27/12/2012

Post Christmas

Today's run: 9.24 km / 5.74 miles in 1:10:00.
Injury check: Slight knee twinge on the way around, slight ache this evening.
______

Still at home for Christmas so today I ran with my dad, who is roughly twice my age and can finish a 10k in roughly 50 minutes. Ergo, we did not run at his pace! 
Guess who got new running gear for Christmas?
That said, this was a slow run, even for me. I suspect the on-going festive period over-indulgence was slowing me down...

However, I didn't really stop at all on the way around and the total distance is only a smidgeon under 10k, so I'm still pretty happy with it. 

Next long run: the full 10k? Maybe. Watch this space.

22/12/2012

My December

Today's run: 5.68 km / 3.53 miles in 40:35.
Injury check: All clear.
______

Now, I don't want to jinx anything by suggesting that this running malarkey is getting easier... so let's just say that I had a good day today. 

I am back with my family for Christmas so I ran along my old village high street (in the rain), down to the church, back past the cricket ground and up to the bridge - our bit of the Thames is running crazily high and fast at the moment - before turning back towards home. All in 40 mins, and I even had enough left in the tank for a sprint finish. 

I would have taken some picturesque photos for you, but my phone is currently on the blink - and since my phone does everything for me, today I had no running app and no camera (I resorted to my ipod for music, because that's an essential). 

Running somewhere different was nice and I quite enjoyed it all. I could even, possibly see me becoming a bit of a Proper Runner - if it wasn't a marathon at the end of all this training. That day will probably put me off running forever more. 

But for now, things are looking good.

14/12/2012

60 minutes

Today's run: 8.59 km / 5.34 miles in 60:00.
Injury check: A few minor tweaks but not enough to stop me.
______

1 hour run: done! And I beat my goal of 8k! And I didn't break myself!

I ran with my friend Robert today, which was brilliant. Running with someone is much better than running alone - it makes it far less monotonous for one thing. And running with someone who has a much faster pace than you is even better. I still took a few, short, walking breaks, but I was able to push myself onwards through some of the wanting-to-stop moments and I walked a lot less than I might have otherwise. I don't know how much he got out of it, because we stayed to my pace which is definitely slow for him, but it helped me so much.
Lovely weather for ducks...
It was pouring with rain when we started (it slackened off a bit later) but it wasn't as cold as it has been this week and I think that helped too. Running in the rain isn't bad either, once you've warmed up a bit. 

The Knee coped pretty well, with only a few twinges and a slight post-run ache. I will ice it shortly, as a preventative measure. 

Basically today was an awesome run :-D

12/12/2012

Frost and Ice

Today's run: 2.78 km / 1.73 miles in 20:00.
Injury check: Post-run twinges in The Knee.
______

Today I went for another run at lunchtime. 
There was still frost on the grass. 
I had to dodge patches of ice. 
There's a growing probability that all of my running posts through the next three months will have the 'cold' tag on them.
Sigh.

But anyway - I beat Monday's distance. And today did feel better - I kept a steadier pace and felt less haggard at the end as well. It wasn't quite as cold as Monday, which must have helped.

I felt a minor twinge from The Knee during the run but not enough to stop me (I paused, I re-arranged my knee support, I carried on). However, once I'd been back at my desk a while - sitting with my legs crossed - it did begin to ache. Could be because it was stiffening up a bit post-run, could be because I was sitting with my legs crossed. Could be because my knee hates me...

I am icing it tonight, we'll see if it bounces back to situation normal tomorrow.

10/12/2012

Let's Do Lunch

Today's run: 2.67 km / 1.66 miles in 20:00.
Injury check: All clear.
______

It was actually quite warm in the sun today. Pity the wind was doing its best impression of a lively Arctic breeze. 

This was my first attempt at a lunchtime run, which means it was necessarily a short one (I managed the change-run-shower-change routine in exactly an hour), and not a fast one. My office is essentially on a hill - and a steep one at that - so whichever way I run it's going to involve a fair amount of gradient. 
I will not be breaking any records on my lunchtime runs; the best I can aim for is a slow, steady increase in the distance achieved. 

