Athlete's Foot by Footnote

Hello my footings,

So I understand things are a bit nippy at the moment. Having to step out the door when it is cold has to be one of the hardest things but as long as it is not raining stop your moaning and just do it. I have said this a few times over the years writing this blog but the best bit of advice my coach gave me is that if you are able to run then run because there will be times (injuries/illness) when you cannot. We have hit February and to be fair the winter has been quite mild this year so get over this cold snap and spring is on its way. It could be worse, Moscow is minus 23 today so count yourselves lucky this weekend!

I am going to go through some tips for running in the cold. You may want to also read a blog I wrote back in December for some more cold winter running tips- Click here

Vaseline up

Men you are adults so stop sniggering! There are a few ways to try and make cold running more bearable. The old school way is to use some vaseline on your face, arms and legs. Not too much but enough to notice it. Nowadays there are quite a few gels out on the market that will do a better job (and actually come off your skin in the shower!). Cyclists use a lot of these gels because the wind chill factor must be horrible this time of year. If you really suffer in these conditions then I suggest you go on the net and try out embrocation or liniment.

Run with someone

You know it's cold and raining and so does your friend. Individualy you are weak but plan to meet up with each other and you will be less likely to let each other (and yourself) down. If the weather is bad then reduce the length of the session but force yourself to get out that door. Set yourself a small target of crossing the road before you can turn back.

Or race

Use a local race or free park run to motivate you. You do not have to go all out in the race but use it as a session. I.e. Find a park run which is 5km. Warm up, perform at 90% effort, 5mins recovery and then run the same route again. You have then done a good 10km session and made lots of people feel ashamed at only running 5km. Another would be to do an extra warm/ run before the 5km. 30mins run – 5km race- 15/30mins warm down. You have then made the most out of the race as running a 5km is probably too short for you marathon runners!

Achilles issues! (picture for the ladies!)

Those of you suffering with sore achilles (possibly early tendonitis) might want to get a bowl of warm water or put their feet underneath a warm tap or shower before they run. This will loosen up the tendon and make running a lot less painful.

Gloves and socks are key!

Prepare yourself for war. Buy your self some running gloves. If you have forgot your gloves or have not bought yourself any yet put on a pack an extra pair of socks. Socks make great running gloves but make sure they are clean. I know this from experience # ToeJam!

Running in the snow

If there is snow where you are then I suggest you read this blog that has some tips for these conditions. http://www.realbuzz.com/blogs/u/Footnote/athlete-s-foot/posts/running-in-the-snow-5/

Before you go if you are looking for something to listen to when you are stretching or 'working' this Friday afternoon then why not listen to this BBC radio program. It is an interesting show about running in Kenya and touches on the blog I did a couple of weeks ago. Very interesting conversation with a man called Brother Colm. The Alex Ferguson of distance running. It is only available for 6 days so enjoy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/bigscreen/radio/episode/b01bbd09/