Well today was better than last time.
I'd quite like to leave it there but then this blog would be pretty short and pointless. Instead I'm aiming for quite long and pointless. Back up to 4 repeats of 3 minutes and I think I could have squeezed another one in. The depressing thing is that it's not really a very long time, and coupled with the fact I don't run very fast, I worked out my 3 minute runs are only one hundredth of the full distance of a marathon.
I feel I'm improving very slowly - but now knowing I need to up my game 10000% is somewhat daunting ...
All the training guides seem to think that once you've managed something for three times one week (in my case, one minute walk, three minutes run, repeat 5 times), then you'll instantly be able to do something harder next week. I think I need longer at three minute running times though before I progress (sigh). Oh well, it's a marathon, not a sprint ...
Sunday 28 September 2008
Saturday 27 September 2008
Bad day at the office
Last couple of blog entries were a bit behind as I've been away, but this one really does follow my Saturday run. And today I really did struggle.
I'm not sure I've mentioned this before but I don't really like running, and I never have. The fact remains I still don't. And I've always been rubbish at it. I remember coming last in the school cross-country, I was so slow that I think everyone else had finished, showered and gone back to lessons by the time I'd finished. Perhaps marathon day will be the same - everyone else will be home, hosed and back at work on Monday by the time I finish ...
Anyway today I just couldn't do it. In my first 3 minute stint my legs started to feel heavy, and in the second 3 minute stint I got stitch. So I had a bit of a moment, turned the treadmill off and gave up (no glamorous surroundings today, just sat in my garage). I had to tell myself not to kill myself , just give it up as a bad day. Though I did get up, turn it back on after about 5 minutes and run just one more stint. It's OK for today, what if this happens on *the* day, I'm not allowed to just stop a couple of minutes in because of a bad day, am I?
One silver lining is that being away and having a couple of midweek runs means I've got a bonus day tomorrow, a fourth run of the week if I want to do it. After today's failure I'll be glad for another chance.
In fact a much better idea would be to delete this post, and cunningly edit the blog to pretend today never happened. If I run tomorrow and all goes OK, that would still be 3 runs in the week, no dramas or crises, and nobody need ever know! Yes, I think I might do that ...
I'm not sure I've mentioned this before but I don't really like running, and I never have. The fact remains I still don't. And I've always been rubbish at it. I remember coming last in the school cross-country, I was so slow that I think everyone else had finished, showered and gone back to lessons by the time I'd finished. Perhaps marathon day will be the same - everyone else will be home, hosed and back at work on Monday by the time I finish ...
Anyway today I just couldn't do it. In my first 3 minute stint my legs started to feel heavy, and in the second 3 minute stint I got stitch. So I had a bit of a moment, turned the treadmill off and gave up (no glamorous surroundings today, just sat in my garage). I had to tell myself not to kill myself , just give it up as a bad day. Though I did get up, turn it back on after about 5 minutes and run just one more stint. It's OK for today, what if this happens on *the* day, I'm not allowed to just stop a couple of minutes in because of a bad day, am I?
One silver lining is that being away and having a couple of midweek runs means I've got a bonus day tomorrow, a fourth run of the week if I want to do it. After today's failure I'll be glad for another chance.
In fact a much better idea would be to delete this post, and cunningly edit the blog to pretend today never happened. If I run tomorrow and all goes OK, that would still be 3 runs in the week, no dramas or crises, and nobody need ever know! Yes, I think I might do that ...
Gym part 2
Well, not put off by Wednesday's first ever gym visit, I decided to go back again on Thursday. Busier and fuller of beautiful people, I began to regret it. And fit blonde was there again to my left, sprinting on the treadmill as if her life depended on it.
I allowed myself a moral victory as she gave up before I did - she may have already been there for an hour but I didn't care - I trudged into my tenth minute of jog/walking while she threw in the towel. Hah!
Not a great stint for me - I could feel I wasn't going to do very much, so I decided to up the speed to see if I could cope. I think I coped, but I soon stopped, so I don't know if that was the right test. I don't like those full length mirrors - every man likes to see breasts bouncing in a mirror in front of him, but not his own ...
(Eurgh ... I promised myself I wouldn't write that!)
And of course when I did give up only a few minutes later, I turned round to see the blonde pounding the exercise bike - standing up as if to suggest it couldn't go fast enough for her. Marathons are for wimps - we've got a triathlete on our hands here. Oh well, my next stint on the treadmill will be back to my enclosed garage at home, with no beautiful people, or mirrors, to act as distractions.
