Time for a Saturday run, and with the snow finally just about melted and the sun out it was time to hit the streets again. The plan was to run the route which I had run before, of a long and a short loop to total just under six miles. Sunday would be the test where I will try and stretch my personal best and hit nine miles ...
As always the first mile was difficult but once into a rhythm I was pleased that the run felt fine. As I reached the end, I felt perfectly capable of running on, and considered doing so, in fact if I added another long loop on the end I could surpass the nine miles I wanted to do this weekend. But there were three reasons why I did not …
1) I told my wife I would be one hour - she has been a great support during my training and I am wary of creating a "running widow". Of course, my runs will get longer and longer, if not more frequent, but Saturday was Valentine's day, so I did not want to be half-asleep either when it came to our romantic meal. So as this was a Valentines Day run, I'd like to dedicate this entry to Lorna (see the Feb 8 blog for a picture, though not exactly what you would call a close-up!)
2) That wasn't the deal! I only thought about doing it because it felt good but also because it would then mean I could run less on Sunday instead! So I would have been cheating myself. I can't do my final 20 mile training run the week before the marathon in April, and decide to hit 26 so I can just run 20 on the day instead, it doesn't work like that! Different days have different goals and I didn't want to cheat myself
3) I didn't take any water with me! An hour for six miles is fine but an hour and half for nine and maybe I would have found myself in trouble …
Monday, 16 February 2009
Friday, 13 February 2009
I won't back down
Still ice in crucial parts of Bicester which means that yesterday's run would be on the treadmill. I chose my running partner for the day (Tom Petty's Greatest hits on the iPod) and decided to put the treadmill on the highest incline. I wasn't sure how far I'd run and couldn't help thinking my strategy of chooing a Greatest Hits album, because they are generally longer, was a little on the optimistic side.
The incline feels like hard work to start with, and I make sure that I run at the same pace as usual even though I am running uphill - by the end of American Girl I was struggling somewhat. Worrying, as American Girl is the first track on the album. As always I managed to find a rhythm, but halfway through Refugee I felt my back leg go, and almost staggered off the back of the treadmill.
Once again I was able to continue and somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes I felt ready to stop. However I didn't want to stop when Even the Losers was playing, as it somehow would have felt appropriate. At 25 minutes, at a less appropriate song, I called it quits.
Reasonably happy in as much as I have worked hard to cover 2.5 miles uphill. My next two runs this week need to be longer though, and hopefully outdoors if the ice will finally melt ...
The incline feels like hard work to start with, and I make sure that I run at the same pace as usual even though I am running uphill - by the end of American Girl I was struggling somewhat. Worrying, as American Girl is the first track on the album. As always I managed to find a rhythm, but halfway through Refugee I felt my back leg go, and almost staggered off the back of the treadmill.
Once again I was able to continue and somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes I felt ready to stop. However I didn't want to stop when Even the Losers was playing, as it somehow would have felt appropriate. At 25 minutes, at a less appropriate song, I called it quits.
Reasonably happy in as much as I have worked hard to cover 2.5 miles uphill. My next two runs this week need to be longer though, and hopefully outdoors if the ice will finally melt ...
Sunday, 8 February 2009
8 miles
This is the scene of the cycle path around Bicester and also reminiscent of some of the pavements around the ringroad, so despite best intentions it is not safe to run on the streets at the moment. Apologies for fans waiting to watch me tour the streets, you will have to wait.
I now have new jogger-proof headphones and a fully loaded iPod to try and make the long treadmill sessions less boring. An early start and not too much procrastination meant I started my run at 9am exactly - only just as I started did I realise the significance that this will also be the time of day when I start the Silverstone Half Marathon (five weeks) and the Marathon itself (eleven weeks I think)
As always, getting started was tricky but once in my stride the first hour went fine. Running in the conservatory, in an enclosed room, whatever the temperature or ventilation, I always get so much hotter and sweatier than when running outside and today was no exception, though it didn't prevent me continuing to run.
My intention was to do at least 75 minutes so as to match my previous personal best, and go anywhere up to 90 depending on how I felt. As I hit 70 minutes I was fine to continue but starting to get tired, and at 77 and a bit, the playlist on my iPod stopped, which seemed like the cue to go too much further.
In any case, I completed 80 minutes, which equates to 8 miles, and have done my long run for the week with a new personal best distance/time elapsed. Next week will need to match this distance on the roads, working slowly up to 13 for Silverstone. Sounds easy when I just say it now ...
Friday, 6 February 2009
Housebound
Yesterday (Thursday) and a few inches of snow has brought the county to a standstill. Not a good idea to run out on the roads though so I'm glad I have the treadmill option.
I've kind of switched my focus to thinking that the longer runs should now be outside, with treadmill options based more on changing speeds/inclines or just when a shorter run would do. With that in mind I went for a run on the treadmill yesterday not trying to push any boundaries or break any records, just to keep up the training.
I ran about 40 minutes in the end. In fact I ran 35 in one stint but had a couple of earlier aborted starts, due to having the heater on too hot and then throwing my ipod away because the headphones just fall out when I start running. If only it was as easy as just going in, running, and coming back to the house. I think, really, it probably is.
I've kind of switched my focus to thinking that the longer runs should now be outside, with treadmill options based more on changing speeds/inclines or just when a shorter run would do. With that in mind I went for a run on the treadmill yesterday not trying to push any boundaries or break any records, just to keep up the training.
