Tag: runDisney

Bank Holiday Weekend Running

Jess Guth1 Comment

We’ve done a fair bit of running over the bank holiday weekend. We did 4.25 miles on Saturday and 30 minutes on Sunday and for good measure another 30 minutes this morning. As I mentioned a few days ago I struggled on the last 30 minute run before the weekend.I was therefore absolutely dreading the 4.25 miles. I had lined up every excuse I could think of but then decided that it was just as well to get it over with. It won’t do to be scared of 4.25 miles when I’ll have to do a marathon in 7 month’s time.

We are still running on the flat along the canal rather than risking setting my calf off with hills. So, with the watch set for 30 repetitions of intervals of our 90 second running/30 seconds walking we set off. I hated it. Kath tells me there was lots to see. Lots of ducklings, a few goslings and a heron. I didn’t really take any of them in. I just wheezed my way along. We turned round at 2.12 miles and turning round and heading back gave me a bit of a boost. I think my posture improved and I felt like I just might be able to make it. More wheezing along. With a mile to go my lower legs felt really tight, tight but not painful or twingy – so onwards. We started a running interval again just as we hit the 4 mile mark and I felt ok, in fact I felt pretty strong so I decided that we should try and run to the end – the end I knew would be pretty much bang on at the next bridge. Complete focus on the bridge pulled me towards the end and then suddenly we were there, done. 4.25 miles. Just over 56 minutes with an average pace of 13.13minute per mile.

We had decided to see how our legs felt before making a decision on a Sunday run. When I first got up my legs felt a little weary and we wanted to go out anyway so we thought we’d see how we felt later. We went late afternoon, 30 minutes along the canal in the opposite direction to Saturday. It felt awful. It felt worse than the run I complained about last week. It wasn’t so much my legs, I was struggling for air and it just felt like such as huge huge effort. After turning round at 15.5 minutes I was hoping for that boost. It didn’t come. I was just about  to give up when I heard a lamb at the farm to our right bleat really loudly. It made me jump and laugh and suddenly stopping wasn’t an option anymore. In fact, we missed the last walk and just ran the last 4 minutes straight off. Our pace was close to pre-injury best. 2.35 miles, pace of 12.47. I should have been thrilled, I was just shattered.

Monday – as we continue the madness, we have stepped up the running time.  We’re still following the principles set out by Jeff Galloway  as part of the RunDisney training but we are adjusting the intervals/run/walk ratios as we feel comfortable. We will now do 12 repetitions of 2 minutes running and 30 seconds walking for our 30 minute runs and however many repetition it takes for us to cover the required distance on the distance runs. This morning’s run was a funny one. We went out slowly and really, running for 2 minutes didn’t feel much worse or longer than running for 90 seconds and 30 seconds walking is fine. I didn’t hate the running, I remember ducklings, but it felt like really really hard work. We plodded our way to 2.27 miles with a slow pace of 13.13 minutes per mile but I now know what that run/walk ratio feels like and I’m ok with that.

As a little reminder why I am putting my self through this – we’ll be starting our fundraising in earnest soon – we’re raising money for a charity called Panthera. They do amazing conservation work. Have a look at their website and if you can support us it will help us keep going and it will ensure Panthera can keep doing the brilliant work they do. You can donate via our Justgiving site.

Back on the Road #2

Jess Guth4 Comments

So my last blog about running was on the 9th May when I was trying not to be grumpy about the injury to my calf muscle. I missed the appointment with the Osteopath and had to re-book for yesterday. I didn’t run at all from 3rd May to the 17th May. I was just a little scared of getting back on the road again. I spent Thursday- Saturday in London for work last week and when I got back Saturday evening I was actually looking forward to getting out. I was nervous about my calf though. It was still a little tight and the osteopath had said he wanted to see me again before advising on when I could run again. Yeah ok so I am rubbish at doing as I am told. So here’s what we’ve done since the 17th, all on the flat along the canal as per osteopath instructions and all using intervals of 90 seconds running and 30 seconds walking.

17th May – 30 minutes, 2.2 miles

It actually felt good to be out and the running felt doable

18th May – 30 minutes, 2.22 miles

Felt a bit sluggish but got stronger towards the end. Enjoyed it once it was over!

