Tag: runner

If Strava says….

….. I ran a sub 2 hour marathon then who am I to argue?

Went out for a run with a friend last night and it would appear the bike interval sessions I’ve been doing on the bike are paying off in terms of my running surprisingly (or not).

Last night was first time I’ve actually thoroughly enjoyed a run and it not feel like work from the get go in ages. 1k intervals. No idea what pace as I forgot my watch.

I actually think I run better without the watch. Mate had his on tracking interval length but I resorted to tracking on my phone in my pocket.

Stopped it, got in the car then ‘ping,’ form a friend in the group WhatsApp asking my to coach him to a 2 hour marathon. Leaving me wondering exactly what he was on about.

Well turns out I can run through time if the data is true (spoiler – definitely isn’t true!). I have never known any app be so poor at tracking and jumping some epic 5k time hops. Either way, looked impressive but actually wasn’t.

More annoyed though as it was, like I said, first run I’ve properly enjoyed and felt I was getting some fitness back in a while and it would have been nice to actually see the stats! Instead I’ll just bask in the glow of a good run and a nice confidence boost, while digging out and re lacing the new trainers. Thought it was probably about time….

Old verse new!

‘Runner’ – back to basics…

I realised that I had started a blog post ages ago about getting ‘back in to running’ and it had been sat in drafts for ages so I decided to revisit it, only to wonder what I was thinking at the time of writing the two paragraphs that had been sat there. The only thing I’ve kept is the title of the blog post. Deleted the rest thinking ‘what a loada tosh!’

What I really hate about running is that I lose run fitness far quicker than I lose swim or bike fitness. Massively. I can also push myself swimming and cycling to the point of feeling sick, without feeling or thinking it’s beyond stupid. Running is a different entity for me. It also seems to take me a lot longer to gain run fitness again compared to swimming and cycling. Starting again feels like starting from scratch again.

Anyway, I have somehow started to find running marginally better. I started running with a friend on a weekend and it’s kept me somewhat accountable and I have started to feel my run fitness slowly improve and have slowly increased the number of times I run a week too. Small steps.

I have also realised I am my own worst enemy when it comes to running. I can happily swim train on my own, cycling I am somewhat similar but prefer training with people. Running – I really need to run with others to keep me on track and motivated to keep going. So running with one of my friends has really helped and because it is currently low stakes and we are both just heading out to get slowly better – I am enjoying it (and the chat!). It also massively helped my mood after a huge dip in January. I went out with another friend a week or two back post work. It was his slow run day – so we went out – well, his slow easy run was more like speed work for me to an extent but after several months running on trails – running on path felt easier than I expected and I ended up with the fastest 5km time I’ve done in ages. It also made me realise that actually  the slow running is good for me and gave me a bit of a boost in terms of achieving without setting out to do it.

The blog post title refers to going back to basics and I feel like I have – the lighter evenings (which, with the clock changes, will be even better), running with friends, running slow and just heading out really is going back to basics and it’s helping. I have also tried to be more time efficient and I am getting changed to run, at work, and parking up at local woods to go run trail so it’s done before I get home and sit down! Although note to self – carry inhaler!

Maybe I will actually start enjoying running more again. LOVE might be too strong an emotion but small steps – it’s definitely more tolerable than it was three months ago!

Fluctuating Mojo and Lockdown #2

I’d like to say that I have been as motivated during this ‘lockdown’ as I was the first, but that would be a lie.

I am definitely finding it harder this time, partly because I am working more hours than ever so with extra commitments and diminishing light, I can’t ride to work. I can’t really run safely at home during the week really either unless I am willing to bore myself silly running up and down the length of my village (which isn’t all that far). My mood in general isn’t as great as normal either – definitely not as positive or cheery.

So this week, my mojo has really taken a hit and I have had seven days off completely. No spin, no stretch, no pilates, no S&C work – nothing.

And I am refusing to feel guilty about it, like a Twitter follower said, we’re not pros and we aren’t being paid – it isn’t the end of the world (just frustrating). I have, however, managed to get work planned for next week, new work commitments starting so hopefully some more money coming in to start reflecting the hours I am putting in.

On the major plus side – with sales starting – I have invested in a new wetsuit – and when I say invest, it was a large chunk of money but it was money saved specifically for it, so with 40% off, spending £270 on a wetsuit doesn’t seem so bad – just hoping it fits! Nervous and excited! It’s a top end suit and I am hoping I will see a difference compared to my old entry level Huub – which has served me well and got me through some pretty epic swims.