I ran about 40 minutes in the end. In fact I ran 35 in one stint but had a couple of earlier aborted starts, due to having the heater on too hot and then throwing my ipod away because the headphones just fall out when I start running. If only it was as easy as just going in, running, and coming back to the house. I think, really, it probably is.
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Upping the speed
Tuesday night and time for another run - with snow on the ground outside I plucked for the treadmill.
This time I wanted to push myself running faster. My treadmill says I run at 5 miles per hour, but I don't believe this as I run 10 minute mile pace outside, so I have always assumed the treadmill pace was wrong. In any case I upped the speed to 6 miles per hour, so one thing I do know is that I ran 20% faster than before. Translating this like the mathematician I am, I managed to convince myself that I was running as about 8 minute mile pace.
With that in mind I began running, and though it seemed difficult at first I ended up having no problem running 32 minutes, so an estimated 4 miles at faster pace. I'm not sticking religiously to a specific training schedule but they do now suggest that I should be doing more hill running and faster paced stuff so I think I'm ticking those boxes nicely.
Thanks to all who are following either here or in person, the encouragement is genuinely helping and I still feel really optimistic about this. At the moment I really don't know what my limits are, so here's hoping they are about 27 miles or more!
This time I wanted to push myself running faster. My treadmill says I run at 5 miles per hour, but I don't believe this as I run 10 minute mile pace outside, so I have always assumed the treadmill pace was wrong. In any case I upped the speed to 6 miles per hour, so one thing I do know is that I ran 20% faster than before. Translating this like the mathematician I am, I managed to convince myself that I was running as about 8 minute mile pace.
With that in mind I began running, and though it seemed difficult at first I ended up having no problem running 32 minutes, so an estimated 4 miles at faster pace. I'm not sticking religiously to a specific training schedule but they do now suggest that I should be doing more hill running and faster paced stuff so I think I'm ticking those boxes nicely.
Thanks to all who are following either here or in person, the encouragement is genuinely helping and I still feel really optimistic about this. At the moment I really don't know what my limits are, so here's hoping they are about 27 miles or more!
Monday, 2 February 2009
Sunday
Well Sunday I had the house to myself - my wife and even the dogs were nowhere to be seen, so it was the perfect opportunity for a long run. It was also, as UK followers will know, the start of a cold snap, so the longer I procrastinated the colder it would get and the more chance I gave myself to talk myself out of a run outside or slip away to the ttreadmill.
As 4pm came along I finally plucked up the courage to go and run. I'm still a little self-conscious of running on the street. And this time, as every other time so far, if only just once, a car beeped and flashed me as I went past. It could have been a friend offering genuine encouragement, or it could have been general abuse at a funny looking fat bloke in a hat running slowly. My self-esteem suspects the latter so I tend to run face forward and down - if you were after attention and encouragement in Bicester on Sunday then apologies!!
I ran the 3.5 mile loop from my house with the intention of either doing two loops for 7 miles or the smaller loop for a little less than six. The run went fine until I approached home for the first time - very cold and running into a biting wind, but otherwise fine. I went for the small loop - we can always build up - and to my delight just kept on running. After the first mile or so, I felt no desire to stop, even running through a snow shower in the last mile!
As I returned home after almost 6 miles I genuinely felt I could have done at least another lap, either large or small. With six weeks till the Silverstone half marathon I suppose that's good news as that step up has to come soon. I think I said my goal was to run 6 miles outside by the end of January.
I'll settle for five and three quarters on Februrary first - pretty chuffed!
As 4pm came along I finally plucked up the courage to go and run. I'm still a little self-conscious of running on the street. And this time, as every other time so far, if only just once, a car beeped and flashed me as I went past. It could have been a friend offering genuine encouragement, or it could have been general abuse at a funny looking fat bloke in a hat running slowly. My self-esteem suspects the latter so I tend to run face forward and down - if you were after attention and encouragement in Bicester on Sunday then apologies!!
I ran the 3.5 mile loop from my house with the intention of either doing two loops for 7 miles or the smaller loop for a little less than six. The run went fine until I approached home for the first time - very cold and running into a biting wind, but otherwise fine. I went for the small loop - we can always build up - and to my delight just kept on running. After the first mile or so, I felt no desire to stop, even running through a snow shower in the last mile!
As I returned home after almost 6 miles I genuinely felt I could have done at least another lap, either large or small. With six weeks till the Silverstone half marathon I suppose that's good news as that step up has to come soon. I think I said my goal was to run 6 miles outside by the end of January.
I'll settle for five and three quarters on Februrary first - pretty chuffed!
Two laps
A blog post now for Friday's run. I know that Saturday will not be possible as we have so much to do and plans for the evening, so my runs will have to be Friday and Sunday. I wanted to increase the distance I can run outside, so decided to go for two laps of the smaller circuit around my house. Two laps of 2.25 miles will be 4.5 miles, and my furthest yet off the treadmill.
As it happens, the run was fine, after the first minute or two as usual. The evening was full of joggers, including a woman who both ran past me from the opposite direction and then overtook me all within the first mile. So long as I don't try and run too fast I think I'm usually OK now.
The big challenge was probably going to be the part where I pass close to my house after one lap and resisting the temptation to call it a day. But in all honesty it was never a temptation and I continued with the second lap as comfortable as the first. All in all, 4.5 miles covered.
I did state in my facebook update that was dressed head to toe in polyester and that I looked like a cross between Dave Beasant and Benny from Crossroads! I guess that's the price we pay for our art! You can blame my description on a bright yellow long-sleeved top, long curly hair and curls sticking out from under a stupid hat ...
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