Tag: half marathon

….but look at the bling

Jess GuthLeave a comment

I don’t quite now how this happened. I don’t quite know how to explain this. And I am sorry. Really I am but I seem to have been totally and utterly reeled in by this medal business. Running is not about the medals, of course it’s not, it’s about the exercise, the way it chases away my little head gremlins and kicks that silly black puppy into touch, it’s about being outside, moving, learning new ways that my wibbly wobbly body is awesome, learning to push through when it gets tough, breathing… Oh but it so so so so is about the medals.

For a good few weeks I have pretended not to care at all about what the medals for our next races might be like. I have told people in Facebook groups to chill out and just wait. I have suggested that it might actually be quite nice not to see the medal before we actually get it… And then runDisney released pictures of medals for races I am not doing. Oooh look at the shiny pretty things…Have I gone completely totally and utterly insane? I mean really? Since when is shiny pretty things even a thing. I have never done shiny pretty things. And then this happened: runDisney released the Inaugural Disneyland Paris Half Marathon Weekend medals.

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Photo from RunDisney

But just look, just look at this. I mean just look. It’s all pretty and shiny. And  and and , well, just look. Now I’ll run 13.1 miles for that. No, I really will because something in my brain has broken and I see the bling and think it’s pretty and shiny and I want it.

And it doesn’t stop there. Look at this

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Photo by RunDisney

Want want want want want. Yes, I have gone mad. It’s also making me want to watch the film again. Just look at the medal. Yep, I’ll run 5km for that. Who wouldn’t?! Oh wait, hang on, this isn’t normal is it. What is wrong with me.

As for this:

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Photo by RunDisney

I may have run round in circles making funny squeaky noises when I first saw this. Before telling myself to get a grip of course. I do not understand why I am even in the slightest excited about the medals. I mean, really?!? This is the sort of thing I roll my eyes at. But just look…

And I realise I’m about to hugely overdo it but just look at these:

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Photo by RunDisney

These are shiny and pretty too! And I am going for them in November. Until then I think I better go lock myself in a room and hope this obsession with pretty and shiny passes.

 

7 uneventful miles

Jess GuthLeave a comment

Uneventful is good. When it comes to running, uneventful is definitely good. But the 7 mile run wasn’t good. It was a bit urgh. I decided we should up the running segments of our intervals to 3 minutes. We set off when Kath finished work at 3pm and walked to the sheep, fed them and then set off – that meant that our little killer slope up to the wood before the golf course was right at the start of the run. It was fine though.

We tootled along going fine for a bit and eventually passed what I think was about 2.5 miles. It was all fine, if a bit warm. Not long after my right foot rolled awkwardly off a stone and my right hip/lower back twinged. It was niggly from there and really painful on the last run. But I got there. We ran an average pace on 13.07 so it took us just over an hour and a half. It then took me a rather long time to walk back up the hill.

We’ve stretched and my hip/back feel much better. That was not a run to remember but it’s 7 miles done!

More Not Stopping

Jess Guth2 Comments

Right, still going with the plan, still managing to get out and run. This is, I think, the most consistent running streak since London (and maybe even since before London).  We were going to go this morning after doing our food shop but it was hot. Or rather neither of us really felt like going and it was hot enough to use it as an excuse.

We sat and had coffee and a dark chocolate and courgette bun instead – have I told you about these buns? I must check and if I haven’t already, I will share the recipe. They are one of the most delicious treats on the planet and the recipe came out of a Runners’ World so they must be good for you (hm!?!). Anyway, I was perfectly happy not running and pottering about in the garden (mostly chatting to our neighbours rather than actually doing anything useful) and about 12.30pm I suggested lunch and Kath suggested a run. It had clouded over and was cooler than it had been in the morning and there was a pleasant little breeze. It made sense. Still, I liked my suggestion better.

I agreed to go though because otherwise I’d spend the rest of the day wondering about how I might get out of running today – best to just get it done. We set off  – sheep loop again  -and today I wanted to run for 45 minutes non-stop. I figured if I could run 5k without stopping in just over 40 minutes 2 days ago, I could do 45 minutes. And I can. I settled in quickly and it felt nice to be out and though warm, the breeze was enough to make it pleasant. Mile 1 went fine and even the slope up to the wood just before the golf course wasn’t too bad. I also managed to not slow down to ‘walking a small dog with tiny legs pace’ going down hill and then we hit the towpath. Someone had stolen all the air. It wasn’t much warmer but the breeze had gone and it felt really humid. Hm. Had I known I would never have gone. I hate humidity.

Not a lot I could do though so I kept going. Half way came and then 2 miles and a little while later we turned round. I still felt ok actually and was breathing pretty evenly. the 3 mile beep came and we went through 5k in 39.15 which is 1.5 minutes quicker than 2 days ago and then just kept plodding along until the 45 minutes were up. I even managed to speed up a bit over the last 2 minutes with another push in the last 30 seconds. Average pace of 12.33 minutes per mile. Happy with that.

Stop Start

Jess Guth1 Comment

Well this blogging thing is going about as well as the running is. I have been struggling with all sorts and the running just hasn’t really happened and you know, when you’ve basically sat on your substantially sized arse for 3 weeks getting out the door is just too hard. I have over the last few months – well since London Marathon really, made various attempts at getting back into running and every now and again I think it’s falling back into place and then I stop again. No reason – well no good reason, I just can’t be bothered to hurl my wibbly wobbly bits about in public, or at all.

