Lower Back and Hip pain

For the last 3 or 4 days I have been having some lower back and right hip pain, this is something that I have experienced from time to time. I have had much worse things happen to me in multiday races so this kind of thing doesn't stop me from going out for a run. In fact what I usually find is that after a few awkward steps the tightness and the pain ease and my run goes on without too much of a problem. Of course if the pain increases when you run than you have to think about rest or treatment. What I am saying however is don't let a little soreness or tightness stop you from going out for your run, you might just find it helps :)

800 Days

So 9 days ago on what is known as Palm Sunday around the world I completed 800 days in my current running streak. For some reason it was not a comfortable run, I felt a little tired, but it was done and I was happy to reach this milestone for only the second time. In just a short time I will reach the half way mark towards my personal best of 4 years 6 months and 8 days. Who knows if I will reach it or pass it I just know that as long as I have the feeling to go out and run everyday I will :)

2 miles and Half Marathon.

On the last weekend of February I was in Banja Luka and though the weather was cold and icy I decided to run a 2 mile race on the track at the Borac stadium. I didn't feel that great so my plan was to run easily and steadily. My time of 18:27 was of course quite slow, but was just what I wanted the week before my Half Marathon in Nis, Serbia.
March 3 was  the Winter Marathon in Nis, Serbia. On Friday before I left for Serbia I had a little stomach upset but by Sunday morning it seemed fine. The start was cool but sunny and it got warmer as the race went on. I ran nice and steady at around a 9 minute per mile pace and felt quite comfortable.Then between 8 and 10km I started to feel a little uneasy in my stomach, this prompted me to take a trip to the toilet which took about 5 minutes or so. After this break I felt much better, however, over the last 3km I started to feel some cramping in my right calf and the end of my race was a case of me not being able to push as I usually would do. I think this was a combination of some salts lost in my toilet visit and not taking enough fluids later to replace them . My time of 2:32:37 was about 5 minutes slower than last year, but once again my aim is to spend a good deal of time on my legs at this time of year. This has been my training plan for the last 3 years.
Mainly though the race is well organized and it is nice to participate in it each year.

Snowy run

I was out just after 6 this morning and there was about 3 1/2 inches ( 8cm ) of snow on the ground. Here in Sarajevo they snow from most roads and footpaths pretty quickly, but there were still some areas where I was running on soft and slightly crunchy snow, which was pretty nice. I find that when the footing is not so sure because of uneven surface due to the snow your upper legs seem to get a bit of a work out, that maybe they don't get normally. When I got home I did me little series of exercises and then I fixed myself some oatmeal with some sunflower and sesame seeds added, a little milk and sugar. I had 2 hot bowls and it really set me up for the morning.

750 days

This morning was quite blustery, but the temperature was around 10C so not too bad. Actually if not for the wind it felt quite warm. I felt a little sore from the core exercises I have been doing but I finished well and my run this morning made it 750 consecutive days, so I am quite pleased with that.

Flexibilty

When I was younger I used to do weight training in the winter to supplement my running. Well over the last few years I have been telling myself that I need to get more flexibility, but of course I would either forget this  or just do it for a couple of days then stop. Well this winter I have finally got around to it and now usually after my morning run I do a few exercises  to strengthen my core and some yoga to improve my flexibility. I have noticed an improvement in the way I feel when I run and the last few days my sleep seems to have also got better. As time goes on I will add  more and plan to continue throughout the year and not just for the winter.

Winter running

Over the last month or so I have had the opportunity to experience some very cold running conditions including snow and some warmer ones with rain,but managing to get out there and run is the most important thing for me. I remember many years ago while participating in a 24 hour race a runner from Michigan, I believe his name was Ron Berber, said to me that he felt that running a mile in the cold of the winter was like running 2 in the warmer months. I guess he felt the muscles work harder and you get more of a benefit. I have a tendency to gain weight over the winter and I find that the running helps me keep it down a little and of course one wears more clothing and I feel that the extra weight maybe helps to strengthen the muscles a little. In the past I have also done some light weight training. All this usually means that once Spring comes around I tend to be a bit more prepared for it.