20th May – 30 minutes, 2.3 miles

We spent the day at the RSPB reserve at Bempton Cliffs so had done a lot of walking during the day and then went for a run afterwards. I thought we would be quite slow because of that and because the first two runs made my lungs feel like they were on fire. There was another running interval around 20 minutes that felt really hard but we managed a really strong positive finish. Happy with that!

21st May  – 30 minutes, 2.28 miles

I saw the Osteopath in the morning. He examined my leg again and said it felt much better. After a bit of treatment he advised that running was fine but to take it easy and not to push myself on speed or distance for roughly 6 weeks. So, I am allowed to run but the strengthening exercises he has shown me are going to be key to avoiding repetition of the injury. (More on them another time). So, running it was then – after work feeling tired and generally a bit grumpy. From the first beep of the watch every little bit of me was screaming ‘Nooooo…. just no’. My legs felt heavy and my lungs were burning. I was huffing and puffing after the first 90 seconds of running. Somehow, and I am really not quite sure how, I made it through 8 of the 15 repetitions; we turned round. Usually I quite like heading back along the canal – it means at least half is done but this time it just didn’t seem possible to run back to pretty much where we started. Mind over matter… another running interval done… 10 intervals done and that stupid little nagging voice would not shut up: “I’m not a runner, I can’t do this, this is stupid, I’m NOT a runner’. And walk… 11 out of 15 runs done, breathe. No really breathe. I pretty much dragged myself through the next 2 runs with Kath’s constant and brilliant encouragement (I hope we never get to the point where she finds the runs so hard she doesn’t have enough left to talk me through the tough moments!). What I was doing can’t really be described as running, it was more plodding, plodding very slowly. Then the worst was over and when the watch beeped after run 14 I felt strangely competitive so I kept going and we ran the last 4 minutes. Hated it. Properly hated it. Just like old times. But it did feel good to have done it

Thank you – Real Neat Blog Award

Jess Guth1 Comment

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It has been a very busy few weeks and I have kept meaning to post but just haven’t got round to it. Updates on running to follow but I must say thank you to fellow bloggers BritsRunDisney who nominated my blog for the Real Neat Blog Award. I got the notification from them after a really really tough day during which our last ewe had trouble lambing and all 3 triplets died (more about our sheep here). It was lovely to come home to a positive message. This is what they said:

“Hello there, I love reading your blog and have nominated it on my blog for a ‘real neat blog award’ – you don’t have to participate but if you do fancy it you can read the rules on my post https://britsrundisney.wordpress.com/2015/05/12/the-real-neat-blog-award/ Keep up the great work! It’s so nice to hear updates from someone on a similar journey as we are :)”

As part of this they wanted me to answer a number of Disney related questions so here goes:

1. Who is your favourite Disney Character and why?

Oooh tricky. I like the Winnie the Pooh gang but don’t really see them as Disney… I also have a soft sport for Dopey and Grumpy

2. If you had to skip a park on your next visit to Disney World which would you skip and why?

As we are going in January, I’ll happily skip the waterparks! Ok that’s cheating! As much as I love the Magic Kingdom, I’d probably skip that simply because I’ve spent most time there already on previous visits and I have specific reasons to want to go back to the others. However if all goes to plan that won’t work as I will have to run through the parks as part of the marathon!

3. What is your Favorite Ride at Disney(Land or World or Both)?

Never been to Disney Land so no idea for that but Disney World. Hm. I suspect I would love Splash Mountain but I have always been in January and it has always been closed for maintenance! I love Soarin’ in Epcot

4. What is your favourite snack at Disney(Land or World or Both) and why?

Corn on the cob – love it

5. What is your top tip for someone about to go to Disney?

Believe in the magic

6. What is your Favorite thing to do aside from going to Disney?

Sitting reading a book in the field with our sheep

7. If you could bring back an old ride that has now closed down, which would you bring back and why?

I don’t know! I am not aware of any rides I like being shut down. Last time we went we did miss a shop though – it was on Main Street USA before and sold disney stuff for pets, Kath’s mum wanted something for a friend’s dog and we looked all over but couldn’t find it.

So – once again thank you! Thank you for reading and thank you for the encouragement. I don’t really read any other blogs about disney or run disney (I knwo there are a good number of you out there) – just don’t have the time at the moment so I’d like to save nomination until I have actually read some. But if you like Disney and you like following a runner’s journey I do recommend BritsRunDinsey!

