Well, after a couple of days off in agony following my total failure to read TCI properly (see previous blog) I have now completed the first two weeks of my transition to performance running.

Incoming mail 1
The small wooden half-ball I ordered online arrived meaning I could finalise my homemade stability board to match the slant board I’ve been using: I think it will be some time before I need it, but it’s ready when I am.

Strength work
The foot and leg strengthening exercises are amazing, they look so easy on paper, but I was struck by how weak I felt only being able to balance on the slant board with two poles for 20 odd seconds. It was also weird that by simply balancing, the ’burn’ can be felt not only in the foot and ankle, but right up through the leg into the glutes - incredible. Another thing I noticed (to my great relief) was how quickly improvements were realised - after a couple of weeks I can already complete more reps and balance for longer - though I'm still some way off 2 minutes and switching to one pole for balance.

Performance running
Having shared my lesson learned in an earlier post, I can now report that my runs have been strictly limited to 15 minutes each, maybe 20 on a good day. Yes I can feel my soleus and calf muscles working during the run, and they’re sore the following day, but they’re recovering quickly each time and not tender to the touch like last time.

A couple of observations:

Firstly, I find it really hard to run slowly enough. Now I’m not saying I’m a quick runner (far from it) but to run sufficiently slowly that I’m able to breathe through my nose and really concentrate on form, is something quite alien to me - I understand the reasons, but I feel a bit self conscious when I’m going so slowly especially as I feel like I’m prancing with my new forefoot strike. I’m not sure what my running partner (pictured) makes of it all.

Secondly, I also find it really difficult to accept that my mileage is limited so dramatically and the temptation to run further with bad form is pretty high. I guess patience is the name of the game and once the new technique has been fully embedded, then the weekly mileage can increase more rapidly than in traditional (+10%) programmes. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to get out on the bike a couple of times and also put in some swimming miles to retain some cardio fitness.

Incoming mail 2
Second item to fall on the doorstep was my shiny new B2R trail shoes which look weird and wonderful in equal measure - I haven’t worn them yet and will definitely be transitioning slowly, I’ll update you with progress next time.

So, time to make a start on the Cool Impossible journey

Essential equipment:

• GPS watch and heart rate monitor - Got
• The Cool Impossible - Got
• Ski poles - Got
• Swiss ball - Borrowed
• Slant board - Need
• Stability board - Need
• Minimal running shoes - Need

A Compromise:
Checking on the B2R website, I couldn’t source (for UK delivery) the slant board and stability board without buying a set of three DVDs totalling 144 Euros, adding shoes as well was going to make it 265 Euros. I can’t justify this outlay just yet, so my compromise has been to make homemade slant and stability board and invest in the B2R trail shoes. Some fantastic instructions on sizes and techniques on this site (thank you Patrick Garrett), coupled with my limited but enthusiastic carpentry skill I am now the proud owner of a slant board. My B2R trail shoes are on order (free delivery and currently 35% off European orders - Excellent).

A Revelation:
Time to take the first step (literally), I’m still in my existing shoes (Asics Nimbus, super soft, super comfortable, high drop, everything I previously looked for in a shoe, now everything I have to avoid!). I re-read the relevant sections in the book, I memorised the 5 phases, I painted a mental picture, I visualised the drills.

For the 5 years I’ve been running, I never actually thought about how I run, I know I heel strike, I know I’m pretty big for a runner, and I know my previous injuries are almost certainly down to poor form. I’m about to try something different and I’m both excited and anxious.

Well, I set out for my 30 minute run, I walked a little to warm up, I was covering some concrete, but mostly grass to soften the impact, I started to run….

• Forefoot strike - so far so good, feels weird but I guess that’s to be expected
• Then let the heel drop - How is that ever going to work? Oh I see, by not striding out so far in front. Right, so over-striding is another of my problems
• Drive the knees - OK, I get it, that helps bring the leg through ‘on plane’ rather than those ugly little semi-circles I’ve only ever known
• Take off and arm carry, these seem to happen a bit more naturally

This feels weird, but good weird, I think even during the first few hundred yards I’m running better than I ever have. A genuine bona fide revelation. Had to check my pace now and then, started to pant like my dog on a hot day.

I can definitely feel my calves and soleus working like they never have, I’m half way into my route and fatigue is already impacting my form - ‘Awareness’ that’s what Eric kept saying, slow down and focus on form, keep running over those logs, keep the knees driving.

Well I finished my half hour, I felt incredible, I’d done it, I’d made the first step to correcting the way I move, lots to learn, lots to work on, lots to strengthen and lots to commit to memory, and one very important lesson…..

My First Mistake
When I woke up the following morning, my calves were on fire, I went down the stairs on my backside! I hobbled to put the kettle on, and I was desperate to find the book I thought I’d read so carefully. I found the chapter I wanted, ‘Performance Running’ I searched for the section on ‘schedule’ I and found exactly what I knew I’d read. “The goal is four runs a week at a length of thirty minutes”, I read it again. OK, maybe I was a couple of minutes over, but how the heck can I be in so much pain after one session following the book to the letter?

Then I spot it, the very next sentence, it’s now jumping off the page at me “Begin with a five to ten minute run to see how the body responds to new form”… “Once you are comfortable for ten minutes, add five minutes every week or so to build up to a half hour”.

Well, lesson learned. Guess the first stability session will have to wait a couple of days!

I was at my cousin’s house last weekend and flicked through a copy of "The Cool Impossible", her husband said he’d briefly read it, there were some interesting running philosophies and that I should I take it home with me and read it.

I brought it home with me, read it over the course of the next two days and genuinely thought I’d found the answer to my recurring running injuries and problems (more of these later). For the first time in a very long time, I feel genuinely inspired.

Having re-read the sections I’d previously skimmed through and I’ve decided that this is make or break, this new approach is either going to get me back into running, or confirm what my GP has previously told me and accept that I’m simply not suited to distance running. I would have to give up on something I’ve grown to love over the last few years, consigning my shoes, shorts and shirt to the bin and my running career to history.

I’ve decided to rigorously follow Eric’s programme and philosophy, and since it’s going to be a major departure from my current MO, I thought I would also do something else for the first time….. write a blog.

I will share my journey, my thoughts, my experiences and my progress, starting from scratch and referencing Eric’s book, instructions and techniques, and ending up, well, who knows…

Along this journey, through the comments and feedback that you are kind enough to provide, I hope I can answer your questions, seek your advice and share an experience with anyone going through, thinking of going through, or having already gone through the journey that lies ahead.