I allowed myself a moral victory as she gave up before I did - she may have already been there for an hour but I didn't care - I trudged into my tenth minute of jog/walking while she threw in the towel. Hah!
Not a great stint for me - I could feel I wasn't going to do very much, so I decided to up the speed to see if I could cope. I think I coped, but I soon stopped, so I don't know if that was the right test. I don't like those full length mirrors - every man likes to see breasts bouncing in a mirror in front of him, but not his own ...
(Eurgh ... I promised myself I wouldn't write that!)
And of course when I did give up only a few minutes later, I turned round to see the blonde pounding the exercise bike - standing up as if to suggest it couldn't go fast enough for her. Marathons are for wimps - we've got a triathlete on our hands here. Oh well, my next stint on the treadmill will be back to my enclosed garage at home, with no beautiful people, or mirrors, to act as distractions.
Gym'll fix it
I hate having to put titles to each entry - this one's rubbish but I've got to put something there ... it should describe my first and possibly last ever visit to a gym.
Monday-Friday I've been away this week in a holiday village down south (no Internet connection hence posting on Saturday). There is a gym there though which is free with the accomodation so I decided to try it on Wednesday.
At my induction earlier in the day the bloke looked somewhat surprised that I'd never been in a gym before. Perhaps not so surprised when he clocked my physique but it was a brand new experience for me. I've always thought i'd find them intimidating - this was no exception although it wasn't too busy. All the treadmills are lined up on one side opposite a full length mirrored wall, and all the other cross-training machines on the opposite side next to the windows. Either way, you are on full show.
I did my bit - stepping up to 3 minute runs straddling my 1 minute walks, and the metric scale (kilometres, not miles) made me psychologically thing I was going faster and further. I couldn't help being completely overwhelmed by the fit (literally) blonde to my left running at least twice my speed, sprinting in front of the mirror at breakneck speed.
I really didn't like what I saw in front of me in the mirror - I can tell that I'm a large bloke plodding, barely lifting my feet from the floor and jogging incredibly slowly. I know that a 10 minute mile is slow, and a target speed for a 4.5 hour marathon. I'm not yet running that quickly, and that's even for my short bursts at the moment. Suddenly April seems very close ...
Anyway 20 minues with 15 minutes running is a PB (see, I'm sounding like an athlete now).
Later that day my wife went swimming and mentioned that all the treadmills are on display in the swimming pool. Perhaps the full length mirrors are one-way mirrors? Urggghh.
Monday-Friday I've been away this week in a holiday village down south (no Internet connection hence posting on Saturday). There is a gym there though which is free with the accomodation so I decided to try it on Wednesday.
At my induction earlier in the day the bloke looked somewhat surprised that I'd never been in a gym before. Perhaps not so surprised when he clocked my physique but it was a brand new experience for me. I've always thought i'd find them intimidating - this was no exception although it wasn't too busy. All the treadmills are lined up on one side opposite a full length mirrored wall, and all the other cross-training machines on the opposite side next to the windows. Either way, you are on full show.
I did my bit - stepping up to 3 minute runs straddling my 1 minute walks, and the metric scale (kilometres, not miles) made me psychologically thing I was going faster and further. I couldn't help being completely overwhelmed by the fit (literally) blonde to my left running at least twice my speed, sprinting in front of the mirror at breakneck speed.
I really didn't like what I saw in front of me in the mirror - I can tell that I'm a large bloke plodding, barely lifting my feet from the floor and jogging incredibly slowly. I know that a 10 minute mile is slow, and a target speed for a 4.5 hour marathon. I'm not yet running that quickly, and that's even for my short bursts at the moment. Suddenly April seems very close ...
Anyway 20 minues with 15 minutes running is a PB (see, I'm sounding like an athlete now).
Later that day my wife went swimming and mentioned that all the treadmills are on display in the swimming pool. Perhaps the full length mirrors are one-way mirrors? Urggghh.
Sunday 21 September 2008
End of week 7
Well it's quite depressing - if I was following either of the two running plans I found, they both would have had me running 30 minutes without stopping after 8 weeks. Let's just say I'm doing this at my own pace ... but right now it's 2.5 minutes without stopping, and I'm finding it difficult. I know there's no rush yet so I'm trying not to be despondent.