I am going to aim to get some sessions in this week as I am feeling far more organised with work (working for someone else as well as having own business has it’s advantages but equally…. can be knackering!) and I am planning to start some better sleeping habits too. I am also being dragged out for a run on Thursday morning before work – so…. hopefully the dip in mojo is just that – a dip*

*remembered on my run that I want to go sub 6 and a half hours at a 70.3 next September – helped with the last km run home. The view helped too.

Run Girl Run!

I know I have said this before but my thinking is that if I write a blog post about it, I might be more inclined to do it and hold myself a bit more accountable.

It’s no secret that running is not my favourite thing. I am on 21.5km this year on the run front.

What with lockdown and not being able to swim, my focus has entirely shifted to cycling – and the odd pilates/yoga/stretch session. So really it’s even more reason to start running again.

Thing is, I don’t completely hate running. I just hate the bit between being not run fit and being run fit. I lose run fitness so fast and it takes so long to get back – and it hurts!

I do need to bite the bullet though and try it again. Surely the pilates and spin sessions will mean it’s not going to be as bad as I expect but even so…

I still keep finding reasons not to start.

In February, after being given the nod to start running (and running with no knee pain) I did run but I will admit I’ve found it hard to keep any motivation… the issue is I really like half distance triathlons……

I’m off to look for my mojo.

CTS Northumberland 2020

My worst 10km race ever.

Not really the worse thing ever though. Anyone who knows me or has read my blog know that I haven’t really run at all since September due to an ongoing injury/issues so I wasn’t expecting anything reasonable and nor was I expecting to be able to run all of it. It is still my favourite race and the most beautiful place ever.

So apart from it being a poor time, what was different from previous years?

The weather – well, a headwind ALL the way and everything from snow, sleet, rain, sun and rainbows. Just about every season in a day. I was very seriously contemplating DNS.

The company – this year I managed to talk two mates into coming and doing the race too. It was one of them that stopped me from DNS and is the most calming person to be around. I knew he would love the race and the scenery and felt justified in my ‘persuasion’ tactics from earlier in the year (I have been trying to persuade him up here for the last year). I didn’t run with them but them being there and a group of mates being at the end and staying for the weekend made it worth it.

My fitness – my run fitness is dire but my knee did not hurt – I am taking this as the biggest win ever.

The Coastal Trail Race in Northumberland is my favourite 10km (this year 11.2!km) run ever and the fact that I think I may have converted/persuaded a few more of my mates to come again next year makes it even more special.

 

Given the nod!

It is no secret that I dislike* running, however, not being able to run is starting to bug me slightly as I have triathlons coming up and a half marathon in May.

I changed physio about a six weeks ago. I wish I’d done this sooner.

Turns out my initial suspicions were possibly right and that my knee cap was to blame. We think, or rather, my physio, thinks that my kneecap hasn’t been tracking right. My left side is definitely a lot weaker than my right – which my PT has picked up on too. I’ve been keeping up with my exercises and stretches and tonight I can definitely tell a difference from the first session.

Anyway. Babbling aside. Physio has given me the nod to try going for a run…

So sometime between now and Sunday I am going to attempt a short run and test out the knee. Fingers crossed!

 

*dislike verging on hate.

Hills, hills, hills

‘Running hills breaks up your rhythm and forces your muscles to adapt to new stresses. The result? You become stronger.‘ Eamonn Coghlan

This quote feels like it should be about my life – the last few months have been an uphill battle to some extent, finding myself again and working out what I want in life but thats all to deep for this time of night!

Training! That’s where it’s at. I’ve been a bit lax recently, it being ‘off season’ so to speak but I am starting to find my mojo again I think.

I swam this morning – 2.5k in 58 minutes – which I was quite happy with. Arm/back isn’t too sore at the moment, and nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. That was a silly o’clock alarm.

img_0040Tonight I ran. I very nearly didn’t go but sitting on my backside isn’t going to get me any better so I dragged myself up and out of the house to meet other club mates for a run – hills, hills and more hills, with some drills thrown in for good measure! This is my third hill rep session – next month the focus changes but as you can see from the picture, this run is starting to trend faster. As anyone who trains know, actually seeing progress makes such a difference to attitude and thought process. Hills and drills are clearly paying off. Its motivating to actually see progress and feel it too. I ALMOST enjoyed running tonight.

Talking of motivation, I am off to a talk by Nicky Spinks tomorrow night – I am all for looking for sources of inspiration and mojo! Should be good. Ive seen her before but she’s done so much since too! Looking forward to that one!

I have a real love hate relationship with running and having September off was amazing but equally as much as I moan about running, I make a rod for my own back – I do run better though when I a) run with others and b) commit to running with others – its makes me go and do it.