Tag: running

Moomin Butt Moving again

Jess GuthLeave a comment

Right, let’s try this running lark again. I finally feel better so wanted to see if I’m better enough to start the 10k programme. It seems I am. The first run is a 40 minute slow run so we set the watch to 2minute run/1 minute walk intervals and trotted off. We stopped to feed the sheep and once that was done carried on – so it’s a bit of a cheat because I did get a little rest just before mile 1 – if sliding around in the mud covered in hay counts as a rest that is.

Anyway, it was uneventful. It was slow (just under 14 minute per mile pace I think) but I just plodded along happily until the end. 40 minutes didn’t fit with the intervals so we went for 42 minutes. We covered just about 3 miles I think. That’s it really, that’s all there is. No drama, not battle, just a slow uneventful little trot.

I wore my new trail shoes for the first time- they’re New Balance ones. I bought them in the sale together with another road pair (I am dreading having to retire my current road ones – they came through two marathons with me, how can I possibly retire them?!?). I’ll review the new trail ones properly in a bit but so far so good – much better than my others. After the last run I decided I really didn’t want to persevere with the Salomon trail ones because they really do make my feet ache. They’re great for walking in but whenever I run in them my arches start aching really quickly.

Happy to have made a start on the plan, tomorrow is rest or a core gym session. I definitely won’t have time for the gym but am hoping to do a strength yoga class from the Yoga Studio tomorrow evening. Next run Wednesday!

February Runner’s World (UK)

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I don’t know why the issue of Runner’s World that arrives in early January is actually the February issue. It makes no sense but there we are. It is what it is. Anyway, I’ve just finished reading it. Well, reading the bits that I am interested in reading. Here are my thoughts.

It’s been a while since I picked up a Runner’s World but just before Christmas we saw a really good offer so bought a subscription and this was the first issue. I always quite like the science-y bits while I am reading them. I like knowing that, if I wanted to (I never do) I could go and follow up on the articles and snippets and actually find the research they are referring to. I also noticed though that I don’t remember the studies, I forget the info almost as soon as I have turned the page really and maybe that’s because most of this stuff is irrelevant to me. The potential gains in speed or performance these studies deal with don’t really apply to me – they apply to people who, you know, can actually run. There are however always a few things that might be useful. On p21 there are some exercises to help keep your spine mobile. While I always find it quite difficult to follow instructions from the pictures and short descriptions, the general idea that spinal mobility is important to running makes sense to me and I felt a little smug that our yoga routines include a good amount of work on this.

The 106 tips and tricks starting on p43 were a nice quick read and as well as some new info (Kiwis – I will eat more Kiwis) there were also some useful reminders – like trying to run relaxed and enjoy the journey not just the end race goal… usual stuff really. I shed my usual tears at the running heroes and the feature about people who had lost and kept off significant amounts of weight running and rolled my eyes at the price of of some the gear featured, reviewed and advertised but in this issue it was the ‘Your First Mile’ feature that caught my eye.

The programme presumes you can walk a mile or walk for about 20 minutes. Ok I’m good with that – it also has a 4 week programme to help you get there if you’re not at a point where you can walk for 20 minutes. The running bit starts with 30 second jog and 90 second walk – 10 times and by the end of that first week the running is up to 60 seconds and by the end of week 3 you’re at 2 min jog, 1 min walk x 4 plus 3 min jog, 90 sec walk and then another 2 min jog. I know this programme is designed by experts and I’m sure they know what they are doing and maybe I’m just a wimp and a little fragile but… If this programme is really for someone who works up to being able to walk 20 minutes, really for a total beginner then running at whatever pace for 30 seconds, even if it’s slower than walking pace, is a lot. I’m sure many people out there can do this and it looks great to me now (in fact I’m vaguely thinking it might be a nice confidence builder for me but I already have a plan) but I don’t think it would have looked that great to the me that couldn’t run to the postbox at the end of our road. I’d welcome your thoughts, maybe it’s just me.

There’s also some good stuff about the importance of the mind in running (don’t I know it – but how do I learn to break the negative cycle?!?) and some useful stuff about winter running. All in all not a bad issue – of course there’s the usual lack of larger size runners in the pictures other than the ones specifically featured in the weight loss section and somehow I always feel a bit sneaky reading Runner’s World, you know, like it’s not really for me – after all, I’m not really a runner.

Sunday Weigh In is back

Jess GuthLeave a comment

I stopped getting on the scales a while ago initially for positive reasons – I didn’t care at all what the number said, I knew I was getting fitter and stronger and healthier so the actual weight didn’t matter. Then the running got patchy and we fell off the food and booze wagon a bit – which is silly because when we were making the effort we were eating really yummy healthy food that we were both really enjoying. In the run up to Christmas I knew my weight was sneaking up again and just after I suddenly worried that it might even be getting as high as it was 2 years ago before I started running. Clothes don’t fit properly, running is so much harder than it needs to be. A good few pounds need to come off.

So on the 2nd January I set a new baseline – a stone lighter than the baseline I set 2 years ago but also over a stone and a half heavier than I was at my lightest during Dopey training. Hmph. I was determined to have a good food and exercise week but as I mentioned I was ill instead. I have lost 6 pounds but I’m not really celebrating that because it’s more due to being poorly than anything else.