So I needed a serious reboot. Well luckily a while ago there was a Too Fat to Run? Clubhouse post on Facebook about a reboot run. The idea is that the first one back is always the toughest and the one you’re most likely to put off and therefore you need something manageable to get you out the door. The suggestion is 10 minutes out and 10 minutes back. Doesn’t have to be all running, can be run walk or just walk – just going and doing it is the important bit. So last Saturday I rebooted – run to the sheep  – it’s a little less than a mile to our first field where our boys are currently. It means I could run for however long it takes me to get there (didn’t take a watch), have a little rest while feeding the sheep and then run back. Sounds simple and actually once I got out the door it was – relatively. Running there felt pretty good. Running back, yes well, there was the small matter of Ilkley Road to negotiate and I’ve only ever managed to run from the bottom of it to our road two or three times before. It’s not steep as such, it’s just a steady pull and it really gets me. But I made it to our road and it only took 45 minutes or so for my legs to function again and stop shaking.

So, is this going to be just another reboot run that actually doesn’t reboot anything?  Well, we’ll see but so far so good. We went out again on Sunday for a 45 minute run/walk session. I was back to hating every single step but as I was still swearing under my breath I figured I was doing fine. During the 3rd or 4th running interval everything was screaming for me to stop, lungs, legs, hips, back, shoulders… so I just slowed right down but kept running forcing myself to put one foot in front of the other.  It was only that one interval that was truly horrendous but the others didn’t feel great. I felt a bit dejected because I was sure that I had been really slow and found it soooooo hard but it turned out not to be that slow (for me) – about 12.40 minutes per mile pace and it was hot.

Monday was, well Monday, a story for another day and Tuesday I didn’t wake up till 8.30 and it was already far too hot to move never mind run. I did go for a walk mid morning though and I was dripping with sweat just from that. Lovely. It didn’t seem to cool down at all so we didn’t run. Instead we decided to go this morning. 6am came and had I not really needed a pee I doubt I would have got up. I got my running gear on – I even wore a vest. It seems I no longer really care what people think of me when I’m running. I just care about not being too hot! We walked down to the canal bank to do 6 x 800 metre runs with 3 minute breaks in between. This is what went on in my head throughout

1 – 800 metre run: I’m ok, I’m ok, I’m ok, oh look ducklings, I’m ok, I’m ok. Nearly there now, I think; what if I’m not? Oh I am. Good.

2- 3 minute walk – breathe

3 – 800 metre run: I’m ok, this is fine, maybe a bit faster? No! Don’t be silly. Breathe, I’m ok. Oh look heron. Nearly there. Done? Please? Ok done. Good

4 – 3 minute walk – breathe

5 – 800 metre run – oh look 2 herons, I’m ok, slow down? No keep pushing, 800 metres is a long way, not really, yes – it -is, I can do this, I’m ok, ouch, oh look proper runners, breathe, I’m ok, how much further (about 400 metres), fuck, more runners, ducklings, breathe, I’m ok, nearly there, breathe, if I go faster I’ll get there quicker, go, done? Yes? Good.

6 – 3 minute walk – breathe, no really breathe. Oh goodness that sun’s hot, breathe, it’s hot, just breathe

7 – 800 metres – fuck it’s hot. Heron, fuck it’s hot, ducklings, heron, too hot, breathe, just put one foot in front of the other, how hard can it be. 800 metres is getting longer, bit dizzy now, too hot, slow down? No, getting there will take longer, ok slow down, too hot, dizzy, nearly there, few more steps, done.

8 – 3 minute walk – can’t breathe, too hot, breathe, just breathe.

We decided to stop there. We had 4 really positive runs which were hard but good and we both maintained good form and we think a decent pace (haven’t checked yet) and it had got noticeably warmer just in the time we were out. We walked home for breakfast.

I daren’t say we’re back on track or that I’ve got my mojo back but it did feel good to get out this morning

For Donna

Jess Guth3 Comments

So it is International Women’s Day. I wanted to write something about the inspirational women in my life who helped on this running journey but somehow the words didn’t come when I sat down to write it. That’s not to say that I don’t think that all those women are awesome – you all are but my thoughts kept drifitng back to an exchange on facebook with my friend Donna. Donna has been instrumental in my running journey and she probably doesn’t really know that. Donna is superwoman. Always has been in my eyes but lately I think she might have forgotten she is superwoman when it comes to running.

Anyway, Donna, this one is for you, to remind you that you can do anything you want to do, that you can achieve anything you set out to achieve and that you are awesome. It’s funny, in some way I don’t actually know Donna that well -We are both academics and I did some work for her former institution and we keep in touch – and yet Donna was the first person to comment on my running blog, she’s the only person I know who reads it regularly I think. She was the first person to remind me that by just being out there I am doing more than anyone sitting on the couch and eventhough Donna is this stunningly gorgeous tiny little thing and I must be about 4 times as wide as she is, she has always made me feel like we could talk about running (actually talk or write or whatever) as equals. Where I plod, Donna runs. She can actually go fast and I was a little bemused that Donna could possibly be in awe of my running achievements and it was heartbreaking to hear her fall out of love with running a bit. It’s been on my mind. You see, I know that running is basically just awful most of the time and that’s fine for me, I’m happy taking the occasional high and sense of achievement but I want it to be all rainbows and unicorns for Donna because, well because she is Donna.

So Donna, I want you to know this: Without those encouraging words early on I might well not have kept running. You have no idea how often your likes, comments, shows of support made me cry and kept me going. You didn’t laugh at my efforts when you had every right to. You have been hugely supportive every step of the way and I haven’t really said thank you – so thank you. Now for that half marathon of yours. You can do it because you are you. You just keep putting one foot in front of the other, one step at a time. The training is awful, it hurts, you get tired, it’s boring but you will smash that distance on race day because you are you. Remember why you like running, remember how it clears your head, remember how it is ‘you time’. You just get a little too much of a good thing for a little while longer and then you get the bragging rights of having done a half marathon. And I, for one, want to hear all about it! You go girl!