 |
| Can you spot when the post-summer "serious" training began? |
It'll be interesting to see how many miles I can accumulate by M-Day (as I will now be referring to the 21st of April...).
Succeeding and failing on the road to the London 2013 Marathon. Possibly falling to bits in the process.
07/02/2013
Totalled
As requested by one of my favourite people, I've created a cumulative distance graph that totals up all of my training runs so far:
To date I have covered 112 miles. Apparently that's most of the way from Luton to Portsmouth.
It'll be interesting to see how many miles I can accumulate by M-Day (as I will now be referring to the 21st of April...).
It'll be interesting to see how many miles I can accumulate by M-Day (as I will now be referring to the 21st of April...).
03/02/2013
Long, Hard Slog
Today's run: 12 km / 7.46 miles in 1:25:41.
Injury check: Pain. All of me.
Running buddy: Robert.
______
This was a hard run.
The world was not kind today. Yes, there were hills in the route - and they were nasty in places. There was one around 8km that I would have stopped and walked up if I'd been on my own (thank you, Robert).
But it was the wind that sapped my strength today. Bitterly cold on exposed fingers for the first couple of kilometres, and occasionally gusting with the kind of power that you have to lean into when you're walking against it. Running against it was not fun at all.
And then there was the pain. Not actually from the bad knee - although it did twinge a couple of times towards the end. Mostly it was the other leg: twinges in my ankle, pain in my 'good' knee, aches in my thigh and hip. Since it was essentially all of my good leg that was complaining by the end, I think I can put most of this down to the fact that unless I'm really concentrating I still seem to favour my bad (left) leg in an uneven stride. And I also have poor enough posture that my lower back aches after long runs.
Basically the last 4km were simply an exercise in not stopping - it was a very slow "run" by that point.
Afterwards I briefly considered sitting in a cold bath to numb my various aches and pains. And then I decided not to and had a hot bath instead. Much nicer.
Prediction: I will ache tomorrow.
Injury check: Pain. All of me.
Running buddy: Robert.
______
This was a hard run.
The world was not kind today. Yes, there were hills in the route - and they were nasty in places. There was one around 8km that I would have stopped and walked up if I'd been on my own (thank you, Robert).
But it was the wind that sapped my strength today. Bitterly cold on exposed fingers for the first couple of kilometres, and occasionally gusting with the kind of power that you have to lean into when you're walking against it. Running against it was not fun at all.
And then there was the pain. Not actually from the bad knee - although it did twinge a couple of times towards the end. Mostly it was the other leg: twinges in my ankle, pain in my 'good' knee, aches in my thigh and hip. Since it was essentially all of my good leg that was complaining by the end, I think I can put most of this down to the fact that unless I'm really concentrating I still seem to favour my bad (left) leg in an uneven stride. And I also have poor enough posture that my lower back aches after long runs.
Basically the last 4km were simply an exercise in not stopping - it was a very slow "run" by that point.
Afterwards I briefly considered sitting in a cold bath to numb my various aches and pains. And then I decided not to and had a hot bath instead. Much nicer.
Prediction: I will ache tomorrow.
02/02/2013
Hills Are Good
Today's run: 4.23 km / 2.63 miles in 30:00.
Injury check: All clear.
______
Hills!
Today I tried this instruction from my running plan: "Hills: 30mins inc 4x3min hills, 1min recovery". So, three minutes of running up a hill, then a minute running back down, then three minutes running up again. And repeat.
I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to.
Let me present my five steps to hill running success:
1. Find a hill. Not a problem, as I live on a hill.
2. Start with 5 mins warm up around the park at the bottom of the hill. Then begin uphill run. The warm up was definitely required today, as the wind was rather bitter.
3. Pass my flat on the second uphill section. And the second downhill section. And the third uphill section. Repeatedly covering the same ground did get a bit old.
4. Run out of hill before finishing run. Oddly enough, I didn't expect this - my hill seems really long when I'm walking up it. I lengthened the downhill section and turned up the parallel road, which was a bit twistier and longer and - it turns out - steeper.
