Today I decided I really need to start running outside, pounding the mean streets of Bicester. I've used the MapMyRun website to determine a few possible routes, starting with a circuit calculated at 3.5 miles here
The difficulty I found today, and am likely always to find, is that I don't really like running yet. If I get tired, or out of breath, my brain has no problem telling me to walk for a little bit. On a treadmill that's not really an option, but at least there I know that when I've had enough I am still home, so can keep going as far as possible.
On the road I don't have that luxury, and was aware that until I got half way, I was running further and further away from home. And there is no other way to put this, it was cold. Zero degrees was tricky for my first run outdoors.
You can probably tell I'm lining up the factors and excuses before I start. In the end I ran about one mile, stopped, and decided to turn round for home, walking for a bit then running again home. So instead of a 3.5 mile run, I just managed 1.5 miles or so and half a mile or so walking. Probably very similar to the composition of my Santa run in similar circumstances
I'm not beating myself up about it - it was an OK start, and the cold was so much that it has given me shortness of breath and coughing fits for several hours since! I think I now know my New Year goal, by the end of January I will try to run 6 miles (8 would be nice) outside on the streets, and I will look to run more and more away from the treadmill.
If anyone is reading this ... Happy New Year!!
Wednesday 31 December 2008
Sunday 28 December 2008
Forrest Gump
Following my earlier update, I am now back to blogging on the day of the run.
Well today I felt like Forrest Gump. I got on the treadmill, ran, ran some more, and didn't stop for an hour. I still can't quite believe it. I am full of turkey, chocolate, cheese and mince pies just like everyone else, so quite how I went fully 20 minutes longer than ever before, with such an inconsistent few weeks behind me, I don't know. But I do feel triumphant, and am telling everybody I know!
The most impressive thing is it was 1.8 °C in the garage, though the nerdy scientist in me noticed that 20 minutes of running had raised the tempereature in my garage by a full degree and a half. I at least now know that cold weather doesn't put me off though am yet to try sub-zero ...
I have to work out some runs and get outside - the main thing now is boredom. Today I thought about so many things and so many people. It was thinking about this that got me from 0-40 without realising it, though I must have run it all or I would have fallen off the treadmill. The things and people I thought about ... well that's not really for this blog but I don't know that I can do that every time, I don't have the imagination to sustain me for another hour if I do it again in a couple of days.
I will run again between now and the New Year and set new targets - so far, I have, to my amazement, hit them all, so ... so far so good. And now, like Forest Gump (tenuous reference alert) I am going to go and demolish a large section of our box of chocolates.
Well today I felt like Forrest Gump. I got on the treadmill, ran, ran some more, and didn't stop for an hour. I still can't quite believe it. I am full of turkey, chocolate, cheese and mince pies just like everyone else, so quite how I went fully 20 minutes longer than ever before, with such an inconsistent few weeks behind me, I don't know. But I do feel triumphant, and am telling everybody I know!
The most impressive thing is it was 1.8 °C in the garage, though the nerdy scientist in me noticed that 20 minutes of running had raised the tempereature in my garage by a full degree and a half. I at least now know that cold weather doesn't put me off though am yet to try sub-zero ...
I have to work out some runs and get outside - the main thing now is boredom. Today I thought about so many things and so many people. It was thinking about this that got me from 0-40 without realising it, though I must have run it all or I would have fallen off the treadmill. The things and people I thought about ... well that's not really for this blog but I don't know that I can do that every time, I don't have the imagination to sustain me for another hour if I do it again in a couple of days.
I will run again between now and the New Year and set new targets - so far, I have, to my amazement, hit them all, so ... so far so good. And now, like Forest Gump (tenuous reference alert) I am going to go and demolish a large section of our box of chocolates.
weeks 20-21
I'm ashamed to see I haven't updated my blog since December 12th when I ran 40 minutes. It looks like I already had my December excuses of exhaustion, business and party season, and I'm afraid I really let the training dip somewhat but I'm going to use the same excuses
This is, I think, what I ran in the intervening time
Sunday 14th: 20 minutes
Tuesday 16th: 30 minutes
Sunday 21st: 10 minutes
Wednesday 24th: 35 minutes
As I've neglected the blog somewhat (it seems I'm far more likely to update when I have something more triumphant to post) then I don't have detailed facts, figures and feelings to update, other than a real need to improve. In my defence ... something kept me off work 17th-19th December which hit my appetite and left me exhausted, and I think Sunday 21st was too soon to start again. And I was pleased to get back to 35 minutes for Christmas Eve but catching and passing my previous best of 40 minutes has really seemed a difficult barrier.
I have to get back to a minimum three runs a week, and the improvement I need to make is also pretty obvious. Still a long way to go though.
This is, I think, what I ran in the intervening time
Sunday 14th: 20 minutes
Tuesday 16th: 30 minutes
Sunday 21st: 10 minutes
Wednesday 24th: 35 minutes
As I've neglected the blog somewhat (it seems I'm far more likely to update when I have something more triumphant to post) then I don't have detailed facts, figures and feelings to update, other than a real need to improve. In my defence ... something kept me off work 17th-19th December which hit my appetite and left me exhausted, and I think Sunday 21st was too soon to start again. And I was pleased to get back to 35 minutes for Christmas Eve but catching and passing my previous best of 40 minutes has really seemed a difficult barrier.
I have to get back to a minimum three runs a week, and the improvement I need to make is also pretty obvious. Still a long way to go though.