Plan: another lunch run on Weds and then a long run on Fri. 
Yay.

09/12/2012

TEAM!

Today was our first Team Em And Me (a.k.a. TEAM!) meet-up. There are 15 of us in the team together but although we all knew Em we don't all know each other, so the TEAM instigators arranged a lunch gathering and even provided homemade cookies. 

Yes, potentially we could all have met up for a run - but there is a vast disparity of abilities across our group, and I'm not sure how successful a mass run would be! Maybe we'll try something along those lines closer to the Real Thing, once we've all got a bit more training under our belts. 

Anyway, we didn't get everyone there but it was good to put a few more faces to names and chat about the various trials and tribulations of long distance running. Several of the team have run marathons before as well, so they had some tips and tricks, and I will definitely be hitting them up for more advice in the future.

Also, it turns out that one of our TEAM members is a bit of a Master Baker - look at this:
Purple laces and everything! (Also, it's a healthy snack, so there's no guilt attached.)
Onwards, TEAM!
__________

P.S. In checking that the links in this post worked I discovered that our TEAM effort so far has raised nearly £4,000. That's one hell of a tribute to Em already - and we're nowhere near done yet. 

01/12/2012

Winter Is Here

Today's run: 5.46 km (3.39 miles) in 40:00.
Injury check: All clear.
______

Cold. Really cold. It was sunny this morning, at least. But it was cold. 
I layered up and ran anyway, but I was cursing the cold most of the way round. 

I overheat like a [insert sweaty thing here] so I did warm up eventually, but when that icy wind picked up it was still so cold.

I ran the footpath again, which was actually a bit nicer than before because there weren't any damp leaves underfoot this time. I had to walk some of the way back today though, simply because the cold took so much out of me. 

I got a few stares from the cows in the field I run past, so I said hello to them (because I know that's what Em would have done). I also passed another runner going in the other direction, who looked like he wasn't even breaking a sweat. Hmph. 

Did I mention it was cold?

26/11/2012

Short Run Done

Today's run: 2.48 km (1.54 miles) in 19:00.
Injury check: All clear.
______

So, this was essentially 2.5k in 20mins, right? I'm happy with that. 

Not a particularly fast one, and I had stitch for most of it (must sort that out), but I made it to the end of my planned (rather arbitrarily chosen) time without stopping. 

I'll do a long run at the weekend - I'm just hoping for good weather to spur me on...

22/11/2012

Purple and Lovely

I'm running the marathon as part of Team Em And Me - see here for why we're all doing it and meet us all here

Our first full TEAM meet-up is now in the calendar, and to keep us motivated through the many (potentially lonely) miles of training the Chief Instigators have issued us all with some matching laces to help remind us that we aren't alone:

Ready to go
They are indeed purple and lovely and I will wear them with pride. 

21/11/2012

Can't Mistake My Biology

Today's run: 4 km (2.49 miles) in 30:00.
Injury check: Bit of a twinge.
______

Today what felt like a torrential storm hit Luton. Also it's dark at night now. And cold. So I was inside on the treadmill. 

This run wasn't a personal best or anything, but I am actually ecstatic that I now count 30mins as my 'short' run. (Although I did have to stop halfway through for a short stretch due to a massive stitch in my side.) I totalled just over 4k in the end but I didn't keep track of the few metres more that I managed in each half, it was enough that I made it over 2k each time. 

The Knee twinged a little during and then a little more after - and I sat with a bag of frozen peas on it this evening. 

My near-term goal is to get up to running 10k in an hour, which I consider to be a respectable distance+time, and is something I've never achieved before. If I can reach it before Christmas that would be brilliant. 

Today's top running tune: Girls Aloud - Biology. Yes, it's a silly song, but today the beat was perfect for my pace. 

