Gymnastics and Ju Jitsu

I teach people how to ride mountain bikes. From complete beginners to competitive level; teaching, coaching, generally making people better in the dirt, on two wheels.

A couple of years ago, someone asked me whether I could design a skills course that taught people how to fall off mountain bikes safely. I shuddered at the thought. Whilst it's very possible to teach old dogs new tricks, young dogs bounce better. Ultimately, some things are so counter-intuitive to the adult mind that the risks simply outweigh the rewards. I imagined the end of a session, the ambulance waiting in the carpark, while battered bikers limped back with tails between legs and confidence in tatters.

There's an ideal time to learn how to fall well, without hurting yourself. It's while you're young. It's why I hope to introduce my growing son to gymnastics and ju jitsu, as I was.

So why this, now?

Well, after the meteorologcial onslaught that devoured the country through the first half of the day, I felt I should bag a few miles during a starlit reprise. Which is when I took a purler.

Given that I still have a cold, I left the house with the intention of taking it easy, but a gentle downhill start felt good, so I kept cadence high, backed off a bit on the hills, and breezed my way round an unassuming loop.

Rub some dirt on it - all better.

However, half a mile from home I came a cropper. On a narrow pavement between wall and oncoming traffic, a manhole cover had been forced open from underneath by a million wet leaves. This slab of immovable iron was invisible on my full-tilt approach, and my left foot swung into it with a "Oh-heavens-what-the-hell-was-that-I'm airborne-and-the-feet-aren't-hitting-the-ground-again-any-time-soon-here-comes-the-tarmac-this-could-hurt-hang-on-angle-hand-tuck-shoulder-roll-back-scuff-hip-heel-aaaand-stop". My next thought as I laid on my back was to pause my Garmin, while I checked my legs were still working.

The principles and application of tumbling techniques can be the difference between instinctively distributing an impact force around the body, or smashing wrists, knees, elbows, head. The medical profession call these kinds of injuries FOOSLs - or Falls On Out-Stretched Limbs, and they constitute a high proportion of winter A&E admissions.

I however, received a scuff on my hand, a throbbing big toe, and another dramatic fall to run away from, and feel good about.

Today's run: 3.6miles, 27:38mins, fastest pace 5:18min/miles, highest airborne trajectory 1.4m,
Janathon total: 28miles, one fall, no submissions. Click here for today's run stats.

Surrey Inns Kanter

I ran this event last year, and kickstarted 31 days of running in the name of Janathon, and I was keen to return. It's a 20(ish) or 12(ish) mile treasure hunt, where the answers to the majority of the clues can be found on the signs of pubs, inns and hostelries. No waymarking, no drink stations, just good old-fashioned self-supported trail running with map and compass. Participants' start times are recorded by Molly, at the door of the Village Hall, and they then run, walk, or do a bit of both to return with a full list of answers, and muddy feet.

A sunny North Downs Way - smiles for miles

I committed to this event again for this year (albeit a different route) before I'd subscribed to Janathon. However, knowing that I'd not be running as fast this year, I decided on an alternative approach, and emailed some running buddies offering my services for an informal navigation training session.

Fiona said yes, and the timing should work out nicely as she trains towards her first 100 miler this spring. Also great for me, since a slower pace would allow me to finish despite this confounded cold.

We set off gently to let Fi get used to the mapping symbols, our pace across the page, and some navigation techniques. Soon she was bogarting the map, and navigated intuitively for almost all the journey. We finished with smiles on our faces, despite the extra effort Fi put in to stay on top of the nav. I'm confident she'll go from strength to strength.


Today: 21.4miles, 4:40hrs, 1775ft ascent, 2485cals, one cup of tea, four choc chip cookies.
Janathon so far: 24.6miles run. Click here to view today's run in Running Free Online.

The Green Triangle

Oh, but were today's run as wondrous as the shiny green triangle we know and love from our festive chocolate assortment!

Sadly, today's run was far from wondrous. But it was in the shape of a triangle, and green was the colour of the runner.

I've picked up Christmas Lurghy, and were it not for Janathon, would not have left the front step. Still, I decided to follow my own advice, and ran to the end of the road, (which is the best place to decide if you want to go for a run or not), where I decided I would continue, for a bit, then a bit more, and so on.

Just over three miles managed on some quality streets (ho ho ho), never straying more than half a mile from home, and I actually feel a bit better for having gone.

I'm doing a long trail run tomorrow, so I'm going to try and leave the cold at home.

Today - 3.17 miles, 26 mins, 336 cals (or seven and a half Quality Street green triangles)
Click here to see this run at Running Free Online

Year's End Anti-summary

2011 all but gone. Shame. There were some good bits in there, I hope I remember them in years to come.

Never mind - there's a 2012 on the way. Thank goodness the new year always arrives on time, so we don't find ourselves holding party poppers and champagne, waiting in limbo for Radio 1, Jools Holland, or Big Ben to tell us we can get on with things again.

