Ugh, what a week. Monday to Thursday have rolled by with each day working later and later, and just no desire to get the training run in. Still, as Thursday night passed I resolved to run on Friday morning before work.
6:30am and bleary-eyed I headed for the treadmill in the garage. There were some strange creaky noises as it was so cold and I don't know how much was me and how much was the treadmill, and as I started running I decided I didn't know what I was going to do. Eventually I knew I didn't have long before getting ready for work so decided to see how far I can run without stopping. After all, that's ultimately going to be a key part of the strategy for running 26 and a bit miles.
Anyhow let's not drag this into a great saga as I still need to remind myself I've got a long way to go. But I did run 15 minutes and was really quite pleasantly surprised. Nice thing is I genuinely think I could have done more. It doesn't seem like long ago when I was fretting over doing 3,4,5 minutes at a time. And even at my slow pace I've confidently doubled by PB (see I sound like an athlete now) and have run my first mile and a bit.
Friday, 31 October 2008
Sunday, 26 October 2008
End of week 12
I've just caught myself groaning out loud at yesterday's blog headline ...
Short post tonight as it's almost bedtime - good news is that yesterday's run was no fluke as I've repeated exactly the same today. As usual - for three quarters of the run I thought I could easily surpass my previous best and for one quarter I wanted to collapse.
But I'm genuinely pleased that I've repeated yesterday's efforts. Slow and steady progress is all I can ask for.
Short post tonight as it's almost bedtime - good news is that yesterday's run was no fluke as I've repeated exactly the same today. As usual - for three quarters of the run I thought I could easily surpass my previous best and for one quarter I wanted to collapse.
But I'm genuinely pleased that I've repeated yesterday's efforts. Slow and steady progress is all I can ask for.
Saturday, 25 October 2008
Careless Wispa
Well it's so hard to find time to run and make sure it's long enough after food. This time I ran this afternoon but had a well known retro chocolate bar half an hour before - I completely forgot about my run. Actually it didn't make the slightest bit of difference, but I was just rather pleased with the pun in my title.
I decided to call my own bluff today - if I can run 3 stints of 5 minutes with 2 one minute breaks, that means I can run 15 minutes out of 17. So why not make the jump - 7.5 minutes followed by a 2 minute rest and another 7.5 minutes is exactly the same - 15 minutes out of 17, but running 50% longer at a time than I've ever managed.
Anyway enough of the arithmetic - I did it and I'm quite chuffed with that. In fact my break was 1.5 minutes so I beat my own target - though I'm not covering a great distance yet, I've made a big jump in the time I can keep going in one go now. My target now has to me to run for half an hout without stopping by Christmas.
My other target is completely different - I've decided to diet too, starting Monday. It's just got to happen so I can be fit enough to do this. Today isn't Monday though, so I'm eagerly awaiting a Chicken dopiaza and all the trimmings from Bicester's finest Indian restaurant tonight.
I decided to call my own bluff today - if I can run 3 stints of 5 minutes with 2 one minute breaks, that means I can run 15 minutes out of 17. So why not make the jump - 7.5 minutes followed by a 2 minute rest and another 7.5 minutes is exactly the same - 15 minutes out of 17, but running 50% longer at a time than I've ever managed.
Anyway enough of the arithmetic - I did it and I'm quite chuffed with that. In fact my break was 1.5 minutes so I beat my own target - though I'm not covering a great distance yet, I've made a big jump in the time I can keep going in one go now. My target now has to me to run for half an hout without stopping by Christmas.
My other target is completely different - I've decided to diet too, starting Monday. It's just got to happen so I can be fit enough to do this. Today isn't Monday though, so I'm eagerly awaiting a Chicken dopiaza and all the trimmings from Bicester's finest Indian restaurant tonight.
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Chicken Fajitas
Another late post here as my run was yesterday.
Didn't feel too good initially, and I was all set to blame a nice meal of chicken fajitas before my run. I even decided the title of this blog was going to be Chicken Fajitas, and as I can't think of anything else, I'm going to keep it that way. It's never easy to find time in the evenings long enough after the meal. Actually though it went quite well as I hit my 5 minute target not once but three times (so that's October's goal met). And no sneaky 2 minute breaks instead of 1 minute breaks.
Hard going at the end as I considered cutting the last one short by a minute. But my main reason for doing that would have been so I could do 3 complete reps next time and think I'd improved. Now it looks like I'm going to have to run for longer one way or another (more reps or longer stints). But I feel pretty pleased with this session - I almost thought I could have run further. Almost.