5. Listen to good music. I loaded up a playlist full of pumping tunes, the last of which was Starships by Nicki Minaj. Such a good running tune. It spurred me into a sprint over the last flat section of the end loop of my run - so much so that when I turned the corner and spied my flat I still had a couple of minutes of the tune left. So what did I do? I carried on running, turning up the hill a final time. Yes, I sprinted up the hill. Not for long, obviously. Still felt good though.
I can see why hill running is good for building up endurance - by the last uphill stretch I had that burning feeling in my lungs that lets you know you're really working hard.
I will be doing this again. I just need to find a longer hill...
Injury check: All clear.
______
Hills!
Today I tried this instruction from my running plan: "Hills: 30mins inc 4x3min hills, 1min recovery". So, three minutes of running up a hill, then a minute running back down, then three minutes running up again. And repeat.
I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to.
Let me present my five steps to hill running success:
1. Find a hill. Not a problem, as I live on a hill.
2. Start with 5 mins warm up around the park at the bottom of the hill. Then begin uphill run. The warm up was definitely required today, as the wind was rather bitter.
3. Pass my flat on the second uphill section. And the second downhill section. And the third uphill section. Repeatedly covering the same ground did get a bit old.
4. Run out of hill before finishing run. Oddly enough, I didn't expect this - my hill seems really long when I'm walking up it. I lengthened the downhill section and turned up the parallel road, which was a bit twistier and longer and - it turns out - steeper.
5. Listen to good music. I loaded up a playlist full of pumping tunes, the last of which was Starships by Nicki Minaj. Such a good running tune. It spurred me into a sprint over the last flat section of the end loop of my run - so much so that when I turned the corner and spied my flat I still had a couple of minutes of the tune left. So what did I do? I carried on running, turning up the hill a final time. Yes, I sprinted up the hill. Not for long, obviously. Still felt good though.
I can see why hill running is good for building up endurance - by the last uphill stretch I had that burning feeling in my lungs that lets you know you're really working hard.
I will be doing this again. I just need to find a longer hill...
26/01/2013
London Run
Today's run: 6.70 km / 4.16 miles in 43:52.
Injury check: All clear.
Running buddy: Katie.
______
The snow is gone. Which is a bit of a pity, because I was just getting used to how pretty it made everything look. It is, of course, a good thing with regards to training. (But why is the snow gone?)
This morning was stunningly different to last week's run - I was all prepared with my full cold-weather gear, only to discover that I didn't need any extra layers and I was actually a bit warm in my long-sleeved top. What happened, Winter?
Running in a new place today - and novelty in the running schedule is always a good thing. My (fancy) London run started in Battersea Park, led up over Chelsea Bridge, west along the river and back across at Albert Bridge, then around the park a bit more.
And a new running buddy for today: one of my oldest friends (and fellow TEAM member) Katie. Katie is undeniably generally fitter than me. However, being a footballer, she's a bit more inclined to run faster for short periods, whereas I was built for slow, steady exercise. Also, she had a bad ankle today, which considerably levelled the playing field.
Even injured, Katie has a faster pace than me, which pulled me onwards a bit and gave us a pretty good time for the nearly 7k. And I managed a near-sprint at the end.
Following this Saturday morning run we met up with (most of) the rest of TEAM for Saturday lunch and the taking of a few group photos to wave at the media chaps at Diabetes UK. Everyone has really been putting in the training and some of them are doing so well on the fund-raising front. Em would be proud of us. She'd be disbelieving that some of us are actually doing this(!), but she'd be so proud.
Injury check: All clear.
Running buddy: Katie.
______
The snow is gone. Which is a bit of a pity, because I was just getting used to how pretty it made everything look. It is, of course, a good thing with regards to training. (But why is the snow gone?)
This morning was stunningly different to last week's run - I was all prepared with my full cold-weather gear, only to discover that I didn't need any extra layers and I was actually a bit warm in my long-sleeved top. What happened, Winter?
 |
| Running app apparently not designed with 'good map display' as a priority |
And a new running buddy for today: one of my oldest friends (and fellow TEAM member) Katie. Katie is undeniably generally fitter than me. However, being a footballer, she's a bit more inclined to run faster for short periods, whereas I was built for slow, steady exercise. Also, she had a bad ankle today, which considerably levelled the playing field.