So focus on the positives! I mentioned at the start of my blog that I was 14 stone 10, well now I'm between 14 stone 5 and 14 stone 6. Or I was after my run earlier. Today is also my anniversary, so I have since consumed large amounts of Bicester's finest curry with my wife (hence the desire to weigh myself after the run and before dinner). Marvellous.
We're disappearing for the week for a break. I'm going to keep up the run/walking but I don't know if I'll have Internet access, so the next update may not be for a while. Maybe I'll have hit the dizzy heights of running 3 minutes at a time by then.
So focus on the positives! I mentioned at the start of my blog that I was 14 stone 10, well now I'm between 14 stone 5 and 14 stone 6. Or I was after my run earlier. Today is also my anniversary, so I have since consumed large amounts of Bicester's finest curry with my wife (hence the desire to weigh myself after the run and before dinner). Marvellous.
We're disappearing for the week for a break. I'm going to keep up the run/walking but I don't know if I'll have Internet access, so the next update may not be for a while. Maybe I'll have hit the dizzy heights of running 3 minutes at a time by then.
Saturday 20 September 2008
Treadmill continues
Another late night on a treadmill - I sure know how to spend my Saturday nights. Not a great session as I was feeling a bit heavy of leg and full of stomach.
For my fourth running stint as I was struggling I decided to set the treadmill to 4mph and do a fast walk. This setting is not that much lower than what I usually run at, but although it seemed just as hard work to routemarch at that pace, at least it was less hard on the legs. Which got me thinking - I could walk the marathon at 4mph instead of running it, and I'd still get round in 6 and a half hours. Maybe I'll just do that ...
For my fourth running stint as I was struggling I decided to set the treadmill to 4mph and do a fast walk. This setting is not that much lower than what I usually run at, but although it seemed just as hard work to routemarch at that pace, at least it was less hard on the legs. Which got me thinking - I could walk the marathon at 4mph instead of running it, and I'd still get round in 6 and a half hours. Maybe I'll just do that ...
Thursday 18 September 2008
Week 7
I'm so determined to run three times a week, but it always seems to be the first one, to be run Monday-Friday, that's hardest to motivate for. I think by the end of the week I've usually done two in a row, and three in close proximity, and feel that I'm starting to make progress. But the first of the week and usually I've come down from that.
So it's a bit like three steps forward and two steps back. Anyway today once I was off and running (literally) then it wasn't so bad. I've upped the running to 2.5 minutes running for every 1 minute running, albeit only 4 reps. We can try and hit 6 or 7 reps by Sunday. Not earth-shattering but something I couldn't have done when I started. It's all good.
So it's a bit like three steps forward and two steps back. Anyway today once I was off and running (literally) then it wasn't so bad. I've upped the running to 2.5 minutes running for every 1 minute running, albeit only 4 reps. We can try and hit 6 or 7 reps by Sunday. Not earth-shattering but something I couldn't have done when I started. It's all good.
Sunday 14 September 2008
End of week 6
More time on the treadmill today - my problem is that when I'm training my mind just races on, and usually works against me as I think of how hard I am finding it. Today my mind moved on to the fact that I couldn't remember any famous current marathon runners except Paula Radcliffe - if I want inspiration from people I need to remember who they are.
I couldn't think of the famous male runners, being such a Westerner my brain hasn't held on to the African names. I thought of Haile Gebriesalassie, and I think one current runner is Martin Lel (perhaps the easiest to remember), and a South African called Henrik whose surname escaped me. I know now it was Henrik Ramala. Strangely I can remember two western runners through the ages - Rob Di Castella and Stefano Baldini, both cropping up in my head being pronounced in Brendan Foster's geordie tones. No matter, I started to remember others - even the very first London marathon which I'm sure was won by an American called Dick and a Norwegian bloke crossing hand in hand. I remembered the best British male runner in the 80s was called Hugh Jones who was a redhead who won a couple of times, and that a bloke with a beard called Mike Gratton won in the 80s (who I'm going to meet and run with as part of the Save the Rhino team, but I didn't allow that scary thought to put me off) before Charlie Spedding became the UK lead male runner and then I struggled after that. I think the best runner at the moment might be a chap called Dave ... but I remembered famous women runners like Liz McColgan, Greta Waitz, Ingrid Christiansen, and the point is before I knew it I'd run over two minutes on the treadmill without hurting, straining or wanting to stop.
