Overeager

Today's run: 5 km (3.11 miles) in 37:25.
Injury check: knees are not happy.
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Muggy. Warm, not much wind. Bit of a long slog. And knee pain. And that's Tuesday done. 

In retrospect, maybe I should have given my body another day or so of rest after my speedy run on Sunday. My legs ached a little during my five minute warm-up on the exercise bike and I quickly realised today would not be fast. This was an exercise in stamina.

The Knee started hurting a bit after the first 1.5 k. I really don't know what to do when that happens, because sometimes it just twinges a bit and then it's ok again - so should I stop or power on through?

Today I was stubborn and finished the run. Both knees were tweaking by the end and I am icing the bad one tonight. 

I am fairly happy with today's time but I think I'll have to give it a week before I run again. Sad face. 

Hey, I Put Some New Shoes On

Today's run: 2.5 km (1.55 miles) in 15:12.
Injury check: All more or less ok.
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A short run today, partly just to try out the new shoes, partly because The Knee has been aching a bit this week and I didn't want to push it.


However, I did manage to keep up 10 km/h for nearly the whole of this run, ending it with a sprint that let me claim a personal best time for this distance. 
I also did a whole kilometre as a warm-up jog. Slowly, yes, but it was a whole kilometre - and then I did the 2.5 k run. I had to lie down at the end (yes, really) but I got my breath back more quickly than I have in the past. 
All the above may not impress some people, but I am very proud of today. 


Footwear verdict: the new shoes are very nice. They're a bit more comfy than my old pair and I think they're a little lighter too. 

Shiny new shoes

Yes, I stood on a treadmill and took a photo of my new trainers. I fully expect to feature in the anecdotes of a few strangers as 'the odd woman in the gym who photographed her own feet...'

Group Therapy

There are times when friends have to support each other through thick and thin.


There are also, apparently, times when friends realise that they have all agreed to do the marathon, and gather together to commiserate over the fact that they have evidently taken leave of their senses. And also to shop. 


First there was brunch, and then it was on to the running shop to get fitted for new trainers - because going on a treadmill was exactly what we all felt like doing after tucking into these delicious brunch goods:

The breakfast of lunatics

But running gear had to be purchased, so on we went. After three out of four of us walking around barefoot in the shop (and all three being told we had feet that try to roll inwards on us), and trying on at least five pairs of trainers each (and going for mini test-runs out of the shop and back each time), we finally bought the shoes. And then rewarded ourselves with coffee.


In all honesty, I wasn't really planning on buying trainers, I just thought I'd see what the man said about my feet/walk/run. But seeing as I bought my current pair of trainers on the basis that they were the least expensive pair I could get in the last running I shop I visited (two years ago), maybe splashing out a bit on the right pair of shoes will be the sensible thing to do before embarking on a full training regime. That makes sense, right? Good. 


Also, I like buying things for me...

Interval Training is Hard

Today's run: 2.68 km (1.67 miles) in 20:08.
Injury check: Ok while running.
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Today was hard. 

I have various excuses reasons for it being hard (including the fact that in the last couple of days my hayfever has started kicking in and I could feel a familiar tightness in my chest when I started running, although it's nowhere as bad as it could be/has been before) but mostly I think it just wasn't my day. If you're a runner, you'll probably know that some days you simply can't seem to find your rhythm and the run doesn't go well, for no real reason. If you're not a runner - well, just take my word that this is a real thing. 

I also tried some interval training during this run, as suggested by one of my friends from work. The idea is to run fast (i.e. faster than your usual pace) for two minutes and then jog/walk for one, then repeat those three minutes as many times as you want/can; the theory is that this will help you go further and therefore build up your stamina. 

I tried this sort of run once before on the treadmill and I quite liked it, because it does actually make it easier to go the distance with breaks in between the fast sections. However, I found this much harder to do outside! Mainly because I don't know how fast to run in the 'fast' sections - how much speed can I put on briefly without tiring myself out and ruining the rest of the pattern? Well, I know the speed I can cope with: 10.5 km/h (11 km/h for the final push) - but I know that from the treadmill screen; I can't judge it yet on my own. 
I also still find it harder to run to a time rather than a distance; I don't really know why I see those two end goals as so different, but I do. 

Also, although The Knee behaved itself during the run today, once I'd stopped (and collapsed ungracefully on the ground) it suddenly decided to develop a really painful ache. Don't know what to do about that except try to keep up the strengthening exercises and see how it goes...

FYI, my running work friend also recommends doing burst sprint training up a hill, but, let's face it - I'm unlikely to ever do that.