Didn't feel too good initially, and I was all set to blame a nice meal of chicken fajitas before my run. I even decided the title of this blog was going to be Chicken Fajitas, and as I can't think of anything else, I'm going to keep it that way. It's never easy to find time in the evenings long enough after the meal. Actually though it went quite well as I hit my 5 minute target not once but three times (so that's October's goal met). And no sneaky 2 minute breaks instead of 1 minute breaks.
Hard going at the end as I considered cutting the last one short by a minute. But my main reason for doing that would have been so I could do 3 complete reps next time and think I'd improved. Now it looks like I'm going to have to run for longer one way or another (more reps or longer stints). But I feel pretty pleased with this session - I almost thought I could have run further. Almost.
Sunday, 19 October 2008
End of week 11
Same again today - but without cheating with longer walk breaks. I'm pleased with that because every run has been a very minor improvement.
A quick check of the official London Marathon website helpfully reminds me I have six months, six days and fourteen hours till the start (I'll spare you the number of seconds). In other words about 27 weeks. I've gone from 1 minute to 4 minutes in 11 weeks - can I go from 5 to about 300 in the next 27? Sometimes I hate that I'm a mathematician at heart, because if I apply things like this literally it shows me I've got to improve faster than I am at the moment.
Still waiting for that run when I get off the treadmill really confident that I've got more in the tank and will go much better next time. When that happens I'll write triumphantly about it! Come to think of it, still waiting for the time I'm confident enough to be seen in public instead of confined to the treadmill in the garage but that's another thing to write about entirely.
A quick check of the official London Marathon website helpfully reminds me I have six months, six days and fourteen hours till the start (I'll spare you the number of seconds). In other words about 27 weeks. I've gone from 1 minute to 4 minutes in 11 weeks - can I go from 5 to about 300 in the next 27? Sometimes I hate that I'm a mathematician at heart, because if I apply things like this literally it shows me I've got to improve faster than I am at the moment.
Still waiting for that run when I get off the treadmill really confident that I've got more in the tank and will go much better next time. When that happens I'll write triumphantly about it! Come to think of it, still waiting for the time I'm confident enough to be seen in public instead of confined to the treadmill in the garage but that's another thing to write about entirely.
Piece of cake
It's Sunday today but this is a blog update for yesterday's run.
There usually seems to be a time where it feels (relatively) quite good. Halfway into my second stint I was feeling optimistic and my mind was already wondering forward to this blog and how I would triumphantly write about my best run yet. I didn't chastise myself for over-confidence because I need to be positive after all.
And then one minute later I was clutching my ribcage and trying to run off stitch, wondering instead if I was going to be able to go much further. I'd say pride goes before a fall but at least I didn't fall off the treadmill.
Anyway things improved slightly from there as I managed to get 4 stints in which I think is an improvement, though I did have a 2 minute walk instead of 1 after my stitch.
I know the psychology - if I can run 4 minutes, walk 1, then run 4 more, then that's 8 out of 9. Surely then 5,6 or 7 minutes in one go should be a piece of cake? Mmm ... cake ...
There usually seems to be a time where it feels (relatively) quite good. Halfway into my second stint I was feeling optimistic and my mind was already wondering forward to this blog and how I would triumphantly write about my best run yet. I didn't chastise myself for over-confidence because I need to be positive after all.
And then one minute later I was clutching my ribcage and trying to run off stitch, wondering instead if I was going to be able to go much further. I'd say pride goes before a fall but at least I didn't fall off the treadmill.
Anyway things improved slightly from there as I managed to get 4 stints in which I think is an improvement, though I did have a 2 minute walk instead of 1 after my stitch.
I know the psychology - if I can run 4 minutes, walk 1, then run 4 more, then that's 8 out of 9. Surely then 5,6 or 7 minutes in one go should be a piece of cake? Mmm ... cake ...
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
"I always feel better for having done it, but crap for just how crap I still am at it"
"I always feel better for having done it, but crap for just how crap I still am at it". That was my highly erudite description to my wife of my latest 9:30pm training session, and though I could perhaps have made it sound a bit better, if not then, then for the write-up for this blog, I think I'll leave it as it is, as it pretty much sums things up.
I've improved on last session as I can now run three consecutive 4 minute stints without cheating and extending my breaks, so I'm now considering any run where I've made a small improvement on last time as a good thing. I could perhaps have done a further repetition today but have decided to leave that as a goal for next time.
