Category: Training

Don’t like fast – do like food

Jess Guth2 Comments

And by fast I mean fast for me, not actually fast. Our weekend run this week was only 3 miles. We have previously talked about extending the ‘short’ weekend runs to 5 miles just to get some miles in the legs and get more comfortable at that slightly longer distance but then we decided that we would use the 3 miles to work on getting a bit faster instead.

I got up not long after 8am an got ready to go for the 3 miles. The first run section didn’t go well, I’d obviously not tied my pants properly so at about a minute in my belly had escaped and I was desperately trying to pull up my pants, keep running and not get cross at Kath who was, with some justification, falling about laughing. At the walk break I tied a knot in the elsastic to keep my pants up come hell or highwater – it will probably have to stay in there forever.

I struggled on the run from the start really. I think possibly the less said the better. It was quite fast for us – 11.24 minutes per mile. 34 minutes 11 seconds. I’m happy with that but I didn’t enjoy a single second of that run. The good news – I’d recovered pretty well by the time we got home.

The guys over at BritsRunDisney are following a very similar training plan to us to get ready for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon soon. They’ve been thinking about fuelling for their runs and we’ve been thinking about that too. We need to get better at eating the right sort of things before and after running to help us on our runs and to help recovery. We’ve been on with that, experimenting with what to have before a morning run (we’ll get to the afternoon/evening runs eventually but they seem less crucuial as our marathon will be a morning run). What we haven’t yet got our heads round is fuelling during a run.

Pre-Run

Kath quite likes to do the morning runs on an empty tummy. I struggle with that (it was ok today but it was a short distance). I like a banana about 15 – 20 minutes before we start. If I am going to be up much longer than 40 minutes or so before heading out then porridge 90 minutes to an hour before, followed by a banana about 15 minutes before works well. I also want to try peanut butter on toast and see how that works – bascially I just like peanut butter.

We will have to start thinking about the day before etc soon too but let’s take one step at a time

Post-Run

We’re relatively good at this as we both like things like tuna steaks on quinoa with a bit of salad or just a big salad with feta cheese and seeds or a chicken and avocado salad. So for the longer runs we tend to plan a pretty good recovery meal in.

During Run

Hm, we are rubbish at this. So far we haven’t even been taking water. I haven’t felt like I needed it yet. I try and drink a bit before we head off and I drink quite a lot of water when we get back. As the distances get longer we will have to fuel as we go though. Our attempt at taking the Camelbak water bottle the other week failed (the belt and little bottles that go with it are now in a charity shop donation bag). Carrying a hand held water bottle for any distance doesn’t work either so I’m not sure what the solution is there.

As for anything other than water – I don’t like the idea of the gels. I don’t really know why, I just don’t. we might try jelly beans – I was given some giant ones as a present a while back – they might work. We might also try some dried fruit and nuts, something like a trail mix or something. I suppose using a run/walk strategy means that any nibbles can be comsumed during a walk break making it far easier than trying to learn to eat on the run. Whatever we ultimately come up with, it needs to be something that I can take with me to Florida because having to find something else when there will probably mess with my tummy and will almost certianly mess with my head.

Oh Sunday Weigh-In. I lost a whole two ounces – we’ll call that staying the same!

3.2 ish miles at Bolton Abbey Estate

Jess Guth5 Comments

We were going to head out to the coast today and drive to RSPB Bempton Cliffs to see if the puffins had all already gone or if we could spot one or two before they do. However, we’ve had Kath’s mum staying with us because she hurt her back and couldn’t anything much, least of all stairs (we have a downstairs bathroom making life much easier for her). She went back home yesterday. My Dad arrives for a 2 week visit tomorrow. The house is a tip and we are exhausted. We decided therefore that we would have a potter sort of day at home, get the house organised and just spend some time together, too. The spending time together bit came in the form of a run at Bolton Abbey. If you are every around this part of the world, it really is worth a visit. We set off from the Cavendish Pavillion, through the Strid Wood, past the Bodger’s Camp towards the Strid. I didn’t really notice whether the Strid was in full flow looking spectacular as it often can or whether it was more of a trickle – I was too concerned about the upcoming hill. If I can run the Bolton Abbey Estate hills I can run at Disney World. RunDisney has no hills! Once I’d puffed my way up the hill, we kept going north following the path’s ups and downs – mostly slopes rather than hills at this point. My next concern was the Bridge – the Aquaeduct. I’m rubbish at running up steps. We walked. Once on the bridge I took a deep breath in, remembered to take a look at the stunning views and set off again.

