Tag: training

Grumpy Sunday

Jess Guth8 Comments

I’ve put on a pound and a half. I’m not too grumpy about that. I had a couple of pints, cake, two meals out and pizza. I am pleased it’s only a pound and a half really. I’m grumpy because I’m impatient and I want to be making progress and this is supposed to get easier. Instead I seem to be struggling more than ever with 45 minute runs and 3 milers on our ‘easy’ week and just the idea of running generally.

So Tuesday we had a good postive run which I blogged about in the last post. The next run was supposed to be Thursday but I was curl-up-in-a-ball-and-cry tired so we postponed the run until Friday. Kath had suggested upping the running to 3 minutes (with a 30 second rest still) and that seemed sensible. the 2.5 minutes running had been going really well. So Friday was a decent run. We went at a slow pace just to see what the 3 minutes would be like and actually I didn’t find that harder than 2.5 minutes. I did wonder though whether it would start to tell if we picked up the pace.

Saturday was our planned 3 miles and we also still had a 45 minute from the other week to catch up on. We had planned to go to Bolton Abbey and run the 45 mins on Saturday and then do the 3 miles Sunday (today) but the Kath had a disturbed night and the kitten woke her up at 4.30am ish so by the time I got up she was tired and hungry.

Don't be fooled - he may look cute but he is a complete lunatic
Don’t be fooled – he may look cute but he is a complete lunatic

We went out for breakfast instead and postponed the run until the afternoon. We decided to try the 3 miles. We nearly didn’t go. We’d watched the Challenge Cup Final and has pizza, we were both tired and it would have been easy to put it off. We did get our backsides out of the house though and went to run along the canal – a simply 1.5 miles one way and then back. It was horrible. I felt sluggish, then I felt sick, my left knee felt uncomfortable and my right leg felt a bit weird. 11 and a half minutes per mile pace and to be fair I did feel more awake and positive after having done it. It also highlighted that pizza and salad are not at all good for pre-run food. It was just over two hours between eating and running but I won’t be having pizza and salad before running again!

So this morning. The cats were being rowdy again so we were both awake early. We did 15 minutes of flexibility yoga (I didn’t bend at all this morning) and then went to set off from home for our ‘past the sheep’ loop. My right leg felt weird. I can’t really explain it. It feels sort of tight and weak at the same time. Like it needs stretching out but also like it might give way. It’s not pain as such, it’s just unpleasant and unnerving. We set off for the seocnd run interval and I nearly fell over. I have a sort of slightly odd tension in the right side of my butt and it sort of carries down my right leg.

It is hard to explain how I felt walking back home. It’s always me that pulls out of a run, it’s always me that lets us down. I am so worried that I have basically reached my limit, that plodding round for 45 minutes 3 times a week is my level and that if I push beyond that with a longer run I basically just break. For a minute there I just wanted to give it all up. Why bother with something that I am never going to be good at?  I’m going to try more yoga and stretching throughout the day and see where I am this afternoon. I’d really like to do the run and get rid of the gap on the training plan. It’s only 29 days to go to the Nottingham Half Marathon. I need to get my act together and keep it together – and ideally not break.

Eek -race numbers and shirts - nice to get long sleeved Ts
Eek -race numbers and shirts – nice to get long sleeved Ts

Recovered from 9 miles

Jess Guth2 Comments

I was tempted by a pre-run post today. Probably because I have got a big pile of proof reading and editing on my desk. Anything but that! So here are my pre-run thoughts:

Today is the first maintenance run following the 9 miles at the weekend. My knees are still a bit creaky but I feel ok. As we are both working at home Kath suggested a lunchtime run. We haven’t done that before so now I’m worrying about it being different but actually I quite like the idea (that might also have something to do with the pile of proofing and editing!). I keep telling myself it is only 45 minutes. Far less than half of what I did at the weekend! It’s a nice day out and I don’t think it is too warm so it should be a lovely run. I want it to be. You see, there I go putting pressure on myself again. It’s obvious I don’t want it to be a horrible run but I need to stop insisting on every run being brilliant. I build it up in my head and it becomes this big thing and then I’m disappointed at the end because it wasn’t a PB or it wasn’t a strong positive run or whatever. I also get nervous and scared about running then (I’m starting to get a bit panicky about today now) and that can’t be good. I wrote the other day that there is no pressure on me and that I decide and that’s absolutely true – I just need to remember it!