Actually who am I kidding - I'd have never have made that 4th repetition today ...
I've improved on last session as I can now run three consecutive 4 minute stints without cheating and extending my breaks, so I'm now considering any run where I've made a small improvement on last time as a good thing. I could perhaps have done a further repetition today but have decided to leave that as a goal for next time.
Actually who am I kidding - I'd have never have made that 4th repetition today ...
Sunday, 12 October 2008
End of week 10
Well I'm desperately trying to maintain 4 minute stints at the moment and managed this three times in my run today. Unfortunately to do this I had to do three things:
1) cheat - by upping my intervening gaps from 1 minute to 2 minutes
2) run through the barrier past the point where I thought I'd have to stop
3) I can't remember what the third one was, I ran this afternoon and have only just remembered to update my blog
I can see now why Roger Bannister was so keen to get it all done in 3:59 - the thought of running for any more than 4 minutes at a time terrifies me at the moment. I'm kind of hoping for the day I get off the treadmill feeling good about myself and feeling I could have actually done more than I did. When that day comes there'll be a very triumphant blog entry. Until then, it's more of the usual self-doubting drivel ...
1) cheat - by upping my intervening gaps from 1 minute to 2 minutes
2) run through the barrier past the point where I thought I'd have to stop
3) I can't remember what the third one was, I ran this afternoon and have only just remembered to update my blog
I can see now why Roger Bannister was so keen to get it all done in 3:59 - the thought of running for any more than 4 minutes at a time terrifies me at the moment. I'm kind of hoping for the day I get off the treadmill feeling good about myself and feeling I could have actually done more than I did. When that day comes there'll be a very triumphant blog entry. Until then, it's more of the usual self-doubting drivel ...
Friday, 10 October 2008
Aiming for 4 minutes
A 9:30 run after a long week was never going to be a classic, and indeed it wasn't. I do want to get off my 3 minute mark so I decided to push for 4 minutes at a time. After 3 minutes 10 seconds I wanted to collapse - a bit tragic really. Still I ran for 4 minutes, stopped and then ran for 4 minutes again. A few more reps needed though I think ...
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Bonus run
I have a day off today, ostensibly to revise for an exam I have tomorrow. So I don't really have time for (a) running or (b) blogging but I guess neither of them take very long. I was one run short last week so I thought I'd better catch up.
I was interested to see how I get on running at 3pm, as so many of my runs are later in the evening. It did seem to go quite well, to the point where I was considering seeing if the organisers could switch it to 3pm on the day, as I'm certainly struggling to find my optimum time (if there is such a thing). Downside of that is whether I'd actually finish on the same day of course!
At least I managed to take my mind of running by going through some of the things I need to revise. I think I've pretty much nailed the differences between the neoliberalist, radical and transformationalist viewpoints on the affect of globalisation on development, go on ask me ...
I was interested to see how I get on running at 3pm, as so many of my runs are later in the evening. It did seem to go quite well, to the point where I was considering seeing if the organisers could switch it to 3pm on the day, as I'm certainly struggling to find my optimum time (if there is such a thing). Downside of that is whether I'd actually finish on the same day of course!
At least I managed to take my mind of running by going through some of the things I need to revise. I think I've pretty much nailed the differences between the neoliberalist, radical and transformationalist viewpoints on the affect of globalisation on development, go on ask me ...
Sunday, 5 October 2008
End of week 9
So, what about the Great North Run this morning - the women's race was exciting and right down to the wire, wasn't it?
And the football this afternoon - Man City and Everton both throwing away 2 goal leads, great games!
OK so I'm supposed to blog about my training run each time I do one, but as you can probably tell I'm going through a bit of a spell at the moment, and sometimes I don't feel like I have anything interesting to say about the running. For the record, the run was OK, no disaster like yesterday, it just seems like my personal "wall" is three minutes, and I'm sure conventionally it's supposed to be 22 miles. But I'll spare you the negative thoughts, at least till next time anyway.
And the football this afternoon - Man City and Everton both throwing away 2 goal leads, great games!
OK so I'm supposed to blog about my training run each time I do one, but as you can probably tell I'm going through a bit of a spell at the moment, and sometimes I don't feel like I have anything interesting to say about the running. For the record, the run was OK, no disaster like yesterday, it just seems like my personal "wall" is three minutes, and I'm sure conventionally it's supposed to be 22 miles. But I'll spare you the negative thoughts, at least till next time anyway.
