I've spent the best part of a year on physiotherapy and strength training as a recovery process from a knee injury. I'm now slowly, slowly getting back to running. Six years ago, with no history or running, I followed the couch to 5K programme and went on to run 10k on my 71st birthday. Since then a typically ran 5k two or three times a week until, a year ago, I experience sudden acute pain in the right knee. There was no warning discomfort just immediately sharp pain while running. My physio did a thorough assessment and diagnosed muscle weakness in the right leg. The training has paid off it seems, my muscles have more bulk and I can run up stairs again! For the last week I've been doing intervals: 30seconds running 1 minute walking. Today I stepped it up to 1 min running 1.5 min walking for a total running time of 6 min. It may not look like much if you regularly do multiple miles, but to me it's a huge step forward. It feels great to be out on the tracks again.

I am a trundler who aspires to be a jogger and maybe someday an actual runner if fortune smiles on me. I see that there are serious folks (people with scientific chops) who recommend "slow running" and other brainy types who recommend slow jogging (this came out of Japan, where I live). Seeing some talk in this forum about "Jeffing," I reached for one of his books on my shelf, "Half-Marathon: You Can Do It." It includes a recommended ratio for running v. walking for runners at different paces. So I tried a run on Sunday around the local reservoir. I used his recommended ratio for my speed (3rd from the bottom in the attached chart -- two mins. jog, one minute walk) and it went really smoothly. I felt I could do it for a longer run. The reservoir trail is only 3.6 km loop, but there is lots of up and down. Maybe next time I will try two go-rounds. Little by little working toward a 10k this year. . . How about you? Ever done or considered doing a slower version of running?

Last Friday I was Jeffing in memory of Jeff Galloway. I'm not a habitual run walker, except on days my legs don't feel good, in which case I walk a minute every now and then. Last Friday my legs felt great and I did the running parts way too fast. After 80 minutes of that, I decided I could do 20 minutes of tempo on a hilly bit near my house. The result? Today my legs felt like bricks. I couldn't do anything else but Jeffing. Another example of me overdoing things when I feel good🫤

Sounds crazy? Let me explain. I do all my strength training at home, fitted around my other activities. My electric toothbrush includes a timer for 4 x 30 second intervals to guide brushing round the four quadrants of the mouth. After I started using it I would get bored standing in the bathroom for 2 minutes every night and morning, so I started using the time for some exercise. In the morning I usually do 20 squats in the 2 minutes, and in the evening calf stretches. Benefits are: I always have a prompt to do at least a minimal exercise I make better use of time. Downside: toothpaste dribbles! I would love to hear other ideas for fitting routine exercise around daily life.

Beautiful morning for a run here in northeast England. Just me and the skylarks.