Then I got side-tracked and actually did some proof reading as well as a bit of paper and book moving about (my usual pre-writing ritual, also known as procrastination) and now I am just back from that run. It was fantastic. No, for once I am not being sarcastic. I really enjoyed it. We went along the canal towards Bingley. There wasn’t much of note to see  -well actually there was, there were ducks and dog walkers (and dogs) and walkers and cyclists, a couple of other runners, some geese.. the usual canal-y sort of stuff. But the run wasn’t fantastic because of scenery or being out or any of that. It was fantastic because I felt good doing it. It was physically hard but not an effort if that makes sense. For the first time we hit 4 miles in the 45 minutes and even though I didn’t know that until we’d finished I really enjoyed just pushing that little bit harder physically to maintain what I thought might be a pretty even and acceptable pace. Well it turned out to be a very even pace and our fastest over the distance but that hardly matters (except somewhere in my head it does), what matters is that I enjoyed just running, not the things I saw while out or anything like that , just running. Happy.

 

Running through the Wall and Running Q & A

Jess Guth5 Comments

After the two disasters I was dreading running yesterday but I was also sort of excited about it. I had decided I was going to complete a run and be positive about it. I wanted to be back on track. We drove to Bolton Abbey to do the loop I described previously. It was raining which meant there weren’t many people around. We set off and I wasn’t doing too bad except on the downhill bits which scared me. In fact I think I screamed on one of them. It was fine really but I’m a wimp. I started to really struggle coming up to the aqueduct. We walked up the steps, ran across the bridge and then walked down the other side. The next bit is a bit of a slope and looking at it it just seemed impossible but it wasn’t. I felt physically just as I had on Monday when I stopped but this time I was mentally stronger and also ready for it. The next running interval was hell and then it got easier again. I managed the rest with just one additional walk up the steeped hill and then even took the last two walk breaks out. Not only did I do it, I did it faster than last time. A pace of 13.10 which considering hills I am quite happy with. So much more positive even if my legs are a bit sore today.

The lovely people at BritsRunDisney tagged me in a running Q&A so while I am thinking about running, I have answered the questions below.

Would you rather run along a beach path or a mountain trail?

Tricky. I like the idea of a nice flat beach path but I can also see the attraction of the views from a mountain trail! Both are so much better than running along a road or on a treadmill

If you could choose the flavour of Gatorade at your next race’s aid stations, what would it be?

Do we have Gatorade in the UK? I don’t like any sports drinks particularly. I hate the artificial flavour. I’ll stick to water

If you are given a $100 git card for a running store, what would you purchase with it?

I need to start thinking about the winter and I need a waterproof running jacked and some full length pants

Do you prefer to use a training plan or wake up and then decide how far or fast you want to run?

I need a plan. If left to getting up and deciding the answer will be ‘not far very slowly’. A plan motivates me because I wnt to tick off the runs one by one

Would you rather start your run with the uphill and end with the downhill or start your run with the downhill and end with the uphill?

Can I cheat on this? I’d like the hills somewhere in the first half of the run. Not right at the beginning but definitly not at the end either.

When you can’t run, what kind of cross-training do you choose to do?

Yoga is working well for me at the moment and I do like walking. I’m not a gym bunny, I get bored

What is your preference –> out and back, point to point, or loop runs?

All have their good points and it depends on distance and mood. Out and back is good for mid distance where the turning round gives me a little boost. Loops are nice but only if you just do one loop – I’d get bored having to do two or more laps of the same loop. I will try the first point to point of our training on Saturday when we need to do 9 miles. We are going to get the train out to Skipton and then run home. I like the idea of running home

If you could recommend ANY running related item to a new runner it would be?

Hm. Don’t know. A training plan and a pack of smiley stickers to mark your achievement

Do you see any wild animals while out on your runs?

Herons, ducks, swans, rabbits, deer, kestrel, lots of little birds like finches, swallows, long tailed tits…

Ever gotten lost while out on a run?

Not yet, not gone far enough yet really and it is difficult to get lost along the canal!

If you could have one meal waiting and ready for you each time you got home from a run for the next 30 days… what would it be?

A big South American brunch (quinoa and black eyed beans, fried egg, avocado and a tomatoe/ arping onion vinegarette)

Capris or short? What do you run in most?

I don’t run in shorts – shorts don’t stop my thighs from wobbling

At what mile (or how many minutes) into your run does your body start to feel like it is warming up and ready to go?

Usually after the 2nd running interval so at about 6 minutes at the minute but sometimes it takes longer and sometimes it’s only towards the end that I feel like I’m just settling into it.

What do you do with your key when you run?

I give it to Kath, she usually has pockets

If you could re-live any race that you have done in the past, which one?

I don’t want to re-live any of the races of my previous running life. They were all pretty awful. The half marathon I did was quite spectacular but it was emotional, I wasn’t prepared and it was very slow.. Hm. I have only done one race in this running life – the Leeds 10km and it wasn’t bad. I am looking forward to the Scarborough 10km on October.

What type of run is your least favourite?

Short and fast. I don’t like fast. I also panic about not being fast enough. I’m more comfortable with the idea of just plodding away and slowly ticking off the miles. I find trying to do, say 3 miles, at a fast (for me) pace quite stressful.