07/11/2012

Pounds Mean Prizes

I am running the marathon for Diabetes UK and I've promised them quite a lot of money in return for a place in the race (www.justgiving.com/RhianChapman). I need your help to get to my total. 

I know that you are willing to donate to this worthwhile cause out of the goodness of your heart (or possibly because I have badgered you into submission), but it's always nice to get something in return, isn't it?

So, in the style of various crowd funding sites, I'm going to offer rewards for your generosity.

If you donate the following amounts to Diabetes UK through my JustGiving page (not including gift aid contributions), I will give/send you the relevant reward:
  • Any amount of money: personal thanks. This may be verbal or, if I don't see you often enough, it might be via email, but I promise it will be a personal thank you and not just a generic thank you email. (You might get that too, from the JustGiving site, but there will be a personal follow-up.)
  • £15: written personal thanks. Who doesn't like getting mail? Everybody likes getting mail. For a £15 donation I will write you a thank you card in my best hand-writing (i.e. it will be at least semi-legible) and send it out via Royal Mail. 
  • £26.20: I shall exercise my artistic side and create a handmade card for any celebration you'd like (see Exhibit A). Birthday, anniversary, wedding - you name it and I shall make a card for it. All cards will be unique.
  • £50: more artistic muscles will be flexed and I will create a hand-painted T-shirt, just for you (see Exhibit B). Give/send me a T-shirt in your chosen size and pick a theme you'd like on it and I shall paint it for you (I'll give any idea a try). Again, all T-shirts will be unique. Just think: you could be the proud owner of a one-of-a-kind piece of clothing. 
  • £60: a handmade card and a T-shirt painted to your specifications. Good, eh?
  • £75: ...well, I haven't really thought this far. I'll work on it and get back to you. But it will definitely be good. 
  • £100: ...I might give you my soul. One careful owner, only slightly tarnished with general wear and tear, nothing too bad.
Exhibit A
Cards
Cards (handmade by me) for any occasion. 
Choose your theme, specify your celebration, or just claim a random card.
Exhibit B
T-shirts
Examples of past T-shirts I have decorated. 
Yours will be new, different and very pretty.
Go on. Just give a few more pounds than you were going to and claim a reward for your extra generosity. 

Remember, I'm doing all of this in memory of my friend Em. I wouldn't be running a marathon for any other reason, believe me. 

02/11/2012

Autumn Running

Today's run: 6.01 km (3.73 miles) in 45 minutes.
Injury check: All clear.
______

I almost didn't run outside today. As I left the office this afternoon it was grey, cloudy and generally grim, and I was very close to giving in and just going for an indoor gym session. However, I then reminded myself that I'm training for a marathon, and I will have to train through the winter. So I persuaded myself to go out and I'm glad that I did.

I tried a new route today, along a path/cycleway that follows the road from Luton to Harpenden. A lot of leaves have turned and fallen off the trees that line the path and it was looking at its picturesque best, especially when the sun came out:
Much better than running on the treadmill.
It's a good route, too. It had scenery and gradient (breaking up the monotony of running), was quite shielded from the (fairly bitter) wind, and due to being tarmac underfoot it was better than pavement for The Knee. I even spotted some wildlife: a pheasant running alongside the path... going a lot quicker than I was.

This path is actually a few miles in total; I only ran a certain distance along it before I turned around and came back again, but I'll be keeping it on my running schedule. I like the idea of running it every so often as I work on increasing my distance, getting a bit further each run before it's time to turn around again. 

The best thing about this run was that I didn't ruin or injury myself and I managed a whole 6k. Today was a good day.

26/10/2012

Winter Is Coming

Today's run: 4.85 km (3.01 miles) in 40:19.
Injury check: All clear.
______

New knee support, new running tights (given to me by another member of Team Em and Me), new enthusiasm for running - and here I go! 
Well... two out of three ain't bad. 

However, the tights are great: they made such a difference running in the cold weather, and my legs felt so much less numb/chapped/horrible during and after my run. 
Now I need to find a lightweight jacket/fleece of some kind to protect the rest of me from the chill - and then once I have that I'll be properly kitted out and the weather will have no hold over me. Mwahahahaha! 

