MN flight a success!

Survived the two flights from Birmingham UK to Minneapolis with my wife and our 14 month old teething daughter! Still a bit jet lagged and tired from a social life and Minnesota beer! Got out for a short short run on Christmas, the temp was around 0F (-19C) which was refreshing to run in. Right knee is hanging in there and feeling really good but now the left is acting up for no apparent reason, maybe IT Band (I may have mentioned this). Ran for a couple miles on the treadmill yesterday too but then gave up due to my knee. We're going to hit up the nordic ski trails today for bit which will be fun, it's been too long! Would love to be skiing everyday but with family and the little one it makes it tough!  

Knees, shoes, running

Swan breaking trail in the ice

A few frozen days and now the excitement is over. Have been running every other day with a bike on the trainer in between to aid my knee. Started to ramp up my mileage and have felt good in the knee department. The addition of some aggressive massage, lots of stretching and quad/hamstring exercises I'm sure have helped. 

Yesterday got out for the first time since Brecon Beacons in the light which was nice. Kind of a crappy day but the temps were great and proved to be a refreshing trail run. Ran under the Severn Valley Railway twice while the train went by and of course didn't have my camera! I think that is the first time I've ran by while the train steamed on by. 

Duck landing slide marks on the frozen canal, wish I'd witness this one!

So, knee feels better. Legs have been alright. But still feel a bit tired out there. I think I need to get back into the routine of it all. I've been running in the Puma Faas Trail still and have really enjoyed them despite their minimalist design. I think that the low mileage I'm running at the moment was a perfect time to change to this type of shoe. I'll write more on those after I've got some more miles under them.

Brooks Pure Grit - hi-viz yellow!

Speaking of shoes I randomly enter many odd competitions online for shoes and other running paraphernalia. Today a package from Brooks Running showed up at the door. I hadn't ordered anything and the package had no explanation to it. Just a pair of Brooks Pure Grit shoes! After a bit of research I found out that I had won them in a random competition I had entered online! Pretty cool. I was hoping to get a pair of the Pure Project shoes in the new year through my job but this was great. I was however bummed because I am still fairly new to the Pumas! Really excited about the Grits however, this may be that mental boost I need to get back at the higher mileages too. 

Anyway, things are a buzz around here, time is creeping up to our trip to Minnesota to see my family for Christmas. I think the overseas flights will be challenging with a one year old but worth it 100%, patience will be the key as always. We are due up for a break and with snow on the ground it will be all that much more fun. I cannot wait nor can the wife and little one. 

Finding time to workout

One big thing I have needed to do in being a stay at home dad and trying to successfully keep fit for running is be flexible. Some of these tips will apply to any working person as well, no matter what your mode of exercise is.

How do you find time to run?

Avoid the internet. So many times I get on my computer and waste an hour. The internet is just as much of a time waster as TV is. Sure I find many articles of interest pertaining to running, read the newspaper, shop for things I don't need. People complain about not having time, well those mornings when I find it tough to motivate and I end up at 6am on my computer on the internet. That was just the time I COULD have been out for a quick easy 30 minutes or maybe even longer.  

Run when you can. I try to run in the mornings mainly. My wife is asleep, my one year old asleep, and I can sneak out without messing up the order of the day. Obviously I compromise my sleep some mornings by waking at 5am but it sure is nice to be out when no one else is up. Most people can operate on a little less sleep, it takes a bit to adjust to the early mornings but it works and I find the time that way.

I've considered running on my lunch break as well. I normally have an hour which is more than enough time to get in a few miles and have time to clean up and eat before getting back to work. Have yet to do this because I only work one day a week so I'm not too worried if I run that day or not.

Have alternatives. I've got a treadmill and also a wind trainer. So, if I can't get out in the morning I take the opportunity to run or ride while my daughter is sleeping during the day. I  need to be flexible of course here because some days the little one naps for 30 minutes others 2 hours so I never count on getting in a certain time, I just do what I can.  In addition we've got a jogging stroller. I don't use this as much as I would like but plan on it more this winter. I need to devise a fender for the front wheel as I run on dirt paths and it kicks up dirt all over the little one whether it's dry or wet! Once I solve that it's go time!

Other things I'll do if I can't get out are body weight exercises. Squats, lunges, push ups, pull ups, etc... The list goes on and on and contrary to what most people may think these are excellent ways to not only keep fit but to injury proof your body. I can do this stuff while I chase my daughter around even, she can even help by providing resistance for squats! Throughout the day I'll get in 100 to 200 reps of a few of these exercises. It all adds up, try it, you will be sore the next day.  

Don't let surprise off days or reduced workouts get to you, days off are good for you too and sometimes being forced to take a day off is just what you need.

All in all you DO have time. It's there. A lot of it is motivating and getting away from the things that waste your valuable time. I know many times when I feel like crap, am tired or grumpy a quick workout is all I need to feel better mentally as well. Look at your day. What can you cut out to maximize you time?

Downtime and building back

Slowly heading back into a routine. For the past 5 days or so I've been trying to run and then ride my trainer every other day which has been working out pretty good. My runs have only been a few miles but I want to ease back into it in hopes of my knee getting better which it seems to be doing.

I've been running in the Puma Faas 250 Trail which is a pretty stripped down trail shoe. Not much cushioning, superlight, and it has been fun. I think it would work great for a trail half marathon or less for most people unless you enjoy the minimalist feel. I'd say it's more a fast workout or race shoe. So far so good.

Been trying to be more consistent with the body weight exercises too. More push ups, more pulls ups, squats, lunges, etc.... It's amazing how effective these simple motions can be at building strength. Also have been doing quite a few random quad and hamstring rehab type exercises and stretches to strengthen my knee and keep everything mobile. This seems to be helping my recovery.

Heading to the US for a visit in a few weeks which should be fun. If there is snow I may try to do a nordic ski race! We shall see though, I haven't been on snow in almost two years! I hate reading that. I really miss skiing but running fills that gap just the same. I think I miss the community more than anything.

Alright, kind of a boring post. No cool photos, gear to ponder over, race updates. It is winter though!