We have a food plan for the week with lots of fresh, yummy things but also included comfort food to guard against the cold and grey ‘pass me the biscuits’ kind of feeling. We’re starting today with pancakes (a healthier version K once found a recipe for, possibly in a Runner’s World or from a Running Bug) – a lovely Sunday treat with yoghurt and raspberries. For lunch we’re having cottage pie with a mountain of veg and for tea a salad with a few nuts and seeds sprinkled in for crunch. This week is relatively conservative with food – familiar things to not upset my tummy which is still getting back to normal. Next week I think we will be more adventurous, we’ve seen some lovely recipes that look healthy and delicious. I’ll try and remember to share.

We’re also going to start running again this coming week. I’m not sure about starting the 10k programme – yesterday I was still quite wobbly after my 2 mile walk so I will see how I feel after a walk today and then see if I need a very easy, very short run week or whether I’m ready to have another go at week 1 of the 10k programme. The programme isn’t aligned with a race so it doesn’t really matter.

Happy Sunday

Moomin Butt Moving

Jess Guth4 Comments

There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?! 2.5 mile run done this morning. WTF? Wasn’t so hard? Wasn’t so hard?!? Wasn’t so fucking hard? My black puppy is mocking me. It was hideously hard. It was only 2.5 miles and I completed it with run/walk intervals and slowly. Here’s how it went (in my head):

  1. Setting off from home, turn left downhill, feels pretty good. Yep, we can do this, this is fine
  2. First walk break, secretly quite please we’re at the first walk break
  3. Bit more downhill, turn right, have-to-go-up-hill-now-can’t-really-breathe
  4. Walk break, love walk breaks
  5. bit more up the hill – come-on-just-a-bit-more
  6. downhill section, breathe, breathe, breathe
  7. walk, yay, walk
  8. run past the sheep, wave at the sheep but focus, keep focused, shit can’t breathe
  9. when’s the walk break?
  10. Not yet
  11. Surely now? Yes now
  12. Breathe, oh shit I’m going to have to run uphill in a minute, walk fast, can’t, no seriously walk faster or you’ll have to run all the hill, fuck, walk
  13. Hill, don’t like this hill but after this it’s steep downhill. I hate downhill. I might fall, run faster to get to the top so you can walk down.
  14. Come on you Dopey
  15. Nearly at the top, nearly at the top – nearly-at-the-top. Yay walk break
  16. It’s called walk break, not collapse in a heap break – keep moving
  17. Oh ok I have to run down, ok, steady, slowly, yay I’m down
  18. Plod plod plod plod – don’t mind this. Wish I could breathe though
  19. Walk break – come on walk faster to get down the nasty steep bit
  20. Time to start running but I’m going to walk the steep bit
  21. Ok I’m down, flat to home now. You’re Dopey, you can do this
  22. Left turn onto the canal, find a rhythm (fuck off), no really, it will help (oh shut up)
  23. Found a rhythm, picked up the pace, this is hard but ok
  24. I wonder if there are any kingfishers about? Or a heron? I’d like to see a heron
  25. Oh walk break, ok
  26. And another 2 minute run, it’s two minutes, I can do two minutes. Is it over yet? It must be! Hello lungs, please stop burning
  27. Yay walk
  28. Hm, I might be able to run to the end from here. I can see the point at which i’ll be able to see the bridge and if I can see the bridge I can run to it. Maybe
  29. Run. Ok, I feel pretty good. Count, that’ll pass the time…counting to 105… what comes after 105? I’m lost, where was I? start again! ok 91… That’s not starting again, silly, ok but I like 91.
  30. Look the bridge. Look the bridge. Look the bridge. Look the bridge!
  31. Why isn’t the bridge getting closer (because you’re not running fast enough!)
  32. I’m at the bridge. Lungs, legs, everything, please stop screaming at me.

So the puppy may sit an mock but it’s got to do so from outside because this moomin butt is moving and even though it was sort of hideous and most certainly horrible, I loved it

DNF

Jess Guth1 Comment

DNF. Did not finish. Did Not fucking finish. Yes that’s right. The last race I attempted I didn’t finish. I got to mile 5 of the Disneyland Avengers Half Marathon. I didn’t get my coast to coast medal, I didn’t complete the Infinity Gauntlet Challenge. DN Fucking F. It was a big deal at the time. I was gutted. That was the race that was going to bring all the running efforts and achievements of the year together. It all started going very wrong at about 3 miles. I felt a bit dizzy and sluggish. By 4 miles I needed to walk because my vision was blurred. By 4.5 miles it was clear I was going to have to stop. I felt dizzy, sick and couldn’t really see. There was a water station at mile 5 with a medic there. Kath took me to see her, she got me to sit down at the side of the road, got a wheelchair and with the help of a police officer who just stopped the traffic got me across the road and to the medic’s car. Then we got a little ride round Anaheim backstreets and back to the medical tent at the finish line. I’ll never get to the finish line of a half marathon that quickly ever again. I quickly started to feel better and all medical checks were fine. The doctor suggested that maybe I needed to fuel with more than just water for longer distance. I’m not sure about that – fuelling and hydration felt good. Anyway it is what it is and we had a lovely day in the Disney Parks and somehow it doesn’t matter anymore.

The running wasn’t all bad during our holiday. We had a lovely little jog along the boardwalk along Moonstone Beach. We walked miles in San Francisco including across the Golden Gate Bridge and the 10k race of the infinity gauntlets challenge was loads of fun – genuinely just fun.

10k-running

I haven’t run a single step since we got back. Not a single step. But I will, eventually I will.