Tag: running

Marathon Ballots

My club has a London Marathon place going to ballot.

I am debating throwing my name into the hat.

Knowing my luck I’ll probably get it (in a cruel twist of fate and ridiculousness).

And if I did, I’d have to train for it. After saying I would never do a marathon.

Well.I’ve until the end of Sunday to decide if I;m going to throw my name in. I have, however, missed last nights and tonights run. I am off work tomorrow (job interview) so planning on running tomorrow morning and may use that time to contemplate life choices.

Maybe.

Maybe I have some run mojo. Ish.

Consistency is king

I feel like mission sub 30min 5k is back on. It’s been a long time coming but a few weeks out of the water and all my exercise consisting of running and strength training, I’m slowly seeing my park run time drop.

I know consistency is key to getting better – I talk about it a lot with the people I coach swimming too. Putting that into practice while in the stages where everything is hard – takes some doing.

Having a proper break from swimming and JUST running has been good for me. I’m nudging around the 31ish minute mark for my local parkrun and I am slowly finding myself enjoying running more – because I can feel myself getting fitter! Its always been something I find hard but it is genuinely easier to fit into my week at the moment compared to swimming.

All the events I have signed myself up for in the next four months are all running related, so maybe my running will see some good gains this winter. It’s the social side that is keeping me running and has kept the momentum. I’ve even managed some solo runs I mostly feel like I am in a good place – I just need to sort out the yoga habit and just be a bit stricter with myself!

I also want to get back in the pool – fingers crossed in the next few weeks I can fine tune the routine!

And maybe, before Christmas, manage a sub 30min 5k.

End of the Season Wins

Two fab Saturday’s on the trot!

Last Saturday was Sundowner Triathlon, a particularly local race which we did in relay – the olympic distance. My last swim event of the year – and it wasn’t without it’s issues but nonetheless, it was a grand day out, followed by a pub tea. Win all round really. Saw in the last club member on the race too (never fun being the last one in).

This Saturday (today) has been equally pretty good but for different reasons. You can definitely tell we are heading towards the end of triathlon/duathlon season as there were few club mates out in the rain at park run this morning.

Mission was to run the whole thing and I nearly did – 20/30s of waking on the fourth lap – I probably could have just slowed it down and run it but pace is definitely improving. I cant decide how much I enjoyed it but I can definitely state that I am enjoying knowing I am getting fitter so something, somewhere, is working. Sub 30 might actually happen – its been a while – so taking that as a win!

This week though, I have generally sacked off swimming. I swam Monday night but I know full well that my shoulder needs pounding out as it is so so tight. It’s going to have to wait until payday anyway and now my wetsuit is off away – might knock the swimming down to twice a week. The students are back at the uni pool which means less decent swim opportunities anyway and, well, I need a break in general and to reacquaint myself better with my trainers!

I might be finding my run mojo again, which is slightly concerning!

Unexpected peace

I am trying to get back into a writing habit – partly because I’ve been keeping a diary – this is usually a sign things aren’t right emotionally but I am writing in it less and less (good sign) and partly because I have a book in my head and getting into some form of writing practice might be good for me. Famous last words – September is not far away and that’s when work gets busy!

Onto the unexpected peace. It’s actually more contentment/feeling at peace. Yesterday I had the best park run time I’ve had in a long time. I felt strong. I AM feeling strong at the moment in general. Had a good afternoon with my Dad. Got some housework done last night (which I finished off today). This morning I went swimming and then out on the bike with one of my mates, who stayed for lunch. Pottered into town to by myself a tiramisu iced frappe latte thing. Had a bath and read.

The feeling of utter peace and just quiet that has been the result of not rushing around and doing nice things and not worrying – well. I am chilled. Not sure how long it will last. Think I might go do some yoga and have a very early night – by which I mean, go to bed and read until my eyes shut.

How long this feeling will last is anyones guess but I am just going to carry on embracing it as long as possible.

I love summer.

Right – back to it

It’s been a while, and since a payment to WordPress has recently gone out of my account, I really should get back into writing a bit!

It’s been an odd 18 months really. I think i had over done the swimming and have barely swam in the last couple of years. Running has been a bit hit and miss. I’ve been cycling around the Netherlands too (I need to write a blog on this!).

Things are generally on the up though, in the general scheme of things. Work has settled into a routine and one of my Y11s has finished, finding some kind of balance is getting there and starting ‘Operation Buy a House’ has given me a new focus.

Fitness wise – I’m just trying to get plates spinning again but yesterday one of my mates and I did parkrun and considering i havent run for 4 weeks – I hadnt lost too much fitness but my calves are feeling it! I managed to swim twice last week and my sister has bought a bike. I’ll take these as wins.

Roll on summer (when it does actually arrive – maybe this week?!).

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!

Things I Learnt at Last Friday’s Race

  • My hip/groin strain is still not right – 5k running and my hip goes no.
  • Swimming is easier.
  • I am not quite as unfit as I thought I was considering time off running (again).
  • Curry is NOT an ideal race fuel, even korma. At one point I felt a bit sick from pushing so hard – the thought of being sick after curry for tea wasn’t great.
  • Runners are chatty pre-race. Went on my own, found people to talk to. Even spotted people I knew at the end and had a good catch up.
  • But racing when friends are racing is a bit more enjoyable overall.
  • Running 10k in nearly new, no drop trainers wasn’t my best idea really. More practice needed. Calves feeling it.
  • Socks that worked great in my Speedcross, do not work in my new Altras. I do have a great pair that do work with the altras though.
  • Club run/organised 10k races are some of the best races.
  • That particular trail race is one of my favourites.
  • Week day evening races in summer free up the weekend!
  • Running is less faffy than cycling but still not as fun (to be honest – this is NOT something I learnt last night – more it was reinforced).
  • I like NOT getting a t-shirt at the end – medal is a bit take or leave but nice momento.
  • Races never have enough toilets.
  • Cycling is more fun.

So even after many years of running/races, there is always something to learn!

Starting as I mean to go

‘I might do parkrun in rhe morning’ is something I’m heard to say but rarely actually do . It was brought up earlier in the week and my friends were , quite rightly, disbelieving, however, this morning I did my first parkrun since May 2019.

I’d forgotten just how much of a good thing parkrun is but what was so good this morning was also how little has changed. I think my first park run was sometime in 2015 and I managed at some point to manage a sub 30 minute once upon time..

This morning though, just under 35 minutes, continuous and not horrible. I’ve a 10k this year and a half marathon in May. My usual attitude to running is dire but… with no long distance swims pencilled in for this year and less races, maybe I’ll actually get better at running and maybe even enjoy it…

I just might surprise myself! (and everyone else too)

‘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.