Ahem. Apologies for that moment, but I am on a buzz after finishing nearly 5k - in the cold and the wind - and not feeling like I was dying at the end of it. 

In other thoughts, I have a JustGiving page now: www.justgiving.com/RhianChapman.
Watch this space for more sponsorship musings...

19/10/2012

Short Run

Today's run: 1.47 km (0.91 miles) in 10:00.
Injury check: All clear.
______

Today was wet, gloomy and horrible. So it was a good thing I was running inside.

I'll try for a real distance over the weekend but this was a 10 minute run as part of a longer gym session. Not much to crow about but it does feel good that I can now knock out ~1.5k in ten minutes without killing myself: as I walked away from the treadmill I didn't even need to sit down to catch my breath.

I'll make a runner of myself yet.

16/10/2012

With Friends Like These

Today's run: 2.94 km (1.83 miles) in 21:57.
Injury check: All clear.
______

A shorter run today, by design. It was a bit easier today than the last run and I managed a slightly quicker pace throughout as well. It was, however, quite cold. Blustery and chilly. And the skin on my legs went numb, reminding me vividly of school PE lessons outside in the winter. It might be time to treat myself to some more snazzy running gear - to get me through the colder months. 

I'm still charting my distance with an app on my phone but I don't have it talking me through the distance any more, since I decided to concentrate on just increasing my time. Of course, if I had known my exact distance on the finishing mark then I would have managed that last 600m to make it an even 3k. Never mind: next time.

I've now started telling people that I'm running the marathon. Up until now - until it was official - I didn't want to admit that I'd signed up to something so unlike me. Here are some of the reactions I've got so far:

Me: I'm doing the London marathon next year.
Friend #1: You crazy fool.

Me: I'm running the marathon next year.
Friend #2: What would you go and do that for?!

Me: I'm running the London marathon.
Friend #3: (laughter)

Friend #4: Do you think it's a good idea, with your knee?
Me: No, I don't think it's a good idea at all!

But after the laughter and commiserations on my foolishness, there was support, and even a couple of offers to help me train. With friends like these, how can I fail?

14/10/2012

Why?

I've never run a marathon before. I've never wanted to run a marathon before. So what made me decide to do it now?

In April 2012 my friend Emily died, aged 29. It was in her sleep, due to complications arising from Type 1 diabetes; it was completely unexpected. She will be missed so much by so many people. As I type this I don't think a day has gone by when I haven't thought about her and the things we did, the things we were planning to do - and the things we never got to do. 

I knew Em for more than ten years. One of the most impressive things about Em was that she never stopped pushing herself. When she succeeded in one challenge, she set herself another one. Academically, physically, emotionally, she never stopped; she always had another goal in mind. It made the rest of us feel positively lazy. 

Em took up running a few years ago, starting with 5k runs, then 10k races, then half-marathons. The next challenge she set herself was to run a full marathon. She trained for it and she got a place in the 2012 London Marathon, running for Diabetes UK. I was looking forward to being there to cheer her on. I had absolutely no doubt that she would achieve her goal. 

Em never got to run her marathon. So a group of us, friends and family, decided to run it in her memory. 

I never had a reason to run a marathon before. This is why I'm running it now.


Em finishing a London 10k, 2007

12/10/2012

Back on Track

Today's run: 3.74 km (2.32 miles) in 29:54.
Injury check: Nothing more than minor twinges.
______

Following the scary Official Letter - and with it the confirmation that I am actually going to be taking part in the London Marathon next year - I decided it was time I got back into my running shoes. 

I read somewhere recently that when you start training you should put your efforts into time on your feet and not worry too much about the distance you achieve. Since the rate at which I'm increasing my distance is feeling a little, well, pathetic, I'm going to try the time tactic instead: slowly increasing my time and seeing how that affects the distance I can cover.

