I’ve read some inspiring running books lately so I thought I’d share my favourite 3.

• ‘Born to Run’ by Christoper McDougall.  A little obvious this one but it is truly inspiring whether you subscribe to the barefoot running school of thought or not.  It’s a lovely mix of travel, adventure and running.  Well written and the only book I’ve finished and then read again immediately from cover to cover.
• ‘Ultra Marathon Man’ by Dean Karnazes.  Regardless of what you think of Dean you’ve got to applaud the man’s achievements.  This book covers his humble beginnings right through to the Badwater and Western States races.  An easy to read and quickly devoured book.
• ‘How to Run’ by Paula Radcliffe.  I’m cheating here a little as I only got this book yesterday and haven’t finished it.  It’s a coffee table book with loads of illustrations and beautiful looking rather than the word heavy paperbacks of the other 2 books in my list.  It covers everything from goal setting, choosing the right shoes to how to become a successful marathoner.

So, if you’ve lost your running mojo, pop along to your local bookstore and get inspired!

My training has ramped up a gear as there are only 4 weeks left until I leave the UK to spend 10 weeks in Chamonix running, riding, hiking and swimming in the Alps.  Last year I arrived with adductor tendinitis which is not something I’d ever care to repeat, so this year I have been gradually increasing my training to try to avoid injury.

As you will know from my previous post, I have been to see a running coach and we have totally ripped up my previous running style for a much more efficient, body friendly one.  At 43, I have to look after my body as I want to be running into a ripe old age, not bent over with bad feet and a bad back!  It’s been hard to change my running style but an invaluable tool has been video.  It turns out that what I think I’m doing is nothing like what I am actually doing!  I thoroughly recommend getting a friend to video you as it’s a great insight.  I made a rookie mistake of trying out my new style for the first time on my long run – stupid, stupid girl.  I came back from that run with a nice new hip injury!  Learning from that mistake and after a week of rest, I cut down the length of my runs whilst I got to grips with the new technique.  That meant only running for 20 minutes at a time and gradually building it back up.  Today, I ran 5.5k in 35 mins without any hip pain and I’m pleased with that.  I can now build on that distance over the next 4 weeks and will hopefully arrive in France in better condition than last year!

Yesterday, we also christened the mountain bikes for their first off-road ride of the year.  We tried to do it last weekend, got everything loaded on the car, all the gear on but the car wouldn’t start.  Yesterday, £350 worse off – we managed to do it.  Whilst I’ve not been riding my mountain bike at all this year I have been riding Matilda to work and back for 6 months (4 miles a day) and it must have helped as I didn’t feel too out of shape.  I’m sure my heart will feel like it’s pounding through my ribs at the first site of an Alp from the saddle but at least I have a base level of bike fitness to start with.  My bike has had some modifications over the winter including shorter crank arms to stop me grinding into rocks etc.  I’m hoping to be more graceful on the bike this year as I’m a bit of a clutz on it normally!

Swimming and hiking are the other two passions in the alps – neither of which I’ve done over the winter.  I do have a spangly new Adidas bikini for swimming though and am looking forward to trying it out in the open air pool in Chamonix.  It’s amazing there because when you do backstroke you can see Mt Blanc just like in the picture above but closer –  stunning!  I still have some bits and bobs to buy before we set off – new running socks, a swimming cap and a new water bottle but hopefully all the big purchases have been done now and I can get on with the exciting prospect of toughening up for the mountains.

Every winter I find myself resorting to DVD’s in order to keep fit.  I don’t run in the dark as it’s no fun so my running is constrained to the weekends.  I think home workouts do a great job of keeping me active and supple during these dark months.

This year I have discovered Davina’s Body Buff workouts and I love them.  There are 3 workouts on the DVD – Buff Cardio, Buff Boxing and Buff Legs & Core but it’s so much more too.  The Buff Cardio routine lasts about 30 mins but has another 15 mins of killer arm work with weights – add the warm up and cooldown to the program and you’re talking about 1:15 workout!  The Buff Boxing is incredibly good fun and has 15 mins of tough ab work.  I have to admit I have not done the Buff Legs & Core yet as my legs get a workout every day from cycling to work and back twice and running at the weekend.

Davina as ever is great to follow and really gets into the workouts – and her abs – it’s keeps me going –  trying to get abs like that!  You can buy Body Buff from Amazon for £12.93 or as I did from iTunes for just £7.99.

Well, I’m back in the UK now after spending a fabulous summer in the mountains. Been back for nearly a month and thought I’d better quantify my thoughts about France before it becomes a distant memory!

As you know, we spent the last 6 months living in Chamonix at the foot of Mt Blanc. We had sunshine, rain, hot wind, cold wind, cloud, thunderstorms, humidity and heat – lots of heat.