I knew that on this side of the river (the Wharfe in you were wondering) the hills were a little more taxing than they had been – just slopes to start off with though. My legs were burning though, as were my lungs and that voice inside my head was screaming at me letting me know in no uncertain terms that I must be totally deluded to think I could get my fat butt round something like this. I had no idea how far we’d come and was absolutely sure that there was still far too much left to run.I absolutely, totally couldn’t do it. Just couldn’t. Except I did. The hills felt brutal but there was always a view, always something to focus on, always something to run to and always a sort of excitement at having made it round the next bend, up the next slope or safely down the next hill. I didn’t quite make the steepest of the hills. We added in an extra 30 second walk. Then, actually quite suddenly, there were only 4 more running intervals left. 4 more was possible, only just but possible. Then 3. Then 2. Ok I can do two, in fact I can do two without taking a walk break. I can do two at a pretty decent pace. Yes. Maybe. No? YES.

It was one of the hardest runs I’ve done and also one of the most stunning. I’ve forgotten the exact miles – It was 3.2 something at a pace of 13.47 minutes per mile. It was hot, it was hilly, it was – in some places- bloody awful but it was always stunning, I was always going to finish and it was fun having done it.

Happy.

The one where… oh f-it I can’t be bothered

Jess Guth6 Comments

I’ve been feeling a bit like that recently. And tired, really tired. I have struggled to drag my butt out of bed in the morning and have been ready to roll it back into bed by 9.30pm. One more day at work and then I have just over a week off – I’d get excited about that if I had the energy.

Anyway running… My last post was a pre-run post and I had a head full of excuses. Kath had her own list of excuses so we went up to get changed and collapsed on the bed instead, talked through our excuses and then went for a run. I think we went up the hill again, and this time I got to the top with only a little bit of extra walking – I could check the pace etc on our log but – yep you’ve guessed it, I can’t be bothered. Friday the excuses did win and we didn’t go for our catch-up run for the one we missed the other week. As far as excuses go though, they were fairly solid. Work was quite busy and then our living room carpet was finally fitted. Saturday was also busy – I forget with what but we went food shopping and helped our friend with his sheep but we did manage to fit our 5.5 miles in. It went ok, it was fine, I did it (actually I think I felt pretty good about it at the time – but I’ve forgotten that). Sunday and Monday we didn’t go. Sunday was furniture delivery and then furniture put together day as well as more sheep stuff. Monday I just could not be bothered at all. I just felt tired and grumpy after work. That brings me to today. I again couldn’t be bothered. But it was the kind of ‘can’t be bothered to take the rubbish out, or can’t be bothered to get out of bed or whatever it may be – the kind of can’t be bothered where you do it anyway and you always know you’re going to. It was a 45 minute maintenance run along the canal. Pace of 11.38 minutes per mile running for 2 and a half minutes and walking for 30 secs. It was uneventful. It was probably our fastest yet so I should probably be a little bit excited that I can keep going at a slightly higher pace for longer. I’m not excited, I can’t be bothered to be excited. I just feel a bit flat about it all.

As if to confirm all that – the scales for the Sunday Weigh In were totally indifferent to my pleading for good news – I stayed exactly the same. Now that is again a week of getting away with it given the amount of cake, biscuits and other rubbish I’d eaten (haven’t started this week any better and it is mum’s birthday tomorrow).But staying exactly the same is just the worst. Putting weight on might have given me a kick up the backside to refocus on eating better, losing would have been another step in the right directions; staying the same is just, well it’s just dull.

I’m sure I’ll perk up. It may be that I need a challenge – well the next long run is 7 miles – further than we’ve done before so there’s the challenge (wohoo – said in an eyore-ish kind of tone), it may be that running a different route would help, it may be that I am just tired. It may be that it is all a bit pointless. We’ll see. Next scheduled run is Thursday, one catch up run still outstanding.

Pre Run Blog

Jess Guth3 Comments

I thought it might be interesting to share a pre run blog rather than just writing about running after the run. (For my academic friends and readers – I am in no way work avoiding, no, not at all, not even a little bit. No!)

I have just put the kettle on for yet more coffee but then remembered that we are going running after work so turned the kettle off again and filled my big bottle of water up instead. I am utterly rubbish at drinking water throughout the day. Always have been. Little and often doesn’t work – it takes discipline and willpower. Anyway, here I am sitting at my desk trying to remember to drink water so that I don’t start the run dehydrated… I don’t want to run.

