This morning I managed to complete 10% a a marathon course, as my training et least for this week is 2.62 miles. Only another 90% to go.
With the new distance comes a new route, or at least a similar route with a new start and finish.
No coaching partner today, so it was back to the playlist, but I learnt my lesson from last time and chose some more moderate tunes.
I am continuing with my walk a bit, jog a bit, run a bit, training but I am finding it easier to run(or at least plod) a little further each time.

Today I even managed to run up the incline, in my head its a hill, but it really is just an incline.
According to Stava I hit 2 Personal Records today, it appears some of my route has some sections that people have set on Strava.
After the run a couple stopped to talk to me about my run and if I was training for anything, I could barely speak at this point but managed to pull a few words together for them. It made me smile as I was going home, why would you think it was a good idea to try to speak to people just after they have run? And how well do athletes cope with this when TV commentators do it!
This was a morning run, so it will be interesting to see how it compares when I do the same route in the evening.

I was delighted to be invited to join a Social Media Running group over the weekend, a great way of meeting other runners, and encouraging each other. I'm not I am ready for a physical running club yet but this is a good way to start.

Due to work commitments, so far all my runs have been in the evening. Today however, I was able to experience what it is like to be a morning runner. 
To begin with I wasn't really sure it was for me. Perhaps it is that running later in the day my legs have had chance to warm up, or at least move a bit. For the first run/jog bit I really wasn't feeling it.
I had done some stretching, but clearly not enough, my knees were tight, by legs felt heavy, every step seemed like a struggle - and we were only on the first mile!
Mrs C was encouraging and we had our first goal to get to before the walking bit, it seemed to take forever. After a short walk the next run/jog was already a bit easier, clearly more warming up will help.
Whilst we have been out doing this route, there is one area I have tried to push myself on, it is at the half way point and involved, initially running between 2 bridges. Gradually I have extended the distance, and today managed to run form the entrance to the park (prom) all the way to the entrance  past the second bridge. 
Now this is still a long way of 26.2 miles but is still the longest I have run without stopping. Little goals and tick them off as you get them.

Battling with technology this morning, phone recorded my achievement but watch and phone have clearly fallen out and are not talking to each other at present. 
What tech do you use when running?

I had a very interesting day yesterday, which started with an amazing call with a fellow runner, I count myself as part fo the team now, hearing about their motivation and the challenges of starting running. They have faced huge challenges but refused to let it beat them.
Over the past year or so I have faced my own challenges and if I can be half as strong I will be super pleased.

When I got home I felt really sick so didn't go out, but then found myself missing my run.....this is a very strange new experience.

Back to full strength, I was out running on my own again tonight, well I say on my own, though there were plenty of other runners, joggers and shufflers making their way around their own particular route. Lovely to see an old friend, Sam, who was training for a half marathon - thanks for stopping to say Hi.

Deciding that I would need some musical motivation to keep me moving I connected myself to my phone/music player/fitness tracker chose a playlist and off i went.

Now, without Mrs C to keep me to a steady time I only had the beat of the songs to guide me, and it turns out it is really important not only to have tunes you lie, but also a suitable BPM.
I started with a bit of Pulp, Common People is 150 BPM so I guess not the best start, Example, Kickstart 126bpm then Embrace, Ashes 138bpm. 
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I think I need to do some research as to the way to build a playlist for running,  

​It would be good to get some input so feel free to comment below.

Top Tip from _.mrst._ - disable the lock screen on your device so you don't need to input the code with sweaty figures.

The good news is I completed the 2.2miles without incident, and did it in 25.35minutes. What was also great was running longer than I have without stopping, maybe 5k without walking by the end of June isn't such a far of goal.

Seems like an obvious thing to say, but you do need to be able to see when running or walking for that matter. So when running yesterday it was fun to guess where I was as my glasses bounced up and down in front of my eyes.

At first it was amusing but as time went on and a little bit of perspiration gathered on my nose, the bouncing glasses were also slipping down.

I have often wondered about people who have 'glasses bands', often seen on rather trendy surfer types, I am neither of these. But I can now see the practicality of them.

Being able to anchor glasses to my head and not have to battle with an ever moving world will be a bonus.
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Good news the online price of a band was under £5 including delivery....I am hopeful that despite the very reasonable price it will still do the job - report to follow.