We started off rather frustratingly with injuries and no broadband. These 2 things really made what should have been an amazing spring a bit frustrating. All I wanted to do was run but my physio had restricted me to only 20 mins every other day. The mountains were calling but we didn’t have the fitness to answer. But the injuries healed and after 6 weeks we finally got some broadband. Life could then settle down to something resembling normal (for us).

Daily life consisted of getting up for a run, having lunch, sunbathing in the afternoon, cooking dinner, evening walk and then plenty of sleep. We picked up some great habits, like a Saturday morning cappuccino at Richards and visiting new places on Saturdays. But it was the simple pleasures that I’ll miss – like standing on the balcony and inhaling a huge breath of alpine air, or sipping a cup of tea in the cool evening air and just generally having enough time to do the things we love.

I recommend taking some time out of daily life to everyone. Once you step back and look at around you realise what is important and what is not. If you can do it you should!

This is what I learnt:

• get plenty of sleep
• eat good, fresh food
• take time to prepare and eat meals
• run every other day
• look around once in a while
• be kind to everyone & everything
• make good habits out of the things that you enjoy doing
• get out of breath as much as possible
• look after your equipment (darning holes, cleaning bikes)
• buy the stuff you need to do the things you enjoy
• buy the best equipment you can afford
• smile loads

This is not the first time we’ve spent a summer in the alps and it probably won’t be the last! I love it, bring on 2011!!  So maybe instead of Au Revoir it should be A Bientot!!!

As a birthday present I received a wedge load of running and fitness books that I’d asked for.  I’ve just finished one of them ‘Born to Run’ by Christopher McDougall and am re-reading it immediately!  I’m intrigued by the idea of barefoot running – won’t it hurt my knees and hips, won’t my feet get cold, what about stones?

‘Born to Run’ is already a legend of a book amongst runners so I was desperate to read it.  It’s not just a book about running but also a manual for life and a fascinating travel story.  One of the themes of the book is that of barefoot running.  Barefoot running is gaining popularity as runners are rejecting the cushioned ‘comfort’ of traditional running shoes in favour of minimal shoes or no shoes at all!

Common runners complaints such as plantar fasciitis were virtually non-existent before the advent of the modern running shoe.  The theory goes that all that extra cushioning allows us to run in a way that is not natural – namely landing on our heels.  You just cannot do this in bare feet – give it a go across your kitchen floor and you’ll see what I mean!  The design of running shoes has allowed muscles in our feet to wither away as they are no longer needed.

To run barefoot or in shoes that offer minimal cushioning and do not raise the heel, you have to land on the middle of your foot.  You also have to engage all of your muscles, tendons and ligaments.  This is how humans should run.

There are shoes that allow the feeling of being barefoot but protect your feet from sharp objects – the most obvious example is the Vibram Five Fingers with it’s bizarre toes.  Even Google’s CEO Sergey Brin was spotted wearing VFFs during a presentation!

So, as you can imagine if you know me at all, I want to give this a go.  I’m not going to splash out on any new footwear yet because you have to get into this slowly so you don’t damage your feet.

Here is my plan…

• I am starting to walk barefoot around the house to get used to the feeling.
• I have also added the ‘Mexican Wave’ Pilates exercise to ‘Working the Arches’ which I have performed daily for a couple of years (and to which I attribute the cure of my Plantar Fasciitis).
• Luckily, my new Northface Singletrack shoes are not too cushioned so I can stick with them but my next pair will be even less cushioned and built up.
• As for cold feet – I always have cold feet so am not going to worry about it.  Maybe as I wander around with no shoes on my circulation will improve as my muscles build and I will get warm feet!

I hope to eventually be able to run full time in minimal shoes and maybe barefoot on soft surfaces but I will take my time.  Watch this space!

The McKenzie Method is a self-help treatment for people suffering from acute or chronic back pain.  I was introduced to this plan by my physiotherapist 4 years ago and swear by it.

I have suffered from back pain for about 9 years now.  Most of the time I’m fine but occasionally my back just ‘goes’.  Just about anything can cause it, from reaching into a high cupboard, sneezing or twisting whilst carrying something. I feel sharp pain on the left side of my spine in the small of my back initially and then I get a constant dragging ache until it recovers.

The McKenzie Method has drastically reduced the occurrence of my back pain and also reduced the time it takes me to recover from it.  It is no quick fix though as it requires constant attention to posture and daily exercises.  I have managed to get my pain down to one occurrence per year and the recovery down to about 4 days.  At my worst, my back was in spasm about 8 times a year and I never really fully recovered movement before the next bout.

I went to the doctors several times and was told I had ‘non specific back ache’ which is not very helpful and quite surprising as not one doctor actually looked or touched my back.  Finally, I decided to pay for a physiotherapy session at my local private hospital.  The physiotherapist examined my back and found that 2 of my lower vertebra were stiff and the one above it was over-compensating for the stiffness.  This causes the muscles surrounding the vertebra to over-stretch and tear.  Hurrah – I had a reason for my pain at last!