My last day of 2011 contained a bunch of worthwhile moments, and couple of Local Adventures. A few hours out on the mountain bike riding some local singletrack, and giving a private coaching session to a guy I run with, and his 14yr old son; followed by a five mile walk in the mild evening air, behind a pushchair, giving my wife a bit of a breather, and my son a bit of a rumble to help him sort out some wind.

My first day of 2012 will include a run of some sort to start off a month of jogging, logging and blogging for Janathon, though the route and distance are to be determined, depending solely on how much sleep Jacob allows us tonight.

As for champagne and party poppers - I'll be surprised if we're still awake at eleven!

See you on the other side - Janathon blog entries will include photos as in 2011.

MTB - 13.4miles, 3(ish) hours, 2x mince pies, no punctures.
Pushchair - 4.9miles, 1:24hrs, 466cals, no leaks.

The Boxing Day (Belated) Run

An annual bout between recreation and excess. Previously known as the Boxing Day Ride before we realised we preferred the social element of the event, to the hours we'd invariably spend, cleaning and fixing filthy and tired mountain bikes.

This year we were all to be hosted by Beany, at his, for food and company post run. This meant we'd be running somewhere local to his place (food always dictates the time and location). So I thought it a good opportunity to introduce the uninitiated to the official Caesar's Camp 100 race route. 10 tough miles on hilly army land, covering approx 1500 ft of ascent (and therefore descent).

Joining us to today (with excuses listed):

Gary Vallance: "I ran quite fast yesterday, my legs are still tired."
James Bean: "I've had to eat a lot of business lunches this month."
John McFall: "I haven't run since October, and my prosthetic limb isn't very good at steep hills."
Tom Phillips: "I'm still getting rid of this cold."

The conditions were superb, a mild and still 11 degrees, and the sandy trails were well consolidated after recent heavy rain.

The runners were also on excellent form, despite the excuses in the book. The pace started off quite social, eventually speeding up after seven miles, once the route allowed a bit of pace. Mile nine passed in a blistering 7:14mins, which is good going over winter ground, even if it did include a long downhill.

However, the post-run company was definitely the highlight, joined as we were by better halves, young children and dogs; enriched further by a culinary masterpiece which climaxed with pickled-onion flavoured cheddar on beetroot infused crackers, with homemade spiced apple chutney.

I reckon if we'd started training in October, we could have eaten more. Next year maybe.

Run stats: 10.40 miles, 1hr41, 1446 cals.
Food stats: 2x bowls sausage hotpot. 1x festive pint Guiness. Much x cheese and crackers.

Christmas Cracker

He sleeps.

For me, this Christmas has been the best in a long while, and for only one reason. My new son, Jacob. I can't deny that the last four weeks have been eventful, challenging, and "a bit of an eye-opener", but all the things that make Jacob the handful that he is, will also make him the boy he's going to be. Clearly I have to take some genetic responsibility for his constant activity, stubbornness and refusal to sleep, but I can't remember ever being as grateful for anything, or as excited about what is yet to come.

Keeping myself in good shape (mentally and physically) will become more important, yet harder than ever to fit into the day-to-day. As we reconfigure our routines and schedules round our tiny endurance-monkey, just getting out the house has become a worthy adventure.

But there is no reward without challenge, and the chance to introduce the world to a pair of eyes that are only just beginning to focus is an opportunity, and privilege.

My month of self-inflicted activity begins in a matter of days, to try and start the year off as I mean to go on. In 2011 I ran 450 miles in January, using up all my spare time and domestic credits. Many months later, my son's arrival has moved the goalposts right out of the field, meaning 2012's Janathon will be a comparatively sane-looking affair from the outside. From within, I suspect it will be every bit as testing, though distinctly less "runny", and decidedly more "push-chairy" as I include a little hitchhiker in some of my exploits....

....which is definitely the way I mean to go on.


Today:
Slept 4ish hours
Ran 5km in 21:04 min
Road biked 36.7 miles (to and from Basingstoke Parkrun)

Preamble

If pre-amble means an amble before the main event (ie Janathon), then this title isn't perhaps the best suited to today's entry.

The little run I went on today with Javed was anything but an amble - it was a beasting.

I ran the couple of miles to meet him at a carpark, and then the pair of us ran straight for the tallest, most relentless hill in the immediate vicinity, and proceeded to run up and down it via a number of different routes. At the top, Javed did a few press ups and ab crunches for the benefit of his (already exceptional) core strength, whereas I abstained in order to focus on not passing out.

The run then eased off a bit (it bluddy needed to!), and we had a bit of a chat on our way round. I've not run with Javed in months, so this was a nice little catch up. I hope there to be a few more on the horizon as he limbers up for a year of serious ultra-distance challenges.

Anyway, home again, now able to focus, a bit wobbly.

If pre-amble means an introduction to things to come (ie Janathon), then this title might be well suited after all.

Summary
9.4miles,
1:34hrs,
161 bpm avg,
193 bpm max,
1244 cals (equivalent to 23 gin and tonics - happy christmas!)