Not quite sure how many mental challenges I can set myself in a 26 mile run in April but I then decided to remember all the Summer Olympic venues since 1896, which took me comfortably to the end of my 18 minutes. Not a spectacular time but for the first time since I started, I have done the comfortable majority running rather than walking.
Now I feel like I made a breakthrough today, that I can run significantly more than I can walk without killing myself, at least over the small distances I'm training. One thing that doesn't please me though, even though it helped today, is that for the life of me despite nailing all the others I can't remember who hosted the 1932 Olympics. Wikipedia awaits ...
I couldn't think of the famous male runners, being such a Westerner my brain hasn't held on to the African names. I thought of Haile Gebriesalassie, and I think one current runner is Martin Lel (perhaps the easiest to remember), and a South African called Henrik whose surname escaped me. I know now it was Henrik Ramala. Strangely I can remember two western runners through the ages - Rob Di Castella and Stefano Baldini, both cropping up in my head being pronounced in Brendan Foster's geordie tones. No matter, I started to remember others - even the very first London marathon which I'm sure was won by an American called Dick and a Norwegian bloke crossing hand in hand. I remembered the best British male runner in the 80s was called Hugh Jones who was a redhead who won a couple of times, and that a bloke with a beard called Mike Gratton won in the 80s (who I'm going to meet and run with as part of the Save the Rhino team, but I didn't allow that scary thought to put me off) before Charlie Spedding became the UK lead male runner and then I struggled after that. I think the best runner at the moment might be a chap called Dave ... but I remembered famous women runners like Liz McColgan, Greta Waitz, Ingrid Christiansen, and the point is before I knew it I'd run over two minutes on the treadmill without hurting, straining or wanting to stop.
Not quite sure how many mental challenges I can set myself in a 26 mile run in April but I then decided to remember all the Summer Olympic venues since 1896, which took me comfortably to the end of my 18 minutes. Not a spectacular time but for the first time since I started, I have done the comfortable majority running rather than walking.
Now I feel like I made a breakthrough today, that I can run significantly more than I can walk without killing myself, at least over the small distances I'm training. One thing that doesn't please me though, even though it helped today, is that for the life of me despite nailing all the others I can't remember who hosted the 1932 Olympics. Wikipedia awaits ...
Saturday 13 September 2008
uphill struggle
I really thought today would be hard - trudging to the treadmill in the garage at gone 9pm, just feeling sluggish and hard to find motivation. The cause, species conservation, is motivation, and the potential achievement is definitely motivation, but neither of these things managed to get me bouncing enthusiastically to the treadmill. I'd even allowed my mind to wander to this blog and how I'd blog about how hard it was today, before I'd even started the run.
So I needed inspiration, and it came from an unlikely source. Not from heroes of marathon running, or great motivational speakers of our time. But from my wife, who mentioned "Did you actually know that there are three levels of incline on the treadmill?"
My god it's easier on the flat setting. As you can guess - up to now I've always had it on the most uphill setting, and though I knew I was always running on an incline, I thought that was the only setting ... And I'd been wondering why just a bit of running was such hard work on the calves so early on.
So I feel a bit better now - 21 more minutes under my belt but my 1.5 minute run stints suddenly seem like they could easily have been longer, rather than such hard work as they had been up to now. Of course the small number of calories burned off have long since been cancelled out by the second glass of wine I'm now enjoying. Roll on April ...
So I needed inspiration, and it came from an unlikely source. Not from heroes of marathon running, or great motivational speakers of our time. But from my wife, who mentioned "Did you actually know that there are three levels of incline on the treadmill?"
My god it's easier on the flat setting. As you can guess - up to now I've always had it on the most uphill setting, and though I knew I was always running on an incline, I thought that was the only setting ... And I'd been wondering why just a bit of running was such hard work on the calves so early on.
So I feel a bit better now - 21 more minutes under my belt but my 1.5 minute run stints suddenly seem like they could easily have been longer, rather than such hard work as they had been up to now. Of course the small number of calories burned off have long since been cancelled out by the second glass of wine I'm now enjoying. Roll on April ...
Tuesday 9 September 2008
Rarity
The rarity I'm referring to is a midweek run - seems it needs planning with military precision. Well not really, but an equally rare occasion of leaving work on time and getting a chance to run before eating in the evening. I'm going to have to do this more often, perhaps once a week, if I'm to have any chance at this, and the way my job is at the moment that's going to take a lot of self-discipline.
