It's Saturday morning, 7.30am and I've been up for 2 hours already. I'm not even planning on doing a long run today. Frank the wake up call dog is the culprit. Now he's back asleep in his basket & I'm too wide awake to go back to bed. I've been Googling 'How to get your puppy to sleep longer' ......
I've not ran much this week. 35 minutes on Monday and then 8 miles on Thursday after work. I had to really motivate myself to do the 8 miles. It was sunny, I'd not had the greatest day at work and a week of 5.30 alarm calls had taken it's toll. I left the office with heavy legs, ran a mile, did some stretches and then things started to feel better. I just ran up the river path for a couple of miles, round the empty roads of what I think will one day be a business park (strange at the moment, roads are ready, there's a pub but nothing else!) then I turned around and headed back into Derby. I got into town and thought about running straight home but that would only have got me to 6 miles so I ran into Darley Park. A drunk man walking past me told me to 'never stop believing' so I took his advice and managed the full 8 miles!
When I stopped I thought about the first time I ran 8 miles which was about a month ago. It seemed like a bit deal then, a long run. And I'd just done it after work. Just a little jog on the way home!
I've got to do 35 minutes today, a couple more jogs in the week and then it will be time for the Big Day. I get butterflies thinking about it. In some ways I'd like another month so I can get a little bit faster but then again I'd just like to get it over with. To have done it, to be sat down next Sunday thinking I've just ran a half marathon.
A couple of people have asked whether I'll stick to running regularly afterwards. I'd like to say yes, I like what running has done to my body, I'm thinner, I look more toned, I'm proud that I've stuck to the plan, I feel like I'm becoming a 'runner' rather than someone that just pretends now & again. I'll need to find a new challenge though, having a training plan and something to aim for is what has pushed me. Maybe this is what people called 'Getting Hooked'.
Showing posts with label Frank. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frank. Show all posts
Friday, 7 September 2012
Monday, 3 September 2012
Last long run
Last week was hard. Hard to fit my training in, hard to make sure Frank was getting the attention & time from us that he deserves, I was up early every day and I am well known to be incredibly grumpy when I'm tired.
I ran on Monday - did my planned 35 minutes. Then on Tuesday I was meant to do 2x4 miles at 9 minute mile pace with 5 minutes recovery. I didn't do it but planned to do the session on Wednesday. I thought I'd run home from work & fit it in then. I can't remember now why that didn't work out but I ended up not running. By Thursday I was irritated and angry with myself for not doing the planned session & I was due to do intervals. So I ran from home to Pride Park (3 miles). Did the interval session (5x3 minutes at 7.30 minute miles with 90 seconds recovery) and then ran home. It wasn't what was on the plan but it was the best I could do.
Yesterday I ran 12 miles. Flino came with me to be my pacemaker - he's brilliant at running almost perfect splits. Compared to last week's 11 miler yesterday's run was a breeze! We ran up through Mackworth, onto the cycle track to Mickleover and then down the old railway track to Etwall, once we'd done 6 miles we turned round and came back again.
The first 3.5 miles are a steady uphill so I had to work hard at keeping to my pace. Once we got on the railway path it flattened out & we ran along having a conversation about great it will be when Frank is big enough to come out running with us. I didn't have my watch on, I wanted to just run for 2 hours without thinking about pace, miles or time.
We reached the halfway point and I was feeling pretty good. Flino did a great job of keeping me motivated and the time seemed to be flying by. I had a wobble around 10 miles the end seemed to be just too far away but other than that I managed. I felt tired, of course, at the end but much better than I did at the end of last weeks 11 miles.
I ate some soup when I got home, had a shower and then went to sleep for an hour. Later on I made Cottage Pie - it tasted amazing by the time I got to eat it. So I had 2 portions. And a Magnum. The week didn't seem so hard after all.
I ran on Monday - did my planned 35 minutes. Then on Tuesday I was meant to do 2x4 miles at 9 minute mile pace with 5 minutes recovery. I didn't do it but planned to do the session on Wednesday. I thought I'd run home from work & fit it in then. I can't remember now why that didn't work out but I ended up not running. By Thursday I was irritated and angry with myself for not doing the planned session & I was due to do intervals. So I ran from home to Pride Park (3 miles). Did the interval session (5x3 minutes at 7.30 minute miles with 90 seconds recovery) and then ran home. It wasn't what was on the plan but it was the best I could do.
Yesterday I ran 12 miles. Flino came with me to be my pacemaker - he's brilliant at running almost perfect splits. Compared to last week's 11 miler yesterday's run was a breeze! We ran up through Mackworth, onto the cycle track to Mickleover and then down the old railway track to Etwall, once we'd done 6 miles we turned round and came back again.
The first 3.5 miles are a steady uphill so I had to work hard at keeping to my pace. Once we got on the railway path it flattened out & we ran along having a conversation about great it will be when Frank is big enough to come out running with us. I didn't have my watch on, I wanted to just run for 2 hours without thinking about pace, miles or time.
We reached the halfway point and I was feeling pretty good. Flino did a great job of keeping me motivated and the time seemed to be flying by. I had a wobble around 10 miles the end seemed to be just too far away but other than that I managed. I felt tired, of course, at the end but much better than I did at the end of last weeks 11 miles.