Even injured, Katie has a faster pace than me, which pulled me onwards a bit and gave us a pretty good time for the nearly 7k. And I managed a near-sprint at the end.
Following this Saturday morning run we met up with (most of) the rest of TEAM for Saturday lunch and the taking of a few group photos to wave at the media chaps at Diabetes UK. Everyone has really been putting in the training and some of them are doing so well on the fund-raising front. Em would be proud of us. She'd be disbelieving that some of us are actually doing this(!), but she'd be so proud.
20/01/2013
The Joy of Snow
Today's run: 8.38 km / 5.21 miles in 1:02:55*.
Injury check: Slight post-run ache in The Knee.
______
Once more unto the breach...
Today was even more fun than yesterday - and I think we managed a good distance for the weather/ second day in a row of snow running/etc.
I had Robert with me again, which encouraged me into a slightly faster pace than yesterday. The going underfoot was better as well: it had been snowing (lightly) for hours today before we went out, so there was a whole new lot of fresh snow over every surface. And it was still snowing while we ran, which was different.
That said, I was definitely tiring towards the end. Even deeper snow makes for a better running surface but it is even more tiring. I found it puts more stress on my ankles, too, with the uneven ground and the slightly uncertain footing with each step. I was never going to slip over or hurt myself, but it's more of a workout for your stabilising muscles.
We got a few amused glances from the various families/dog walkers who watched us jog past, but we spotted one other runner out in this wonderful weather. I don't really blame the rest of the world for staying inside: the bits of my fringe that had escaped my hat actually ended up frozen solid...
If this weather keeps up, I'll soon be completely converted to snow running. In all my fluorescent gear:
*Distance and time taken from Robert's app today; mine reckoned we'd only done 6.5k but then it only recorded 50 minutes when we definitely went past the hour, so I've lost a certain measure of faith in it now.
Injury check: Slight post-run ache in The Knee.
______
Once more unto the breach...
 |
| Don't actually know where the path ends and the frozen ponds begin... |
Today was even more fun than yesterday - and I think we managed a good distance for the weather/ second day in a row of snow running/etc.
I had Robert with me again, which encouraged me into a slightly faster pace than yesterday. The going underfoot was better as well: it had been snowing (lightly) for hours today before we went out, so there was a whole new lot of fresh snow over every surface. And it was still snowing while we ran, which was different.
That said, I was definitely tiring towards the end. Even deeper snow makes for a better running surface but it is even more tiring. I found it puts more stress on my ankles, too, with the uneven ground and the slightly uncertain footing with each step. I was never going to slip over or hurt myself, but it's more of a workout for your stabilising muscles.
We got a few amused glances from the various families/dog walkers who watched us jog past, but we spotted one other runner out in this wonderful weather. I don't really blame the rest of the world for staying inside: the bits of my fringe that had escaped my hat actually ended up frozen solid...
If this weather keeps up, I'll soon be completely converted to snow running. In all my fluorescent gear:
 |
| Wouldn't think we were still in Luton, would you? |
19/01/2013
Neither Rain, Nor Fog, Nor Snow...
Today's run: 5.37 km / 3.34 miles in 43:15.
Injury check: All clear.
______
Snow!
I love snow. But, funnily enough, I've never gone for a run in it before. It's quite hard work, especially in the deep stuff ("deep" being 4 inches in this case) because it slides a little under your feet, adding resistance to every step. Plus it's bloomin' cold out.
I didn't try and go fast - or even at my normal pace - because I figured snow running is enough of a workout anyway. I stayed off the paths and pavements because the general tread of people is already packing the snow down to a potentially slippy state, and anytime I had to cross a pavement I slowed to a walk. I mostly stuck to the deep, fresh patches of snow, leaving my footprints on the snowcape.
The overall distance is up for debate, as my app seemed to be having a little trouble finding the GPS satellites today and I also spent some time running back and forth across a small patch of ground writing 'TEAM' in the snow (small things...). Basically today I decided to have fun during my run.
When I got back I did my usual set of stretches, made myself a hot drink and got into a bath of cold water. This is a tip passed to me by some TEAM members: after a hard run, spending a few minutes in an ice bath is good for your muscles. After all, rugby players do it, Jess Ennis does it, etc, etc... Well, I thought I'd try it.