I can think about it in the abstract – it would be lovely to go for a run along the canal and see if the heron is about, maybe even the kingfisher. It will be lovely to tick another run off the list…bla bla bla. The reality is I am already trying to think of excuses. So far I have:

  • too busy – loads of stuff I need to get done. I could really do with spending a few hours just filing emails
  • My legs are sore from the uphill run the other day (but they’re not really)
  • My calf muscle is a bit sore (it’s not, it is just a little tight)
  • We could do yoga instead (thus invalidating excuse number 1 on this list)
  • We could go for a run in the morning instead (actually we are going running tomorrow, too)
  • We need to spray our sheep against flies (yes we do – doesn’t impact on running though)

No doubt I will think of a few more before I get home. I have spoken to a few people recently who enjoy running and they complain about not finding the time and desperately trying to squeeze in a run here or there. Hm. I’m not sure what to make of that. I can’t imagine desperately trying to find time to squeeze in a run!

Anyway, I don’t want to go for a run. I don’t want to get all hot and sweaty. I don’t want to be reminded that the half marathon is in 10 weeks and I am rather a long way off being anywhere near ready. I don’t want to be conscious of the fact that Kath is a far better runner than I am and would be smashing our times if she was doing this on her own. I don’t want to run. There.

Don’t worry, I am not actually having a bad day. I will (probably) go running and it will (probably) be fine. I have this little battle every time. I had it the first time I put my trainers on to set out on the first run in the training programme and for every run since. This is what goes on in my head – sometimes very much consciously, sometimes just in the background. It’s just running – maybe – but actually it is so much more than that. It’s a big deal for me and as I keep going through this training programme I am beginning to realise how big that deal actually is. It’s a battle and I don’t do losing!

The one where Jess has an outrageous idea

Jess Guth3 Comments

Sometimes I really wish the filter between my brain and mouth was a little more effective. Before I had really thought through the implications of my thoughts I had said them out loud: ‘should we try a completely different route today and go up?’ What an idiot! Should we go up!?! Go up! Seriously! Up as in uphill. You stupid girl.

So there you have it – we went up, we left our house and turned right rather than left at the end of our road. What an outrageous idea. It is seriously up. Not massively steep but relentlessly, steadily up – even when you are going down a little slope you are actually still going up. Why oh why can’t I keep my mouth shut. We walked up the first stretch and then we set off. As well as going uphill we also extended the running section of our run/walk routine to 2 minutes 30 seconds, what an utterly brilliant idea, yeah really. By the time we got to the end of the second run my thighs were actually burning. We kept going – slowly, in some sections probably running slower than we could have walked, but we kept running until the watch beeped and told us to walk. It was an utterly outrageous thing to do. I huff and puff enough on the flat and too much going up the little slopes that our ‘going past the sheep’ route has. Stupid.

But sometimes outrageous ideas are the best. The uphill route is an utterly stunning road to run along. There is virutally no traffic – it is a dead end for traffic and eventually turns into a track which is unsuitable for cars  – we didn’t get that far though. That would be another level of up at the end. Not quite ready for that. If you keep going you get to Ilkley across the moors. (It’s about 5 miles I think). As we set off there was a curlew on a drystone wall watching us as if it was waving us off. We saw cows and sheep and lots of birds, curlews mostly but also lots of smaller ones. There was lots to see and that kept me going for a bit as well as the fact that running uphill had been my idea so I couldn’t very well complain now.

As we got about half way through run number 7 we were heading up a steepish bit  and I felt my right calf muscle twinge a little bit. I was also completely puffed so I’m actually not quite sure whether my calf twinge was just an excuse to stop. We stopped and walked the rest of that run interval and the 30 second walk break and turned round.

Now we were essentially heading downhill all the way and even when we were going up little slopes we were still essentially going down. I got my breath back and settled in. The views are spectacular. We were minutes from our house really and in breathtaking scenery. Obviously I know it is there but most of the time I take it completely for granted and don’t stop to look. While running I was enjoying looking. I took the next walk break out and then the next and the next. I was looking around and taking in the view. Then we caught up with a dog walker who turned out to be someone we know  – she was walking really fast so we slowed our jog and had a  chat with her for a couple of minutes – but kept on running. Then we carried on and I was still running. It was odd, it was fun. We ran all the way home. We finished a little early but it seemed silly to run round in circles round our street for the sake of it. It made sense to just stop when we got home. So, we ran about 41 minutes and just over 3 miles with a pace of just over 13 minutes per mile.

We’ve been home about 2 and a half hours – we’ve had breaded cod pieces and sweet potato oven chips with a yoghurt dip for tea and I am about to jump in the bath – if I can move that is. My legs have had to do all sorts of new things today – go uphill far more than ever before, go downhill far more than ever before and keep going for far longer than ever before without a walk break – no wonder they are protesting a little!