As for the run itself, well the irony isn't lost on me. Taking the opportunity to get off the treadmill of long days at work ... to go on the treadmill in the garage. And as for the stats of what I'm actually running, well I'm quite embarrassed really. Still walking as much as I'm running. I'd start to feel confident if it was the 2010 marathon I was signed up for. But 2009?
As for the run itself, well the irony isn't lost on me. Taking the opportunity to get off the treadmill of long days at work ... to go on the treadmill in the garage. And as for the stats of what I'm actually running, well I'm quite embarrassed really. Still walking as much as I'm running. I'd start to feel confident if it was the 2010 marathon I was signed up for. But 2009?
Monday 8 September 2008
All run and no rhinos
As the title says - all so far has been about my running and nothing to do with rhinos.
I feel a bit like I'm doing the serious bits where they subdue the tone and ask for money in Children in Need or Comic Relief, but here are a couple of reasons why I'm doing this
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tKk-tIQ5FV8
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=D5L4xo33fko
I feel a bit like I'm doing the serious bits where they subdue the tone and ask for money in Children in Need or Comic Relief, but here are a couple of reasons why I'm doing this
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tKk-tIQ5FV8
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=D5L4xo33fko
Sunday 7 September 2008
End of week 5
Ahem, week 5 ends the day after it begins ...
On the treadmill again and in an effort to avoid clockwatching and take my mind off the task in hand, I went for the option of listening to the radio, as Andy Murray takes on Nadal for the US Open final. The idea being that it will be engrossing enough that before I know it I will have sailed through today's training.
Not sure that happened, though the tennis is good! Unfortunately as I write I'm long since back in the house and the tennis players who are far fitter are still going (which also means that Murray hasn't won the third set) but at least it's a massive 18 minutes more of run/walking under the belt. I might not know who wins now till tomorrow morning, let's hope there's a good omen for my future sporting efforts.
Before I know it another week will start tomorrow and I'm not ready enough to step up to 2 minutes running at a time yet. At least the London Marathon has a handy(?) counter that tells me I have exactly 07 months, 18 days, 10 hours, 27 minutes and 31 seconds before it starts. That's a lot of jogging and a lot of blogging to get through.
On the treadmill again and in an effort to avoid clockwatching and take my mind off the task in hand, I went for the option of listening to the radio, as Andy Murray takes on Nadal for the US Open final. The idea being that it will be engrossing enough that before I know it I will have sailed through today's training.
Not sure that happened, though the tennis is good! Unfortunately as I write I'm long since back in the house and the tennis players who are far fitter are still going (which also means that Murray hasn't won the third set) but at least it's a massive 18 minutes more of run/walking under the belt. I might not know who wins now till tomorrow morning, let's hope there's a good omen for my future sporting efforts.
Before I know it another week will start tomorrow and I'm not ready enough to step up to 2 minutes running at a time yet. At least the London Marathon has a handy(?) counter that tells me I have exactly 07 months, 18 days, 10 hours, 27 minutes and 31 seconds before it starts. That's a lot of jogging and a lot of blogging to get through.
Saturday 6 September 2008
Week 5
Hmm - my first run of the week and it's Saturday already. I did swim yesterday, but anyone who knows me knows I can swim as well as I run so I can't count that. I have at least stepped up the running stints to 1.5 minutes (watch out Paula Radcliffe!) although my training schedule says 2 minutes running at a time I didnt really fancy that at this stage.
The problem is finding time during the week. As it's Saturday and this is my first run of week 5 I'm clearly failing in that matter. Currently I'm working 1-2 hours overtime every day (close to 11 hours a day if you include the commute), trying to complete a degree course in my spare time (having finally nailed an essay on the role of empowerment in poverty alleviation this morning, three weeks late), and training for the marathon.
Common consensus is that one of them is just going to have to give as I don't have time for all three. It can't be the marathon. It won't be.
The problem is finding time during the week. As it's Saturday and this is my first run of week 5 I'm clearly failing in that matter. Currently I'm working 1-2 hours overtime every day (close to 11 hours a day if you include the commute), trying to complete a degree course in my spare time (having finally nailed an essay on the role of empowerment in poverty alleviation this morning, three weeks late), and training for the marathon.
Common consensus is that one of them is just going to have to give as I don't have time for all three. It can't be the marathon. It won't be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