I lasted about a minute before giving up. And, to be honest, I even cheated a bit then: I started running the hot water for my shower while I was in the cold bath. I had to - my toes ached from the chill. And no offence, guys, but I don't think I'll be doing that again.
Anyway: that's this week's 40 minute run checked off, despite the weather. And, actually, it was fun. Roll on the winter.
Injury check: All clear.
______
Snow!
I love snow. But, funnily enough, I've never gone for a run in it before. It's quite hard work, especially in the deep stuff ("deep" being 4 inches in this case) because it slides a little under your feet, adding resistance to every step. Plus it's bloomin' cold out.
 |
| Perfect weather for sledging! |
The overall distance is up for debate, as my app seemed to be having a little trouble finding the GPS satellites today and I also spent some time running back and forth across a small patch of ground writing 'TEAM' in the snow (small things...). Basically today I decided to have fun during my run.
When I got back I did my usual set of stretches, made myself a hot drink and got into a bath of cold water. This is a tip passed to me by some TEAM members: after a hard run, spending a few minutes in an ice bath is good for your muscles. After all, rugby players do it, Jess Ennis does it, etc, etc... Well, I thought I'd try it.
I lasted about a minute before giving up. And, to be honest, I even cheated a bit then: I started running the hot water for my shower while I was in the cold bath. I had to - my toes ached from the chill. And no offence, guys, but I don't think I'll be doing that again.
Anyway: that's this week's 40 minute run checked off, despite the weather. And, actually, it was fun. Roll on the winter.
 |
| Snow! |
15/01/2013
Injury Check
In case anyone is wondering why there's an injury check at the top of all my running posts, here's the background you need to play "guess which body part will fail next" for the rest of my training. And because there aren't any pictures of me running* I picked an inspirational shot to use as a visual aid:
The Knee
First injured when I was 11 years old, it's been weaker than my right knee ever since. It finally failed me three years ago and I had surgery to fix the incorrect sideways pull on my kneecap. It's still not as strong as my right side but at least I can run now, albeit with a certain amount of strapping.
The Ankle
Two years ago I sprained my ankle. Badly. And then again, a year later. (The second time playing netball, which I don't even enjoy...) I was on crutches the first time and it was almost as bad the second time. It's never been quite the same since, which apparently can be the case with ankles.
The Collarbone
This one was entirely my own fault. I was learning how to ride a motorbike a year ago and I went flying over the handlebars and broke my collarbone. That's painful, I can tell you. Anyway, this hasn't actually affected my running and I don't expect it will - broken bones seem to heal much more cleanly than muscular injuries - I just thought I'd include it for completeness.
So there we have the injury summary to date. Wish me luck, folks.
*That's a lie, there are pictures of me running. But, annoyingly, they were all taken at moments when it looked as if I barely had any pace on me at all, which is just unfair. As soon as I have a picture of me sprinting, I'll post it here.
 |
| For future reference, this is the pose I intend to pull when I cross the marathon finish line. |
The Knee
First injured when I was 11 years old, it's been weaker than my right knee ever since. It finally failed me three years ago and I had surgery to fix the incorrect sideways pull on my kneecap. It's still not as strong as my right side but at least I can run now, albeit with a certain amount of strapping.
The Ankle
Two years ago I sprained my ankle. Badly. And then again, a year later. (The second time playing netball, which I don't even enjoy...) I was on crutches the first time and it was almost as bad the second time. It's never been quite the same since, which apparently can be the case with ankles.
The Collarbone
This one was entirely my own fault. I was learning how to ride a motorbike a year ago and I went flying over the handlebars and broke my collarbone. That's painful, I can tell you. Anyway, this hasn't actually affected my running and I don't expect it will - broken bones seem to heal much more cleanly than muscular injuries - I just thought I'd include it for completeness.
So there we have the injury summary to date. Wish me luck, folks.
*That's a lie, there are pictures of me running. But, annoyingly, they were all taken at moments when it looked as if I barely had any pace on me at all, which is just unfair. As soon as I have a picture of me sprinting, I'll post it here.
