Post run cocktails

I'm off work this week (and next), my plan was to sit & watch the Olympics. People that know me well, will know that I struggle to sit down for very long, so my vision of relaxing on the sofa with the tv for company hasn't really gone to plan. I made the mistake of making a list on Monday which has meant that I've spent most of the week so far, doing the jobs that are on that list. Our garden now looks less like a jungle though.

I managed to fit in a 35 minute run yesterday, in between digging in the garden, seeing my lovely friend Mrs Booth and making a chicken pie. It was the 'recovery run' that I should have done on Monday so was just a gentle jog. My calves were tight most of the way round even after doing some stretching but in general it was ok.

Tonight is an interval session with the Derwent Runners. We're doing:

6x90 seconds at 8 minute mile pace with 1 minute walk recovery.

I've learnt how to pre programme my fancy watch so (hopefully) it will beep at the right time. Last weeks session proved quite popular so we're expecting a good turn out.

Then, post run, I'm going to drink some cocktails with the fabulous Irene. I've not been out for what seems like ages so am looking forward to it. Drinking alcohol in general doesn't seem to mix well with running but I'm on holiday after all and Friday is a rest day so I shan't feel guilty.

I watched the legend that is Bradley Wiggins win gold in the time trial yesterday. What a massive achievement, wins the Tour de France one week & Olympic gold the next. He raced almost every day for 3 weeks and then had one week to prepare for the Olympics. I'll try to remember that on Monday when I'm moaning about a 35 minute 'recovery' run.

Top 3 things

Inspired by a comment at work today here's my Top 3 Things about running:


1. Stress reduction - Gives you time to think (or forget) about your day
2. Health - Keeps me moving and gets me outside
3. Social - I've met some great friends through Derwent Runners


I'm a Libra and like to be balanced so these are the Bottom 3 Things about running:


1. Washing  - there is always dirty kit to be washed
2. Effort - it's easier to lie on the sofa watching TV
3. All encompassing - it's easy to become obsessed and turn into a running bore!


I did my 3 miles today that I should have done on Monday. I ran home from work. My calves hurt. It was a nice day. My watch told me I'd run my fastest mile yet.


I did 20 minutes of stretching when I got home. Then ate chips for my tea. Like I said, being a Libra means I like to balance in my life.....

Hoops!

Today started in a rush. I washed my hair and didn't have enough time to dry it so I left the house looking a bit like a lion. I sorted a few things out at work that have been on my mind for a while and when 5pm came round I was ready to try out the new watch.

I got my trainers on, switched the watch on (remembering instructions from Flino as to what buttons to press) and jogged over to the Pride Park loop to start my 6x1 min intervals. Watch was working fine, telling me how fast I was running and how far I'd covered. Which was great, until I realised that for intervals I wanted it to tell me how fast I was running and also how long I'd been running for, or better yet, how long I had left to run. I pressed some buttons and managed to get it to tell me when a minute was up by beeping at me.

Great, I started running quite fast looking at my wrist - it said I was running 11 min mile pace. I don't think I was. I decided that I'd just run pretty quick for a minute and then walk for another minute. Repeat this six times. Jog back round the loop to cool down and remember how to breathe again. Session done. Although it was short, I felt like I had worked hard.

Interval training is meant to be one of the best ways to increase your fitness and improve your endurance.

I clearly need to learn more about the watch but overall a good days running.

Tonight we went to Jack Rabbits for dinner to say goodbye to Peaky as she is off on her travels for a month. What a brilliant evening, the food was amazing - it's all cooked on an Aga and everything is delicious! I was very close to cracking on the no drinking but managed to find some resolve at the last minute. I didn't want to have to write that I'd given up.

I've met some great friends through Derwent Runners and whenever we go out we spend most of the night laughing and not really talking about running. It's a very friendly, sociable club and has helped me to realised that not everyone that runs is a 'serious' runner.

I'm full of lovely food now and feeling very tired and happy. 9am PT session tomorrow to burn off the huge piece of Apricot Tart and Cream that I had for pudding. All this exercise has to have some benefits!

Stop moaning, start running

Got home from work, got this hand delivered. All I have to do is plug it into the computer & download the software then it will start telling me how fast I'm running. No excuses from now on. Thanks Rob!

Rest day today. My legs feel ok after yesterday's session. I'm still permanently hungry though. Today I've eaten:

Bowl of cornflakes with a banana.
Handful of dried apricots.
2 scrambled eggs on toast.
Tomato.
2 chocolate digestive biscuits.
Apple.
Sausages, beans & potatoes.
Solero type ice lolly thing.
One Lungo coffee from our brilliant new machine 
About 6 cups of Redbush tea.

Flino became addicted to Nespresso coffee whilst we were on holiday and as a result bought a fancy machine. It's great. Now I have one coffee when before I go to work & drink Redbush decaff tea for the rest of the day.

It's sprints on the cards for tomorrow's session. I need to do:

6x1min @ 8min mile pace with 60 seconds walk recovery between each one.

8 minute mile pace for a minute a time. After Tuesday nights session I actually think I can do that. I hate to admit it but it almost sounds like I enjoyed last nights run! Actually, that's a lie. I didn't enjoy the running, I enjoyed how it made me feel afterwards. I like that it's made me a little more confident about the next 8 weeks.

Friday evening is the Tara Kinder 10k - no, I'm not running but usually help out with marshalling. It's a local race and is for charity. I like being a marshal, I get to see the runners, shout encouragement and catch up with some friends. You can still enter on the night & if that sounds like a ridiculous idea then you can always volunteer to be a marshal?

I'm watching DIY SOS The Big Build as I'm writing this, with tears in my eyes. Really, I should stop moaning. I've only got to run 13 miles. In the grand scheme of things it's really nothing.

The Running Rollercoster

Monday - went running, in the rain, got soaked, felt terrible and wondered if this was really a good idea.


Today - went running, in the sunshine, felt much better, went to the pub, drank fizzy water, ate a burger - all's good with the world!


It wasn't the rain that was the deciding factor, I ran in the rain last week and felt ok. I ran further & faster today than yesterday. I was in a better mood yesterday before I started running that I was today. Maybe that was it, maybe I took my frustration out on my run today. Maybe I was just more determined to get on with it.


Anyway, today I had to run at 9.15 a mile pace for 3 miles. I don't have a fancy watch yet so I used my initiative. There is a loop on Pride Park that is exactly 1200m all the way round. Someone has also marked out 100m splits on this particular loop so you're able to work out 1600m (which is a mile). Armed with this knowledge & the stopwatch on my i-phone I figured that I could run at the prescribed pace. 


I did a mile loop warm up jog, started the stopwatch and started running at what I thought would be slightly faster than usual. Mile ends, I'd ran 8.22. Slowed down a bit, carried on running, next mile 8.46, slowed down some more ran half a loop, got worried I was running too slowly, sped up, last mile 8.56.


Got home, decided I needed to buy a watch after all. Will obviously buy it from The Derby Runner. Rob recommended a Nike GPS. I will find out more about it tomorrow. It's great having a brother sometimes! Rob also told me that I averaged a pace of 8.42 per mile tonight, if I did that for every mile of the Great North Run I'd be able to finish in 1 hour 54 mins. That put a huge smile on my face - for a couple of minutes at least until I started to think of the other 10 miles. It's a possibility though.


I've noticed that running is one of those hobbies that sucks you in to buying accessories. Watches with GPS, special waterproof socks (amazing), lightweight waterproof jackets, matching vests & shorts. I've always been the kind of girl that dreamt of buying designer accessories from here  - now I have to decide between Nike & Nicole Fahri!