Today I set myself a time limit of 30 minutes, and a running playlist on my phone that was 30 minutes long as a timer. 
I made it the end of the time but it was not a fast run. The last two months of laziness not exercising has definitely knocked my fitness, although my knees held up pretty well to the sudden demand to perform: a couple of tweaks from the good knee but not enough to actually stop my run. I was, however, moving pretty slowly by the end. 

Next run: a target of 33 minutes.

10/10/2012

It's Official

So, it's really happening.


Tick your life away

Ok then. 

Bring it on.

09/10/2012

Post-holiday Re-start

Today's run: 1 km (0.62 miles) in 6:42.
Injury check: All clear.
______

Well, that last burst of inspiration didn't last very long, did it?

Anyway...

A very short run today, mainly because I wasn't sure how The Knee would take the exercise after two months of not running. It coped very well and I managed a good speed for the whole kilometre. 

So, onwards and upwards.

05/08/2012

Inspired By Ennis

Today's run: 6.16 km (3.83 miles) in 46:48.
Injury check: Delayed pain.
______

Inspired by all the Team GB Olympic success last night* I got up and went for a nice, long run. "Long" being a relative term, of course.

Realising that running to somewhere worked quite well for me, I mapped out a route around the local streets that was about 5k and would finish in a park only a few minutes walk from home. It felt good, too. I got as far as 4.5k as I entered the park and decided to push for 6k, which is the furthest I've run in five years.

The time is inconsequential really, because it involves pauses at traffic lights and includes a mix of terrain: nothing too steep - as I purposely avoided a lot of the big hills around my part of town - but a lot of long, gentle slopes both up and downhill. The best things about this run (apart from the distance) were that I kept a pretty good average pace and that I actually had a bit of a sprint left in me at the end - only 50m to reach a nearby landmark in the park, but still a sprint. 

The worst thing about this run was the complaining my knees did for the rest of the day. I'd probably have been alright if I'd sat around resting them but I didn't - I walked at least four more kilometres across the course of the afternoon. Both knees were tweaking by the end of the day; I think it was probably exacerbated by the fact that I was running on pavement and concrete instead of grass. 
Pity my local streets are almost entirely made of pavement and concrete...

*but mostly inspired by Jessica Ennis's abs

28/07/2012

Proper Runner

Today's run: 1.87 km (1.16 miles) in 12:41 + 1.99 km (1.24 miles) in 14:45.
Injury check: All clear.
______

Not that I am actually claiming to be a Proper Runner yet, but I looked it today. As in: proper-crazy runner, out slogging through the streets on a blazing sunny day, with my sunglasses on, headphones in, and a rucksack on my back.


I ran to the Post Office, to pick up a package - hence the rucksack, to carry it back. I checked the distance first and, as you can see, it's less than 2k to the Post Office. However, I live on a hill, and the Post Office is the other side of town, back up another hill.


So the first 60% of this run was fine - downhill at a good pace (knee support on), through town and then uphill for the last 30%. And then I got a ten minute break while I stood in the queue and then fiddled with my Runkeeper app (it crashed when I paused it for my queueing time). 


And then it was time to run back again, which - as you may have guessed - was a bit harder. Not only did I now have two bottles of contact lens solution in my rucksack (not exactly heavy but not as light as an empty bag), but more of the return journey is uphill.


However, I made it. The final rise was pretty slow but it was still just about a jog and not a walk. And I enjoyed actually running to somewhere, as opposed to the nowhere of the treadmill or the circular route I run around the training fields out behind the gym. I shall have to try more purposeful runs in the future. 

25/07/2012

Count It Out

Today's run: 2.5 km (1.55 miles) in 16:45.
Injury check: All clear.
______

Not a fast one today, I was just aiming to tick off an easy 2.5k on the treadmill. My plan was to spend the run trying to keep my pace even and equal - to run The Knee without putting any extra pressure on the good side. 

And on that criteria: success. 

23/07/2012

'This would be easier if...'