2 pints and a packet of crisps…

Jess Guth2 Comments

…does not make for happy running. We got back on track and finished the week 7 runs on Thursday of week 8. On Friday we went to the pub and had a couple of pints and a packet of crisps and I’d also had a pretty crappy food day. I’d been at a meeting in London were there were sandwiches for lunch and then on the train journey home there were more sarnies… Bread overload basically and I have no willpower and I like sarnies. Anyway, crap food day.

On Saturday morning we started week 8 with a 30 minute run. Bloody hell. I felt so sluggish and heavy and generally rubbish. We set off from our house towards our sheep field and were going to do our usual 30 minute route that starts at home but then decided to turn back after 15 minutes to save time as we had lots to do. But turning back meant having to drag my butt up the hills that we’d come down on the way there and they are evil. Not particularly steep but just slow steady climbs. Urgh. From about 10 minutes in the whole thing just became a mind over matter thing to finish. Sometimes it felt like I was going backwards. So 30 minutes and 2.11 miserable miles later with an average pace of something over 14 minutes per mile we arrived back home. Lesson learned. Eating right doesn’t just make a difference, it makes a huge difference. It’s the difference between actually feeling like I am running and just desperately trying to drag my butt to the end.

Thinking back over the week, I can’t really remember how bad or otherwise I’ve been with the healthy eating thing. I wasn’t very good at taking my lunch so ended up buying wraps at work and I had a chocolate bar with that. Oh and when Kath was away overnight I couldn’t be bothered to cook just for me so lived on cereal. Unsurprisingly then I didn’t lose any weight this week. I haven’t gained any either though and today has been a much better day. We got up at 6ish this morming because we had to move our sheep at 7am (More on them here if you’re interested). We had breakfast afterwards – a south american brunch recipe that I think might have come from the Jamie Oliver via the Running Bug. It’s quinoa and blacked eyed beans with avocado and a dressing of tomato, spring onion in a vinegarette. We had lunch at a Garden Centre – we both had a road beef dinner and this evening we had a big salad. So while not perfect, much better than most of last week.

We also went for the second of the week 8 runs – 30 minutes. This one was much more like it. I was in danger of falling asleep on the sofa this afternoon but instead we set off from home, went past the sheep and down onto the canal. It looks like we are back on track with an average pace of 12.36 minutes per mile.

Panthera – please support us and therefore them if you can

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If you have read the previous posts on this blog you will realise that this running thing is a massive massive challenge for us and for me in particular. Part of what helps me get my backside out there plodding round is that it is a way I can help change the world. Yep here’s the slightly cliched vomit inducing bit about changing the world… Those of you who know me already know that changing the world and helping others (mostly my students) change the world is kind of my thing. Making a small difference is really important to me. I’m not naive I know I make a tiny tiny difference if I make one at all but that’s enough. If we all try and do that every day the world will be a much better place. So if I am going to run, drag my moomin butt round a stupidly high number of miles and go through that physical pain and mental struggle then there has to be some changing the world happening as a result of that. Otherwise I am not playing.

Any money we raise in this slightly insane endeavour is going to an organisation called Panthera. Their mission is this:

Panthera’s mission is to ensure the future of wild cats through scientific leadership and global conservation action.

Panthera and their ethos speak to us on a number of levels: Panthera’s work is science based and at the cutting edge of conservation. It understands that there are a number of factors that have to come together to make conservation possible and that dealing with any one of them in isloation will not work. Education and training are fundamental to what Panthera do. Have a look at the letter from the Chair on their website to get more of a sense of what they do. So, education and training, programmes/projects which target the specific needs of the big cats they are focused on as well as the communities sharing the geographic area with the cats and work underpinned by the latest science are all things that earn my respect. The other reason to support Panthera over any other conservation charity is that 100% of the money raised will benefit the coservation programme/projects as the running costs and non-programme costs are covered by the Panthera board of directors. It seems that these people believe in what they are doing and are prepared to put their money where their mouth is and that passion and commitment is something I am delighted to be able to support. They really do change the world and they change it big time. With your support for our running challenge, we can help them do that! If you can sponsor us, however small the amount, please do. It really does mean a lot to us and seeing the amounts of money raised go up over the next few months is really going to help keep us going!

Sponsorship page is here: https://www.justgiving.com/Jessandkath/