Well, there's another day that just drifted away. They slip past almost unnoticed, one by one by one. And they're busy days, full of work and family and everything else that matters. Until you suddenly sit up and think, hey, it's nearly the end of April, that's another month lost by stealth, another month without running. And you start to realize what it means, that yet another season is just going to pass you by. It's a cold feeling in the pit of your gut, to face up to the fact that all…

It was too beautiful a day to resist. Breathless, slightly chilly, but glorious spring sunshine; perfect running weather. And I had to go into town anyway, so I slipped quietly out of work and tried a cautious mile down to the bike shop. And I didn't collapse in agony on the side of the road. My knee held up pretty well, perhaps feeling very slightly sore in the last 100m or so. And I didn't seem to have forgotten running form, and with lots of things to think about it may even have…

A query for Eric. I'm trying to stay positive about this knee pain that's stopped me running, and I'm trying to address it by figuring out what is wrong with my run form. In The CI, there's a list of Common Run Form Mistakes, and I'm wondering if my knee pain, tight IT band and tight hip flexors are the result of being a "bender". Just to clarify, is a "bender" someone who runs with excessively bent legs (that do straighten with take-off), or someone who never straightens their legs at…

I'm starting to feel that running at 47 is like being the owner of a vintage classic car. I'd like to think that I have an old MG, though it's closer to an Austin 7, but the analogy still holds. Basically, to keep this old banger on the road requires constant maintenance and attention. That's OK as far as it goes, but the problem is that no sooner have I fixed the gear box than the gaskets blow. I sort out the gaskets and the suspension goes. I invest time and effort mending the suspension,…

In the French Foreign Legion, new recruits are expected to learn French. More to the point, when disassembling and reassembling a rifle, they are expected to know the French names of all the components. Recruits who cannot instantly recall the correct term, are hit with that part.

I was thinking of this today as I reflected on how much my knowledge of human leg anatomy has advanced in recent years. mainly as a result of particular muscles getting sore or hurt. A lazy …

So, let's ignore iffy one mile test objectives for the moment. After all, my main CI for this year, and every year, is to run injury free and as often as possible with my wife. But I'm not a miler, I would never run a mile race, it really isn't a major preoccupation of my running aims - apart from some curiosity in whether Lori or I will get there first. In any case, Eric's training programs are about speed and endurance over longer distances.

Which is great, because I do enjoy running…

Thanks Lori and Jason for the encouraging words! I'm planning on taking ten days/2 weeks out to recuperate a bit, do some general running with Kath, my wife, and enjoy the freedom of running without the HRM and GPS keeping me under surveillance... and then I'll launch into Phase 2 when the days will be a bit longer and the trails, maybe, a bit drier. I'm limited to road running at the moment on this drowning island and I'd like some variety.

Anyway, the mile test. This wasn't at the…

Made it. And that in itself is a first. I haven't completed a training program, including 3 of Eric's, in 2 years, as something always breaks down in the 7th or 8th week. The difference? It has to be the slant board. Slavish adherence to the leg strengthening exercises has not quite eliminated tweaks and niggles, but it's a zillion percent better and has kept me running.

And the final run was a joyous way to finish the 12 weeks of running. Setting out into a gale that nearly blew me…

So, fitball core stuff - sorted. Slant board leg/foot strength - sorted. Time to try those pistol squats. Right leg first... tum ti tum.... OK, not much range of movement, but fine. Down, up, down, up. Left leg.... down....OUCH!!!!! Yikes, that hurt. Tiny little dip and sharp, acute pain on the outside of my knee which feels like it's about to collapse - no strength or support at all. IT band also sore. Something in my left hip also sore. Strange thing is, none of this hurts when I run…

So I was due for one of those slow, steady mitochondria building Zone 2 30 minute type of runs. But I met an old student on my way out who wanted to come. Now she's seriously talented, super quick, and in the past, well, I've managed to stay with her for about a mile before having to collapse quietly in a ditch and throw up. Only reason I can stay with her at all is that she's 16 and some way off her potential. But after 10 weeks of Phase 1? Hey, I stayed with her for over 3 miles (way out…