Today's run: 3 km (1.86 miles) in 22:50 + 2 km (1.24 miles) in 14:50.
Injury check: Hmmm.
______


A two-stage run tonight. Not my intention from the start, but summer arrived at the weekend (I have the watch-strap tan to prove it) and this evening I had clear blue skies and bright sunshine on my outside run. This made it hot. I don't do so well in the heat. Still, I started out and after the first 1k or so I found a rhythm, slower than usual but fairly steady. 
I kept it up until the 3k mark when I was just too hot and then I sloped back into the gym (with its lovely, lovely air conditioning) and got on the treadmill for another 2k. So there was a break between the two stages of about 5 mins but I still totalled 5k - I'm happy that I managed the distance without a repeat of last week's Knee Fail. 


I was wearing a support on my bad knee this evening, which did help. It survived the whole 5k, although it's aching just a little now. But, again, it was my good knee tweaking just a little at the end of the run. 
I'm sure that I've unconsciously adapted my gait over the years of bad-knee/weak-knee/bad-knee-worse/bad-knee-fixed/bad-knee-hurting-again so that my steps aren't entirely even and I favour my right, good knee. So when I'm running my right knee actually takes just a little more of my weight than it should and suffers because of that. Well, that's my current theory, anyway. 


But it was the heat that really slowed me down today. And it was on my wander back from my route around the playing fields and up to the treadmill that I found myself musing on the weather and thinking: 'I'll find it much easier to run the marathon if it's raining.' 
This is undoubtedly true, although not as valid as my next thought: 'I'd find it much easier to run the marathon if it was shorter.'


Sigh.

19/07/2012

Pain Stops Play

Today's run: 2.5 km (1.55 miles) in 19(ish) minutes.
Injury check: Knee.
______

Today I tried a different kind of interval training: run for 1 km (~7 mins) then walk until the next audio cue on my app (9 mins) and then run another 1 km, and repeat. 

I managed the first 1k, the walk, and then another 1.5k - and then The Knee struck. A minor stab of pain - which, with my knee, isn't actually beyond expectation - so I stopped to stretch out. It felt ok so I tried again and made it another 100m before it tweaked again.

So that was that. 

17/07/2012

Total Mileage: Not Worth Boasting About

Today's run: 1 km (0.62 miles) in 6:20.
Injury check: Minor twinges.
______

Yes, a very short run today. But having been lazy/busy/not well enough to run [delete as appropriate] for the last couple of weeks, I thought I'd take it easy. My bad knee has been twinging (for no obvious reason) for the last week, so I didn't want to push anything - but it felt alright after the first minute so I pushed enough to get a pretty respectable time. 

However, I probably do need to up the ante. The organiser of this whole marathon effort has recently posted that he and his other half are making good progress in their training and are "up to 15 miles a week and it is kinda fun now".
Just done a quck tally on my tracking spreadsheet (if it surprises you I have this, you don't know me well enough) and including today's effort I have now just passed 15 miles in total since my training efforts started. 
And believe me, it has yet to be 'fun'.

Anyway, I'll take tomorrow off and try a short run outside on Thurs. Probably not back up to 5k yet, but hopefully further than today. 

26/06/2012

Overeager

Today's run: 5 km (3.11 miles) in 37:25.
Injury check: knees are not happy.
______

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. 

24/06/2012

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.
______


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...'

23/06/2012

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...

15/06/2012

Interval Training is Hard

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

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

31/05/2012

First 5k

Today's run: 5 km (3.11 miles) in 35:59.
Injury check: The Knee made itself felt, but no real pain.
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Quietly pleased with today's effort. It wasn't superbly fast but it was steady, and it was a full 5k. I ran the opposite direction around my usual path, which meant the short, sharp slope upwards that I've been dealing with on every circuit became a nice, short slope downwards. Much better. I could have gone further if I'd had to - not a lot, but I wasn't completely dying. 