On a separate note, I have heard, on the grapevine, that entry for next years VLM closed with 457, 861 entries and as they only allow around 40,000 runners my odds of a place are still slim.
This journey is not all about VLM, which is very daunting, I will continue now to just take each day as it comes and 1small-step forward.

Today myself and Sam2.0, along with our other colleague, Kensington, were at the Caerphilly 10K. We were promoting Cardiff10K and supporting our runners.

It was great to be able to talk to everyone and also gather Top Tips from new runners, and more experience, seasoned athletes. The good news is everyone has a tip about what works for them and most of the things I am already doing have worked for others in the past.

Also saw BBC Weather presenter and runner, Sue Charles, who was on hand to start todays race. Sue takes part in lots of races so I took the opportunity to ask her for a tip.
Sue recommended being able to get into a swimming pool after a long run. No swimming required just to be able to relax aching legs.

It's been a long morning on my feet, my training resumes tomorrow another week of the 2 mile distance before we build up to 5k.
Thank you to everyone who have been in touch after reading my blog.
I will be looking for training partners, if anyone wants to come for a run, as long as you can keep up with me.

Tonight the other member of the family decided to take up the role of speed coach, pushing the pace to get me around the 2 mile course in a new PB - well it worked, the run jog, walk lamp post was still in action, but we are now down to 10min per mile. 
Lella was pleased with her coaching technique, which seemed to centre around how quick we could get home for dinner - how wide the stride I was taking and how deep the breaths I was taking. Still if it improve the pace it must be worth it.

Have invested in a running top, the hoody running is way to warm. Had a good chat to the guy in the store who asked what I was training for. He was impressed by the 9lb I have lost in the last 2 weeks. If the weight reduces it may help my knees, and it needed to come off anyway.

This week has been mental health awareness week, I reflected on my recovery following the incident in September 2018.
​When I was ill I challenged myself to be well enough to host the MoRun, for Movember.
It seems appropriate to be writing this today, as I have just agreed hosting duty for 2020 MoRuns.
In 2018 whilst I was recovering I wanted to be able to stand on stage and tell those running why I was supporting MoRun (apart form the obvious bit of enjoying hosting events like this)

So in front of 1000 runners I shared my story, and how I nearly wasn't there to tell them my story.
It is important to remember, even when things are at their darkest, there is always somebody who has your back. It may be a friend, a colleague, a family member a loved one or even a stranger, but you do need to tell someone.
They may not spot the signs , but if you can ask for help, someone, maybe someone unexpected will be there. It is ok not to be ok

First trip out with the new shoes and happy to report no issues - wish I could say the same for technology which failed to publish today’s blog, so here we go again.

Decided to try out the new shoes in the same 2 mile course as earlier in the week, and also added in a walk then jog element. I have heard that running a lamp post then walking a lamp post is a good place to start so off I set.
Note To Self - check where the next lamp post is before you head off, not all lamp post are equally spaced.

Despite the random spacing, managed to knock a further 5 minutes off my 2 mile time, I believe this is a new PB (I’m all over this running jargon).

Discussion in the office today was about my new shoes and how best to lace them up. Secretly I think my colleagues want to be part of the blog, but I told them they would need blog names- Sam2.0 (double marathon runner) and Angel, discussed using the extra holes on the shoes for better grip around the foot. This is definitely a game changer.

Have decided that some sort of running top will be my next investment, running in a hoody was too warm tonight.

So after to struggling with the old trainers, today I truly committed to this training and invested in a brand new pair of Brooks.

I took myself on a visit to Run and Become and even had my gait analysis done....no idea.....from what I can work out this involved me running up and down the high street with my work trousers rolled up to my knee.

A big thank you to the staff who were very encouraging and super helpful, even if I did look ridiculous.

After 30 minutes of humiliation it turns out my feet seem to run quite central and don’t turn to either side. With all this running at least I get a night off from my training!

As well as my sparkly new trainers, I also invested in running socks, who knew they were so different to....socks, and also a pair of shorts. At least this way I won’t have to wear my cargo shorts any more.

I started to get a little excited about the running kit, and even had a feel of a few running tops, they definitely feel better than the one I found in my draw yesterday. That one was given to me by a supplier and would be more at home creating static electricity, I fear for an electrical shock if I wore it out in public, I have consigned it back to the draw of items that eventually make their way to the charity shop.

My wife, and training partner has indictated that our next walk/jog will be tomorrow and a chance to try out my new runners.