bridge and thinking these thoughts I wandered along a little and sat down by the water, just looking at the lush greenery, feeling content. I had run there and was now resting, taking it easy, knowing the run back would be done at an easy pace.

These days I feel like a running tourist.- it is my version of base training, I am putting some miles in my legs – getting out regularly, looking around and not worrying about much else. I am being patient, content that it is not very ordred