The physiotherapist recommended some gentle back bends to try out and for the next week I did them daily.  I returned and she was amazed at how much more movement I had in those 2 stiff vertebra – I was convinced!  The back bends, she told me, were from the McKenzie Method and she advised me to continue with them.  Being a naturally curious person, I looked it up and have been following it ever since.

Robin McKenzie set up the McKenzie Institute and has written several books on the subject.  The book I use is ‘Treat Your Own Back‘.  He believes that most lower back problems are caused by bad posture – namely slumping forward and that maintaining correct posture will eliminate the problem.

The book contains detailed instructions on how to sit and stand, how to drive, how to lift and how to lie down.  The heart of this method is that if your back problem has been caused by slumping forward then bending backwards will correct it.  There are 7 detailed exercises in the book which form the basis of preventative care.  All are designed to bring flexibility to the back after injury.  There is a really handy ‘panic page’ which should be followed as soon as acute pain is felt and detailed instructions on what to do to speed up the recovery.

I’m not saying that this method is for everyone, but if you have re-occurring lower back pain it’s definitely worth looking into.  It is controversial and requires dedication but that’s why I like it!

What inspires us to get up in the morning and go for a walk, run or a ride to nowhere in particular?  Obviously the blue skies and stunning scenery of Chamonix, France are enough to inspire anyone but what about when it’s raining or cold?  What made me run around the boring streets of Towcester, UK in drizzle in November rather than sit on the sofa watching the telly & eating crisps?

inspiration |ɪnspɪˌreɪʃ(ə)n|

noun

The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, esp. to do something creative

These questions made me think about why I am who I am.  Why don’t I like having a Chinese takeaway on a Saturday night?  Why don’t I drink alcohol?  I don’t really know the answers but I have put together a top 10 list (in no particular order) of the reasons I get up in the morning and go for a hike, run or ride…

1. I love to be outside
2. I bizarrely like the pleasantly tired feeling after exercise
3. I want to stay slim but still eat chocolate
4. I like being fit
5. I like achieving goals – training and racing
6. It calms me down
7. I get a chance to think without thinking about it
8. It makes me happy
9. It defines who I am
10. I love it!

I’ve never really thought about why I am as active as I am before.  Lots of people think I’m mad to go for a run in the rain or cold but I think it’s the most natural thing in the world to do.  I think it’s mad for people to smoke or to eat too much that they make themselves fat.  So I guess it’s horses for courses but I do know that my muscles are pleasantly sore from this morning’s ride and that tomorrow, I’ll be pulling on my trainers again for a lovely run in the mountains.  This is me and you can’t stop me!

Well, what a couple of weeks we’ve had!  We’ve gone from 9c with rain to 30c with sunshine, the wi-fi is fixed and my training is going so well I can’t stop grinning…

The weather is already at 25c most days but is set to becoming ‘scorching’ according to the forecast – I’ve never seen the forecast for scorching before so I’m not sure how much heat to expect.  Bring it on!

And this week, after 2 months of wi-fi in the corridor outside the apartment only, we have wi-fi – in the apartment – yippee!   So my iPhone has been getting a hammering from the balcony and it’s given a whole new dimension to sun bathing!

My Dad came out to visit this week too, so I’ve been a guide and taxi service.  I only missed one training session though so it hasn’t impacted my schedule and it’s been lovely to catch up with him.  Dropped him back at Geneva airport yesterday morning so things are back to normal today.

I’ve been following my training plan for a couple of weeks now and am noticing that both my running and my riding fitness are improving.  Today I ran 9k which doesn’t sound like much I know but it was my longest run out here so far, all uphill and off-road in full heat and blazing sunshine – lovely!  I was half way through my run when it dawned on me that I was running in the Alps, in the sunshine, preparing for my favourite race – it doesn’t get much better than that!  My hubbie drove up to meet me at the end of the run and doused me in icy water from the river – boy I needed that ‘cos my face looked like a beetroot.

I’ve lost a few pounds, my thigh muscles are rock hard and I can lift my bike in and out of the garage with no problems – who needs a gym membership?  The Swiss Alpine Half Marathon is in 31 days – so the countdown begins…

Running does lots of fabulous things for me including keeping me in shape and keeping me strong but it does tend to stiffen my legs & buttocks if I don’t stretch daily.  Before I started Pilates I used to suffer from a little sciatica – nothing serious but it could have developed into something much worse.  There is one stretch in particular that stopped it in it’s tracks..

You’ll need somewhere comfy to lie down and a belt or scarf.  Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.  Hook the belt or scarf around the back of your right thigh and hold with both hands.  Cross your left ankle over your right knee and gently raise your right leg as far as comfortable steadying it with the scarf.  You should feel a stretch in your left buttock.  Hold the stretch for a count of 15 and lower your right leg down for a count of 5 and repeat 5 times on each leg.

This is a lovely stretch for people without sciatica too as it loosens the hard to get to buttock muscles.  Enjoy daily!