Switching Up My Routine for Winter | Running & Fitness

During my 10k training I started switching up my routine to add hydrotherapy into the mix. I started this because it really helps my joints, and having arthritis means working out at the gym isn’t really feasible. Under water I can lift weights more easily and stretch more confidently than on dry land. But since going on holiday I’ve had a think about other things I can add into my training.

Hiking and Trail Running

Because it’s dark in the evenings, lets be realistic, it’s quite off putting. I prefer to run on the side streets and in the local woods, but they’re not that well lit. I do like the idea of investing in a chest light (I find head torches annoying with my fringe) but I’m also up for more weekend running/hiking. I like to run on the Malvern Hills near us, a real mix of surfaces and hills are really good for building strength. So I recently bought some new trail shoes and put them to the test for a run on the Malverns. Although the weather was abysmal, so it was a lot shorter than planned. But I’m glad we got out! I also really enjoyed our Lake District holiday for hiking, so I’m hoping to do more in the coming weeks.

Hill Reps and Intervals

To shake up my routine I’ve started doing hill rep runs. These are basically a short warm up then a repeat of a steep short hill. You run up the hill as fast/strong as you can, then gently jog down to recover, and repeat. I started with 5 repeats, then it’s a slow jog home to cool down. It’s tough work, but again it’s another good one for building strength. I also believe it’s good for helping with getting faster! During my latest session I wore my new Hunkemoller* capris that were super comfy for the work out. The only downside is they don’t have a key pocket. But I wore them on a night when Dr W was home to let me in so it didn’t matter too much. As well as hill reps, I’m hoping to get some interval sessions in soon as again these are supposed to help with speed.

Running in New Places

I’ve recently been travelling a lot more for work. When in Leeds I adventured out on a training run whilst there. It turns out Strava has a really nifty route planner, which can also make the app act like a sat nav (without the vocal directions). It was useful and it meant I got to explore the city. I’ve already used google maps and route builder to plan my runs for my trip to Aberdeen next month. I’m looking forward to running through the old town. It’s just a shame I’m not there on a Saturday to bag a Parkrun, as I really enjoyed running Brockwell Parkrun in London with Sarah. I need to do more Parkrun tourism!