Free energy drinks, energy bars and vits, HERE!

Team mate Rob 'the funky chicken' Ashworth sent me this link, after applying Rob got a whole load of freebees, and so can you. CLICK HERE NOW!

Thur 9th
Decided to test the calf muscle out a bit today, ran down to the rugby ground and ran some stride outs, gradually increasing the speed on each one. The calf held up well so I finished off with a fartlek run over the sandhills.
Its always so frutrating being injured, so its a big releif to come out the other side, REGULAR STRETCHING, MASSAGE AND ANTI INFLAMMATORIES have all helped speed up my recover and hopefully I should be back to normal training next week!
6 x 150m plus easy fartlek run = 1.11

Managing injuries for a speedy comeback!

RUNNING LIGHT
Most injuries happen for a reason and the first thing to do after getting injured is find the cause, in my case I tried out a technique I'd seen on youtube, the idea was to drive your foot into the ground to increase energy return! Big mistake, all it did was increase impact and lead to my calf pull!
Talking to Barry about my injury he said I should be working towards running as light on my feet as possible, to accomplish this I should concentrate on knee lift!
ACTIVE TEST
Try this; Run on the spot, concentrate on your feet landing on the floor, now switch to concentrating on lifting your knees, feel the difference! Out on the road I've found just concentrating on lifting my knees a little really makes a hugh different to running lighter and my calf muscle is thanking me for it!
I also found this bit of advise from elite women's runner Kara Goucher on running uphill; LEGS: "Push your legs off and up, rather than into, the hill," says Goucher. This helps you feel "light," as if you're "springing" up the hill.
Video on using knee lift for improved running
What is good running form
I've followed the advise from my chiropractor and run easy every day, trying to keep below the point where the calf starts hurting, I seem to be making good progress!
Sat 4th Calf quite sore, managed 36 mins of slow running with a few walk breaks.
Sun 5th Run with Jon, sandhill 6, worried that the calf might break down again but once running felt a lot better than yesterday! = 57 mins
Mon 6th Run with Niz for 21 mins then I set off for a run over the sandhill paths, again an improvement with my calf and finished gradually increasing the the pace at the end without any bad side effects = 42 mins + 21 mins
Tue 7th
Was able to run at an easy aerobic pace before reaching the pain barrier of my calf muscle, inc a few faster sections, another improvement. Sandhill 6 plus run down and back = 1.11
Wed 8th
Good improvement again today, was able to maintain my normal easy aerobic pace with no real pain apart from a slight niggle from time to time. ran with Tess over the big sandhills working on knee lift, felt good! = 1.30

LANCE ARMSTRONG, POWER WORKOUT

click here
Love him or hate him, whats amazing is that if he finishes first in this Years Tour it will make him the oldest ever winner, the honour of that position rests with Firmin Lambot who won the race back in 1922 at the age of 36 and 4 months!

Ghost caught on film, running in Africa, amazing!

WATCH IT HERE

Tour de France 2009: can Lance Armstrong win?

At 37, Lance Armstrong is attempting the near impossible by going for an eighth victory in the Tour de France, the world's toughest cycling race. Can he do it?

By Brendan Gallagher
Published: 11:58AM BST 03 Jul 2009

Focus: Lance Armstrong has been motivated since breaking collar bone Photo: AP

Long road to victory: Lance Armstrong is back in the saddle for the 2009 Tour Photo: AP

Why is he riding the Tour for the first time since 2005?

MORE

Back on the road to recovery

I visited Dr Scott Fullwood [ chiropractor] on Friday evening, he clicked my back then did some deep pressure and friction massage on my calf
[ oh man that hurt like hell!] , he told me to run easy for the next week keeping off the hills then build up my training again over the following week, he also told me to do plenty of massage and stretching on the calf!
His magic seemed to work and an hour later I ran easy for a good 40 mins with Tracey, I felt no pain and was ok after!

SIDELINED!

After my hill efforts on Monday I finished with 20 mins of steady running, after 10 my left calf tightened up and then started to lock, dam what a bummer, seems like my old sciatic problem has returned to haunt me again!
I rested Tue and by Wed I was pain free! I set off steady but after a mile the calf suddenly locked without warning, leaving me to hobble home.
I guess that's the end of the road for me! I've booked an appointment with my local chiropractor for Friday, usually one treatment is enough to sort me out!
I know its the sciatic nerve thats the problem, as there is no pain if I do deep pressure massage on the calf and also the pain was moving around my foot and shin before the calf locked!
HERE IS A GREAT ARTICLE ON RUNNING BY PETER MAGILL [check it out!]
Morning Read: The Older We Get, The Younger We Feel

Barry's hill intervals

Barry had prescribed 5 x 2 mins uphill intervals so I headed for my old hunting grounds, where back in the old days I use to cycle race and train quite a lot. I remember one race where we had to go over Clieves hill 12 times! I'd been over doing the weight training and must have weighed at least 12 and 1/2 stone, I got dropped every time up the 1/2 mile climb but got back onto the bunch on the downhill, it was fantastic fun charging past the official cars and leapfrogging back to the peloton and even more fun riding past [and winding him up!] this guy in my club who for some reason had taken a dislike to me from the first day I'd joined the cycle club! I survived and finished in about 20th place in the main group, I was quite chuffed with myself!
I warmed up for 2 miles then set off on my 1st effort, once I hit 2 mins I put a marker down on the road, I then jogged back down hill before running my next effort. 5x 2 mins sounded pretty easy BUT as anyone who has tried hill intervals will tell you 'THEY BLOODY HURT', I didn't look at my watch again until after the session, but was happy to see I reached the marker with times consistently 3-4 seconds faster than the first one! It was a relief to finish the 5th effort, now I could relax and enjoy the countryside and the beautiful weather with a steady run!
5 x 2 mins hills, av pace uphill 9.1 mph = 1 Hour 18 mins
Photo looking south down Clives Hill

10th PLACE AT HARROCK HILL, UPDATED!

