Some days it's a struggle

Having said before that my daily run had become almost 2nd nature, I've been finding it a real struggle over the past week or so firstly to get myself out the door in the morning and then to actually get into the run.

I've never come back and felt worse for having run or regretted going, but unusually it has almost been a neutral feeling on what it has added recently.

Still, the good thing is that after 266 consecutive days of running it would be a big decision to decide not to go because I don't feel like it.

I was thinking though this morning that it goes against all recommendations to run every single day without a day off, and yet here I am still running in old running shoes with split uppers and no inner soles, injury free right now. I hope I'm not tempting fate by saying this.

"Mad Dog"

Today I have been conversing by email with "Mad Dog" Mike Schreiber, who, I believe, is based in Mexico and was Matt Beardshall's on-line coach for his coast to coast run described in "Life on the Run".

I think he is questioning my sanity of aiming to run a marathon in October when currently on a mile a day. I'm very interested to hear what he has to say.

I do know that he thinks that barefoot running is a current fad and makes no sense, but what do I know, I haven't actually tried it yet and I'm not particularly ready to leap into something that leads to an injury.

One of my main reasons for starting the mile a day challenge was to find something sustainable, that gets me moving, which in turn gets me flowing and helps to create possibility in my world.

Hopefully I'll be in touch with "Mad Dog" again in the next few days.

Day 63 - but day 2 under the floor

I've lost track of how many days I've done. If today's the 4th and I've done 31 and 28 days in the previous 2 months, then that must mean today was day 63.

The days are still not getting warmer.

My little toe seems to be OK and healing up nicely.

The plumber fixed our leak last night, so we have running water, as well as heat, again now. It did make me realise how much we take for granted with our running hot and cold water literally on tap, light, heat and cooked food at the flick of a switch or turn of a dial. It's all so easy and I'm so completely helpless without it.

I wonder what would happen if I was immediately transported to an environment where none of that existed, where I had to walk, or run, miles to the nearest well to get water to drink, wash or clean and where I had to build a fire from scratch to cook my food and keep warm?

Would I adapt and survive or would I just feel helpless, sorry for myself and give up?

It's been my second morning under the floorboards, this time emptying the buckets of water and also trying to remove some of the rubble that is covering the wet earth that is below. A lot more rubble removal to be done, which is quite hard due to the restricted access and the limited room to manoeuvre under the floor. Then we need to get some equipment down there to dry it all out.

Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon

Ran to my local Sainsbury's and back today, almost 2 miles.

That was after helping out with the TW Half Marathon earlier this morning. The weather was appalling for the runners but still nearly 1800 of them finished, so congratulations to all of them.

I got it wrong before, I was in the drop out car and not the sweep car. Commiserations to the three who we picked up in the drop out car, who unfortunately sustained injuries en route, so we had to ferry them back to race HQ. Not that I want to give the impression that running is dangerous at all.

Kelly Holmes was brilliant. She started the race and was still there to applaud every runner across the finish line.

Day 49 - seven weeks done!

My goal to run at least 1 mile each day for the month of January 2010 has now expanded well into February with 7 weeks completed.

It feels quite inspiring to think that I have run a mile every day of the new decade so far.

How long can I sustain this?

What will I learn from it?

I have already (almost) run through a cold, a groin strain and the dreaded plantar fasciitis (I think). Right heel is still a little sore but significantly improved. Interestingly, I threw my orthotics (customised inner soles for those non runners among you) away and am using an old pair of trainers with no inner soles at all.

Have been totally inspired by "Born To Run" by Christopher McDougall, an absolutely amazing book.

Not going much beyond a mile at all at the moment because of the injuries, but hoping to stretch it out a little further soon.