I ate some soup when I got home, had a shower and then went to sleep for an hour. Later on I made Cottage Pie - it tasted amazing by the time I got to eat it. So I had 2 portions. And a Magnum. The week didn't seem so hard after all.
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Strong is the new skinny...
Usually on a weekend morning you might find me reading the papers, having a coffee or sleeping in. 10 years ago on a Sunday morning at this time I would have just got in from a night out. This morning I was in the garden with Frank at 6am and yesterday I had run 11 miles by 10am! I hate admitting it but I think I'm almost a grown up now.....
So, 11 miles. I got up at 6.30, ate some scrambled egg on toast as we'd run out of porridge, drank some water, mopped the floor a few a more times after Frank and eventually got out of the door just in time to meet Adele, Sues & Carolyn at Darley Park.
The route was - Darley, Allestree, Duffield, Milford, Makney, Little Eaton, Darley. There were a couple of good hills thrown in as well. I hate hills. Rob explained to me last night this was all to do with my threshold levels. Basically, I've not been running enough miles for long enough so whenever I have to exert extra effort i.e. a hill, my legs & the rest of my body have to slow down. That's the non scientific answer anyway.
Running with other people definitely made the time pass quicker, even though we weren't doing much talking. I felt fine until we got to the last bit through Little Eaton and then I had to rely on some motivation from Carolyn and Suse to get me up Ford Lane hill.
These were my splits:
Mile 1 10.30
Mile 2 10.26
Mile 3 9.56
Mile 4 10.10
Mile 5 10.12
Mile 6 10.06
Mile 7 9.58
Mile 8 10.01
Mile 9 10.16
Mile 10 11.07 *Ford Lane hill
Mile 11 10.37
Overall average pace was 10.17, total time 1.53 and the best bit, 1306 calories burnt.
When I finished running I walked (well in a fashion) down Broadway to get home. In 2 weeks time I have to run 2 more miles but 2 weeks ago I had only run 9 miles so I know I can do it. I think, being realistic, my target time of 2 hours is possibly not going to happen given that would mean me running at 9.07 pace for the full 13 miles. 2 hours 10 mins is more likely. Flino is going to run with me so I can be sure of running even splits - he's the human metronome.
This week coming is the last, possibly hardest so far, full week of training:
Monday 35 minutes at 9.45
Tuesday 2 x 4 miles at 9 min mile pace with 5 mins recovery
Thursday 5 x 3 mins at 8 min mile pace with 90 seconds walk recovery
Saturday 2 hour run
I've been finding inspiration recently from this blog. Strong is the new skinny. We all need healthy, positive role models, not famous for fifteen minutes fakers. Like my Gran used to say "It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice".
The whole point of this run is to raise money for Rainbows. The hospice is the only one of its kind in the East Midlands, it offers valuable support for life limited children and their families. So for anyone that is reading this you can sponsor me here. I'm sure you'll agree it's a very worthy cause.
So, 11 miles. I got up at 6.30, ate some scrambled egg on toast as we'd run out of porridge, drank some water, mopped the floor a few a more times after Frank and eventually got out of the door just in time to meet Adele, Sues & Carolyn at Darley Park.
The route was - Darley, Allestree, Duffield, Milford, Makney, Little Eaton, Darley. There were a couple of good hills thrown in as well. I hate hills. Rob explained to me last night this was all to do with my threshold levels. Basically, I've not been running enough miles for long enough so whenever I have to exert extra effort i.e. a hill, my legs & the rest of my body have to slow down. That's the non scientific answer anyway.
Running with other people definitely made the time pass quicker, even though we weren't doing much talking. I felt fine until we got to the last bit through Little Eaton and then I had to rely on some motivation from Carolyn and Suse to get me up Ford Lane hill.
These were my splits:
Mile 1 10.30
Mile 2 10.26
Mile 3 9.56
Mile 4 10.10
Mile 5 10.12
Mile 6 10.06
Mile 7 9.58
Mile 8 10.01
Mile 9 10.16
Mile 10 11.07 *Ford Lane hill
Mile 11 10.37
Overall average pace was 10.17, total time 1.53 and the best bit, 1306 calories burnt.
When I finished running I walked (well in a fashion) down Broadway to get home. In 2 weeks time I have to run 2 more miles but 2 weeks ago I had only run 9 miles so I know I can do it. I think, being realistic, my target time of 2 hours is possibly not going to happen given that would mean me running at 9.07 pace for the full 13 miles. 2 hours 10 mins is more likely. Flino is going to run with me so I can be sure of running even splits - he's the human metronome.
This week coming is the last, possibly hardest so far, full week of training:
Monday 35 minutes at 9.45
Tuesday 2 x 4 miles at 9 min mile pace with 5 mins recovery
Thursday 5 x 3 mins at 8 min mile pace with 90 seconds walk recovery
Saturday 2 hour run
I've been finding inspiration recently from this blog. Strong is the new skinny. We all need healthy, positive role models, not famous for fifteen minutes fakers. Like my Gran used to say "It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice".
The whole point of this run is to raise money for Rainbows. The hospice is the only one of its kind in the East Midlands, it offers valuable support for life limited children and their families. So for anyone that is reading this you can sponsor me here. I'm sure you'll agree it's a very worthy cause.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)