When you go for a run, do you leave from your front door or drive somewhere to start?

Both. Tend to start from home for the weekly maintenance runs and mix things up at the weekend

When running in daylight, are sunglasses a must or an annoyance?

I only wear them when it is really bright. I wear a cap since I’ve had my hair cut and can’t tie it back anymore and that keeps the sun off enough. The couple of times I’ve worn sunglasses they steamed up and I couldn’t see at all

When you get tired, what keeps you from quitting?

Usually Kath keeps me going but also trying to focus on why I started this in the first place and remembering how far I’ve come.

If anyone fancies the Q&A just go for it. I’m not going to tag people, it’s all just a bit of fun.

The puppy won

Jess Guth4 Comments

After my 3 mile hell (see last post) things got worse. The plan was to get up early-ish  yesterday and get our working week off to a good start with a nice positive run. My gremlins and stupid depression mutt had other ideas. I did get up, tempting as it was to hide under the duvet. We set off. It felt physically hard but ok. I was doing it. My legs felt quite tired, I felt quite tired but hey, I was out, I was doing it. I dragged myself to the golf course – downhill from here for a bit. I get scared going downhill but it was ok, I felt pretty ok, just a bit tired. We turned towards Silsden on the canal. It was hard, really hard. Nothing really wanted to quite move. One foot in front of the other… I was slowing down. We got to where the nice path turns into track, just keep running. We turned and I was now definitly running slower than walking pace. I’d hit a physical brick wall. Everything hurt, one foot in front of the other just wasn’t possible and I had nothing left mentally to push through. Nothing at all. I did something I haven’t done for about 6 months (other than because of injury), I stopped. I was too exhausted to block out the negative voices, too drained to give the black stupid puppy dog a good kick, too ’empty’ to fight that sense of ‘I can’t do this.

It was a long walk back. I cried.

I will try again today

Early mornings, herons and stunning views

Jess Guth6 Comments

We were struggling to to fit in all our runs this week with work being a little insane (A-level results week and University Clearing are manic for me) so our schedule has gone to pot a bit. We’re just about fitting everything in though.

  1. Running with Herons

Our first maintenance run this week was on Tuesday – still on schedule. I was a little worried given the tummy incident the run before. We also needed to go really early in the morning to fit it in.We set the alarm for 4.30, got up and dressed and set off. I decided not to try food and go on empty. My tummy was slightly bubbly but ok. It was a gorgeous and completely still morning and somehow our footfall felt loud and like we were intruding on something. Nature was going about its business and we weren’t part of that business. Rabbits were bobbing about, cats were mousing, birds were coming to life stretching their wings, ducks were slowly emerging onto the canal and a group of cows came down to (and into) the canal for a drink. As we ran towards Silsden we saw Hugo the heron and he flew off and landed ahead of us as if teasing ‘you’ll never catch up’. We didn’t, we turned round before we reached him. About half way back along the canal we saw another heron and this one also kept flying a little ahead and landing again. Suddenly it was joined by a second, so we now have three Hugos and 2 of them were right there with us. I briefly wondered if they felt threatened by us and we were actually chasing them but they didn’t seemed worried. Rather they seemed to be enjoying themselves. It really was like we were running with them and just as we got to our last bridge and last 20 seconds they turned and flew off over the fields. I’d forgotten about running, it was a lovely moment.

2. Running on the moors

Today we finally managed to fit in our second maintenance run and we initially thought we’d do it at Bolton Abbey again but then thought it might be busy so decided to head up onto Ikley Moor instead. We drove up. It was a really hard run (my lungs are still rattling a bit) but it was stunning. I was up there last week going for a walk with Dad and took some pictures. Today is a very similar day so here are some of the views we tried to enjoy while running:

It wasn’t always easy to enjoy the view – the path is quite uneven. It starts off like this:

summer 2015 272

but a little further along the path is made up of big stones which are uneven and wobbly on the moor. I wouldn’t like to run it when the stones are wet but it was a dry and slightly breezy day. It was an odd sort of run in terms of fitness and how I felt. My legs felt fine all the way but my lungs were struggling. They were burning after the first run interval (which was uphill) and never really recovered. I was struggling to suck in the air all the way but still didn’t really find it that difficult to keep going. I just couldn’t go faster. We took a few walk breaks out towards the end but I enarly needed to put the last one in – I was saved by the downhill at the end of the path (the bit you can see in the photo but coming the other way).

I loved that run. I actually really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it being hard and I enjoyed finishing it and having done it and having seen the views and managed the uneven bit. I just enjoyed being out.

As for distance and pace – who cares? I wrote it down, as we always do and I think both were somewhere around the 12 and a half minutes per mile but both were gorgeous runs and that, I have decided, it was matters.