BATTLE ON THE HILLS
Barry Magee told me I would be a bit 'stupid-silly' to run this race so soon after a half marathon, BUT I really-really wanted to run it, the series of 4 races is one of my summer targets and more importantly 'I really love this race'.
Lining up at the bottom of the quarry rd I was more nervous than ever, Barry's words kept echoing through my mind!
Off we go clambering up the one mile stony gravel path climb, at first I feel a bit sluggish but as I reach half way up I start moving through the pack, team mate Steve Mclean is sitting right on my shoulder [ he gave me a good battle last month] now we hit the steep section, surprisingly I can still see the leaders not far ahead, I take a few more scalps as the climb flattens out.
Next there is a long section of downhill through the fields with a few well placed stiles to brake the rhythm up! I charge past a couple more runners before we come out onto the road, a sharp left then another a 100m later, now up a narrow lane, Steve comes passed me [just as he did last month] as the lane rears up in front of us, out onto the main Parbold hill rd for a brief second before diving through a cutting in the hedge! Down a tricky slope, over a stream and up the bank before coming to a complete stop at a stile! Dam this is the hardest part, just as you clamber over the stile the path steepens to an alarming degree! [ the legs demand a rest but you have to force onwards].
Up and up I climb over the green fields, slowly I claw Steve back, its painfull, and its not pretty but I,m getting closer! Back in the good old days [ 6 years ago I use to hammer this section, turning my legs over faster and faster like a Tour De France climber on the attack! Now I feel more like a over weight sprinter going out the back! Over another stile or two and I'm onto the escalator, a green track that seems to rise on and on into the distant horizon, just before the top I pass Steve and lead him out onto the rd, Half a mile of tarmac follows before the final section up to Harrock hill, I lead Steve but my legs feel leaded and heavy and my body is boiling up from the inside out in the evening heat and sunshine. On to the ruins of the old windmill and then downhill along a narrow tricky rocky path I stumble and let Steve past, over a stile and down a mad decline through a cow field, Steve is gone and so are my legs, one final stile and down a narrow farmers lane, sharp left, a fling downhill then a hairpin bend and the last 100m uphill to the finish. I try to sprint but the legs will not respond so I have to drag my body over the line!
Wow 24 second faster than last month and 10th place too!
We stay for the prize giving, sipping an ice cold beers outside the country pub on a beautiful long summers evening, 'Perfect'.
Richard Shearer, Rob Ashworth and Steve Mcclean won the team event for the club so all in all a pretty good day!
5 races in one month and a nice steady improvement, all is good in the world of RICK'S RUNNING!
Easy-easy for the rest of the week!
ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND
Training for the week
Mon 22nd
Easy aerobic run, sandhills with Tess = 1.12
Tue 23rd
Another easy run =1.04
Wed 24th
Afternoon short run with Niz
Evening Harrock Hill Race 2, 10th place = 36.24
Thur 25th
easy run over the big sanddunes with Tess, warm sunny evening! = 1.41
Fri 26th
Moved my long run forward a day as I'm watching Niz in a Tri event tomorrow, felt tired on my easy-mod long sandhill run = 2.12
Sat 27th
Easy jogging as I watch Niz race!
Sun 28th
Sandhill 6 with Jon, plus run down and back = 1.20

FRECKLETON HALF MARATHON RESULTS, 13th and 1st Vet 45

Five of us made the trip to the oldest half marathon in the country, RON HILL still holds the course record of 1 hour 4 mins set back in 1964, he was here today to run his last ever half marathon [ at 70 even legends have to ease up a bit!].
Setting off from the playing fields we sprinted off on a 1 mile hilly circuit of the village, I was in for a shock as I came up to the first mile marker, 5.39 on the watch! way to fast for my current fitness level, I would pay the price latter on!
The route heads out over the rolling countryside and by 5 miles I started to blow, dropping back from the group I was in, I had to back off recover and slowly re find my rhythm.
Up to 9 miles I was running on my own until A guy came alongside me, this was enough to spur me on and I went to the front and pushed on harder, he stayed with me until 12 miles when I put the boot in and charged for home!
I finished with my fastest time in 5 years and my thanks must go out to Barry Magee, I think there is still a lot of improvement still to come!
A week last Sunday I caught a virus off my wife and felt very ill at work, Monday I ran 3 x 1 mile but my legs felt empty and the fastest I could manage was 5.38, Wed I had a great 5 k and Friday was a session of short hill sprints on the steep sandhills which I really enjoyed!
Things are progressing nicely!
p.s. just remembered I went off course [ my own fault] just before 9 miles and got called back by the marshal, losing the few precious seconds that would have given me a 80 min half and explains why the Garmin shows 13.18 miles!
photo RON HILL IN ACTION!
RESULTS
RACE DAY PHOTO'S
RON HILL on running training and life at 70