How are your new year's resolutions going?
Well, as I write this five days into 2018 I've got to admit it hasn't been the start to the year I wanted running wise.
After starting 2018 with a half decent parkrun by my standards on New Year's Day the rest of the week hasn't gone as planned.
Trying to get back into my normal routine outside of running has felt like a monumental effort and my running has suffered as a result.
The balance between work, family life and running has been off this week and I need to get it back.
But bad weeks happen every now and again. I've run long enough now to know that sometimes you just need to press the reset button and start again. Dwelling on the runs I've missed won't do me any good and it doesn't have to be the start of a new year to make significant changes.
There's so much I want to do in 2018 and whilst I really enjoyed last year I know there is a lot of room for improvement.
MORE: How important is cross-training for runners?I need to listen to my body a lot more than I have in the past. I still try to take the odd shortcut in training and always get found out.
Towards the end of last year I didn't warm up properly before a run and tweaked my calf. I felt like I didn't have enough time to stretch or work my way into the run so I just went straight into a pace that my cold (ageing!) muscles couldn't deal with.
It wasn't anything serious and after a few days of rest over Christmas it had cleared up but I knew it was the sort of thing that could have so easily been avoided.
I have trouble admitting to myself that I'm now in my mid thirties and my body takes a bit of time to adjust to what I'm asking it to do…I'm not 21 any more…
Another aspect of my training I want to improve on is to ensure that every mile I run has a purpose to get to my goals.
There were too many empty miles in 2017 when I was just ticking over. I want to run a time I'm proud of at the Cambridge Half Marathon in March and every training mile needs to be at a pace geared towards this.
MORE: Posting details of your run on social media? Ask yourself why?It's an achievement to finish any race but there comes a stage where you have to set your goals a little higher. Pushing yourself outside of an 'easy pace' is the only way I'm going to get quicker. That's why I love doing the speed or hill sessions with Neil Featherby's 'Field of Pain' running group. His sessions hurt but the sense of calm you get after them is difficult to beat…even if I have to drive back from Taverham to Long Stratton after…
I must admit the biggest barrier I put up to improving as a runner is my relationship with food.
I love food…a little too much sometimes and I need to try and not always look upon it as entertainment.
I need to have the odd treat here and there, I'm never happier than with a kebab feast in front of me, but it has got to be a treat…and a rare one as well.
Food is ultimately the fuel with which you power your running – and what I'm putting inside my body needs to help, not hinder it. There needs to be a bit more kale and a little less kofte in my diet in 2018.
Nice one Ally!
My wife, Ally, managed to achieve her goal of running 1000km in 2017 with all of 12 hours to spare on New Year's Eve. She's now nearly seven months pregnant and feels like she has earned a bit of a rest…something that I've no doubt she's incapable of.
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