Today I tried out my newest running accessory: an arm band to carry my smartphone in. Up until now I've been fine with the tiny mp3 player I have for my music, but now I have a running app so I need a holder for my phone. Although that sounds a bit poncy (and/or geeky), the app also gives me regular audio feedback - a time and distance check - which really helps me to keep going. I need that encouragement, that notification that I am getting somewhere with each step.


I also have the app telling me what speed I'm going at as I pass each time or distance check. I'm not sure what distance it thinks it's averaging that over, because it's often blatantly wrong (11 km/h? Really, app? I don't think so. Not yet, anyway.), but those overly optimistic speeds do give me moments of amusement during the slog. 


To reward myself for this evening's efforts I am now eating an entire bar of Galaxy Caramel. Not the small bar; the big one. And I'm totally allowed because I ran 5k today. Yum. 

23/05/2012

Wanna Make You Sweat

Today's run: 4 km (2.5 miles) in 27:41.
Injury check: The Knee made itself felt, but no pain.
______

Today was tougher than I expected. It was a lovely day, sun shining and everything (maybe summer is finally here?) but unfortunately by the time I made it out of the office it was also somewhat muggy. It was alright to run in, but I was sweating a lot and it just sat on my skin, not cooling me down a lot. I also ran the last kilometre with a stitch.

Consequently I did not reach my 5k goal. I almost gave up at 3k but then decided I probably had another 500m in me... and then decided to at least make it to 4k. And then I laid down on the (newly mown) grass in the sun and panted for a bit. It was a really lovely evening for relaxing in the sun.

By the time I'd recovered and stretched out I had many little bits of grass sticking to my arms and legs and - I discovered once I'd ambled back to the changing rooms - my foreheadI am so cool. 

20/05/2012

Clothes Maketh The Woman

Today's run: 3 km (1.86 miles) in 19:03.
Injury check: Felt The Knee on the last 50m sprint, but otherwise ok.
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So I went out and bought some shiny new togs for running in: lightweight tops and shorts to help me fly like the wind. They're lovely, and (even if I do say so myself) I think I look pretty cool in them. Until I actually start exercising and my face turns strawberry red - and then I exude all the coolness that I normally do during a gym session...

However, the gear is nice to run in and the 19:03 is a personal best over 3k, so I'm calling that a win. 

17/05/2012

Short Run

Today's run: 2.5 km (1.55 miles) in 16:39.
Injury check: All clear.
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A short run today, in the gym on the treadmill. I didn't push it today either, so it's not a fast time; I just wanted to do a little run to see how the knees held up after taxing them on Monday. All appears to be ok.


This short run is the length I've been working on for a while for an entirely different goal - which requires me to speed up a good deal over this distance rather than increase my endurance for the long runs. So, diametrically opposite my marathon goal.


Hmmm.


Conclusions from today: I need to buy some of those fancy running tops that help you keep cool, because I overheat like anything when I run. (I go red in the face pretty much as soon as I do any exercise. So does my mum; it's genetic.) I also need to sort out my breathing because I got stitch again. That happens more on the shorter, faster runs than the longer, slower ones. My body was definitely built for endurance over speed.

14/05/2012

First Run

Today's run: 4.71 km (2.93 miles) in 33:53.
Injury check: felt The Knee for the first 2 km and then the last one, but no pain. Bizarrely, it was the good knee tweaking by the end. Am icing it as I type.
______


Three days ago, on Friday 11th May 2012, I agreed to run the 2013 London Marathon. This was my first training run. I actually ran 5 km but I don't have an exact time for that, since I managed to poke my phone at the wrong moment and stop the recording before I reached my goal distance (it's a new app, I'm still figuring it out). 


It was not exactly an auspicious beginning: it started pouring with rain just as I was waiting for a GPS fix to start my run - and then it started to hail. I don't mind running in the rain; I draw the line at hail. I ducked inside for five minutes until the hail stopped, then waited another five until the rain was nearly done too. And then I ran.


5 km is the longest I've run in a really long time. It's only a start, but it's not a bad one.