Saturday, 4 October 2008
Week whatever last week was plus one more
Lots to post about but as I'm only posting each time I'm running, the long gap gives the game away a bit. It's Saturday and my first run of the week so it's been a bit of a shocker. And it's been so long that I don't even know what week it is to put in the title.
I was going to get topical and mention the new world marathon record - Haile Gebrselassie broke the record with an amazing 2 hours 3 minutes 59 seconds. I wouldn't mind but it hardly seems fair - he'll only have to run for a couple of minutes over 2 hours whereas at this rate I'll have to run closer to five hours. He could do it twice and still have time for lunch in between. The most depressing thing? If he runs the London Marathon in 2009 he'll be 36. So will I. I can't even use age as an excuse for my ineptitude.
(PS, thanks to Wikipedia here for Mr Gebrselassie's age and spelling. There's a fantastic line there though, right at the top - "Not to be confused with Haile Salassie I of Ethiopia" ! )
Another reason I haven't run is I've taken up swimming on Fridays instead. It should be noted I'm as good at swimming as I am at running. Enough said. I can't swim. There have been a few lessons but I've just got the point where I can't get past that certain barrier of breathing properly and relaxing in the water, for several weeks I can't get past a basic point - the real frustration is the assumption that each week you get a little bit better, but now it's just not happening ...
No prizes for spotting the parallel with my running at the moment. Just now, I ran. For really not very long at all - another day just as bad as last Saturday night. I even sat on the treadmill for an extra 10 minutes so I could come back into the house and not admit to stopping barely minutes after I started, but I'm rubbish at hiding things, so my wife, and the two dogs, soon knew. And after sitting on the treadmill for 10 minutes there was a worrying beep, either to tell me I'd stopped running/fallen off, or was applying too much weight to the thing just by sitting on it. Either way, I got the hint.
It's been a hard week - I'm also working hard every day and squeezing in revising for an exam on Wednesday. My Saturday night isn't even over as I have an essay to finish on the extent of reframing development as amelioration of disordered faults of progress. So I have to understand why this week was a bad week and see light at the end of the tunnel this time next week. I think also I should set a target for myself and write it down for the world to see - by the end of October I will be running at least 5 mintues at a time for 4 repetitions. Watch this space for progress on my October 31st blog entry.
I've got to end on a positive - 14 stone 4.5 this morning which means I have lost 5.5 pounds since starting running. At least I can be marginally slimmer and rubbish at running.
I was going to get topical and mention the new world marathon record - Haile Gebrselassie broke the record with an amazing 2 hours 3 minutes 59 seconds. I wouldn't mind but it hardly seems fair - he'll only have to run for a couple of minutes over 2 hours whereas at this rate I'll have to run closer to five hours. He could do it twice and still have time for lunch in between. The most depressing thing? If he runs the London Marathon in 2009 he'll be 36. So will I. I can't even use age as an excuse for my ineptitude.
(PS, thanks to Wikipedia here for Mr Gebrselassie's age and spelling. There's a fantastic line there though, right at the top - "Not to be confused with Haile Salassie I of Ethiopia" ! )
Another reason I haven't run is I've taken up swimming on Fridays instead. It should be noted I'm as good at swimming as I am at running. Enough said. I can't swim. There have been a few lessons but I've just got the point where I can't get past that certain barrier of breathing properly and relaxing in the water, for several weeks I can't get past a basic point - the real frustration is the assumption that each week you get a little bit better, but now it's just not happening ...
No prizes for spotting the parallel with my running at the moment. Just now, I ran. For really not very long at all - another day just as bad as last Saturday night. I even sat on the treadmill for an extra 10 minutes so I could come back into the house and not admit to stopping barely minutes after I started, but I'm rubbish at hiding things, so my wife, and the two dogs, soon knew. And after sitting on the treadmill for 10 minutes there was a worrying beep, either to tell me I'd stopped running/fallen off, or was applying too much weight to the thing just by sitting on it. Either way, I got the hint.
It's been a hard week - I'm also working hard every day and squeezing in revising for an exam on Wednesday. My Saturday night isn't even over as I have an essay to finish on the extent of reframing development as amelioration of disordered faults of progress. So I have to understand why this week was a bad week and see light at the end of the tunnel this time next week. I think also I should set a target for myself and write it down for the world to see - by the end of October I will be running at least 5 mintues at a time for 4 repetitions. Watch this space for progress on my October 31st blog entry.
I've got to end on a positive - 14 stone 4.5 this morning which means I have lost 5.5 pounds since starting running. At least I can be marginally slimmer and rubbish at running.
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