13/01/2013
Sub-zero
Today's run: 12 km / 7.46 miles in 1:23:48.
Injury check: Twinges in the good knee.
Running buddy: Robert.
______
Man, it was cold this morning! It was predicted to be -2 degrees and I could definitely believe that it really was below zero... It was trying to snow as we set out, although it gave up pretty quickly and was just cold.
The benefits of this were that a) I stood no chance whatsoever of overheating, and b) the parts of the route that Robert had warned me might be really muddy were actually just frozen solid, and were therefore quite crispy underfoot rather than trainer-suckingly nasty.
He also warned me it would be a bit hilly, which I blithely agreed to run anyway. The inclines involved weren't actually too steep, mostly, but they were fairly long and hence still quite taxing:
I hoped to be able to manage a sprint at the end but the final up-slope home (which isn't really visible on the elevation plot, but trust me, it's there) did me in. I have spent the rest of the day being a bit achey and making old person noises when I have to get up out of a chair...
Still, a good time achieved at a good average pace, especially considering the hills involved.
Injury check: Twinges in the good knee.
Running buddy: Robert.
______
Man, it was cold this morning! It was predicted to be -2 degrees and I could definitely believe that it really was below zero... It was trying to snow as we set out, although it gave up pretty quickly and was just cold.
The benefits of this were that a) I stood no chance whatsoever of overheating, and b) the parts of the route that Robert had warned me might be really muddy were actually just frozen solid, and were therefore quite crispy underfoot rather than trainer-suckingly nasty.
He also warned me it would be a bit hilly, which I blithely agreed to run anyway. The inclines involved weren't actually too steep, mostly, but they were fairly long and hence still quite taxing:
 |
| Long incline was long. (Shaded grey incline = 1.5km.) |
Still, a good time achieved at a good average pace, especially considering the hills involved.
06/01/2013
10k
Today's run: 10.59 km / 6.58 miles in 1:13:07.
Injury check: Minor twinge in good knee.
______
Ten kilometres!
The morning was gloomy, but Robert turned up at my door bang on time and we headed out into the fog on my planned 10k route...
Since I am rubbish at directions we took a little circular detour along that planned route, but we kept up a good pace (11:11 per mile) with barely a stop along the way. We paused in the middle and I gulped down a tube of energy gel (which tasted horrible - good thing it was a freebie) and then it was back up to pace again.
Again, I don't want to jinx it, but running longer distances is definitely not as hard as it was originally. Some of this is no doubt due to my body getting used to actually running for longer periods; I'm also sure a great deal of it is having someone to run with, as that absolutely makes it more enjoyable!
So, 10k in a little over an hour. Done.
Injury check: Minor twinge in good knee.
______
Ten kilometres!
The morning was gloomy, but Robert turned up at my door bang on time and we headed out into the fog on my planned 10k route...
 |
| Foggy Luton town |
Again, I don't want to jinx it, but running longer distances is definitely not as hard as it was originally. Some of this is no doubt due to my body getting used to actually running for longer periods; I'm also sure a great deal of it is having someone to run with, as that absolutely makes it more enjoyable!
So, 10k in a little over an hour. Done.
Woohoo!
05/01/2013
Plan in Action
Today's run: 4.60 km / 2.86 miles in 30:00.
Injury check: All clear.
______
Gym. Treadmill. Short break in the middle to stretch out a stitch. Sprint at the end. I'm happy with that distance - puts me on track for 10k in 1hr10, which is my goal for my next long run.
In addition, today I discovered that my mental arithmetic really does go to pot when I'm running - unless, of course, 12 + 2 really does = 15.
Apparently only mental or physical exertion allowed here, not both at the same time. By the end of the marathon I might be having trouble counting to 26...
Injury check: All clear.
______
Gym. Treadmill. Short break in the middle to stretch out a stitch. Sprint at the end. I'm happy with that distance - puts me on track for 10k in 1hr10, which is my goal for my next long run.
In addition, today I discovered that my mental arithmetic really does go to pot when I'm running - unless, of course, 12 + 2 really does = 15.
Apparently only mental or physical exertion allowed here, not both at the same time. By the end of the marathon I might be having trouble counting to 26...
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