Friday 12 December 2008
Week 19
Well it now seems a long time since I've run. After 2 miles of good-humoured struggling round Oxford in a Santa suit on Sunday, every day that has gone past I have been too busy, tired or hung over to run (well it is office party season).
Today was no exception but it feels like my progress is going backwards and if I'm to hit my minimum of three runs each week I have to run today (Friday), tomorrow and Sunday. I have been exhausted all day mentally and physically but there's every chance I'll feel like that on the day so I can't let that put me off.
Amazingly this was the easiest run I've done so far, despite the cold and the exhaustion. I ran 40 minutes right off the bat, and feel so much better for having done so. I really didn't think I'd make 20, but the only barrier today was boredom. There's a lot going on which gave me a lot to think about (but this is a running blog, not a blog about my life) and ultimately I managed to push myself to go to the full 40 minutes. I feel I could have done 45 certainly, so hopefully I will hit my target for the year.
Perhaps I should push for more. Run for an hour non-stop, or 6 miles, before 2009?
Today was no exception but it feels like my progress is going backwards and if I'm to hit my minimum of three runs each week I have to run today (Friday), tomorrow and Sunday. I have been exhausted all day mentally and physically but there's every chance I'll feel like that on the day so I can't let that put me off.
Amazingly this was the easiest run I've done so far, despite the cold and the exhaustion. I ran 40 minutes right off the bat, and feel so much better for having done so. I really didn't think I'd make 20, but the only barrier today was boredom. There's a lot going on which gave me a lot to think about (but this is a running blog, not a blog about my life) and ultimately I managed to push myself to go to the full 40 minutes. I feel I could have done 45 certainly, so hopefully I will hit my target for the year.
Perhaps I should push for more. Run for an hour non-stop, or 6 miles, before 2009?
Tuesday 9 December 2008
Santas on the Run
Well Sunday was the time for Santas on the Run, a 2 mile fun run through Oxford in a Santa suit, my first public run!!
It was a great and surreal day, I'm ashamed to say I did walk a little as I struggled in the cold (minus 2 was showing in the car as I drove to the event), but was pleased to see the clock ticking at 21 minutes when I finished. Given I walked a little that's probably 20 minute pace for 2 miles or a little better, which is what I kind of expected, but shows that the treadmill pace is not quite realistic. Of course the course could be a little less that 2 miles but let's hope not.
More pictures on facebook here
Sunday 7 December 2008
Saturday
Saturday morning and time for a run - because I am doing the Santas on the Run fun-run in Oxford tomorrow I've decided to recreate it and run 20 minutes.
It was still difficult and still 3.6 degrees in the garage, but ultimately 20 minutes was just about OK. So 20 minutes it was and not much else to write ...
It was still difficult and still 3.6 degrees in the garage, but ultimately 20 minutes was just about OK. So 20 minutes it was and not much else to write ...
Tuesday 2 December 2008
week 18
Well now I finally feel I can run for half an hour I'm probably ready to skip the treadmill and brave the public. But the thermometer outside (Tuesday) says 0.0°C, so no chance.
But it's a strange life I lead. I am now sharing the garage with 18 slices of decaying bread at varying stages. Still, this is a blog about training for the marathon, not studying for a science degree which I am also doing alongside 50 hour weeks at work and 70 mile daily commutes, it's just at times like this I wonder how and why I ever considered doing all three!
So back to the run - though I'm pleased with my progress I have checked in with how other Rhino runners are doing, and all are doing better than I am. Yes we all have different fitness levels and targets, and perhaps it's only those doing well who report on their progress, but it has reminded me that I can't stop.
The treadmill it is then, and in fact the temperature in the garage was still only 3.8°C, and I had no specific target in mind only to hit 30 minutes as a minimum and see what more I could do. As usual I felt fine after 8 minutes but like I'd done about 25 at that point. At 14-15 minutes I felt very heavy-legged, and into the twenties it seemed better, until 29 minutes when I wanted to stop. I don't mind all these mental and physical barriers but I can't help thinking they should be happening at 10, 20 and 25 miles, not just minutes in!
Still in the end I ran through and completed 33 minutes, a new best. I'd hoped for 35 or 40 but did start to feel short of breath - still treading that delicate balance between pushing myself harder each time and not killing myself!
But it's a strange life I lead. I am now sharing the garage with 18 slices of decaying bread at varying stages. Still, this is a blog about training for the marathon, not studying for a science degree which I am also doing alongside 50 hour weeks at work and 70 mile daily commutes, it's just at times like this I wonder how and why I ever considered doing all three!
So back to the run - though I'm pleased with my progress I have checked in with how other Rhino runners are doing, and all are doing better than I am. Yes we all have different fitness levels and targets, and perhaps it's only those doing well who report on their progress, but it has reminded me that I can't stop.
The treadmill it is then, and in fact the temperature in the garage was still only 3.8°C, and I had no specific target in mind only to hit 30 minutes as a minimum and see what more I could do. As usual I felt fine after 8 minutes but like I'd done about 25 at that point. At 14-15 minutes I felt very heavy-legged, and into the twenties it seemed better, until 29 minutes when I wanted to stop. I don't mind all these mental and physical barriers but I can't help thinking they should be happening at 10, 20 and 25 miles, not just minutes in!
Still in the end I ran through and completed 33 minutes, a new best. I'd hoped for 35 or 40 but did start to feel short of breath - still treading that delicate balance between pushing myself harder each time and not killing myself!
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