This doesn't look good for the Janathon!

Don't worry, it's not some random pic of me running in or threatening to run in a mankini or anything. I've only gone and got that lurgy thing that is taking people down all over the shop. I had hoped I'd been fit and healthy enough not to get it but I guess I was a teeny bit wrong.
In case you're wondering, no, I'm not laid up doing the whole man-flu thing. I am taking paracetomol and ibuprofen along with buttercup syrup yes, as well as my usual vitamin C & D tablets, but otherwise just getting on with it.
What makes it worse is that I think the boxing day run I went on probably helped to give it the boost it was looking for! Not very nice at all, although it was a beautiful day for running. First half was spent running on the roads rather than the still frozen pavments, and the second half was along a seldom used path behind the power station. The snow here was compacted down a fair bit but it was not the icy death trap that lurketh in Harwell and Didcot. I had no idea that rabbits poo and wee so much! Honestly, there was loads of it all along this path!

Oh yeah, and it's my birthday too!! Double boo.

Not to worry, come hell or highwater I WILL be running on Jan 1st. Not sure if it'll be the planned 10 miler or not but I will be out there. Another chillax of a day tomorrow loading up on pills and cough syrup should see out the worst of it with any luck, then hopefully I'll be out there for a test jog on Thursday or Friday ready for the start of the main event on Saturday.

Whatever happens I'll be back here on Jan 1st with the first of 31 daily reports.

Trail shoes required I think - pt 2!

Sozzers about that, got interrupted mid-blog.

Not much left to report anyway really.

As I said, my shoes had a compacted lump of snow on the heel of each foot, the left more so than the right, which got quite uncomfortable in the last 4km, strangely though, that didn't bother me as much my eyebrows getting snowed up again.
All in all though, it was nice to run in the proper snow, not sure I'm looking forward to Monday mornings 45 min run. The snow will have compacted right down and have iced up. Maybe I'll try and run on the road instead. If I had a set of trail shoes, maybe I wouldn't be quite so hesitant to go out in the ice and snow. Running shop sales ahoy I reckon.

Good luck everyone, don't let the snow stop you running, just be careful.

Trail shoes required I think.

What-ho.

There was I, all dissapointed on Friday looking at the BBC weather report which was telling me that all the snow was orff in Didders. Boo to the MET office says I, I was looking forward to running while it was snowing, having never done it before. Ah well nevermind, still got to run whatever happens.

Imagine the leaps joy and squeaks happy as I look out the window at 8.30 on Saturday morning and see big lumps of white stuff dropping out of the sky!! w00t!
"Right then missus" says I, "I'm off out for a run then".
Sports pants, skins top, running (not so tight anymore) tights, old cycling top, running jacket, socks and Mizuno Ultima Wave 2's on, and to finish off Specialized Adaptalite sunnies and my silly smurf hat (why oh why did I choose a white one! tit!), not forgetting of course my iphone and CX680 earphones, and off I went out the door.

Normally I would listen to some choonage, but as this was classed as a long run and I was only going steady I thought I'd listen to an audio book instead, Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian, if you're interested. Very nice it was too, and as the whole story is around 12 hours long, it should keep me company on Saturday mornings for quite a while.

The snow was wonderful to run in, - I only slipped a couple of times, and they were both before I started running, - nice and soft and only around an inch deep. That was until I got to Didcot and started the run home. The wind picked up, luckily it was behind me, and so did the snow. It really started to come down hard and heavy. On top of that, it started to compact on the heels of my shoes which made it feel like I was running with a large stone inserted in my shoe.

Example.

This is what you can expect to see every day throught January. Here is the run I did earlier today.

I am currently in training for the Reading Half marathon in March, and this is one of the training runs. When I am not doing a training session I will just do a 20-25 min plod round the village as over training will do me in.

Stu

The Janathon!

Well cripey.

This could be an experience. Actually there is no could be about it, it defo WILL be. Will it be a bad one or will it be a jolly fluffy nice one, there is only one way to find out, damn well get out there and do it.

Hello people.

My name is Stuart and this is the first blog I have ever done. I will try to make it ammusing, or at least slightly entertaining in some way, taking you through the torturous month that will be just plain old January for most of you but will be a cow pat of a month for me and a few others.
Why, because I've decided to have a bash at the Janathon - the colder sibling of the Junathon. If you want to know exactly what it is click me.

As I've mentioned above this is my first blog, and I think you will see as you skip and plod along with me, I don't got a chuffing clue what I'm doing, yaaaaay.

If you wish to follow me specifically in the Janathon, I will be posting links to my training and exercise sessions, which by the way I will be doing with my most favouritest app in the whole world -  RunKeeper -every day on here throughout January. This is an example of what I will be posting.
Certain days in January will be specific training sessions, as I am training for the Reading Half Marathon in March, other days I will just have a plod round the village. Either way, all activities will be posted in this place. Hopefully I'll have something to write about to, but I can't promise anything.

Thanks for reading peeps.

Will update again soon.

Stu - the pingpongperambulator